Mario and Bowser: Frenemies Forever
Battle Royale (Chapter 24)
Created: 6/23/17 -25
Disclaimer: Mario and co. belong to Nintendo
Author's note: Enjoy the action. Because of the weird way I uploaded this chapter and the preceding, make sure you haven't missed any parts of "Bridging the gaps". There are four in all .
After a tiring sprint through several levels, 'Tom Clancy' style, Luigi and his crew were forced to stop for a break. Luigi bent down, exhausted but excited at the rapid progress. Since Dark Land had no Toad Houses, the Fortress they'd just conquered was their rest area. They had quick refreshments and Luigi did another compulsory count of the powerup supply. They'd also carried the FungusUp with them. Even though they now knew it was dangerous, Luigi insisted.
"Woohoo!" Alagold yelled, adrenaline still pumping from the exercise. "That could have been a TAS run."
Luigi chuckled. "Guess so. Levels go pretty fast when you don't have to fight anything. All thanks to Boo, of course."
Boo blushed madly. "Don't mention it, hehe. Thanks for taking me on this adventure, Weegee."
The two laughed as Alagold checked his phone. It was around evening. "Hey guys?"
Luigi glanced out of the window. "Yeah, I know. It's getting late. Well, let's go. We won't be able to cheat through these final levels."
Boo gasped. "Huh? Why?"
Luigi referred to his detailed map and player's guide. "The next few levels won't lend to the three of us sprinting through. Remember, if Bowser's goons get the idea that invisible people are marching around, the mass paranoia could be worse for us than if they just saw us. See here?" He pointed to the very next level. It would involve riding bone dragons across lava. "Obviously we can't have the platform moving with no one on it."
"So it's time to fight.." Alagold muttered. Boo was nervously silent.
Luigi put the map down. "Yep. We're going in guns blazing!"
Soon they made way to the next lava filled level. The moment they arrived, the Podoboos immediately spotted them and they had to evade. Luigi often took the lead, using his jumping abilities to avoid danger, while Boo and Alagold stayed low, collecting coins along the way.
Just ahead was the bone dragon. Before anyone could hop on, a Sledge Bro blocked their path from out of nowhere. "Halt in the name of Lord Bowser!" he commanded, readying his giant hammers for any sudden move.
"A Giant Land enemy? I thought they hated Bowser," Boo whispered.
"This guy is probably too dumb to know where he is," Luigi whispered back. "Let's take him, split up!"
The trio split with Boo going to the left, Luigi the middle, and Alagold the right. The Sledge Brother predictably hesitated, not knowing who to go for. However, in a clever move, he stomped in place which stopped Alagold in his tracks. The armored Koopa turned toward his victim menacingly.
"Got you now, little Toad!" He raised a hammer. "...Hey!"
Luigi bounced off of his head, incidentally coming into contact with the raised hammer. The Sledge brother stumbled backwards and into the lava pit the bone dragon hovered over.
Boo peered over the edge regretfully. "He's gone…"
Luigi wiped the sweat off of his forehead. He was now normal Luigi. "Too bad for him. Alagold, you alright? Good, let's go." He stepped on and waited for everyone else.
The dragon ride was less exciting, there were no enemies aside from easy to dodge Podoboos and Paratroopas who feebly dove down to take a swing before Alagold roasted them with his fireballs. They hit the flagpole in record time.
The next level was an open dirt field with the flag pole immediately in sight, but strolled throughout the field were slumbering Chain Chomps tied to posts that didn't look like they could actually hold them.
Luigi abruptly stopped and glanced at the map again. Boo noticed the grim expression on his face.
"Weegee, what's wrong?"
"This isn't normal. I mean, sometimes Ludwig switches things up but it's weird for him to spam a million of these animals."
"Ludwig makes these levels?" Boo asked.
"No, Dark Land's twisted nature does. Ludwig is the general however and deploys the enemies we fight. Like I said, it's almost as if Iggy did this! Well, time to sneak past. Invisibility won't help here. If they wake, they're gonna smell us regardless!"
They slowly tiptoed to the goal, zig-zagging across the sleeping Chomps haphazardly laid out. Their hearts almost gave out several times as Chomps stirred when they stepped close, but thankfully returned to peaceful sleep moments later. It took five minutes to just get across what would have been a thirty second level at full sprint. Greatly relieved, they hit the flagpole, triggering the level cleared chime...
...Which woke up every Chomp in the area in a thunderous roar of barking.
"RUN!" Luigi shrieked.
The last stretch called for old school platforming. They blasted down Battleships, toppled Tanks, and flattened Fortresses. Luigi especially found the enemy assortment curious; the baddies seemed to be chosen at random or were just plain wrong for the job. Luigi couldn't count how many times an unfortunate single goomba was put in charge of an entire tank whose controls they weren't even tall enough to reach, or when a Piranha Plant was the "final boss" of a Fortress rather than a more worthy opponent. Ludwig was definitely having a sick day today, Luigi thought, unaware of the irony of that statement. They arrived at Bowser's iron front door in decent shape, only going through a couple of mushrooms and leaving a spare Tanooki, Starman, and Cape feather.
Luigi, now Fire Luigi, rung the buzzer in anticipation of what Bower's goons might think upon seeing that he had successfully lead a team there. Surely by then, everyone knew it was Luigi to the rescue and not his older brother. Luigi had to admit that was an oddly satisfying feeling...
Luigi buzzed it again. "Don't you ignore me, Bowser," he groaned.
Boo, who wore a fuzzy Tanooki suit, tapped him on the shoulder. "Let me try this."
Boo buzzed in and screamed, "PIZZA DELIVERY!"
Alagold, who was regular, shook his head. "Koopas don't like pizza. Let me try this." He screamed, "PEANUT BUTTER AND TOE JAM SANDWICH DELIVERY!"
"Why didn't you say so?!" the speaker responded immediately. Bowser's gate lifted and the trio dodged inside before anyone could be sent to investigate.
"Well, uh. I don't get out much but I'd love to," Mary the intern was forced to admit. She was trying her best of keep focused on her paperwork, but the green capped Toad leaning on the desk in front of her was making that difficult.
"Listen, babe, I've been all over the world. It'd be nice to have some company." Mitch winked, making her blush.
"But have you been to MK East, mon ami?" Bond asked.
Mitch stopped leaning on the reception desk and turned around. "Excuse me?"
"What's happening?" Kylie asked, dropping her magazine.
"I got a call. Something has happened there, and it isn't from the Mushroom Flu," Bond spoke gravely.
Bond, Kylie, and Mitch, who they had to drag to the car, sped off. Along the way, they had to endure extreme road rage from the other drivers, with accidents and street fights everywhere, but they finally made it to the hospital. There, the King's guards were in a full out war against each other. One side of the field in front of the hospital had the guards chucking bob-ombs at the other side, who were throwing fireballs from the fire flowers they were deployed with. Bond discreetly parked on the opposite side of the street.
"Now, how are we gonna get to the front door with that going on?!" Mitch shrieked from the back seat. "We gotta call the military!"
"Actually I know a way up..me and brother, I mean Richard, were gonna take a ladder to the roof before Bond met us yesterday. It's right over there!" Kylie pointed over to the side of the building.
Bond raised down the window for a better look. "Yes, I see. Excellent work as usual! Let's go."
"Uh, what?! Me too?"
Kylie looked back at Mitch. "Well, you don't want to take the front door do ya? Get out!"
The three snuck around the side to the ladder Kylie was talking about. Once again, Mitch had to be dragged along, but finally they'd made it to the roof.
"Don't think about attacking us!" Emery T. yelled as she swung her limited edition Super Mario RPG Bowser Chain Chomp around.
"Mon ami! It is us again!" Bond called.
She lowered it suspiciously. "How can I be sure you aren't...infected?"
Bond raised one eyebrow. "By what?"
"I don't know. Everyone went wild. I've been trying to call my mom since she left for lunch but she won't pick up. They even wailed on Yoshi!" She pointed to Yoshi, who was lying unconscious on a mat near her emergency station.
Kylie wrote down some notes, catching Mitch's attention. "Kylie, do you ever stop writing notes?!"
She gave him an annoyed glance. "Nope. But then again, I am the better reporter."
Mitch was about to respond in kind when he suddenly clutched his head. His eyes became white much like Bond's did as his face filled with horror. "That guy I sensed is here!"
Luigi knew the castle's layout by heart, possibly better than some of it's inhabitants, so they were at the first boss encounter in seconds. He kicked open the doors, making Morton Koopa lose his balance on the floating platform and face plant in sand.
"Give it up, Koopa!" Luigi said in his bravest voice.
Morton got up in a daze. His stage was desert themed with deadly quicksand surrounding the central sandy platform he was on with a floating platform in the center of it.
"Wow, can a koopa ask for people to knock? I know they told me I was gonna be an early boss but isn't Larry supposed to be first? Well I guess he forfeit since he been locked in his room last I heard. Poor guy, Ludwig just ran off and then he had to command the army but he said no so that's too bad. It is said that an army cannot find the resolute to fight without a leader and if we don't all work together how are we gonna achieve world domination?"
"Morton?"
"Yeah, so I'm trying my best of serve and protect. I know it can be rough but one must put the needs of the kingdom above friendships, even those flourished from outside the community at the risk of being ostracized from one's sacred and righteous place-"
"Morton?! What are you talking about?"
Morton flushed. "Oh yeah, the fight! Who's your friends? Where's Mario?!"
Boo was about to say something before Luigi cut it short. "Morton doesn't deserve an explanation. Get him!"
"Well, jeez, can't a koopa get a little conversation before we try to destroy each other?"
"No." Luigi shot a fireball that hit Morton, doing scratch damage to his dark tough skin.
Morton responded by pulling out a giant mallet. He swung in an arc which made three blue fireballs materialize in spread in different directions. Luigi and the rest split up, but were careful to not go beyond the point where there was quicksand.
"Three vs one. This must be New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I like that one, unless we're talking the WiiU version. They really ran out of ideas for that one outside of the boss battles. And I remember that expansion back that Lemmy bought but cried because it was too hard. What was it called?"
"New Super Luigi U, the best version," Luigi answered, landing one hit on his head.
Morton retreated in his shell and spun around, trying to run over anyone on the ground. After a moment he popped back out and stomp the ground, freezing Luigi and Alagold in place. Because of that, they got hit by Morton's fireballs.
"Oh yeah that. I'm not much of a gamer though. You should see Junior's collection, I swear Bowser will buy anything for the brat. Don't tell King Dad I said that. But he'll do anything for King Dad as well, even run off to find-"
"Do you ever stop talking?!" Boo asked, annoyed. Boo landed another hit on Morton.
Morton spun around in his shell again. He stopped on the edge of the safe area and emerged again. However, he did not raise a weapon and instead held his claws out in surrender.
"Hey, guys, I need to tell you something! So like there was this Dark Boo and like, he was with Kamek and he said something like, it's over!"
"It IS over, for you!" Luigi jumped on him one last time, making him stumble backwards into the quicksand.
"Ahhhh!" Morton screamed before he sunk into the depths of it.
"Next boss time..." Luigi looked back at Alagold and Boo. "Guys? I said next boss time!"
"Wow, this is...scary..." Boo muttered.
"You'll get used to it," Alagold answered dryly.
They went through the next boss door to find Iggy in a stage set up like an ancient Greek coliseum. Unlike Morton, he was already in position, waiting for them. In fact, it seemed as though he'd been waiting in that exact spot for some time by the amount of drool that was gathered in a puddle near his feet.
"Greetings! Bwa hahahahaha!" Iggy cackled. His eyes were also dilated behind his thick glasses. The three subconsciously found themselves taking a step back from the grisly sight.
"Why the long faces, Mario? You're not a dog person?!" Iggy whistled loudly before Luigi could correct him. The cage behind him lifted and out came a vicious, hungry Chain Chomp.
"Feast my pet!" Iggy howled as he wrapped his arm around the chain and let the barking Chomp do as it pleased.
Everyone ran in circles to avoid the monster who tossed Iggy around like a rag doll behind it, not that Iggy seemed to care or do anything else other than laugh wildly. Finally, Luigi was able to land on hit on Iggy without being mauled in the process.
"What the?! Oh yeah, I forgot I can do this…" Iggy, still being flailed around, launched green fireballs at the trio. Luigi tried for another hit but the chomp unexpectedly barged forward and knocked him back against of edge of the colosseum walls in a thud.
"Weegee!" Boo ran over to what was now small Luigi.
"Boo, watch out!" Luigi pointed to a green fireball that headed their way. Boo grabbed Luigi (which was easier now in his fun size) and ran around the edges of the colosseum. Luigi instantly panicked.
"Boo, bad idea! We can be cornered against the wall like this!"
"Shh!"
"Huh? Oh..." Luigi caught on to the plan.
Meanwhile Alagold was still running around being chased. He made a sharp turn to jump on Iggy but he chickened out at the last minute. The chomp charged forward anyway, running over his own master and forcing him to let go of the chain. Now with the chomp hopped around, bounced off of walls, and barked loudly like a proud free animal. Iggy picked himself up from the ground and was about to whistle again when someone invisible bopped him and he flew back to the ground. Boo and Luigi reappeared from the invisible realm.
"Just in time," Alagold sighed out.
Iggy shook his head as he lay sprawled out. "Mario? You're not- What have I been saying? What's going on?"
"It's been three strikes," Luigi said, "you're OUT, as we'd say back in Brooklyn. Open the next door and call off this chomp!"
Iggy dropped his psychotic smile, confused and too weak to stand. "...This is a wild chomp, not my pet. Where is Mr. Chomper? I didn't ask for- wait, you gotta listen to me!"
Luigi stood over him. "What are you talking about? Do it!"
Iggy pressed a hidden button which made the gate open. The chomp ran off through it and screams were heard from the hallway as Koopas discovered a rabid chomp bouncing down the halls. Luigi and the rest departed for the next boss room.
"GUYS!" Iggy called as they disappeared down the hall. "GUYS, WAIT!"
"Psst. Weegee. Do the Koopalings always go a little crazy at the end of their fight?" Boo whispered once they'd reached another boss room.
"...No. But whatever, let's power up." Luigi took the cape, Boo had a spare Mushroom they'd found, and Alagold stayed his regular self.
Buckenberry ran and ran and ran. Toadette had given up the chase long ago but there was no place to rest. Fighting. Screaming. War. Soon he'd lapped through the entire hospital ground floor and was back in the hallways near the lobby.
Crash!
He tumbled to the ground after colliding with someone holding a metal garbage can.
"I'm so sorry!"
Zoo helped him up. "No problem, hehe. Say, could you help me get in here?"
Buckenberry saw the room he was speaking about, room 555. What was in there again? The prisoner?
"It's the last room on this floor I need to check, hehe," Zoo added, as if he knew what Buckenberry was thinking. "I'm just getting the garbage and leaving."
The presence of Zoo made Buckenberry suddenly feel calm...And charitable. "I guess I could try the lock. I know this is a madhouse but that shouldn't stop you from doing your job, sir."
"Thank you so much. You won't regret it…" Z said as Buckenberry easily picked the weak lock they put on the outside of the door. He clicked down the handle and pushed the door open.
"No, not another beating!" James screamed. This came as a shock to Buckenberry and Zoo. He was handcuffed in the middle of the floor and covered in bruises.
"What did they do to you?!" Buckenberry rushed up to the battered Monty Mole who winced as he approached.
"Well, now you're no good," Zoo thought out loud. "How am I gonna destroy Mario when he comes back now? I guess I'll have to use you. You seem strong for a Toad…"
Buckenberry looked up at Zoo appallingly. "Destroy...what?! Are you doing this all?"
Zoo smiled. "Maybe?"
Buckenberry crossed his arms. "Well you'll never get your hands on Mario!"
Zoo stared back as if he expected something to happen. Instead Buckenberry rushed him.
"You'd better fix everyone in this hospital!" Buckenberry screamed in his face.
Zoo struggled in his grasp. "What the heck?!" He knocked Buckenberry back and was about to summon blue flames when he felt something intruding in his thoughts.
Luigi kicked open the next door, revealing Roy Koopa. He was doing push-ups along with an exercise video that was playing from a TV on a stand. His stage was laid out like a wrestling arena, complete with the wrestling ring Roy was in. The rails however weren't elastic but electric.
"Gym time's over!" Luigi announced, jumping in the ring. The loud air conditioning running blew his cape, making Luigi feel like a superhero. He marched before Roy and cut the power to the TV.
"You green idiot!" Roy grunted as he got up. He wore a white sleeveless shirt and a black sweatband around his head. The muscular koopa shoved Luigi with so much force that he stumbled backwards and into the TV. It fell off of the stand and broke, sparking and smoking.
"Gah! You idiot again!"
Luigi jumped up and punched Roy in the jaw, prompting him to pick up Luigi and body slam him in the middle of the ring.
"So are we street fighting now?" Boo asked from the sideline.
"Guess so?" Alagold shrugged. "Think we oughta get some popcorn?"
Roy spun Luigi around over his head then tossed him to the ground. Luigi bounced all the way over to the electric railings. He weakly held out his hand through a gap in the rails.
"Someone tag in.." Luigi moaned.
Alagold tagged in but his knees shook the moment he entered the ring.
"I've never watched wrestling!" he confessed as he ran around the ring with Roy chasing him. If this was an actual show, people would be wanting their money back.
"Got ya!" Roy said as he blocked Alagold's path from one of the corners. Alagold ducked under his arms and came up behind him and grabbed on his back.
"Okay, now what do I do?" Alagold asked bewilderedly.
"Flip him, flip him!" Luigi called from the sideline. "Wait, what are we doing? Let's all take him!"
Roy knocked Alagold away as Luigi and Boo climbed on the ring.
"Booooooo!" shouted the Koopas surrounding the ring who suddenly showed up to watch the fight. Some of them threw tomatoes and rotten cabbages on the stage.
"They like me!...I think…" Boo said. Luigi shook his head. "Oh…"
Out of nowhere, a koopa referee, complete with a microphone and black and white striped shirt, hopped on stage. "THREE AGAINST THE REIGNING CHAMP ROY! WHAT WILL HE DO?"
Luigi helped Alagold up. "What kind of boss fight is this?!"
"A tag team," Roy said with a smirk. The crowd went wild as a new opponent joined the ring with him. Lemmy Koopa!
"Yayy! We're gonna have so much fun!" Lemmy giggled while he bounced on his ball. He wasted no time shooting fireballs while Roy charged at them like a bull. Everyone dodged at the last minute and Roy ran smack into the electric railings, zapping himself. Meanwhile Lemmy bounced all over the place with his ball, trying to stomp the heroes.
Luigi spun his cape to reflect a ball straight into Lemmy's face. He fell off the ball to the floor and Boo jumped on him.
"BOOOO!' the audience screamed louder.
Roy came up behind Alagold and tossed him like he was a feather. He hit the ground rolling and tumbled to the edge.
"You alright?!" Luigi asked while dodging fireballs.
"Uh huh," he groaned. "Good thing this wrestling ring is padded…"
Roy stood on the ring's turnbuckles and raised his arms, basking in the praise of the audience. For his finishing move he leaped high into the air and dive bombed in the center of the stage with a deafening crash. The shock wave tossed everyone around, even Lemmy. Roy stood up and raised one fist triumphantly.
The crowd cheered as the referee showed up again holding a prize belt. "WE HAVE A WINNER!"
"No you don't!" Luigi spoke up. "That isn't how this works. This isn't how any of this works!"
Several instances of "Oooooh!" was heard from the crowd.
"LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ANOTHER CHALLE- hey, bozo what's the big idea?!"
Luigi snatched the microphone from the referee. "Ah hem! Where is the next boss?"
Lemmy pointed to the door at the far east of the arena.
"Lemmy, you idiot!" Roy growled. "You're not supposed to do that unless we lose!"
"You do," said Luigi cooly. He unexpectedly grabbed Lemmy and Roy by the collar and banged their heads together. Both koopas hit the ground in confusion.
"WOW, WHAT AN UPSET-" Luigi gave the referee a look, "I mean.. the exit is just that way sir! Heh heh…"
"We're out of here…." Luigi muttered, ignoring the audience's extreme disappointment. He motioned everyone else to follow but not before he picked up the large golden prize belt for himself. Now they stood outside the next boss door which were crimson colored double doors engraved with Bowser's logo.
"Wait a minute," Luigi realized. "The next boss IS Bowser!"
"Aren't there more koopalings than that?" Boo asked.
Luigi nodded. "First we get weird boss fights, now we skip Koopalings? Whatever. Let's go!"
Luigi pushed open the door to Bowser's throne room. Bowser was setting at is throne and staring down at his phone. He didn't even look up until the trio had made it halfway down the long carpet.
"Luigi?! Uh...So you didn't get scared and run home to momma on the way. I'm impressed, really. Nice costume. That a new look, mustache?" Bowser sneered.
Luigi glared back, not in the mood for humoring. "This is for everything you've done!" He charged forward only to stop when Bowser raised one hand, signaling to pause.
"Did you defeat the Koopalings?" Bowser asked in a hushed fashion.
"Uh, yeah? Iggy, Morton, Roy and Lemmy."
Bowser sighed a breath of relief. "Good, those are the ones that count. Wait, what about Kamek?"
Luigi shook his head. "What does it matter? We're here to bust you. Your lackeys are just time wasters and you know it!"
Bowser stood up. "Well that ain't good…"
"What? Don't tell me you're gonna be weird too," Luigi groaned. Just then, someone frantically entered the room and fell to their knees.
"King Bowser!" Kamek huffed, "I arrived as soon as I could. They are all defeated and I cannot locate Z! You must destroy them now, my lord, you must!"
Alagold and Boo however quickly grabbed one of Kamek's arms as he was too tired to fight back.
Luigi turned back to Bowser. "So now they're all down. Satisfied?"
Bowser smiled. "I sure am. Here." He tossed a life sized doll at Luigi. It had blonde hair and wore a pink dress that looked like Peach's. "Don't ask why I have that, but you win. You saved the 'Princess', plumber. Now let me explain something…"
Luigi and everyone else stared at the doll in shock. What kind of joke was this?
After using invisibility to evade Buckenberry, Zoo followed the beckoning call, inadvertently releasing his influence on the surrounding area. As he was lead down one hallway, than another, the guards and other hospital occupants were reduced to extreme confusion over what had occurred. Zoo was lead to the stairway and then the second floor in trance. Then the third. He had to see who this person was in his head, he never even had known of anyone like him in his life. Now they had found him? Zoo opened the door to the rooftop.
"So it's a Dark Boo after all," Mitch said. He, Bond, Kylie, and Emery all stared at Zoo like he was a test subject. "So, tell me. Why are you doing what you're doing?"
Zoo stared back for a moment and was about to make a run for it.
"If you do that, you will never get your life's questions answered!" Bond warned.
"And we will find you and beat you," Emery quietly added, clutching the Chomp weapon tightly.
Zoo slowly turned around. "What are you people?"
"What are you?" Kylie asked back. Once again, her trusty pen and paper was ready.
"I make people feel..things I want them to..or sometimes my feelings..." Zoo explained under a compulsory force.
Bond nodded. "Yes I see, mon ami. But surely you cannot do this to anyone?"
"Right...They must feel the negative emotion first...Or if they actively fight it won't work. It tends to work better in the form of subtle suggestions…"
Bond was especially impressed. "The elusive 'empath', mes amies!"
Mitch rolled his eyes. "Uh, I knew that. So anyway, why did you show up to screw around with a hospital?"
"Because…" Zoo paused as he tried and failed to break the link shared between him, Bond and Mitch."The whole thing...I played on their insecurities...koopa family weren't comfortable with Mario...Mario's friends not comfortable with Bowser...then other people's little motivations along the way..."
"You're behind the conspiracy?!" Kylie blurted out.
"I would hang around Toad Town and plant seeds of hostility...Mario's revelation about the friendship was a coincidence...the plan was in motion before then and this whole thing blew up better than I ever expected. At first I wanted Mario to destroy Bowser, but I could never corrupt him...or Bowser completely. The sentiment between the two was too strong. I changed plans... Today I focused on turning everyone on each other to watch the flames. Now what, hehe?"
"I have my scoop!" Kylie and Mitch said simultaneously.
"Actually," Bond explained, "I suggest you never show your face around here again. Your suggestions can not work if someone is aware of them, correct? And no one would care to associate with the bringer of Mushroom Flu!"
"Wait, so you're like me?" Zoo asked.
Bond nodded. "Mitch and I, that is, but remember that exact abilities are unique to everyone. You have a gift, but you misuse it for selfish amusement! Your own motivations aren't even clear, are they? Wait...I see...pain in your past life...Mon ami, do you not realize that is what friends are for?"
"Stopstopstop! I never wanted friends anyway!" Zoo launched a fireball at them in anger. Everyone dodged, but lost their focus as well.
"This isn't over!" Zoo screamed before he disappeared in his signature cloud of black smoke.
"Quel salaud!" Bond shouted. "He escaped too soon!"
Bowser idly dug the ear wax out of his ear as he explained. "...So yeah, I had to pretend to take this position to get anywhere.."
Larry and Wendy ran in. "Daddy, they let me out of the dungeon. Is this nightmare all over?"
Bowser gave her a hug. "Kind of, baby girl."
Larry stood by, noticing Kamek who was snoring in the corner. "King dad, is gramps alright?"
"Oh him? Yeah, he just wore himself out, but he's still 'brainwashed'. Now how am I gonna reverse all this? And whatta bout that MF? I feel so out of the loop.."
"I know that feeling," Alagold moaned. "We'd only found out about the FungusUp when we were almost here. In fact, we have some here."
Bowser examined the can. "What a weird thing to cause an epidemic with…"
"But now you're all safe, so we're halfway there!" Boo said.
Bowser eyed Boo curiously. "Well aren't you optimistic! I really didn't believe you and green stache were partners when I first heard."
"W-well, we are...got a problem?" Luigi blushed.
"Live your life. Whatever. Wendy and Larry, you're in charge for now. Rescue your siblings and do what you must if they're still brainwashed. I gotta head back to the Mushroom Kingdom to fix this mess..Mario has the cure, right?"
Luigi stared at the ground. "I dunno..I was so focused on fighting you and it turns out I never needed to fight."
"Pick yourself up, green. You cleaned house and so you weren't that useless." That was the closest thing Bowser could give to a complement.
Luigi hung his head. "But I was going to be the hero for once. I just feel..so-"
Knock knock knock.
Bowser groaned very loudly. "Come in! Since when do we knock here?!"
Black smoke seeped from under the door and materialized into Zoo Diddley.
"Whoa!" Boo gasped. "Zoo? What are you doing here?"
"Shut up," Zoo spat. "Luigi, do you want to be a real hero?"
Alagold approached him. "Hey, you can't just walk him here and-" Zoo flung him across the throne room with 'the force'.
Everyone froze as Zoo raised a flaming arm. "I'm not playing around, hehe. So again, do you want to be a hero, Luigi?"
Luigi shook his head. "W-what do you mean?!"
"I mean...You'll never get what you deserve if you go along with Bowser. Mario will just come along and you'll never be in the spotlight again. With my power however, you can eliminate everyone and then you'll always be the hero!"
"That's stupid even by my standards," Bowser growled.
"Yeah, no one is gonna buy games with only one character in it!" Larry chipped in.
"I know, right? You're fired!" Bowser shot his flame breath at Zoo who went invisible and reappeared on Bowser's throne. Blue walls of flame then encircled everyone but Luigi, preventing them from moving.
"Do you want unlimited power, Luigi?!"
Luigi stood in place, trembling.
"Green, don't trust anything he says!" Bowser called out. The flames surrounding them got hotter and hotter. Even Bowser and his children, who normally had resistance to fire, found these flames uncomfortable.
"Yeah, Weegee. *cough* This is my cousin, Zoo. 'Laugh or else' came from him, but otherwise even the boos don't like him!" Everyone now found it hard to breathe.
"But.. but I could be the hero forever.." Luigi droned hypnotically.
"Weegee! *cough* Remember what I said? We're your friends! I'M your friend!*cough**cough*" Alagold agreed. Even Bowser and his associates, including Kamek, nodded for the sake of not dieing.
"So do you want to stay and loser or not?!" Zoo roared impatiently.
"It..I doesn't matter," Luigi said finally.
Zoo's mouth dropped to the floor. "Are you stupid, hehe?"
Luigi stood up straight and chuckled. "No, I'm ontent. No harm in that. Mario might overshadow me again when he comes back, but it doesn't matter. I have friends who like me whether or not I'm getting top billing. Besides at least I got 'New Super Luigi U' going for me. Is a classic, if you're up to the challenge. Heard of it?"
The last thing Zoo saw was Luigi's cape cyclone heading straight for him. The blast launched him straight out of Bowser's Castle, releasing everyone from the flames and removing his psychic hold (A/N: Couldn't think of a better way to describe it) over the castle.
To be continued.
Author note: Nearing the end. I'm not gonna even pretend that I know how to write action scenes well, so I hoped this turned out okay. Did you spot the Star Wars references at the end? I wanted to kind of contrast the way Luigi and his group handled things with the way Bond's group did. Luigi and co. are actual justice enforcers while Bond Kylie and Mitch are just "truth seekers" so their confrontation involved getting information rather than fighting anyone.
NEXT TIME: GETTING THE CURE!
Mario and Bowser: Frenemies Forever
Escape from Special World (Chapter 25)
Created: 6/27 - 629/17
Disclaimer: Mario and co. belong to Nintendo
Author note: Second to last normal chapter, but a I have an epilogue or two planned.
At the International Medical University of Special World
Ludwig led the way as he and the four doctors, along with Dr Mario and Metal Mario exited the conference room and marched right past Peach and Junior.
Peach immediately called out, "What's going on? Wait, all of you?"
The clacking of everyone else's feet faded in the distance as Doctor Mario stayed behind. "Princess, I didn't know you were here!"
Peach gave a quick polite bow. "Well, I'm so relieved to see you. Now we have hope!"
"Maybe," Mario muttered, leaving the conference room. Peach noticed his pale face, which Dr Mario noticed as well.
"Er uh, Mario old pal here didn't realize that something's different about this Mushroom Flu."
Peach nodded. "Uh huh? Wait, so you still have the cure, right?"
"Hmm. Well, no. We're heading to the lab to make a new one right now-"
"Doctor!" Metal Mario called in a stern voice from all the way down the hall. Dr Mario slumped a bit and followed him without any further word.
"Mario," Peach said the moment they were out of site, "what is wrong with them?"
Mario shrugged. "He's been with him since the accident."
"Accident?"
"I dunno what he meant. Anyway, these doctors, including Dr Mario possibly, are all a little off. All we can do is follow for now. Come on Junior…...Junior?!"
Junior glanced up from the video game his face was glued to. "Huh? What?" The kindergartener dragged his feet as Mario and Peach moved away from the conference room and to the lab just around the corner.
Displayed above the double doors was a sign saying, "Authorized personnel only! Chemical, Behavioral, Disease, and 'Human' testing ahead."
Inside, the lab was the size of a basketball court but with white walls and a low ceiling filled with rows upon rows of bluish fluorescent lighting. Occupying most of the floor were various testing stations, a few of them occupied by scientists the crew hadn't seen before. The air of buzz and excitement was unmistakeable. As Mario and crew crept towards Ludwig and the rest, they experienced the sound of bubbling chemicals, exclamations from scientists due to successes, or possibly failures, and clicking keyboards from scientists detailing new discoveries.
Junior's jaw was hung open for over a minute. "SO COOL! Hey! I think I wanna be a scientist!"
"Not here, Junior. This is like a science fair gone wild, and you're likely to blow something up!"
"Aww, but Peach that sounds cool!"
Peach shook her head again. "You see, that's exactly why you don't need to be one."
Mario chucked. "Peach, ease up! It's not like you're his mother!"
Peach lightly slapped Mario in the back of his head which resulted in a laugh from all three. They caught up just in time to see Dr. Toad sit in a barstool at a lab station with Dr Topper, the X-naut, and Dr Shrinkasaurus standing close by. Ludwig, who stood to the other side of Dr Toad, put a thumb drive into the laptop on the lab table.
"..And so, the file with my research notes is on this, along with Dr Mario's for reference." Ludwig pressed a few keys on the computer and when he'd apparently opened the file, the other doctors nodded appreciatively.
Dr. Toad gave the can of FungusUp one more curious look. "I'm going prep this for the official analysis. I know we already know what this is, but that's just the proper procedure you see." He yawned afterwards.
"Hey guys?" Mario spoke up. For the first time, the doctors looked up at the three. "What's going on?"
"Why are you here?" The X-naut scoffed.
"What do you mean?!" Mario responded in kind.
"Wait outside," Ludwig said.
"But-" Mario looked around. "Hey, where did Dr Mario go?"
Ludwig's eyes darted across the lab. "Yes, good question..."
"Well?! He's kind of important isn't he?"
"Not really. We have his notes after all." Dr Toad meticulously poured the FungusUp into test tube for the chemical analysing as he spoke. "Who invited him anyway?"
Mario was about to step forward before Peach prodded him lightly. "Mario...let's just do what they say for now…"
Mario reluctantly listened to her words. With nothing better to do, they stood right outside the lab doors in the nearly vacant hallways..
Mario groaned loud enough for it to echo. "I can't believe it! After everything I've been through, the battles I've fought, our biggest obstacles are..nonchalant doctors?!"
Peach sat down in one of the waiting chairs in the hallway. "Maybe we just have to believe, Mario.."
Mario sighed. "I BELIEVE these 'doctors' just want to let our friends d-"
"What, Mario?" Peach cut him off.
Mario opened his mouth to speak but then saw that Junior had wandered down the hall a few yards and had his ear pressed against a door. "Junior?! Gosh, I'm a bad babysitter…"
Junior took a few steps back. "Shhh! People are talking in here," he whispered, "and it sounds funny!"
Just then the door opened and Dr Mario emerged. The look on his face when he saw the trio clearly indicated that he was up to..something.
Mario scratched his head. "Umm, doctor?"
He flushed. "Hey Mario old pal! Uh, what are ya doin out here?"
"The scientists thought it best for us to leave so they can take their sweet time in peace I guess. Come back over here, Junior. Now why weren't you in the lab, doctor? And...your jacket. You might want to fix that..."
Dr Mario looked down at his white doctor's jacket, realizing one button was in the hole above where it was supposed to go. Mario remembered that it wasn't like that back in the conference room.
"Doc, tell me what's going on?" Mario asked seriously.
Creak! The door swung open again and Metal Mario stepped out holding a black medical bag with 'Dr. Mario' printed on it. "Uh, this a bad moment?" he asked in a grunt.
Dr Mario dropped to his knees. "OKAY! I admit it! It's the only way I can keep the pain down!" He lifted his shirt to reveal his abdomen with a large bandaid on it. "I have to take the shots three times a day and Metal Mario, the old goat, won't let me skip a dose!"
Mario, Peach, and even Junior gasped. The red and infected looking injection site wasn't normal, and it didn't take a doctor to know that.
Dr Mario pulled himself up. "Wanna know why I wasn't in Brawl?"
"You...went back to your practice, right?" Peach asked.
"Yeah. It was fine for a while but being the famed curer of Mushroom Flu only get's your rep so far. I started venturing out for patients and well...one night I was deep in a remote Spear Guy village in Yoshi's Island. I'd spent the day doing the basics,. Checkups, a few non serious in office surgeries, and making sure the water supply was clean. Problem is, the eh, local native doctors who often made diseases worse with their mumbo jumbo practices-"
"Excuse the doc's secularism," Metal Mario interrupted teasingly.
"...Right. Point is, I just wanted to help out but that was taking customers from the local docs whose medical training may or may not be up to par with science. They made it known that they didn't like me. So it was night and I was in my tent as I'd already traveled miles away from the village and in the morning I'd finish the trek to the docks. Around 1 A.M. I suddenly felt a horrible pain near my stomach! Someone had hit me through the tent with a poisoned dart!"
No one audibly gasped this time, but the shock was clear on the trio's faces.
Dr Mario nodded as he continued. "Yeah, scary enough if that happens in civilization! Imagine my distress when this happened to me in the middle to nowhere and I was the only real doctor around! There was no way I'd make it back to the village so I had to do something quick. It's experimental and I haven't even released it to the medicine board. See here." Dr Mario took his bag from Metal Mario and grabbed a small bottle of clear liquid from it. A label on the bottle said '1-UP X'.
"So I had a single 1-up Mushroom on me, but I couldn't give it to myself if I was already dead! I spent the next hour extracting the key nutrients from it. My vision was getting hazier as I worked but I did it. You see, I needed to find a way to make it work while I'm still alive so I took what I'd extracted, got a spare clean syringe, and hoped for the best."
"What happened next?" Junior asked, bouncing up and down.
Dr Mario chucked. "I'm still here aren't I, kid? I woke up, still on this Earth, and made it to the docks, then back home. I'd got invited to Smash 4, so the future was bright!"
Mario and Peach stood for a moment, taking the story in when Junior spoke up. "Hey doctor, uh..if your medicine worked, why did you have that HUGE mark on your stomach?"
"Oh, yeah," Mario agreed. "If that was before Smash 4, that's been years ago. Surely you didn't get poisoned again in that same spot. And your cure, wouldn't life restoring mushrooms in shot form be a big discovery?"
The gleam left from Dr Mario's eyes. "...About that...there's a reason I haven't gotten it put on the federal medicine board. It does and doesn't work. It keeps the poison way for a while, then the pain comes back. So, I was admitted at the Smash Mansion but you can't enter with an existing medical ailment. If I sought out a real cure, it would be known that I came in sick and I'd be kicked out again. I couldn't miss the opportunity and since my medicine wasn't official I passed it off as 'protein' shots. As long as I keep taking it I'm relatively alright. They don't know about the injection site obviously. It is looking rough isn't it?"
"You think?!" Mario exclaimed, flabbergasted.
"The doc's addicted now! He just hires me so he can pretend he wouldn't give himself more doses if he was left alone with it!" Metal Mario jest grimly.
Mario collapsed into a chair in a daze. "I cannot...wow….I just. Momma mia…"
Dr Mario avoided eye contact with anyone. "I'm sorry…"
"You should get in there with the other doctors," Peach spoke with disappointment hiding behind her calm tone. "They mentioned you.."
"Oh yeah. Thank you Princess.." Doctor Mario entered the lab doors while Metal Mario stayed outside with the rest. Peach and Junior had already set down by then but Metal Mario leaned against the wall and crossed his arms contemplatively.
"The folly of humans," he mused.
The X-naut Phd jerked his head backwards from the microscope. "My my! Ludwig!"
The titular Prince diverted his attention from the laptop. His desk was just across in the little alleys that separated workstations in the lab. "Yes?"
"This is amazing work. Who else would think of reanimating viruses from the cure? Have you ever.." the X-naut lowered his voice, "thought of trying this with other diseases?"
Ludwig sat his tea down, and swiveled the stool to face him completely. "...What do you mean?"
"I know about you Bowser people. You can do this in your lab, can you not?"
Ludwig shrugged. "Correct. Your point?"
"Lay off," Dr Toad said as he pulled long beige sheets of paper from the laser printer to the side of the lab table, "you two can rule the world together later. You might want to see these test results."
"But we know what we are dealing with," the X-naut protested. Nonetheless, he was peeking over the shoulders of Ludwig and Dr Toad as they scrutinized the complex codes that were printed on the paper. After a minute Dr Toad stepped back in amazement, stepping on the toes of the X-naut.
"Sorry, Morris! If you wanted to see, we had a spare stool."
Morris the X-naut held his head high. "Umm, that will not be necessary. I don't trust computers or the weird paper they materialize!" He limped back to his microscope and old fashioned pen and paper notes.
Dr Toad turned back to Ludwig. "So, anyway...this is some complex stuff. I must mention though that I was glancing at your notes on the computer and it's incomplete! Could you fill me in?"
Ludwig nodded. "Those weren't written during the creation process, but later. Right before I left for here actually."
"Yeah I see that, but can't you just tell us the missing details? That's why we have you here, right?" Dr Toad nudged Ludwig like an old friend.
"Of course, but my memory escapes..me. Can we not just analyze this data?" He sipped on his tea, hoping that would stifle further questions.
"Sure, no rush! I'll look over this after my break. We should have the complete composition examination in, say…...three days!"
Ludwig choked on his tea.
"You okay? Oh, you finally showed." Dr Toad directed his attention to Dr Mario walking up.
"I'm here. Alright, catch me up!" He rubbed his gloved hands together eagerly, his genial mask once again in place.
"We'll be a little busy for a few days while we look over all this." Dr Toad pointed at the stack of papers on the table.
"Whoa! But we have the guy right here!" Dr Mario stared at Ludwig. "Just tell us what you did!"
Ludwig dropped his face to the table. "I. Do. Not. Remember! When I made this, first of all I had assistance from my younger brother Iggy. Second, I was under some kind of influence...a trance of sorts. Okay?"
Dr Mario and Dr Toad stared his slumped figure with wide eyes.
"Ah ha! Over reliance on computers is proven to cause memory loss!" Morris butted in from his work station.
Dr Toad turned his way sharply. "Do you have something worthwhile to add, or are you going to go on about how great typewriters, vinyl records and Converse sneakers are?"
The X-naut chuckled. "I'm just saying that it's proven. Sigmund and Topper even agrees!"
Ludwig lifted up in a jolt. "Of course, they are doctors of the mind! Thank you, Morris!" Ludwig immediately made way for the workstation where Dr Shrinkasaurus was currently 'working'.
"So I'm right. Ah ha again!" Morris exclaimed.
"That doesn't prove anything, you idiot… Hey Doctor Mario, where are you going?"
The mustached doctor stopped in his tracks. "I'm helping Ludwig. Lives are at stake here!"
"Heh," Dr Toad laughed dryly. "If you really believed that, you'd patent that 'stuff' of yours!"
The color drained from this Dr Mario's face. "Excuse me?"
Dr Toad narrowed his beady eyes. "I know everything about doctors I choose to deal with.1-up X, right? What's it for, and why does your double need to follow you around?"
"That is..none of your information. The issue here is Mushroom Flu, and suggest you only stick your nose in that. Well, not literally, but whatever…"
Dr Toad watched him carefully as he joined Ludwig across the room.
Junior closed his 3ds which had a blinking red light, and sunk farther into the chair. "I want to go home.."
Peach patted his head. "You will soon.."
Metal Mario snorted at the sight.
Mario lifted his head up and gave him a vexing look. "You want to set down?"
He shrugged. "I can stand…."
"...Is all that true?"
"What."
"Is he an addict?"
"Mario!" Peach gasped.
"Yes... He thinks he isn't, but that's just because I control his medicine bag," Metal Mario answered in a slightly sarcastic way.
Undeterred, Mario continued. "So..how did you two meet?"
"Smash 64 convention. Doc can't keep a secret. I caught him and made him explain and well…"
The analog wall clock chimed as it struck and hour. Special World was located in the highest elevation before one could classify it as "outer space", but it also sat near a dimensional rift, so the entire land kelp a starry night sky perpetually. However it seemed for the convenience of residents not losing the concept of one's internal clock, they had the same time zone as the Mushroom Kingdom. If Mario was home it would be now be late evening.
"Why do you care?" Peach suddenly asked.
Metal Mario uncrossed his arms and stood up straight. "Because...the bone head ain't a bad guy. He has a big heart and I had nothing better to do I guess. He was pretty lonely and could use an assistant too. Yeah, so that's why…"
The fluorescent lights flickered and the ambient sound of electronics droned as everyone retreated into their own thoughts in silence.
Ludwig planted his feet firmly to the ground and closed his eyes. "But I did it. I am swearing, doctor, I am doing what you ask!"
Dr Shrinkasaurus, who sat across Ludwig as his desk, wagged his feathered fingers for the fifteenth time. "You are doing what I say, but not thinking what I say! You mind holds all of the power!"
"I'd be inclined to disagree. If I believe myself a Paratroopa, I will not sprout wings," Ludwig groaned.
"Don't you have any other techniques?" Dr Mario asked, having observed all of the '100% effective brain exercises' fail on Ludwig.
Dr Shrinkasaurus pondered for a while, then he opened a drawer in his oak desk and pulled out a pipe. Ludwig shot daggers and Dr Mario observed patiently as the avian doctor lit the pipe and then leaned back in his large green chair. He crossed one legs over the other and held his hands together, then he pondered more. In a moment his eyelids drifted downward.
"Doctor?!" Ludwig screamed.
His eyes shot open. "That'll be 100 rupees! Oh, where were we? Okay, close your eyes and count backwards from ten!"
Ludwig jumped out of his seat and left his workstation, prompting Dr Mario to tug on his shoulder. "Where are you-"
"To Dr. Topper," Ludwig answered through clenched teeth.
The Hammer bro puzzle specialist and psychologist's work station was a little farther down in the massive lab, near one of the dark tinted windows. As Ludwig and Dr Mario approached, he lifted his eyes from the chess game he was apparently playing with himself.
"Hey, how's that cure going?" Dr Topper offered his hand. Ludwig shook it and sat across from him as Dr Mario awkwardly stood behind.
"Dr Topper, you HAVE to help me," Ludwig plead, "I created this affliction under trance and I need to remember what I did so we can find a cure expeditiously."
"Call me Dr. T. So you think it's a repressed memory sort of deal? What caused the trance? Lack of sleep? Too much TV?"
"No. The trance wasn't a self inflicted one. I believe it was caused by someone with actual mind numbing powers. My household and I were under the influence of it for at least a couple of days, in fact the perpetrator is still doing this as we speak.."
Dr T raised one eyebrow. "Listen, let's play. It helps me think. You can take control of your side."
Ludwig glanced at the chest pieces on his side. "Perfect."
Dr Mario leaned in. "Isn't your side losing?" Ludwig had less white pieces than Dr Topper black.
"No, watch and learn. Anyway, how could I access these repressed memories?"
The hammer brother moved a piece. "I assume Dr. Shrinkasaurus couldn't help?"
Ludwig shook his head as he jumped one of Topper's pieces.
Topper eyed the board carefully, planning his next move and thinking of Ludwig's predicament at the same time. "Okay, you might not like this, but you need to go back."
Ludwig slide his chair back abruptly before Dr Mario stopped him. "Wait, you need to listen!" Dr Mario urged.
Ludwig took a deep breath. "I do not know HOW you all work here, but it has no grounds in reality!"
Topper moved a chess piece."That's just it! Your brain is tired from all of the stress it's been under-"
"I'm inclined to dis-"
"Let me finish. Then there's some pent up anger too, that's not my doctor's opinion, it's just that obvious by looking at you. You need let this anger go, and then the brain exercises can work. Believe me, Sigmund helped me remember where I'd lost my keys in my own shell. Turns out I was too stressed my second divor- never mind. Think about it..."
Dr T and Ludwig went back in forth in the game for a while, making Dr Mario's head spin. "...Fine. I will give the bird one more try," Ludwig said finally.
Dr T smiled. "Great. Don't tell Dr Toad I said this, but I want you to succeed."
"I- me and Dr Mario will remember that...oh and one last thing." Ludwig moved one more piece. "Check mate!"
Dr Toad was coming back from his lunch break from the only diner around, the Wario funded 'Applebies', open 24 hours. He'd changed out of the white doctor attire and into a black button down shirt with a pink jacket along with horn rimmed sunglasses . He let his medium length blonde hair, normally be a hazard in the lab, flow freely from under his red Toad cap. When he casually strolled past Mario, Peach, and Metal Mario (for Junior had slumped over and taken a nap in his seat) with brown takeout bags in hand, they almost didn't recognize him.
Mario jumped up, popping his back in the process. "Ow, I mean, any updates doctor?"
Dr Toad stopped and slid his glasses down slowly like he was a senpai, er celeberty finally noticing a lowly fan..
"Sure. We can get started on the cure in...about three days."
"What?!" gasped Mario and Peach. Metal Mario, who still stood leaning against the wall, turned his head away.
"Doctor, please!" Peach plead.
"What can I say? You think my job is easy? I got fifty pages of code to go through, all because your koopa friend can't remember his own research."
"He can't? But...I don't understand unless...That boo…"
Peach looked at Mario as her heart beat rapidly. "Mario, what do you mean?"
"Remember that fight I told you about on our plane ride here? The one that damaged your roof?"
"You didn't mention the roof part.."
Mario scratched the back of his neck. "Oh yeah, sorry. Anyway, I just knew that boo had something to do with Bowser. If he could possess James, maybe he did something like that to Ludwig. After all, that would explain why he's trying to help us all of a sudden."
"Wait, where are you going with this?" Dr Toad interrupted.
"Let me talk to Ludwig. Peach can stay out here with Junior, but you have to let me do this. We don't have three days."
"Fine, but remember who the experts are!" was Dr Toad's peremptory demand.
Soon Mario was back in the lab. He saw Ludwig at Dr Shrinkasaurus's station, setting rigidly in a chair with his eyes squeezed shut while counting backwards from one thousand. Dr Mario had dragged a stool to set next to Ludwig and leaned depressively on the desk.
"8702, 8701, 8700, darn it! It's not working still!" Ludwig slammed his fist on the desk.
"Guys?"
Ludwig's face dropped to the desk in anguish. "I have failed..."
"Ludwig?!" Mario dashed beside him. "Can someone explain?"
Dr Mario caught him up while Ludwig's head remained on the desk. "So what do ya have, Mario old pal? Sigmund is off on lunch, but if he stayed any longer I think Ludwig here would strangle him anyway."
Mario cupped his hands and spoke near Ludwig's ear. "Listen to me. Your mind is being clouded like James' was, and based on my intuition, it's due to emotion. Whatever emotion allowed you to be taken over, you haven't gotten over it, so the the mental block stays. You have to confront this, you have to!"
Ludwig's eyes jutted open. "That is it... I have been keeping a straight face so to speak, but I am...angry, betrayed, hopeless." He lifted up. "My whole family and way of life is being threatened by that...dark force! -And I'm the cause of it! -We weren't under his control at first, we actually considered the plan- The Mushroom Flu plan. How could I have done that? -We were all too..insecure! Bowser would being spending more time with...you! We would have never considered it otherwise. I admit it! I am just so...disappointed in myself..." Ludwig let out a deep breath.
Mario smiled. "Glad you got that out of you. We all need a freakout sometime, I know I've had enough of mine. Now, you want to try that counting thing again?"
In an instant, Ludwig regained is cold calculating composure. "Don't you worry, Mario. 10, 9, 8,7,6-"
"Close your eyes!" Dr Mario reminded him.
Ludwig closed them in a grimace. "10987654321!" He opened his eyes and blinked a few times with a baffled expression.
"Ludwig?" Mario asked.
Ludwig jumped up and ran over to the original workstation he was at, shoving Dr Toad away from the laptop and making his glasses fly off.
The tumbling Toad picked himself up from the floors. "What's the big id-?"
Ludwig typed furiously on the computer. "-We do not need a new cure completely, the virus that is just reanimated from the antivirus present in Dr Mario's original cure."
"Hmm?" Morris asked from his workstation across.
"Synthetic viruses; I was a idiot. Or maybe that idea was planted in my mind to delay a cure, who knows?" He pulled up the chemical analysis on screen and Dr Toad observed while Morris snuck a few glances. "I created a new strand of course, but that is naturally what viruses do when contained. They mutate to spread again. I am mainly saying this outloud for the benefit of Mario, since us educated ones know such elementary things already."
Mario rolled his eyes.
"-So in conclusion, the main virus was always the same thing. Dr Mario? Get over here! What was your original curing process for the original Mushroom Flu?"
Doctor Mario shuffled over. "Ah, that. I used...my special patented Megavitamins obviously."
Ludwig turned to him with gleaming eyes. "Do that all over again!" He scribbled a formula on a spare sheet of paper and handed it to Dr Mario.
"Wow! That's all? I'll be done with that in five minutes at the most!"
"Let me assist!" Morris butted in again.
"Fine." Dr Mario and Morris left to the capsule creating machine.
Dr Toad gaped. "How?"
"I'm going to tell Peach and the rest. Thank you Ludwig!" Mario sprinted away.
"Now what?" Dr Toad asked icily.
"What, what?" Ludwig replied smirking.
"This new cure. You know we have procedures around here."
"Nice pink jacket."
"Do not change the subject. Y-"
"What hair conditioner do you use?"
"Ludwig, stop. I'm telling you right now that-"
"Done!" Dr Mario yelled. His and Morris's arms were filled with bottles of a newly formulated Megavitamins. "We're ready to roll!" They dumped the bottles on the lab table and coincidentally on top of the now obsolete printed test results.
Ludwig clapped his hands together. "Perfect. We should be going…"
"No you are not!" Dr Toad confronted Ludwig with an air of authority. "That medicine must be put through our rigorous 64 hour testing procedures! What's what we have our test subjects imprisoned here for, after all."
"Old pal, that's not necessary," Dr Mario explained. "This is based off of my old formula, so I know it's safe. Besides, Mario's friends need this asap!"
"No no no no no! And you do really want to defy me, Dr Mario, when I found out this dirt on you during my lunch break?" Dr Toad pulled out a slip from his pocket and Dr Mario jerked it away from him to read it.
"What is this? It says here….Oh my. You can't!" The paper slipped from his shaky hands.
"I can. Your boss, who ever that Master Hand person is, will hear that if you don't play by our rules!"
"I have had enough of this." Ludwig gathered the pill bottles into his satchel and slung it on his shoulders. He took an imperturbable stroll away from the workstation.
"I will not let you!" Dr Toad shouted over his shoulders.
Ludwig turned around. "Yes you will."
"OR WHAT?"
Ludwig dug into an inner pocket with his right hand and pulled out a...Zapper!
"Don't kill me!" Morris shrieked. Dr Toad froze.
"Come on!" Ludwig looked at Dr Mario.
"If you go I'm reporting you!" Dr Toad warned.
"...I don't care. I have to do what's right." Dr Mario ran for the exit. Ludwig slowing backpedaled a bit to ensure Dr Toad didn't follow, then he broke into a full sprint as well.
Dr Mario burst through the doors from the lab, making Mario, Peach, Metal Mario, and a drowsy Bowser Junior direct their attention to him.
He clutched his abdomen. "Run run run!"
Metal Mario grabbed Dr Mario by the shoulders and shook him harshly. "Doc, what happened?!"
Suddenly a piercing alarm went off and the lighting turned from a blueish tinge to red.
Mario covered his ears. "What the heck?!"
Ludwig then burst through with the Zapper weapon still in his hands. "What is the hold up? To the exit!"
Ludwig led the way while Mario, Peach and Junior were right on his heels. Metal Mario was slightly behind as he was carrying Dr Mario bridal style. They zipped through the same hallways as before, now unrecognizable in the red light. Several times along the way, a doctor or scientist exited the doors ahead of them, only to be pushed shoved aside completely. Now they were at the sliding door that stood between them and the exit.
Ludwig stopped and dialed in something on the keypad while breathing rapidly through his nostrils. Each attempt resulted in three beeps and no opening doors.
"Is it not working?" Mario screamed over the noise.
"Obviously!"
Just then, a few doctors sprinted down the hallway towards them. They were all carrying some type of high tech looking tasers.
Metal Mario stepped up and kicked the door a few times, putting several dents into the bottom of it. After five kicks, the metal had deformed enough for someone small to be able to crawl under.
Ludwig turned around and fired several warning shots at the doctors. They either retreated or ducked in one of the side hallways. "Junior, crawl under and input '293778036' into the pad outside. It should be connected to different circuitry!"
Junior's lips quivered. "ME?! But Luddy!"
Mario bent down to Junior's level. "Remember when you helped the Postmaster out earlier? He told me you were so brave then, and you can be now! You're a Koopa Scout, right?"
Junior wiped the tears from his eyes and puffed out his chest. "Uh huh. And 'a Koopa Scout helps anyone out'!" He ducked down to the other side of the door.
Ludwig gave Mario a weird look. "Why are you better at comforting my baby brother than I?"
"HALT RIGHT THERE!" Dr Toad appeared from down the hall with smoke pouring from his nostrils. "I caught you all! We don't kid around at MY research facility and we never release ANYONE!"
The sound of metal scraping metal added to the alarm sounds as the entrance door slid upwards, revealing Junior's smiling face on the other side.
Mario smirked. "You do now. Let's bounce."
They all ran from the Special World Hospital and caught, or rather hijacked (Mario and Peach would excuse it this time) the nearest taxi on the lonely road. Soon all six were heading to the airport and back to the Mushroom Kingdom.
Dr Toad stood paralyzed in the open doorway as alarms and confusion continued in the facility behind him. Dr Topper and Morris stode up.
"That's what you get, Dr. Toad. Someone was bound to escape."
"...I'm glad you've been divorced twice," Dr Toad snapped. He stomp back inside, brushing against Dr Topper on purpose.
"Well he sure is bitter!" Morris quipped.
Dr Topper shrugged. "Life goes on."
"Of course, but I blame the internet for all of this aggressiveness."
Dr Topper pat the X-naut on the back. "For once, you have a point!"
Toadley Clinic
Bowser stepped inside the dreaded and unpopular clinic for the second time in his life. As he stomped on through the lobby, all eyes were on him and for good reason. He wore his crown and dark grey cape with his emblem on it and walked as if he owned the place. He ignored the presence of everyone but Mary the intern who in turn froze with the milk still pouring from the carton into her cereal.
"You work here, right?" Bowser flashed his sharp teeth.
Mary's cereal bowl overflowed and milk dripped from her desk. "B-b-b-b-," she stammered.
"Bowser? What are ya doing here?!" Kylie Koopa asked from the seats she'd made into a bed, complete with pillows and blankets.
"So Toad and Daisy are here, right? Can I see them?" Bowser asked Mary, ignoring her terror.
"B-b-b... AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Mary jumped over her desk and retreated to Toadley's lab continuing to scream hysterically.
Bowser reached over the desk and grabbed her bowl of cereal to eat it. The koopa didn't like wasting food! Then his eyes darted to a gawking Kylie. She had no makeup on and was wearing pink colored sleepwear and a matching sleeping cap.
"This a slumber party er...Kylie right? Kamek reads your Koopa Kronicle, or was that Play Koopa?...Anyway, the two brats, they're in there right?"
The doors crept open and Luigi, Boo, and Alagold entered all with slouched posture, dragging feet, and half closed eyelids.
"Bowser…" Luigi mumbled. "We told you to...wait up..we're so tired.."
Kylie slapped herself. "Duh! Now I get it. The hero mission is over and Bowser was innocent after all, right?"
"...Right. Toad and..?"
"They're in the lab. Toadley will be there to, he never sleeps but uh. Wow, you peeps have missed a lot! " Kylie gave them a summary of events, but since there was just so much to tell involving what had happened all day and none of them seemed to be following, she truncated it to a few sentences of the main points. "And so, the rest of us either went home for the day or split between here and the hospital. Obviously I chose to stay the night here."
"Thank you." Luigi smiled sheepishly. "The real bad guy is taken care of. Come on, Bowser.."
"Whatever, mustache." Bowser ungraciously kicked the lab doors open, still munching on Mary's cereal.
Mary's and now Sebastian's screams could be heard until Dr. Toadley silenced them.
"Has the Koopa King entered our establishment to cause trouble? Hopefully not because I know kungfu! By the way, Mario is on his way here."
This news revitalized Luigi, Boo, and Alagold like they'd received a Speed Flower.
As if on cue, the doorbell was heard as Mario, Peach, Bowser Junior, Ludwig, Doctor Mario, and Metal Mario rushed in, pouring straight into Toadley's lab.
Ludwig threw the satchel off of his shoulders in front of Dr. Toadley while Mario, Peach, and Luigi's team gathered around Toad and Daisy's compartments, too shocked at their condition to greet each other.
"This is the cure. Get it to them!" Ludwig urged. Toadley nodded and went to his administering station with Dr Mario. Metal Mario stayed near the lab door with his arms crossed and a flat expression. Sebastian and Mary got over their hysteria enough to assist with the medicine and Kylie's eyes were peeking through the window on the doors though she never intruded.
From Toadley's desk, Ludwig stared at Toad and Daisy compartments with sweat forming on his forehead. They were conscious far past the point of 'coma walking'. They were lying on the ground pale and limp, with the occasional twitch of an arm or leg. Strenuous breathing could clearly be seen. Bowser walked up to Ludwig while holding a heavy eyed Junior in his arms.
"Son...we gotta be realistic. Like, if..it doesn't turn out, you tried your best. No one will hold that against you."
"Administering the medicine!" Toadley announced with desperate energy. He opened their cells and dropped the medicine in their mouths (Dr Mario's Megavitamins were designed to work this way even if the sufferer was unconscious). Everyone felt a cold sinking as time stood still. They waited.
And waited.
And waited.
...
Toad and Daisy jolted up and coughed wildly, eyes fluttering in confusion. Everyone minus Toadley stared wordlessly at the miracle unfolding.
"Are the patients showing signs of recovery? Yes they are. I suggest one more day of watchful care."
"By george, it worked.." The words left Dr Mario's mouth faintly. "We have a new cure!" His exclamation galvanized the clinic into action again.
"I'll pull the truck around so we can load up and head to MK East!" Sebastian said, excusing himself with Mary close behind.
Luigi and his group hugged each other joyously and Ludwig stood back, smiling...on the inside at least. Bowser was rocking Junior like a baby but grinned at the results. Dr Mario even went over and hugged Metal Mario, even though this aggravated his shameful injury. Kylie cracked open the door a bit to give everyone a thumbs up.
"My daddy will he okay now! Mario, you truly are a blessing." Peach hugged Mario tightly, embracing his warmth and touch, and held him for a moment. When she finally loosened her grip, Mario slid from her arms and to the ground on his knees.
Tears filled his eyes as he sniffled uncontrollably. "We've...we've finally done it…We saved the day..."
The End? (No it's not.) To be continued.
Author note: Didja know? None of the special world hospital doctors are OCs except for Morris. Some of them are obscure and one of them only appears in a Mario adventure book. Can you spot the references?
Lastly. The fic is nearing the end. Next chapter will wrap it all up. I will possibly finish my chapter overviews/commentary on Tumblr too before uploading that. Check my profile for details.
Mario and Bowser: Frenemies Forever
Chapter 26: More Karting With Bowser (The End?)
Created: 7/23/17 - 8/11/17
Disclaimer: Mario belongs to...Nintendo! Who'd a thunk it?
Author note: Took a break and now I'm back. This short chapter will capture the tone of the very first chapter. Last, be sure to read the bottom notes.
It was another day at the races. A Mario Kart race took place, this time in the sunny, mellow fields of Donut Plains 3. As was custom, twelve racers fought to win the gold reserved for only the best of the best. Participating was Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Toad, Bowser, and several others. During the first lap, Toad and Yoshi took the early lead with their enhanced acceleration but once heavy hitters like Donkey Kong and Bowser reached max speed, they were pushed away. Mario, Luigi, Peach and other intermediate weights stayed in the middle of the pack fighting the rush of flung projectiles while also trying to stay on the bumpy and curvy track. This happened for two laps before Mario broke to the front with the help of a starman. After taking Donkey Kong out with a well aimed green shell, Mario hot on Bowser's trail and they were now in the middle of the third and final lap.
Bowser immediately went for brute force. He swayed his kart purposefully in Mario's path but took wider turns as a result, allowing Mario to slip through and catch up. Bowser had a single banana in reserve but he couldn't risk deploying it for Mario. Red shells were always a looming threat. With the finish line visible behind a final curve, Bowser decided he was just going to have go for the gold.
"Pass me and get roasted, plumber boy! This race is mine!" Bowser growled.
Mario however did indeed pass him. "Sorry koopa! Meet you at the finish line!" he teased.
Bowser growled again as he pressed his giant feet harder on the gas pedal. He couldn't stand to lose yet another Mario kart. And not to Mario of all people-
ZAP!
A thousand volts of electricity rushed through Mario and Bowser's karts, spinning them out. Toad zoomed up, the user of the electric weapon and confirming that this is Mario Kart 8 apparently. (A/N: Only that game will you get lightning at third.)
"Yah-hoo! I might actually win this!" Toad exclaimed. In his joy, he failed to see the banana peel that fell from Bowser's kart. Toad spun out a few feet away from the finish line and off into the grass sideline.
"I can still win this!" Bowser, now seared and miniaturized took off, not even batting an eye towards Mario. Sweat dripped from his scaly forehead as he puttered towards the finish line just a few feet away. The finish line banner shone as he drew near...Or maybe that was just in Bowser's head. Either way he'd finally win a Mario Kart, proving to Mario that he was indeed the better racer...
...Except that that would be another day because Yoshi sped ahead with his triple mushrooms and snatched first place.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Was the last thing everyone heard as Bowser missed out on first place by and inch and got second instead.
Later after the race, the participants were in the Mario Kart lobby. It was a small partially enclosed room with tables and refreshments for the racers. The trophies and ribbons had already been distributed and photos taken by the paparazzi. Now, only few of the racers still lingered around.
"GAAAAHH!" Bowser screamed in frustration. He had been in an irritable mood (more than usual at least) and the death grip he had on his silver trophy hadn't loosened one bit. He sulked in a random corner of the room, away from everyone else.
Mario, who wore a 'fifth place' ribbon around his neck, stolled up in his usual good sport way. "Bowser, you got second. You even beat ME!"
Bowser glared at his rival. "Yes, I clearly see the silver trophy in my claws and the dinky ribbon around your neck. It suites you, but you'd look better with a 'twelfth place' one if you ask me. Problem is, I lost to green freak!"
"D-did someone call Luigi!?" Luigi asked, his "fourth place" ribbon swinging from his neck after having dashed over from the drink machines instinctively at the slightest suggestion that someone might have mentioned his name... Or something close enough.
Bowser rolled his eyes. "No, the other one…"
"Yoshi yoshi! What's up?" Yoshi greeted. "Wait, I'm not a green freak!"
"Whatever...Didn't I say something long ago about these extra characters?"
"I'll allow it," Mario added with a shrug. "These guys took part in saving the day a week ago, while you and I wasted time during all sorts of other things."
Bowser was about to retort before the thought it over seriously. "Guess you're right... So you losers can stay, but don't get comfortable!"
"Yes!" Luigi cheered, ignoring the insult.
"So what are we going to do today?" Yoshi asked.
Bowser approached Mario menacingly but theatrically. "Listen plumber, what I'M gonna do is call you on the phone and we will meet again. My family knows the deal now, so I'm not holding back!"
"Oh really?" Mario asked playfully. "So before you were just going easy?"
"Yes! I mean no! Point is, I will get first and you will get...NOT-first!"
"Why don't we just partner up again? You'd be guaranteed to win," Mario innocuously added.
"No! I know you're trying to play peace keeper or something!"
"Nah, it's just that me and Weegee cut our phone bill and I only have half the minutes I use to. Why don't we email each other sometime?"
Bowser stomped the ground. "Whatever! I want a rematch, mustache moron!" He scribbled something down on a piece of paper and shoved it towards Mario. "Everyone knows your idiotic email, but that's mine!"
"Mariodestoryer1985?" Yoshi asked, getting a peek of the paper. "Your name's in his email!"
"And it's at a hotmail domain too. Who still uses that, bro?" Luigi whispered, suppressing laughter.
"I heard that!" Bowser shouted, slightly red in the face. "I will email you and you will lose!" Bowser ran off like he always did when things got to weird.
"Wow and enemy and a fan…" Luigi mused. "I wish I had a dangerous but faithful rival always trying to hurt me and everyone I care about… Wait, I don't want that at all. Forget I said that..." Luigi exited stage left, because for once, it didn't suck to be him.
"Well, I'm going to eat my fourth meal for the day. What about you?" Yoshi asked, turning to Mario.
He tucked away the paper into a pocket. "Me? Guess I'll just follow you guys around while I wait."
"For what?"
"That email," Mario answered with a smile. "Because that's what frenemies are for. Frenemies forever..."
The End?….
Author note: Yes I used a bookend. It seemed to be the best way to show how things really are back to normal, but there's still some unanswered things that will be addressed. I have a minimum of two epilogues planned because I want start back working on my overview of this story on Tumblr. Peace out!
Mario and Bowser: Frenemies Forever
Epilogue 1: The Missing Piece
Created: 7/16/17 – 8/11/17, 8/18/17, 8/23/17, 11/22/17,
(finished)12/11/17
Disclaimer: Mario belongs to...Nintendo! Who'd a thunk it?
Author note: Lots and lots of dates. Yes, a thinly disguised recap and "where are they now?" Originally part of (a) chapter 27, which I scrapped. The long development time was me deciding how to wrap it up. I actually have several unused chapters that I might upload somewhere, some taking the plot in various directions that I ultimately thought against. For now, enjoy!
Kylie Koopa, famous reporter and writer of the Koopa Kronicle, strolled down the streets of Toad Town armed with a weighty satchel slung over her shoulder. The sky was light gray with a full overcast and temperature comfortable and the foot traffic light. Things in Toad Town were tranquil despite how the events of the week before brought many unlikely people together, now all dispersed back in their own routine, Kylie included. After stopping by her favorite food stand and ordering a 'breakfast wrap, extra tomato, hold the lettuce', she entered the familiar doors of the Mushroom Press. Writers and reporters sat in their cubicles with little going on aside from background murmuring. It was so subdued, the front desk lady didn't even greet her, instead making eye contact and smiling briefly before going back to her peaceful ebook reading.
"Hey, Kylie," Mitch greeted as she passed by him. Their office spaces were directly across from each other...unfortunately.
"Shut your pipe, Mitch!" She dropped the bookbag to the ground collapsed into her office chair.
"Chill!" Mitch laughed, "I was just going to tell you about your little Noki dropping by!"
Kylie swiveled her chair around immediately to see Jelectro Bond approaching. Immediately she wondered what would he think of her research so far. Zoo Diddley, the mysterious mastermind behind the Mario and Bowser conspiracy was defeated, and she wrote her report that very night, but little did she know how deep the rabbit hole went. There were at least two dozen directly involved with the Mushroom Flu plot, from Mario's friends, from Bowser's family, from Kylie's buddies, and even some doctors from the Special World Hospital! To top that, her estimate didn't even include civilians and those stricken with the virus. Not being willing to accept defeat, she'd spent all week until now getting the 'true true' story while not revealing it to anyone. This would be big, bigger than her previous novella. Sure, a lot of names would need to be changed, but the story had to be told. She quickly thought over what she had discovered:
...Starting with her closer 'friends': Richard and Wiggletron were staying somewhere in town but she never saw them personally and on the phone they didn't say much aside from the fact that they had a 'surprise' for her. Mitch was still a co-worker, bummer! But he was less annoying for some reason and more sly than usual if such a thing was possible. Kylie could sense he had a 'surprise' as well...
...A quick call to the Toadley Clinic revealed that things were 'normal' there. She knew the titular doctor and Mary the intern on a professional level but Sebastian Bullet was relatively new to her. She'd only briefly met the Snifit the night she slept over and Mario brought back the cure, but she knew he was an ex coworker of Richard and Wiggletron and she found that from him that Dr. Toadley gets the credit for being the first to verify the Mushroom Flu. Dr. Toadley also had association with the Special World Hospital, or rather they were associated with him. Dr. Toadley never acknowledged the connection, and she didn't blame him!
...Checking in with Mario and crew, they were better than fine judging by the fact that a Mario Kart race was happening that very day. Thanks to her friendship with Mario, she easily learned that Toad was returned to the position of 'head Castle Adviser' and recovered fully, though he supposedly had a grudge with Daisy. In fact, Mario hadn't even seen Sarasaland's Princess until today and calls to her phone went straight to voicemail. Turns out, Daisy had spent most of the week before the race practicing tennis and her threat of a rematch made even Bowser shutter. Mario also told Kylie that the Postmaster and the Mushroom King were normal and glad to be out of that situation. Mario added at the end of the phone call that Luigi had been 'disappearing a lot' with Boo, but Kylie cut it off there. That kind of gossip was where she drew the line or else, well, she'd be stooping to the level of Mitch's trashy magazines, and she'd quit her job and work for the Koopa and Kailey circus before she'd let that happen!
...As for Bowser's household, once again discretion had to be used. Her efforts to get info on the mysterious activities of the koopas proved fruitless, thought that hadn't stopped her from trying all week. Based on the fact that Bowser was a participant in the race that had to mean that things were kind of normal in Dark Land, though she wondered how Bowser's family was taking that 'frenemy' thing, since that supposedly started it all…
...Her friend Emery was doing okay, she didn't mention much about Nass T, her mom. Since Kylie knew from snooping that Doctor Professor Koopa was back, she understood the silence on that issue. She just hoped the poor girl would be alright working in a hospital with those two around...
...Kylie did a cursory check on what remained of the 'Mushroom Kingdom Disease Control Unit'. James 'Jimmy' Monty, that sneaky guy she briefly met at the Press has skipped town entirely and without an official witness statement, making his connection with Zoo Diddley forever unsolved. Kylie was able to find, based on a website James ran, that he was from Donut Plains but was there possibly a connection there? Even a reporter as great as Kylie couldn't figure that out. Parabilly Koopa, the last unaccounted for member was easy to find from phone directories. He was happily at his humble home in Southern Mushroom Kingdom and had plans to visit Toad Town again, but only briefly…
...Lastly, the doctors from Special World. Mario and Ludwig and the rest were apparently the first people to escape in a very long time, putting the covert research center in the headlines to their extreme dismay. Word got out the day after Mario returned with the cure, and Kylie would have jumped on it had she not been preoccupied with getting local business straightened out. By the third day news suddenly died down and Dr. Mario was also removed from their official doctor list, so Kylie just had to investigate. Turns out, he was disassociated by Dr. Toad but didn't care, because he had private matters to attend to. Kylie couldn't get any farther news since the Doctor and Metal Mario, who tagged along for some reason, left for Smash Mansion once more. Kylie also had the oddest hunch that Mario knew all about the situation but kelp silent. She would have to just let that little mystery go as well, though it bothered her something fierce-
"Darling," Jelectro Bond repeated in his signature low tone. The sunglasses wearing spy stood before her holding two foam cups of coffee. "Your book will be lovely, but you must rest your mind sometimes!" Bond sat one coffee on her desk. "Also, I believe I might have found a mission piece of this grand puzzle."
"Oh! Thanks hun!" Kylie flushed as she was brought back to reality. "What do ya got?"
"Well...Let me wait until we are all here-" he said.
Just then, a Mega Goomba and Wiggler, both wearing black ties, came from around the corner holding a drink each.
"Yo pipsqueak, sis, and Mitch or whatever, what's up?" Richard, the Mega Goomba greeted.
"Oh Eldstar... Those for me?" Kylie asked, bemused.
"Affirmative. I was told to bring a beverage for the lady." Wiggletron said.
"Yeah, but I got that message too. Here, take my Morel Moxie!" Dick sat the sugary drink on Kylie's desk, scooting the coffee from Bond aside.
"Then I shall give mine to someone else!" Wiggs handed his overpriced bottle of water to Mitch, who accepted it quickly.
"Hey, thanks! No one ever gives me anything!"
"Hmm. Wonder why?" Kylie quipped. "Now that the gangs all here, what in blazes is going on?!"
Mitch cleared his throat loudly. "Well, I don't know what your Noki has planned but I'm about to hand my position over to those two!"
Kylie would have choked on her beverage if she had actually taken a sip from either. The ties, their brief cases. It all made too much sense. "They work for-!?"
Mitch picked up his briefcase and stood in the middle of the aisle. "Yeah, they're replacing me. The Princess wants me at the castle for a new job and I'm gonna start a new indie journal while I'm there."
"Yep," Dick said, plopping down in Mitch's chair like he owned the place. Meanwhile Wiggs immediately started posting papers on the cork board each cubicle had and sat a camera down. On the papers were costume designs, recipes, and a paper titled "Tales from the Club 64".
Kylie sighed. "Y'all two are gonna be my new-?... Aww, naw!"
"Have fun with your new office mates." Mitch spun on his heels and was gone before Kylie could assault him.
"Darling," Bond said gently, "forget about that for now. You have to hear this."
Kylie popped open the soda can. "Only for you, Bond. Tell me. Lighten up my day," she said dryly.
Bond sipped some of his coffee. "Then I shall. I visited the hospital and do you know what is going on there?"
"Yup. Spoke to Emery. That old Koopa Doctor is back and no one is acting like anything ever happened. It'll be too complicated to try to enforce anything now, so don't you try to rush me off anywhere, Bond. I'm suddenly too tired to lift a muscle."
Bond chucked. "You are correct as always, but that's not it. I went there to interview a key witness from the mystery. Another 'scoop' of sorts.."
"What?!" Dick and Wiggs exclaimed.
"Exactly. Do you know why the MKDCU was called in the first place?"
All of a sudden, Kylie wasn't so tired. She grabbed her notebook and pen.
"We still do not know. Possibly James did," Wiggs anwsered.
"Nass T., who was confederate with Doctor Professor Koopa, did so to make word of Mushroom Flu leak. You see, she felt bad, setting a horrible example for her daughter but she couldn't drop out of the deal. Neither doctor or nurse even knew of the mind control that was happening so she thought she could pull a 'fast one' so to speak. There was one issue. Her job, along with the doctor was to keep patients held there so that Mario would have to confront Bowser and there would be a 'falling out' of the two, forever severing any relations."
"But literally the opposite of that happened," Dick said.
"Yes, many sorts of outside parties got involved, including yours truly, because of the MKDCU's commotion."
Dick suddenly looked surprised. "Hey, I was guarding the hospital's door when this all started! Does that mean I saved the day?"
"I believe we were all little pieces of the puzzle, even if most of us never stepped foot in Bowser's Castle. How is Luigi by he way?" Bond asked, addressing Kylie.
"Who?" Kylie glanced at her notes. "Oh, him. Yeah, he defeated Z didn't he? Sorry all of these adventures just blur together after a while. I don't think he got anything special, but he will be in the race so I guess he's alright."
Bond shook his head. "Such a shame.."
"Why did Nass reveal this information to you?" Wiggs asked suddenly. "I recall the nurse having a particularity abrasive and unfriendly demeanor."
"True that," Dick added. "When we first pulled up, as the MKDCU and stuff with our truck, she refused to give us free peppermints. The old-"
"Oh that! Pass deeds aside, Nass and the doctor were a beau couple. They told me everything because they're going to elope!"
Kylie flipped out of her seat. She almost jerked the handles off trying to open the cabinet containing her phone. "I have got to warn Emery!" She said as ran around a corner leaving the boys in the quiet cubicles.
"Umm, well..." Bond muttered, trying to peek around the corner to find where ever Kylie went.
Dick spun the chair around back to the computer, unaffected. "Eh whatever pipsqueak. Catch up with your girlfriend and let us know if a princess is kidnapped, aliens invade, there's a star festival, the sky falls, or-"
"-Please inform us of any points of interest," Wiggs clarified.
And little did anyone know, many 'things of interest' were to come.
It was evening of the day of the race Mario placed fifth in and he was in a predicament. His attempts to follow his friends around like they had supposedly agreed upon proved fruitless; Luigi disappeared like a Boo (and Mario figured that's exactly who he was with), and Yoshi did nothing but hang around Club 64. Toad apparently went straight on an Isle Delfino cruise after the race WITH Daisy to everyone's surprise. With other friends were busy with their own devices, Mario decided on the ever lovely Princess Peach, known to always enjoy company.
Before he got there though, an unexpected call from Doctor Mario kelp him for almost an hour. The doc had lots to say and for once Mario was glad to hear it, since it involved his recovery from his own 1-up X problem. He finally let Metal Mario check him in to a 'therapeutic wellness center', what Mario could call 'rehab' back in Brooklyn. There was never any mention of his Smash Brothers standing, but from the doctor's low ranking, Mario assumed they didn't find anything worth fussing over and let him stay. He just hoped he wasn't still sleeping on couches...
When Mario finally arrived at Peach's Castle, Toads stood around, either cleaning or pretending to be busy as usual. He'd ask around for Peach eventually, but first he decided to stop by the kitchen for a quick snack.
"So does the Princess always let you do that, Mario?" someone asked from behind him.
Mario turned away from the refrigerator to see that it was a green capped Toad speaking to him, dressed in a business suit rather than traditional Toad garb, but there was something else. His beady black eyes, common to most Toads, had an odd gleam about them. And said Toad seemed to notice Mario's discomfort.
"Was I doing it again? My bad, so does she? I don't want to get on her bad side on my first day!"
"Honestly I don't know half of the rules around here. They're always changing," Mario answered frankly.
"Eh, thought so. I'm Mitch Toadstool by the way," Mitch held out his hand. "We never met, but I was with your little helpers last week. The 'spies, reporters, and plumbers'..."
"Oh! You're the guy that detected Z? And you work here now? That must mean-"
"Yeah, I'm the new 'defense force' for that kind of thing. You know, people have all kinds of abilities these days, and a lot are good at hiding them. I used to be the writer of the Mushroom Enquirer and on the side I'd done personal research on all kind of weird things, including extra sensory and related. I wouldn't normally share this with anyone but, you know, if it's for the sake of the Princess, I'll share some of my discoveries," Mitch explained with a magnetizing smile.
"Wow! So, who are these other people?"
He shook his head. "Sorry, Mario. If they aren't hurting anyone, it's a secret!"
"Right, of course. Guess I'll see you around."
"Don't worry, you will…" Mitch said as he departed. He left Mario with and odd feeling, but not enough to cure his stomach cravings. After a little snacking and a lot of searching (or more realistically the other way around), Mario found Peach lounging around in her lush castle garden.
"I'm so glad to see you, Mario! So, you've gotten any news?" Peach said. She wore casual clothing consisting of a pink tank top and matching shorts as she lay back in her chair. With the dark bedazzled sunglasses she wore, one might say she was more in place on a summer beach rather than a mild and partly cloudy backyard.
Mario plopped down in the grass. "Not yet. I'm expecting a threatening email from Bowser though, the usual…"
"Hopefully it won't involve me," she replied dryly. "Anyway, see this note. Isn't it lovely?" Peach handed Mario a printed out message from the Mushroom King to his daughter, thanking her and her friends for their brave efforts. Mario could tell the King himself wasn't really aware of all of the background complications behind the fact that 'people go sick from expired soda', but he was relieved Peach's father had made a complete recovery.
Mario handed the paper back. "Well that was sweet. So anyway, what do you think about that Mitch? We had a run in before I found you."
"He's fine, but rather mysterious and odd, if I would say so myself."
"I was thinking that too. So he said something about-"
"What would you like to drink?!" Buckenberry asked out of nowhere, jolting Mario.
"Cool Blue?! Where'd you come from?"
"...I followed you." he replied with his eyes to the ground.
Mario shrugged. "Nah it's all right. Hey this is crazy but, want to go on an adventure?"
Peach leaned up abruptly and her sunglasses slid off, revealing eyes equally shocked. "Mario?! Surely you don't mean-"
"I do, Princess. I know we're all still shaken from last week, but life has to go on and why not with an adventure? Just this time," Mario plead, his face gleaming from his ambitious spirit.
Before either could answer, Buckenberry's radio cut on. "Guess at front door!" it buzzed.
"Copy," Buckenberry groaned.
"So it's on?" Mario challenged playfully.
Buckenberry nodded. "Totally!"
"I suppose," Peach said. "Let me get dressed more appropriately..."
Mario and Buckenberry left her to investigate the guest. Instead, they stumbled into the middle of a three way conversation occurring in the front lobby.
"-Why, that Doctor Professor Koopa was involved in that dreadful scheme? I remember him as a timid chap. Even the likes of I could push him around a bit!"
"Mr. Toadsworth?! You were a bully?" a young woman asked.
"Oh no! I meant on the rugby team! We did such liberating activities back in the day, one half of us servants verses the other. Now all of your children just play around on your phones and whatnot. Tut tut!"
"This is good stuff! I might have to do a little diggin' on the castle's past secrets," a mature sounding female said. Mario finally rounded a corner.
"I think you will NOT!" Toadette, the young woman apparently, scolded. "I mean uh, if Mr. Toadsworth approves of my disapproval..."
"I approve. Or disapprove. I mean- Oh, greetings Master Mario and Buckenberry!"
Mario waved to Kylie as he and Buckenberry joined the trio. "So Kylie was the guest? She's helped out a lot, so she's cool."
"Thanks bud," Kylie said, brushing past Toadette and Toadsworth. She dug out a printed outline from her bookbag and handed it to Mario. "The 'scoop' is all there. Expect it in the papers soon. Oh and one other thing..."
"Lay it on me!"
Kylie pulled out one more thing from her bag. It was a dark blue tattered diary with no label on the front. "I stopped at that ol' Bowser Castle-"
"And why was that?!" Toadette interrupted.
Kylie laughed it off. "Calm down, girl! I was just giving them an advance copy of my scoop. They were innocent too, ya know. So that musical blue haired one answered the gates and he gave me this to give to you. Said they found it and wanted it out of the castle. Wonder why?"
Mario accepted the book. "Umm, thanks. I wanted an adventure but a reading session is alright too, I guess..."
"Thank you for your time!" Toadette added.
"Alright, sheesh. See ya peeps later."
"Indeed. Farewell." Toadsworth added in an equally curt manner as Kylie walked out.
"Now do you want me to file these reports, Mr. Toadsworth?"
"Yes, dear. Get straight to it, I need to assemble to late evening staff."
"Yes sir!" Toadette and Toadworth started to depart immediately.
"Guys, don't you want to hear that scoop thing?" Buckenberry asked.
Toadette turned around. "You can scan it and email it to all staff. Okay?"
"I guess it's nice to see the management is finally stepping up around here," Mario whispered to Buckenberry as he finally peeked inside the book. "Though I kind of miss the laid back, way too lenient, staff. The way it used to b-" Mario froze at the sight of something in the book.
"What?" Buckenberry asked, prodding Mario.
"Tee hee, I'm ready guys!" Peach announced as she arrived from a door into the lobby. She wore her usual outfit, ironically dressed less practically than before. "What's that book, Mario?"
"Yeah, what?
Mario finally lowered the book, his face now pale. "You remember that Dark Boo? The one that was behind this all?"
"That jerk! What of him?"
"...This is his personal diary..."
The End?
Mario and Bowser: Frenemies Forever
Epilogue: Z's Diary
Created: 6/26/17, 12/11/17
Disclaimer: Mario=Nintendo
This diary was found in Z's locker room. The dates are written in traditional Booish but events on normal calendars can be traced to at least 2016.
Entry: Month (Star) Day (Circle)
"I am a Dark Boo named Zoo Diddley and today I might get hired as a worker for Bowser! I'm more of a reader than a writer, but this is such big news, that I must get my feelings on paper!
"First of all, I was born in Donut Plains and I live in a Boo community. I didn't always though, my parents were very strict with me and me only. I wasn't allowed to have outbursts of any sort, joy, pain, or sorrow. It was like I was an animal who had to be watched carefully. Maybe that's even why they called me Zoo...
"But enough about that, I ran from home. Yeah, it was scary but I had to do it. One night, I overheard my family have a 'secret meeting' about me when I was supposed to be sleeping. Yeah, everyone was there, father, mother, and my four brothers and sisters. Once I heard the words '..if he finds out WHAT he is..' I'd had enough. I was an animal to them after all! I barged right in seething and I'll never forget the look of their faces. They suddenly began to fight with each other! I couldn't take it, I ran out and I haven't seen them again.
"I was so young and scared and alone, but thankfully wandered across this old cabin in the middle of nowhere. The residents said it was a Boo community home, later I'd found out that many non-boos referred to such as 'Ghost Houses'. That was non-sense, I felt very much alive there. I realized that I liked to spy around and I loved world travel, things I didn't even know about myself until I finally had freedom.
"It was great at first, but I was always being disciplined by the management for 'starting fights'. It was true that when I got upset over something, like another boo stealing my Bowser figures (did I mention I was a Bowser fan?), the other person would match my anger suddenly, but that wasn't my fault! Was it? Well, somehow I'd always get the blame. Soon, the others just got sick of me I believe. I was too weird even for other boos...
"Okay, enough sad stuff. I'm an adult now and none of my past matters. I filed an application to work for my hero, Bowser. I've always liked him since I was a child. When I was a kid I couldn't watch cartoons, but the boring channels my wicked family would allow would air Bowser propaganda occasionally. The commercial I remember the most was that if a young Prince Bowser standing on a throne too big for him. I distinctly remember wanting to laugh, but holding back out of fear of punishment. Prince Bowser explained in squeaky voice that his castle needed soldiers and workers and anything else. Any thing goes. He didn't care if you were, and I quote, 'a freak'. That stuck with me. I certainly felt like a freak even among my own kind. Maybe the Koopas would be different. Well, I gotta go now. My hiring agent is a Fire Bro named Flare apparently and we'll meet in Yoshi's Island. The train ticket there is expensive and I hope the pink bow tie I'm wearing will impress him.
Entry: Month (Star) Day (Circle)
"Yes yes yes! *Pictures of stars and rainbows are doodled* My hand can barely keep steady as I write. All of my past misery means nothing now, because I work for Bowser! Flare the hiring agent was especially impressed by my knowledge of Bowser and the way Dark Land works. What could I say? When you're a loner, you read a lot. He said I'd be doing some type of menial labor but I could live in the castle for free as long as I was employed. I thanked him, he was my angle. Now, as I write, I'm supposed to be packing up from the community so I won't make this long, but this is big!
"To my surprise, the community was kind of sad to see me go. I didn't really have friends technically, but a few boos that would bother to speak with me told me goodbye. A Red Boo named Tera, and two normal Boos named Booigi, and Boomerang. They told me to 'be careful'. Don't worry guys, (not that they'll ever read this) but I will. The managers in particular wished me a happy life under Bowser, but they also warned to be careful. Why so many warnings? As if I didn't know what Bowser was all about! This boo is ready for some excitement.
Entry: Month (Star) Day (Circle Circle)
"I haven't written in a week? Wow, I'm the worse journal writer, hehe. So anyway I took a trip to Dark Land for my new life. It was a good thing I was going to be given a place to stay and food to eat, because the trip exhausted all of the funds I'd saved by doing little jobs. So I'd been busy training, getting tours and stuff. I haven't been face to face with Bowser yet, but I've came across his children in passing. Larry was also briefly overseeing the training, though I could tell he probably had better things to do. Anyway, I'm not sure what my job will be yet. There's several possible options, cook, castle maintenance, pet feeder, battleship maintenance, and more, not forgetting the coveted 'soldier for Bowser' role. Putting your well being on the line was considered the ultimate role, and it was drilled into us noncombatant workers early on that these ones would get our utmost respect. Even if it was a low leveled Goomba foot soldier!
"I like that. Everyone seems important, no matter what you are. I tell people that I go by 'Z' now. I don't want to be reminded of my past. I go on the internet when I bored. I'm a fan of this gossip magazine, the kind that pry into everyone's personal business. The headline was that Mario and Bowser must hate each other more than ever based on whatever happened in Mario Party 10. If Bowser hates Mario, I must hate him too, at least of fit in around here. Anyway, I eagerly look forward to my job description tomorrow...
Entry: Month (Star) Day (Circle Square)
"Garbage
collector. That's...an *the word 'terrible' is marked out*
important job that I should take responsibly! My room is cramped as
all get out but whatever, hehe. For my first day, the garbage pile up
was ridiculous, but this is a castle after all with hundreds of
permanent residents, not to mention the temps. After several hard
hours, (I'd better have a buff body by the end of this!) I had my
first meal with my new work crew. Us noncombatants had to eat after
Bowser and his family, and then after the soldiers. No problem, I
wasn't that hungry.
"Finally when we got to eat, we were all grouped to eat outside in Bowser's Courtyard rather than his kitchen. There were lots of us so I only focused on trying to learn the names of us new recruits who were hired together. Rholand, Koopfred, Gus, Annie, Lakimay, and Tanner. I remember Rholand the Goomba best because he was the newest castle maintenance employee. His first day, and he was already almost electrocuted when they put him in charge of changing a lightbulb. I laughed wildly when he said that, and he chuckled too but everyone else at the table looked at us weird. What? Life and death is funny, at least to a Boo…'Laugh or else!' as I made up when I was back at the Boo community. The rest of the day was normal.
Entry: Month (Star) Day (Triangle Circle)
"Well, month is almost over. I'm afraid to admit that I probably won't be writing much unless cool things happen. My job is okay but I'm slightly disappointed in the community. Bowser's soldiers seem to be tight with each other, but us noncombatants just stay out of each other's way. I have a lot of nightmares too but I don't even want to talk about that. The past is the past. There was a large number of peanut butter and toe jam sandwich wrappers in the trash today. Weird. I wish I could interact more. In fact, I think I may. As I write this, I'm in my bed, but tomorrow, I'm gonna attempt to sneak around. A Boos gotta do what a Boos gotta do.
Entry: Month (Circle) Day (Circle)
"Guess what?! My teleportation seems to be different than most boos. Let's me explain how it began. The busiest times in the garbage room is breakfast, lunch and dinner. After breakfast, I made an invisible sprint through the castle. It really is a neat place, even if the design inspiration is all over the place. Some rooms seem vaguely gothic, others victorian, others possibly the koopalings designed themselves based on the lack of coherency. However, there was my mistake. I bumped into a Hammer bro who was stationed guard in the halls. He was spooked out and in a panic I dodged out of there, but I left behind some kind of black smoke! The weirdest thing is that when I panicked to death, he seemed to do so as well. I thought the elite soldiers known as the Hammer bros would have better nerves than that….Okay, gotta go. Supposedly, a private health inspector is being called tomorrow I heard. I hope he doesn't think the filth in the garbage room is my fault. It's hard keeping the work station clean when I'm the the only garbage person in the castle!
Entry: Month (Circle) Day (Circle Circle)
"I love this job all over again. His name was James 'Jimmy' Monty Mole of Donut Plains, like me! I didn't even speak to him personally but his striking nature couldn't be forgotten when I caught a glimpse of him marching down Bowser's halls like he owned the place. I overheard from others that he was wanting to start something called the 'Mushroom Kingdom Desease Control Unit' if he could find enough for hire doctors like him. Anyway, he gave us a pass and when he left, a koopa messenger gave me the note he'd left for me. I mentioned how he sympathized with me for having to be the garbage collector of an entire castle and how he expected to find a hundred diseases in that garbage room, but only found twenty. A new record. I've found his blog online so i'll be keeping an eye on it. That's it for now, seeya!
Entry: Month (Triangle) Day (Circle)
"This is news. Bowser was launching an attack on the Mushroom Kingdom! I don't know how or why, such news isn't really the business of noncombatants. The half empty castle was like a different place now, though. How creepy, well for everyone else! As a Boo this was great. I was able to sneak practically all day with the very little garbage flow. The Koopalings stayed behind since Bowser only brought his youngest son Junior on the mission. I wonder about that, Junior seems different than the rest of the Koopalings, but whatever. No need to go into the personalities of them because anyone reading should know, or they're just stupid, hehe! I will say that I really want to find out about vacation days. I've gotten a few paychecks by now and I desperately want to travel. My immediate workmates continue to ignore me, but I overheard (get used to me overhearing things, hehe!) that one of them used to live in Toad Town, where Mario the Princess and the rest enemy territory would be so interesting…
Entry: Month (Triangle) Day (Circle Square)
"This is news...again! And Eldstar, is it terrible! I quickly got meeting scheduled with Bowser, but you'd never believe what I found out. Here how it started. That day of my last entry, Bowser and what was left of his army came back in utter defeat. Imagine the dread I felt when I was sent to Bowser is discuss my vacation. I was likely to get fired! However I wasn't...Bowser was taking the defeat very well, as if it was staged or something. I was right outside the red Bowser emblem engraved doors leading to his throne room when I heard him talking to someone inside. I hesitated to enter, then a thought crept into my mind, one I wished I never listened too. I snuck in using by boo powers and to my surprise, he was TALKING TO MARIO ON THE PHONE!
"My mind was going wild but I remember him casually talking about what he was going to do for the next 'game' (the heck is that?!) and how he would definitely attend the next racing match with him. He called Mario a few nasty names but he still bid farewell like someone talking to an old friend. 'Where is that person who wants to see me?' Bowser spoke to himself, so I quickly left and entered again as my normal self. He gave me a few days to visit wherever I wanted, as long as I did overtime to make up for it and I remember nodding absentmindedly to it. I was still to shocked to comprehend it all.
"I'm still not convinced that I didn't dream that up, so let me tell you some other things in my life. This is a journal, right? I've noticed that I can somehow share my feelings when their near by. It can't be a coincidence that when I'm peeved, the tension in the air seemed to rise. Or when I worry, the air of despair was thick...right? Maybe I'm just too nervous. Like, maybe the mood in Bowser's Castle is 'homologous' like that? I dunno. See ya...
"P.S. Yes, I used a new science term I've learned from Jimmy's blog. The mole is going places according to him. I've picked up an interest in science and medicine because of that. Anything to keep my mind busy, cause sometimes I feel like I'm losing it…
Entry: Month (Triangle) Day (Square square)
"This was a dreadful day. *There appeared to be smearing on the page some some sort of liquid* I can hardly write. While sneaking around the garbage overflowed a bit and I got yelled at for the first time. I was in my room and was called out by a Boom Boom who looked like wanted to strangle me right in the middle of the hall. While I was being screamed at I became furious, I'd barely done anything wrong and I was still new. I didn't deserve to be chewed out! Then it happened, a riot started right then and there. Koopas who were incidentally in the area fought and even my roommates were screaming in the rooms. I got instant flashbacks of the night I ran from my own home so like, I must have blacked out and ran straight out of the castle. I came to a moment later but I've lost it. Me and stress can't mix…
Entry: Month (Square) Day (Circle)
"I've been distracted… After my blow up, I finally took my first vacation for a day. It would rest my nerves like Rholand mentioned to me. He's okay, the only coworker who speaks to me now. Lots of people got injured apparently from that riot I was blamed for. I didn't lose any privileges though. As the garbage collector, I have none anyway.
"Toad Town was okay. So happy. Peaceful. I couldn't help but wonder if anyone knew about Mario and Bowser? Did that really happen? Hopefully that was just a nightmare. I'll update again when I feel like it…
Entry: Month (Square) Day (Triangle)
"This is something…I overheard the koopalings talking about Bowser. They know he spends too much time with Mario so… what I heard was real. They know. My ideas about Bowser that I believed all of my life were lies. He's not truest Lord of evil like he claims, he just plays one in the video games. This is just so ridiculous though! Kamek, you know, Bowser's father and predecessor? He wasn't an "actor". In fact, one of the doctors sited on Jimmy's blog, Doctor Professor Koopa, lived at that time. Kamek was a cruel true villain. How can Bowser feel this way? That's it, no one is really what they seem. My parents weren't, the boo community wasn't, and now Bowser? Who doesn't have secrets? If only there was to way to reveal what people really were. At this moment, I've determined that I'm going to find out.
"But off of that subject for a moment. This isn't meant to be an 'emo' journal after all. They aired one of Mario's tennis games on TV today. I do have a weird respect for Mario because he doesn't pretend to be something he's not. He claims to be the nicest person ever and well, something makes me believe that. Besides, he never kills off villains. How funny would it be if Mario destroyed Bowser, hehe? I'll tell you who I don't like though, Luigi. I hope I never meet him. First he slays my kind, second he only pretends to be brave. More pretending. I'm getting myself annoyed and I don't want to accidently project it and get in trouble for another riot. I'm gonna stop writing for now.
Entry: Month ( X) Day (Circle)
"...So it turns out I can do more than my weird black smoke trick, but it cost me. Me and Rholand were walking through the courtyard while on break and inside the Magikoopa and Lakitu soldiers were combat practicing. He was randomly like, 'why don't we square off?' Me against a goomba? Okay? He threw a few kicks but I wasn't so much fighting back as trying to avoid getting hurt. Then it happened. He 'playfully' insulted me to get me to fight, calling me a loner and freak. It hit a little too close to home. In later moments of clarity I remembered that he didn't know my life story from before I came to the castle but at that moment every painful moment came back to me, and I saw red...Or blue rather.
"A blue flame shot from my hands and engulfed him in seconds. I'll never forget the harrowing look of everyone on the field as they watched him scream for his life. Fortunately a close by Magikoopa extinguished him and he lived but with severe burns. Needless to say, I was in hot water, but something unexpected saved me. Once Kamek caught wind of exactly what happened (because there were a dozen eyewitnesses) he had me sent to his office. He was praising me for the 'sudden unexpected power' I had. He spoke about how he wished he could transfer me to the soldier division but couldn't because there was no Boo division. He let me go with no repercussions, but of course Rholand never spoke to me again. I had lost my only friend…
There was something else though. I could tell Kamek was bothered about something, but also that he was growing weak. Don't ask how I knew. I just did. Maybe that will be relevant later...
Entry: Month (XX) Day (Circle)
"It's about time I wrote again. With no one to really speak to, I've been reading a lot. I even bring the books into the garbage room, though they tend to smell weird after. I've also been listening to this punk band the 'Boo Circle Jerks'. I like them, and one song 'Going your own way' really spoke to me. Boos aren't liked by a lot of people so we tend to have each other, but according to the song, even if you don't have your own kind on your side, you have yourself. That's right, why beat myself up over that? Life is so much better when you don't care about anyone but yourself! Well, maybe that's not how the song is supposed to be interpreted according to the lyric notes, but I like my version better anyway, hehe. I say 'hehe' alot, don't I? That's a verbal tic a lot of us boos have but it has special meaning for me. Better to hide your sorrow with laughter, right?
"Oh and new power update too. I can lift objects with 'the force' as I'd like to call it. I'm a science fiction fan, okay? Speaking of science, Jimmy's blog gets better and better. He'd picked up someone called Parabilly and Sebastian, but he'd like to find two more. He mentioned something I spent a week researching because it was that interesting. Mushroom Flu. Only the famed Dr Mario could cure it. Very interesting…
"Oh and about the lack of friends? Yep, let me check... Nope, still a loner and freak but the royalty seem to have some respect for me all of a sudden. Iggy Koopa passed me in a hallway once and he greeted me by name! It was nice… Huh. I again felt that sense of disappointment, not with me, but with someone else. Maybe Bowser? I would made sense that his family aren't comfortable with it all...
Entry: Month (XX) Day (Square Square)
"I've had it with Bowser! He was awarded 'Villain of the year'! I guess this journal is gonna become incriminating now but YOLO. Did I really just write that? My brand new smartphone I saved up for must be getting to me. Anyway I wrote an anonymous note to Kamek. It would promise that the secret friendship with Mario and Bowser would be over if only they followed my instructions. You see, why should Bowser be rewarded for not being himself? Don't they always say to be yourself? Well, being myself has got me nothing good. Would people like Bowser if they knew he was all bark and not bite? The note called for them to infect Mario's friends with the Mushroom Flu. Using my knowledge from research, I mentioned they they'd need to find a way to do that with the original strand eliminated. The details would be their problem. Kamek was a retired evil Mastermind and some of his grandchildren are geniuses. They'd think of something, if they accepted the idea…
"But what else I have to say is...difficult. How to even write this? I took another 'vacation' stroll in Toad Town and I saw...them… Just my mom and dad. They were in a diner, not Club 64, but the knock off across the street, Club GameCube. I froze when I saw them in the window. They seemed to be happy...They can't possibly miss me...I ran back to the castle…
"I realized then that yes, the world can burn. But I'm gonna be watching with a bag of popcorn when it does, hehe.
Entry: Month (XX) Day (Circle Circle)
"The plan is in motion! Ludwig and Iggy were supposedly spending lots of time in the lab. I wonder why they accepted so easily unless it was me after all? By now I've realised, that I can definitely affect people's emotions and thinking. It's subtle, but I started small like convincing the cafeteria koopa to give me extra scoops of that wonderful shroom potatoes we get served on Wednesdays only. I'd do something like drop litter on the ground and convince an angry guard to let me go with a warning when that would otherwise be an infraction. However, I could not convince Rholand, or my other room mates to speak to me again. It seemed that their resolve was too strong. Weird. So I've been amusing myself. People always have things to hide. They always have insecurities. Always.
"In other news, I had to get in on my own plan so I staged a way for me to overhear Ludwig and Iggy, then I convinced them to let me play along. All went as planned. Turns out they have a stockpile of expired FungusUp that was previously gonna be used for acidic tests and they are gonna use that to infect people. Forget what I've said before. Bowser's family are like mine now. I feel like I'm one of them. Mario can come and bust Bowser for all I care, his royal family can replace the one I never had!
"Also..thinking about the other day, I wrote a letter home. I know I got a little emo in that last entry but a part of me can't let go. The note tells them what I'm doing with my life now, aside from my murderous plot of course. I plead for them to write back. If they do, I should get a reply soon…
Entry: Month (XX) Date (Circle Square)
"*Written in a very shaky hand* I don't know what to do...I hung around Toad Town and practiced my power more. I could now successfully cause anger, insanity, or compliance, but I could also project my feelings by mistake. Mario and Bowser had a tennis game that day and Toad and Daisy collapsed. To my wonderment though, Bowser was still considered innocent. It would all fall into place soon.
"But then what? I wonder what Bowser's family would think of me without my powers manipulating them. I almost wish I never had them because of my life's problems were caused by this curse. Maybe that's what my parents knew about me. No one wrote back, by the way. If I saw them again in passing I'd….
"No matter. I didn't ask for this and it's not fair. I'm just making it fair for everyone by making them miserable as well. You'd be surprised by the kind of insecurities Mario and his friends had that I found out by spying. The day was MKDCU were called in by an traitorous accomplice but they've only helped the plan. They picked up a goomba and wiggler a month ago by the way. I think the wiggler is a robot, which is weird, lol. As of tonight, Toad and Daisy, dear friends of Mario, are gonna get shipped off and probably never seen again. As for Bowser? I couldn't corrupt him, so we'll just have to use brainwashing. His family gladly assisted in this. Tomorrow shall be interesting.."
Entry: Month (XX) (No date given. This was apparently written before the day was over)
"HOW?! I should have paid more attention to the stragglers. I revealed to the Koopas that it was my plan. Maybe that would be what would do it but nope. I mean Kamek was proud, he loved it..\ He more than loved it. If Ludwig wasn't around I think the old Koopa would have adopted me. The saddest part is, I'm sure I'm making him loony now. My new family, and I'm ruining them. It gets worse..
These reporters and spies found out the plot and spread the word. It's time to change plans. Yes. Have every one destroy everyone. I finally met Jimmy in person, but even using him didn't destroy Mario. Why must the one guy I respected die now? He was a pretender as well, maybe more than Bowser with the way he had his friends fooled. Now, even the koopas are falling out of my grasp. Some have doubts and Ludwig especially worries me, however I outsmarted him into leaving the castle all together. Bowser seems to be complying now, but I wonder about him too. Yes, this will be my final hurrah. Ludwig is probably going to get some kind of cure but to won't matter. I'm going to Toad Town to release all of my angrish. It doesn't matter what happens from this point on. I will leave this journal in my room and whatever happens will happen. Everything I've worked for is all being taken away and now everyone will know the pain I feel…
**End of Journal**
Author note: The END. Remember that there were several retcons towards the end of the story due to poor planning on my part. Mario and Bowser is flawed but it's still my baby (lol, right? Look at me, acting like I actually have something good here..) and I plan to do the original idea justice some day with a rewrite. Until then, say awesome my readers. Remember that I'm doing special overviews and commentary and I'm currently on part four. Check my profile for details on my tumblr account. These overviews point out my reasoning behind things, mistakes I made, and unused elements. If you enjoyed this series, check that out.