Legal Disclaimer: Super Mario Bros. is copyright Nintendo. I do not own it, Nintendo does. It and all of its characters are the property of Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto.
Super Mario Bros. Origins
Chapter 1:
Luca Mario, a middle weight man in his mid twenties with brown hair, blue eyes, and a brown mustache watched excitedly as his wife, Mia, a blond-haired woman the same age as her husband with blue eyes exerted as she pushed to give birth to her baby. Doctors were standing around her, ushering Luca out of the way so that they could keep a close eye on his wife. He had been constantly at his wife's side as she had gone into labor and while he was loath to go, he did not want to be in the doctors' way. "Come on, baby, push!" he encouraged. "He's almost here!"
She wailed aloud as she pushed again to deliver the child. Despite the medical technology of Earth and the Galactic Federation, they, as well as almost everyone else on Earth, still delivered babies the natural way, only using Cesarean Section and other delivery options in the rare event where the mother or baby's life would be threatened by normal childbirth. Mia was no different, having delivered her first baby, Mario, the same way. "You're doing great," one of the doctors, Doctor Gibson, a well-known doctor and a friend of the family assured the young woman. "The baby's on its way, just keep pushing!"
"I'll do great when the baby's out!" Mia cried in retort. Despite the pain and effort, she would not have done this any other way and she would not trade it for anything.
The day had been hectic as soon as they had awakened. They were due for a checkup to make sure that the baby was healthy. Despite having numerous scans and ultrasounds performed, the young couple still preferred to have the sex of their baby kept a secret, just as it had been with Mario. They had just had breakfast when the first contractions had begun. That was the sign that the baby was coming, then. As such, they put down everything and headed towards the hospital, calling Luca's mother to come and watch Mario while they went to the hospital to have the baby delivered. They had already decided on the names of the baby. If it were a boy, they would name him Luigi. If it were a girl, she would be named Maria.
Mia gave another shout as she pushed once more. After this push, the sound of a baby crying could be heard. "I see the head," Luca exclaimed. The doctors rushed over and grabbed the baby's head to steady it. With one final push, the baby fully emerged from the mother's womb.
The sound of the baby's crying was joy to the ears of both Luca and Mia. They beamed as they stared at the baby boy. "Congratulations, it's a boy," Doctor Gibson told the mother.
Mia held her baby and stared at him as he continued to cry. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes. "Hello Luigi," she said softly, panting from having been in labor for so long.
The doctors quickly went over and cut Luigi's umbilical cord. Luca went over to his wife and looked into her eyes, his joy plastered on his face. He then turned to Luigi softly cooed, "Hi there, Luigi."
The baby's eyes opened and he looked both of his parents in the eyes. All Luca and Mia could do was grin. This was their second child, born exactly one year apart from their first one. They were filled with as much joy at the birth of Luigi as they were with Mario's birth. "When we're done here, you'll get to meet your big brother," Mia cooed to her child. She knew that he would not understand her, but the sound of her voice did give comfort to the baby and Luigi spread out his arms as if to hug his mother. The feeling of love in the air was palpable and it warmed the hearts of all that were present.
Meanwhile, off in the distance a ways away, two male orderlies glanced at the scene appraisingly. They wore the standard uniform of hospital orderlies but they had headbands that suspiciously covered the tops of their ears, positioned in just such a way that it could be seen as concealing their appearance. They carefully studied the two human parents and their child. One of them held a boxy hand-held device similar to a Star Trek Tricorder and reached out as if they were scanning the family. Lights flashed on the device and bars lit up but did not travel too far on the displays.
"It is a heartwarming scene," one of the orderlies, the taller one with blond hair said, looking over at his companion, who was still holding the device. "Humans have changed in the last six centuries."
"Their change came after their third world war," said the other orderly, this one having short brown hair, closing the device and putting it in his pocket. "On a whole, they have become far wiser and kinder."
The blond-haired 'orderly' nodded. "Yes." He then glanced over at his companion and asked, "Are the scans complete?"
"The first one is," the brown-haired 'orderly' answered.
"And?"
"And the boy does not appear to have any overt psychic powers, though the scans indicate that he may have a small amount of latent powers," came the answer.
"Many humans have some form of latent psychic power or ESP, even if it's only being a little more lucky than normal."
"It was no different with the older brother, either," the brown-haired 'orderly' answered.
"Are you sure that this child is one of the Chosen Ones?" the blond-haired man asked. "He does not seem to be all that special."
"Neither did the older baby," the brown-haired man. "Yet Mario is prophesied to be the fulcrum that will hold together one of the greatest groups of heroes in existence. We cannot let the Enemy get their hands on these children. If they did, it would be to the ruin of all."
The blond-haired man nodded and the two looked over at the child as two of the doctors took him into their arms, the father following behind them very closely as the other doctors looked over his wife. It was then that the blond-haired man frowned, which was reflected in his companion's face.
"Taking the children may be more difficult than imagined," the blond-haired man noted. "The parents will not part with the children willingly."
"We can worry about that if diplomacy fails," the brown-haired man answered. "There is still the possibility that we can keep the children away from The Enemy without having to separate them from their parents."
"Let's hope so, because if we can't, we're going to have a real fight on our hands."
"We can handle the parents."
"It's not the parents that I'm worried about, Sweylin," the blond-haired man stated anxiously.
As Luigi was taken to the nursery for his checkup, the two men glanced at each other and went to split up. Sweylin remained to keep watch on Mia while the blond-haired man followed Luca at a distance. The blond-haired man had misgivings about his mission here with the family. Still, he had a duty to perform and these children would be the center of what could be the most powerful force for good in the universe in a very long time, especially if the Trophies of Smash World were any indication.
The rest of the day was relatively uneventful. The rest of the Mario family arrived at different intervals to see the newborn baby. Luigi's aunts, uncles, grandparents on both sides of the family, and even the cousins came to see and adore the newest family member. The Mario family was incredibly close and aunts and uncles were like extra sets of parents for the children in the family, and the cousins were more akin to brothers and sisters.
Both Luca and Mia stayed in the hospital overnight, Luca sitting just outside the nursery, telling the doctors to label each baby, especially Luigi, so that he would never lose track of Luigi, as if such a thing could actually happen. He did not get much sleep that night as he continued to gaze at Luigi, making sure that everything was okay with his newest son.
The next day, the doctors performed one final check on both mother and child. Everything turned out to be fine for them and once the checkup was finished, Luigi was given back to the care of his parents. As Luca and Mia were preparing to depart, the doctors gave some last minute instructions to the parents. Once they were delivered, the parent went over to their car and departed the hospital to return home and introduce their newest son to his older brother.
Standing at a distance, Sweylin and his companion watched the couple walk through the relatively unoccupied parking lot. They went to their car, a ground car that, while running on electricity, was still relatively antiquated by modern standards, even for ground cars, and got in. Mia sat in the back right next to Luigi as Luca got into the front. He started the car and a low hum sounded as the engine started. The car backed out of the parking space and proceeded to exit the lot, going to the main street exiting the hospital.
"The parents care deeply for their child Sovan," Sweylin said, turning to his companion.
"That much is obvious," Sovan answered. "We must plan our strategy accordingly."
"We should alert them to the situation," Sweylin stated. "If we do that, perhaps the family will come with us without having to be coerced."
"It is doubtful that they would leave the most heavily defended world in the Federation if they felt that they or their family were in danger from an external enemy," Sovan replied, scratching his chin. "With the scientific advancements of the Federation, humanity has gotten away from magic. They do not recognize its power and ability to overcome even the most advanced of technology."
"Perhaps," Sweylin said, cautiously. "But supernatural powers are not completely unknown to Earth humans, even today. After all, there are human psychics."
"That's true," Sovan admitted. "Perhaps we are worrying too much about this and the family will come with us without issue."
"And if they don't?" Sweylin asked.
"Then we will have to resort to more drastic measures," Sovan answered. "Above all, though, we must secure the Mario Brothers as quickly as possible so that the Enemy cannot claim them."
After the Marios took Luigi home, life returned to normal for the young family more or less. They had an additional mouth to feed but that was no burden for them. The very next day, Luca got back to work at Mario's Plumbing, a small family owned company that his great-grandfather had started and was still profitable to this day. Despite the advanced technology of the Galactic Federation, there was still a need for plumbers to clean out pipes in various structures from houses to buildings to starships. Even parts of the sewer system was maintained by plumbers and the Mario's Plumbing was sometimes contracted by United Earth.
One day, a couple of weeks after Luigi's birth, Luca had just returned from a hard day of work as he had made several house calls all around the neighborhood. The doorknob turned and he pushed the door inward. Mia, who was sitting on the sofa, next to Mario and Luigi, set up at the sound and immediately smiled upon seeing her husband. Luca returned Mia's smile and he beamed. Despite it being only two weeks, Mia seemed to quickly be losing the weight that she had put on while pregnant. That was thanks to her diet, exercise regimen, and genes. He quickly went over to join his wife on the sofa.
"So, how was your day today?" Mia asked in a sensuous tone.
"Busy," Luca heaved as he put down his toolkit and sat next to his wife. He proceeded to look her in the eye and smile again. "You'd think that with all of the technology of the Galactic Federation that things like plumbers would be a thing of the past."
"I don't know about that," Mia responded. "There'll always be toilets and other pipes for carrying running water."
"True," Luca admitted. "But you wouldn't expect things to break down or get clogged so much."
"I wouldn't complain, husband," Mia cooed in a non-serious tone. "After all, those clogs and broken down systems pay our bills."
"That's true," Luca finished as his wife leaned over to kiss him. He quickly returned her kiss and they stared at each other for a few moments. "So, how have the children been?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Fine," Mia answered. "The babies have been pretty quiet, though they make it known when they want food and need to be changed."
"Don't all babies?" Luca asked with a chuckle.
Mia could not help but nod. "Anyway, things have been fine here today, just as they have been ever since we got home from the hospital.
That was good. While there had been no indications of any medical complications from the birth of Luigi, Luca still wanted to make sure that his wife was fine and if any problems did crop up, that he would be on top of them. He loved his entire family and he did not want his children to grow up without their mother.
"So, any plans for tonight?" Luca asked his wife.
"Nothing but a nice, romantic evening together here at home," she answered. "Maybe we can watch a move. I could also whip up something special if you like. Tell me what you want."
"I'd like a nice plate of lasagna," Luca answered, having to restrain himself from licking his lips.
"Then lasagna it is," Mia answered as she rose so she could prepare to make her favorite dish. She then went to the kitchen, calling back to him, saying, "Oh, and if you want to see a movie, make sure it's a family movie. I'm in the mood for something nice and light." Neither Mia nor Luca were fans of extremely graphic movies or other types of entertainment programs. Most of the Earth felt similarly, especially since the end of World War Three and the War Against the PSI Aliens, where humanity had been taken to the brink of extinction. Later, it had been discovered that the PSI Aliens were eager to let humanity wipe itself out, which it would have done had the PSI Aliens not attacked, but were forced to attack early when an unexpected child had showed up and changed everything.
Luca sat back in the sofa and watched his children for what seemed to be a half hour until he heard the sound of knocking at his door. He got up and walked over to the door, wondering who would be knocking at the door at this time of day. When he opened the door, he was met by two figures, one wearing a green cloak with the other wearing a brown cloak. Both figures were wearing hoods that concealed their faces. "Hello," Luca began. "How may I help you?"
"Is your wife home?" one of the figures asked.
"What makes you think I'm married?" the man asked, suspicion beginning to creep into his mind.
"You wear a ring on your left ring finger that has writing on it in a language other than English. Besides, I can hear cooking sounds echoing from your kitchen."
"Maybe you just caught me while I was…"
"Luca Mario, let us get to the point," one of the figures said bluntly, pulling back his hood and revealing that he was not human at all, but what looked to be a Tolkienesque elf with brown hair. "Your family is in danger and it is imperative that you move away from Earth immediately."
"Who are you, and why should I believe you?"
"My name is Sweylin, and my companion is Sovan." Sovan then took off his own hood, revealing himself to be another elf, only with blond hair. "I must speak with both of you for this concerns your entire family. May we come in?"
Luca considered his options. He got a strange feeling from the two visitors and had misgivings about letting them come into his house. "I'd rather have this conversation out in the open," the human answered.
"That would be unwise," Sovan answered.
"The Enemy may have spies waiting outside," Sweylin explained. "We will be able to speak more freely inside your home without fear of being overheard."
"I have no reason to trust you," Luca answered. "For all I know, you're thieves that are simply trying to get inside and stab us in the back when we're not looking."
As Luca and the two elves were talking, Mia came out of the kitchen and saw her husband having a talk with the two men. "Is there a problem, Luca?"
"Not at all, Mia," he answered. "These two men were just leaving."
"Miss, we have come bearing a warning for you and your children. There are things you need to know, important things."
"What things?" Mia asked.
"Don't trust them, Mia. I have a bad feeling about this," Luca warned.
Mia approached him and quietly told her husband, "I know, but even so, I still want to know what they want. I remember seeing someone like the blond-haired man at the hospital. His ears were covered in such a way that they concealed their pointed nature. And besides, if this is not a hoax, we would be fools to ignore a threat. Let's simply hear what they have to say."
"Okay," Luca relented. "But make sure that we have the children with us. They seem to have an unhealthy interest in them. And we are having the conversation out here."
Mia nodded and went inside to bring Mario and Luigi with them. After a couple of minutes, she returned to the porch, carrying both babies, as well as two Tasers. She put the babies on a glider on the porch and handed one of the weapons to her husband. "We'll hear you out. But don't think we'll be taking any chances with the safety of our children," Mia warned the two elves.
The elves glanced at each other and suppressed sighs. They had a feeling that this would be more difficult than initially thought. As Mia went to sit with the children, Luca remained standing several meters away, making sure that if the elves tried anything that he would have time to react. Eventually, he turned to face the elves and bluntly said, "We are ready to hear you out. What do you have to say?"
"We have come to you because you and your children are in grave danger," Sweylin began.
"From who?" Luca asked skeptically.
"From the Enemy," Sovan answered.
"And who is this Enemy?" Mia asked, her skepticism echoing her husband's.
"A force of magical beings that have raped and pillaged across galaxies and even entire universes," came Sweylin's answer. "They are very powerful and command large armies of followers. Even so, though, they are capable of destroying moons and even planets if they so desire."
"And how are our children supposed to be able to fight beings like that?" Luca asked, not believing a word of what the elves were telling him.
"Your children may not have much power here, but on the world of Hylia, they will have access to a great deal of power," Sovan explained. "Humans on that world are stronger than elsewhere. It has to do with the magic of that world and how it resonates with human biology, more specifically Earth human biology. While there are humans on other worlds, they do not gain the same strengths as humans from Earth would. We think that living in other environments causes certain changes and adaptations. It is also possible that even the different foods available on different worlds could affect the strengths granted by the magic of the world of Hylia."
"I fail to see how that would grant them the strength to defeat this Enemy," Mia responded, her skepticism becoming very apparent.
"They would have access to other powers as well," Sweylin added. "With the proper items, they could shoot fire and/or ice, fly, or even stop time. And that is only the tip of the iceberg, as you humans would say."
Luca and Mia glanced at each other skeptically. "And what do you want us to do?" Mia asked.
"We want you to allow your children to come with us so we can train them in the use of the power they will gain on Hylia," Sweylin answered.
"The Enemy already knows where you are," Sovan interjected gravely. "They may have already sent their agents here to capture your children."
The expressions on the human parents' faces indicated that they did not believe the two visitors. Sweylin and Sovan appeared to be getting worried, causing them to nearly grip the shoulders of the two humans, standing back as they both grabbed their Tasers.
"More than anything, your children cannot fall into Enemy hands," Sweylin insisted almost desperately. "If the Enemy were to get your children and brainwash them into fighting for evil, it would be to the detriment of all."
"Why should we believe you?" Luca demanded, not taking his Taser off of Sweylin. "You come here and basically tell us to hand over our babies to you for no better reason than the fact that some Enemy out there is looking for them." He emphasized his disbelief in this 'Enemy' that the elves were talking about.
"You fools!" Sovan blurted. "We were slaves to the Enemy once. Our people were constructed by them to be warriors and for pleasure servants! We do not want the Enemy to enslave you, too!"
"Why would this Enemy want our children anyway?" Mia challenged. "You said it yourselves, our children don't have much, if any, power here on Earth. Why would they be a threat to this Enemy if they have no power here? What possible use would the Enemy have for them?"
"They could take them to the Mushroom Kingdom on Hylia to grant them powers and train them in their use under their guidance!" Sweylin roared, scarcely believing how stubborn these humans could be. "They would brainwash your children and raise them to fight against us and to take over our universe, too!"
"If this Enemy is as powerful as you say it is, and it also wants our children, why has it waited so long to take them?" Luca asked. "Why not take Mario when he was born?"
"Because the Enemy wants both Mario Brothers," Sovan answered, keeping his cool better than Sweylin, though still showing his annoyance with the Marios.
"And what makes you think that they'll be safer on Hylia than they will be here on Earth?" Luca challenged.
"We will surround your children with security, training them in secret. Few people will know where they are, and those that do will be able to protect them," Sweylin answered in a much calmer tone than before.
"And more than that, we will be living on a world that has plentiful Light weaponry," Sovan added. "One of the weaknesses of the Enemy. That is why the Enemy does not attack Hylia. Its last attempt to do so was thwarted by the gods of Hyrule and other guardian deities, albeit at great cost."
"Then why don't you just take care of this Enemy yourselves?" Luca asked, beginning to suspect there was more to the story than what the elves were saying.
"Because we lack the strength to fight the Enemy in direct battle. When the gods of Hyrule drove off the Enemy, they suffered tremendous losses in the process."
"And two humans could defeat them when guardian deities could only drive them off?" Mia asked.
"Your children would not be alone," Sovan stated. "They would be aided by other Chosen Heroes. You see your children are Chosen Heroes and they are destined to be the leaders of the Chosen Heroes as a whole. This force will be able to defeat the Enemy, but only if everybody joins together."
"So let me get this straight," Luca began, his skepticism showing. "You want us to surrender our children to you so you can take them to a world that is not nearly as advanced as Earth, is known to the Enemy and has been invaded by the Enemy before?"
"Yes," Sovan said, nodding. "They will be safe there."
"They'll be safer on a world without space travel than they would be on what is possibly the most heavily defended world in the Galactic Federation?" Mia almost gasped in disbelief. Neither of the humans could believe what they were hearing.
"Has the Enemy ever come to Earth?" Luca asked.
Both Sovan and Sweylin paused before admitting, "Not to our knowledge."
Luca smirked. "Maybe there's a reason for that."
"Why do you say that?" Sweylin asked.
"Maybe because of the planetary shields that could ward off a planet destroying attack, the three hundred heavy defense platforms, one thousand orbital defense energy cannons, and one hundred warships, not to mention the other starbases and spacedocks over the planet along with the fighter squadrons constantly on patrol," Luca answered. "Breaching Earth's defenses will be highly difficult at best, even for an enemy with numbers and power."
"The Enemy can destroy planets," Sweylin stated coolly.
"So can several major galactic powers," Mia countered. "Taking Earth would be highly difficult at best. And if the Enemy did come, they would be detected, giving us an early warning that something was not right. Don't think that humans are the only sentients on Earth. There are also Cetaceans and Pokémon as well, some of who are psychic. What does Hylia have? Does it have planetary defenses?"
"It has the gods of Hyrule," Sovan answered.
"Can the gods of Hyrule destroy a planet?"
"Yes," Sovan answered. "With effort, the goddesses could destroy a planet."
"And so can the firepower that's defending Earth," Luca retorted. "I'm not certain if it could blow apart the Earth very quickly, but it could destroy the Earth's crust pretty quickly."
"You're missing the point," Sweylin said, his voice rising. "The Elvanheim, won't come to Earth and engage its defenses! They'll enter underneath the shielding where the megaton, gigaton, and even teraton weaponry will be useless unless the Earth wants to level a good part of its own surface!"
"Elvanheim?" Luca queried.
"The Enemy," Sovan answered. "And my friend is correct. The Elvanheim are arrogant, but they are not stupid. When they come, they will arrive without warning. They won't launch a large-scale attack where they can be defeated. They will come at you on the small scale, confusing your sensors, disguising themselves as other races. Your world has no magic. It will not detect them until they make their move. And without magic, there is no way to kill an Elvanheim without inflicting obscene damage to the world he or she is standing on."
Sovan then gave a pause to allow the humans to take in everything that he had told them. He saw the two parents lean over to each other and whisper into each other's ears. After a few minutes, Sovan asked, "So, have you made a decision? Will you let us take your children and train them? If you do so, the Enemy will have no reason to come to Earth, for you are not important to them. And if you cannot bear to be parted with them permanently, you may accompany us to Hylia."
Luca then glowered at the two elves. That last statement caused the humans to become even more suspicious of the elves, though it did not affect their decision. "After talking it over with my wife, we have decided to remain here on Earth. We feel that it is the safest place for our children to be right now, and also allow them to grow up and have normal lives." Luca kept his voice level but it was clear that he did not like the elves and was very suspicious of them.
"But they won't have normal lives," Sweylin contested. "They will constantly be Chosen Heroes. That means that they will have special talents and abilities that your schools are ill-equipped to train them in."
"But they will be with friends and family who will love them and support them," Mia responded. "What will they have on Hylia? They'll just be training day in and day out as soon as they can walk, if not sooner. What happens if they are discovered and the Elvanheim launch an attack on Hylia?"
"As I stated before, we have defenses and protectors," Sweylin answered harshly. "If you love your children, you will allow us to take them!"
That was the final straw for Luca and he was about to charge them until Mia reached out and gripped his shoulder, shaking her head. He looked at Sovan and saw that the elf was reaching into his tunic. "It is because we love our children that we aren't letting you take them," Luca growled. "You have your answer. Leave now."
Sweylin and Sovan looked downcast and backed away a step. "Very well. You have made your decision and we will honor it," Sovan began. "However, consider this. Many of the strongest of the Chosen Heroes are native to Earth. Earth will be a target of the Enemy. The Enemy will come for your children. And when they come, they will find them. And they will either take them or kill them and you will be able to do nothing to stop them."
With that, the two elves departed the scene and retreated down the street. Luca walked off of the porch and watched as the elves left his field of vision, walking down the street. Mia quickly holstered her Taser and checked on Mario and Luigi. When she saw that they were alright, she called out to her husband, "Luca."
The man returned to his wife and they took the children inside. Once they were inside, they placed Mario and Luigi in their playpen. Once they were inside their playpen, Luca and Mia sat on the sofa and heaved a sigh. "So, what do you think?" Mia asked her husband.
"I don't like it," came Luca's answer in a grave tone. "I don't like it one bit. Those elves seemed to be obsessed with our children."
"I know," Mia said, echoing her husband's sentiments. "So, what do we do?"
Luca gave a sigh and pondered his wife's question. Eventually, he said, "I don't know. But one thing's for sure. I'm not taking our children to another world, especially one that is not as advanced or heavily defended as this one."
"But you heard what they said about the Elvanheim," Mia replied worriedly. "If we've been discovered, then fleeing may be the best bet."
"Right into the arms of two elves who have an unhealthy interest in our children?"
"I'm with you on that one," Mia answered. "But what should we do? Should we move somewhere else on Earth? Should we move to another planet, Daiban perhaps?"
"No," Luca answered, shaking his head. "The last thing we want to do is leave the safety of Earth. Space Pirates have been hitting numerous convoys. We must stay on Earth. And the best place is in a heavily defended state like New York. Brooklyn is a part of New York City. We're close to the Radio Tower and inside a fortress city. The safest place we can be is in New York. Don't worry, I've got a job in New York close to the Radio Tower. I'll use it to see if anyone is taking an undue interest in us. Unless things change drastically, we should stay."
"Yes," Mia agreed. "But there's no way the babies are left without at least one of us supervising them."
Luca nodded. "And we should also tell our families about the visitors."
"No, not yet," Mia said, shaking her head. "We don't want to scare them yet. We'll see what happens and if there are any other strange sightings or occurrences. After all, they said that Mario and Luigi were only two of many Chosen Heroes."
Luca nodded. "You've got a point. Still, if for any reason we need to be separate from our babies, we'll tell whoever babysits them about what happened so they can take appropriate actions."
Mia nodded in agreement. She then went back to begin preparations for dinner as Luca went to watch Mario and Luigi playing in their playpen. As he watched over them, he could not shake the feeling that he had not seen the last of the elves.
Meanwhile, a couple of blocks away, Sovan and Sweylin looked back towards Luca and Mia's house. "Those fools," Sweylin seethed. "They don't know what they are doing. Their children are more vital than they could ever know."
"Yes, but what would you do in their circumstances?" Sovan asked. "They are humans. They are a young, emotional, and short-sighted species."
"How were you received?" came a gruff male voice from behind them.
The elves turned around and saw two more cloaked figures. These figures quickly removed their cloaks to reveal that they, too, were elves: one male, the other female. They were both slim and lithe. The male had black hair and the other had red hair.
"We were not received well at all," Sovan answered.
"The humans will not hand over their children to us," Sweylin roared. "What's more, they're likely staying put, dismissing what we said as out of hand."
"We could have delivered the message a little more tactfully, though," Sovan admitted.
"That does not matter right now," the female stated. "What is important is that we get these children before the Enemy detects us, as well as the children. We can shield them from detection on Hylia." She then turned to Sovan and Sweylin. "Is there any chance that the parents can be convinced to either part with their babies or take them to Hylia?"
"None, Shara," Sovan answered.
"And what are the prospects of taking the children from their parents?" the male asked.
"Possible but highly risky, Da'Kan," Sovan answered the male. "They will almost certainly have the children under constant surveillance. If we simply tried to launch an assault on the house, we would run the risk of exposure to the Earth's military forces as well as sending an unwanted signal to the Enemy. If we wish to take them with force, we will need to separate them from their parents."
"Can it be done?" both of the newcomer elves asked.
"Maybe," Sovan answered. "But it will require careful planning and timing.
"Then get to work," the other two elves told them. "Let us know when you are ready so we all may go."
"Understood," both Sovan and Sweylin answered.
As soon as they had given their answer, Shara and Da'Kan vanished from sight, leaving Sovan and Sweylin to plan the taking of the Mario children, one way or the other.
Meanwhile, on a world innumerable light-years away from Earth, a tortoise-like sorcerer in a blue robe and hat with eye glasses named Kamek stood by a large black pot inside a tower. He held a magic wand, a yellow rod with a red ball at the end of it in his right hand. He swirled it in the air and began chanting in what sounded like gibberish. He then pointed the wand at the pot and a series of geometric shapes rocketed from the wand and entered into the pot. The pot then bounced and a puff of smoke erupted from it. The pot began to bubble and ethereal images began to form in the smoke. Kamek saw two human men, one dressed in a red shirt with blue overalls and a red hat with an M on it, and the other in a green shirt with blue overalls and a green hat with an L on it, appear. He then saw them fighting with a large bipedal turtle-like creature with a spiky green shell. "Prince Bowser?" the Magikoopa asked, wondering if the image represented the Koopa Prince, who was still a young child, barely a toddler at the moment
He continued to study the image and soon saw the two humans manage to defeat the Koopa. He then saw the same process repeated again, and again, and again. Each of the backgrounds was different, some being in a lava-filled castle with others being in sky areas, but the result was the same: Bowser was defeated time and time again.
"Oh no," Kamek stammered. "Is this Lord Bowser's fate?" He could scarcely believe that two humans could spell doom for his charge. "This cannot be allowed to come to pass." He then deactivated the scene and backed away from the pot, which quickly stopped boiling. "I must stop these humans from becoming a threat to Prince Bowser. I must find them and deal with them before they can become a threat."
"Not so fast," came an ethereal voice.
Kamek quickly looked around his tower. "Master?"
"Yes," came the voice. "It is me."
"Why don't you want me to destroy these children before they become a threat to Prince Bowser?"
"Because why destroy such fighters when we can turn them to our side?" the voice answered.
Kamek's eyes went wide with surprise. He then slumped down and almost banged his head on his bench, annoyed at the fact that he had not considered such a possibility. He knew that his master was right, though. If these children could become soldiers for the Koopa Kingdom, they would be valuable allies indeed. He then stopped everything and quickly went to work in order to ascertain where the children would be born and to whom. He would find them, take them from their parents, kill the parents, and raise them as Koopa soldiers ever loyal to the Koopa Kingdom, and whoever sat on the throne.