The Brothers Mario: Act IV

by onemikey

The conclusion of The Brothers Mario screenplay, in which Luigi visits the Japanese Man, gets a gun, confronts Bowser, and is introduced to a new nemesis, the One-Armed Toad Boy.

"THE BROTHERS MARIO"

An apocalyptic re-imagining of the Super Mario Bros. mythology

Screenplay by Mike Schneider

ACT FOUR: LUIGI

thebrothersmario dot com | onemikey dot com

EXT. FOREST | "NIGHT"

Luigi has crouched in front of the cave, better prepared to crawl inside if need be. Inaction has provided additional time for him to reflect... Despondence lurks. But yet, he does not move.

EXT. MARIO AND LUIGI'S HOME | "NIGHT"

Daisy is at Mario's home. Despite asking Luigi if she could, she did NOT take the van. Since the garage door is wide open, she goes inside without hesitation, clutching the broken candelabra in case she needs it...

INT. MARIO AND LUIGI'S HOME | "NIGHT"

Daisy walks through the kitchen. The sight of Larry Koopa's body startles her. She bangs into a chair, half-expecting to provoke a confrontation with Mario or some other entity. When there is nothing, it disturbs her. She calls out -

DAISY: Mario?

Investigating further, she enters his bedroom.

It is not what she expects. As we already know, nothing about it is heroic. The bed is disheveled. Clothes lie on the floor. There are no photographs or wall decorations.

EXT. SEWER PIPE SYSTEM | "NIGHT"

A handful of bodies - healthy humans and toads - lie at the fringes of the area surrounding the pipe, all wanna-be escapees, all seemingly battered and/or gnawed to death.

A team of Goombas loads the dead body of a woman onto their triangular heads. They carry her off screen, to some unknown destination...

While Bruised Hammer, his bloodied sledgehammer close by, picks through the pockets of a dead man, robbing the corpse of a handful of coins.

As Bruised counts the coins, he senses a presence and looks up - it is Ludwig and a handful of Koopa thugs.

LUDWIG: My father requests your services at the castle.

Bruised stands, counts the number of dead bodies in the area.

BRUISED HAMMER: He has somebody for me to kill...

LUDWIG: Your brother needs to be replaced. He was killed during Mario's attempt to rescue the Princess.

Grief befalls Bruised. The brothers were practically inseparable. Closer, perhaps, than they gave off.

BRUISED HAMMER: You can't- That's not real.

LUDWIG: I fear it is. I sense Mario understood the new playing field called for him to change his tactics.

BRUISED HAMMER: How? How did he do it?

LUDWIG: The end of his pipe wrench was sharpened. He stabbed Gnarled in the side first and then in the throat.

BRUISED HAMMER: I'm going to find him.

LUDWIG: He's dead. After all this time, Bowser burned him alive.

Bruised can hardly believe it.

BRUISED HAMMER: Luigi, too?

LUDWIG: Mario was alone.

BRUISED HAMMER: The Goombas, when they got back from dumping bodies, said they saw the Super Mario Brothers van.

Bruised says this, but Ludwig isn't paying attention. Instead he is focusing on the pipe out of here...

BRUISED HAMMER: You got nothing to say about that?

On the added sound of Bruised's voice, Ludwig shifts back.

LUDWIG: Disclose any special circumstances to these Koopas. They'll relieve you of your position. You'll return to the castle and act as Bowser's bodyguard and enforcer.

Bruised picks at the dried blood on his sledgehammer.

LUDWIG: This is a direct order from the King. Do you acknowledge it?

Bruised nods.

LUDWIG: I don't want to have to personally escort you to the castle.

BRUISED HAMMER: I got your message.

But we suspect he may not care. And Ludwig may not either, as he glances at the pipe one last time before leaving.

EXT. THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM | "NIGHT"

One-Armed Toad Boy strolls through the mostly still and sparsely populated streets. In passing, it sounds as if rumors about what happened at the castle have begun to spread... In time, the boy reaches -

INT. TOAD'S HOME | "NIGHT"

One-Armed Toad Boy enters. He does not care to interact with his family. He only seeks out Toad, who is sitting alone, in his office, in complete darkness. We can see the outlines of a towel pressed up against his face.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: Hey, Toad. Bowser needs you at the castle.

TOAD: Bowser... Why?

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: He blew a lot of flames. Set Mario on fire.

Toad crumbles in his seat. Eventually, he stands. To speak, he lowers the towel. It is too dark to see his face.

TOAD: Mario didn't make it...

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: Nope. Dead. And I helped, too.

Silence.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: Now, you get to write about it.

EXT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH | "NIGHT"

As before, a line of people stand at the entrance to the castle - except now the gates are CLOSED. A cavalry of Goombas, Koopas, and Shy Guys stands guard inside.

The reason so many have been left to wait can be seen high up in one of the castle's turrets, where the Princess, in a vaguely catatonic state, is trapped behind a barred window.

Down below, outside of the castle, One-Armed Toad Boy scampers alongside the line, clearing a path. Some ways back, Toad approaches.

The plague has spread across his face. However, his skin is also marred by deep scratch marks, presumably derived from clawing at his own face, a feeble attempt to remove the splotches of plague.

Embarrassed, Toad hangs his head, now and seemingly forever.

Although there is no way for him to know, he steps on top of the scorched earth where Mario died. The body, obviously, has been moved.

Upon One-Armed Toad Boy's arrival at the entrance to the castle, the gates crack open.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: Toad, hurry.

Toad's pace does not change. Those in line watch him with troubled eyes. He won't look back at them.

Finally, he makes it to the entrance and goes inside.

INT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH, FOYER | "NIGHT"

Toad finds himself in a castle that has undergone hasty renovations. The portraits of Princess Peach have been taken down. The pink rug, removed. The walls, blackened...

In short, Bowser's Dark Land aesthetic has replaced the Princess's narcissistic stylings.

Candlelight illuminates Ludwig, who waits near the staircase, where we are used to seeing Toadsworth.

LUDWIG: To the Princess's bedroom, Toad. For the evidence and a conversation with King Bowser.

He gestures towards the stairs. As Toad passes, Ludwig takes note of his transformed flesh.

LUDWIG: I wish I could tell you it becomes easier to accept.

Toad stops, looks at Ludwig out of the corner of his eye, and then ascends the staircase.

INT. PRINCESS PEACH'S BEDROOM | LATER

Toad stands in the doorway. Unlike the foyer, the master bedroom has not been altered, a single element of compromise. One piece of furniture though has been added - an OPEN COFFIN with a GLASS SHIELD covering the top.

From the doorway, Toad is unable to discern what's in the coffin, but he can guess. He goes to it.

Inside is MARIO'S BURNED and AFFLICTED CORPSE.

Any amount of energy Toad had left is sucked away. He grasps the edge of the coffin, needing it to hold himself up...

The fits of plague on Mario's neck appear to have spread somewhat, even in death.

Bowser enters. He allows Toad to have a moment... But only a moment.

BOWSER: I am sorry for your loss.

Bowser arrives next to Toad.

BOWSER: It was never my ambition to destroy him prematurely. This was an outcome achieved in self-defense.

Toad shakes his head. He lacks the ambition to argue.

BOWSER: I summoned you because a story needs to be written, to formally break the news to the kingdom. It would be wrong for anyone besides the preeminent Mario historian to craft that piece.

TOAD: Why not deliver another speech at Star Park?

BOWSER: You shaped the world's perception of him over the years. Your narratives built him into a hero.

TOAD: His actions did that.

BOWSER: What he did this time was not heroic. In trying to 'rescue' the Princess, he was misguided.

TOAD: Then tell the world what happened. Ruin his legacy. You despise him.

BOWSER: No, I despised him before I learned he had the plague. On his neck...

Bowser points the spot out for Toad.

BOWSER: I only wish I had known sooner. The hero of the kingdom chose the plague. He sided with me. This, you understand, is critical.

Toad does not take the bait.

TOAD: He didn't choose the plague. He didn't even know he was afflicted.

BOWSER: How can that be confirmed? Do you know when he acquired it? Or how? It must have been recent. Certainly after my speech. I've been told he was meticulous about prevention... Something changed. Was it his desire to be at one with the Princess?

Bowser lets these questions sink in. He looks at Toad.

BOWSER: My point, Toad, is that in your hands Mario's sickness can be framed in a way that supports my vision of the world.

TOAD: He had fallen out of favor with the kingdom. They won't care.

BOWSER: In death, only a demon is not eulogized. They'll turn.

Bowser walks from the chamber.

BOWSER: Everything you need is on her desk. I've left my own account of the events for you to reference.

TOAD: I won't do it.

BOWSER: Then you will face the consequences.

TOAD: Death doesn't frighten me anymore.

BOWSER: It shouldn't. Since you have been graced with the plague there is no such thing as death.

TOAD: You'll kill me with far greater speed than this affliction.

BOWSER: As you will soon see with the man you idolized, cause of death is irrelevant. He had the plague. He will be reborn... A point it would be prudent for you to include in your writing.

Before Bowser goes -

BOWSER: Deliver the story to Ludwig once you are finished. The longer you suffer from writer's block, the longer I wait to force the Princess back to work, and the closer we get to the start of the culling. I would hate for you to feel responsible for those who are exterminated because they didn't have a chance to receive the plague.

He goes, closing and locking the door behind Toad.

EXT. FOREST | "NIGHT"

Alone, Bruised Hammer reaches the perimeter of the forest. The Super Mario Brothers plumbing van has been moved. It is now poorly obscured, as if Daisy started driving it and then changed her mind.

After making sure no one is hiding inside, Bruised SMASHES its SIDES and HOOD with his sledgehammer before SHATTERING every remaining piece of GLASS.

Finally, he opens the hood - and OBLITERATES the ENGINE.

Then, he enters the forest, stepping over the bodies the Goombas discarded...

E/I. THE CAVE | "NIGHT"

Luigi has grown impatient, but also more depressed, as his inaction spirals in on itself. One point, however, can't be argued, and it's this point he wants to talk himself into -

LUIGI: I'm safe. At least I'm safe.

But perhaps not for much longer - the sound of a tree branch CRACKING.

Luigi snaps to attention. More branches BREAKING. Then, a TREE FALLS - Luigi dips lower. He shuffles his pipe wrench between hands.

As the destruction impacts the density of the forest around the clearing, Luigi glimpses the silhouette of Bruised Hammer...

BRUISED HAMMER: Luigi, Luigi... I know you weren't with your brother. I know you're somewhere around here. I bashed in your van, cratered the engine. You got nowhere to go.

A beat. Bruised gets closer.

Fearful that he'll be spotted, Luigi makes a rash decision - HE BACKS INTO THE CAVE.

Looking over his shoulder, he sees that the cave has a long runway, and therefore plenty of room for him to retreat if Bruised finds the cave and decides to investigate - although who can really say what lies at the end.

At the same time, however, outside the cave, the blue glow is like a beacon. Bruised spots it.

BRUISED HAMMER: Did you hear your brother did my brother in? Sharpened his pipe wrench apparently. Stabbed him in the side first, then the throat. Would be impressed if I didn't care about the victim.

He nears the cave.

BRUISED HAMMER: You wonder why I'd come after you instead of Mario. Act like he doesn't even exist. Well, truth be told I couldn't care less about you. About a sidekick. But revenge on you is all I got.

An uneasy feeling crawls inside of Luigi, who is unsure what this means. A moment later Bruised reaches the cave and drops down to inspect it...

Luigi is angled in a way that Bruised can't see him.

BRUISED HAMMER: I'll remember this place. Never seen a blue cave before. I'll come back if I have to. I'll crawl to the very end if that's where you're hiding. I promise I will. On my brother's grave.

Bruised abandons the opening of the cave. We stay with Luigi, listening as more trees break and fall in the distance.

Not wanting to take any chances, Luigi crawls backwards, scraping his knees and body against the rock. Each movement comes with pain he won't process until later. Each sends him deeper and deeper into the cave...

INT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH, PEACH'S BEDROOM | "NIGHT"

Toad pecks at a typewriter. He strikes the "." key last, closes his eyes, and then rolls the piece of paper out of the machine.

He takes what he wrote to the door of the bedroom and knocks, a peculiar act since he is inside the room.

Ludwig opens the door. Toad hands him a sheet of paper. It does not take long to read whatever is written on it.

LUDWIG: This is all...

TOAD: It says what he wants.

LUDWIG: This will be judged as one of your lesser works. A missed opportunity. Are you sure you don't want to spend more time?

Ludwig says this with a large degree of sympathy, but the criticism still stings. Toad walks past him.

LUDWIG: I've been planning an entire suite of compositions on these events, culminating with a symphony inspired by the death of Mario. After the culling, I'll invite you to hear them if my father allows me to put together an orchestra. Perhaps you can become a champion of my work...

TOAD: Look at me.

The plague growth on Toad's face - and now also on his hands, due to the clawing - has accelerated awfully as a result of his inability to leave it alone. He lets Ludwig take this in before turning his back on him and heading for the stairs.

EXT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH | MOMENTS LATER

Toad walks out of the castle, through the guarded gates, and around the waiting throngs. The healthy shout at him -

HEALTHY: Toad! Toad! Why were you inside? When is the Princess coming back? Can you give me the plague?

A HEALTHY FEMALE TOAD blind-sides him, intentionally tugging her hand across his plague-infested face. He recoils -

TOAD: What- No.

HEALTHY FEMALE TOAD: This will save me.

TOAD: Save you? This is a hideous disease.

HEALTHY FEMALE TOAD: What if the Princess never comes back? The culling will begin, and everyone who's waiting will be targeted.

TOAD: You can try to run. Or hide. Anything is better.

HEALTHY FEMALE TOAD: No, you can save us. Like the boy.

Off to the side of the main line, in the shadows, One-Armed Toad Boy runs his own plague contraction service. In exchange for three coins, he spreads the plague to other toads...

TOAD: What is there to save?

He walks.

EXT. THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM | "NIGHT"

Led by Ludwig, Bowser's foot soldiers storm throughout the kingdom disseminating NEWSPAPERS.

For now, we see only the headline on top - "SUPER MARIO CHOOSES THE PLAGUE, DIES TRAGICALLY, AWAITS REBIRTH" - and Toad's byline underneath.

As both the healthy and the afflicted digest the rumor- confirming report, a strange combination of hope and despair weaves through the populace.

There are tears. Contemplation. Acquiescence. There is fear.

E/I. MARIO AND LUIGI'S HOME | "NIGHT"

The newspaper delivery brigade reaches the neighborhood where Mario and Luigi worked and resided. In the streets here, there is added remorse.

A Koopa hurls a newspaper inside Mario and Luigi's house, through a broken window -

It skirts across the floor, slaps against the wall and comes to a stop.

The sound of running from elsewhere in the home... Daisy. She finds the paper on the floor, picks it up -

A SKETCH PORTRAIT of MARIO has been printed above the fold of the newspaper, beneath the headline. The drawing includes SPLOTCHES OF PLAGUE on his FOREHEAD and CHEEKS.

As Daisy reads the article, so do we -

"At the age of 53, Super Mario is dead. After asking for and receiving the plague from his beloved Princess Peach Toadstool, Mario fell to his death early this morning. The tragic accident occurred during a celebration on top of the castle's highest turret. In the near term, the Mushroom Kingdom mourns the end of a heroic life - but we also await the rebirth and return of the humble plumber one year from today."

DAISY It's a lie... Propaganda.

Much of it is, of course, but the part that is inarguably true is the part that matters most. In tears, Daisy reads the brief again and again, walking aimlessly, leaving the house, so single-minded that she stumbles down the steps outside.

I/E. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH, TURRET | "NIGHT"

The Princess grips the bars in the window. Her legs are SHACKLED to the floor. She stares out at the kingdom she now rules in name only.

In front of the castle gates, the lineup has grown exponentially. And there are no signs of that growth slowing.

Behind the Princess, a heavy metal door creaks open. She is unresponsive to the sound.

Bowser's head fills the doorway. Since he is too massive to fit through it, he speaks to the Princess from outside.

BOWSER: I commissioned Toad to eulogize Mario in a piece about the plague. It seems to have been an inspiration to the masses.

Bowser reaches his claw through the opening and places a finger on the Princess's shoulder.

BOWSER: Dying with the plague was the most heroic thing Mario ever did.

PRINCESS PEACH: He didn't die. You killed him.

BOWSER: Semantics.

He lowers his hand, breaking her shackles.

BOWSER The culling begins in eight hours. There are many hopefuls to try to appease before then.

PRINCESS PEACH: We'll never make it. The line is so long...

BOWSER: Had you not attempted to escape with Mario perhaps we could have moved more swiftly. A pity, no doubt. No matter, some will have used their ingenuity to work around your deficiencies, I'm sure. And those whose belief in the plague came hard and fast will survive the culling without question. The populace that remains will be the best of the best. A new era of glory awaits once the rebirths begin.

PRINCESS PEACH: You've dreamt all of this up. It's a lie. You know the plague will bring your death, and you're so hungry for power, so full of envy, that you want to take me and everyone else with you.

BOWSER: I enjoy power, yes, as you enjoy being famous and envied. But did I imagine this narrative of creative destruction and rebirth? No. I assure you I did not.

His conviction is imposing.

BOWSER: Now.

He grabs her.

INT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH, FOYER | "NIGHT"

Bowser marches with the Princess through the foyer and towards the entrance to the castle. Ludwig and One-Armed Toad Boy traffic alongside them.

Ludwig brings up a topic he would rather not discuss -

LUDWIG: I fear Bruised has gone AWOL.

BOWSER: I asked you personally to bring him here.

LUDWIG: I realize that.

BOWSER: You came back. Yet you say he's missing.

LUDWIG: I tried. But... You know his tendencies. I'm concerned he embarked on a hunt for Luigi. A quest for revenge.

Bowser turns to One-Armed Toad Boy -

BOWSER: Perhaps you could find him.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: I bet I could, King Bowser.

BOWSER: Then go.

One-Armed Toad Boy diverges from the group. He exits ahead of them.

LUDWIG: You sent a boy to corral one of the Hammer Brothers.

BOWSER: I sent my son, and he failed.

LUDWIG: I wouldn't consider it a failure since I didn't truly care about the outcome.

Bowser GRABS Ludwig, claws him up into the air -

BOWSER: You make me yearn for Larry's rebirth more than ever...

LUDWIG: Why won't you just accept that I'll never be your favored son?

BOWSER: Because I've wanted you to be since the beginning.

Bowser shovels Ludwig onto the ground and continues walking. Committed to making his point, Ludwig pursues his father.

LUDWIG: I'm best suited for a life with composers and poets.

BOWSER: Yes, you're best suited for dealing with the meek. But I won't allow it.

Ludwig slows, falling behind...

BOWSER: Without Bruised, I'll police the crowd myself. And if it becomes chaos, we respond with chaos.

LUDWIG: Which is what?

BOWSER: We start the culling early.

EXT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH | "NIGHT"

Bowser, Ludwig, and the Princess emerge. At the sight of her, the line - which has expanded into a HUGE CROWD - is energized. The gates open. The foot soldiers stand by...

And the Princess is thrust into duty yet again.

I/E. THE CAVE / THE FOREST | "NIGHT"

Luigi has stalled in his retreat. He is stationary, hunched over, only about a hundred feet from the entrance to the cave and the start of the forest.

Behind him, the cave narrows and declines, taking on more of the characteristics of a tunnel. Because of the drop, no end is in sight.

He appears pensive, unsure if he should make a move one way or the other or not...

Meanwhile, outside, Bruised Hammer returns with blood on his mind. No proclamations this time. He bears the discomfort and crawls inside the cave...

Luigi hears the SOUND of Bruised's SLEDGEHAMMERS STRIKING the ROCK, as if he's using them to drag himself forward. His eyes shoot ahead -

Bruised enters his frame of vision - and vice versa.

BRUISED HAMMER: Should have figured right away. This is where a coward would be.

BRUISED GOES AFTER LUIGI.

But Luigi is strong. And agile. He is also thinner than Bruised, which allows him to reverse into the cave quickly.

Bruised LAUNCHES a SINGLE SLEDGEHAMMER at Luigi. It crashes against the wall, MISSES.

Luigi scrambles deeper into the cave. He's winning the race... But a race to where?

BRUISED HAMMER: This cave ends somewhere. I can kill you there just as easily.

Undeterred, Luigi keeps going, searching for some shift in the terrain that could provide him with an advantage...

What he gets instead is the end of the cavern. But it is not, as we would expect, stone and dirt and a dead end...

Rather it is an OPEN DOORWAY cut into the natural stone wall, leading to the source of the BLUE LIGHT that has been illuminating the cave.

Luigi has little time to succumb to disbelief. Behind him, Bruised retrieves the sledgehammer he threw. The way the cavern angles he has a straight shot at Luigi. Seeing the doorway, however, Bruised flinches.

BRUISED HAMMER: What the-

So Luigi goes for it. He rushes through the doorway before Bruised can catch him -

INT. THE BLUE ROOM | CONTINUOUS

Luigi SLAMS and LOCKS the door.

With both sledgehammers, Bruised pounds on it from the other side. The door rocks violently. But it sticks. The hinges hold.

Cautious, Luigi lurches away. He turns around to take stock of his surroundings...

The room is small and square. BLUE FLUORESCENT LIGHTS hang from the ceiling. DESKS line the perimeter.

On top of the desks, various ELECTRONIC DEVICES stay powered on, their SCREENS LIT UP...

Opposite the door, the Japanese Man who brought the plague to the Mushroom Kingdom sits in an office chair.

JAPANESE MAN: It will hold, I believe. I've had it tested. Although I wouldn't have left it open had I not known you were nearby.

He points at a dual screen setup directly in front of him. Images from the Mushroom Kingdom are splayed across both screens, including a shot of Bruised becoming angrier and more frustrated on the other side of the door.

LUIGI: What is this place?

JAPANESE MAN: The noise does make it hard to speak, however. He concentrates on the screen.

JAPANESE MAN: Ah, look, maybe he's easing up.

Sure enough, Bruised backs away from the door, relenting, at least for the moment.

JAPANESE MAN: I feel deep sorrow for what's transpired in your world, Luigi.

LUIGI: How do you know who I am?

JAPANESE MAN: Yet, I must be honest with you. I am responsible.

He bows, a gesture that seems to be apologetic in nature.

LUIGI: Responsible for what, the plague?

The Japanese Man makes a habit out of not responding to Luigi's questions.

JAPANESE MAN: My colleagues and I built your world thirty years ago. You and Mario are unable to remember being children. Do you know why?

LUIGI: We never thought about it.

JAPANESE MAN: Of course you didn't. How could you think about something that didn't exist? And it did not exist because when I created you I created you as adults. Today, you meet your maker.

The Japanese Man bows.

LUIGI: What? I don't understand-

JAPANESE MAN I will be less philosophical and more forthright. For years and years, the Mushroom World prospered. This was by my design. Bowser fulfilled his role. Princess Peach fulfilled hers. Mario was the hero. You were his accomplice. You had success, and as a result, I had success. We had success. But I fear that time has ended.

The Japanese Man goes to the dual screen setup behind him at the desk. Using a keyboard, he pulls up a still image of Mario confronting Bowser at the castle. He gestures for Luigi - and then presses play.

The footage of Mario battling Bowser rolls without sound.

In Luigi, the uneasy feeling he has had since the appearance of Bruised begins to burst... And then, as Mario meets his demise, the uneasiness explodes into a fit of shock.

The loss, so cataclysmic, reshapes his entire world in an instant. He uses every shard of energy he has just to keep his body and his mind from shutting down.

JAPANESE MAN: It is a tragic day for myself and my colleagues. I offer my deepest condolences for your loss.

The words enter Luigi's eardrums, but he does not process them. He stares ahead, unblinking, utterly shaken.

LUIGI: Mario is dead...

JAPANESE MAN: I miscalculated. Not now, mind you, but in the past. I thought I could keep everything the same. Bowser would kidnap the Princess. Mario would save her. Adventure and excitement were had. Order was maintained. People were satisfied. People were happy. I was comfortable. I became wealthy. Mario became famous. Bowser did not quit. The Princess adored the adoration. You were comfortable, too. Well, at least until recently you were comfortable. There were signs. But I acted too slowly. Now I am concerned I may have waited too long.

Luigi has begun to cry. It is difficult for him to speak.

LUIGI: What are you telling me?

JAPANESE MAN: This was the point of me introducing the plague. A last ditch effort to reshape your world. I thought there was a chance it would kill everyone. Destroy the entire kingdom. Or make everyone go insane. I wasn't sure. I'm still not sure. I knew it would change things. The question was what would be left in the end? Change or devastation. I'm not sure which is best in this case. Maybe they're part of the same scheme. Mario is dead, yes, and now things will never be the same. That was at least one aspect of my goal. Irreversible change.

LUIGI: Because my brother's dead...

JAPANESE MAN: I don't know what happens now, next, or in the end. There were times when I thought I'd watch the plague bring the apocalypse to the Mushroom World and then that would be the end. I would walk away. Your world would cease to exist. But now that the plague has effectively transformed everything and Bowser has been the fuel I hoped he would be... I may be willing to try again. To see if we can make this world work. Would you be interested in that, Luigi? You always wanted to be the hero. I know you are scared, but we all are scared of something. Now, you may not have a choice. Be a hero or die. Be a hero and then die. Do nothing and die eventually, maybe having avoided the plague, maybe not. What will it be? What is best? I wish I knew.

LUIGI If the plague started because of you... Do you have a cure?

JAPANESE MAN: Bowser has been saying that after someone with the plague dies they will be reborn. What he doesn't say is that in this reborn world traditional roles will be reversed. Dark Land will usurp the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser will have the power and success Mario and the Princess had in this lifetime so long as everyone involved dies from the plague. This is what he truly believes. But it is also something I told him. That is why he believes it. I don't think it is true. In fact, I know it isn't true. Or, at least, when I designed the plague I never intended for it to raise individuals from the dead. Lying to Bowser was my way of insuring he embraced the plague. I regret having to lie. But I am engaged in a desperate era, as you understand now.

LUIGI: You aren't giving me answers.

JAPANESE MAN: Of course, I suppose an unpredictable element or two may exist within the plague, things I didn't design. A glitch? Who knows? So much has been in my control. So much hasn't. Rebirth, however, is highly unlikely.

As Luigi's sadness deepens, so does his frustration. His temper flares.

LUIGI: What do you want from me? I'm getting sick of you-

JAPANESE MAN: Will you re-enter the cave to convene with Bruised Hammer? Maybe. Could I make a cure for the plague? Maybe. I would be more likely to do so if I believe a completely new Mushroom World has been established. Yes. Then renewed success would be possible, but not assured. No, it never is.

LUIGI: Let me mourn my brother.

JAPANESE MAN: Here. There is something I've considered giving you and Mario for some time. I resisted the idea, however. It would have altered everything. I didn't think I had to take the risk. We had been so successful. I will give this item to you now.

The Japanese Man bends down to a STORAGE CHEST underneath the desk. From inside, he removes a SHOTGUN and a BANDOLIER. A beat of contemplation. He presents both to Luigi.

JAPANESE MAN: Please, come closer so I can show you how to use them.

Luigi steps forward. As the Japanese Man demonstrates how to load, aim, and shoot the shotgun...

JAPANESE MAN: You've seen cannons and missiles with shark-like faces, also Bob-ombs. This is something similar. These are called shells. This is called a shotgun. It will fire one at a time. You must reload after each shot, which is what occurs when you pull the trigger. One shell is one shot. This is the barrel. You point the barrel at what you want to kill and then you pull the trigger.

LUIGI: It's a murder weapon...

JAPANESE MAN: Mario is dead. Yoshi is dead. Bowser now rules the Mushroom Kingdom. The plague has altered the landscape of the Mushroom World. But for it to persist it needs a hero. Go ahead. Take them. They are gifts.

Luigi accepts the shotgun. The Japanese Man drapes the bandolier across his chest.

LUIGI: I don't know if I can do this.

JAPANESE MAN: The Mushroom World has its villain. Bowser. If you can become its new hero, a new kind of hero, then it will need a new villain, as well. But we can worry about that later. Evil is not hard to find. You should open the door soon and re- enter the cave. Re-enter the world. Or not. It is up to you. But this is your last hope. You are our last hope.

Luigi handles the weapon. He steps towards the door, stopping in front of it.

JAPANESE MAN: We cannot come back from this. What if it doesn't work? This has been my life. What if it all goes away? Perhaps I'm making a mistake by giving you the shotgun. But if we do nothing at this point obliteration will surely follow. Therefore, we must try.

A beat.

LUIGI: If I kill Bowser with this... With this weapon and come back here, will you give me a cure for the plague?

JAPANESE MAN: I will reassess. I might. I might give you more weapons too, over time. I might introduce firearms into the environment permanently. And other things. We will see.

LUIGI: You finally answered my question.

JAPANESE MAN: You'll need to use the shotgun as soon as you open the door. Here, I will open it for you.

The Japanese Man approaches the door.

JAPANESE MAN: Aim for his head or his heart.

The Japanese Man points at his own heart and his own head. Luigi prepares the shotgun. The Japanese Man nods. A beat. He opens the door -

Bruised Hammer awaits on the other side. LUIGI PULLS THE TRIGGER -

The shotgun kicks back, nearly knocking him over. A SHELL BLASTS out, PIERCES Bruised's SHOULDER.

JAPANESE MAN: Now reload. Hurry.

Luigi reloads while the wounded and mystified Bruised collects himself, gets a grip on his sledgehammers...

A SECOND SHOT FROM LUIGI -

This one devastates Bruised's skull, just beneath the edge of his war helmet. He collapses.

Luigi turns to the Japanese Man, who is now hanging his head.

JAPANESE MAN: The Hammer Brothers are dead. Now go. Before the processes of my mind change again.

Luigi steps through the doorway, entering the cavern.

EXT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH | "NIGHT"

One by one, the Princess robotically delivers the plague to those who wait. Bowser looms at her side, snarling, occasionally blowing a burst of fire into the air to remind everyone he is a threat - as if that's necessary.

Peach moves as quickly as she can, but the line is enormous. Signs of stress show within the crowd. As the clock ticks towards the culling, anxiety builds in the healthy individuals.

Those who already have the plague, their afflictions at various stages, linger on the outskirts. Side deals are being made, like we saw with One-Armed Toad Boy.

Impatience is greatest at the very back of the line. One person shoves another. A punch is thrown. The area transforms into a MOSH PIT.

The crowd rams forward. A STAMPEDE - Bowser SWIPES the PRINCESS off the ground.

PRINCESS PEACH: What are you doing?!

The healthy people and the toads at the front of the line panic, push forward... And Bowser BLOWS a GARGANTUAN FIREBALL directly on top of them.

A rash of individuals BURN. Some turn away, RUN. The WALL OF FLAMES holds back the crowd. Bowser shouts -

BOWSER: Shut the gates!

The foot soldiers respond. The gates rotate outward. As disorder courses through the crowd, now cut off from what it hoped would "save" them, Bowser addresses Ludwig.

BOWSER: Start the culling. Now.

LUDWIG: Who leads?

BOWSER: You'll have to. For better or for worse.

Ludwig is alarmed. No doubt he believes it is for the worse.

EXT. THE CAVE | "NIGHT"

Luigi emerges from the cave, shotgun in hand, bandolier strapped across his chest. He gazes out at the world...

Above the forest trees, there is smoke. Distant, riot-like sounds can be heard.

He must either face the prospects of an environment so different he can barely comprehend it, knowing too that the culling awaits, or retreat.

He takes stock of his position... And then enters the forest.

I/E. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH, TURRET | "NIGHT"

Bowser deposits the Princess inside the turret, barring the door but not bothering to shackle her to the floor. She goes to the window, watches down below, in horror...

As Bowser's foot soldiers attack everyone who does not have clear evidence of the plague. The healthy run or fight back. The number of wounded and dead - on both sides - piles up.

Ludwig exits the castle, commanding the troops with the MAGIC WAND he took from the Humble King in Sarasaland, mimicking the movements of an orchestra conductor, living out one facet of his dreams in his head...

It is perhaps the only way he can get through this.

EXT. THE FOREST | "NIGHT"

Luigi makes his way back through the forest. Suddenly, layered into the aura of noise from the start of the culling, comes the sound of someone whacking down branches.

Luigi shifts his shotgun in that direction, revealing a lingering sense of discomfort with the weapon -

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY (O.S.): Who's there?

One-Armed Toad Boy appears. He has been using his trusted baseball bat to hack through the thicket.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: Oh, it's you. Luigi. And you're pointing something at me that looks like a weapon. What's it called?

LUIGI: Can you tell me what's going on in the city?

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: The culling began, I think. Bowser must have started it early. Hey, you don't have the plague. That means you're a target. But maybe that thing, whatever it's called, will protect you. I don't know. Where'd you get it?

LUIGI: Doesn't matter.

Luigi walks, keeping his gun trained on the boy...

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: You don't have to worry about me. Not right now. I'm looking for one of the Hammer Brothers. Bruised. Have you seen him?

LUIGI: He's dead.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: That's really unfortunate. I guess I'll have to find his body then.

LUIGI: I guess you will.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: Hey, Luigi. Good luck after you leave the forest. I think I'll see you again some time.

LUIGI: I don't think you will.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: Huh. That's interesting. Because of the plague, I bet. That's what you're thinking. That

I'm going to die. Well, there's always rebirth.

LUIGI: Like I said... I don't think you will.

Luigi separates himself from One-Armed Toad Boy, venturing back into the thick of the woods.

The boy watches him go. And then follows his previous path, towards the cave...

EXT. THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM | "NIGHT"

Bowser's forces continue their campaign in a neighborhood market, trampling denizens and obliterating kiosks. Ludwig, however, has grown sheepish. He has lost control. VIOLENCE ascends amidst a disturbing new development...

Unceremoniously, as if it is an organic need that must be fulfilled, those individuals with the plague start to help the foot soldiers cull the healthy.

The numbers are not in favor of the healthy. They are OVERWHELMED.

EXT. THE FOREST | "NIGHT"

Luigi leaves the forest behind. He sees his van. Ruined, as we remember, by Bruised Hammer.

LUIGI: She didn't take it.

A beat.

LUIGI: Or-

Fear washes over Luigi. He canvasses the van, anticipating the discovery of Daisy's dead body. When he finds nothing of the sort, he is relieved. He looks forward.

The horizon of the residential and business districts of the Mushroom Kingdom, the "city" as he called it, is cleanly visible now that he is out of the trees.

The visual tendrils of the culling, what resembles guerilla warfare, are evident. Fires, looting, gang-like brutality...

A beat. Luigi ventures towards the violence with his shotgun...

E/I. TOAD'S HOME | "NIGHT"

The culling takes hold in Toad's neighborhood. Koopas and Shy- Guys burst inside his house -

Since they are afflicted, One-Armed Toad Boy's family is spared. Still, they huddle in fear as a Koopa inspects them.

Meanwhile, we follow one Shy-Guy as it searches through the rest of the home, concluding with Toad's office. The door is closed. The Shy-Guy pushes inside...

Only to see a second door, this one open - the door to Toad's closet - where, inside, TOAD is hanging with a ROPE around his NECK.

His eyelids are plastered open. He is dead.

The Shy-Guy curls back, unmoved, to rejoin its brethren in the living room.

EXT. THE CAVE | "NIGHT"

One-Armed Toad Boy discovers the cave. The BLUE LIGHT that was leaking out of it before has DIMMED. Of greater import, however, the boy has no qualms about walking straight inside.

EXT. MARIO AND LUIGI'S HOME | "NIGHT"

The culling hits here, with Ludwig now behaving almost as an aimless impartial observer. Behind the building, he locates Daisy - she is stacking copies of the newspaper announcing Mario's death.

From a distance, Ludwig watches her.

It appears that she has no sense of her surroundings. Once she finishes stacking the papers, she unstacks them - and then begins a new pile.

She has either lost her way, or she has undertaken this rote behavior as a means of blocking everything out.

Ludwig approaches. He notices the broken candelabra lying on the ground a few feet away from her.

LUDWIG: Do you have the plague?

She doesn't answer. Without her realizing, he picks up the candelabra and moves to her front. She keeps stacking the newspapers.

LUDWIG: You don't have the plague, do you?

DAISY: My father is king of Sarasaland. To everyone he was humble. We lived in peace, but the ambitions of our kingdom never grew. He was passionate about his music, satisfied with the status quo. I opposed him, and he shunned me all his life. I came here for Mario. I thought stealing him from Peach could usher in a new era for our land, with a great hero. But I forgot so much. I had amnesia. And now Mario is dead. He's dead. My whole plan is ruined...

LUDWIG: I spared your father.

He removes the MAGIC WAND from a hook on his armor. Sparks crackle off its end. Daisy does not look up. She continues stacking...

LUDWIG: We invaded Sarasaland for practice, then abandoned it. You didn't need a hero. It is probably now just as you left it, with a few more cases of plague.

He RAMS the MAGIC WAND into her neck. She SEIZURES and MORPHS into a caterpillar, just like her father. Ludwig watches the caterpillar crawl across the grass and then climb up the stack of newspapers...

LUDWIG: Your father offered you the life I wanted.

Using the broken candelabra, he SLICES the caterpillar in half.

LUDWIG: To wasted days.

EXT. THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM | "NIGHT"

Luigi advances towards the outer reaches of the culling. Seeking cover, he ducks behind a building and peers out.

LUIGI: No...

With the added help of the afflicted, Bowser's minions are dominant. Healthy flesh falls. Decayed flesh rises above. Death is prevalent.

Luigi eyes the shotgun. A beat.

He leaves his cover, points the gun into the air, and fires off a SHOT.

The noise is loud and foreign enough to grab the attention of many of those nearby.

Luigi reloads the gun and fires a SECOND SHOT.

Activity pauses as the warriors react to the appearance of Luigi and his newfangled weapon. He reloads, walks forward and shouts -

LUIGI: Is Bowser in the castle?

A plague-infested GOOMBA comes for him. With the stock of the shotgun, Luigi bashes it aside. The creature tries again - so he GUNS IT DOWN.

Reload.

LUIGI I asked if Bowser was in the castle...

The afflicted rail back at him, a smattering of questions that all roll together into one -

AFFLICTED: What kind of weapon is that? Do you have the plague? What do you want? Luigi walks, shotgun at the ready...

LUIGI: No, I don't have the plague-

An AFFLICTED MAN tries to ambush Luigi before he can finish his statement. Luigi sees him at the last second -

On instinct, he jabs the shotgun into the ribs of his attacker and PULLS THE TRIGGER.

The man blows backwards. BLOOD flies.

A horrific moment for all involved, including Luigi, who did not want it to come to this.

LUIGI: Don't make me have to do that again.

Shaking slightly, he reloads. As he does, it becomes apparent he was hit with RESIDUE from the man's DECAYED FLESH...

Instinctively, he brushes some of the mess off the back of his hand -

A beat.

He realizes what this might mean. He gets caught up staring at the SMEAR on his hand. This is not lost on the afflicted and on Bowser's foot soldiers. A chorus of jeers.

Luigi steadies himself.

LUIGI: I think... I can get a cure for it.

He goes forward, slowly corkscrewing, trying to cover himself from all sides. Then, he reasserts himself.

LUIGI: I can get a cure for it.

The crowd, which has been parting to stay away from Luigi and his shotgun, responds with disbelief. Yet, some of the healthy trail behind Luigi, aligning themselves with him...

As the path ahead clears, Ludwig steps out, filling the gap. He is holding the candelabra. Upon seeing it, a flash of recognition hits Luigi.

LUIGI: Where'd you get that?

LUDWIG: The more compelling question is where you acquired that.

He means the gun. Instead of answering, Luigi walks towards Ludwig - who brandishes the candelabra.

LUIGI: Is that the girl's?

LUDWIG: Are you going to kill my father?

LUIGI: Did you take that from her?

LUDWIG: Calm down. She left it on the ground.

Luigi pulls the trigger -

A SHELL rips into Ludwig's arm. He spins, crashes to the ground.

Luigi starts to run. He bounds over top of the fallen, bleeding Ludwig - and STOMPS on his HEAD.

Ludwig LOSES CONSCIOUSNESS - And Luigi charges onward, the castle firmly in his sights.

INT. THE CAVE | "NIGHT"

One-Armed Toad Boy pushes deep inside the cave, dragging his baseball bat behind him.

He comes up on the dead body of Bruised. The door to the blue room is just ahead. At the moment, however, it is closed.

The boy takes stock of his surroundings, surprised and intrigued by the door. He goes to Bruised's corpse, inspects the gun shot wounds, and scratches his head.

Afterwards, the boy rifles through Bruised's pockets, finding several coins, which he promptly steals.

Lastly, One-Armed Toad Boy approaches the door. He knocks. There is no response. So he knocks again... And again... Eventually adopting the baseball bat as a tool.

The boy persists, banging on the door harder and harder, refusing to let up...

EXT. THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM | "NIGHT"

Luigi, dead set on reaching the castle, shoots only when attacked. The closer he gets, the less frequent the attacks become, as his enemies learn they are engaged in a losing battle...

Still, a KOOPA snaps at him. Luigi fires. The shell ricochets off its shell. Luigi reloads - and this time hits its underbelly.

Luigi pulls another shell from the bandolier, which draws our attention to how much ammunition he has left... It looks like he's used about three-quarters of it total...

I/E. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH | CONTINUOUS

From her prison inside the turret, the Princess watches Luigi down below, a soldier of fortune charting a course to the bridge, to the entrance of the castle, with violence. Her eyes illustrate a glimmer of somewhat perverse hope.

PRINCESS PEACH: This isn't how it's supposed to end...

Luigi takes out two Shy-Guys with one shot, the shell zip- lining through the first to cut through the second.

From above, Lakitus hurl spiked balls. Luigi dodges them, blasts the creatures out of their clouds.

He reaches the castle gates. They are closed. Foot soldiers stand behind them, poised.

LUIGI: Open the gates.

They do not act. So Luigi sticks the barrel of the shotgun through the bars and blows away a Goomba.

He seethes. He reloads.

LUIGI: Let me in, get me Bowser, or die.

Now the foot soldiers retreat inside the castle.

Luigi looks up at the turret, where he sees the Princess wave to him. He does not wave back. He looks down at his hands...

A few tiny spots of the PLAGUE have started to come in, like freckles.

A beat. The gates to the castle open... And Luigi walks inside.

INT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH, FOYER | "NIGHT"

Luigi enters, his gun of course locked and loaded. The foyer has been further "remodeled" since last we were here. A HOLE has been ripped in the floor. LAVA flows inside, a pool.

The foyer has effectively been divided in half.

PLATFORMS OF STONE float on top of the lava. They could be used to cross the pit.

Luigi approaches the pool...

When Bowser emerges from a break in the wall on the other end of the foyer.

BOWSER: Luigi. Are you sure the Princess wishes to be rescued by you?

LUIGI: I'm sure I don't care.

BOWSER: Then it would be kidnapping.

LUIGI: She's not the reason I'm here.

BOWSER: Your brother?

LUIGI: You.

BOWSER: And you intend to use this weapon I've heard so much about.

LUIGI: That I got from the man who made the plague. I talked to him.

BOWSER: So did I.

LUIGI: He lied to you.

BOWSER: Perhaps he lied to you.

A beat.

Bowser snarls.

LUIGI FIRES THE FIRST SHOT.

The shell plunges into Bowser's snout. He roars, launches a FIREBALL, while Luigi reloads, rolls -

And makes a play to get across the lava pit by LEAPING from ONE STONE PLATFORM to the NEXT.

Bowser continues to attack with FLAMES. Luigi is forced to dodge, sometimes by switching platforms, always needing to be wary of the lava.

Slowly, Luigi's weight sinks the platforms, giving him less room to maneuver as the lava runs up the sides, closing in.

Luigi keeps shooting at Bowser's head. He narrowly dodges a FIREBALL and jumps to the platform nearest the opposite side of the pit, where Bowser is positioned.

He is now so close to Bowser it seems unimaginable that the King of Dark Land won't be able to coat him in flames.

Frantic, Luigi fires the shotgun -

THE SHELL STRIKES BOWSER IN THE THROAT.

Bowser hacks. BLOOD streams down his NECK. He attempts to conjure a fireball, but the flames get caught in his esophagus. He grabs at his throat.

Luigi uses this extra time to clear the lava pit and get on the same footing as Bowser, who changes tactics, from breathing fire to using BRUTE FORCE.

Bowser SWINGS, CLUBS, and STOMPS at Luigi, who is dealt multiple blows. He is KNOCKED DOWN, BRUISED, WEAKENED.

From the ground, Luigi shoots at Bowser's hands. He is running low on ammo.

This gives him enough space to make a go at the SPIRAL STAIRCASE. He runs up it, aiming to get to Bowser's eye level.

With his bleeding hands, Bowser SMASHES the STAIRCASE. It starts to BREAK APART...

Luigi outruns the collapse, half-climbing up the staircase. In the process, Bowser manages to HACK OUT a WAYWARD FIREBALL. It misses Luigi but hits the STAIRCASE - which then begins to BURN.

Luigi falls, but he hangs on to the steps. Bowser leans in...

And Luigi pops up with the shotgun -

HE STICKS IT AGAINST THE SIDE OF BOWSER'S SKULL - AND SHOOTS.

The shell barrels all the way through Bowser's skull. He wobbles backwards...

Luigi reloads. From ten feet away, he SHOOTS BOWSER in the FOREHEAD. BOWSER FALLS.

From atop the burning staircase, Luigi RELOADS one shell after another, firing SIX MORE SHOTS in succession, until he totally stops, bereft of ammunition...

Bowser's chest stops rising and falling... His eyelids lean open... And stay that way. His blood pours into the lava... He does not move.

Bowser is dead.

Luigi collapses.

INT. THE CAVE | "NIGHT"

One-Armed Toad Boy has not given up on the door to the blue room. He is still banging...

Finally, it opens.

JAPANESE MAN: Come in. Bowser is dead. I have ideas for you.

One-Armed Toad Boy enters.

INT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH, TURRET | "NIGHT"

Peach is now huddled against the wall beneath the window, anxious. The sound of a GUNSHOT outside does nothing to calm her nerves -

The door is kicked in. Luigi, stands over a broken chain and padlock. He makes eye contact with the Princess, says nothing, lets the door swing in the breeze, and then goes.

PRINCESS PEACH: Luigi, wait-

He steps back.

LUIGI: First thing you've ever said to me.

PRINCESS PEACH: Your brother.

INT. PRINCESS PEACH'S BEDROOM | "NIGHT"

Luigi and Peach stand next to one another, in front of the glass-sealed open coffin containing Mario's body.

PRINCESS PEACH: And this man said rebirth...

LUIGI: Most likely a myth he told Bowser.

He moves closer to the chamber.

LUIGI: Why didn't you appreciate him?

PRINCESS PEACH: Sometimes you want romance, not love. Sometimes you need a flame. Or at least a spark.

LUIGI: Sometimes people care about the wrong things.

A beat.

LUIGI He should've dedicated himself to finding a way to destroy Bowser. Since the very first abduction. Instead of being satisfied with saving you, building up his legend, dragging out this cycle. Or I should have done it, one way or the other... It probably should have been me.

He looks at her.

LUIGI: I hate that he loved you.

PRINCESS PEACH: I'm sorry.

LUIGI: I'll put together a funeral.

He begins to leave the room.

PRINCESS PEACH: But the plague...

LUIGI: I think I can get a cure.

She lights up.

PRINCESS PEACH: From whom? This man you speak of? We can have Rescue Day again next year! You can take Mario's place-

LUIGI: Don't make me wish I kept you locked in the tower.

He carries the gun outside. After a moment, she follows him.

EXT. THE CASTLE OF PRINCESS PEACH | SUNRISE

With Bowser's death, the sun has started to rise. The Princess trails Luigi as he exits the castle with the shotgun and examines the scene outside the gates -

LUIGI: Look-

Bowser's foot soldiers have stopped the culling. Moreover...

PRINCESS PEACH: They're leaving...

As the evil forces from Dark Land retreat, one entity comes forward, walking towards the castle.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY.

Except, now he is holding a PISTOL. More incredibly, where his stump used to be, he now has a ROBOTIC ARM. And in his cyborg hand, he holds a SMALL THERMOS.

Seeing the pistol, Luigi draws his shotgun -

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: I told you I'd see you again, Luigi. But don't worry. I'm not going to shoot. Did you notice how everyone's leaving? They're all coming with me. I talked to your friend, the one who gave you the shotgun. He made me the new ruler of Dark Land!

The One-Armed Toad Boy opens the thermos. He extracts an ALUMINUM CANISTER just like the one we saw the Japanese Man use to deliver the plague.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: He decided to give me two of these. Here, take one. You dump it in the water system. It's a cure for the plague!

Luigi doesn't come forward, so the One-Armed Toad Boy simply puts the canister through the bars of the gate and sets it on the ground.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: He says it won't make the plague go away. But that's okay. He called it 'remission.' How can I explain better? Okay, Princess, your beauty won't ever come back. You'll still have all those plague spots. They just won't get bigger or spread and you won't die from it either. I think that's good. Same goes for you too Luigi since I see you've got some spots.

He points at Luigi's hand.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: The other canister's for me, in Dark Land.

He turns away. Luigi does not lower his gun... The boy stops, turns back.

ONE-ARMED TOAD BOY: I almost forgot. The man says if you need more shells just go to the cave. He likes the results. Oh, and one last thing. He gave me a name. You can call me King Toadboy from now on.

The newly crowned King Toadboy waves goodbye with his pistol - and then goes, for good this time.

Luigi continues aiming at him. In truth, he's contemplating shooting the boy right at this very moment.

PRINCESS PEACH: What are you doing?

No response. She looks at his bandolier, seeing only empty loops...

PRINCESS PEACH: You're low on shells. If you harm him, the army may overwhelm us.

LUIGI: I'm not low on shells.

Luigi pulls the trigger. CLICK.

LUIGI: I'm out of them.

He lowers the shotgun. As King Toadboy becomes a speck on the horizon, Luigi picks the canister up off the ground.

LUIGI: How do we get this into the water system?

EXT. STAR PARK | DAY

A hero's funeral is held for Mario. Luigi stands with the Princess. The bandolier is wrapped across his chest. The shotgun is strapped to his back.

Behind Luigi and the Princess, the healthy - those that survived the culling - and the afflicted mix together.

Plague splotches remain visible, but they have dried out. The fear of contagion is gone...

EXT. SARASALAND | DAY

With the arm that Luigi shot hanging by his side, lame, Ludwig walks across the desert, carrying a JUG full of WATER. Between his teeth, the MAGIC WAND. His destination is obvious - the Humble King's castle...

EXT. DARK LAND | DAY

In contrast to our last encounter with Dark Land, there is now SUNLIGHT here, plenty of it...

That is, until One-Armed Toad Boy arrives, with Bowser's former foot soldiers, now his own army, marching behind - and the SUN begins to SET, returning Dark Land to darkness.

INT. BOWSER'S CASTLE | "NIGHT"

One-Armed Toad Boy enters Bowser's throne room. Like those we saw at Star Park, his plague spots have dried out. His affliction will not get worse.

The boy walks all the way across the room to Bowser's empty THRONE. The King of Dark Land's CROWN rests on the seat.

After removing the crown with his robotic arm, One-Armed Toad Boy takes the throne and then places the crown on top of his own mushroom capped head.

INT. THE BLUE ROOM | NIGHT

The Japanese Man leans over his desk, watching the screens, seeing these events unfold... He appears uncomfortable. He sits. Slowly, he rotates his chair, until he is facing the door to the blue room, which is open.

Outside, in the cavern, rests a CACHE OF WEAPONS - GUNS, KNIVES, EXPLOSIVES.

He stands, goes to the entrance and stares at the weapons... Before turning back inside and LOCKING the door.

He does not, however, stop there. Additionally, he latches a HEAVY METAL BAR across the threshold - and then drags a desk in front of it. Finally, from within a drawer in this desk, he extracts a KEVLAR VEST.

The Japanese Man dons the bulletproof vest, puts his hands in his pockets, slumps, and SHUTS HIS EYES.

CUT TO BLACK.