A/N
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Super Mario. All rights go to their respective owners.
Its predecessor was once my most-viewed fanfic, so I can't really delete it without some kind of explanation. Basically, I was trying to fix some formatting, and I accidentally overwrote Chapter 4 with Chapter 5, and the original chapter couldn't be recovered. It was around then I wasn't entirely satisfied with how the old version was in the first place, so I was just like "screw it, I'll just start over."
But, this time around, I've made a counterpart to go with it: Sonic Fanfiction! I had been planning both fanfics for years (they were actually created around the same time), but I made what I now consider a mistake of doing one at a time. Be sure to check it out!
I hope to finish it faster this time! I spent over two years on 1.0 (I'm unofficially calling this Mario Fanfiction 2.0) and it was being dragged on way too long for my liking.
There also won't be as many unnecessary A/N's. I'm not as insecure and people-pleasing now as I was when I joined a couple years ago. There will, however, be the occasional A/N explaining how parts of the fanfic work, or responding to reviews.
Those of you who got into the previous version, I apologize for the inconvenience. Most of the plot elements are the same, but there are also a quite a few that have changed. For those of you who aren't familiar with this fanfic, welcome! There will be 45 chapters total, three POV's per chapter, and the outcome of a character's actions chosen at random. I promise you a little surprise every three chapters. Those who know what I'm talking about, I hope you look forward to seeing it come back.
Phew. That's a lot of typing. I'll shut up now and just let you get to reading the new Mario Fanfiction. Hopefully, this goes better this time than it did last time...
*LACY (OC)'S POV*
I stared at some flashing lights above me.
"Where am I?" I wondered aloud. "Ow!" I hit my head on one of the flashing lights. Sucking in my breath and taking a few steps back, I take a closer look. It appears to be...floating bricks? "...What's this? Some kind of giant...invisible pocket?"
*LACY'S HAMMERSPACE INVENTORY*
1-Ups: 5
Coins: 1
Items: *None*
"'Hammerspace inventory?'"
Looking around, I took in just how weird everything around me was: the hills aren't just green, but red, blue, and yellow, too.
"RAGH!" Some kind of mushroom thing charges at me.
"AH!" I never knew I had the kind of agility to jump onto the bricks. "Oh, uh, hey...mushroom guy," I tried to keep my voice casual. "Maybe you could tell me where I am?" He glared up at me, with a kind of grumpy look on his face.
"World 1. Where else?"
"'World 1?' What's 'World 1'?"
"You asked where you are and I told you. Fine, I guess if you want me to be more specific, you're in the Mushroom Kingdom."
"What the heck is the 'Mushroom Kingdom'?"
"I don't know what else to tell you."
"Sorry. I guess I'm going to have to explore a bit before I get answers, huh? Hey, why did you charge at me?"
"It's my job. I've been trained to charge at potential enemies."
"What if I'm not an enemy?"
"Are you with King Bowser?"
"Who?"
"Never mind, I'll take that as a 'no'. But, given that you're so clueless about everything, maybe somehow you're new here, though I haven't the slightest clue how new people get here, anyway. Or maybe you've got amnesia or something like that. You know what? Maybe you're an okay kid, and I've been a bit judgmental. Tell you what, I'll let you go, and this little talk never happened, alright?"
"Oh...o...kay..." I slid off of the block.
"Woah, woah! Watch it!"
"What?"
"You almost stepped on me! Step or jump on me and poof! I'm dead! Disappear into a cloud of dust and 200 points!"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to. Wait, 'points'? Is this like...some kind of video game or something?"
"Sure. You could call it that. Look, just head on down that path, you'll eventually come to Princess Peach's castle. I'm sure the people there will have answers there for you."
"Uh, okay, thanks. Hey,"
"What now?!"
"I...was just going to ask your name."
"...John. Funny, though. No one ever really bothers to ask me my name. Or any other minion's name."
"That's a shame. You're an individual like everyone else."
"That's true, but-" suddenly, he shook his head. "Look, we really shouldn't be talking. Just make your way down that path, and go ask the people at the castle whatever questions you've got. If you see more like me, or these turtle things called 'koopas' that try to hurt you, tell them I let you pass."
"Thanks! Well, see you, John," I beamed and started walking down the road.
"Ahaha...so we have another one, do we?" A mysterious voice comes out of nowhere.
"Hello?" I asked. "Who said that?" No response.
Shivering, I quickened my pace as I made it up the path.
MEANWHILE, AT PEACH'S CASTLE...
*MARIO'S POV*
Done! The plumbing problem had been fixed. Sitting up, I gave Luigi a thumb's-up.
"Okey-dokey, Toadsworth!" he called out. "We're done fixing the pipes!"
'We're?' I thought, rolling my eyes. I'ma the one who did all the work.
BOOM!
The ground shook. Looking at each other, we hurried upstairs.
"MARIO! HELP!" Peach cried. I face-palmed. Of course Bowser came back to kidnap Peach. I leapt up to catch her before he can take off...
...but I ended up crashing through the floor, all the way down to the basement.
*MARIO'S HAMMERSPACE INVENTORY*
1-Ups: 4
Coins: *None*
Items: Wrench
Stirring, I could hear Bowser's evil laugh as he got away. Seriously?! The fanfic barely even started, and I've lost a 1-Up already!
"Mario...?" I heard Luigi's voice in front of me. Sighing, I got up slowly, rubbing the bruise forming between my back and ribcage.
"Let'sa go," I sigh unenthusiastically.
Coming back upstairs and making our way through the panicking Toads, Luigi and I finally managed to get out of the front of the castle.
"Woah, what happened here?" We heard an unfamiliar female voice not too far from us, but we ignore it. "Hey! Excuse me! Uh, mustached overall guys!" Looking behind me, I saw a human woman about early twenties or so with ruffled brown hair, fair skin, and green eyes. She wore a black, short-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and black flats.
"You're dressed strange for a princess." Luigi commented.
"Huh? I'm not a princess," the girl responded, confused.
"Not'a all human girls are princesses, Luigi. Think about Pauline."
"Oh yeah..."
"Yeah, uh, sorry to bother you guys, but you're probably the only other humans I can find. Except for maybe that princess that just got carried off by some weird turtle thing." Our eyes widened.
"You saw them?! Which way did they go?!" Luigi asked desperately.
"Uh, that way-" she pointed down the path, and we ran off. "Hey, wait!" We could hear her following us. "My-my name is Lacy, and, uh, I was hoping maybe you could tell me where I was? I, I don't know this place at all." Luigi stopped in his tracks, the bottoms of his shoes making a slight screeching sound against the pavement.
"Mario?" Luigi raised his eyebrows, giving me a silent question asking me if she can come along. I think for a moment, then gesture for them to follow.
"Let'sa go."
"RAGH!" I was about to jump on the goomba charging at me, but Lacy stops me.
"No, don't! That's just my friend, John."
"John?" Luigi asked. I raised my brow in confusion.
"Oh, you again," the goomba comments, ignoring us and casually looking her in the eyes. "You get the answers you're looking for?"
"Er, not yet, but I hope I will soon!"
"Ah, good. Well, nice knowing ya." We were about to charge at each other, but then she leaps in his way.
"What are you doing?!"
"My job."
"Well, can't you just let us pass? You know he'd probably kill you and the others if you tried to attack."
"Sure he would, but if Lord Bowser found out I wasn't doing my job..."
"What then? Would he kill you? Maybe give you a punishment even worse?" Lacy asked. The goomba looked down at his feet in thought.
"Shit. I'm a dead mushroom either way."
"Well, aren't there other jobs around here?"
"Sure, I guess."
"Then why don't you just apply for one of those?"
"You know what...I think I will! Thanks, kid! You're a lifesaver!" He stuck his tongue out at Luigi and I. "See you on the flipside, suckers!" He ran off.
Well, hopefully that was the biggest stalling of our trip. Moving on, we make it over a warp pipe, and a few more rows of brick, then a koopa charges at us. I was about to jump on him too, but Lacy stepped in front of me again.
"Hey, hang on! You don't want to do that, do you, Willie?"
"Willie?" Luigi raised an eyebrow. Taking him by the hand, I led him away from her as she cheerfully chatted to him. "Hey, Mario, where are we going?"
"To save Peach, as usual."
"But what about Lacy?" Luigi asks.
"Just'a leave her. She'll only slow us down. Besides, something tells me she'll be safer here than she will be coming with us." Luigi looked back at her sadly.
"...Yeah, I guess so."
*LUIGI'S POV*
I felt bad for leaving the new girl behind, but Mario was right. We ended up covering more ground in the five minutes we were gone than the ten minutes we were with her.
Coming to a tunnel, we find there were bricks blocking it. Guilt tugged at my chest as I went back to grab the nearest Koopa and use its shell to break it, but sometimes defeating enemies the way we do is a necessary evil.
"OOF!" The koopa shell hit me, knocking me down below my Super Size.
"Don'ta worry, Luigi. We'll get'a you a new one," Mario assures me.
"Mario...? I'ma kinda scared." I knew I had been in these caves before, but they still creep me out nonetheless.
"Don'ta worry, bro. Mario'sa got your back." I know he thought I couldn't see him roll his eyes, but I did.
"Ahaha..."
"Cut it out, Mario! It's not funny."
"I didn't say anything."
"WOAHAHA!" We both jumped up. Something grabbed us! Quickly, we checked our Hammerspace inventories:
*MARIO'S HAMMERSPACE INVENTORY*
1-Ups: 4
Coins: *None*
Items: *None*
*LUIGI'S HAMMERSPACE INVENTORY*
1-Ups: 5
Coins: *None*
Items: *None*
"Someone took my toolbox!"
"My wrench is gone, too."
"Well, if there's muggers in the cave, all the reason to get outta here, and fast!" I ran off.
"Okey-dokey!" I could hear Mario's footsteps behind me. At least...I hoped those were Mario's footsteps behind me.
After a long, and tiring journey, we finally made it to the mid-boss of World 1: Larry Koopa.
We had gotten through, but I lost the mushroom I regained, and another one of my 1-Ups on the way. But, of course, Mario got through no problem. Sigh...today just wasn't my day.
We enter the boss battle room, and Larry was waiting for us on the other side.
"Alright, you little creep!" I snapped. "Where is Peach?!"
"I'm not telling you!" he folded his arms. "...Besides, I don't want to get in trouble with my dad."
"Well, you're in trouble with the Mario Bros. now!" Mario and I assumed a battle stance.
"Bring. It. On," he assumed his in return.
BOSS BATTLE: MARIO AND LUIGI VS. LARRY KOOPA!
*THIRD-PERSON POV*
Mario jumps on Larry. GREAT SUCCESS! It instantly takes all of Larry's HP, not even needing to do the usual three jumps that come with the battle.
MARIO AND LUIGI WIN!
*LUIGI'S POV*
"...Well that was short-lived," I commented.
"Ha! Random beginner's luck!" Larry glared at us. "If or when you make it to me as the final boss of World 1, I won't go so easy on you!"
He jumped away off screen, and a triumphant theme played as the level ended.
With only one loss of my Super Mushrooms on the way, and Mario losing another 1-Up, we also eventually made it to him as the final boss of World 1.
"About time you showed up," he said as he glared at us. "Now, prepare for a real battle!"
BOSS BATTLE: MARIO AND LUIGI VS. LARRY KOOPA! (PART 2)
*THIRD-PERSON POV*
Luigi jumps on Larry. Minor Success! Being the klutz he is, it's more like he tripped on him, but he still managed to take one-third of Larry's HP.
Larry uses a Spin Attack. Success! Neither of the Mario Bros. are able to dodge it, so he takes 10 HP from both of them.
Mario attempts Double Jump. Minor Success! Only one of the jumps hits Larry, but he still manages to another third of Larry's HP.
Larry uses another Spin Attack. Minor Failure! He is able to hit Mario, who didn't jump high enough, and take 5 of his HP.
Luigi jumps on Larry again. Minor Success! He lost the Super Mushroom he gained (again), but takes the final third of Larry's HP.
MARIO AND LUIGI WIN!
*LUIGI'S POV*
"Now that's better," I smiled, satisfied.
"GRR, you may have beat me, but my brothers and sister will make sure you don't get any closer to World 8!"
"We'll see about that." I folded my arms challengingly.
Again, he jumped away, and a triumphant theme played, thus ending our journey through World 1. Well, one World down...seven more to go.
A/N
Normally there's only one battle per chapter, but I put a second one in because the first one was just too easy. Happened totally by random. XD
Most of the time, both parties in a battle have 100 HP. However, since Larry was a boss battle, Mario and Luigi fought him more like you would canonically. Characters who have had a POV in the story do not count as Boss Battles. (Usually.)
Also, about HP deductions on teams for the new readers: for example, let's say Mario and Luigi are fighting Bowser as a team. Bowser successfully attacks Mario, but Luigi doesn't get hit. Mario and Luigi as a team lose 5 or 10 HP, depending on how successful the attack was. This doesn't count if he successfully attacks both of them, in which case they would lose 10 or 20 HP total.
