In a remote part of Sarasaland Mario, Luigi, Peach and Daisy were trying to set up a defense. They found a tall hill with a river behind it.
"This is a good spot" Luigi said "we can hold the high ground and use the river to block our rear flank."
"Great" Mario said "can we put this junk down now? It's heavy."
"Yeah it is" Luigi said "let's unload and get to work."
They all put down the gear and weapons they were carrying from the vault at Peach's castle. Luigi started to plan out positions.
"Ok" he said "Daisy I want you about halfway up the hill with the .30 cal. We'll fill some sand bags and make a wall for you. Keep the flamethrower with you."
"Got it" Daisy said.
"Mario, you set up at the top of the hill on the far left side" Luigi said "keep up the fire but don't let the gun overheat, and keep an eye out for flanking maneuvers."
"No problem" Mario said.
"How many belts do you have?" Luigi asked.
"I have eight from Tatanga's armory and about one and a half from the vault."
"Ok" Luigi said "that should be enough. Peach, did you bring the M-16 and your shotgun?"
"Sure did" she said.
"Good" he said "I want you on top of the hill on the far right"
Luigi said "if you run out of M-16 rounds, move down to Daisy's position and use the shotgun."
"No problem" she said.
Luigi looked at Daisy and said "I forgot to tell you, if you feel like you might be overrun, take the .30 and your flamethrower and fall back to Mario or Peach's position."
"Ok" she said.
"I'll be on top of the hill in the center" Luigi said "hopefully they'll come in small search parties. The silencer on my rifle reduces muzzle flash and makes it very quiet. Until we are spotted, let me do the shooting. Hopefully it will help keep us hidden. Everybody know what to do?"
They all nodded. "Ok" Luigi said "let's fill some sand bags and set up the .30 cal."
Daisy giggled.
"What's so funny?" Mario asked.
"Luigi's back with a vengeance" Daisy said "we didn't know what to do without him, and Tatanga won't know what to do now that we have him back."
They all laughed a little. Peach and Daisy began filling canvas bags with sand and Mario and Luigi began building the wall. They made it three feet high with a one foot section in the middle for the .30 to sit and for Daisy to see better. They put the .30 caliber in place and Daisy laid down behind it, she set her flamethrower behind the three foot section. Mario climbed up the hill to the left side, He laid down and set up the bipod on the M-60. He piled the belts beside the gun. Luigi laid down in the center of the hill and lined up his clips next to him. He made sure they were standing up to keep the sand out of them. Peach laid down on the right side with the M-16 ready, she lined her clips up the same way Luigi did. She had her shotgun next to her with all the shells in a spare canvas bag. They set up small sandbag walls in front of their positions.
"And now we play the waiting game" Daisy thought to herself.
Meanwhile, Tatanga landed his ship on the Mushroom Kingdom, Sarasaland border. He sent half of his clones to the Mushroom Kingdom to search and sent the other half to Sarasaland. After fifteen minutes, a clone appeared on the horizon. Luigi took aim and began to squeeze the trigger. When he fired, the clone fell and lay still. Another clone ran over and knelt beside the fallen clone. Luigi shot it in the head, killing it instantly.
A third clone ducked behind a rock, pulled out its radio and said "Tatanga, we have two clones down. I did not see Princess Daisy and the others or hear a shot but they have killed two of us."
"Where are you?" Tatanga asked.
"On the southern plains of Sarasaland, near the bend in the river" the clone said.
"I will send reinforcements that way" Tatanga said "in the mean time, search the area and try to find them."
"But sir" the clone said "that is suicide."
"Find them" Tatanga said "or I will have you shot for insubordination."
"Yes sir" the clone said.
It stood up and walked out from behind the rock. As soon as it did, Luigi shot it in the head. Soon a group of around thirty clones began to approach them.
"Let 'em have it!" Luigi yelled.
Mario and Daisy opened fire. All thirty clones were killed in under a minute.
"Did we win?" Peach asked.
"I don't think so" Luigi said "I have a feeling that a lot more are on their way."
A few minutes later, a single clone approached holding a megaphone.
"Please do not shoot" it said "I was sent with a message. If you lay down your weapons and surrender Princess Daisy to us, none of you will be harmed. What is your answer?"
"It's your call Daisy" Peach said "whatever decision you make, we'll support you."
Daisy turned to Luigi, smiled and said "put a bullet in his mouth and shut him up. I'll stay here and fight to my last breath."
"So will I" Luigi said smiling.
"Me too" Mario said.
"It's unanimous" Peach said.
"What is your answer?" The clone asked again.
Luigi took careful aim and fired. The bullet went through the megaphone, into the clone's mouth and out the back of its head. The clone fell to its knees and collapsed face first.
"Nice shot" Mario said.
"Thanks" Luigi said.
A few hundred yards away, two hundred and fifty clones were armed and ready but weren't moving forward.
Tatanga came on the radio and asked "why are you not attacking?"
One of the clones picked up its radio and said "because it is a suicide mission to attack them here."
"You outnumber them sixty to one" Tatanga said "now attack."
"No" the clone said "the green one has set up a brilliant defense."
"Do not compliment him!" Tatanga yelled "he is the one who stole my flower princess!"
"It was not a compliment" The clone said "it is the truth.
They have fortified the high ground, there is a heavy machine gun in the middle, protected by sand bags. There is also a light machine gun on top of the hill on the left side to provide cover fire, it also blocks a flank attack. There is a sniper in the center of the hill at the highest point. We know he has an effective range of over two hundred yards. There is an assault rifle on the right side of the hill to provide medium rang fire and prevents a flank attack. All are protected by small sandbag walls. There is a river behind them so their rear flank is protected and we know Princess Daisy has a flamethrower; so if we survive the hail of bullets and get close to them, we will all be burned alive."
"Fine" Tatanga said "find fifty volunteers and give them heavy weapons and send them toward the hill in a mass attack to try to drive them off of the hill."
"Any volunteers?" The clone asked.
Eventually fifty clones stepped forward a few at a time. They were given seventeen light machine guns, two flamethrowers, twenty-two assault rifles, three sniper rifles and six shotguns. They began running toward the hill.
"Here they come!" Peach yelled. Daisy and Mario opened fire. Peach began firing at groups of clones. Luigi aimed and put the crosshairs on the tank of one of the flamethrowers and fired. The bullet hit the top of the tank. A few seconds later the fuel tank exploded, engulfing several clones around it in flames. Daisy kept up the fire, she focused on clones that came within one hundred yards. Mario kept firing at large groups, moving the barrel side to side slightly. Peach fired at pockets of clones. Luigi finally spotted the other clone with the flamethrower. He shot the clone in the knee, causing it to fall. He quickly shot the flamethrower's fuel tank, causing it to explode and engulf several clones in flames, including one of the counter snipers. After fifteen minutes, there were only eight clones left. They turned and began to run away.
"Hold your fire!" Luigi shouted "let them go."
Once the clones ran out of sight, Mario turned to Luigi and asked "why did we let them live?"
Luigi smiled and said "because they have a story to tell their friends."
"Oh I get it" Daisy said "let them get back to the others and spread the word and spread fear."
"Bingo" Luigi said.
The clones staggered back to the group.
"Did you push them off of the hill?" a clone asked excitedly "the others are holding the hill, correct?"
One of the returning clones shook his head.
"Where are they?" The clone asked.
"Dead" the other clone said "they are all dead. None of us made it within fifty yards of them."
"We will just wait here" the clone said "when they are leaving, we can surprise them."
"Good idea" the other clone said.
When it started to get dark, Peach turned to Luigi and asked "can we go home now?"
"I don't think it would be a good idea" Luigi said.
"Why" Peach asked.
"Because" Luigi said "we would have to walk across open desert in the dark, which would make a perfect ambush opportunity. I think we should stay here tonight. We'll take two hour guard shifts. I'll go first."
"Ok" Mario said "wake me up in two hours."
"Ok" Luigi said.
An hour and a half later, it was almost pitch black, the only light was from the moon. Luigi was sitting with his arms crossed and his rifle laying across his lap. He saw slight movement. He quickly grabbed his rifle and pointed it toward the movement.
"Luigi, it's me" he heard Daisy say.
He set his rifle down as Daisy walked up, set her flamethrower down and sat next to him.
"I thought you were asleep" he whispered.
"No, I couldn't sleep" she whispered "so I came to keep you company."
Luigi smiled and put his arm around her.
Daisy laid her head on his shoulder and whispered "the stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they?"
"Yeah they are" Luigi whispered "but, not as beautiful as you."
Daisy giggled and kissed his cheek.
"I also wanted to thank you" Daisy whispered.
"For what?" Luigi whispered.
"For all you've done against Tatanga" Daisy whispered "I mean we all know it would be easier for all of us if I just gave myself up, but you're still willing to fight and plan everything out."
"Mario and Peach are fighting for you too" Luigi whispered.
"I know" Daisy whispered "but I know you fight the hardest. Like when you took a bullet on Tatanga's ship last time. The smartest thing to do would have been to get you out of there and treat your shoulder properly. Instead, you had Mario pry the bullet out with your pocket knife so you could keep fighting. Or yesterday at the mall, you shot two clones in the head with one bullet. I know it must have been a hard shot and stressful shooting so close to my head."
Luigi smiled and whispered "you're worth it."
"You know" Daisy whispered "the best example is probably this morning, when you walked out and gave yourself up. We both know they might have shot you the second you cleared the doorway. Plus when we came to rescue you, I overheard you say that you would rather be beaten to death than tell me to surrender myself."
"I would have rather been beaten to death than have you give yourself up" Luigi whispered "I love you more than anything in this world, Daisy. I'd gladly die to keep you safe."
Daisy was surprised. She knew Luigi loved her, but she never thought she would hear him say that.
"Really?" Daisy whispered.
Luigi smiled and whispered "really."
Daisy smiled and whispered "I love you so much."
"I love you too" Luigi whispered.
They kissed and Daisy laid her head back on his shoulder. They heard a splash in the river behind them. Luigi grabbed his rifle, stood up and spun around. Daisy grabbed her flamethrower and strapped it on as she stood up and turned around.
"I can't see anything" Daisy whispered "it's too dark."
"Give us a little light" Luigi whispered.
Daisy pointed her flamethrower up and fired a short burst of flames. The light from the flames revealed two clones trying to cross the river. Luigi fired at them, killing one and hitting the other in the leg. He ran down and grabbed the wounded clone and dragged it back up the hill.
Daisy drew her .357 and put it to the clones head and said "It would be wise to tell us what we want to know."
"How many others are out there?" Luigi asked.
"It was just the two of us" the clone said.
"Why were you attempting a flanking maneuver with only two of you?" Luigi asked.
"It was not an attack" the clone said "we were sent here to capture Princess Daisy. We hoped you would all be asleep."
"How stupid do you think we are?" Luigi asked.
The clone tried to grab Daisy's pistol. She pulled it away from the clone.
Luigi put the barrel of his rifle to the back of the clone's head and said "I should kill you right now."
"No" Daisy said "he isn't worth the bullet."
She pistol-whipped the clone in the forehead, knocking it unconscious.
"What do we do with him now?" Luigi asked.
"Toss him in the river" Daisy said "it flows out of Sarasaland, away from the Mushroom Kingdom."
Luigi dragged the clone back down the hill and threw it in the river and watched it float away until it was out of sight.
He climbed back up to Daisy, glanced at his watch and said "it's Mario's turn to stand guard."
"And I think it's time we get some sleep" Daisy said "who knows what Tatanga will try tomorrow."
Luigi walked over to Mario and shook him and said "wake up."
Mario swatted at Luigi and tried to roll over.
Luigi shook him harder and said "get up, Mario. It's your turn to stand guard."
Mario opened his eyes slightly and looked at him.
"Come on Mario" Luigi said "I want to get some sleep."
Mario stretched and sat up.
"Are you awake enough to stay up?" Luigi asked.
Mario yawned and said "no promises."
"Go splash some water on your face from the river" Luigi said.
Mario staggered down the hill, knelt down and stuck his face in the water.
He quickly stood up and said "that water is cold, I'm awake now."
"Good" Luigi said "keep a sharp look out, we already had two clones try to sneak up on us."
"Ok" Mario said.
He sat down and laid his M-60 across his lap. Luigi went back to his spot in the center of the hill. He found Daisy already asleep with her flamethrower next to her. Luigi set his rifle down, laid next to her then he put his arm around her and fell asleep.
Meanwhile, Tatanga called the lead clone on the radio and asked "was the midnight raid successful?"
"I do not think so" The clone replied.
"What do you mean?" Tatanga asked.
"The clones we sent never returned" the clone said "and we saw flames from a flamethrower."
Tatanga sighed and said "I want one hundred of you to attack them at sunrise. I do not care how you select the ones who attack. I will expect news of the attack in the morning."
A few hours later, Daisy woke up to someone shaking her. She looked up and saw Peach standing over her.
"Wake up Daisy" she said "it's your turn to stand guard."
"Ok" Daisy said.
She slid out from under Luigi's arm, trying not to wake him. She stood up, stretched and picked her flamethrower up by one of the straps and carried it to her position with the .30 caliber. She set it down behind the three foot section of the wall, sat down and started scanning the horizon. When the sun started to come up, she saw a large group of clones approaching them. She began firing on them with the .30 cal. Mario, Luigi and Peach were jolted out of their sleep. When they saw Daisy firing and the clones approaching, they immediately grabbed their weapons and began firing. Within ten minutes they had beaten the clone's advance back.
"How are you guys doing on ammo?" Luigi asked.
"I've got a little over two belts left" Mario said.
"I've got one more belt for the .30 caliber" Daisy said "but a full fuel tank on my flamethrower and thirty-six .357 rounds."
"How about you, Peach?" Luigi asked.
"I've got two magazines left for the M-16 and about fifty shotgun shells."
"What about you Luigi?" Mario asked.
"I've got three twenty round clips left" Luigi said.
"That's not good, is it?" Mario asked.
"No it's not" Luigi said "we've got enough ammo to repel one maybe two more assaults. I hate to say it, but we need to get outta here, or we could try to go gather ammo from the dead clones, but we still need food."
Daisy looked at Luigi and said "Luigi, you set up a great defense here and there can't be too many clones left. Can you think of a plan to get us supplies and let us hold this position?"
Luigi thought for a minute and said "Ok, here's what we're gonna do: Mario, me and you are going to go out to the bodies and try to gather ammo. Daisy keep us covered with the .30, Peach you stay put."
They all nodded and Mario and Luigi started cautiously walking forward. Luigi found six clips for his M-14 and four M-16 clips. He also grabbed two radios. Mario found three belts for the M-60. They heard the .30 caliber firing. Luigi looked at Daisy's angle of fire and saw a small group of clones approaching them.
"Time to go!" Luigi said.
They began running back to the hill. Daisy killed the last few clones as they reached the base of the hill. Luigi brought Peach the M-16 ammo before going back to his spot. Mario climbed back to his position and piled the belts.
"Now that that's done" Luigi said "we need to move on to the food. The river leads to a bridge that goes to a back entrance to Daisy's castle. Any volunteers to go get food and water?"
"I'll go" Mario said.
"I'll go too" Peach said.
Luigi tossed Mario one of the radios and said "switch it to channel three, you guys be careful. If you run into trouble, call me on the radio and we'll come back you up."
"What about the hill?" Peach asked.
"This is a good position" Daisy said "but you and Mario are more important than a hill."
"Ok" Peach said "we'll be back soon."
When Mario and Peach left, Luigi began scanning the desert with his scope, while Daisy cleaned the .30 caliber.
While they were walking along the river, Peach turned to Mario and asked "how long do you think this will go on?"
"Daisy's castle is about a mile and a half from here" Mario said.
"That's not what I meant" Peach said "I mean how long do you think Tatanga will keep this up?"
"Oh" Mario said "well, the first time we beat Tatanga's army, he left us alone for a little over a year. After the second time, we got a year and a half of peace. Maybe if we beat him again, he'll give up for good."
"Why did you say if?" Peach asked.
"What?" Mario asked. "You said if we beat Tatanga this time. Don't you mean when we beat him?"
"Yeah" Mario said "that's what I meant. By the way, how come you never asked that about Bowser?"
"Because when we have to fight Bowser, there aren't bullets flying around us" Peach said "and because you, Luigi and Daisy have never been shot while fighting Bowser."
"I see your point" Mario said.
When they got to Daisy's castle, they went to the kitchen. Peach began making sandwiches while Mario filled water bottles. When they had twelve sandwiches and sixteen water bottles, they packed them into a bag and began to head back to the hill. When they were coming close, they could hear gun fire.
"Let's go!" Mario said.
He dropped the bag and began running. Peach picked up the bag and followed him. When they came within sight of the hill, they saw the clones charging it. The clones were coming close to the base of the hill. Daisy was standing up, spraying the clones with her flamethrower. Luigi was firing on them with Peach's M-16. Mario began firing into the clones with his M-60. Peach ran closer, dropped the bag and began firing her shotgun at them. With Mario and Peach's help, they were able to push the clones back and force them to retreat. Peach picked the food bag up and she and Mario climbed the hill. They saw that Luigi and Daisy both had several scrapes and tears in their clothes from bullets grazing them, but neither of them were seriously hit.
"What happened?" Mario asked.
"After you two left, they began coming in small groups" Luigi said "we easily killed them with the .30 cal and sniper rifle, but then they came together in a mass attack. They were coming too fast for me to use my rifle, so I grabbed the M-16. Then the .30 ran out of ammo, which gave the clones an advantage and they quickened their pace. Daisy started firing at them with the .357, when they got too close she switched to her flamethrower. They were about to overrun us when you guys showed up and helped push them back. I should've known better than to think we could hold the hill with just two people."
Mario stepped forward, hugged his brother and said "It's not your fault Weegie. You just had your mind set on how to keep us fed and supplied instead of holding the hill."
He stepped back and asked "why didn't you call us when they attacked?"
Luigi held up his radio, which had a bullet hole in it.
"We brought sandwiches and water bottles" Peach said holding up the bag.
After they had eaten, Mario called them together and said "I know this is Luigi's thing but, I've got an idea. There can't be very many clones left. I think we should resupply from the dead clones and attack. We have a flamethrower, a shotgun, a light machine gun and an assault rifle. I think we can pull it off."
"Who's gonna use the assault rifle?" Luigi asked.
"You" Mario said "bring your rifle with you, but use the M-16. If we can wipe out Tatanga's army, he might give up or come fight us himself. We all know that hasn't turned out very good for him in the past."
"Sounds like a plan" Luigi said "what do you think, girls?"
"Sounds good" Daisy said "I've been waiting for the opportunity to roast a few aliens."
"I like it" Peach said.
"First" Luigi said "we need to go gather bullets."
"For our guns?" Peach asked.
"No, any bullets will do" Luigi said "I've got an idea."
They gathered all the ammo they could find and Luigi ripped the sleeve off of one of the clone's shirts. They went back to the hill and piled the bullets. Luigi began pulling the bullets out of the casings and pouring the gun powder into the empty water bottles then dropping the bullets in. Once the bottles were filled with powder and bullets, he cut a small hole in the side and put a strip of the clone's sleeve in the hole. He gave four to Mario, four to Peach and four to Daisy and kept four.
"Ok" Luigi said "light the cloth, it's the fuse, then throw the bottle at the clones. It will act like a grenade."
They began sneaking toward the clones. When they were about forty yards away, Luigi lit the fuse on one of his bombs and threw it into the clones. When it went off, over a dozen clones were killed and several others were wounded. Mario, Peach and Daisy began lighting and throwing their bombs. After they had thrown all of their bombs, there were only about twenty clones left uninjured.
After the last bomb was thrown, Luigi put his M-14 over his shoulder, picked up the M-16 and said "alright, let's go get 'em!"