Day 3
5 Days Remain...
--
"I hope you all enjoyed your day off yesterday. Today we're racing on Mushroom Bridge, so... yeah, you know the drill. Go ahead and pair up, head to the DDG to pick your kart, then drive it over to Mushroom Bridge so we can get started. We start in one hour, so let's get goin'."
Shortly after Toad finished talking, everyone in the Resting Quarters immediately broke out in conversation, deciding who they wished to be paired up with for the coming race.
"Mario, want me to be your partner?" Peach asked.
Mario laughed a little. "Aw, honey. We were partners last time! And the time before that even! I think maybe we should broaden our horizons a little and race with some different people."
"Ohhh... I get it. You just don't LOVE me anymore!"
Peach's little joke made Mario laugh again. "Don't worry about a thing. It'll be fine."
"OK. So who are you gonna race with then?"
Mario did a sweep of the room. "Umm... Waluigi looks like he doesn't have a partner at the moment. Maybe I'll fancy a go with him. I hear he's pretty fun to race with."
"Hmm..." thought Peach, looking around. As she did, she saw a scene happening on the other side of the room. It looked as though Paratroopa had teamed up with King Boo and Koopa was left partnerless at the moment. She thought maybe his Triple Shells would come in handy.
"I think I'll go ask Koopa before someone else," she said.
Mario nodded. "Alright. Be quick, though. The Koopas are pretty popular."
"OK!" Peach said, jumping up. "See you on the racetrack Mario!"
"You too Peach!" Mario called out.
Mario then walked over and picked up Baby Mario. "Hey little man! You wanna race with your cousin, don't ya?"
Baby Mario cooed.
"I thought so. Here you go!"
Mario placed Baby Mario on the ground near Baby Luigi. The two high-fived each other and were the first team to start heading out to the DDG.
Within ten minutes, the teams had been decided - Mario and Waluigi, Peach and Koopa, Wario and Petey, Bowser and Bowser Jr, Luigi and Daisy, Toad and Toadette, King Boo and Paratroopa, and DK and Birdo. By that point, they were all heading to the DDG to pick out their karts and drive them over to Mushroom Bridge so they could start the race. Mario, Koopa and Paratroopa had gotten up extra early and headed to the DDG to do some extra work and inspection on each and every kart. After the accident that had happened 3 days ago, they were now aware of how dangerous - and lethal - these races could be, even when they appeared 100 safe on the outside. The three had inspected every nook and cranny of the kart armada. No loose tire bolts. No cut tethers. All the karts were in tip-top shape. On top of that, they'd paid a particular Repair Guy extra money to get up early and keep an eye on the garage, lest anyone try to sneak in and tamper with any vehicles. They had really taken all the precautions necessary to make sure something so terrible wouldn't happen again...
When Mario and Waluigi arrived at the DDG, Mario immediately went over to the Repair Guy who was keeping watch.
"Perdon seZor," Mario said to him. "Viste a alquien?"
"No, nadie entró," the Repair Guy responded.
"Está bien. Gracias," Mario said. He then walked back over to Waluigi, who looked at Mario all confused.
"What the hell were you talking to that guy about?" Waluigi asked.
"Nothing."
"Oh, come on! You were obviously talking about something!"
"Why's it any of your business?"
"I dunno, but I want to know anyway!"
"Let's just say I'm doing my job."
"What? You're being a Safety Inspector?"
"Yes. I'm doing what I can to make sure we don't have another accident like the one 3 days ago."
Waluigi gave Mario a rather odd look, but then just shook his head. "Bleh, let's just go pick our kart already. I say we take the Waluigi Kart!"
"Whatever..." Mario said with a groan.
As Mario was helping Waluigi to roll the Waluigi Kart out of the garage, he happened to look over and see Peach and Koopa hopping into one of the available Turbo Yoshis. Seeing her get into that particular vehicle made him feel a bit uneasy... Of course, because it was the kart Diddy had been driving that crashed... and also, staring at the face on the front of the car reminded him of Yoshi. He'd still yet to go visit him in the hospital, but he wondered if he really wanted to...
Mario had to close his eyes and scold himself. He didn't want these bad memories to be surfacing. At least not right then. He was about to do a race, and he needed to be pumped and ready for it. Once he saw they had now gotten the kart outside, and once he saw Waluigi jump into the driver's seat, Mario jumped into the backseat. They then sped off towards the racetrack.
As they were driving, Toad and Toadette pulled up alongside them in the Toadette Kart. Toad stood up in the backseat and called over. "Hey Waluigi!"
"What do you want?" Waluigi shouted back.
"I forgot to ask - did you remember to restock all the items!"
"Yeah! I'm the Items Commissioner, baby! It's my job! 100 Green Shells, 100 Red Shells, 20 Blue Shells, and a crapload of bananas for every race! I remembered! Don't worry about it!"
"What about the Special Items and stuff?"
"It's all taken care of Toad! Relax!"
"OK, just making sure! Oh, and does King Boo have all the special effects ready?"
"How the hell should I know? Go ask him!"
"Umm... Ah whatever! I'm sure he's got in all under control!"
The Waluigi Kart and Toadette Kart drove side by side to each other all the way to Mushroom Bridge, where the race would commence shortly...
Within the hour, all racers had lined up at the starting line for the race around Mushroom Bridge. Mario and Waluigi started the race in first place, while it was noticed that Bowser and Bowser Jr, who were driving the Koopa King, were starting in 8th. Everyone had their engines revved up and were waiting for Lakitu to drop down with the signal light that would start the race...
"Hey Mario!" Luigi called out from the Bloom Coach.
"What's up Luigi?!" Mario answered back.
"50 coins say Daisy and I beat you and Waluigi!"
"Why not make it 100?!" Waluigi cracked.
"Deal!"
Daisy looked up at Luigi from the driver's seat. "Luigi! What did I tell you about gambling? These are family friendly races! Besides, you're setting a bad example for our son..." She pointed at Baby Luigi, who was sitting in the driver's seat of a Barrel Train with Baby Mario.
"I'm setting a bad example? What about you and your drinking?"
"A glass of wine a day is good for you."
"Yeah but, you drink wine coolers... by the bottle."
"That's good enough. Now be quiet, the race is gonna start soon."
"Yes dear..."
Indeed, Daisy was right. Not a second later, Lakitu lowered himself down above the passengers, holding the signal light by the end of his fishing pole.
This moment before every race always felt the same, yet it never felt old. It was like the calm before a storm... A tangible aura of anxiety, excitement, and adrenaline surrounding the racers... It was as though their hearts had stopped, and the only thing that would get them beating again was the flash of the green light...
Lakitu began the countdown...
3...2...1.....
START!!
At that moment, the squeal of tires was heard all around as every driver stomped on their accelerator.
ZOOOOOOOOOM!!
Nearly every team had pulled off a double dash and were already speeding around the first curve. The only ones who had failed to pull it off were Bowser and Bowser Jr.
"C'mon Papa!" Bowser Jr whined. "Get driving already!"
"I'm trying! But it won't go!"
"It's the pedal on the right, Papa!"
"Huh? Oh, yeah!"
"You've been driving for HOW long again?"
"Be quiet and get ready to Mini-Turbo!"
Up further ahead on the racetrack, Waluigi and Mario were neck and neck with Daisy and Luigi, driving through the second tunnel. In their desperate attempts to pass one another, they didn't notice they were both about to rear-end a Wiggler Bus. Waluigi turned sharply to the left to avoid, and he did so with only a couple inches to spare. Daisy had tried to turn around it the other way, but she turned too late and accidentally brushed the side of the bus, causing her to spin out. Waluigi laughed with wicked pleasure.
"Yo Mario, I just drove us through an item box a few yards back. What've you got?"
"A Green Shell!"
"Nice! Wait 'til my signal then throw it backwards!"
"Uhh... Sure, OK!"
Waluigi drove them across Mushroom Bridge and to the finish line, putting them in the 2nd lap. Waluigi still hadn't signalled for Mario to throw the shell yet. Mario was getting nervous, because it looked like Daisy and Luigi had recovered from their previous mishap and were catching up quickly. It was only a matter of time before they got a Red Shell or something that would knock he and Waluigi out of first place.
Mario turned around to look at the racetrack ahead. They were almost out of the first tunnel now, and all there was a Bob-Omb car on the road ahead.
"Hey Waluigi!" Mario shouted against the wind, "Daisy and Luigi are catching up! When should I throw the shell back?!"
"Just one second!"
Waluigi drove in close to the Bob-omb Car, then quickly steered left to the side of it, then right again, cutting it off. Daisy and Luigi, who were so close that Mario could make out their competitive faces, were just about to do the same.
"NOW!"
Mario chucked the Green Shell backwards. It struck the Bob-Omb Car, causing it to explode. Daisy and Luigi were caught in the explosion and were sent skyward, doing a backflip and landing on their tires once again. Waluigi and Mario managed to speed ahead a great distance. They had entered the second tunnel by the time Daisy and Luigi were just rounding the bend. All they had to do was retain this excellent lead for another trip across the bridge and one more lap and the race would be theirs!
And indeed, Mario and Waluigi managed to keep their lead for another whole lap. They were now about to enter the second tunnel, so all they had to do was drive through it, and over the bridge to win! Daisy and Luigi were so preoccupied with Wario and Petey, who were in 3rd place, that they couldn't catch up. Waluigi and Mario were gonna win for sure!
Mario was thinking about the victory so much that he didn't even notice their kart slowing down. Waluigi had to shout it for him to even notice.
"Hey Mario, what the hell's up with my kart?"
"Huh?" Mario asked, "Why? What's happening?"
"It just stopped working! I can't get it to accelerate! It's like the engine's dead!"
"What? No way! We inspected the vehicles extra carefully this morning! And the one Repair Guy said no one was in the DDG all morning, either! What's going on?!"
"I don't know, but at this rate, we won't reach the finish line in the kart."
"Fine! Let's get out and run!"
"Run?!"
"Yeah! It's allowed! But we both have to cross the finish line for it to count!"
"Umm... OK. Let's go already!"
With that, Mario and Waluigi abandoned their vehicle and ran out the tunnel, ready to cross Mushroom Bridge to the finish line. They couldn't win, surely. It was only a matter of time before Daisy and Luigi sped by them to take the gold. They could try, though. They could certainly try.
Meanwhile, Bowser and Bowser Jr were just now zipping through the first tunnel on their 3rd lap, and they were undoubtedly in 8th place. Bowser Jr had now taken over the wheel, for it was then certain that he was a better driver. However, Bowser wasn't doing so hot as the item handler either.
"Hey Jr?! What's this thing again?! I forget!"
"What thing? I can't look back there, ya know!"
"Um, right. It's all blue and has wings and spikes and stuff..."
"Oh, Papa! That's a Spiny Shell! Hurry! Throw it! THROW IT!!"
"Throw it? Throw it at what?!"
"Just throw it forward! It'll fly on it's own! You know that!"
"Um... Of course I do..." Bowser mumbled. "But wait, what's this red thing tied to the bottom of it...?"
"Who cares! Just THROW IT!!"
"Umm... alright!" Bowser said, chucking the Spiny Shell forward. It opened its wings and flew ahead at high speed, leaving a blue trail in the air.
"Whoa! That thing can FLY!"
"Be quiet and get ready to Mini-Turbo!!"
Mario and Waluigi were only about halfway across the bridge, but they were running so hard they had worn themselves out, and they wondered if they could even make it. Waluigi suddenly stopped for air, and Mario, knowing he couldn't win without Waluigi, stopped and waited. Not a second later, Daisy and Luigi zoomed by, making cutting remarks as they did. Just another half of the bridge for them to go and they would win...
Suddenly, a familiar whooshing sound caught Mario's ear. He looked behind him and saw something incredible - a Spiny Shell! Homing in on Daisy and Luigi! And it was gonna hit them while they were still on the bridge! If he and Waluigi ran their absolute hardest, they might reach the finish line while Daisy and Luigi are still recovering from the blast! If they had a chance, they'd have to start running now!
"Waluigi!" Mario shouted, "Look! A Spiny Shell! It's gonna hit them, so if we run now, we might make it!"
Waluigi looked up and saw the Spiny Shell zoom right over their heads, flying straight for Daisy and Luigi. It was strange, but Mario thought he saw something red on the bottom of it as it passed over. Whatever it was, though, he quickly let it slip from his mind. "C'mon Waluigi! Let's go!!"
But Waluigi was staring at the Spiny Shell as it travelled, as though he didn't want to even risk getting near the explosion. Did he not know that the explosions in the races were simply blasts of concentrated air? He must have! He was the Items Commissioner for goodness sake!
But no... Waluigi watched the Spiny Shell with a much more serious look than Mario would've expected. He wasn't sure what Waluigi was thinking about, but it couldn't be good.
Mario felt himself about to take another step, but he looked back at Waluigi once more, who was staring at that shell as though in a trance. He clearly wasn't going to move on his own, but if Mario had to coax him, they weren't gonna win. Mario decided he'd just have to eat the loss. However, he didn't want to get any worse than 3rd, so he ran back to try and make Waluigi get started running...
Daisy and Luigi had just exited the second tunnel and were turning onto Mushroom Bridge for the 3rd and final time. As they sped along the traffic-infested bridge, they happened to notice Mario and Waluigi running towards the finish line. Running? But why? Daisy did seem to remember seeing a Waluigi Kart just sitting in the second tunnel. Possibly theirs. Had it broken down, maybe? That was strange... These karts never had a history of breakdowns in the past. It seemed odd, especially after that accident that had happened just 3 days before...
But Daisy didn't really care. If those two were left to run, there was no way they could win. She and Luigi would win, no matter what!
"We're gonna win, Luigi! We're gonna win!" Daisy shouted excitedly as she zoomed past the unfortunate pair of runners. The finish line was coming up fast.
"Yeah!" Luigi hollered. "We win the race AND 100 coins from Mario! This is awesome!"
However, Luigi's voice suddenly sounded concerned. "Oh no... Daisy! Spiny Shell alert!"
Daisy looked into her rearview mirror and groaned. "Will it hit us before we reach the finish line?"
Luigi had to take a second to think, but he didn't have long, since the Spiny Shell was zipping through the air above the road towards them extremely fast. It would make impact in a matter of seconds. "I think so!"
"Who else is on the bridge?"
"Petey and Wario, and Peach and Koopa are just getting on!"
Daisy looked ahead and saw they were still a good 50 feet or so from the finish line. "We can't take the blow! We gotta dodge it!"
"Dodge it?!" Luigi asked in desperation. He looked back and saw the Spiny Shell was but a few yards from them. He even thought he could see something red attached to the bottom of it. "How!?"
"Mini-Turbo!"
With that, Daisy started drifting off to the left, and Luigi used his backhand steering mechanism to ready a Mini-Turbo as fast as he could. As he did, he didn't take his eyes off the Spiny Shell behind him. Just as the sparks on their tires turned blue, it began to home in and prepare for the strike...
At that moment, Daisy stopped drifting and released the Mini-Turbo, causing the kart to boost off to the left and the Spiny Shell to go haywire and veer off to the right in indecision. Daisy reached back and Luigi gave her a high-five as they were just about to cross the finish line.
Looking behind, they watched the Spiny Shell suddenly flop, drop, and collide with the ground...
KABOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
An absolutely enormous explosion rocked the bridge! The massive red and yellow fireball that engulfed a huge section of the bridge was certainly not that of a standard Spiny Shell. Mario and Waluigi were blown backwards several feet and landed hard on their behinds. Seconds later, a sedan that had been driving on the bridge came hurtling from within the explosion, completely engulfed in flames. It landed with a CRASH! mere feet from Waluigi and barrel-rolled a few times before colliding with a truck in a huge mess of fiery debris.
After Mario sat up, he only stared at the blast as it disappeared into a huge cloud of black, rising smoke. Then, all of a sudden, a thought struck him like a bullet.
"LUIGI!!" he screamed, standing up and running in the direction of the smoke cloud. "DAISY!!"
Waluigi watched as Mario ran. The Spiny Shell had veered off to the right before it exploded, he remembered, and peering through the smoke, Waluigi could vaguely make out the damage that the explosion had done. It looked as though a huge, fiery giant had just taken a monstrous bite out of the right side of the end of the bridge with big, flaming teeth. Only the far left traffic lane had been spared, and he could see Mario running across it in a panic as he disappeared into the smoke. Several vehicles had been thrown off course or were overturned. Many were even on fire, and he knew for sure that some of them had fallen through the gaping hole into the water below. It was a good thing the vehicles that drove around Mushroom Bridge on race days were merely robots made for the Mario Kart Grand Prix, so there no one was getting hurt. Well, except possibly Luigi and Daisy...
Just as Waluigi stood up to go after Mario, Peach and Koopa in their Turbo Yoshi zoomed past him on his right side. Waluigi was about to yell to them that they were driving straight into danger, but thankfully, they already knew something was wrong and stopped right before the sight of the explosion. Peach immediately jumped out of her kart and ran back across the bridge towards Waluigi.
"Waluigi!" she asked. "You were racing with Mario, right? Where is he?!"
"Peach, a Spiny Shell was going after Daisy and Luigi. They dodged it, but when it hit the ground, it made this HUUUGE explosion! We think Luigi and Daisy might have gotten hurt, so Mario ran up there to go see!"
"Oh my goodness... Luigi and Daisy?!" she asked, wide-eyed.
"Yeah! I was gonna go follow him! You gonna come to? It looks kinda dangerous, so I don't think you should!"
Peach stared at the site of the explosion and bit her nails under her glove. It scared her to death that the man she loved was in there, plus the fact that his brother and her own best friend might've been hurt, or even killed. However, it did look really dangerous. There was fire everywhere, and seeing as that section of the bridge only had one lane being held up, she wondered how stable the bridge actually was at that point...
Looking over, she saw Petey and Wario setting up an emergency roadblock to stop all the other racers in the Grand Prix from getting on the bridge. Koopa was still standing next to the Turbo Yoshi, staring at the carnage in awe.
"...I'll go with you," Peach said to Waluigi, "And let's bring Koopa too."
"Sure thing," Waluigi replied. "I'll run ahead. You get Koopa and meet me up there, alright?"
"Alright," Peach answered.
The two then split. Waluigi ran into the smoke across the single lane and Peach ran towards Koopa, who still wasn't doing much.
Peach grabbed him by the shoulder, and he quickly came to and turned to face her. He barked loudly.
"I don't know! Waluigi said that a Spiny Shell was going after Daisy and Luigi, and that it made this big explosion that blew up this whole chunk of the bridge!"
Koopa went wide-eyed and barked a few more times.
"Waluigi says they dodged it, but they could still be hurt! Mario and Waluigi have already run ahead to help them! Come on, we're going too!"
Koopa barked excitedly and undid the tether around his wrist. They then began to run into the smoky cloud towards the only lane that hadn't been blown up. The smoke was so thick it was hard to see, so they could easily take a wrong step and go hurtling into the water below. There were whirlpools down there too, so that wouldn't be good to get caught and swallowed up by one...
Peach's line of thought was interrupted by an ear-splitting sound that made her stop. Koopa must've heard it, because he stopped running too. It sounded like a metal girder being snapped in half...
Suddenly, the sound came again. Louder this time. And a wave of fear swept over the two as it was accompanied by a massive jolt that shook the entire bridge. In the thick smoke, Peach and Koopa couldn't see much but each other, but they swore they heard the sound of something big landing in the water with a huge SPLASH!!
Suddenly, another loud sound rang through the air, and the bridge began to groan incessantly.
Koopa barked nervously.
"I don't know..." Peach muttered. She had a feeling in her gut, though, that something was very, very wrong...
CRRRACK!!
The road beneath Peach's feet suddenly gave way. She screamed and stumbled backwards, hearing the sound of many chunks of gravel splashing into the water.
Another loud CRRRRRACK!!
And then, the unthinkable happened...
Peach and Koopa suddenly felt the ground beneath them fall several feet, and when they landed after being airborne for a second, they felt the entire road beneath them was sloped at an angle! A loud SPLASH!!complimented the sudden drop.
Peach and Koopa found themselves rolling down the sloped ground beneath them. They realized now that their worst fears had come true... The half of the bridge they were on was collapsing. It had snapped loose and was sloped right into the ocean below. If they allowed themselves to roll down anymore, they would be swimming with the fishes. They tried desperately to dig their palms into the gravel to stop themselves.
"MARIO!!" Peach shouted. "MARIO!! HELP!!"
Koopa barked loudly, hoping maybe someone would hear his cries, too.
By this point, the smoke was beginning to clear up. However, not before Koopa heard the sound of metal scraping against concrete. He looked up and saw an overturned truck sliding down the slope on the other side of the road. It slid and dropped into the hole that had been created by the explosion, where it fell a few feet into the ocean with a big splash.
Suddenly, he and Peach both heard the sound of more and more vehicles beginning to slide down into the churning sea as the slope of the bridge became steeper and steeper. Peach and Koopa found it more and more difficult to hold on. If they had any hopes of surviving, they would have to run up the slope to the end of the bridge that was still intact. It would be dangerous, but they had no choice.
Peach got on all fours and started crawling up the slanting bridge. A Wiggler Bus tumbled down mere inches from her, and she watched as it crashed into the roaring ocean several yards back. In desperation, she increased her efforts to climb up.
Koopa saw what Peach was doing and decided it wad the best option. He began to crawl up too. Peach looked back to make sure Koopa was holding up OK before continuing to climb up. However, when she turned around, her heart stopped when she saw a mushroom car rolling right towards her. She screamed and leapt to the side.
But too late. It's heavy frame landed right on her left leg. She could hear the bones inside being crushed. The pain was so intense she at first couldn't even make a sound. A few seconds later and she was screaming and crying for her life. Koopa climbed up quickly in attempt to help her, but there was little he could do. He instead barked extra loud with hopes that maybe Mario or Waluigi, or even Luigi and Daisy if they were OK, would hear him.
Mario and Waluigi's faces suddenly came into view. Koopa waved to them and called for their assistance. Mario bravely leapt over the crack onto the sloping bridge that was sinking quicker than ever into the water. He slid down in a cool pose until he reached Peach.
"Thanks Koopa," Mario uttered as he hoisting the crying Peach up onto his back. "Keep pullin' up! I'll be back for you!"
Koopa nodded and continued to try and pull himself up towards safety. He was glad to see Mario had eventually been able to get Peach to safety, but still... The angle of the bridge must've been 45 degrees at that point, and was getting closer to vertical by the second. By now, all the vehicles in the danger zone had slid into the water already, so they were no longer a threat. However, he was still in danger of being swallowed by the sea and the vortexes within. He prayed and continued to pull himself up.
Koopa was delighted to see Mario once again show his face from up where it was safe. He must've been just about 20 feet away. Koopa was hopeful now that he would be able to make it...
However, just as Mario stepped over the crack, an ear-splitting SNAP! was heard. The noise struck Koopa's heart with fear. What was about to happen...?
Another SNAP!!, and the ground beneath Koopa suddenly swung into a completely vertical slope! He struggling to hold onto the concrete, but there was nothing to hold onto. He tumbled back and fell nearly thirty feet into the ocean, landing directly on his head.
He was disoriented at first, not knowing which direction the surface was, but he finally managed to poke his head out of the water. He looked up the vertical stone wall at Mario and Waluigi, and even saw Luigi and Daisy standing next to them! Seeing them alive made him feel better...
Fear filled his chest again when he noticed the crowd on the bridge going into a panic. Koopa himself began to panic as he saw the stone wall before him suddenly begin to break loose and fall over... Right on top of him! Koopa barked fearfully and attempted to dive under in order to escape the concrete's blow.
However, he wasn't fast enough. He had gotten a few feet under when he felt an unbelievably strong force smash against his shell. It struck so hard that he felt his shell crack under its power.
He saw the corpses of many sunken cars at the bottom of the sea, many of which were being pulled in by the force of the vortexes nearby.
It was the last thing Koopa ever saw before his vision faded to black...
Peach lay in her hospital bed, her left leg held up in a cast. She had just regained consciousness and saw all the members of the Double Dash team standing around her bed. Everyone sighed with relief when she woke up.
"Ugghhh..." she moaned. "When did I get here?"
The Ratooey doctor who had taken care of her was nearby. "Do you remember Peach? According to Mario, a mushroom car came tumbling towards you when the midsection of Mushroom Bridge collapsed. It crushed your left leg and broke it in three different places. In fact, it crushed your leg so badly it even broke the skin, and you were bleeding quite badly. You passed out from the pain as well as from blood loss, but you needn't worry - you'll be fine."
"Can I still race?" she asked.
"Not for a few days. You've lost a lot of blood, so you'll need a blood transfusion if you're to do much of anything from here on out. We've got a shipment of donated blood coming in tomorrow morning, so until then, expect to feel a bit woozy. After that's taken care of, however, it's possible that you can race after letting your leg heal for a few days."
"Oh, OK..." Peach replied.
"At least be thankful you managed to get out of your situation alive..."
Peach's eyes then shot open. "Koopa! He was with me when the bridge started to collapse! Is he OK too?"
Mario shook his head. "No Peach... I didn't get to him fast enough. The bridge fell so fast, and Koopa fell into the water. He could've made it, but the road suddenly fell over right on top of him. We couldn't see what happened, but Search and Rescue never found him. They said he must've got caught in the pull of one of the vortexes and... He's gone, Peach. He's gone."
Peach looked over at Paratroopa, who nodded with a sorrowful face. Poor thing must not have been able to believe that his lifelong partner was just a memory now.
"Oh, Poor Koopa... At least everyone else made it out, right? Luigi? Daisy?"
Luigi and Daisy showed themselves. "Yup," Daisy explained. "We managed to dodge that Spiny with a well-timed Mini-Turbo. Good thing, too - that thing would've blown us to pieces."
"Seriously!" added Luigi. "Funny though... The force of the explosion behind us actually propelled us over the finish line. So, umm... We won the race! AND won 100 coins! Umm... well, not that it matters now."
Indeed, none of that DID matter now. Koopa was now the second member of the Mario Kart Double Dash team to be killed in a freak accident... and Peach was the second to be seriously injured. All this in two races right in a row! Madness!
Peach then looked at the doctor. "Doctor? How's Yoshi doing?"
The Ratooey smiled and moved aside, revealing Yoshi in the bed next to her. He was fully conscious, and sure looked happy to see everyone, despite his evident pain. Of course, seeing Peach in her hospital bed made him frown again.
"Yoshi?" he asked.
"Oh... It's terrible, I know," Peach said over to him. "Looks like it'll be just you and me in here for a little while."
Yoshi forced a smile and nodded, though that just seemed to make his head hurt, for he promptly stopped and plopped his head back on the pillow with a painful squeal. The Ratooey doctor shook his head. "Yoshi, What have I told you about nodding? You have a fracture in your frickin' skull. It's common sense!"
Peach turned back to the group around her. "I appreciate you all coming to visit me here. Especially you, Mario. Thank you for saving me out there..."
Mario smiled and nodded. "No problem. Saving you is just what I do!"
Everyone laughed a little. However, Peach soon realized that someone in the crowd was missing. Of course, Diddy and Koopa couldn't be there... and neither could Yoshi. Someone besides them... Who was it?"
Peach then thought she knew. "Hey Toadette?" she asked.
"Yeah Peach?" Toadette replied.
"Where's your brother?"
Everyone looked at Toadette and expected an answer. They, too, were wondering where Toad had gone during such an urgent time. "I dunno..." she said. "He's probably back at the office. This whole thing has just created a boatload more work for him. I mean, we have to consider that Mushroom Bridge is one of the Mushroom Kingdom's most famous landmarks (as stated in the MK:DD Instruction Manuel), so the costs to repair the damage done to it must be crazy high!"
"Oh yeah, that's right," Wario recalled, "That was the bridge that General Franklin D Koopsevelt had built so that people could get over to Mushroom Island and cross over Mushroom Bay, which flows in from Mushroom Ocean..."
"Right," Toadette said. "In any case, don't worry Peach. I'm sure Toad will visit you once all that stuff is sorted out!"
Peach then began to drift into deep thought. "...What do you think it is that made the bridge explode anyway?"
Everyone looked at one another and mumbled, not sure what to think. From what they'd heard of eyewitness accounts - namely from Mario, Waluigi, Luigi, and Daisy - a Spiny Shell had crashed and blown up the bridge. But... just a normal Spiny Shell? It couldn't have been...
"King Boo!" Luigi asked. "You're in charge of the special effects, right? Did you have anything to do with it?"
King Boo's face grew tense. "Are you fuggin' KIDDING me?! I deal in visual effects only! That explosion couldn't have come from any of my equipment! Stop trying to put the blame on me!"
"Does anyone remember throwing a Blue Shell near the end of the race?"
"I do," Bowser said. "I don't know if it was the one that blew up the bridge though. I do remember seeing something kinda red at the bottom of it..."
Mario and Waluigi remembered seeing something red on the Spiny Shell's underside as it passed over as well, plus Luigi saw it as it was coming in for the strike. Could this 'red thing' on the bottom of it had aided in the explosion?
"Bowser, do you remember what the red thing looked like?"
Bowser grumbled. "How the hell should I remember?! Jr and I were in last place! We were desperate to do something, so I just kinda chucked the shell really fast! I don't remember a thing. Sorry! And even if it WAS the thing that blew up the bridge, it's not like it's MY fault! It just came to me through the Item Roulette! That's all! I swear!"
"It's true!" Bowser Jr cried, trying to chime in.
"Well fine then, who handles the item distribution during the races then...?"
Waluigi suddenly changed the subject. "Oh, and you guys know something else? My kart's engine stalled right in the tunnel before the bridge, so we had to get out and run! I think whoever was supposed to examine the karts before the races wasn't doing a very good job..."
Everyone suddenly found themselves looking at Mario. Mario shot Waluigi an angry look, then threw his hands up. "Hey, I swear to you all! Koopa, Paratroopa and I made sure every kart was in top condition! Hell, we even paid a Repair Guy to stay and guard the place! I don't know what went wrong with our kart, Waluigi, but you can't blame me for that! Honest! We did the best we could. I did the best I could! Besides, who cares about what happened to our kart? What does that have to do with Mushroom Bridge blowing up and Koopa getting killed, huh!?"
Waluigi was about to say something in protest when Peach finally screamed. "STOP IT! STOP ARGUING! ALL OF YOU!!"
Peach's outburst was enough to make everyone sulk back and be quiet.
"I appreciate you all coming to visit me, but come on - if the accident's all you wanna talk about, don't do it around me. I already have bad enough memories of that bridge falling down with me on it, so... Just go. All of you. I wanna be alone now."
Everyone simply nodded and began to slowly leave the hospital room. Birdo stopped by Yoshi's bed and said something to him in nasally Birdo talk before leaving herself. DK and Paratroopa were the last ones out of the room...
Later that night, Paratroopa and Bowser Jr were dropped off on the Super Mario Kart edition of Rainbow road by the Cheep-Cheep blimp. After wheeling the Parade Kart out from the blimp's cargo hold, it immediately departed. Bowser Jr waved good-bye as it flew away. "Be back for us in an hour, alright?!" he called out to the pilot.
Once the blimp was out of sight, Bowser Jr hopped into the Parade Kart's driver seat. He then looked and saw Paratroopa simply standing and staring out at the starry night. He seemed as though he'd totally forgotten the reason why he was up there. Bowser Jr was growing impatient and saw fit to remind him. "Hellooo?! Paratroopa?! You agreed to come up here to help me practice for the Rainbow World Cup! It's in, like, 5 days! Did you completely forget or what?!"
Paratroopa looked back at Bowser Jr with sad eyes. He then barked in a tone that matched his mood.
Bowser Jr just grunted. "Yeah, so Koopa's dead. Mario's killed tons of Koopas in the past. I don't see why THAT one was so important!"
Paratroopa just shook his head. He wasn't sure why, but he found himself climbing up into the Parade Kart's backseat behind Bowser Jr. He barked as though he was ready to begin practicing.
"Alright!" Bowser Jr yelled excitedly, revving up the kart's engine. "Let's start off driving kinda slow, since I don't really know this course too well. It was made before I was even born, I think."
Bowser Jr stepped on the gas pedal slightly and began to cruise along at a steady pace. He hoped to learn the course's layout before he went attempting any Time Trials.
Since they weren't doing anything to rigorous, Bowser Jr decided to strike up a conversation. "So... The Rainbow World Cup. You excited about it?"
Paratroopa had to think about that for a second, but then finally decided to nod. Bowser Jr saw in his rearview mirror. "Cool. Me too! I'm totally psyched about it!! Wonder what team we're going against? I haven't heard anything about that..."
Paratroopa simply shrugged. He clearly wasn't in a talking mood.
Bowser Jr braked as he was approaching a group of flashing Thwomps. He waited for one to crash onto the ground, then as it was rising up, he cruised right under and continued to drive at a brisk pace. He was probably about a third of the way done with one lap.
"So..." Bowser Jr then said, "We've had two big accidents in four days. Can you believe it? Kinda scary, huh?"
Paratroopa made a brief bark and nodded. This was kind of a touchy issue for him. However, Bowser Jr didn't even seem to notice. "Yeah," he continued, "I still hadn't even gotten over the first one, and BOOM! Mushroom Bridge just blows up like that! And they were blaming my dad because he was the one that threw the Spiny Shell that blew the bridge up! Can you believe that?!"
Paratroopa made a few low barks.
"Oh..." Bowser Jr replied. "You don't wanna talk about that?"
Paratroopa shook his head.
"Hmm... Alright, fine. What about the first accident, then? You know, the one with Yoshi and Diddy? That one was pretty crazy, eh?"
Paratroopa looked from side to side, his expression kind of uneasy. It was clear that he didn't want to talk about that accident either. Strangely enough, his reaction after being reminded of this one was far different than the other. Bowser Jr didn't even notice, though.
"It's weird, cuz their kart's wheel broke off. I've done a bit of auto work with my dad before, and I always thought these karts we ride were built like tanks! You know, like, totally unbreakable! You're the head automechanic, right? And Koopa was, too? Didn't you check to see if the wheel was on right?"
Paratroopa quickly shook his head and barked in a rather harsh manner.
"Whoa, easy there! I didn't say that!"
Koopa uttered a disgusted sound.
"Look, all I'm saying is that the wheel falling off the Turbo Yoshi doesn't seem like just an accident. I was talking to my dad about it, and he agreed with me. Someone did that on purpose to hurt Yoshi and Diddy..."
Paratroopa barked a quick reply.
"OK, OK! You've already told me, like, a thousand times that you didn't do it! I believe you, man! Settle down!"
Bowser Jr braked for yet another group of flashing Thwomps and waited until it was safe to pass under. He was almost done with one lap.
Paratroopa put his hand to his chin and barked a question.
"Yeah... that whole 'Spiny Shell blowing up Mushroom Bridge' thing is weird, too. Now THAT one was definitely no accident..."
Paratroopa barked accusingly.
"Hey! I already told you, my dad had nothing to do with it! He just happened to get that Spiny Shell from the Item Roulette thingy, so just be quiet! It's not his fault!"
Parakarry made another sneer.
"Hey, how come I'm not allowed to accuse you of messing with the Turbo Yoshi's tires, but you can accuse my dad of blowing up the bridge?! That's not fair!"
Paratroopa thought about that for a second, then realized Bowser Jr was making a good point. He barked a quick apology.
"Thanks. I still wonder, though...That Spiny Shell... It was in the Item Roulette, yeah? Someone must've stashed it in the item supply for that race so that someone would blow up! Another attempted murder, maybe?"
Paratroopa scratched his chin and barked a thought out loud.
"Hmm... Yeah. It was going after Luigi and Daisy... Think that's who the target of the killer was?"
Paratroopa shook his head and barked a rebuttal.
"Oh, that's true. That Spiny Shell could've been gotten by anyone at anytime. ANYONE could've been in first place when that Spiny Shell was obtained. Does that mean the killer didn't really care who got blown up?"
Paratroopa shrugged. Thinking back to the Turbo Yoshi accident, he barked a few times.
"Hey yeah... Maybe the one who set up the Turbo Yoshi and the Spiny Shell Bomb are the same guy!"
Paratroopa then barked a comment.
"Hmm... good point. The first accident seemed set up so that Yoshi and Diddy only would get killed, but the second one was set up so that it didn't really matter who would get killed. That's weird... Unless maybe the killer screwed with the Turbo Yoshi's tires before anyone even picked their kart for the race. In that case, both accidents were set up so that it didn't matter who would get killed. But that's even weirder... Who would just kill like that for no reason?"
Paratroopa didn't believe that the murderer had no reason for doing what he/she was doing, though it did strike him as odd that they supposedly had no idea of who was going to fall into their wicked designs. Murderers usually have a target, don't they...?
Nonetheless, Paratroopa barked a good bit of insight.
"Hmm... That's true, huh? Whoever's setting up these accidents is obviously in the Mario Kart team. Does that mean that one of the people we race with is the killer?"
Paratroopa shrugged, but agreed it was very possible.
"Damn... Well, whoever it is, I'm gonna find 'em and RIP THEIR BALLS OFF!!"
Paratroopa laughed and barked something.
"Umm... right. If it's a guy."
Bowser Jr had finally finished his one lap and braked at the finish line. "Hmm... the course layout's pretty standard. Those shiny Thwomps might cause some trouble though..."
Bowser Jr then turned around to look at Paratroopa. "Ya know, I just thought of something. That Spiny Shell was going after Luigi and Daisy, but in the end, it was Koopa that had to die..."
Paratroopa looked away out into the starry night again. He made a low bark.
"I know. It IS unfair. Stupid killer person... It's not like Koopa did anything to deserve that, ya know?"
Paratroopa just looked at Bowser Jr with a serious face. He looked so depressed, but it seemed to Bowser Jr that Koopa's death wasn't the only thing saddening him at the moment...
Paratroopa then closed his eyes and shook his head. He pointed down the road and made a somewhat enthusiastic bark.
"You wanna go for a full-speed lap around SNES Rainbow Road now?"
Paratroopa nodded.
"Yeah, you're right. We DID come up here to practice for the Rainbow World Cup. One slow lap ain't gonna help us prepare! We gotta master 'em ALL!!" He was about to stomp on the accelerator, but then stopped himself.
All this talk about car accidents and people dying made him feel really uneasy. If the killer truly didn't care about who his/her victims were, was it possible that they were watching Bowser Jr and Paratroopa at that moment? Could they have already set up an elaborate death trap on SNES Rainbow Road that might hurt or kill the first unlucky driver to speed right into it? The thought gave him chills.
He looked up at Paratroopa, who seemed to be more or less thinking the same thing...
Bowser Jr had his foot on the pedal, not sure whether to go nuts and floor it or take it slow and easy again. Not knowing what to do, he looked up at Paratroopa.
"Yo Paratroopa? Sure you wanna go for a time trial? Or just do another practice lap?"
Paratroopa was still a little uneasy about driving fast, considering what they had just been discussing. He barked a quick question.
Bowser Jr looked around. "Hmm... That's a good question. I don't see him anywhere... But hey, I told Toad we were coming up here to practice. I don''t see why Toad would forget to send him up here for us. This track IS about 3 miles above the Earth..."
Paratroopa thought of something and barked it out.
"That's true... Lakitu could've saved Peach and Koopa from Mushroom Bridge while it was collapsing, couldn't he? I wonder where he was when it happened? I mean, he was there at the beginning of the race when he did the signal light, but I didn't see him after that..."
Paratroopa shrugged. He had no idea.
Bowser Jr then turned to look up at Paratroopa. "Ya know, you can fly... YOU could've flown over and saved Koopa."
Paratroopa stared down at Bowser Jr with a cold stare and barked an angry-sounding rant. Bowser Jr was taken aback.
"OK! OK! Chill man! Chill! I know, I know... You're an automechanic, not a rescue worker. And yes, I know King Boo and Petey can fly too, and that all of you stayed back on the other side of the bridge to set up the roadblock and all that junk. I didn't mean to sound accusing. Really..."
Paratroopa just uttered a groan and drooped his head.
"Though, I gotta wonder... King Boo can't die. He's already dead! He'd have had nothing to lose if he'd just jumped in to save Koopa. Why didn't he-?"
Paratroopa barked loudly, shook his head, and motioned for Bowser Jr to start driving. Bowser Jr could tell Paratroopa was kind of upset and did just that.
Bowser Jr drove slowly and steadily. A good 10 mph or so faster than last time, but still on the lookout for any devious traps that their 'killer' might have set up. Bowser Jr kept an eye out for a while until he was about halfway done with this lap. Feeling a wee bit more confident, he began to talk again.
"Ya know, I was just thinking back to Diddy's funeral..."
Paratroopa didn't make any moves to try and shut Bowser Jr up, so he continued. "Mario got up on the podium and was gonna start saying something about how the accident at Wario Colosseum wasn't really an accident... Do you remember?"
Paratroopa made a low bark. Despite the fact that his partner had died during the Mushroom Bridge catastrophe, it seemed to Bowser Jr that the Wario Colosseum accident was a touchier subject for him. It struck Bowser Jr as odd, but he continued nonetheless. "Yeah, well... I remember Mario was gonna talk, but then Toad stopped him and told everyone to go away. My dad and I thought it was pretty weird... Don't you think so, too?"
Paratroopa shrugged and said nothing.
"Yeah. Toad's been acting funny lately. Mario says its because he's just busy prepping for the Rainbow World Cup... plus, these two crazy ass accidents have created a lot of work for him. Of course, my dad and I know better than to believe what Mario says! But still... I kinda wanna talk to Toad one day and just see what's up, ya know?"
Paratroopa nodded in agreement, but again said nothing.
"Oh, and what about that Mr V guy?" Bowser Jr asked, a hint of nervous enthusiasm in his voice. "He's a weird one, eh?"
Paratroopa barked as though saying "Hellz yeah..."
Bowser Jr laughed, but then felt himself grow a wee bit tense. "Yeah... Remember last night when we were all drinking and stuff? Mr V's voice was like, coming out of nowhere? I swear to God, I think that guy's a ghost or something."
Paratroopa laughed and barked a reply. He seemed a little more sociable now that they were off the subject of the Wario Colosseum accident.
Bowser Jr nodded with a chuckle as he braked for a group of shiny Thwomps while waiting to drive through an opening. "Yeah, I'm gonna have to see if that legend is true... While you're talking to him on the phone, open his office door and look in. Then you see what he truly is. But then he kills you, right?"
Paratroopa shrugged, but was feeling curious about that himself.
"Well, whoever the hell that guy is, he's without a doubt involved in this whole accident thing. I can tell you that!"
Paratroopa nodded with a frown, reminded of the fact that his partner had been killed by one of those accidents only earlier that day...
Bowser Jr stopped at the finish line. Having completed a second slow practice lap, he was confident that this course was yet untouched by the killer's designs. However, it still bothered him that Lakitu was nowhere to be seen...
Bowser Jr looked off the edge of the road. It was so dark he couldn't even see the Earth below. Only stars shining all around. He imagined that if he fell, it would be forever...
Bowser Jr seriously needed to know if Lakitu was really there. Toad had said he would send Lakitu up there for them... Hadn't he? He couldn't remember. But even if he hadn't, come on - it's Lakitu! Mr Dependable! Well, he hadn't been so dependable when Mushroom Bridge was collapsing... Aye, so much going on...
Bowser Jr almost considered just driving right off the edge and seeing if Lakitu would come pick them up. It may have seemed like a crazy idea, but in truth, it was no more crazy than flooring it and going for a high speed time trial lap, which he now felt more than ready to do. He was bound to fall off at least once, seeing as he'd only done two slow practice laps on this particular course.
Bowser Jr figured by now, it was clear he was going to fall off the track no matter what he did. Was it worth the risk? Was it worth it to see if Lakitu would come to their rescue? Alternatively, he could've just called for the Cheep Cheep Blimp to come pick them up right then, but Bowser Jr was still curious...
Bowser Jr looked up at Paratroopa. "Hey pal, whaddya think? A, B, or C?"
Paratroopa thought for a second, then barked his answer.
Bowser Jr was thoroughly surprised. "Really? You choose A? You wanna drive off the edge and see if Lakitu'll come and get us?"
Paratroopa nodded. Bowser Jr nodded accordingly and got ready to stomp on the gas, but suddenly stopped.
"Ya know, Paratroopa... when you think about it, we're really taking a big risk here. Is it really worth it if it'll only mean we'll have a shot at mastering this course?"
Paratroopa didn't have to think long before simply nodding. He looked out into the starry sky again.
Koopa... Wherever he was, Paratroopa was just glad he'd now endured the sweet embrace of death. Paratroopa actually kind of hoped Lakitu didn't come to save them. If he didn't, Paratroopa would just let his wings relax and plummet all the way down to Earth. Wherever Koopa was now, Paratroopa hoped to go there one day soon as well, and escape the hellhole that Double Dash had become...
Bowser Jr gritted his teeth, gripped the wheel, rose his foot, and stomped on the gas. The Parade Kart sped forward at full speed.
Bowser Jr then took a sharp left...
And the kart skidded through a tight turn...
And before they knew it, the Rainbow ground had all but left them!
The Trophy Kart was launched out into space. A feeling of weightlessness overcame the two riders. For some reason, this was way cooler than any of the other 20 bazillion times either one had driven off any course.
Bowser Jr threw his arms up. "BOOOYAAAHAHAHA!!" he exclaimed.
Paratroopa just let his wings go slack and stared out into the starlit sky. A feeling of fear and anxiety in his chest...
The Kart and its riders fell for a long time...
Until Bowser Jr finally looked over the edge at the Earth below. He could see the ground now. They were falling right above Mario Circuit, sort of near Peach's Castle, where he remember Diddy was buried.
It then suddenly occurred to him...
Lakitu hadn't come to rescue them.
They were falling and falling... but their usual salvation was nowhere to be found. Bowser Jr looked around the night sky in worry, but saw no Lakitu! Where was he?!
Bowser Jr suddenly started to feel very scared, a feeling of impending doom filling up in his gut like a balloon. Terrified, he turned to Paratroopa. "Paratroopa!!" he shouted over the rushing upwind, "Where's Lakitu!? Do you see him anywhere?!"
Paratroopa didn't move. He looked at Bowser Jr, evidently acknowledging what he had said, but then merely continued to stare up at the stars. The look on his face... It almost looked like he was at peace. What the hell?! Did he not realize they were seconds from death?!
"Paratroopa!? Come on, man!! Start flying or something! Save us!!"
But Paratroopa didn't move. It was almost like he was looking forward to the moment they crashed on the ground...
Bowser Jr was now getting frantic. The dot below that was Peach's Castle was growing bigger by the second. In a fit of panic, Bowser Jr began to claw at the tether around his wrist. Deep down, he knew he'd die whether he was attached to the Kart or not, but he couldn't think straight. He just felt trapped - and his only possible savior was sitting there behind him like a stone! What was he gonna do!?
By this point, they were only a couple hundred feet from impact. Bowser Jr was now crying hysterically. As he clawed relentlessly at his tether, he began to cry out. "HEEELP!! DADDY!! SOMEBODY!! HELP UUUS!!"
He quickly turned around and looked at Paratroopa with pleading eyes. "Paratroopa! PLEASE do something!!"
Paratroopa looked at Bowser Jr, his expression blank.
But not soon after, his eyes suddenly became softened with sadness... He returned Bowser Jr's frightened glare, and realization came flowing through him.
As much as Paratroopa may have been willing to die, Bowser Jr was not. Paratroopa knew that, and even though Bowser Jr was the son of Bowser, the King of Evil, he was still just a kid. An innocent kid that didn't deserve to die.
Paratroopa realized his death would come at the cost of another's life. A life that didn't want to be taken, nor deserved to be...
In that instant, Paratroopa's face became tense. He grabbed the tether around his wrist and pulled it loose.
He then held out his hand towards Bowser Jr.
Bowser Jr smiled wider than his own father had probably ever seen. Feeling a wave of hope, he was able to undo his tether. He then grabbed Paratroopa's outstretched hands with both of his own.
Paratroopa began to flap his wings...
And almost majestically, he and Bowser Jr were lifted right out of their seats.
The two hovered in one spot and watched as the Parade Kart fell the mere remaining fifty feet or so onto the concrete road of Mario Circuit. It landed with a loud SMASH! and sent chunks of gold metal flying in all directions. They both knew it - had they been sitting in that vehicle when it landed, they'd have both been dead in an instant.
Still grasping Paratroopa's hands, Bowser Jr had to take a moment to breathe after that terrifying experience. After several seconds, he opened his eyes and looked around. He found they were still hovering in the same spot. Only the sound of Paratroopa's flapping wings filled the silent, night air.
Bowser Jr looked up. He saw Paratroopa staring out into the starry night, just as he'd been doing during the perilous plunge before he'd saved them. He wondered what Paratroopa saw when he looked up at those stars... Was there something he hoped to see?
Nonetheless, Bowser Jr tugged Paratroopa's arm to get his attention. Paratroopa looked down at him.
"Thanks Paratroopa..." was all Bowser Jr managed to say.
Paratroopa looked down at the wrecked vehicle below them, back up into the sky, and let out a sigh. He then looked back down at Bowser Jr with a faint smile. He barked, as though saying "You're welcome."
Without another word, Paratroopa began to fly towards the Resting Quarters, hoping to get there before Lights Out. He and Bowser Jr had had enough excitement that day...
Mario was tucking Baby Mario into bed. Baby Mario had been crying a lot ever since he saw his mother get hurt during the collapse of the Mushroom Bridge. His crying had tired him out a lot, and Mario was tucking him in like any good father.
"Don't you worry about a thing," Mario told his son, "Mommy's not hurt too bad. She just hurt her leg. Just a little boo-boo. She'll be OK soon."
Baby Mario cooed as though he understood.
Mario then leaned in a little closer. "This is just between you and me, but it's been forever since she and I have made love. I was thinkin' about doing it tonight but... Damn, I guess not, huh?"
Baby Mario laughed. Mario laughed too.
"Alright, I guess you didn't need to hear that... Whatever, go to bed now, little man. See you in the morning."
Baby Mario nodded and got ready to drift off to sleep.
Mario turned around and began to walk over to his own bed. As he did, he looked down. "Ugh... I was all prepped for it, too. Guess I'll just have to stroke meh monkey tonight..." he muttered to himself.
Once he did, he heard Baby Mario laugh again.
Mario sat down on his bed. A second later, a very depressed-looking Toadette sat down next to him. "Hi Mario," she said.
Mario looked over at her. "Hey Toadette. Something wrong?"
Toadette looked up at him as though asking why the hell he was asking that. Of course, he already knew more or less what was wrong.
"Another accident..." she said quietly. "Another racer... dead. Can you believe it?"
Mario shook his head. "No... I thought Diddy's death was a huge deal, but I never thought I'd see Mushroom Bridge blow up right in front of me..."
Toadette gave Mario a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry about Peach."
Mario looked as though he really had to try hard to force his emotions down when she said that. "Thanks... I'm just grateful she didn't die. I feel terrible about Koopa, though. I could've saved him... If only I'd acted a second sooner. He was probably only about twenty feet away. I was so close to saving him..." He closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I can't imagine how Paratroopa must feel."
"Don't worry. I'm sure he'd understand if you just told him you tried. He can't possibly blame you for that."
"Yeah, that's true..." Mario moaned, though he didn't lift his head.
Toadette had to think hard about whether or not she should ask her next question. Mario was already upset enough as it was, it seemed. However, deep in her gut, she knew she had to.
"Hey Mario? You think maybe... that explosion was another... not so accidental accident?"
Mario looked up at her, his face cold as stone. "I know it was."
Toadette felt her stomach creep up her throat. "...You think the same person who set up Yoshi and Diddy's accident is responsible?"
"I would imagine," Mario thought aloud.
"Well, lemme think... Bowser claims to have gotten that particular Spiny Shell from the Item Roulette, that Spiny Shell that he said had something red on the bottom?"
"Yeah," Mario remembered. "I saw something red on the bottom of the Spiny Shell when it flew over me and Waluigi."
"...A bomb?"
Mario looked at her. "I think most of us have figured THAT out by now..."
Toadette rolled her eyes. "Ugh, well of course! I'm just thinking, that Spiny Shell must've been smuggled into the Item Supply for that race so that someone would end up using it, and thus, someone would end up getting blown up!"
Mario scratched his chin. "So now this person wants to kill Luigi and Daisy..."
"Yeah..." Toadette moaned, "But looks like they ended up getting Peach and Koopa instead..."
"I don't get it, though," reasoned Mario, "Anyone could've been in 1st place when Bowser chucked that shell. How would the perpetrator know who it would hit Luigi and Daisy?"
Toadette thought that was a good point. "Well, let's try and figure out 'who' before we get to the 'why'. WHO could it be? WHO has the authority to supply items for races?"
"Who has the authority?" Mario asked. "That would be Waluigi. He's the Items Commissioner. Or Toad. Or Mr V. They're the President and Vice President, so... yeah. But more than just authority, who has the ability to stash items into the race's item supply? Anyone."
"But wouldn't it make more sense if someone authorized to stash items did it?"
"Well," Mario argued, "Koopa and Paratroopa were the only ones 'authorized' to fix and repair vehicles, but that didn't stop the killer from tampering with the Turbo Yoshi's wheels, did it?"
Toadette nodded. Again, Mario had a good point.
"Besides," Mario continued, "If you're trying to put the blame on Waluigi, I wouldn't bother. Just before we reached Mushroom Bridge, our kart's engine suddenly died. We were forced to run the rest of the race..."
"Were you two in 1st place when that happened? Ahead of Luigi and Daisy?" Toadette asked.
"Yeah. Makes me think maybe the killer somehow knew that the Spiny Shell would target us, so he somehow remotely stalled our kart and allowed Luigi and Daisy to pass us. That way, when Bowser threw the Spiny Shell, it targeted them, and not us."
"Hmm..." thought Toadette, "That's a pretty far-fetched theory. But... It still doesn't really help us figure out who the killer might be..."
Mario took a deep sigh and looked Toadette in the eyes. "You talked about this to anyone else?"
Toadette shook her head.
"Really? Not even your brother?"
"No..." she answered.
"So... Why me, then?"
Toadette looked down at the ground. "Cuz you're the only one I really trust."
Her words seem to sink into Mario's mind like water in a sponge. Had she just said that she only trusted him out of everyone there? Had... she just said that she didn't even completely trust her own brother?
At that moment, the door to the Resting Quarters opened, and Toad walked. He looked just as crestfallen as he had three nights ago after Diddy's funeral.
"Everyone, I have some announcements to make... The tragedy that happened today is as terrible as it was unexpected. Let us pray for Peach's well-being, and let us pray that Koopa is in peace wherever he has gone..."
"The bottom of a whirlpool? Not too peaceful down there!" Wario cracked. He and Petey high-fived.
"Shut up, Fat Boy!" Toad shouted. "Now then, since we are short two members yet again, we've made some team alterations. Daisy and Birdo will now be an official team, as will DK and Paratroopa. Teams will remain this way even into the Rainbow World Cup, which I hope you all remember is coming in about 5 days now..."
"Umm... Toad?" Luigi asked, "Are you sure it's a real good idea to put DK and Paratroopa on the same team? I mean, they've both..."
"That's enough," Toad silenced.
Luigi merely nodded and sulked back down again.
"Right then, moving on. We did have a race scheduled for tomorrow on DK Mountain, but considering what has just happened, I see fit to let you all have another day off to just reflect."
There was a small celebration amongst the not-so-caring ones of the group.
"However!" Toad continued, "We still are required to do two more races before the Rainbow World Cup begins, so the next two days will be reserved for the races on DK Mountain and Daisy Cruiser, respectively, regardless of what happens on or off the racetrack. That way, the two days proceeding the Rainbow World Cup will be reserved for preparation of that very event. I hope that's clear to everyone."
Toad then checked his papers real quick. "And speaking of the explosion earlier today, if you please, donate a few extra dollars towards the funds attempting to rebuild Mushroom Bridge. Though it will no longer be made of materials dating back to the 18th century, which is what gave it much of its history, it's the symbolism that counts, right?"
"PSSH!" Bowser snarled. "Who the hell cares?! It's just a stupid bridge!!"
Toad looked at Bowser with an annoyed face. "Bowser... Where's your son?"
Bowser raised an eyebrow. "You sent him and Paratroopa up to practice on SNES Rainbow Road for the Rainbow World Cup! Don't you remember? Or are you totally braindead?"
"Oh, that's right..." Toad moaned, rubbing his head. "Geez, I didn't even check the clock before I sent 'em off. Lights Out is in, like... right now. Well, I'll cut them some slack, on account of it being my own mistake. Be sure to let 'em in when they come back, alright? Good night, guys..."
Before walking out, he whispered to himself, "And God help us all..."
With that, he switched off the light, casting the Resting Quarters in darkness. Paratroopa and Bowser Jr had still yet to return...
Toad's footsteps faded into nothingness as he walked away from the Resting Quarters. The Resting Quarters lay in silent darkness for several seconds. Until...
"COAST IS CLEAR!!"
A flashlight beam pierced the blackness and shot across the room. As everyone suspected, it was from Bowser's bed. "Alright fellas, come on over to Bowser's Bar! Open 'til I feel like goin' to sleep!"
The immediate shuffling of feet was heard in the dark. That night, everyone had gathered around Bowser's bed except for the babies and Luigi. They all took their preferred beverages out of Bowser's large chest and began to drink merrily.
Bowser used his flashlight to observe the crowd around him. "Hey, where's Koopa? He said he was gonna join us tonight!"
"He's DEAD, you moron!" Daisy shouted. "The least you could do is acknowledge that!"
"Hey, gimme a break!" Bowser grumbled. "I care that he's dead! Really! Little guy was one of my best cohorts! Always washed my socks and fed my fish and stuff... Yessir, once I die and go to Heaven, I'll be sure to let him know I respected him."
"Too bad you're not going to Heaven," Mario said under his breath.
"WHAT?! Why you-!! Hm, wait... Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey King Boo, when you finally decide to just stop being a ghost and cross over, let him know, OK?"
King Boo merely chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry Bowser, but I think I'm headed down south myself..."
"Down south?" Bowser asked, confused. "Why would you go to Antarctica when you cross over?"
King Boo just cackled again and resumed lapping up his spiced rum with his big tongue.
Suddenly, the sound of someone approaching the door was heard outside. Everyone suddenly became scared. Was it Toad? What if he caught them drinking after Lights Out?! Bowser threw up his arms in a panic. "HIDE THE HOOCH!!" he yelled.
Suddenly, the door flew open...
And in ran Bowser Jr and Paratroopa.
Bowser shined his flashlight on the two just to make sure who they were. When he saw his smiled, he smiled a stupid grin. "Jr!"
Bowser Jr smiled too. "Papa!!" He ran up and jumped up onto the bed next to his dad.
"Where the heck were you two?" asked Daisy.
"...We were just practicing racing on SNES Rainbow Road," Bowser Jr answered.
Paratroopa barked and nodded. He flew up to the chest and yanked out a bottle of whisky which he began to chug down.
"Damn, look at that bastard go!" exclaimed Wario. "Well, I guess I understand, considerin' you just lost your partner... How ya feelin'?"
Paratroopa didn't answer, and merely continued to chug down his whisky.
"So," Mario said, "DK, you decided to join us today. How are you?"
DK swallowed his mouthful of ginger beer and sighed. "DK feel fine now. I still sad about Diddy, but he gone to a happy place. Also, this funny drink make DK feel lots more better. It make DK head feel like balloon. I like..."
"Well, that's good to hear," Mario said. "How about you, Birdo? You doin' OK too?"
Birdo made some weird noises out of her hole.
"Oh... Umm, OK. I don't think the people reading the story really needed to hear that... o.0"
"Hey Luigi!" Waluigi called out, "You gonna join us?!"
"Shut up!" Luigi called from his bed. "I don't feel like it tonight..."
"You NEVER feel like it!" Daisy complained. "C'mon Luigi! Let loose and have a little fun!"
"I prefer to have my fun during the day, thanks," Luigi answered. "Now leave me alone. I wanna go to sleep."
"Ugh... fine," Daisy moaned. She turned to Mario. "Geez, doesn't it ever bother you that your brother never breaks any rules?"
"Meh, sometimes," Mario replied. "You gotta respect him for that, though, to some degree."
"Oh, I know..." Daisy said, "But sometimes I think he just needs to live a little..."
"Oh, hey guys!" Bowser announced, shining his flashlight on his cell phone. "You know what we should do? Let's do some crank calls!"
Everyone thought that would be a fun idea and immediately gathered around.
"Anyone know any good ones?" Wario asked. "Petey?"
Petey just shrugged and ate a bottle of Corona.
"Oh, I think I've got a good one!" Toadette exclaimed.
Everyone was surprised that cute little Toadette was gonna be the first crank caller for the night, but Bowser shrugged and handed her the phone anyway. "Go for it, girly!" he said.
Toadette took the phone and dialed a number. She held the receiver to her ear and waited...
"Thank you for calling Toad Town Pizzeria. Will this be for delivery or pick up?"
"Umm, yeah... I just have a question," Toadette said, putting the phone on speakerphone, "Do you have any 1-inch pizzas?"
"...I'm sorry. You asked if we have a 1-inch pizza?"
"Yes. You know, like a bite-size one, or something."
"Umm... I don't think we-"
"Oh, and can I just rent it?"
"You wanna... RENT a 1-inch pizza?"
"Yes, please."
"Umm... Sorry miss, we don't do either of those..."
"Are you kidding?! Ugh, what kind of pizza place ARE you?!"
And with that, Toadette hung up. Everyone burst into laughter.
Wario then reached for the phone and snatched it away from Toadette. "Alright, I got one. Stand back and watch the master, everyone!" He dialed a number, then waited for the recipient to answer...
"Hello?"
"Uh... yeah, umm..." Wario stammered. "Y-you have not just won 723 explosive pies! Congratulations!"
"..." CLICK
Everyone started laughing again, but more at Wario than with him.
Daisy grabbed the phone next. "Amateur," she mocked, "Lemme show you how it's done!" She dialed her number and put the receiver to her ear...
"Hello! This is Moe of Moe's Bar. How can I help ya?"
"Um, listen..." Daisy began, "I'm looking for someone that may be there. First name Hugh, last name Jass."
"OK, one sec... HEY GUYS! WE GOT A HUGH JASS IN HERE?! HUGH JASS!!"
Wild laughter was heard from both ends of the phone line.
"Listen to me, ya little puke! One of these days I'm gonna find ya and carve my name in your back with an ice pick!"
"Yeah, just try it!" Daisy responded, trying to hold in her laughter, "We're pretty far from Springfield!" And with that, she hung up. The room went wild with laughs, hoots, and hollers.
Daisy then held the phone out to Mario. "Wanna give it a go?"
"Yeah!" Bowser shouted, "Let's see the great and honorable Super Mario do a crank call!"
Mario hesitated for a second, but after everyone in the room continually urged him to take the phone, he finally did. "Hmmm..." he thought, "What's a good gag?"
When he finally got a good one, he dialed a random number and listened for the ring tone.
Finally, someone answered...
"Hello?"
"Hello," Mario said in a deep, feminine voice, "Do you have a large variety of lipsthtick? I'd like a thtick of caramel-flavored lipthtick that'll make my men go 'Ooghh!!' You know what I mean, honey?"
Everyone had to cover their mouths to block the wave of laughter that was trying to escape their mouths. Mario's charade was golden!
There was no answer on the other line for a long time.
Until...
"Hello Mario..."
Everyone's smiled faded. The happy feeling in the room immediately died.
That voice... that cold, terrifying voice...
Despite his tinge of nervousness, Mario had to force himself to continue the prank. "Yeah, thith is Nordstormth, right? I was just wondering if you have a wide variety of lipthtick. I'd like caramel flavor if you have it tho I can thmother it all over my fathe!"
"I'm afraid I don't have any caramel-flavored lipstick handy at the moment, but how about I direct you to a store that does...?"
Everyone in the room suddenly felt rather relieved. Looks like it was just a store clerk who happened to recognize Mario's famous voice despite his charade. Mario was feeling a little more courageous now as well. "Oh, thankth honey! I'd appreciate that THO much!"
"Hmhm... I bet you would. Try dialing 555-8365."
"OK! Thankth a lot! I'll be sure to give you a little kith when I get the chanthe!"
"You're welcome Mario. Good-bye..."
Mario then hung up. He looked around the room at everyone. He was still a little confused, but no one else seemed to be. In fact, they all began pestering him to dial the number that was given.
"C'mon!" Daisy urged, "Now you have an accessory store to use that crank call on!"
Mario had to think about it for a few seconds, but he eventually decided to go for it. Memorizing the number, he quickly punched it in and waited. He then heard the sound of someone picking up on the other line. Mario got prepped for another funny crank call session...
"Hello Mario..."
Everyone in the room jumped when the same greeting they'd heard seconds before sounded through the phone's speaker.
"Looks like you're not the only one who can play tricks around here, doesn't it Mario?"
Mario looked around in confusion. Everyone around was just as clueless as he. He could tell by looking at their flashlight-lit faces. He spoke into the receiver. "Who is this?"
"You recognize my voice, don't you Mario...? I'm the man you were just speaking to!"
"That was a different number," Mario replied, absoluteness in his voice. "I swear..."
"I'm not calling you a liar, Mario. I know that was a different number..."
"How many different telephones do you have?" Mario asked, beginning to feel nervous.
"Just the one on my desk, that I happen to be speaking into right now."
Mario gulped. "Then... how did you...?"
"How did you reach me via two different numbers? Like I said, I can play tricks too..."
Mario felt himself beginning to sweat. Without waiting to hear anymore, promptly hung up. Nobody blamed him for doing so. The speakerphone conversation they'd heard was certainly strange.
"That was Mr V, wasn't it...?" Bowser Jr asked.
"I think so," Bowser replied, pulling his son close. "I recognize that voice. Remember we heard him talking to us last night?"
"Yeah," Toadette recalled. She hadn't been drinking and having fun with everyone the previous night, but she had heard Mr V's haunting voice as well. "I think we're done with prank phone calls for the night, Mario..."
Mario nodded, but then proceeded to punch in another number. "I'm gonna call Toad and let him know about Mr V's really weird behavior. Whatever he's doing as Vice President, it can't be good for the Double Dash Team..."
"NO!" Wario protested. "Then Toad'll know we're up after Lights Out-!!"
But too late. Mario had already entered the number to Toad's office and was waiting for a reply...
"Hello?"
"H-hello, Toad! Listen to me! I know it's a bad time, but we need to talk to you about-"
"Oh, Mario! How nice of you to call back. Is something the matter?"
Mario's mouth dropped open in disbelief, as did everyone else's. He cursed to himself before putting the receiver back to his ear. "Dude, who the HELL are you?!"
"Didn't Bowser Jr just deduce my identity? I must say Mario, you can put on a pretty funny crank call. I almost considered laughing myself... As do you, Toadette and Daisy. Unlike Wario. Pathetic..."
Mario couldn't stop shaking his head. His brain just didn't want to believe what his ears were hearing. "How did you-? How... Why... What are you doing in Toad's office?!"
"Pardon me? I would never intrude into President Toad's office as he slept. I'm fine in my own office where I am right now, thank you."
"But... But I dialed the number for Toad's office! I know I did! I don't even KNOW the number for YOURS! How did I end up reaching you?!"
"I never said you dialed the number incorrectly, Mario. Ho, the mystery of it all...!"
Mario gritted his teeth and growled in frustration and fear. Every time Mario heard this man speak, it felt like a drill was penetrating into the very depths of his sane mind. Completely unable to listen anymore, Mario shut the phone off and threw it on the bed.
Mario had to sit and just breathe for a long time. He felt he'd been sweating, so he wiped his brow and merely continued to sit and breathe. All the while, his heart thumped in his ears like a bass drum. As hard as he tried to relax, his heart just would not slow down.
Everyone else on and around the bed was utterly dumbfounded and, quite frankly, terrified. Bowser slowly shined his flashlight beam on everyone's face to see, and sure enough, all he saw were looks of confusion and fright.
However, after a while, Bowser promptly shut off his flashlight, thereby signalling that the party was over and it was time for them to go to bed. The nightmare was over...
"How dare you hang up on me, Mario."
Everyone literally screamed when the deep, ghastly voice once again protruded from the phone's speaker at full volume.
And the phone was still shut off!
In a pit of absolute madness, Mario let out an animal-like cry. One might've even said he went all but insane for that short fragment of time. He grabbed the phone in the darkness and with all his might, heaved it across the room. Amongst the terrified screams, everyone heard the sound of the phone shattering against the wall and raining onto the cement floor in pieces.
This was more than enough for any of them. In the darkness, they all scrambled for their beds and immediately dove under the covers.
However, it was clear that this was going to be a rather restless night for all of them...