7

The two brothers stepped over the dark hill and saw an awesome sight before them. Mario was right: there was a giant archeological dig. The two brothers were staring down from the top of the hill and saw the dig situated in a giant bowl-shaped depression that was outlined by tall mountainous structures. Mario guessed that it was over five miles in diameter. The floor of the giant basin was dotted by piles of dirt and large holes where the dirt had been dug out. There was no question in either of the brothers' minds that Bowser's men had been busy looking for the star. At the center of the basin was a much larger hole that seemed to go down very deep into the ground.

"That's where we need to go!" Mario said, pointing to the large hole in the distance.

"How can you be so sure about that, brother?" Luigi asked. "We don't know if that's where the pipe is located."

"It's a guess, Luigi." Mario said. "And no, I don't know for sure."

"I just hope that no one is awake." Luigi said.

Just then, an alarm was heard from the camp down below. Lights began flickering and Bowser's Koopa Troops started marching out from tents that lined the dig.

"You had to say something, didn't you?" Mario said, glaring back at his younger brother as if he were responsible.

"What? How was I supposed to know that would happen?" Luigi cried.

"Never mind." Mario said, rolling his eyes.

The two brothers continued starring down at the line of Koopas as they were given strict orders from a red shelled Koopa. The brothers were unable to make out what they were saying, but they had a hunch that Bowser had discovered their prolonged existence. It was not until the green-shelled Koopas started wandering from each other that Mario and Luigi became nervous.

"Quick! Hide!" Mario said. "They're coming this way!"

Luigi swiftly dove behind some nearby bushes while Mario hid behind one of the large trees that stood nearby. All was silent except for the footsteps of two Koopa Troops that started running up the hill to where the brothers were hiding.

"Whatever you do, don't make any noise!" Mario whispered to Luigi as the Koopas got much closer. Luigi covered his mouth to hide his heavy breathing. Mario did the same. The Koopas were now standing by the brothers as they kept themselves hidden.


"I can't believe those idiots are still alive!" said one Koopa.

"You would think that Bowser would kill them for sure with a Bob-Omb!" said the other Koopa who had a slightly deeper voice. "But as usual, Bowser doesn't seem to know how to keep a plan going the way it should."

"You know, I've been thinking to myself," said the first Koopa, "why the hell should I stay in Bowser's army if we always fail to get a victory?"

"You should be grateful that you're a Bowser supporter!" said the deep-voiced Koopa. "Where else are you going to experience such great hospitality and comfort?! Since when does a victory matter to you?"

"Ever since that failed invasion ten years ago." said the first Koopa. "Back then, I thought we had it for sure, but we never did. And now this?! But then again, Bowser did mention that this will be his most evil plan ever."

"I think you should at least stick around until the end of the evil operation." the deep-voiced Koopa said. "But it would certainly be a shame if you left the army! Bowser would hunt you down and kill you!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." said the first Koopa. "I'll stay."

"LOOK OUT!"

WHAM!


Mario had emerged from his hiding place and knocked down the Koopa with a hard kick, forcing him to hide inside his shell.

"HEY!" said the deep-voiced Koopa. "IT'S YOU!"

SLAM!
Luigi knocked him to the ground and punched him in the face, sending him inside his shell as well. Both Koopas were shaking.

"Please don't hurt us!" said the first Koopa. "We'll let you live! Just don't hurt us, please!"

Mario and Luigi looked down at them with frightful grimaces.

"I think you deserve to get hurt!" Mario said. "After what you guys did to my foster parents, I think I deserve a little payback! Same goes for my little brother!"

"No, please!" the other Koopa shouted.

"Ready, Luigi?" Mario said.

"You bet."

In one instant, the brothers kicked the Koopa shells down the hill and watched them slide into the dark woods, lost and forgotten. Mario and Luigi then made their way down to a giant chain-link fence that guarded and separated the dig from the residential cabins that housed the Koopas. There was no one there.

"Now what?" Luigi asked, staring at the giant gate. "How are we going to get inside?"

Mario examined the framework of metal. It was obviously sealed from the inside by a sophisticated locking mechanism that had been designed by Bowser himself. Mario was stumped.

"I don't know what to make of this." he said. "As far as I'm concerned, it will take a lot of fire power to get inside the dig site!"

"What about the fire flowers?" Luigi asked. "Will they be able to help us?"

"I don't think those will work." Mario said. "We need something very explosive."

"Is it possible to climb?" Luigi asked.

"No." Mario said. "See that sign?"

Luigi looked to where Mario was pointing and immediately understood: the fence was electrified.

"Damn!" Luigi said. "We're stuck."

"Wait a minute!" Mario said. "Do you see that tree?"

Mario points it out to Luigi over on the left side of the gate.

"Yeah." he said. "What about it?"

"It looks tall enough for us to jump over that fence." Mario said. "I hope you still know how to jump from poles! Remember from gym?"

"Oh, yeah!" Luigi said. "I get what you're saying! We're to climb up that tree and jump from the very top over to the other side, right?"

"Yes." Mario said.

"Doesn't that tree look a little tall though?" Luigi asked.

Mario realized that Luigi was right. The tree was probably at least fifty feet high, and anyone who was willing to jump from that height would easily find themselves with a broken ankle or two.

"What about that tree to the right of the gate?" Mario asked. "There's another tree on the other side that we can jump to!"

"That will work!" Luigi said.

"Here, I will go first." Mario said. "I want to make sure that it's not too dangerous."

"Well, of course it's dangerous!" Luigi said. "But it sure is much safer than our original idea! What are you going to do with the rucksack?"

"I can just throw it over the fence." Mario said. "It shouldn't hurt anything."

"Alright." Luigi said. "I trust you."

"Why wouldn't you?" Mario said. "I'm the only person you can trust right now!"

"That's true." Luigi said. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course! But if there's a girl with you then I get worried." Mario said sarcastically.

"Oh shut up about that already!" Luigi said. "You can't be that jealous!"

"Who said I was jealous?" said Mario, throwing the rucksack over the fence and wrapping his arms and legs around the tree as he began to climb. When he was high enough, Luigi started to follow him up to the top. This tree was slightly taller than the other one, but was less stable.

"Don't look down, Luigi!" Mario shouted from above.

"Don't worry." Luigi said. "I'll be fine."

Mario was now at the top part of the tree and struggled to keep his balance. Luigi was right below him.

"You're starting to make me nervous!" Luigi said.

"Sorry!" Mario said. "It's not my fault. I just wish the top of this tree would stay put!"

"Are you getting ready to jump yet?" Luigi asked.

It was right then that Mario made a giant leap over the fence and grabbed the middle branches of the second tree. He looked up at Luigi who was amazed at Mario's athleticism.

"Careful when you grab these branches!" Mario shouted. "They will cut you."

Luigi was now at the wobbling top of the first tree and became nervous. Suddenly, he did the very thing that Mario told him not to do: he looked straight down to the ground.

"I can't do this!" Luigi shouted. "I'm going to die!"

"No you aren't, Luigi!" Mario shouted from the other side! "You can do this! Just jump!"

"But, Mario…"

"JUMP!"

Luigi closed his eyes and forced his body to jump. As he flew over the tall fence, he opened his eyes and saw that he was headed straight for the top of the tree instead of the stable middle branches. He grabbed the top, but was unable to keep balanced and started falling through the branches.

"Luigi!" Mario shouted from the lower tree branches.

"HELP!" Luigi cried.

Mario reached out to save Luigi as he got near, but he too lost his balance and both of them fell to the ground. Luigi landed on top of Mario, but luckily there were no major injuries.

"Mario!" Luigi said. "Are you alright?"

"I will be, once you get off of me!" Mario replied. "You are quite the jumper, Luigi! If this were a competition to jump to the top of a flag pole, you would be the winner."

Luigi was now quite pleased with himself. He usually beat his brother at hurtle jumping and running laps whenever they went to Toad Town's large gym. But he had actually beaten Mario at pole jumping!

The two brothers got back on their feet and brushed the dirt off their coveralls. Mario grabbed the rucksack and he and Luigi continued further into the archeological dig…