"This is a horrible scenario!" Starlow exclaimed. "Once Fawful learns how to master your powers, we're dead for sure!"
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious." I said groggily, wishing that I had been stuck with Stuffwell instead of Starlow. (Stuffwell is the suitcase from Partners in Time; he's much better than Starlow)
"Well, we have to think! Our whole world is in danger!" Peach exclaimed.
"Hey, my world is too!" I said. "But we're just going to have to figure something out, aren't we?"
"Yeah." Peach said. "Why don't we just go down to Fawful and try to get them back?"
"That is the WORST idea I have ever heard! This is EXACTLY why you're never put in charge, princess." I said.
"Well, what else can we do?" Peach asked.
"She's got a point." Starlow sighed.
"Well, as long as we have the Mario Brothers, we should be fine, right?" I asked hopefully.
"Well, they haven't failed us yet." Peach said.
"Right!" Starlow shouted happily. "After we get your powers back, you can kick Fawful's sorry butt!"
"Yes," I said. "But we can't just waltz in and ask politely for them back."
"That's true." Peach said. "Let's just go. We'll figure it out. After all, you're good at improvising right, Victoria?"
"Um…I don't know. I've never been thrown into this kind of situation." I said, putting on my boots. "But I suggest we hurry. I'm starting to feel a little worse."
We got the others and left the hotel. It was pretty sad that the closest hotel to Peach's castle was about 7 miles away.
We were about four miles away from the castle when my legs began to ache. Not the kind of ache you get after being at Disneyland, but a worse, more excruciatingly painful ache.
"Bowser, carry me." I whined.
"No, no." he said. "I'm not carrying you anymore. You're just going to have to be a big girl and walk all by yourself."
"I can't." I said. "My legs hurt. I'm seriously going to collapse any minute!"
"It's all in your head." Starlow said. "Just don't think about it."
"Imagine having ten thousand needles in your legs and being told not to think about it." I said. "How would you feel?"
"I…don't…I don't have legs…" she said.
"Whatever." I sighed. I hopped on Luigi's back and made him carry me the rest of the way. We really had to be careful because if one of Fawful's minions saw us, they would probably take us to Fawful.
When we arrived at the castle, I shakily got off of Luigi and we sneaked inside.
"So what's the plan?" I asked.
"We go in and KO those traitorous minions while the Marios get your powers from Fawful." Bowser said.
"Should we split up into groups?" I asked.
"Fine." Bowser said. "Mario and Luigi will go find Fawful, Chippy and I will take care of the minions, and you and your little toad friend will keep the princess company."
"Why don't I get a cool job?" I whined.
"Because if you die, we're doomed." Peach said. Everyone split up as planned and Peach, Tobi, and I sat down on a couch that just happened to be conveniently in the room that we were in.
"Now what?" I asked. Tobi and Peach shrugged.
"Let's play I spy!" Tobi suggested.
"No." I said. "Just…just no."
"Okay." Peach said. "We can braid each other's hair!"
"Okay, first of all, Tobi doesn't really have hair, and second, I'm not all girly and I hate having my hair braided." I said.
"Why don't we just-"
At that second, Luigi ran into the room and hid behind the couch.
"What's going on, Luigi?" I asked. "I thought you guys were going to find Fawful."
"W-w-w-we d-did…" he shook. "But…"
"But what?" Tobi asked. "What happened?"
Just then, a girl walked into the room. She had pale skin, black hair, red eyes, dark clothes, and boots. Her outfit looked like a dark version of mine…come to think of it, she looked JUST LIKE ME.
"W-WHAT'S GOING ON?" I asked, hiding behind the couch with Luigi.
"A-Apparently, Fawful made a replica of you but…an evil, more powerful version." Luigi said.
"So that's where my powers went!" I said, wondering why Fawful took the time to make another me instead of using the powers for himself.
"PREPARE TO DIE, INFERIOR TRESPASSERS. I AM 'VICTORIA X' AND I WILL CRUSH YOUR PUNY SOULS AND POUND YOUR FACES TO A PULP. SURRENDER THE GIRL AND YOU WON'T DIE!" She exclaimed.
"Am I really that ugly?" I asked, pointing at Victoria X.
"SILENCE!" Victoria X said. "Make one move, and you will be terminated!"
"Listen," I said. "You made a nice entrance and all but…I need my powers back. I don't want to die."
"You are too late." She said. "Had you listened to Lord Fawful before, I wouldn't exist, and you would have no worries."
"Wait…" I said. "Where are Mario, Starlow, and Bowser?"
"They have been terminated." She said. I heard Luigi start to cry.
"You monster!" Tobi said, standing up. Victoria X rolled her eyes and shot fire at him through her hands. Tobi passed out, and I clenched my hands into fists as minions took him away.
Peach hopped behind the couch with Luigi and me. Peach was shaking with fear and Luigi began to cry hysterically.
"Luigi! Peach! Please! You have to get rid of her!" I coughed. "I would help you guys but I'm way too weak!"
"She's way too strong! We're too late!" Luigi sobbed.
"HEY!" I said. "Luigi, remember when your big brother was held captive in a haunted mansion? Who came to his rescue?"
"I…did?" Luigi said.
"Exactly! And Peach, when you were on Vibe Island, who rescued Mario, Luigi, and too many toads to count?" I asked.
"I DID!" Peach said proudly.
"Right!" I said. "Now, you guys can take on a thirteen-year-old girl, right?"
"I guess." Luigi said, wiping his eyes. He and Peach stood up and went to fight Victoria X. I stayed behind the couch for safety, hoping that this wouldn't be too difficult. The sad thing is, I knew that Peach and Luigi would make a horrible team.
About fifteen minutes later, Peach was KO'd, and Luigi was fighting alone. I wanted to help pretty badly, but my fever would probably worsen if I did. So I did the next best thing.
"GO LUIGI! YOU CAN DO IT! KICK HER BUTT!" I cheered. Luigi had a bloody nose, but I was sure that someone who was about 5'9" could definitely crush a girl who was only 5'1". Come to think of it, she looked like she was a few inches taller than me.
About 45 more minutes passed, and Luigi looked like he was losing. Right when she was about to KO Luigi, I grabbed a nearby vase, snuck up behind her, and knocked her out. I was pretty sure she was dead, but I was really surprised at how hard I slammed that vase into her head.
"Thanks." Luigi said.
"N-no problem." I said, collapsing to the ground with exhaustion. "I'm just going to…lay here for awhile."
"Get up!" Luigi said, pulling my arm so I could stand. "We have to find the others!"
"W-what about Peach and Tobi?" I asked. "We can't just leave them here like this."
"Well try to wake them up." Luigi said. I walked into a bathroom, filled up a container of water, and used it to wake up Peach and Tobi.
"W-what happened?" Peach asked. "Is everyone okay?"
"Sort of." I said. "But come on, we have to find Mario, Bowser, and Starlow!"
"Alright." Tobi said. "But what if Fawful finds us?"
"I don't know but should we take Victoria X with us? I'm going to need my powers back." I said.
"Yeah, but you're going to carry her." Luigi said.
"No!" I said. "I can barely hold my own weight right now!"
"Well, I had to carry you for a few miles and I'm not going to carry her." Luigi complained. I rolled my eyes and started dragging Victoria X. We went through multiple rooms, looking to see where Fawful had gone.
"I'm tired." I whined.
"Don't you dare fall asleep!" Peach said. "You might not wake up."
"Fine." I said. "But we need to hurry up. I can't walk much further."
"Look," Luigi said. "Before we find Fawful, you need your powers back."
"How do I take them from Victoria X?" I asked.
"Why don't you just look around and see if you find something?" Peach suggested. "And if anything happens, scream for help."
"That doesn't sound promising but…okay." I said, dropping the dead, or seemingly dead body of my evil copy. I walked through more rooms than I could count. And then finally…
I found my friends.
Hooray! Well, folks, looks like I'm outta time. So until next time…
Whatever. Sorry I couldn't update sooner. Meh, I don't feel too well DX