Chapter 28: Bowser's execution
Tei and Sui were a lot harsher than any of the Smashers seemed to predict. "You only have 7 days!" They were constantly and painfully reminded over the course of the first day. They had clearly outlined their schedule for training only allowing 6 hours for breaks. Three 20-minute periods for food and 5 hours for sleep. For punishment they would increase the weights. Even eating was turned into an intensive training session as they wouldn't remove the weights and force the Smashers to eat hardly edible food.
Those that wasted or complained about the food would find their weights increase. "I'd rather be fighting Master and Crazy Hand and Giga Bowser!" Pichu cried.
"I don't remember you doing anything against Master and Crazy Hand! And when Giga Bowser came you were paralyzed in fear without putting up a fight!" Tei said knocking Pichu to the ground.
"What an accute memory for someone who wasn't even there." Pichu commented. "I seemed to remember that you didn't go through the door and fight with us!" Tei kicked Pichu.
"Your job is to listen to me and train. If I say something I expect you to respond with respect. If I say jump I expect you to ask 'how high?' If I say run your respose should be 'how fast.' Not some dribble about how you were there and we wern't! Do you understand trash?" Tei asked.
Both Pikachu and Jigglypuff rushed at Tei who knocked them both down to the ground. "Yes," Pichu responded.
"Good." Tei responded.
And so the day of brutal training continued and the Smashers persevered.
Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Fungi were at the gates of Toad Town. As they entered they felt a large amount of pressure. Mario's eyes fixed on the Master of the Toad Town Dojo.
"Princess you have to find another way to the castle!" Mario whispered. "Go with her Fungi." Princess Peach and Fungi ran off back into the forest. Mario and Luigi stared at the Master.
"Guards have been set up all over the castle, they will not be able to go there." The old toad replied. "If you want to go there you will have to fight me. And even if you try to run away I will still chase you. The Mushroom Council has hired me to capture you, dead or alive."
"Then let us fight in a clearing in the forest." Mario replied. "I don't want anyone to get hurt while we exchange blows."
"Very well." The Master said walking out towards the forest. Mario and Luigi led the way until they came across a clearing in the forest about five minutes away from the town. "Don't hold back." The old toad told them.
"Should we really be fighting him two on one?" Luigi asked.
"If he is serious and has gotten stronger than the last time I've fought him then yes." Mario replied wasting no time in summoning both Weapons of Heart. "Besides all we have to do is stall for time!"
The Master punched the air sending a bullet of air at Mario and sending him flying back. "If you try to stall you will die."
Both Mario and Luigi rushed at the Master. Mario threw his chakram at the old toad only to see him effortlessly dodge it. Mario then swung his mallet only to see the Master disappear into thin air and reappear behind them.
"This is going to be hard…" Luigi cried.
Peach and Fungi were approaching the castle and constantly had to jump into alleyways in order to avoid being seen by guards. "The moment they see us its all over," Peach muttered while hiding in an alleyway. "They won't give me a chance to explain what is going on."
"The castle has been on high security for quite a while." Fungi sighed.
"Stop that Koopa!" A voice shouted out. As though it was a cue the Koopa immediately went into the same alleyway that Peach and Fungi were in. Both of them silently swearing. The young Koopa looked terrified at the sight of Fungi.
"We won't hurt you!" Princess Peach said. They quickly noticed that in the alleyway was a conveniently placed door. They opened the door and entered they Young Koopa followed.
"I have been awaiting your arrival." A mystical voice proclaimed. "Though to be completely honest Princess Peach I was expecting you to use the front door."
"How do you know who I am?" Peach asked a little cautious not looking around the room.
"I have foreseen it. For I am Merlon." Peach stared at the person who was cloaked in a blue cloak; all that was visible was a white moustache and two gleaming yellow eyes.
"Have you looked at anything else in the future?" Peach asked.
"Sadly everything is cloudy." Merlon admitted. "A lot of things are uncertain as destinies are being tangled together. Bowser for instance is at a fork in the road. He will either die or live depending on your actions."
"And Mario and Luigi?" Peach felt herself asking.
"They are fine, the Master of the Toad Town Dojo all ready knows that they are the real ones and are training them. Perhaps not in the nicest way but they are being trained none the less."
"You said Lord Bowser was captured?!" The Koopa said shocked.
"Yes," Merlon replied. "He went out to seek his imposter but it seems that he came back here for some reason."
"To prevent a war." Peach said. "Giga Bowser, his imposter, believes that he has sparked a war. Sadly I let this happen with my all to convenient disappearance."
"There is still time." Merlon replied. "You still have your castle's power. Although they have chosen the successor she has not gone through the ritual. Nor does she have the ring. In five minutes they will begin the execution of Bowser, they will seal the gates, but remember that you can still open them. The castle still empowers you the rightful ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom."
Five minutes had passed and the large clicking sound of the gates closing and being locked filled the lands. Peach stood up and walked out of the house and onto the street. Fungi and the koopa followed. Even Merlon followed greatly interested in what Peach was about to do. Peach approached the doors. "OPEN!" She shouted and in an instant it looked like they were forced open with such speed and force that they nearly shattered the walls.
"I Toadette, as my first act as princess of the Mushroom Kingdom will execute criminal Bowser for the murder of countless inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom." Through out Toad Town the words echoed. Peach approached a small hill that all of the toads were standing on ready to watch the execution. "Criminal Bowser, do you have any last words?"
"Yes I do!"
Mario and Luigi were on the ground heavily bruised. They could hear what was going on from the speakers. However the Master wasn't hesitating. He jumped up into the air and kicked at Luigi who blocked with his shield. Suddenly the Master landed on the ground and shifted his feet's position.
"It looks like Princess Peach failed." The Master said stopping all attacks.
"Wait when did you figure out that we were real?" Luigi asked confused.
"Since you didn't want to fight in Toad Town." He replied. "You proved to me that you were the real ones when you were concerned about the town's people. A real Koopa wouldn't care about bystanders especially when they are about to go to war."
"And you still fought us?" Mario asked puzzled.
"I have been watching you with the help of Merlon, back when every inhabitant of Toad Town fell into a deep sleep both Merlon and I were unaffected due to our special abilities. We saw you take off and concerned we watched you through his crystal ball. I did this to train you because I know your allies are going through a similar process."
"We better hurry and rescue Bowser then." Mario said.
Bowser looked at the crowd of toads. For a brief moment he saw Princess Peach. "I want to tell you that all I see are a crowd of fools manipulated by Giga Bowser. Why I thought sacrificing myself would stop this war I don't know, clearly my death would ignite the Koopa clan's desire to fight and get revenge. Tell me Princess Peach do you believe that my assumption is correct."
The toads all stared at Princess Peach. "The imposter is back!" they shouted charging towards her.
"No she isn't an imposter!" Fungi shouted to his fellow toads. However they didn't hear him. They just charged. Everything seemed lost.
Luigi jumped in the way of their attack and blocked with his shield. "Are you okay, Peach?" he asked.
"Yes," Peach said slightly shocked by their sudden appearance. Mario and the Master were fending off against the toads. When all of the toad guards were unarmed they faced Bowser.
Surrounding Bowser were the ten council members. "We hired you to kill the imposters." One shouted.
"That would be assuming that they were imposters to begin with!" The Master shouted back.
"Yes!" Toadsworth replied slightly nervous. "Luigi's Weapon of Heart is the shield and Mario's is the chakram and hammer."
"You have betrayed the council Toadsworth." One member said. "Princess Peach, we warned you about the Koopa Clan. How this treaty was a bad idea, and how above all you should keep the interest of the people in mind. You know as well as I do that they want Bowser dead, they don't want their next door neighbor to be a Koopa!"
"If you kill Bowser either the Mushroom Kingdom or the Koopa Clan will fall. You will be sent into war!"
"If?" They asked puzzled. "It seems to me that Bowser is ready to die at any second."
"This is funny isn't it. We're saving Bowser's life now." Mario laughed.
"I hardly see the humor in this situation." Bowser replied.
The executioner raised his axe ready to cleave off Bowser's head. "Help me!" Bowser pleaded.
"We can't do anything can we?" Mario asked.
"Not in this situation." Luigi replied. Everyone looked grimly at Bowser.
"Now then if any of you take a step forward's Bowser will die!" One of the nine other council members began to laugh. The other eight also joined in laughter. Mario however took a step forwards. Everyone stared in disbelief. With out hesitation the executioner brought down his axe upon Bowser's head.
However a shield appeared and deflected the blow shattering the axe, and sending the executioner flying backwards. "What was that?" He shouted surprised. Even Bowser was staring in wide eyed amazement at how he was still alive.
"Directly or indirectly." Mario replied. Bowser smiled. "Now Princess can you free him?"
Peach waved her hand and Bowser's shackles came undone. All of the toads ran away in terror. Peach, the Master, Luigi, Fungi, Merlon, the koopa, and Mario went up to Bowser.
"Lord Bowser!" The Koopa shouted immediately bowing down. "Are you back from defeating that imposter?"
"No not yet." Bowser replied. "Tell everyone back at my fortress that I will return soon victorious."
Peach approached Toadsworth and they began to talk.
"War has been averted for right now." Mario sighed looking at Luigi.
"Yes. I wonder how the princess feels right now knowing that her most trusted members were trying to start the war." Luigi replied.
"Betrayed probably." The Master replied. "I think that deep down that they knew she was the real Princess Peach, however they opposed her decision for the peace treaties between the Koopa Clan and the Mushroom Kingdom. Sadly her disappearance couldn't of came at a better time. Along with Giga Bowser's attack on the castle."
"How do you know about that?" Mario asked.
"We have been watching you through my Crystal ball." Merlon replied. "Now you must go and find the way back to the Smash Planet."
"And where is that?" Luigi asked.
"Shooting Star Summit." Merlon replied. "I think you know what has to come next Mario."
Mario looked up into the sky. "Yes." he replied.
When Peach was done talking to Toadsworth she walked towards Mario. "Everyone, thank you." She said. "However since I am going back to the Smash Planet with Mario, and the vast majority of my Mushroom Council has just been banished there are a few open spots." She glanced at Fungi, the Master, and Merlon. "You three are now members of my council. I will leave it with you to find six more members who I can trust won't try to spark war again."
"Thank you Princess Peach." Merlon sighed.
"How are we going to get out of here?" Peach asked.
"With the item that started it all." Mario replied. "The Star Rod!"
"Why the Star Rod?" Peach asked.
"Giga Bowser was created from it." Mario replied. "I think he might fear the very item that gave him power. Perhaps we can use the Star Rod to defeat him. Or at least hinder his plans."
"Its crazy enough to work." Luigi replied.
They approached the star shrine. As they entered the shrine Bowser immediately flinched. The seven Star Spirits glared at Bowser. They also felt uneasy about Bowser's presence. They all ready knew why everyone was there.
"We are uneasy," Eldstar admitted.
"That much is obvious." Bowser snorted. Everyone shot him a glare.
"We were watching from up here. I guess you are here for two reasons." Skolar replied.
"We can guess the two reasons why you are here." Kalmar replied.
"The first reason is you want the pact removed." Mamar replied.
"The second is you want the Star Rod." Misstar replied.
"Yes," Mario replied.
They sighed. "We will undo the pact. However we are uneasy about giving you the Star Rod." Muskular replied.
"Especially when considering what happened last time!" Klevar said.
"Don't worry," Mario said. "I will personally hold on to it!"
To be continued...
I could probably write a book on procrastination and how to do it...
