6:30 P.M., Delfino Plaza
"Goddamned poop-paint." Mario scoffed, as he flung the brown paint-goop off his arms. It wasn't actual feces; it smelled much more like oil pastels than anything else. That said, he hated that FLUDD needed to enter Manual Mode every so often to recharge her Automaton Mode. The silver lining was that she was pretty compact in this mode and could be worn as an emblem on Mario's belt buckle. The two hose-connected water pistols made Mario feel woefully under equipped to handle cleaning up the entire plaza, but now, after 5 whole hours, he was almost done.
It was down to the last puddle of goop when the unexpected happened. Mario noticed that part of the goop was more solid than the surrounding area, and his brain had just began to work out where he had seen this before when a painted dragonplant burst forward from the geyser. Mario managed to dodge out of the way in time.
"Perfect timing." Mario said optimistically at seeing the raging dragonplant. "I was in the mood to fucking murder something!" He said. He tapped on FLUDD's emblem. "Automaton Mode, 25% percent charged." Her voice sounded.
"Oh, forget it!" Mario said, as he dashed off the ground and met the painted monstrosity with a brutal Sun Fist combo. The dragonplant was taken off guard, and roared in pain at the sheer amount of Sun Energy being forced into it with every punch Mario threw. Like a disobedient horse, the dragonplant kicked out. Mario simply tighten his grip on the dragonplant's wings, ripping the leafy appendages as he did. At this, the dragonplant then dove to the ground, and that launches Mario off of him.
The citizens and MushroomCon goers now exited the building and were staring at the debacle. The dragonplant growled, but it was clearly groggy and shaken up from its own attempt to dislodge Mario. Mario noticed the gathering of citizens, and the sight of the humans were especially eye-catching given the dominant species of this island were the Piantas and, by a far second, the Nokis.
He figured the Princess was amongst the humans who also appeared at this moment, which was why the dragonplant's roar became very imperative for Mario. It inhaled, signifying that it was about to unleash it's Goop Breath in Mario's direction. He immediately activated Explosion Conversion, and very much exploded forward to intercept the attack. Mario levied a flying kick right to the dragonplant's face, forcing its head to turn away from the human citizen's direction.
This had the result of causing the dragonplant's Goop Breath to instead spew all over the Pianta first responders present. The dragonplant thrashed out with its clawed paws, but all this did was allow Mario to throw exploding punches at its exposed underbelly. The internal damage quickly became too much for the frenzied creature, and by the fifth punch it began to die from its injuries.
Fortunately, Mario ended it's misery relatively quickly by bringing both feet down on it's head, pulping it's skull and splattering liquid chlorophyll in every direction.
As soon as the dust cleared, Mario popped his neck, and began to relax once the satisfying cracks died down. "Whew. That felt good." He said, as he felt some of his anger and frustration being released once the dragonplant's death throes ceased.
"Mario?" Peach couldn't have spoken louder than her indoor voice, but Mario heard it as if she had screamed at the top of her lungs and through an amphitheater sound system. The sight of her beautiful face was unmistakable to him, even in a crowd of similar looking young women around their age. His heart softened just a bit more when he saw her, and his mind cleared for a bit at seeing that she was looking in his direction.
Until he realized she was looking at the figure behind and above him, looking down at the carnage.
"Princess, everyone, look! Floating about the destruction!" Toadsworth said, confirming that Peach and Mario weren't the only ones to notice this. It definitely had Mario's powerful build and his short height, but he appeared to be somehow made of blue, translucent paint. His shirt and cap was red like Mario's, but the pants he wore were green and he lacked shoes. Shadow Mario from his vantage point surveyed the entire situation, and the mess Mario made of Delfino Plaza, before his eyes glowed with what could only be the Spectral power that Boos normally wielded.
"Hmm… No doubt any longer… All of that power, and the Vestigial Star located in his brain… If that somehow is not Mario, this is still a Star Child all grown up..." Shadow Mario mentally observed, before looking for Princess Peach. Just like Mario, he couldn't miss the Vestigial Star, though Peach ensured her source of power was located in her center of gravity. It definitely explained the extreme power her hips and rear were capable of when she put them to offensive use.
"And that most certainly is Princess Peach. There's only one move to make right now… I hope I have enough time to do so." Shadow Mario strategized. "What?" Rosso said aloud, as Shadow Mario continued to stare at the Princess. "He's just… Staring at me…" Peach noted as she looked into Shadow Mario's eyes for a few moments.
Because in that time, Shadow Mario faded from existence. The real Mario blinked, and looked in the Princess's direction immediately. For that reason, he was the only one to see Shadow Mario appear behind the Princess. "EEEK!" Peach screamed, when Shadow Mario grabbed her face from behind. Seeing Peach's face being handled this way caused Mario's eyes to literally glow with rage.
"Unhand her, you pervert!" One would have sworn the doppleganger had grabbed Peach's buttcheeks as opposed to her facial cheeks based on Mario's reaction alone, as the fire in his eyes and on his fists began to glow fiercer and turn pure, crayon red as opposed to the natural orangish-red you'd expect from basic Fire Conversion. He had tapped into Atomic Energy, and he dashed forward. He did not teleport; he was now moving at near the speed of light as he jumped behind Shadow Mario and brought his clenched fists down in an axe-handle motion. Shadow Mario's head would have been shattered to powder, if only he didn't teleport himself and the Princess out of Mario's reach.
"Hehehe!" Shadow Mario let out a taunting, wisp-like laugh as he hovered out of Mario's reach. Mario looked up, and seeing Peach draped over Shadow Mario's shoulder as she was being carried by him likely would have been infuriating enough. But then, Shadow Mario drew attention to the way he held the Princess. Peach's sundress had been pulled up roughly by the doppelganger. Peach's bikini bottoms were light blue with pink hearts and showed off a well-developed behind very well; it was easy to see why the Princess was so proud of her legs and butt.
But this was no distraction to Mario. In fact, this caused a renewal of focus to his goal, and added a murderous intent towards the doppelganger holding her, his hand touching the one of the heavenly bubbles Mario dreamed about every night without fail. He immediately skipped past the 2 Stages of Atomic Energy Mode, and instead assumed the Atomic Elemental form entirely.
"Uh oh…" Was all Shadow Mario could think, before he had to teleport out of dodge yet again. Like a raging bull, Mario took flight and attempted to liberate Shadow Mario's head from his skull with a punch. Once again, Shadow Mario teleported out of the way just in time, and appeared some distance away. Mario summoned up some energy, but one look at Peach's jiggly butt reminded him why using energy blasts would be a horrible idea at this moment.
"STAND AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN, YOU BITCH!" Mario said as he rocketed down and towards Shadow Mario's location. The doppelganger was by no means going to be provoked into deviating from his plan, as he continued to teleport just out of Mario's reach every single time he burst forward to strike him.
Peach saw Shadow Mario take the time to draw out the insignias that he did every time he had gotten sufficient distance. "Where… Where are we going?" She stammered out nervously, her mind too rushed and shocked to say anything else as she was being teleported and jarred around at the speed of light. Mario himself did not use a teleport; it was pure, physical speed that he was using to chase Shadow Mario down with. He only ever had precious few seconds between teleports to draw the symbols, and after the fifth teleport the chances become more and more infrequent.
However, Shadow Mario appeared at the edge of Delfino Plaza, near the lighthouse. Seeing that Mario had yet to see them, Shadow Mario took the time to draw a massive version of the symbols he used on the bell tower. Just as soon as he finished, however, did Mario see him standing atop the lighthouse. Peach's luxurious, bouncing buttcheeks in sight, Mario let out a roar of battle as he sped right for Shadow Mario's head, his outstretched fist as the guide.
Mario missed, as usual, but this time Shadow Mario reappeared on a lone island some distance away from shore. And when he did the Princess was… not draped over his shoulders. Or anywhere to be seen.
"Peach?!" Mario said in worry, tears coming to his eyes as he could not find her or sense her energy anyway. "YOU DAMNED BASTARD!" Mario said when he saw Shadow Mario's smuggly grinning face. He immediately launched himself at the island Shadow Mario landed on. "WHERE IS SHE?! WHERE IS THE PRINCESS!?" Mario demanded. Shadow Mario simply shrugged.
"My secret hideout, of course…" He taunted playfully. "And we're gonna have so much fun together…" He continued. Mario's arms tensed with power. "START-A TALKING!" He threatened, before Shadow Mario teleported to the next island away. Mario jumped after him, and the doppelganger simply teleported to the next island. As Mario literally island-hopped after his taunting doppelganger, they got further and further away from shore.
"I hope this humble little nation isn't just considered a write-off to Luigi and the rest of Peach's inner circle... Otherwise, I may need Lugo and the others after all…"
Shadow Mario thought, as he finally landed on a lone island. He had just enough time to activate his Energy, as Mario crashed down with enough force to rock the tiny islet that Shadow Mario stood on. "NOWHERE TO HIDE!" Mario bellowed, before Shadow Mario shrugged. "So it seems…" He said, as he looked around.
"Your princess is on another island-" Shadow Mario started, before the real Mario interrupted. "WHERE IS SHE?!" He demanded, to which Shadow Mario took a playful tone. "Oh, you'll have to play my little game if you want to-"
Mario has enough. "HAAH!" Mario screams in anger, as he dashes forward with a powerful, lightspeed punch. With timing that was almost too close for comfort, Shadow Mario caught his punch and pulled him into a very powerful circle throw counter. Mario's own power and momentum meant he was shunted into the air quite a distance, but he quickly put a stop to himself in mid-air before coming down with an Atomic Ring of Hatred. Shadow Mario was forced to jump, and Mario saw him just in time.
"BURN IN HELL!" Mario screamed as he met Shadow Mario with as much metaphorical and literal blazing force as he possibly could. The doppelganger, once again, was just in the nick of time as he barely slipped that punch and this time spun Mario into a meteor piledriver. Mario was tombstoned into the sandy ground of the islet, but soon exploded out of the ground and was back upon Shadow Mario before the sand had resettled properly.
Mario was perhaps moving as fast as Sonic was, and by a wide margin was packing far more destructive power behind the storm of fury that were his punches and kicks. But the doppelganger did not need to be faster than Jumpman's eldest son, for it was the very storm of fury that made all of Mario's attacks so very predictable. Shadow Mario's timing was always just right and he could not afford room for error, true enough.
But errors the doppelganger avoided. He blocked and at least off-balanced Mario each and every time, if he didn't just outright counter throw Mario or sweep his legs from under him. After a few minutes of this, Mario was starting to tire and his attacks started to slow, until eventually Shadow Mario teleported out of his reach again.
This time, Mario did not follow as he had difficulty catching his breath. "You…! I'm not-a done with you!" Mario seethed; retaining the Atomic Elemental form was becoming a chore in and of itself. Shadow Mario simply laughed, though he quickly suppressed how hoarse and out of breath it sounded lest he give away his ruse. "No… You aren't. And neither is Mr. Deltazar or the three Virtuosos. Go to your Princess… She's waiting in Delfino Plaza." Shadow Mario said, as he faded out of existence.
All the real Mario heard was that Peach was in fact safe.