Author's Notes: Welcome back to "In Another Life (and Another Castle)". We now return to the sports universe to check in on a plot thread I've been planning for a while. That being said, I still wish I could have taken more time to check in on more characters. Time is a luxury these days though, so I'll have to be content with managing to write this much. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. You've all been so patient :)

Chapter 9

Cloud Nine

Professor Gadd dusted the bobbles and figurines on his shelf and hummed a song to himself. Spring cleaning was always such tiring work, and while he would have preferred to invent something amazing instead of doing this, he simply didn't have the time. After all, if he didn't take care of his home, then who would?

E. Gadd's chores were suddenly interrupted by a harsh knocking on the door.

"Hmm…that doesn't sound like Luigi…" Gadd pondered out loud, "Probably Wario. He is so impatient when he wants to buy something. Hee hee hee…"

He knew Wario and Waluigi frequently bought items to use for Mario's party games and whatnot, and he was more than happy to provide for them. After all, he couldn't keep revolutionizing the world if he couldn't pay the bills.

When Gadd opened the door he wasn't surprised to see the ugly visage of Wario, wearing his dirty purple overalls and a scowl that could make a Piranha Plant wilt. Gadd, ever the gracious host, smiled and invited Wario in.

"Did your coin vacuum break again?" Gadd asked as he sat in his favorite armchair.

"Nah, nothing like that," Wario replied as he plopped onto the couch; breaking it in two, "Doh! I'm not paying for that!"

"No worries, it's replaceable," Gadd assured him, "So, what sort of gadget are you looking to acquire this time, my good man?"

"Nothing yet," Wario replied conspiratorially, "We have to wait for Waluigi to show up first. Then…well, let's just say you won't be calling me 'my good man' after this. Wahahaha!"

"Whatever do you mean?" Gadd asked, suspicion gnawing at the back of his mind.

"I'll be straight with you, doc. I want your dimension portal thingy."

"Hahaha, surely you jest," Gadd laughed unconvincingly, "I have never built such a device, and there is no proof that other dimensions even-"

"Cram it!" Wario snapped harshly.

Gadd sank in his chair as Wario got up and approached him; his ham fists clenched. While Wario was often treated like a joke in the Mushroom Kingdom, Gadd was no fool. He knew that behind that pot gut and odorous breath was a behemoth the likes of which could rival even Bowser himself.

"I know about the skeletons in your closet," Wario said menacingly, "Or should I say the alternates?"

"But…h-how did you find out?" Gadd stammered helplessly.

"I'm surprised you don't know," Wario scoffed, "Eh, not my problem. For now my only problem is deciding where I wanna go."

"Go?" Gadd repeated, "The barrier between space and time is no toy, you buffoon! Every decision made within a timeline, every loss, every gain…it all connects it into an irreplaceable tapestry! If you interfere with your counterpart's reality, you'll ruin their life as well as yours."

"Oh yeah, because you're sooo careful!" Wario replied sarcastically, "You and the other Gadds interfere all the time. Otherwise you wouldn't keep that stupid dopple-door around."

"That's different!" Gadd insisted, "I and my counterparts are careful. We only exchange ideas for inventions. We tell each other what works and what doesn't so that we don't harm anyone in our own realities. If a Gadd from any reality no longer wishes to communicate with us, then they don't, and we never question it again."

"Yeah, I noticed," Wario smirked, "You're a real piece of work, old man. Lucky for me you're careless. As soon as Waluigi gets here, we're gonna pick a nice little vacation spot. Maybe a reality with hot chicks made of gold. That exists, right?"

"Technically yes, but you're not listening to me!" Gadd protested, "I know you don't care about anyone else, but you love yourself, right? Well, the Warios in other realities could be harmed by your mere presence in their world. You don't want that, do you?"

"Not gonna happen," Wario said confidently, "Besides, maybe I'll get lucky. Maybe Waluigi won't be a flake and I won't need you after all. I don't count on it though. So, just to hedge my bets, I'm taking over your skeleton closet. Stay outta my way or end up in a world of hurt. Your choice."

Professor Gadd, rather than go down quietly, grabbed a fireplace poker and faced down the burly brute. He knew this was a laughable matchup, but he also knew that realities colliding could spell doom for them all. He had to hold off that lumbering ape Wario for as long as he could.

Lakitu's feet were sore. He couldn't remember the last time he actually walked somewhere. That stupid go-kart race in the Bean Bean kingdom really knocked the wind out of him.

The race was just a small affair, and he wasn't even the referee, just someone to film the event and fish racers out of the river. That plan was derailed however when he got distracted by a large bird and slammed his cloud into a tree. Now the cloud needed repairs, as did his fishing pole and his dignity. Walking all the way to Professor Gadd's house in the Mushroom Kingdom had taken 14 days thus far, and would probably take two more days from this point near the Koopa Kingdom border. Man, he hated kart racing…

Speaking of racing, Lakitu could hear a go-kart going down the road at a mighty speed. He trudged over to the side of the road to let whoever it was pass, and held up a sign saying PROFESSOR GADD'S just in case someone was feeling charitable.

As luck would have it, the kart did indeed stop. Lakitu felt relief, but then realized who the kart belonged to. Any Lakitu would recognize the mean looking purple kart belonging to that smarmy lanky humanoid: Waluigi. Lakitu immediately regretted his life decisions up to this point.

"You going to Gadd's?" Waluigi inquired.

"Yeah," Lakitu sighed in resignation, "My feet are killing me."

Lakitu was sure Waluigi would drive off and laugh cruelly. After all, dirty tricks and delinquent behavior were trademarks for the Wario Brothers. Surprisingly though, Waluigi moved the Bob-ombs in his passenger seat and gestured for the tired hitchhiker to get in. Not one to turn down a free ride, Lakitu got in.

They drove off quickly, and Lakitu was at first afraid to speak to his host. While he wasn't scared of any sports competitor during a competition, there was something unsettling about seeing Waluigi outside of his element. No one really knew anything about this guy. Where did he live? What exactly was he? Was he actually Wario's brother or just some weird guy that hung around with him?

After minutes upon minutes of silence the poor Lakitu was starting to feel uncomfortable. Waluigi hadn't even looked at him since they set off for Gadd's lab. Lakitu looked around for topics of conversation, and finally he settled on…

"That cloud looks like a Goomba," Lakitu said awkwardly.

"Can't look. Driving," Waluigi replied gruffly.

"Sorry," Lakitu slumped in his seat, "So…um…how was your day?"

Lakitu cringed as soon as he heard himself. That sounded way too personal to ask a stranger, not to mention Waluigi just told him to shut up.

"I killed a man last night," Waluigi replied matter-of-factly, "At least I think I did. I probably should have checked."

Lakitu gulped and stared down at the floorboards. Now he definitely wished he had kept walking.

"Should I lie about knowing for sure I killed him, or should I say I don't know?" Waluigi asked the Lakitu, "Keep in mind I'm telling Wario."

"Did…Wario want you to kill this person?" Lakitu asked nervously.

"Oh yeah," Waluigi laughed humorlessly, "If that pasta fazool is still alive, I'm gonna be in big trouble."

"Oh my…" Lakitu shivered, "I didn't realize Wario could be so heartless."

"Of course he is, and so am I," Waluigi grinned, "Hearts are for blood and love, two things we don't need. Wahaha!"

Lakitu curled up in the seat to try to make himself smaller, hoping Waluigi would forget he was there. No such luck.

"Do you think they'll ever make clouds big enough for guys like me to ride on?" Waluigi asked offhandedly, "I've always wanted to go on an adventure while riding a cloud. I bet it makes you feel so big, like nothing can touch you."

"Yeah, I wish I was in my cloud right now," Lakitu sniffled.

"It won't be long. Gadd's place is just a few minutes away," Waluigi informed him, "I can't wait! Oh…right. I should probably tell Wario I might have failed. I don't want to, but we might have to enact our Plan B."

"Plan B? To…kill someone?" Lakitu whispered in terror.

"Nah, to get the shell outta here and move to a world with solid gold hot chicks," Waluigi replied, much to Lakitu's confusion, "Well, that's what Wario wants anyway. I wish we could stay here. I love having a trophy case full of my accomplishments. I really feel like a somebody here. I don't wanna go back to living in someone else's shadow. I wanna clobber Luigi, get Daisy to fall in love with me, and be a hero. This was the only place where that could happen. It wasn't supposed to be, but it's home. I don't wanna leave."

"Are you an alien?" Lakitu found himself asking, "You know, like Tatanga. You're both purple, so…"

"No. It's much worse than that," Waluigi smirked, "Tatanga belongs here more than we do. At least this is his reality."

"Reality?" Lakitu repeated, not comprehending.

"Yeah, you know, like another universe," Waluigi explained, "Wario and I ain't from around here. You'd be surprised what you Lakitus are like where we come from. Throwing spikey Koopas down at people like some sort of bombardier. Wahaha!"

"Other universes?" Lakitu asked curiously, "You mean like, there could be other versions of me?"

"Probably," Waluigi shrugged, accidentally turning the steering wheel a little bit, "Most people have versions of themselves in other universes. There's an alternate Bowser, an alternate Peach, and even alternate Toads."

"Wow…" Lakitu let that all sink in, "So, is your alternate counterpart nicer or meaner than you?"

At that Waluigi frowned, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened. He kept his sharp eyes fixed on the road, and Lakitu feared he asked the wrong question. Finally though…

"There is no other Waluigi," Waluigi eventually answered, "Wario and Waluigi are alone."

"How does that make sense?" Lakitu asked, "If I can have another version of myself, then why can't you?"

"Where we come from, there's a war going on," Waluigi told him, "Koopas fight against Toadstools, and this has been going on for many years. Wario and I were supposed to…well…"

The Lakitu didn't hear the rest of the story. Waluigi pulled up to Gadd's driveway and turned off the kart. Lakitu waited for a moment for Waluigi to continue the story, but he didn't. After a moment, the Lakitu decided he would rather get his cloud repaired and go home rather than risk his life listening to the ramblings of an insane thrill junkie.

Waluigi didn't notice the Lakitu leave, and he didn't notice when the Lakitu screamed and ran away. He didn't even notice when Wario ran outside chasing down the cloud Koopa. When the Lakitu jumped back into Waluigi's kart and hid behind his long legs, Waluigi still didn't bother to look at him. He was too lost in the past, too lost in the moments that cemented their futures…

…Life felt weird. It was as if everything was familiar, and yet his mind couldn't bring forth any memories that were his own. He remembered playing baseball with Mario (who was Mario?). He remembered high school friends he had never met. He also remembered disliking King Koopa, who for some reason was his boss now.

As the waking moment sunk in further, those vague memories were forgotten like dreams. There was nothing before this moment, not really, and Waluigi suspected he had just been born. All that existed was his older brother Wario, this darkened dungeon of a room, and the two men that stood before them explaining why they felt this way.

"So what are we supposed to do again?" Wario asked.

"Very simple," Professor E. Gadd replied, "You just find the Mario Brothers, who have so cruelly stolen your identities, and you tackle them. Once you do, the proper authorities will arrive and arrest them. Then you can go back to your homes and your lives."

"Where do we live?" Waluigi asked.

"Exactly," Gadd replied without answering, "They stole your memories, your homes, and even your credit cards. This cannot stand."

"What!?" Wario shouted, "They stole our money!? I'll kill 'em!"

"Of course you will…" Gadd replied sinisterly, "Well Bowser, what do you think?"

"I don't think this is going to work," Bowser rumbled, "I ask for a weapon and you give me more goons? I have goons!"

"The Shadow Mario project is a lot more complicated than mere henchmen, I assure you," Gadd told the Koopa King, "Come with me into the dining room. We can talk in private while these poor gentlemen rest."

With that Gadd and Bowser went up the stone staircase, leaving Wario and Waluigi in the lab alone.

"Why did he keep talking to Bowser instead of us?" Waluigi asked, "Two hours and he barely spoke to us for most of it."

"I dunno, but something's fishy," Wario growled, looking suspiciously up the stairs, "Ever since we woke up they've been telling us about this amnesia nonsense, and I don't buy it. I remember being Mario, so how could my name be Wario? How could Mario steal my life from me with no one noticing, especially given our ally being a foreign king?"

"Yeah, and I remember us saving a princess from that guy," Waluigi added, "It's getting fuzzier, but I remember hating him. I don't think Bowser's our real boss, and I don't think we can trust that Gadd guy. Something's going on here, that's for sure."

"There's gotta be a clue around here," Wario deduced, "Help me look around. Maybe we can find some notes or something about what's going on."

Together the duo opened drawers, scattered papers, smashed blocks, and turned over operation tables. There were many notes on experiments and inventions, but there didn't seem to be anything on the two of them. The time went by like a blur, but it left them both exhausted nonetheless.

"Now what, genius?" Waluigi asked sourly.

"Now we eat. I'm starving!" Wario announced.

Wario then went up the stairs, and Waluigi panicked.

"Wah? Hey! Come back here!" Waluigi screamed after him, "We're not supposed to leave!"

"What are you, a coward?" Wario asked derisively.

"N-No…" Waluigi replied unconvincingly, "It's just…That Bowser guy has spikes and can breathe fire. Should we really…upset him?"

"Fine. Starve," Wario replied flippantly, "You're already halfway there."

Waluigi looked down at his emancipated arm and frowned in self pity. It was unbecoming for a man in the Mushroom Kingdom to be too thin, and Waluigi was hungry.

Reluctantly, Waluigi followed Wario up the stairs. They were quiet so that they could sneak some food without bumping into Gadd or Bowser, but when they found the dining room they couldn't help but overhear the conversation.

"Shadow Mario…bah!" Bowser spat, "If you've just ended up making another pesky plumber for me to deal with I'm gonna burn this entire operation to the ground!"

"Relax, your highness," Gadd said smoothly, "It's foolproof. All the shadow separator does is make evil stupid counterparts out of the shadows of whoever it targets. Wario and Waluigi are nothing more than husks waiting to reunite with their hosts, and once they do…"

Gadd then took a needle to a balloon and popped it, startling the Wario brothers as they hid behind a shelf.

"Light and shadow must never be separated," Gadd continued, "Once they are, the process is irreversible. Once their shadows so much as touch them, Mario and Luigi will die in a burst of chaotic energy. No weapon, no chemical, and no soldier could possibly be as precise. The shadows are harmless to everyone except their hosts. Now, your highness, is this technology worth a country?"

Wario grit his teeth in rage, and Waluigi felt his jaw twitch from trying to hold himself back.

"They called us stupid…" Waluigi hissed quietly.

"It's worse than that," Wario whispered, "They're setting us up. If we go near the Mario brothers then we're gonna die."

"Well, maybe not," Waluigi shrugged, "If I kill Mario and you kill Luigi, then we get to live."

"It's not that simple, moron!" Wario snapped, "They don't want us alive. Bowser and that stupid scientist will kill us themselves if we come back. You heard them. We're just weapons to them. We gotta make a break for it."

"But…but…" Waluigi sputtered as Wario led him back to the basement by the arm, "But where do we go? We don't know anything! Even our memories are fake! For all we know there could be nothing at all beyond this house."

"That's ridiculous," Wario harrumphed, "Now, I think I saw it…there! There it is!"

"There what is?" Waluigi asked obliviously.

"There's our ticket to freedom," Wario declared, "This mirror thing is a dimensional vortex. With this we can go to any reality we want! Just think, we could find a paradise where no one knows us and the streets are paved with gold coins! We'll be rich, famous, and beloved!"

"But…what about our lives here?" Waluigi asked timidly.

"We don't have lives here!" Wario reminded him, "We're not the Mario Brothers, and we shouldn't try to be. Why would we want to be those noodle heads anyway? Mario never even got paid for all the hard work he did for those stupid shrooms!"

"Yeah, and Luigi never got the girl!" Waluigi shouted in realization, "In fact, most people around here don't even remember Luigi's name. They just called him Green Mario. I don't wanna be Purple Wario. I wanna be me!"

"Now you get it!" Wario exclaimed triumphantly, "Now, let's hurry up and pick a universe before those old farts figure out what we're doing down here."

Wario searched for the Lakitu until he was sure it was gone. When he returned to the driveway he saw that Waluigi was still sitting in the kart, lost in thought.

"Hey Waluigi! Get in here!" Wario hollered, "I got Gadd tied up in the basement and I need a report! Chop chop!"

Of course Gadd lived in the countryside, so the yelling didn't really matter. It was however enough to barely stir Waluigi from his thoughts. He looked down and noticed the cowering Lakitu behind his legs, looking up at him pleadingly.

"I'll be there in a minute!" Waluigi hollered back at Wario, and then he leaned down and whispered, "We probably won't come out. You're safe."

With that Waluigi sauntered into the house that had once been his gateway to this universe. The Lakitu took the opportunity to escape, and Waluigi took one last glance back at him. They had only picked this universe because it was the one where Professor Gadd had gone on vacation. It was mere chance that brought him to this world, but Waluigi wasn't actually ready to leave his life here behind.