Chapter One
"We are gathered here today-"
It was beautiful. Simply beautiful and if only it went off without a hitch. After four years of interruptions, they were finally getting married. At last. Mushroom-shaped flowers were strewn about the courtyard where the wedding procedure was taking place. At the side of the bride and groom was the groom's brother, his green eyes filling up with pride and beside him a tiny man shaped like a mushroom, himself also proud. Above however, were enemies.
#*#
In a tiny room above the wedding procedure were two tiny reptilian men, hunched over with a strong shell and beak, the two being part of a species known as 'Koopas'. One was looking out of the room's window, which overlooked the wedding and the other was leaning over a something in a brown paper package.
"Amazing," the first one said.
"What is?" the second one asked, uncovering the contents of the package. A barrel of a sniper rifle appeared.
"This man was a plumber, eh?" the first one muttered. "And now look at him. He's a bloody king, now, and married to a hot one, no doubt."
"Help me get this bleedin' thing ready," the second one snapped, lifting up the rifle.
#*#
Married, finally, Mario thought as he stood there, side by side, with Peach. It had been four years they tried to get married and one year their son had been illegitimate. The reason? The self-styled Koopa King, in which all of the koopas in the Mushroom Kingdom held allegiance to, even those sworn to the Royal Family, had been the reason for any delay in the wedding plans. Bowser. In all of Mario's five years in the strange world of the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser had been his most notorious, yes, even to become his arch-enemy. His nemesis. For four years, things had put the marriage on hold and Bowser was responsible for eight out of ten of the reasons. Somehow Mario knew Bowser was still alive, Mario having knocked him into a lava pool after a particularly fierce battle a week ago. Bowser was being increasingly difficult, especially now that the Koopa King had succeeded in transforming into Bowser Ultimate a month ago.
"Your Majesty?" the priest prompted. Mario, wearing a stylish tuxedo and his famous red cap - he still refused to wear the crown - was jolted out of his thoughts.
"Uh... I'm-a sorry. I-a do," Mario said.
Something was wrong, Mario realized. His eyes darted around the castle and came to rest on his brother's eyes. Luigi - also in a tux and with his cap - nodded and began to search the castle walls with his eyes.
#*#
Luigi nodded. Mario also thought something was wrong. Luigi looked around quickly. Still, even with the foreboding presence of evil, Luigi felt giddy. His brother was finally getting married to Peach - making Mario Jr., or Baby Mario as he was known, a legitimate baby - and himself and Mario were incredibly strong, their years of experience honing their abilities to the sharpest degree. This, Luigi knew, had been the straw that broke the patience of Bowser, who had set about becoming Bowser Ultimate - and succeeded.
A flash of metal drew Luigi's attention to the wall of the castle. Through a window in the wall, a barrel of a sniper rifle appearing. Mario's lips parted with Peach's as the priest finished saying 'Man and Wife'.
The claps begun as Luigi grabbed a nearby vase - one of many decorated the castle courtyard - and threw it. The vase whipped up towards the wall. It hit the barrel as it fired, knocking it away. The courtyard exploded into action. A section of the wall exploded as two other koopas, swinging on a rope, swung down and grabbed Peach by the waist. The koopas carried the Princess up into the window where the two sniper koopas were. One of the koopas whipped out a revolver and pointed it at Peach, who lay there, her orange hair sprawled behind her beautiful hair, her magnificent figure concealed in her tight wedding dress.
"Cooperate, Princess," the gun-wielding koopa said. "And you may get out alive."
Peach's eyes snapped open, her hands whipping out a knife concealed in the sleeve of her dress. She leapt to her feet and kicked away the gun and slashed, cutting a deep gash in the koopa's face. She whirled and backhanded him, knocking him to the ground. She leapt into the air and kicked in the nearest one's face, knocking him unconcious. As he fell she flipped and ran out the door. As the two sniper koopas surveyed the damage, one turned to the other.
"D'you think we've done this one too many times?" the first koopa asked.
"Ya think?" the second koopa replied.
#*#
The bastards didn't even wait until the honeymoon was over, Mario fumed, running through the corridors. Behind him were three mushroom soldiers, led by Toad.
"Mario!" a small voice called from down the corridor. A tiny red bombomb walked into view. "What's going on?"
"No-a time to talk-a, Moe," Mario said. "Have-a you seen-a Luigi?"
"He's in the upstairs corridors," the green form of Yoshi entered the hallway. "Bowser's forces are everywhere."
"Where-a the hell-a is my wife?" Mario yelled. Moe and Yoshi looked up. Mario gritted his teeth and leapt, bursting through the ceiling and landing on the stone floor, surpring five parakoopas. Mario leapt into the air before they could react. His kicks sent them flying as he rushed through them. He twirled and sent his whirling fists into the troops. Then, he leapt, knocking another hole into the ceiling.
"Luigi!" Mario yelled, as he saw his brother. Luigi retreated blocking the fast attacks of a giant mole. Mario walked up, striding down the corridor and swung once. His gloved fist connected, sending the heavy rodent crashing to the floor.
"Peach," he breathed. "Where-a is she?"
"Up-astairs-sa" Luigi said. "One floor-a up."
"Let's-a go," Mario growled and ran towards the stairs.
Down below, Toad, Yoshi and Moe continued along the ground corridors.
#*#
Peach burst into the dimly-lit room and rushed to the crib. Thank God, she thought. Baby Mario was still there. Still asleep. She turned and opened the drawers of her bedside table. Fiery flower, fiery flower, where the hell is one!, Peach thought fiercely. She flung the drawer closed as she heard footsteps echoing down the corridor. She rushed to the door and shut it quickly, bolting it closed. She sprinted across the room and grabbed the crib of Baby Mario and hid it, pulling a blanket over the sleeping form of the first-year Mario. The door clanged on it's hinges. Motherly instincts taking over, Peach found the only weapon she could see - one of Mario's old wrenches. She brandished it, waiting at the door. The door shoved forward again. A third time it burst and Peach's eyes widened. Behind three koopas was a massive Goomba warrior, it's mushroom shape, tiny fists and feet looming forward. Peach swung and connected with the first koopa's head, breaking it's neck instantly. She kicked the second one backwards and swung the wrench down on the third one. It hit and the koopa fell to the ground. Peach stepped on it and watched the involuntary reaction of the koopa's withdrawing legs and feet. She kicked the shell at the Goomba as she swung at the koopa that she kicked. Ready, the koopa grabbed her arm and restrained it. Peach punched with her right arm. Unfazed, the koopa began to move. Peach punched again, and again and again. The koopa's grip loosened as it fell to the ground unconcious. Withdrawing her concealed knife, Peach flung it at the advancing Goomba. The titantic warrior knocked it away. Scared, but unable to leave her baby, Peach rushed the Goomba with the wrench.
#*#
Luigi found Mario sitting in his bedroom, looking at the sleeping Baby Mario. The room was a disaster, with blood and little capsules dropped everywhere. Five koopa bodies lay across the ground. Mario stared at his baby.
"I'm-a going to kill-a him this time," Mario said.
"Peach?" Luigi asked.
"Gone," Mario replied. He managed a smile. "At least-a she put-a up a good-a fight. Five-a koopas, a Goomba and tranquializa' darts.'
Anger suddenly contorted Mario's face.
"We're-a leaving today," he said, standing up. "We're getting-a her back now."
Luigi nodded and they both left.
TO BE CONTINUED...
"We are gathered here today-"
It was beautiful. Simply beautiful and if only it went off without a hitch. After four years of interruptions, they were finally getting married. At last. Mushroom-shaped flowers were strewn about the courtyard where the wedding procedure was taking place. At the side of the bride and groom was the groom's brother, his green eyes filling up with pride and beside him a tiny man shaped like a mushroom, himself also proud. Above however, were enemies.
#*#
In a tiny room above the wedding procedure were two tiny reptilian men, hunched over with a strong shell and beak, the two being part of a species known as 'Koopas'. One was looking out of the room's window, which overlooked the wedding and the other was leaning over a something in a brown paper package.
"Amazing," the first one said.
"What is?" the second one asked, uncovering the contents of the package. A barrel of a sniper rifle appeared.
"This man was a plumber, eh?" the first one muttered. "And now look at him. He's a bloody king, now, and married to a hot one, no doubt."
"Help me get this bleedin' thing ready," the second one snapped, lifting up the rifle.
#*#
Married, finally, Mario thought as he stood there, side by side, with Peach. It had been four years they tried to get married and one year their son had been illegitimate. The reason? The self-styled Koopa King, in which all of the koopas in the Mushroom Kingdom held allegiance to, even those sworn to the Royal Family, had been the reason for any delay in the wedding plans. Bowser. In all of Mario's five years in the strange world of the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser had been his most notorious, yes, even to become his arch-enemy. His nemesis. For four years, things had put the marriage on hold and Bowser was responsible for eight out of ten of the reasons. Somehow Mario knew Bowser was still alive, Mario having knocked him into a lava pool after a particularly fierce battle a week ago. Bowser was being increasingly difficult, especially now that the Koopa King had succeeded in transforming into Bowser Ultimate a month ago.
"Your Majesty?" the priest prompted. Mario, wearing a stylish tuxedo and his famous red cap - he still refused to wear the crown - was jolted out of his thoughts.
"Uh... I'm-a sorry. I-a do," Mario said.
Something was wrong, Mario realized. His eyes darted around the castle and came to rest on his brother's eyes. Luigi - also in a tux and with his cap - nodded and began to search the castle walls with his eyes.
#*#
Luigi nodded. Mario also thought something was wrong. Luigi looked around quickly. Still, even with the foreboding presence of evil, Luigi felt giddy. His brother was finally getting married to Peach - making Mario Jr., or Baby Mario as he was known, a legitimate baby - and himself and Mario were incredibly strong, their years of experience honing their abilities to the sharpest degree. This, Luigi knew, had been the straw that broke the patience of Bowser, who had set about becoming Bowser Ultimate - and succeeded.
A flash of metal drew Luigi's attention to the wall of the castle. Through a window in the wall, a barrel of a sniper rifle appearing. Mario's lips parted with Peach's as the priest finished saying 'Man and Wife'.
The claps begun as Luigi grabbed a nearby vase - one of many decorated the castle courtyard - and threw it. The vase whipped up towards the wall. It hit the barrel as it fired, knocking it away. The courtyard exploded into action. A section of the wall exploded as two other koopas, swinging on a rope, swung down and grabbed Peach by the waist. The koopas carried the Princess up into the window where the two sniper koopas were. One of the koopas whipped out a revolver and pointed it at Peach, who lay there, her orange hair sprawled behind her beautiful hair, her magnificent figure concealed in her tight wedding dress.
"Cooperate, Princess," the gun-wielding koopa said. "And you may get out alive."
Peach's eyes snapped open, her hands whipping out a knife concealed in the sleeve of her dress. She leapt to her feet and kicked away the gun and slashed, cutting a deep gash in the koopa's face. She whirled and backhanded him, knocking him to the ground. She leapt into the air and kicked in the nearest one's face, knocking him unconcious. As he fell she flipped and ran out the door. As the two sniper koopas surveyed the damage, one turned to the other.
"D'you think we've done this one too many times?" the first koopa asked.
"Ya think?" the second koopa replied.
#*#
The bastards didn't even wait until the honeymoon was over, Mario fumed, running through the corridors. Behind him were three mushroom soldiers, led by Toad.
"Mario!" a small voice called from down the corridor. A tiny red bombomb walked into view. "What's going on?"
"No-a time to talk-a, Moe," Mario said. "Have-a you seen-a Luigi?"
"He's in the upstairs corridors," the green form of Yoshi entered the hallway. "Bowser's forces are everywhere."
"Where-a the hell-a is my wife?" Mario yelled. Moe and Yoshi looked up. Mario gritted his teeth and leapt, bursting through the ceiling and landing on the stone floor, surpring five parakoopas. Mario leapt into the air before they could react. His kicks sent them flying as he rushed through them. He twirled and sent his whirling fists into the troops. Then, he leapt, knocking another hole into the ceiling.
"Luigi!" Mario yelled, as he saw his brother. Luigi retreated blocking the fast attacks of a giant mole. Mario walked up, striding down the corridor and swung once. His gloved fist connected, sending the heavy rodent crashing to the floor.
"Peach," he breathed. "Where-a is she?"
"Up-astairs-sa" Luigi said. "One floor-a up."
"Let's-a go," Mario growled and ran towards the stairs.
Down below, Toad, Yoshi and Moe continued along the ground corridors.
#*#
Peach burst into the dimly-lit room and rushed to the crib. Thank God, she thought. Baby Mario was still there. Still asleep. She turned and opened the drawers of her bedside table. Fiery flower, fiery flower, where the hell is one!, Peach thought fiercely. She flung the drawer closed as she heard footsteps echoing down the corridor. She rushed to the door and shut it quickly, bolting it closed. She sprinted across the room and grabbed the crib of Baby Mario and hid it, pulling a blanket over the sleeping form of the first-year Mario. The door clanged on it's hinges. Motherly instincts taking over, Peach found the only weapon she could see - one of Mario's old wrenches. She brandished it, waiting at the door. The door shoved forward again. A third time it burst and Peach's eyes widened. Behind three koopas was a massive Goomba warrior, it's mushroom shape, tiny fists and feet looming forward. Peach swung and connected with the first koopa's head, breaking it's neck instantly. She kicked the second one backwards and swung the wrench down on the third one. It hit and the koopa fell to the ground. Peach stepped on it and watched the involuntary reaction of the koopa's withdrawing legs and feet. She kicked the shell at the Goomba as she swung at the koopa that she kicked. Ready, the koopa grabbed her arm and restrained it. Peach punched with her right arm. Unfazed, the koopa began to move. Peach punched again, and again and again. The koopa's grip loosened as it fell to the ground unconcious. Withdrawing her concealed knife, Peach flung it at the advancing Goomba. The titantic warrior knocked it away. Scared, but unable to leave her baby, Peach rushed the Goomba with the wrench.
#*#
Luigi found Mario sitting in his bedroom, looking at the sleeping Baby Mario. The room was a disaster, with blood and little capsules dropped everywhere. Five koopa bodies lay across the ground. Mario stared at his baby.
"I'm-a going to kill-a him this time," Mario said.
"Peach?" Luigi asked.
"Gone," Mario replied. He managed a smile. "At least-a she put-a up a good-a fight. Five-a koopas, a Goomba and tranquializa' darts.'
Anger suddenly contorted Mario's face.
"We're-a leaving today," he said, standing up. "We're getting-a her back now."
Luigi nodded and they both left.
TO BE CONTINUED...