Chapter Fourteen: Sibling Rivalry
"So, you are one of the corrupted ones," said Mario, staring hard into his brother's eyes.
"You didn't think it was possible?" he replied, smiling on his sinister mustache.
"I should have known. You were gone for almost a day. You know what is going to happen now?"
"What?"
"Bowser is at Peach's party and there are no heroes there to save her and the entire Mushroom Kingdom."
"What does it matter. All I've wanted to do since we teamed up to stop Bowser and every other evil being was to be more powerful than you. When they came for me, and I kindly excepted their offer. Now, I'm an all powerful being. Divinity is almost in my grasp, but it hinders on one tiny, little fact. You." With his speech done, he did a side kick into Mario's stomach.
"Oomph!" Mario landed hard on the floor. He got up slowly and was kicked in the ribs. This sent him around and landed on his face. As Mario tried to get up, Luigi grabbed him and tossed him back towards the 'Cloning' room.
"I don't think I've told you about the monster I released, have I?"
"Numph!" said Mario as Luigi planted his foot into his side.
"No, I haven't. I released a clone of you, Mario. A metallic clone. Remember when Bowser had hidden all the stars of Peach's Castle? You found out about Bowser's secret Metal Hat. He was going to use the power, but he couldn't master the ability. So you went and mastered it. That is why I made a metal clone of you, because he is as powerful as you, yet deadlier."
"Arg!" yelped Mario. Luigi was pushing into Mario's side.
"How does it feel to be the under dog? The wimp? The weakling?" Luigi paused for a moment, his eyes looked ready to cry. "The younger brother? The unnoticed one? The not-so-popular? I saved you twice, Mario. From Donkey Kong and when you were missing. Did I get any credit for this? Yes, but not enough for people to recognize me as an almost equal of you. Never again, if all goes well, will I be in your shadow. Bye, brother, and may you die peacefully."
Luigi kicked Mario again, and he landed in front of a door. It was marked 'Nightmares.' Luigi walked over to it.
"On second thought, maybe it's best if you die miserably. Ha!" Luigi opened the door and everything went blurry to Mario. Wind was blowing into his eyes, making them water.
"Luigi!" he cried, before feeling the sucking power of the unknown. Mario started calling out for his brother, but Luigi wasn't going to help. Not this time. Mario was pulled passed the door and fell into the abyss.
Luigi closed the door behind him.
"Come out of hiding you little worms!" called Metal Mario, ripping through Purple Fox, who was trying to protect the others.
"Run!" were his final words.
"As if they could!" muttered the metallic monster, stepping over the remains of Purple Fox.
"Metal Mario!" said a booming voice.
"Yes?"
"You have been a very naughty clone. Ha...ha...ha!"
"Who said that?" called Metal Mario, looking around to find the source of the voice. His video link was gone so he couldn't track it anywhere. Suddenly, the floor fell out from beneath him, and he fell.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!" he screamed, falling ten times faster than anyone else.
"Goodbye, brother. I hope I never see you again," said Luigi, turning away from the door.
"Luigi," said a voice.
"Boss?"
"Yes, Luigi, I need you to do something for me."
"Sure, anything."
"Your little clone has killed off almost all of the Polygon Team members."
"That's what I told him to do."
"Well, he kind of killed off some of my Polygon Team members."
"Sorry about that. Anything I can do?"
"Yes, say hi to your brother for me."
"What?" was the only thing Luigi could say, before being blown through the 'Nightmares' door.
"Hahaha," called the booming voice.
Mario saw the images flash through his mind. Bowser enslaving Peach and everyone in the kingdom to do his bidding. He saw Peach bringing Bowser drinks. He saw more images. Most of them, only a sick mind would think of doing to the inhabitants of the Kingdom. How could he do such a thing to them? Even Bowser had a limit to his evil. Mario had never seen him do that to any of his prisoners. Even when the turtle monster had Peach in his clutches, he was always trying to be kind. He wanted her kingdom, but not that badly.
Mario saw more images. Some of DK. Some of the others he had seen.
One image struck out to him, though. It was the image of the balloon, Kirby, looking at him. The image stayed in his mind, even when more horrible images popped into his mind. Kirby even started to move in his mind.
-No!- said his unmoving mouth.
'What?' thought Mario, staring harder at the image of Kirby.
-Fight what you know is wrong-
'Bowser?'
-Your brother. There are clones running around the entire building, including a Luigi clone-
'So the one that beat me up isn't my brother?'
-Exactly-
Mario suddenly lost all the images of Bowser, Peach, and the Mushroom Kingdom. He only saw his brother, standing beside what he thought might be Master Hand. Luigi wasn't his enemy, even though he knew the true feelings of his brother. He would forgive him and let him be on his next adventure. That was a promise.
Mario looked around the room. It was dark, but he could still see. He saw Luigi lying down on the ground.
-He is your brother-
"You said he was the clone," called Mario to no one.
-Would you have snapped out of the trance if it weren't your brother?-
"Maybe...maybe not."
-Good, I'll see you outside with my friend Ness-
"Are you psychic?"
-No, but my friend is. With him around, everyone can understand me. See you when I see you!-
"Okay."
-Oh, and don't wake up Metal Mario, okay?-
"Who? Metal Mario? Why not?"
-That's for later-
"Okay," said Mario, walking over to his brother. He shook him until he got a response.
"Tricked!"
"Tricked?"
"Yes, Mario, I was tricked. Master Hand said I would have unlimited power. Now I know he was just using me to fight you."
"Well, next time I'm on an adventure, I'll allow you to come."
"Does it really matter now?"
"Only until we beat Master Hand, come on!"
Mario and Luigi were now true brothers. They climbed out of the room, leaving Metal Mario in his own nightmares.
Mario looked around and saw Kirby and the Psychic boy standing in front of him.
"Lets go," said Ness, leading them down a hallway.
"So, you are one of the corrupted ones," said Mario, staring hard into his brother's eyes.
"You didn't think it was possible?" he replied, smiling on his sinister mustache.
"I should have known. You were gone for almost a day. You know what is going to happen now?"
"What?"
"Bowser is at Peach's party and there are no heroes there to save her and the entire Mushroom Kingdom."
"What does it matter. All I've wanted to do since we teamed up to stop Bowser and every other evil being was to be more powerful than you. When they came for me, and I kindly excepted their offer. Now, I'm an all powerful being. Divinity is almost in my grasp, but it hinders on one tiny, little fact. You." With his speech done, he did a side kick into Mario's stomach.
"Oomph!" Mario landed hard on the floor. He got up slowly and was kicked in the ribs. This sent him around and landed on his face. As Mario tried to get up, Luigi grabbed him and tossed him back towards the 'Cloning' room.
"I don't think I've told you about the monster I released, have I?"
"Numph!" said Mario as Luigi planted his foot into his side.
"No, I haven't. I released a clone of you, Mario. A metallic clone. Remember when Bowser had hidden all the stars of Peach's Castle? You found out about Bowser's secret Metal Hat. He was going to use the power, but he couldn't master the ability. So you went and mastered it. That is why I made a metal clone of you, because he is as powerful as you, yet deadlier."
"Arg!" yelped Mario. Luigi was pushing into Mario's side.
"How does it feel to be the under dog? The wimp? The weakling?" Luigi paused for a moment, his eyes looked ready to cry. "The younger brother? The unnoticed one? The not-so-popular? I saved you twice, Mario. From Donkey Kong and when you were missing. Did I get any credit for this? Yes, but not enough for people to recognize me as an almost equal of you. Never again, if all goes well, will I be in your shadow. Bye, brother, and may you die peacefully."
Luigi kicked Mario again, and he landed in front of a door. It was marked 'Nightmares.' Luigi walked over to it.
"On second thought, maybe it's best if you die miserably. Ha!" Luigi opened the door and everything went blurry to Mario. Wind was blowing into his eyes, making them water.
"Luigi!" he cried, before feeling the sucking power of the unknown. Mario started calling out for his brother, but Luigi wasn't going to help. Not this time. Mario was pulled passed the door and fell into the abyss.
Luigi closed the door behind him.
"Come out of hiding you little worms!" called Metal Mario, ripping through Purple Fox, who was trying to protect the others.
"Run!" were his final words.
"As if they could!" muttered the metallic monster, stepping over the remains of Purple Fox.
"Metal Mario!" said a booming voice.
"Yes?"
"You have been a very naughty clone. Ha...ha...ha!"
"Who said that?" called Metal Mario, looking around to find the source of the voice. His video link was gone so he couldn't track it anywhere. Suddenly, the floor fell out from beneath him, and he fell.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaah!" he screamed, falling ten times faster than anyone else.
"Goodbye, brother. I hope I never see you again," said Luigi, turning away from the door.
"Luigi," said a voice.
"Boss?"
"Yes, Luigi, I need you to do something for me."
"Sure, anything."
"Your little clone has killed off almost all of the Polygon Team members."
"That's what I told him to do."
"Well, he kind of killed off some of my Polygon Team members."
"Sorry about that. Anything I can do?"
"Yes, say hi to your brother for me."
"What?" was the only thing Luigi could say, before being blown through the 'Nightmares' door.
"Hahaha," called the booming voice.
Mario saw the images flash through his mind. Bowser enslaving Peach and everyone in the kingdom to do his bidding. He saw Peach bringing Bowser drinks. He saw more images. Most of them, only a sick mind would think of doing to the inhabitants of the Kingdom. How could he do such a thing to them? Even Bowser had a limit to his evil. Mario had never seen him do that to any of his prisoners. Even when the turtle monster had Peach in his clutches, he was always trying to be kind. He wanted her kingdom, but not that badly.
Mario saw more images. Some of DK. Some of the others he had seen.
One image struck out to him, though. It was the image of the balloon, Kirby, looking at him. The image stayed in his mind, even when more horrible images popped into his mind. Kirby even started to move in his mind.
-No!- said his unmoving mouth.
'What?' thought Mario, staring harder at the image of Kirby.
-Fight what you know is wrong-
'Bowser?'
-Your brother. There are clones running around the entire building, including a Luigi clone-
'So the one that beat me up isn't my brother?'
-Exactly-
Mario suddenly lost all the images of Bowser, Peach, and the Mushroom Kingdom. He only saw his brother, standing beside what he thought might be Master Hand. Luigi wasn't his enemy, even though he knew the true feelings of his brother. He would forgive him and let him be on his next adventure. That was a promise.
Mario looked around the room. It was dark, but he could still see. He saw Luigi lying down on the ground.
-He is your brother-
"You said he was the clone," called Mario to no one.
-Would you have snapped out of the trance if it weren't your brother?-
"Maybe...maybe not."
-Good, I'll see you outside with my friend Ness-
"Are you psychic?"
-No, but my friend is. With him around, everyone can understand me. See you when I see you!-
"Okay."
-Oh, and don't wake up Metal Mario, okay?-
"Who? Metal Mario? Why not?"
-That's for later-
"Okay," said Mario, walking over to his brother. He shook him until he got a response.
"Tricked!"
"Tricked?"
"Yes, Mario, I was tricked. Master Hand said I would have unlimited power. Now I know he was just using me to fight you."
"Well, next time I'm on an adventure, I'll allow you to come."
"Does it really matter now?"
"Only until we beat Master Hand, come on!"
Mario and Luigi were now true brothers. They climbed out of the room, leaving Metal Mario in his own nightmares.
Mario looked around and saw Kirby and the Psychic boy standing in front of him.
"Lets go," said Ness, leading them down a hallway.