Mario: -_-*
That was sarcasm, man. Or, as Chris would say: "sarcasmic!"
Luigi:...I don't get it.
You're not supposed to! You're not worthy enough to know about the jokes! None are worthy!!!!
Mario:....man, she really IS homesick.
It's true, I am! *cries* Anyway, on with the story. I would have posted sooner, but I got tired of waiting for someone to review. *ahem* It gets really good here. ^_^ Enjoy!
The Marios tried to ignore the other prisoner's pleas to be set free, but finally Luigi had enough. "Look, if we beat this guy, we'll come back and let you out." Instead of praise, the young apprentice plumber heard groans.
"Forget it."
"You want to beat Koopa?"
"We're stuck here forever."
"Thanks for getting our hopes up."
Luigi stopped, stunned and hurt, but finally relented to Mario's tug on his hand and ran up a set of stairs.
"Geez, now I know how much confidence they have in us."
"Ignore them, Weege. We'll get outta here. Come on, I think the guard came in this way." Mario opened the door and took a step…wishing he hadn't. Around him was darkness, and underneath him was nothing but thin air. His hands outstretched behind him, grabbing nothing but wind. His heart stopped; he heard someone scream his name. A thousand thoughts filled his head at a mile a minute…and then he felt someone holding his hand. He fell and slammed against a brick wall, his feet clawing at its smooth surface. Catching his breath, he looked up and faced his brother, who leaned over the side and grasped one hand in both of his.
"I gotcha." Luigi's face, although red with the effort of holding his brother, was strangely calm. Mario locked eyes with him, too scared to speak. "I gotcha."
Mario closed his eyes in relief, then opened them again when he realized he hadn't moved. Luigi was straining, but he wasn't strong enough to lift his brother.
"Mario…"
He forced his other hand to clasp the bundle of limbs already growing sweaty. "Luigi?"
"…Mario, I can't pick you up. I can't…" Luigi's voice trembled a little, and Mario looked up at him helplessly.
"Yes you can…"
"I…I can't…"
"It's okay Luigi. You can."
"No, it's not okay!" Luigi cried, losing all control. "I can't pick you up!"
"Weege…"
"Don't let go, Mario."
"Weege, I can't hold on!"
"No, Mario, don't!" Luigi frantically tightened his grip on his brother, heart racing as their hands began to slip apart.
"Luigi!"
"Mario!"
Suddenly the weight on Luigi's arms relaxed but his grip was just as strong. It was as if his brother had become weightless. He stared in awe as Mario rose up from the chasm below, sitting on a strange, small cloud, light as a feather. Just as the cloud evaporated, Luigi yanked his brother towards him and hugged him fiercely.
"It's never okay," he sobbed. "It would never be okay. Don't ever leave me Mario."
Mario breathlessly embraced Luigi, closing his eyes again.
"I almost lost you. I can't lose you. You're all I've got."
Mario pulled away from him and gave him a small smile. "But you didn't lose me. And you saved someone's life like you wanted." Luigi smiled back, sniffling while Mario brushed away his tears. "You're mama's hero."
"Thanks, Mario." He hugged his brother again. "Let's be more careful with the doors next time, okay? We gotta stick together."
"Sure thing, bro."
The next few doors they tried were all duds.
"A torcher room?" shivered Luigi in horror. Slam.
"Hey, here's the bathroom," commented Mario. Slam.
Behind the next door was a room full of sleeping guards. In the middle of the bunker was a white box, playing music with its lid open. "Hey, I see our tool belts!" whispered Luigi.
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get them."
They softly crept around the slumbering turtles and picked up their tool belts, careful not to make a sound. They had almost succeeded in the raid when Luigi tripped. Holding his breath, he stumbled to the door, almost stepping on three guards. He finally came to a halt in front of the music box, which he nudged with his foot. He breathed a sigh of relief just as the lid shut, stopping the music.
Big mistake.
Most of the turtles began yawning and rubbing their eyes, sitting up.
"Oops."
"Weege, how many times have I told you to tie your shoelaces?"
Luigi made a leap to the door and slammed it shut before the turtles could get a handle on their weapons. Thinking quickly, Mario pulled out his long wrench and jammed it through the handle of the door, turning the guards into prisoners.
"No problem," boasted Mario, slapping his hands together as if dusting them off.
"Shh…do you hear that?"
Mario stopped. "Yeah, sounds like crying. It's coming from up there." The brothers made the short climb up another flight of stairs but found the door to be locked. Mario shook the brass handle, and the crying stopped.
"Someone's in there."
"There's gotta be another way in…up there." Mario pointed to an air vent shaft. "Think we can fit?"
"I know I can," boasted Luigi, rubbing his slim stomach proudly.
"Oh shut up. We can both fit." Luigi gave his brother a boost up and followed Mario, crawling through the tight space.
"Man, this tunnel's really small," he whispered nervously.
"Hey I think I see a light…"
"…really small."
"It must be that room we tried to get into before."
"Mario I'm not gonna make it. I gotta get out of here."
"What are you talking about?"
"It…it's too cramped in here, dang it! I gotta get out!"
"Come on, Luigi. We're almost there."
"No, no I gotta go back."
"Luigi!"
"Get off me, lemme go!"
"Ouch! Don't bite me, you little punk!"
"Then let me out of here! I'm about to…faint…" The brothers stopped and listened to the ominous creaking of the boards below them.
"Uh oh."
CRACK. With simultaneous yells the brothers crashed through the ceiling and into the room below. Groaning, Luigi held his head in his hands.
"Mario, if you do not stop eating desert with every meal, I'm a-gonna…"
"Who are you?"
They turned at the soft voice, realizing they had found the source of the crying. A girl kneeled upon a giant bed, her pink gown puffed out around her. She gazed at them carefully, not sure whether the newcomers were spies or rescuers.
Both the Marios found themselves speechless for a moment or two. Never had they been in the presence of what they assumed was a real Princess…nor a young lady so beautiful. Her long, strawberry-blonde hair extended beyond her shoulders, her crystal blue eyes stared at them curiously. Her button nose was somewhat red from crying, and she sniffled a little.
"Do you have any names?" she asked warily. Still they sat and stared, until Luigi shook himself.
"Yeah…I'm…I'm…" For a second or two, Luigi thought his name sounded very silly, as did all the girls in junior high. He was about to tell her it was something else when she interrupted.
"Are you spies?"
"No, no!" answered Mario quickly. "We're not spies, we're-"
"Movie stars," interjected Luigi.
"Movie stars?" questioned the Princess.
"Movie stars…honestly, Weege," Mario muttered. "We're plumbers."
"Plumbers?"
"Yeah…plumbers," Luigi sighed, giving up on trying to impress the young lady.
"I don't know what plumbers are…but now that I know you can talk," she blushed pink just a little. "What are your names?"
"I'm Mario, and this is-"
"Antonio!"
Mario sighed, nudging his brother hard with his elbow.
"Ouch!"
"His name is Luigi."
"I've never heard such names. You must not be from these parts."
"They're Italian.. And…what exactly are 'these parts'?"
"Well…this is Bowser's castle…" Her eyes misted over. "But I want to go back to the Mushroom Kingdom."
"Wait…I thought his name was Koopa."
"Bowser Koopa, that's right."
"So what is this Mushroom Kingdom?" queried Luigi.
"It is my home. My father is ruling it now, but someday I will be Queen."
"Imagine that," sighed Luigi, dreaming of sharing the throne with such a beauty.
"I would give anything to get out of this awful place…he's so horrible."
"Did he hurt you?" demanded Mario. He was always defensive of girls in distress.
"N-no…but…"
"But what?"
She tearfully pointed with a shaky finger at a pristine white gown. "He…he wants me to marry him!" Here the girl buried her face in her hands, weeping terribly.
Mario and Luigi were at a loss. "That's…that is horrible," agreed the younger in disgust. Mario said nothing.
Luigi turned suddenly, whispering excitedly. "Mario, this could be our chance! We'll save the Princess and take her home! We can both be mama's heroes!"
"Luigi…"
"Come on, Mario. I'm not the only hero. I remember-"
The Princess gasped and interrupted. "Someone's coming! Hide!"
Scrambling about for a second or two, the plumbers quickly found shelter under the giant bed. The massive door opened, and two pairs of turtle feet stepped inside.
"Come on, Princess. Time to go."
"Go where?" she whispered fearfully.
"To see your husband of course," they snickered. Mario ground his teeth angrily, then glanced at Luigi, nodding once. Understanding instantly, they each pulled their plungers from a hook on their belts and swung. The turtle feet disappeared, and as the brother's climbed out from under the bed, the turtles were flat on their round backs. (A cruel irony if I ever wrote one.)
"Hey! What are you doing in here?" they cried.
"Kicking your butts and saving the Princess," grinned Luigi, kicking them to the far wall. They smacked into it loudly and hid in their shells.
"Come on, let's go," hurried Mario, grabbing the Princess's fair hand in his own calloused one. He tried to ignore the flush that rose to his face, hoping it would go away on it's own. Swallowing hard as they ran through the dark hallways, he led the girl and his brother out of the dungeon and into a large hall whose floor looked like a checkerboard. The air around them soon became less dank and dark, and just when they thought they were on their way home…
BAM. They ran right into the problem.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't my sweetheart and her kidnappers. If I didn't know any better I'd swear you thought you were her guardian angels," Bowser sneered.
The Marios were still not adjusted to the horrible spectacle of Koopa, so when they buckled under the sight of him, the delay was enough to let the giant turtle backhand Mario, sending him flying across the room.
"Mario!" Luigi screamed as the Princess cried out. He watched his brother fall unconscious, then turned to face the beast. For that moment all fear in him was erased. "You don't do that to my brother!" In a blind rage he swung wildly with his plunger, which was easily caught within Bowser's enormous claws. A crunching sound was heard as the tool was wrenched from Luigi's hand. The young man felt his courage dwindle as he was drowning in fear.
"Tsk tsk. Little children's toys. Let me show you how I play." Bowser tossed the plunger aside and grabbed Luigi's neck, swiftly lifting him into the air. The plumber opened his mouth, gasping for air, his wiry hands clutching Bowser's, his legs dangling three feet above the ground. His eyes were wide in fear as he stared directly at the monster grinning back at him.
"Your brother can't save you now…" He turned his head, looking annoyed. The Princess, desperately trying to overcome her own fear and desperately trying to be saved, was beating Bowser with her dainty fists.
"Leave them alone!"
A quick swat of the hand and there were two down for the count. Luigi kicked his feet, struggling to breath as he stared at Bowser, certain he had never been so scared in his life, and certain that he would never see the light of day again.
"I don't know who you are or how you came here…but I'll see to it that you two are never seen again…"
Mario, please get up
"…I don't know why you even tried…"
Mario I need you
"Who do you think you are, anyway? Some kind of heroes?"
In what little time Luigi had left, the question made him think. Even if they didn't bring the Princess home safely, even if the Marios were never heard of again, they still faced up to Bowser without a thought. Luigi supposed he had found the answer.
"…yes," Luigi wheezed, the shape of Bowser's head becoming nothing but a swirl as his eyes started to roll.
Bowser narrowed his eyes at the young man's defiant remark, tightening his grip. Luigi's hands grew limp, and his eyes began to close.
I remember…I remember when you saved me at the beach; I swam out too far…if it weren't for you I would have drowned. I remember mama telling me you were a hero. You're mama's hero, too, Mario.
……
Mario please get up
Then, as if by some cosmic power…as if by the strongest bonds of brotherly love that stir amazing things… Mario seemed to hear Luigi's thoughts, and he roused dizzily on the floor, blinking hard and holding his jaw.
Bowser smiled out of the side of his mouth, happy to watch the young man's head fall to the side. His malicious glee was broken when a brick hit him in the head. He growled and clutched his skull in pain, then turned to find the mischief maker.
"You," he sneered. Another brick, smack between the eyes. As Mario tossed another weapon to himself, he reminded himself how lucky he was to have been the best pitcher in high school baseball.
Enraged, Bowser tossed Luigi aside and easily gained speed on the simple plumber. As Mario's pride faded, he hurled his last brick and took some steps backwards. "Yeah, it's me. Come and get me, you…you…" Mario had never been good with name-calling. "…you!"
He was distracted when he noticed Luigi coughing and gasping on the floor…breathing and alive. His relief quickly turned back into fear when he realized he'd let Bowser get too close, and the claws had already grazed him before he could dodge. He cringed in pain, holding his stomach and still backing away.
"You think you two are heroes?" Bowser Koopa bellowed. "You're nothing but pests; pitiful babies sent here from some God-forsaken place to try…try to ruin my ultimate plan!" Another swing with his massive hand, and Mario hopped out of the way, backing himself into a nasty situation. "But you won't succeed. No one has ever faced me and lived!" he roared, looking ready to breathe fire. Finally, to Mario's surprise…he did.
Mario raced to the side to avoid the scorching flames, tripped and finished with a roll. Staggering up to stand, the leaned against a wall, hugging himself and swallowing hard. He glanced down at his sleeves, soaked with blood. The monster stepped nearer, grinning smugly, noticing how Mario was cornered between two walls.
Mario noticed this too, and groaned hopelessly. With every step Bowser took on advancing him, he felt more and more dread rest on his shoulders. Glancing at a mixture of pink and green, he saw his brother helping the Princess to stand.
"Go! Go!" he shouted. Maybe Luigi can escape…he can take the Princess home, he can still make it……at least I faced my fears.
Then his keen senses noticed something beneath him was not right. Looking down, he saw how the white and black tiled floor dipped down just slightly beneath his weight. He lightly tapped his foot, listening to the hollow sound it made. Staring now at how the earth's very foundations shook beneath the weight of each step the giant turtle took, he put two and two together and realized there was still some hope.
"Hey Bowser!" he called brazenly, forcing himself to stand straight. "What makes you think we won't succeed?"
Eyes wild, the turtle chuckled a bit. "Maybe you didn't notice the crispy side of the prison while you were down there."
"No one has ever faced you and lived, huh? We'll just see about that!" he dared as Bowser stepped even closer. So close that Mario could smell the sulfur in his breath.
Snarling in rage, the giant mutant lowered himself for leverage before jumping high in the air. Expecting just this, Mario pushed himself off the wall and made a dive out of the target spot. Landing heavily on his side just as a loud crunch resounded, he pushed himself up and watched Bowser's reaction to the cracks growing larger underneath his scaly feet. His head whipped up, and his fiery eyes met Mario's victorious ones just before the floor buckled and gave way, and Bowser's roar beyond the depths was all that remained.
He simply stood, fists still clenched, staring at the hole in the floor until two hands grabbed him from behind.
"Mario…you did it!" Luigi exclaimed, still breathless. Mario grinned widely.
"No, Weege. We did it. No way I could have done this without you."
Luigi smiled back, and his eyes flicked away for a moment, staring over Mario's shoulder. The eldest brother turned around and faced the beautiful angel whom was only known as Princess. She looked at him adoringly, gratefully.
"You have saved my life…and your brother's as well." Luigi grinned sheepishly. Mario didn't know what to say.
"It…wasn't the first time…for him, I mean. My brother…" He stammered senselessly, smitten by the beauty. He thought his heart did some jumping jacks when he leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
"And it shan't be the last," she declared. "I want both of you to stay and protect me…and my Kingdom. That is…" she added more shyly, "if you wouldn't mind."
"Whoa…a Princess's body guard," whispered Luigi, stunned by this piece of news. "I don't know…I mean…Mario and I need to find a way home, and…Mario, are you okay?"
The eldest brother stared into thin air, swaying a little and looking pale as he held his stomach. "Mario, what's wrong?" worried Luigi. He noticed the blood that blended into his brother's red overalls, and his face was white as a sheet. "Oh man…oh Mario don't do this…"
He closed his eyes; his swirling vision was useless. Barely able to stand, he felt his little brother help him to the floor. Felt him hugging him, holding him carefully yet possessively. He heard Luigi's voice, husky and panicked, in his ear. "Mario, don't do this, not now-" The voice stopped momentarily, then continued, more controlled and comforting. "You'll be okay. Just stick with me."
"Oh, Mario," the angelic voice of the Princess whispered.
"We gotta stick together, remember? You'll be okay. Don't worry."
Mario hoped he was right as a wave of pain washed over him and day turned into night.
