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It was a late afternoon, and Bowser was sitting in his lounge chair on his balcony out the back of his palace. He was thinking, thinking of a way. A way to defeat "that wretched Mario." He closed his eyes and thought. No one knows how hard this job is. Every day, I have to come up with ideas, knowing they will fail. Mario has it easy, with his job only being to make my plans fail. If he had to do what I have to do each day, I bet he wouldn't be as tough as he acts! And if I was in his place . . . Ah, that would be delightful. I would have the Princess, which means the castle – and the entire Mushroom Kingdom as well! Hmm, what an interesting idea. I must make a note of it. Bowser picks up a small notepad from next to his lounge chair. He scribbles down a few words and then puts it down. He sighs and closes his eyes to fall into a light nap.
- - - - -
"Ah, good evening, my Princess." Mario had just entered Peach's Castle and saw her talking to Toad. "Everything is wonderful, I hope."
Peach turns to look at Mario. "Not exactly. I plan to have a small tea party in the garden, and I forgot to clean up." Mario, as helpful as usual, offered to help. "Ah, no," said Peach as she smiled as if thanking his for his offer. "Toad has already offered to help me. Anyway, we're almost done."
"Oh, okay. I guess I'll just head to the kitchen to see if Chef Cook-a-lot has made any of his famous pastas." Mario heads towards the kitchen, as Peach turns back to straighten a painting of a Starman.
"We better get going," said Toad in a hurried voice.
- - - - -
"Wake up, wake up!" Bowser was shaken awake by a small Koopa Troopa guard. "You don't know what could have happened to you, milord." Bowser nodded, although still half asleep.
"Yes, yes. I'll come in. You just hurry along back to your post, now. You don't know what could happen if you're not on guard."
"Yes, sir." The small Koopa hurried back through the screen door and through Bowser's private bedroom suite and out the door which was his guard post. Bowser looked at the sky. It was almost pitch dark. All which was left to see with was the bright shine of the distant moon. He looked up at the moon, and stared blankly. A small tinkle in the corner of the sky caught his attention. Ah, it probably was just my imagination. He turned to head towards the screen door, and saw his notebook on the ground. He picked it up, and then dropped it. He spun around, just in time to see the bright, yet seemingly far away Starman shoot across the sky. Remembering his note, he wished. "I wish, oh yes, I wish, that I would have the pleasures that Mario has, and that Mario has the troubles that I have . . ." As quickly as the Starman had appeared, it had gone. "Oh well. It was worth a try."
- - - - -
"It was nice of Peach to invite us to her tea party, Mario." Luigi was sitting on his bed looking at a wooden frame with a picture of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and Yoshi in it. Mario was still at the sink shaving his already-smooth chin. "Well, I'm going to bed. Good night, brother."
By that time, Mario was done shaving and was getting into his bed too. "Good night, Luigi."
- - - - -
As the sun light finally shone across the bed, Bowser woke up. He looked at the nearest clock. Eight o'clock. He jumped out of bed. Why didn't my alarm clock wake me up? He suddenly stopped, and looked around. This wasn't Bowser's Castle. This was some wooden cabin in a small forest. He heard and smelt someone frying eggs in the kitchen. He walked cautiously, but curiously into the kitchen.
"Good morning, Bowser." Luigi was putting two plates of eggs and bacon, and a glass of orange juice on the table. There were two chairs, one small but tall, and one very wide and sturdy-looking. The tall one seemed to fit Luigi, and the large one for Bowser. Bowser, confused, sat down in the large seat and looked down at his breakfast. What on Earth has happened? he thought. He stared at his breakfast for a while until Luigi said, "Are you going to eat it, or just stare it to death?" Bowser looked up at Luigi, and then at the wooden wall. He saw a picture of a shining Starman. Bowser sprang up from his seat as if shocked by an electrical pulse. The jump knocked over his plate and orange juice.
"Oh, my!" Bowser stood in shock that it was actually happening. He pinched himself three or four times before looking down at Luigi, who was mopping up the orange juice. "Oh, I'm sorry." Before Luigi could answer, Bowser had dashed back into the bedroom.
Bowser looked around. A Nintendo 64, a Game Boy Advance, a GameCube, even an original Nintendo Entertainment System. He saw a Nintendo Power magazine lying next to the bed he woke up in. "Coming soon: Bowser Sunshine." Bowser looked in awe. He was famous. He turned and looked at the video games again. There were tons of them. Bowser Kart, Super Bowser Land I, II, and III, even Super Bowser 64 and Super Bowser Sunshine. This was unbelievable.
Bowser dashed to the door. "Where are you going?" Luigi called out.
"To Peach's Castle!"
"Okay." But Bowser had already left.