Chapter 17: Death of a Hero

"What are you talking about?" Wario asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"I'm sorry, he's dead..." the hired Koopa Troopa said, shaking his head slowly. He had run swiftly from the Airship fleet to relay the news to Wario. Waluigi had been killed by Bowser himself, he said, "I saw it with my own eyes. Koopa slashed him to death. I'm so sorry, sir."

"No," Wario said, laughing slightly, "He isn't dead. He can't be dead."

The Troopa shook his head again, "No sir, he's--"

"No. He can't die. Hah! And to think I actually believed ya for a minute! Hah!"

"I--"

"He can't die! It's impossible!" Wario said, hysterical, and slammed the door in the troopa's face. He then stomped away from the door and was about to climb the stairs when the doorbell sounded again. Its cheerful chime drifted through the house, and he suddenly despised it. How can something be so happy at the time like this. If his brother really was dead...

He strode back to the door and whipped it open, glaring back into the violet eyes of the Troopa. The Troopa winced under the huge man's glare, but still stood firmly. He lowered his head, and took something out from underneath his shell.

It was a cap. It would be in perfect condition, were it not for the few splotches of blood that speckled the brim of the hat. It was such a simple clue, but it gave Wario the information he needed.

His brother was indeed dead.

The Troopa stared at Wario for a moment, and promptly turned to leave. Wario stood in the doorway, his eyes still fixed on the cap he held in his hands. He was...gone. He closed the door slowly, and turned into the next room, sinking into a chair by the window. He really was dead.

"You- you killed him!" Daisy managed to say, horrified.

"Yes, and it's a good thing too. You wouldn't want nasty vermin like him running rampant, would you Princess?" Bowser said, smirking at her. When he received no answer, he took a step forward, causing them all to step backward slightly. They each stood pressed against the wall, and Bowser couldn't help but laugh at their helplessness.

"So, who's next? You have a personal preference, or can I just pick?" Bowser asked, his teeth shining even in the complete darkness. He wanted to take each of them down himself. That way, he could receive the satisfaction himself, as opposed to having his army take them out. But, he decided he'd better restrain them somehow.

The Koopa King snapped his fingers, and almost immediately, troopas closed in on them, brandishing their weapons menacingly. He then began a little rhyme, pointing at each of them with each word.

"Eeny meeny miney mo, Catch a goomba by the toe, If he growls, let him go. Eeny meeny miney mo," he finished, and his clawed finger rested on Luigi.

"Let's go, string bean." Bowser said, pulling Luigi forward by the collar, and swiping at Mario, whom had tried to stop him, "Damn it, plumber!" he yelled at the grounded Mario, "Stay out of this!" And when Mario finally got to his feet, he found a spear pointed at his throat, preventing him from moving.

Koopa thrust Luigi away from him, and he stumbled a bit before standing upright. "Come on, you pathetic little man, kill me," Bowser said.

Luigi stood still, glancing back at his friends. They cried out to him, "Don't do it Luigi! Let me get him. Be careful," before being cut off by the Troopas, whom silenced them by pressing the flat of the blades against their throats. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to block out their distressed cries. This was it; he had to get Bowser, for them.

Once he opened his eyes, he fixed his gaze on Bowser's face. His malicious smile, his twisted expression, his blood red eyes. But his smile is what enraged Luigi the most, his twisted enjoyment of their torture. He lifted a hand, and a small ball of electricity began to take form in the palm. As it grew, the smile on Bowser's face began to fade more and more, until it was completely gone. And once it was gone, the electricity flew from Luigi's glove towards the King, whose sluggish movement kept him from dodging it.

The ball hit him on the side of the head, burning him from the eye down to his lower jaw. He lifted a paw to touch his face, drawing back quickly and growling fiercely. He quickly lunged at Luigi, catching him by the arm and pinning him against the wall.

"Is this it, boy? Is this the way you envisioned the end of your life? No? Did you really think it would be any different? Did you really expect to live a long life, far away and happily ever after? If that's the case, then I'm afraid you're going to be very, very disappointed by the ending of this story," Bowser said, running a claw over Luigi's throat, not enough to break the skin, but enough to cause him to shudder slightly.

But Luigi still glared deep into the king's one open eye, and spat, "No. I'd like to die killing you."

"Suit yourself," Bowser said, and once again raised his claws to strike at Luigi. But he was ready, and rolled out underneath the koopa's legs. By the time Bowser had turned around, Luigi had formed another ball of electricity and fired it straight at Bowser's other eye. But he blocked it with a paw, sending it ricocheting back at its original master, hitting him in the shoulder.

"It's time to end this now," Bowser said, swiping at Luigi again, this time getting him across the cheek. It wasn't a fatal blow, but it knocked him to the ground. Luigi heard his brother's enraged yelling, but didn't really pay attention, as he was watching Bowser move in on him. The Koopa King raised his paw again, ready to kill Luigi in one blow, and Luigi shut his eyes tight, trying to block out the frantic yelling from behind him, and Bowser's twisted grin.

He heard clanking of metal, a roar, flames, and was sure that he was dead.

But when he opened his eyes again, he realized that he wasn't, and rose to his feet shakily, scanning the area for Bowser. He was getting up again a few feet away, snarling at Mario. Mario? He and the others had freed themselves from the troopas, sending them to the ground, and Mario had shot fire at Bowser just before he slashed Luigi into ribbons. But with another snap of the fingers, Bowser's troops had once again arrived on the scene, with their spears pressed against their throats once more. But not Mario.

"Mario?" Bowser wheezed, rubbing his scorched arm, "I told you not to get involved."

"Do you think I'm really going to listen to you?" Mario said, standing defiantly, forming another ball of fire in his hand. He tossed it at Bowser, catching him on the shell, where it fizzled out, unable to penetrate the Koopa King's defenses.

"Did you really think that you could defeat me with that? Really Mario, I thought you knew me better!" Bowser snarled, racing forward at such a speed that Mario never thought he possessed. So he was unprepared for Bowser's attack, and was caught by the throat and lifted into the air. Bowser's sulfur-like smell wafted from his mouth as he breathed heavily onto Mario. He leaned in close and focused on those hate-filled eyes of Mario's that he so feared. But the fear was melting away as he held him so close to death; he was overconfident, blinded by his desire to see Mario and all those he loved dead at his very own claws. And Mario's hateful gaze was no longer a threat as Bowser threw him off the ship to the ground below, knocking the wind clear out of him. Bowser jumped from the deck of the airship to the ground, causing it to shake. He stood over Mario, who had dragged himself up against one of the half-constructed walls of Bowser's new castle.

As if on cue, the endless void that was once the sky opened, and rain poured down on them, pounding down so hard that it seemed to create a glowing halo around each of them. Bowser spoke, but had to do so loudly in order to be heard.

"It's funny, Mario. How something that's been going on so long can end so abruptly. The day the world ends will come as a surprise, even though every person knew it would come, and after something being around for so long, you'll think it will stay forever. But everything must end, shouldn't it? Endless feuds are harmful to others, more than those involved in this feud. Consumed by a lust for power, a struggle lasts longer than life itself.

So I end this here, and now. To end the struggle between the Toadstools and the Koopas so that no more shall we suffer. No more will people be harmed by the feuds between you and I, Mario. Never again will you destroy all I've worked for! This is the End - The End of the Great Super Mario!" Bowser yelled, laughing. He spouted a halo of flames from his mouth, but stopped when he heard a shout from above. It was Princess Peach, and she tossed something down from the deck of the airship.

It was a Mushroom. She had snatched it from the bag Waluigi had brought, and sent it down to Mario. It landed a few feet away and he dashed towards it, grabbing it and taking a mouthful. Bowser growled out a "No!" and ran forward, but stopped abruptly.

The Mushroom had given Mario strength. Ten times his original strength. So he took one last look up at the airship, and his friends and family, turned back to Bowser and said, "You were right. It is over."

And he slammed his fist against the half-built wall, causing it to crumble from that point. First came the top bricks, which knocked down the rest. Bowser only lived a few seconds after that, and the last thing he saw were those eyes. But they were no longer filled with that hate, but accomplishment. He had succeeded in his goal. Bowser's eyes went wide and soon he was covered in the stones, never to see the light of the day again.

But Mario suffered that fate as well. When the stones tumbled down, he was caught under them along with the Koopa King.

"No!" Luigi yelled, breaking free of the troopa's hold. He rushed to the railing of the deck, along with the rest of them. The troopas had scattered; unable to do anything without the direction of their King.

The rain slowed down, but still pounded on them as the stared down at the pile of stones, watching, waiting. Waiting for Mario to be alright, waiting for him to crawl out of the rubble. Waiting for him to come out and laugh, cracking a joke to throw off the seriousness of the situation. But he never came.

Luigi and the others climbed down the hull and dashed to the rubble. In a panicked frenzy, they threw stones aside, trying to find Mario's body among the stones of Bowser's castle. Tossing one last stone into the mud, Yoshi found Mario's limp hand. He gasped, lifting a few more stones out of the way and called for help, and a few others came to his aid, finally uncovering Mario and dragging him out onto the muddy ground. Luigi felt his neck for a pulse.

There was none.

He checked Mario's wrist.

There was none.

He was dead.