Chapter One: Farewell to Freedom
"Move faster!" cried the redish turtle, whipping out at a group of Toads. They squealed and began to move the crate they were pushing, faster. They were pushing it into the remains of what was Peach's Castle. Bowser had finally taken over all of Mushroom Kingdom. Nothing would stand up against him, since Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi were supposedly dead, by Bowser!
He bragged on and on about how he had final gotten rid of the plumbers and Yoshi's Island. It was really the mysterious shadow man that stayed with Bowser at all times that did all the work.
The Toads pushed the crate into the castle and the rusted drawbridge closed.
They lugged it into Bowser's throne room and left it in front of Bowser. The Toads ran off to do something else. Bowser looked at the crate.
"Who is it from," he asked the Koopa.
"From Toadtown, sir, it is a sign of forgivness from their attempt to overthrow you."
"What is in it?" asked the shadowed man from behind Bowser's throne.
"I don't know, sir." From nowhere, a blade went out and sliced the Koopa. He fell, dead.
"What was that for?" asked Bowser, opening the crate and looking at the wonderful fruits and vegetables that were inside.
"It has been several years without Mario and his friends, but that doesn't mean they are dead. I had you claim that title, because anyone would beleive you if they never showed up to save Peach. Her party was just an invitation for trouble."
"So, they could have been in the crate?"
"Yes, but it was just some plantstuff. Toss me an apple, will you?" Bowser tossed him it, grabbed a mango, and walked out of the room. The shadow followed.
The pile moved.
"Please, Peach, eat it," said Bowser, offering the fruit to the Princes. Actually, she was now Bowser's wife, making him King and her Queen. Bowser married her just for full right to the land and power.
"No, you killed my life, my kingdom, and my love. I'll just die before I receive anything from you."
"You have to eat, honey-pie."
"I told you to never call me anything but Peach or Princess Peach." Browser was getting mad, unlike any other time with her, he just wanted to hurt her. He couldn't though, because he had a deep love for her and wouldn't do anything that drastic.
Suddenly, a slash of light appeared at Peach's throat.
"I'd choose to eat, if I were you. I can see into your soul, and I can see you don't want to die. The Toads bring you food at night, but those are only table scraps. Eat real food, and maybe you wouldn't be so cranky and moody."
"Your threats will have no effect on me, Shadow Man," Peach pushed the sword away and walked out to her balcony. She looked out to the devistation of her kingdom. She began to cry.
"Look what you did, you buffoon, you made her cry," said Bowser, bonking the shadow on the head.
"I am not one of your lowly minions, Bowser. If I could, I would kill you, but I don't."
"All because of Master Hand?"
"Yes, now I will leave you two alone. Calm her down, get her trust, push her off a cliff..."
"What?"
"You have that right, you know."
"I'm mean and evil, but I'm not demented."
"Fine, she's your wife, do whatever you want with her, I don't care."
"Push you off a cliff," muttered Bowser.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You said something."
"No, I said 'nothing.'"
"You did say something, I know it."
"All I said was 'nothing.'"
"Before you said 'nothing.'"
"I said I'd like to push a Koopa off a cliff."
"Sure."
"I did!"
"I'm out of here." The Shadow Man left, only to stand guard outside. Bowser walked over to Peach and tried to touch her shoulder.
"Don't," she muttered, still crying.
"Peach, why do you cry?"
"Because of what you have done. Death and destruction is what you have caused ever since you took control of my kingdom and me."
"What do you want?"
"My life, my kingdom, ...my love."
"I can't give you any of those."
"Then farewell to freedom!" cried Peach, jumping onto the ledge of the balcony.
"No!" cried Bowser, standing stalk-still.
"Why, so you can keep control of Mushroom Kingdom forever."
"I have it forever!"
"Not if I die!"
"Not if I kill you, you mean. If you commit suicide, what would that tell your people?"
"I...I...I don't know." Peach jumped off and sat down. She began to cry again.
"Peach, don't cry."
"Don't tell me what to do, you horrid monster!"
"You know, I thought having this kingdom for my own would be the best thing to ever happen to me. Now, though, it seems like everything is falling apart. I need your advice."
"On how to destroy the rest of my kingdom?" Peach laughed at Bowser, but her tears still streamed down.
"On how to restore it." This made Peach laugh harder.
"After all you've done? I don't think it is possible."
"Then why did you ask for your life and kingdom back if it was impossible?"
"Because you are yourself, and I am myself."
"Is that a reason?"
"If you think about it for a long time, Bowser, if you think about it for a long time."
Bowser got up and left her crying there. She later ate the mango Bowser brought for her.
Bowser went to his own room and went to sleep. He dreamed of things to come, but he would forget them. Except one, where he was the hero. That stuck in his mind. Him, the hero of Mushroom Kingdom. It made Bowser feel a warmth he never felt before. That feeling lingered, though.
"Is everyone gone?" asked a muffeled voice from inside the crate.
"I don't know. Yoshi, take a look, will you?" A green, dinosaur head popped out, dumping some of the fruit out of the crate. They splattered, noiselessly.
"Yo!" he said, jumping out of the crate, spilling more fruits and vegetables.
"Yoshi, you're making a mess," said Luigi, dropping the mango he was holding.
"So are you," said Mario, slipping on the mango. Luigi and Yoshi caught him, helping him back up. They hadn't made any noice other than speaking.
"Let's find Peach and hurry on out of here."
"Okay." They walked through a door, hoping it would lead to Peach.
Shadow Man was watching them.
"Sir, we have intruders," he said to Bowser, shaking him from his sleep. He was dreaming about Peach and had started to drool.
"What?" As he asked, a spray of saliva splashed onto Shadow Man. He wiped it away.
"You're sick, Bowser."
"Not as sick as you," said Bowser, spitting the saliva into an empty cup.
"I can see into your soul, Bowser, you can not lie about what you were dreaming."
"My dream only tells of deep desires, not actual longings."
"The difference?"
"Who are the inrtruders?"
"I'll give you three geusses."
"No!"
"Yes, now come on, call your men to arms." Bowser got out of his bed and walked over to a small device near his window. He pressed a button on it and called through it.
"All those able and ready, we have intruders in the castle." The message boomed throughout the castle, waking all of the Koopas and Paratroopas. They crashed out of their rooms and started sweeping the castle for the intruders.
"Empty, huh?" asked Mario and Luigi to Yoshi. Yoshi gave them a hurt, smug look and walked on to hide somewhere.
"Way to go, Luigi," said Mario.
"What did I do?"
"You hurt Yoshi's feelings."
"So did you!"
"Come on!" cried Mario, grabbing Luigi and ran into a nearby room. A group of Koopas nearly discovered them.
In the room, there were sleeping Toads, and one that wasn't.
"Mario!" he cried, running to him and hugging him. A Koopa heard this from outside and went to open the door. He began to jiggle the handle.
"Quick hide in the trunk, and you on the ledge!" cried the Toad, pushing Luigi out the window and Mario into a trunk, which was pushed under the bed. The Toad jumped into bed, pretending to be asleep.
The Koopa, who finished opening the door to make this scene more dramatic, walked in and woke up all the Toads.
"All right, who was making noises?"
"What do you mean?" asked a sleepy Toad.
"Some one was up, moving stuff around. I want to know who. Also, someone called out Mario."
"We were sleeping, until you barged in," said Mario's Toad.
"I didn't barge in here, I walked in. Now, who was up, or this Toad dies!" Koopa held up a spear at a nearby Toad.
Luigi called from out the window, catching the attention of the Koopa. He walked over to the window and looked out. Luigi reached up and grabbed the unsuspecting turtle and pulled him out. The Koopa fell to his doom. Luigi jumped back up into the Toads' room. They cheered quietly as Mario got out of the trunk. It must have been a little too loud, because the whole platoon of Koopas walked in.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" asked the leader, raising his spear. The rest followed suit.
"Time to party," said Mario, charging up a fireball. Luigi did the same.
The turtle charged the two plumbers, only meeting heated fists.
Seeing some of their comrades being downed, they ran back, but only into more trouble. Yoshi did his rolling egg attack.
Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, while spending several years in exile from Mushroom Kingdom., learn moves they never thought they had. The powers of Master Hand still lingered in their veins.
The Koopas fell before the mighty egg-layer, never able to call for backup. Yoshi finished with an excited 'Yooo!"
"Good job, Yoshi!" said Luigi.
"Do you know where Peach is?" asked Mario to one of the Toads.
"Yes, Queen Peach is this way," yelled the Toad, running out of the room. The three heroes and the other Toads ran out after him.
They met none of the Koopas or Paratroopas, but they found a group of Goombas waiting for them outside of Peach's door. Mario and Luigi easily dispatched them and entered the Queen's room.
"Peach?" asked Mario, slowly walking towards the bed.
"What is it now, Bowser!" cried Peach, raising up in her bed and turned on her lamp. The surprise and anger was supressed by the gladness of seeing Mario and the others again.
"Mario!" she yelled, jumping up to hug her love.
"Peach, two things," said Luigi, snickering. "One, you're choking him. Two, you're in your under garments."
"Luigi!" she screamed, wrapping herself with her blankets and hugged the younger brother. She then hugged Yoshi.
"We got to get you out of here," said Mario, going to Peach's closet and throwing one of her lightest clothing out on the bed.
"I want to know what happened!"
"We were kidnapped on our way to your party." Mario began the long story of Master Hand, Samus, Fox, Polygon Team, Metal Mario, and the others.
He managed to leave Luigi's evil part out of it, but only managed. If she was smart, she would have known it was really Luigi that released the Metal Mario and helped Master Hand to capture everyone, because Mario looked at him everytime he mentioned the clone.
"Oh, dear," said Peach, looking sad. "What took so long, then?"
"Bowser's minions kept us from entering Toad Town until a month ago. Then, it was only a matter of time before we were able to get in here. We started the revolt, which ended tragically. We then stowed away in a fruit crate that was being offered as a token of repentance. We're glad that Shadow guy didn't find us until we got out and roaming."
"Well, lets go then," Peach said, walking behind a screen to change. When she was done, she walked out.
"Off we go," said Mario, grabbing Peach's hand and heading out.
"Wait, I need to get something!" she said, running to the closet and rummaged through it. She finally pulled out a few items she could use as weapons. A parasol, frying pan, tennis racquet, and a golf club.
"What the..." said Luigi, confused.
"I know I've seen those things before," muttered Mario, grabbing Peach's hand again. The whole group left, getting out of the castle with only a little trouble. They didn't know the Shadow Man allowed them to. Him and Bowser were going to follow them to trap them. If only Bowser knew the trap was meant for him, too.
"Move faster!" cried the redish turtle, whipping out at a group of Toads. They squealed and began to move the crate they were pushing, faster. They were pushing it into the remains of what was Peach's Castle. Bowser had finally taken over all of Mushroom Kingdom. Nothing would stand up against him, since Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi were supposedly dead, by Bowser!
He bragged on and on about how he had final gotten rid of the plumbers and Yoshi's Island. It was really the mysterious shadow man that stayed with Bowser at all times that did all the work.
The Toads pushed the crate into the castle and the rusted drawbridge closed.
They lugged it into Bowser's throne room and left it in front of Bowser. The Toads ran off to do something else. Bowser looked at the crate.
"Who is it from," he asked the Koopa.
"From Toadtown, sir, it is a sign of forgivness from their attempt to overthrow you."
"What is in it?" asked the shadowed man from behind Bowser's throne.
"I don't know, sir." From nowhere, a blade went out and sliced the Koopa. He fell, dead.
"What was that for?" asked Bowser, opening the crate and looking at the wonderful fruits and vegetables that were inside.
"It has been several years without Mario and his friends, but that doesn't mean they are dead. I had you claim that title, because anyone would beleive you if they never showed up to save Peach. Her party was just an invitation for trouble."
"So, they could have been in the crate?"
"Yes, but it was just some plantstuff. Toss me an apple, will you?" Bowser tossed him it, grabbed a mango, and walked out of the room. The shadow followed.
The pile moved.
"Please, Peach, eat it," said Bowser, offering the fruit to the Princes. Actually, she was now Bowser's wife, making him King and her Queen. Bowser married her just for full right to the land and power.
"No, you killed my life, my kingdom, and my love. I'll just die before I receive anything from you."
"You have to eat, honey-pie."
"I told you to never call me anything but Peach or Princess Peach." Browser was getting mad, unlike any other time with her, he just wanted to hurt her. He couldn't though, because he had a deep love for her and wouldn't do anything that drastic.
Suddenly, a slash of light appeared at Peach's throat.
"I'd choose to eat, if I were you. I can see into your soul, and I can see you don't want to die. The Toads bring you food at night, but those are only table scraps. Eat real food, and maybe you wouldn't be so cranky and moody."
"Your threats will have no effect on me, Shadow Man," Peach pushed the sword away and walked out to her balcony. She looked out to the devistation of her kingdom. She began to cry.
"Look what you did, you buffoon, you made her cry," said Bowser, bonking the shadow on the head.
"I am not one of your lowly minions, Bowser. If I could, I would kill you, but I don't."
"All because of Master Hand?"
"Yes, now I will leave you two alone. Calm her down, get her trust, push her off a cliff..."
"What?"
"You have that right, you know."
"I'm mean and evil, but I'm not demented."
"Fine, she's your wife, do whatever you want with her, I don't care."
"Push you off a cliff," muttered Bowser.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You said something."
"No, I said 'nothing.'"
"You did say something, I know it."
"All I said was 'nothing.'"
"Before you said 'nothing.'"
"I said I'd like to push a Koopa off a cliff."
"Sure."
"I did!"
"I'm out of here." The Shadow Man left, only to stand guard outside. Bowser walked over to Peach and tried to touch her shoulder.
"Don't," she muttered, still crying.
"Peach, why do you cry?"
"Because of what you have done. Death and destruction is what you have caused ever since you took control of my kingdom and me."
"What do you want?"
"My life, my kingdom, ...my love."
"I can't give you any of those."
"Then farewell to freedom!" cried Peach, jumping onto the ledge of the balcony.
"No!" cried Bowser, standing stalk-still.
"Why, so you can keep control of Mushroom Kingdom forever."
"I have it forever!"
"Not if I die!"
"Not if I kill you, you mean. If you commit suicide, what would that tell your people?"
"I...I...I don't know." Peach jumped off and sat down. She began to cry again.
"Peach, don't cry."
"Don't tell me what to do, you horrid monster!"
"You know, I thought having this kingdom for my own would be the best thing to ever happen to me. Now, though, it seems like everything is falling apart. I need your advice."
"On how to destroy the rest of my kingdom?" Peach laughed at Bowser, but her tears still streamed down.
"On how to restore it." This made Peach laugh harder.
"After all you've done? I don't think it is possible."
"Then why did you ask for your life and kingdom back if it was impossible?"
"Because you are yourself, and I am myself."
"Is that a reason?"
"If you think about it for a long time, Bowser, if you think about it for a long time."
Bowser got up and left her crying there. She later ate the mango Bowser brought for her.
Bowser went to his own room and went to sleep. He dreamed of things to come, but he would forget them. Except one, where he was the hero. That stuck in his mind. Him, the hero of Mushroom Kingdom. It made Bowser feel a warmth he never felt before. That feeling lingered, though.
"Is everyone gone?" asked a muffeled voice from inside the crate.
"I don't know. Yoshi, take a look, will you?" A green, dinosaur head popped out, dumping some of the fruit out of the crate. They splattered, noiselessly.
"Yo!" he said, jumping out of the crate, spilling more fruits and vegetables.
"Yoshi, you're making a mess," said Luigi, dropping the mango he was holding.
"So are you," said Mario, slipping on the mango. Luigi and Yoshi caught him, helping him back up. They hadn't made any noice other than speaking.
"Let's find Peach and hurry on out of here."
"Okay." They walked through a door, hoping it would lead to Peach.
Shadow Man was watching them.
"Sir, we have intruders," he said to Bowser, shaking him from his sleep. He was dreaming about Peach and had started to drool.
"What?" As he asked, a spray of saliva splashed onto Shadow Man. He wiped it away.
"You're sick, Bowser."
"Not as sick as you," said Bowser, spitting the saliva into an empty cup.
"I can see into your soul, Bowser, you can not lie about what you were dreaming."
"My dream only tells of deep desires, not actual longings."
"The difference?"
"Who are the inrtruders?"
"I'll give you three geusses."
"No!"
"Yes, now come on, call your men to arms." Bowser got out of his bed and walked over to a small device near his window. He pressed a button on it and called through it.
"All those able and ready, we have intruders in the castle." The message boomed throughout the castle, waking all of the Koopas and Paratroopas. They crashed out of their rooms and started sweeping the castle for the intruders.
"Empty, huh?" asked Mario and Luigi to Yoshi. Yoshi gave them a hurt, smug look and walked on to hide somewhere.
"Way to go, Luigi," said Mario.
"What did I do?"
"You hurt Yoshi's feelings."
"So did you!"
"Come on!" cried Mario, grabbing Luigi and ran into a nearby room. A group of Koopas nearly discovered them.
In the room, there were sleeping Toads, and one that wasn't.
"Mario!" he cried, running to him and hugging him. A Koopa heard this from outside and went to open the door. He began to jiggle the handle.
"Quick hide in the trunk, and you on the ledge!" cried the Toad, pushing Luigi out the window and Mario into a trunk, which was pushed under the bed. The Toad jumped into bed, pretending to be asleep.
The Koopa, who finished opening the door to make this scene more dramatic, walked in and woke up all the Toads.
"All right, who was making noises?"
"What do you mean?" asked a sleepy Toad.
"Some one was up, moving stuff around. I want to know who. Also, someone called out Mario."
"We were sleeping, until you barged in," said Mario's Toad.
"I didn't barge in here, I walked in. Now, who was up, or this Toad dies!" Koopa held up a spear at a nearby Toad.
Luigi called from out the window, catching the attention of the Koopa. He walked over to the window and looked out. Luigi reached up and grabbed the unsuspecting turtle and pulled him out. The Koopa fell to his doom. Luigi jumped back up into the Toads' room. They cheered quietly as Mario got out of the trunk. It must have been a little too loud, because the whole platoon of Koopas walked in.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" asked the leader, raising his spear. The rest followed suit.
"Time to party," said Mario, charging up a fireball. Luigi did the same.
The turtle charged the two plumbers, only meeting heated fists.
Seeing some of their comrades being downed, they ran back, but only into more trouble. Yoshi did his rolling egg attack.
Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi, while spending several years in exile from Mushroom Kingdom., learn moves they never thought they had. The powers of Master Hand still lingered in their veins.
The Koopas fell before the mighty egg-layer, never able to call for backup. Yoshi finished with an excited 'Yooo!"
"Good job, Yoshi!" said Luigi.
"Do you know where Peach is?" asked Mario to one of the Toads.
"Yes, Queen Peach is this way," yelled the Toad, running out of the room. The three heroes and the other Toads ran out after him.
They met none of the Koopas or Paratroopas, but they found a group of Goombas waiting for them outside of Peach's door. Mario and Luigi easily dispatched them and entered the Queen's room.
"Peach?" asked Mario, slowly walking towards the bed.
"What is it now, Bowser!" cried Peach, raising up in her bed and turned on her lamp. The surprise and anger was supressed by the gladness of seeing Mario and the others again.
"Mario!" she yelled, jumping up to hug her love.
"Peach, two things," said Luigi, snickering. "One, you're choking him. Two, you're in your under garments."
"Luigi!" she screamed, wrapping herself with her blankets and hugged the younger brother. She then hugged Yoshi.
"We got to get you out of here," said Mario, going to Peach's closet and throwing one of her lightest clothing out on the bed.
"I want to know what happened!"
"We were kidnapped on our way to your party." Mario began the long story of Master Hand, Samus, Fox, Polygon Team, Metal Mario, and the others.
He managed to leave Luigi's evil part out of it, but only managed. If she was smart, she would have known it was really Luigi that released the Metal Mario and helped Master Hand to capture everyone, because Mario looked at him everytime he mentioned the clone.
"Oh, dear," said Peach, looking sad. "What took so long, then?"
"Bowser's minions kept us from entering Toad Town until a month ago. Then, it was only a matter of time before we were able to get in here. We started the revolt, which ended tragically. We then stowed away in a fruit crate that was being offered as a token of repentance. We're glad that Shadow guy didn't find us until we got out and roaming."
"Well, lets go then," Peach said, walking behind a screen to change. When she was done, she walked out.
"Off we go," said Mario, grabbing Peach's hand and heading out.
"Wait, I need to get something!" she said, running to the closet and rummaged through it. She finally pulled out a few items she could use as weapons. A parasol, frying pan, tennis racquet, and a golf club.
"What the..." said Luigi, confused.
"I know I've seen those things before," muttered Mario, grabbing Peach's hand again. The whole group left, getting out of the castle with only a little trouble. They didn't know the Shadow Man allowed them to. Him and Bowser were going to follow them to trap them. If only Bowser knew the trap was meant for him, too.