Author's Notes: With this chapter I had a burning question in my mind: Do I call it soccer or football? Turns out I didn't have to choose, because the Mario games call it "strikers". So, yay! Crisis averted. I also want to admit something. When I first started writing this fic I was not a fan of Bowser Jr. I didn't hate him or anything, but I always preffered the Koopalings because of their unique designs. After writing Bowser Jr. for a while though, he's starting to grow on me. I guess that's what getting into a character's headspace does. Anyway, thank you for tuning in for this long chapter of "In Another Life (and Another Castle)" :)


Chapter 5

Five Second Rule

Evening fell on Yoshi Island, and Luigi and Yoshi were finally starting to see some progress in Mario's recovery. They threw pill after pill at him, and gave him several cups of 1-Up tea. At this point, Mario almost looked normal, but he was still not quite there mentally...at least that was what Luigi thought.

Mario didn't know how to get to his own house in Toad Town, so Luigi knew he would have to drive him. Yoshi offered to drive alongside them for company, but Luigi assured him that they could handle themselves. Yoshi reluctantly agreed, though he still expressed his concerns.

As the brothers walked outside to get into Luigi's kart, Mario seemed nervous as he gazed up at the setting sun.

"Something wrong, bro?" Luigi asked.

"Uh, it's 'a nothing," Mario replied hesitantly, "Just, um...one time when I was in 'a Desert World, the sun attacked me."

"The sun attacked you?" Luigi asked flatly, "Mario, are you sure you feel alright? You can stay the night if you need to."

"No, no. I'm fine," Mario insisted, "Let's 'a go."

Luigi just shook his head and got in the driver's seat of his kart. Mario climbed onto the back, a spot designed to allow a racer's assistant to take point and throw items on the go kart track. Mario didn't seem as sure-footed as usual when he mounted the weaponeer position. Luigi was certain something was wrong with Mario, but he didn't know what could have caused such a strange mental lapse.

Luigi turned the key in the ignition and took off, with Mario struggling to stay on the kart without falling. Mario had done this a hundred times, but for some reason acted like this was the first time he'd ever rode in the back. Luigi was worried, so to keep Mario safe he slowed down. His normal speed was basically his racing speed, but apparently his poor brain-damaged brother couldn't handle such extremes anymore. Wait. Extremes...

"Oh no! I just remembered!" Luigi exclaimed as dread filled his soul.

"Remembered what?" Mario shouted from the back stand, yelling over the engines.

"Tomorrow! We're supposed to participate in the big striker's tournament!" Luigi replied.

"Strikers? Why would we play around at a time like this?" Mario asked incredulously, "The Mushroom Kingdom needs us on high alert!"

"You forgot? This game is for the championship!" Luigi shouted frantically, "Mario, I'm not 'a so sure you can play with your brain busted like this."

"My brain is fine! Playing strikers when the world is in danger is the part that's bonkers!" Mario contested, "What about Bowser?"

"He'll be there too," Luigi informed him, "He's captain of one of the eight finalist teams. It's you and me, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Peach, Daisy, Wario, and Waluigi."

"We can't allow Bowser anywhere near Peach!" Mario shouted furiously.

"Why not?" Luigi asked.

Before Mario could answer however, he noticed something up in the sky coming toward them. It was a clown copter, just like what the Koopa royal family rode in, and there was a small spiky-shelled Koopa inside. One of the Koopalings no doubt. They were under attack!

"Luigi, stop the kart!" Mario screamed.

Luigi did as instructed and stomped on the breaks. The tires screeched and black rubber stained the road as Luigi drifted to a stop. Mario didn't have any more power-ups, and he knew he would probably lose, but he had to prepare to fight against this new threat. His knees tensed in preparation of what he was about to do, and his eyes never wavered from the Koopa.

"Mario, what is it?" Luigi asked as he looked at his brother warily.

Luigi then looked up at the sky to see what had Mario so spooked, and to his surprise he saw Bowser Jr., all alone, flying straight towards them.

"Junior!" Luigi exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Junior?" Mario asked in disbelief, "You know this Koopa?"

"Of course, Mario," Luigi replied, "You just don't remember because of your accident."

Junior landed the clown copter and ran out with frantic purpose. He looked scared, and Luigi could see that his bandana was tear-stained. Something bad had obviously happened to the poor kid.

"Luigi, Luigi! You have to help!" Junior shouted, "Dad's gone crazy! He wants to kill you!"

"Kill me? Why?" Luigi asked in confusion.

"I don't know, but something weird happened to him," Junior tried to explain, "He passed out when he was in Yoshi's Island, and when he came home he didn't know who I was. He didn't know where anything in our castle was either. He was ranting about Mama Peach and when he heard she left with you he got angry! Luigi, I don't know what to do! I want my dad back!"

"Mama Peach?" Mario asked suspiciously, "Who is your father, anyway?"

"Uh...Mario? Are you okay?" Junior asked awkwardly, "Um, Luigi, is Mario okay?"

"No, he's not," Luigi told him, "Mario was attacked today, and he is still a little disoriented. He claims that, um...Bowser was his attacker."

"I believe it," Junior replied soberly, "Dad's not acting right. I think something weird happened to him out there, and I'm afraid to go home. He doesn't know who I am, and he thinks he has other children. Maybe he's been brainwashed or something. I don't know. I just know he's dangerous right now."

"You're one of Bowser's children?" Mario inquired.

"Of course I am! Why does everyone keep acting like I don't exist!?" Bowser Jr. screeched, "Did someone pull an 'It's a Wonderful Extra Life' on me!?"

"No, Junior. I remember you," Luigi assured him, "Mario just had an accident. He and Bowser must have encountered something out in the woods. Something that made their brains go all wonky."

Mario didn't say anything more as he watched Luigi interact with this young Koopa. Mario knew that the Koopa species produced many children at a time, and that offspring were not valued as anything more than a means to an end for the reptilian creatures. Heck, Lakitus would throw their own spiked hatchlings from their clouds just to attack an enemy! Even Bowser showed no real consideration for his seven Koopalings. He just pitted them against Mario and each other, making them believe they would inherit his kingdom if they were loyal enough to him.

That perception of Koopas as impersonal uncaring monsters was being upended before Mario's eyes however. Luigi was very compassionate and gentle with this little Koopa prince, and this apparently hidden Koopaling soaked in that comfort as if it was the warmth of a fire flower. This young Koopa seemed to need a parental figure, which was almost as shocking as the idea of playing a game of strikers with Bowser and two princesses.

"So, if you aren't going home, then where are you going to go?" Luigi asked.

"I'll probably stay in one of the practice castles," Junior replied sullenly, "There aren't many servants there, but it should be enough for now. There's no bed, but I can sleep on the thing that lifts up the kart for repairs."

"Come with me," Mario suddenly spoke up.

"Huh?" Junior asked.

"You can 'a stay with me tonight," Mario offered, surprising even himself, "Tomorrow we will go to this silly sports thing and see if your father has cooled off. I need to go anyway to keep watch on my kingdom's princess. Do you like pizza? I might stop for a pizza on the way home."

"Just one? Wow, you are feeling sick!" Junior snickered.

Luigi waved goodbye to Mario and Bowser Jr., and then watched as both hopped into the clown copter and flew away toward Mario's cottage in Toad Town. Luigi was glad he could go home before it got completely dark, and even happier that Junior was going to stay with Mario. He didn't want to say it out loud, but he didn't want his brother to stay home alone that night. Mario wasn't well, and having Junior nearby meant having someone that could look out for him, even if it was just a kid.


As night fell Bowser grew more and more frustrated. He had been flying around in his airship for hours, but still had found nothing. No princess, no Luigi, and no Mario. How could he exact his revenge if he couldn't even locate them?

The first place Bowser went was Yoshi's Island. He knew the Mario Bros had a small house there, and he intended to surprise them and burn everything to the ground. That would teach those miserable interlopers to stay out of his affairs.

When Bowser made it to the house however he was surprised by what he found. He knocked on the door, knowing they wouldn't expect that, but instead of being greeted by a pudgy plumber he instead came face to face with a blue-violet colored winged Yoshi. Well, this wasn't part of the plan.

"Where's Luigi?" Bowser growled dangerously.

"Yoshi Yoshi, Yoshi Yoshi Yoshi."

Bowser blinked. He didn't understand a word of that.

It took an hour to find a servant that spoke Yoshi, in this case a Monty Mole, and another hour to fly back to the alleged home of the Mario Brothers.

"Now, where is Luigi?" Bowser asked again, his eyes glowing with impatient rage.

The Monty Mole translated it into Yoshi speak, making sure to omit just how ticked off Bowser sounded.

"Yoshi Yoshi, Yoshi Yoshi," The Yoshi replied in an exasperated tone of voice.

"Well?" Bowser asked the mole.

"The Yoshi said and I quote: "As I tried to explain to the fat Koopa-"

"Fat!?" Bowser snapped.

"Look on the bright side, fat is a complement in the Mushroom Kingdom," Monty winced.

"We're not in the Mushroom Kingdom!" Bowser roared.

"Ahem. Excuse me, sire, but the Yoshi said and I quote: As I tried to explain to...you. Um, well, she says she has lived in this house for two years and doesn't know who this 'Luigi' is."

"He's green Mario," Bowser muttered.

"Yoshi!" The Yoshi replied in recognition, "Yoshi Yoshi, Yoshi!"

"She says she bought the house from the Mario Brothers," Monty translated, "She also says they don't live on the island anymore. She doesn't know where they moved to."

"GRAAAAAH!" Bowser screamed in fury, and the purple Yoshi slammed the door on him, "If I don't find those blasted plumbers soon, I'm going to set the whole Mushroom Kingdom on fire! How dare they take my princess from me!?"

"Well look on the bright side, sire," Monty Mole gulped as he backed away, "At least you'll see them tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? What happens tomorrow?" Bowser asked.

"The striker's grand championship," Monty explained, "You qualified this year, don't you remember? Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach are all competitors this year too. Of course Donkey Kong is the betting pool favorite, but I think this year you'll take home that trophy."

"The princess will be there tomorrow?" Bowser asked intently.

"Of course. She would never miss a chance at competition," Monty smiled awkwardly as he spoke, "See, sire? Everything is just fine. No need to start a war or anything, right?"

"Right," Bowser smirked evilly as smoke came from his nostrils.

This was too perfect. His princess was going to be out in the open. Sure, the Mario Brothers would be there as well, but Bowser would come prepared. There was no way he was going to lose his chance to rule two kingdoms; not when he was so close to his goal. He was also pleasantly surprised to learn Peach liked sports. Last time he kidnapped her she seemed so frail and helpless. Perhaps this time she would not only rule beside him as the Koopa Queen, but be worthy of such a title as well.


The next morning Bowser Jr. woke Mario up at the crack of dawn by bouncing on his bed.

"Ahhhh!" Mario shouted as he was suddenly forced out of slumberland and hurled into the air, "Hey, you little rugrat! What are you doing?"

"Time to get up!" Junior announced as he continued bouncing on the bed, Mario being thrown up and down by the gravity, "Today is the big strikers game! Get dressed so we can get going!"

Junior then jumped off the bed and landed gracefully on his feet, striking a cool pose...which was then ruined when he got dizzy and fell down. Mario walked past the clumsy Koopaling and headed straight for the bathroom so he could brush his teeth. Bowser Jr., never one to take a hint, followed him.

"Clemtoad called this morning. He says that he, Hamtar, and Hamtar are going to arrive early so they can train. I still don't know why you picked them for your team. Bet you can't beat Princess Daisy or Mama Peach! Of course my dad is gonna win this year. He's been training really hard for it. He even built a striker's course in our second castle for practice. He also bought some really cool blocking claws. They're these long metal claws that fit over his real ones."

Mario listened half-heartedly as the little Koopa prince rattled on and on. He brushed his teeth, rinsed, and then spit. Meanwhile Bowser Jr. continued to talk. It seemed like the kid never shut up.

"...and of course this is a pretty big event for the Mushroom Kingdom," Junior continued on, "There are three competitors from the Mushroom Kingdom this year. There's never been so many finalists from the same place before. Everyone thinks Donkey Kong is going to win, but I have it on good authority that he's too distracted to be a real competitor this year. There's a civil war in Kongo Pongo between the Kremlings and the Kongs, so DK will have that on his mind instead of the game."

"If things are so bad for DK then why is he coming to this stupid sports match?" Mario couldn't help but ask.

"It's not stupid! Strikers is one of the most important international competitions in the world!" Bowser Jr. exclaimed, "During the reign of my grandfather, Morton Koopa IV, many nations were at war with each other. My dad and King Toadstool were the first monarchs to put down their weapons and sign a declaration of peace. That peace spread to other islands and territories as well, and to commemorate that peace each year a different land hosts the annual strikers tournament. It's the most violent and grueling sport known to sentient kind."

"If it's about peace then why is it so violent?" Mario asked skeptically.

"Because everyone can gauge the strength of their allies and potential enemies that way," Junior explained, "Things are especially tense this year. Aliens tried to take over the world, and completely totaled Sarasaland. Most other lands came to their defense, but Dad held back our forces. He said if the aliens were too powerful then suing for peace would be the safer option. The Koopa Kingdom has over a billion citizens, so we can't afford to be careless."

"For a small child you seem to know a lot about politics," Mario commented.

"I have to. I'm going to be king someday," Bowser Jr. declared, "What? You think I just sit around painting all day? I have to go to classes if I'm going to be a great ruler like Dad. I'm Dad's only son, no matter what he says right now. He needs me to be in top form. Speaking of top form, you should probably get dressed."

Mario did as instructed and searched for the appropriate strikers gear. When he opened the closet he was surprised by how much sports equipment he owned. There were tennis rackets, golf clubs, different outfits, power ups, and more. He had also noted the night before that his walls were lined with gold trophies from various events. Basketball, baseball, golf, wrestling...it seemed like he had done it all.

The truth was Mario had been pondering his situation ever since he brought Bowser Jr. to this home that was supposedly his. He didn't recognize anything. His furniture was different, his wallpaper was different, and even the family photos of himself and his brother were different. He actually had photos of himself with Princess Peach, the mighty monarch of the Mushroom Kingdom! He had never met the princess in his entire life, and yet in one photo she was kissing him on the cheek while they were both wearing swimwear.

This scenario felt like something out of a strange dream. At one point Mario had convinced himself that he had been killed by Bowser's attack and this was all just a dying dream, but he wasn't waking up or fading out of existence. He awoke in the strange bed, with the strange trophies, and the strange Koopaling.

Mario still didn't have answers, but he was tired of fighting this new reality. Everything seemed wonderful here. Why wouldn't he want this life? He was dating royalty, the Koopas weren't burning everything to the ground and threatening mass murder on the Toads and Yoshis, and he got to play around all day like some kind of celebrity athlete. It was paradise.

Mario hopped into Junior's clown copter, and Bowser Jr. got in right behind him. Together they took off for the arena, and Mario would soon get to see what this violent symbol of peace actually looked like. On the way there however, Mario still had a few questions.

"So you say many nations compete in this tournament?" Mario inquired.

"Not everyone makes it," Junior told him, "Tryouts are brutal. This year I made it in but was eliminated in the fourth round. I lost to Isle Delfino's greatest warrior: Petey."

"Petey?" Mario snort-laughed, "What kind of a name is Petey?"

"He's a giant piranha plant that can walk," Bowser Jr. explained, and Mario stopped laughing, "Isle Delfino didn't want to use a Pianta competitor since those aren't generally what they would send into battle. Trust me, Petey is plenty scary. Though he can also be pretty chill sometimes. He was eliminated by Waluigi, who then tried to bury him in the dirt to make him grow bigger. It was pretty funny when Princess Daisy beat Waluigi up."

"Okay, so...Daisy is representing Sarasaland," Mario pondered, "Luigi, Peach, and myself are representing the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser is Koopa Kingdom, and DK is Kongo Pongo Island. So...what about the other two competitors? Where are they from?"

"Wario and Waluigi? Who knows?" Bowser Jr. shrugged, "They write a different kingdom on their entry forms every year. Last year they just wrote 'Wario's Buttland'. I think the referee is afraid to ask. Those two are very powerful, though admittedly I think Waluigi is just riding off Wario's fame. Wario is a video game mogul that hunts treasure when he's bored."

"Sounds pretty cool," Mario commented.

"Trust me, he's not," Junior refuted, "His special attack is farting. I hate competing against that guy! I hope Dad shoves those blocking claws right through him."

"Eww! That's 'a morbid!" Mario shouted in disgust.

"Of course it's morbid. I'm a Koopa," Bowser Jr. replied shamelessly.


Luigi was not looking forward to this strikers match. He had been excited to be one of the finalists since it would be his first time making it this far, but then he saw the arena where they would play...

"Why did they pick The Dump?" Luigi whined to Daisy and Peach.

"It's not literally a dump," Daisy pointed out, "It's just an arena full of mud and raw sewage."

"That doesn't help!" Luigi complained, "I just know someone is gonna push my face in there!"

"If it scares you then you can quit and give me the trophy now," Daisy taunted, "I'm not afraid to get dirty. If you're gonna win, you gotta want it more than anyone."

"I just hope Mario is feeling better," Peach replied in concern, "I wish you had called me when you found him. I would have come over."

"I know you would," Luigi replied with a reassuring smile, "I'm sure Mario is okay though. He just had an accident in the forest. He's taken worse damage on the kart racing circuit. You'll see. He'll show up and-"

"Lose to us! Wahahaha!" A gruff voice said from several feet away.

Walking toward the trio was Wario and Waluigi, both swaggering like they owned the place. Wario was eating an ice cream cone, and Waluigi was making faces at every supporting player that came anywhere near him. In short, a typical day for the bullying duo.

"Lookin' hot, Daisy!" Waluigi remarked as he eyed her bare legs, "I hope we face off this year. My green thumb has netted me some great results, and I'd love to show them off to you, if you know what I mean."

"The only green I'm interested in is my man Luigi, so back off!" Daisy snapped at the rude purple-clad cad.

Waluigi growled and balled his fist, but when he went to pull back his arm to punch Luigi he instead elbowed Wario's face, which caused the portly man to drop his ice cream on the putrid ground.

"Wario! Hey, uh, sorry man, I didn't mean to..." Waluigi stammered, afraid of getting beat up by Wario.

"Five second rule," Wario said nonchalantly, ignoring Waluigi and grabbing his ice cream and cone.

Everyone watched in disgusted fascination as Wario put the ice cream back in the cone, and ate the whole thing; mud, sewage, and all.

"What?" Wario asked them when he was done, "Did you expect me to share? Yeah right! Wahahaha!"

Just then, a gust of wind coming from the east informed the crew that a vehicle had landed in the lot. Bowser Jr. landed in one of the front row spots reserved for competitors, and he and Mario stepped out to greet everyone.

The first thing Mario noticed was his brother seemed to be in good spirits, but the second thing he noticed was the pair of princesses. He never thought that he, a mere plumber, would ever see such royal beauties up close like this. What was more, Princess Peach's eyes sparkled with love, her blue pools of light a beacon that compelled Mario to walk closer like a moth to a bug zapper. This couldn't be real. She couldn't really be his girlfriend...could she?

"Oh, Mario! I'm so glad you're okay!" Peach cooed over him before wrapping him in a hug.

As Mario awkwardly hugged the princess, an act of familiarity he was surprised wasn't going to get him beheaded, he suddenly realized just how...revealing her strikers outfit was. He never imagined Princess Peach going out in public without being completely covered in her royal dress. None of this felt right, and yet wrong never felt so right...

"Are you going to be okay to play, Mario?" Luigi asked, popping Mario's thought bubble and forcing him back to reality.

"Oh, um, yeah," Mario replied distractedly, "If this game is for peace, then I'm all in."

"Peace my butt!" Waluigi sneered, "This game is all about the prize money and trophies! And of course getting to spend some time with my girl, Daisy."

"I'm not your girl, you weirdo!" Daisy protested.

"Maybe not now, but someday," Waluigi vowed, "I can wait. You'll get bored of milktoast Luigi, and then you'll come to Waluigi for adventure! Wah!"

Wario wasn't paying attention to Waluigi's taunting of the happy couple however. He was busy looking at Mario, more specifically at the ground below Mario. Something was very odd here...

"Hey, Waluigi! Shut up, you idiot!" Wario suddenly snapped at his brother and grabbed him by the arm, "You come with me! Now!"

"Wait! No! Wah! I had a good zinger!" Waluigi yelled helplessly as his stronger counterpart dragged him away.

"Good riddance," Daisy muttered as she crossed her arms.

"Oh yeah," Luigi nodded and agreed.

Waluigi protested all the way as Wario took him over to the purple Caddy they had arrived in. Wario finally let go of Waluigi's arm, and Waluigi glared at him in annoyance.

"Okay, I'm over here. What do you want?" Waluigi asked sourly.

"Look at Mario," Wario whispered conspiratorially.

"Yeah? So? What about him?" Waluigi whispered back, though he didn't understand what the secrecy was about.

"Look at the ground below him vs everyone else," Wario said as he pointed, "No shadow."

Waluigi looked for a minute, not sure if that was correct, but the longer he stared the more obvious it became. Luigi, Daisy, Peach, and Junior all had shadows beneath them...but Mario didn't.

"That could be anything!" Waluigi was quick to dismiss, "Maybe it's a robot."

"Everything casts a shadow, Waluigi," Wario pointed out, "At least, everything here does."

"Then that means..." Waluigi asked with dread.

"The other universe," Wario finished his thought.

"There's a million other universes!" Waluigi countered, "He could be from anywhere!"

"Maybe, but I have my suspicions," Wario replied softly, not wanting to catch anyone else's attention, "I think he's the other Mario."

"But Luigi is normal," Waluigi pointed out, "So...what does it mean?"

"I don't know, but we have to keep an eye on this," Wario replied soberly, "I've become too rich to let that plumber destroy everything."

"Speaking of which, when are you gonna give me the money for my own castle?" Waluigi asked, "I'm tired of crashing on your couch!"

"And I'm tired of your brambles and piranha plants making it look like I live in a jungle!" Wario snapped, "I ain't giving you a single coin! You don't contribute anything, you parasite! You want coins? You earn them!"

Waluigi grumbled unintelligibly under his breath and crossed his arms as he turned his back to Wario. Wario ignored him however and pulled a lollipop out of his hat. He ate the lollipop, hat lint and all.

Meanwhile Mario and his friends were stretching and exercising before the big game. Bowser Jr. had left to go sit in the stands, and DK had since arrived with his friend Diddy in tow. Mario was interested in the apes and princesses, but was most surprised by the non-captain players. He saw Koopas, Toads, Boos, and other strange creatures working in perfect harmony. He even saw Kremlings as the goalkeepers despite their bad blood with the Kong species. Mario had never dreamed such cooperation could exist.

"Hi, Mario!" A high-pitched voice called out to him.

Mario looked and saw a Toad wearing a red uniform running toward him. That was most likely Clemtoad, the Toad that Junior had told him about. Running behind Clemtoad however, also both wearing red uniforms, was a Hammer Bro and a Monty Mole. Mario's instinct told him to be nervous and try to attack them, but the red uniforms indicated they were on his team. That was a very strange feeling for him.

"So glad you're ready to play, Captain!" Clemtoad said eagerly.

"Hi, I'm Hamtar!" The Hammer Bro greeted him.

"And I'm Hamtar!" The Monty Mole added.

"No relation," They said in unison.

"Well, nice to meet you all," Mario replied with an awkward smile, "I'm 'a Mario."

"We know that, silly!" Hamtar (the Mole) chuckled, "Who doesn't know the greatest sports hero in all the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"Oh, well, thank you. You're 'a so kind," Mario blushed, not used to so much praise from random strangers.

"We're gonna kick the competition's butt!" Hamtar (Hammer Bro) exclaimed, "I just checked the roster. Your first opponent is Daisy. She's a defensive player, so using swift and aggressive attacks is our best move."

"I'm all about swift!" Clemtoad bragged.

"I'm not," Hamtar (Mole) sagged, "Guess I have to stay near the goal..."

Mario didn't know what to say to cheer up a Monty Mole, so he didn't say anything. For someone who had just been pulled out of a war, the stakes of a strikers match seemed pretty small, yet everyone around him acted like this was the greatest and most important thing to ever happen to them. Mario tried to look just as enthused, but the truth was he was still trying to figure out where the war went and why everyone was so happy.

"Hey look! There's Bowser!" Peach exclaimed as she pointed to the sky.

"About time he showed up," Daisy scoffed.

"Oh, Daisy. Be nice," Peach giggled, "I know you and Bowser don't get along, but you'll have plenty of time to vent your frustration toward him on the strikers field."

"If I can stop imagining Wario eating that stupid ice cream. Yuck!" Daisy gagged.

Bowser's copter landed right in their midst. His red eyes seemed to narrow as he locked gazes with Princess Peach. He had never seen the princess like this before. She looked so confident, and she was barely dressed (by her standards). Bowser already had his sights on her kingdom, and he had kidnapped her before, but now...he wanted her more than ever.

Bowser stomped menacingly toward the princesses, and Mario noticed the malevolent intention in his eyes. Everyone else was oblivious to what was happening, so Mario knew it was up to him to stop this tragedy before it began.

"Hi, Bowser!" Peach waved as he stepped closer, "You ready to bring it? My team is going to kick your shell this year! Tee hee!"

"I love it when you talk like that," Bowser breathed, smoke emanating from his mouth and nostrils.

"Hee hee!" Peach laughed, "Oh, Bowser! You're so silly sometimes!"

"Princess, look out!" Mario shouted as he jumped to stand between her and Bowser, "You stay away from her!"

"Mario, what are you doing? It's just Bowser," Peach reproached him.

"Oh, uh, did I forget to mention this part?" Luigi sheepishly piped up, "Mario thinks Bowser is evil. Junior also has some concerns."

"Where is Junior?" Peach asked, aware that he wasn't running toward his father and pestering him with questions, "Bowser, have you seen Junior? Bowser...?"

By now Peach was beginning to see what Mario saw. Bowser didn't have the soft goofy look of a single dad and avid golf player on his face. No, his eyes were predatory, and his teeth were bared. Even his horns seemed to look sharper. Bowser looked absolutely...evil.

Bowser breathed fire on Mario, who managed to almost jump out of the way. His leg still caught fire, and he screamed and ran around as he tried to put it out. Bowser then grabbed Princess Peach, who screamed and hit him with her fists. It was no use however, as his shell and scaly skin protected him.

"Luigi!" Mario cried out while still on fire, "Save 'a the princess!"

"Okie dokie!" Luigi replied confidently.

Luigi then flutter-jumped to the clown copter, which was trying to get away with Bowser and Peach, Luigi was barely able to grab the edge of the copter, and Peach tried to grab his hand to help him up. Bowser was quicker however, and steered the copter so fast and so gnarly that Luigi fell off. Luigi plummeted to the ground and landed on DK's barrel-made kart, dizzy and dumbstruck by what had just happened.

"NOOO!" Mario cried out in anguish as he watched Bowser make off with the princess.

"Luigi!" Daisy shouted as she ran to her boyfriend, "Luigi, get up! We have to go after them!"

"Ow...Mama?" Luigi muttered in delirium.

"OMG, get up!" Daisy shouted angrily as she forced Luigi to his feet, "I told you guys Bowser was bad news! Why is he doing this?"

"I dunno," Luigi replied, slightly more alert than before.

"He wants to marry the princess and take the Mushroom Kingdom for himself," Mario explained, "I've been trying to tell Luigi, but he won't 'a listen! Nobody will listen, but I knew I was right!"

"Well, alright then," Daisy nodded in understanding, "DK, we need your help!"

"Uh?" DK grunted as he walked over to them.

"I need you to tell the audience that the tournament is cancelled," Daisy told him, "One competitor has been kidnapped, and another competitor is the kidnapper. Wow, I can't believe I just said that. Never mind! DK, we're going off to rescue Princess Peach. I know you have to go home to save your own people, so we'll take care of rescuing Peach. Just let everyone know what's going on, okay?"

DK nodded and without a word ran off toward the stadium's entrance.

"We?" Luigi suddenly spoke up, "Daisy, this is gonna be dangerous. We can't take you with us."

"You can't afford to not take me with you," Daisy countered, "Peach is my friend too, and she needs our help. Besides, you guys are friends with Bowser. If anyone's gonna beat him up, it's gonna be me. He left me to dry when Tatanga took over my kingdom. Now I can return the favor."

"Alright then," Luigi finally agreed, "Mario and I will ride in my kart, and you can ride in yours."

"Should royalty really attend to such matters?" Mario asked skeptically.

"Hey, I can't ask my subjects to defend me if I'm not willing to do the same for them," Daisy smirked, "You boys can count on me."

Mario smiled then as he realized that he wasn't alone. If Bowser wanted to start a war, then he would start it with not only the Mushroom Kingdom, but Sarasaland as well. He hopped onto the back stand of Luigi's kart once again, ready to kick Koopa shell in a way he never had before...with wheels.

Meanwhile, Wario and Waluigi had watched the entire event take place. Waluigi looked scared, and Wario looked pensive. Everything was just as Wario had feared. This was the other Mario...the mirror's image.

"He's gonna try to save the princess," Wario said to Waluigi, "Bowser is a problem, but one I believe we can deal with. Mario is the real threat."

"So what do we do about it?" Waluigi asked.

"Not we, you," Wario replied as he side-eyed his counterpart, "We don't know what other surprises Mario might be packing. You have to be the one to go. It's the only way to ensure the job gets done."

"What job exactly?" Waluigi asked, afraid of the answer.

Wario then grabbed Waluigi's face and forced it close to his own. Waluigi could smell the garlic on Warios' breath and see the plaque in his teeth. In a very serious and low voice, Wario uttered the words that would compel Waluigi's new quest.

"Obey Wario. Destroy Mario..."