I'm not dead. A lot of things came up and I forgot to post this chapter. I'm sorry.
"Hello Bowser," Mario said darkly.
"Mario!?" Bowser roared in horror, "How did – Where's Junior? Where are the rest of the kids!?
"Oh, they're fine," Mario responded emotionlessly, glancing at the Koopalings who were surrounded by the guards.
"Mario, I swear if you hurt them- "
"Oh, come off it Koopa Stoopah," Mario scoffed, "You're one to talk when it comes to hurting loved ones. You do it all the time. Unlike you, I have morals, and even if I didn't, I didn't need to lay a finger on them to stop them."
That part was true: Mario only got within an inch of the Koopalings; his rage radiated from his body as his eyes narrowed in hate. This alone caused his enemies to pass out from fear, giving the guards enough time to secure them. Bowser growled at the plumber.
"What do you want twerp? Come to gloat about what else you took from me?"
"You DAMN well know why I called," Mario hissed, "Now I'm only going to ask you once. WHERE. IS. LUIGI!?"
Bowser let out a dry chuckle, "Is that what this is all about? Greenie?"
"Where is he, Bowser!" Mario snapped, growing impatient, "Tell me where my brother is right now or else!"
"Or else what, Mario?" Bowser snickered, "If your twin is what you want, then you're in no position to make demands."
"And you're in no position to make threats," Mario countered, glancing over at the Koopalings who eyed the mustached King, not daring to make a move, "You might be public
enemy number one Bowser, but the Koopalings' hands aren't clean either. Several lands want their heads for all the crimes they've committed. Isle Delfino is hell-bent on making sure Junior pays dearly for what he did to their island," A dark, uncharacteristic smirk slightly grew on Mario's face, "Kids or not, the police and other law officials plan on giving them the full maximum, and considering how much they took delight in seeing other people suffer, any defense a lawyer could come up with to make them appear innocent will most likely go down the drain."
Bowser felt the phone about the crack from his fury, but did his best to stay calm, "Okay plumber, you made your point." Bowser grumbled, "We got some unfinished business anyway."
Mario nods, "I'll send your kids down a warp pipe to Darkland, and you have your little stooge Kamek, create a port to where you are. From there, we settle things."
"Deal," Bowser huffed, "But you uphold your end of the bargain FIRST, plumb scum."
Without a word, Mario pulled out a magic potion and threw it, creating a door to the warp zone. The king turned his head towards the guards, gesturing them to stand down. Junior glanced up at the plumber, curious by the change of events. Mario simply turned the phone over to Koopa prince, showing a relieved Bowser on the other end.
"PAPA!" Junior cried. He attempted to grab the phone from Mario, but one guard pulled the Koopaling back. The rest of the Koopalings' eyes lit up when they saw their uncle.
"Junior. Kids. It's gonna be okay," Bowser comforted.
"Uncle Bowser, where are you?" Iggy asked.
"Why didn't you call us?" Lemmy cried.
"What's going on?" Ludwig exclaimed.
"We miss you!" Larry sobbed.
"Where did you go?" Wendy O demanded.
"Why did you leave?" Roy shouted.
"Why didn't you tell us you were leaving?" Morton asked.
"Papa, when are you coming back?" Junior whimpered.
Bowser hardly ever had regrets: he never once felt bad that he ruined the lives of many with his actions. However, he could feel the guilt gnawing on his bones hearing the pleads from his kids. He knew it was a bad idea to up and leave without letting the Koopalings know, but like with everything . . . he didn't care. The Koopa King only thought about getting revenge on Mario. Nothing else mattered to him, and now his son, niece, and nephews were paying the price.
"Kids, it's-it's gonna be okay," Bowser said, "I-I promise. Just go back home, and wait for me.:
"But Papa!"
"Uncle Bowser, no!"
"KIDS!" Bowser snapped, interrupting their pleads. He looked at each of them softly, then gently said to them, "Please."
The Koopalings looked at him sadly, but knew there was no changing his mind. It broke Bowser's heart further to see the kids disheartened, but he had to finish what he started, without them getting involved further. Junior felt tears form again, but refused to let them fall – not while his dad was on screen. The Koopa prince nodded, then looked at his cousins. The other Koopalings seemed hesitant but reluctantly nodded.
"You better come back," Junior said, almost harshly.
"I promise," Bowser answered, "I love you kids"
"We love you too," all of the Koopalings answered.
"Great, now that that's settled," the Koopalings and bowser Looked at Mario, who was completely unphased by the touching moment, "leave now, and don't return."
Bowser and the Koopalings only glared at the plumber for ruining their moment, but the plumber king hardly cared, not after all the rotten deeds they've done to others – including the families they've destroyed. Soon the Koopalings went straight for the warp zone to go back to Darkland. Junior was the last to enter: he gave Mario one last spiteful glare before entering, and closing the door behind him. Mario stood there, watching the door fade away: determination coursing through his veins as he waited for Bowser to keep his promise.
Once he was sure the kids reached Darkland safely, Bowser said one last goodbye to his son and hung up. He turned to the minion who brought the call to him and ordered him to get Kamek – if Mario wanted a fight, he got one. Nobody messed with his family and got away with it, not on his watch. Speaking of family, Bowser went back into the room where Luigi was being held. Opening the door, he saw the young man's staring down at the ground.
Luigi felt tears of joy streaming down his cheeks, and a large grin plastered on his face. He had overheard the entire conversation – he heard his brother's voice for the first time in days. Mario was coming! Luigi knew his twin wouldn't stop searching for him!
"I'd wipe that grin off your face if I were you greenie," Bowser sneered, "He may be coming, but Mario won't make it out of here alive."
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" The captive looked up defiantly at his abductor; his spirit renewed, and his smile widen more, "You think you're automatically going to win the moment Mario steps one foot in, wherever here is? Guess what Bowser," Luigi spat, feeling his courage surge for the first time in a while, "You may have kicked me down, intimidated me, and made me feel weak, but you have broken me! I KNEW Mario was going to find me one way or another! I may not be as brave or confident as him, but faith in my family and friends isn't easily broken!"
Bowser only growled at his captive; he turned away from him, infuriated by the younger Mario bro's spirit. Still, he didn't have time to pummel that smug look off his mustached face. He had bigger fish to fry, and he would make sure Luigi's hope would shatter along with every bone in Mario's body.
Peach handed Mario the small box containing the power-ups. Both waited anxiously for the portal to open. Mario was ready to put an end to all of this and bring Luigi home. He could feel his wife rubbing his shoulders, hoping to relieve the tension he felt over the days.
"You know Bowser won't simply let you take Luigi?" Peach piped up, growing weary of the silence.
"I know," Mario shrugged, "he never has, and neither do I."
The duo saw a small black warp pipe emerging from the ground. If Mario had to guess, it would lead him to where Luigi was being held. A piece of paper was taped on the rim of the pipe – Mario pulled it off, briefly reading it.
Wait for further directions when you reach the location.
Mario handed Peach the paper then stared at the pipe for a moment, "Guess this is it."
"Mario,"
The king looked at his wife for a moment, who pulled him in for a kiss. The two held onto each other for a moment, not wanting to let go. Still, with his brother in trouble, Mario pulled away but kept his hands on Peach's shoulders. The queen had both of her hands on her husband's face.
"Please, find Luigi, and both of you come back home safely," She begged.
"I will." With that said, the couple let go of each other; one went down the pipe, the other waited at the castle.
Mario's thoughts raced through his head as he fell through the portal. Part of him wondered if Bowser really would keep his word, or if it was all a trap. One thing was for certain, whatever lied ahead, he would barrel through it if it meant he was going to rescue Luigi. The light at the end signified the end of the warp – from there on, there was no turning back.
"Hold on Baby Bro. Your big brother's gonna put an end to this a Nightmare."
With a small flip and a ten-star landing, Mario looked around at his surroundings and raised his eyebrows. A dry barren wasteland stretched across the land, decorated in old floating blocks and debris. Some of the loose soil drifted in the wind and caressed some of the small patches of surviving grass.
This couldn't be right; one of the search teams combed over this area, several times. Nobody believed this is where Bowser made his hideout – the area was practically in ruins. Yet this is where the pipe leads him . . . but it had to be a trick! Mario should have known Bowser was a liar! There's no way that rotten Koopa king would keep his word. At least, that's what the plumber initially thought, until he saw a winged letter, with a familiar evil seal, float down to him.
Hesitant at first, Mario grabbed the envelope and opened it:
CONGRATS, SUPER LARDIO!
YOU'VE REACHED YOUR DESTINATION!
FOLLOW THE MAP IN THE NOTE,
AND YOU'LL BE A STEP CLOSER TO GREENIE!
GWAHAHAHA, I HOPE YOU STUMBLE
AND FALL INTO A PILE OF SAND,
YOU SHRIMPY LOSER!
An insulting letter from his nemesis officially confirmed it: Mario was in the right area. And Bowser was right here, under their noses all this time, and with Luigi as well. They were in the old abandoned part of the kingdom: The Mushroomy Kingdom.
Let the beginning of the end begin. All characters belong to nintendo.