Flying high in the sky, Mario saw nothing but desert all around. Sand dunes and cacti abounded, with the occasional mountain providing a change of scenery. It seemed as boring as any desert would be. No sign of horrible evil here, unless you counted the desert heat. Of course, there was still plenty more of this desert to observe, and he was very good at sensing trouble.

"Ugh, this is soooo boring." Goombarry said, tilting his head up. "I swear we'll never find this thing."

"Curb your tongue Goombarry," Mario said, annoyed with the Goomba's impatience. He turned his head toward Goombarry's direction, noticing he wasn't even trying to look anymore. "Adventuring requires a lot of searching and mystery. It's not all huge boss battles and climactic events." Mario wasn't sure the Goomba knew what it meant to be a hero, but he wouldn't be too harsh. Goombarry was young and didn't have any experiences outside of Aridian.

"Yeah… I guess you're right." he said sullenly.

Mario looked back out the window, observing the vast desert. He saw sand…sand… more sand… a few tumbleweeds.

"…So," Goombarry asked after a few moments of silence. "I heard you were in the Glitz Pit once. What was it like?"

"Ah yes," Mario said. He remembered his time in the tournament fondly. The fighters were awesome and the atmosphere got him excited just thinking about it. "Those guys had some serious skills, but I pulled through in the end."

"Wow! Was it hard? How tough were they?"

"Hmm," Mario pondered. "Well, the Minor League fighters were above average but still kinda easy for me. The Major League though, they gave me a decent challenge, and clearly knew their stuff." Goombarry's eyes went wide, and he fidgeted a bit before asking his next question.

"How far do you think I could come? Could I be the champion?"

"Well," Mario said. "I think you could come pretty far, but I…" Mario faltered a bit, thinking how to choose his next words carefully. "…don't think you're quite ready for that." Goombarry's face took a sadder expression. "Rawk Hawk and The Koopinator are really powerful, and even I had a lot of trouble with them. Even that Mr. Big guy we fought earlier can't beat them.

"Huh," Goombarry said. "There's more strong people in the world than I thought."

"There are definitely some fighters more powerful than you Goombarry. Please don't forget that. I don't want you rushing into something beyond your level."

Goombarry didn't respond, but Mario could sense tension. That must have made him angry, and he hoped the Goomba wouldn't stay like that.

"So, what was your fighter name in the Pit? I couldn't watch it myself since the TVs don't get signals from there."

"Oh yes, my nickname was the Great Gonzalez!" Mario yelled, the name giving him passion.

"That's really cool, but I thought a name like Star Lord would fit better."

"Star Lord?"

"Yeah, I mean even your voice sounds..." Goombarry awkwardly paused, "Star Lord-y."

Mario couldn't imagine what made his voice sound like "Star Lord", but he just went with it.

"I wasn't the only one fighting though." Mario said after several more seconds of silence. "I had a Yoshi pal, a newborn I named 'Turbo'. He helped me get through the fights and discover Grubba's plot."

"Wait a minute," Goombarry suddenly interrupted. "A newborn powerful enough to fight in the Glitz Pit? Could this newborn be stronger than me?"

"Oh no no no." Mario replied. "Turbo was a formidable ally, but he wouldn't have gotten to the upper levels without me. You're way more powerful than him." Mario decided to withhold the fact that Turbo had grown and was probably stronger than Goombarry now. He hadn't checked in a while but it seemed the Yoshi was getting closer to the top levels of the Glitz Pit. It was unlikely he'd beat The Koopinator in the near future, but he could be on the rank right below him.

"Well that's a relief."

Ok, this Goomba really didn't seem to like others being stronger than him. Mario noted he may have to be careful with what he tells him.

Soon, Mario saw a little village in the sand. Well… mostly little. The place had a few yellow and brown buildings plastered about, mostly made of what looked like wood. In the center, however, was a huge building which looked nothing like the rest of the town. It was multiple stories of dazzling lights and big wavy banners. Around its perimeter was a series of chiseled bricks, a concrete parking lot, and palm trees. Mario could even see water flowing down parts of the building into a fountain area.

"Woah, that looks cool." Goombarry said.

"Oh it looks cool alright," Mario replied, "but what happens within can really destroy you." The plumber knew the building was a casino, where people get hooked on spending their own money. He had never been the type to like casinos, despite his brother running one for a brief time.

"I know, I know." Goombarry responded half-heartedly. "Those places are just huge money traps, but it's cool to see the decorations."

"That, it is."

Mario put his hand to his chin and contemplated. He was a bit puzzled as to the casino's existence. He had seen these in desert biomes before, and they were often in out-of-the-way places, but this was just a sea of desert and a tiny village. How was this place still open with all you'd have to go through to get there?

"Hatro, park me by the casino please."

"You got it."

The cap turned the steering apparatus, and the vessel began to lower, nearing the village.

"Are we about to get some action?" Goombarry said, looking fired up and excited.

"Hold on, buddy." Mario put his hand up. "We don't know what this casino holds. We're looking for the evil thing but we don't know if it'll be here. This giant casino's a bit suspicious but there could be another explanation."

"Well that'd be lame."

As the ship began its descent, Mario noticed another weird thing. There were no people in this village at all. No one in the wood buildings or on the streets as far as he could tell, and the casino had no windows so he couldn't tell if anyone was there either. Very strange, though at least the parking lot was empty too.

The ship landed at the front of the lot, taking up two parking spaces. He wasn't 100% sure if this was legal, but he had so many coins that getting caught would barely be an inconvenience.

As the duo stepped out, Mario saw the place in much more detail. Goombarry awed as Mario noticed the title on the front. It read 'EVERSHINE CASINO' in bright purple letters. A few sets of double doors awaited them as they walked toward the place. Mario could see more fountains and hear the sounds of their rushing water. There were no signs of age or wear-and-tear, and the building looked very polished. The place seemed to be in working order, despite no one apparently being there.

Stepping inside, Mario was greeted by an explosion of lights from every direction. The walls glowed with hues and the floor seemed fluorescent. It was like they were onstage at a concert. Koops would have gotten a seizure from all of this.

"May I help you?"

Mario looked and saw a desk, glowing with lights just like the rest of the place, and a Pianta behind it. So, the place wasn't completely abandoned. The Pianta didn't look like any Mario had ever seen. His skin was purple and his skirt and tree were black. He had red spectacles over his eyes. It was also weird seeing a Pianta in the middle of the desert when they usually were only in tropical climates. No one else seemed to be in the building, so he couldn't have been here to get profit. What was going on here?

"Uh, well…"

"You don't look like you're one of our reserved guests, and we are not currently open to regular patrons."

That made things twice as suspicious.

"Mario," Goombarry said. "this place doesn't seem legit."

Suddenly, the phone by the Pianta's desk rang. Immediately he picked it up and started listening. Mario could hear murmurs from what seemed like a high-pitched voice, but he couldn't tell what the conversation actually was. He looked over at Goombarry, who narrowed his eyes at the Pianta. Then, in a fast motion, the Pianta put down his phone and addressed the duo again.

"Wait, sorry about that. I didn't notice you two were on the VIP list. The owner eagerly awaits your arrival. I'll take you to him."

That made things ten times as suspicious.

"Mario," Goombarry whispered as the Pianta stared at them coldly. "This has 'trap' written all over it. I sure hope you got a plan."

"Don't worry," Mario whispered. "I have an idea."

"Hold on," Mario yelled. "He was just telling me he needed to use the bathroom." Goombarry stared at him quizzically. "He gets nervous there so I'll accompany him." the Goomba looked at him like he was an idiot before suddenly agreeing.

"I… uh yeah. I do get pretty nervous. Thanks Mario." Goombarry was clearly lying but Mario hoped the Pianta would buy it.

"Alright then, but afterwards it's time to meet with the boss."

"What was that for?" Goombarry whispered as they walked to the surprisingly dimly lit bathroom door.

"Oh, you'll see."

Coming out of the bathroom, the plumber and Goomba walked up to the desk again.

"Ah, so I suppose it is time for your chat with the owner."

"Yes, it is. We are all ready for an excellent time."

"Splendid," the Pianta said. "Follow me."

The duo went up a set of stairs covered in red carpeting. Lights adorned even this seemingly private part of the casino, though these were exclusively green, blue, and purple. They were cool colors that put a more relaxed mood than the thrilling excitement of a casino. Mario was in deep concentration as he climbed up the stairs. So deep he tripped on a stair and landed on his big nose a few steps up.

"Oh, heheh, clumsy me." he said as the others stared at him.

"Oh my goodness, we are so terribly sorry about that." the Pianta said, his voice dripping with passive-aggressiveness. "We'll have our guys fix up any damages this could have done."

"Don't worry buddy." Mario said getting up. "A hero like me won't be damaged from that little thing."

"That's great to hear."

Normally, tripping and falling on a simple set of stairs would be something Luigi would do, but Mario had another thing to focus on. He was concentrating on the vents in the wall behind the steps, for in there was another Mario. The plumber had taken a Double Cherry while in the bathroom, then slipped into the vents there with one copy. In most cases, the Double Cherry required each copy to move in exact unison, but Mario had practiced the powerup well enough that he could desynchronize their movements with concentration.

Eventually, they reached an ornate-looking dining room. Much like the stairs, the room had cool blue lighting, contrasting with the red carpets. The walls and ceiling had a swirly blue-and-purple pattern, showing off a rendition of the cosmos. There was a long dining table which Mario couldn't see what it was made from thanks to the red tablecloth. Near the table were three highbacked chairs, with red cushions and gold edges. One of these chairs was at the center of the right side, and the other two were at the head. Towards the right was a large steel door presumably leading to the kitchen, and to the left was a set of golden double doors with a sign reading "Presidents Suite" located above it. The vents of the room, of course, were just ordinary-looking vents, so there was nothing exciting for that Mario. Though, those double doors did seem suspicious. The vent Mario squeezed through the overly large vents to get to the room beyond.

As the room Mario got closer, he noticed the napkins at the near head of the table had an "M" logo on them, meaning that seat was probably for him. On the other chair was a Koopa dressed in samurai armor, much like what Mario wore on his Odyssey adventure, but this one was blue. He had a long white beard and was holding out his hands in greeting.

"Welcome, Mario. You arrived just in time." the Koopa said warmly. "I am Master Yakupa. Come and enjoy our hospitality."

The Pianta suddenly sprang to the chair, pulling it backwards to invite Mario to sit. Slowly, Mario approached and sat down in the chair. It was comfortable and didn't seem to have any traps. The Pianta pushed Mario's chair forward again, putting Mario right up near the table. Mario noticed the Pianta didn't pull the chair back for Goombarry, and he had to push it himself. A bit rude to not give Goombarry the same treatment.

"Ok then," Goombarry said. "So what food ya got here?"

"My personal chef has prepared some of the finest sushis and steaks for Mr. Mario." Yakupa said. "Though we did not expect your arrival, so we do not have anything for you yet."

"Ah man."

The silver door then burst open, revealing a Toad in a chef's hat and tuxedo carrying a few trays.

"Here is a dish for Mr. Mario." the Toad said almost robotically, as if he were in a middle-school play and reading the lines for the first time. Mario found it a bit unsettling. The Toad gathered a plate from the tray containing a Shroom Steak and deposited it onto Mario's side. These weren't just fancy dinner options, they were very powerful items that healed tremendously more than Super 'Shrooms or even Ultra 'Shrooms. He was a bit curious why some random casino would serve these. Then Mario noticed something else, the steak had its same mushroom shape, but it almost seemed to be tinted purple. Normal people wouldn't be able to tell, but his experience with power-ups allowed him to notice these things. A Shroom-based powerup being purple indicates it's a Poison variant, but he'd never heard of a Poison Shroom Steak before. If this was a Poison Shroom Steak, it would be the most harmful powerup in existence. Poison Mushrooms scaled proportionally to the original's healing powers, and with something as powerful as a Shroom Steak, it would kill most beings and bring even him to critical condition. It would even kill Goombarry, but it didn't seem like they brought one for him.

Meanwhile, the other Mario scurried through the vents, going past the golden doors to find another hallway. The aesthetic was similar, and another set of golden doors awaited at the end. The doors seemed to have a passcode lock; but Mario just crawled through the vents and bypassed it.

As Mario looked through the vents of the next room, he almost gasped with horror. The room itself was normal enough, though it was very luxurious, with a gorgeous cosmos pattern decorating most of the walls. The occupants were what frightened him. Around ten figures were encircled in fancy chairs around a dark purple mass of energy in the center of the room. Mario felt the same energy that he did back at the kart race, the same horrible presence. He knew this had to be it. Among the figures he saw a few familiar and dreaded faces; faces he thought he would never see again.

In the chair closest to the vent was a certain Beanish fiend who'd terrorized the Mushroom and Koopa Kingdoms: Fawful. Next to him was the alien tyrant who took two sets of Mario Bros. to defeat: Elder Princess Shroob, looking as strong as ever. A few chairs down was the sinister Bat King and Lord of Nightmares: Antasma. Worst of all was the ever-smiling master of dimensions floating above his chair: Dimentio. Mario didn't know how dangerous the others were, but he assumed they were also extremely so.

"There's no way this trap will work," one of the villains whined. "We spruced up some outta nowhere abandoned casino for this!"

"Calm down Doug," Fawful said in his weaselly high-pitched voice. "Fawful loves the casino. The flashing lights and colors of vibrancy bring joy to Fawful's face."

"Then let us hope this is successful." The voice reverberated around the room, with aftervoices that chilled even Mario's rock-hard nerves, but Mario was sure it came from the purple wisp. The other villains leaned away, clearly scared of that thing as well. "Or there may be some… dire consequences." Suddenly, an energy tendril came out from the orb and approached Fawful, hovering inches from his neck. The Beanish leaned back all the way in his chair, and Mario almost felt a touch of pity for him.

"N-no no, great Vel'zar. Fawful will make sure everything runs smoothly." So that was the evil's name.

"Ahahaha" Dimentio laughed. "So the great Lord Fawful is in trouble, like a teenager who taught their little brother a naughty word."

"Don't act like you are beyond punishment, jester." Vel'zar said. "I know your history of betrayal quite well. You are a very useful ally, but I will not hesitate to tear you apart if you prove difficult." Dimentio relented, but he kept the same grin. He seemed to take the threat less seriously than anyone else, despite it being raised toward him.

Suddenly one of the villains got up: a hulking bipedal wolf thing with glowing red eyes. It twitched and sniffed deeply.

"I smell something foreign in our midst," the beast said surprisingly well.

Oh no. Mario couldn't be caught by these guys. There was no way he could take on all of them at once, especially since he didn't even know many of their abilities. He needed to get Goombarry and leave. He had to get all his allies for a threat this massive.

"Now try your meal, Mario." Mario suddenly snapped back to the table, where Yakupa and Goombarry were staring at him. "I assure you, it is simply delectable." Mario's nerves spiked up. He knew any second the villains would discover him, and he had to act fast. The wolf guy was already almost at the vents.

"Well," Mario said, standing up. "I don't have a particularly large appetite right now so I think it's about time to…"

"Oh, I don't think you want to leave, now do you?" Yakupa said menacingly, not even trying to hide this was a trap anymore. Mario stared at Goombarry, then at Yakupa, then at the way out. He had seconds to act, and Goombarry was already standing and glaring.

Mario disconnected concentration from the vent clone, he didn't need that anymore. He then released a ball of concentrated smoke, throwing it onto the Koopa and making him cough. Goombarry followed up with an energy blast that struck him.

"No, we need to get out of here, I just did that to obscure his vision!"

"What? I thought we were…"

"There's too many villains! We'll have to retreat."

Mario heard the far set of double doors open and knew it wouldn't be long before they were swarmed with bad guys.

"Come on, Goombarry. We have to leave now!"

"Ugh, fine. I wanna kick their butts later though."

The duo ran to the stairs just as the golden doors burst open. Mario heard incomprehensible villain screaming as he ran for his life. All manner of projectiles were thrown in every direction, just missing the duo as they ran out of the building to the lot with the Odyssey II, the cap ship just up ahead.

"Lift the ship up now!" Mario yelled as Hatro started takeoff already.

"But we won't be able to get up there." Goombarry yelled.

"I got a plan."

The villains started pouring outside, yelling and throwing bolts and blasts at the duo. Fortunately, they didn't seem to notice the cap ship in the air. The plumber sprinted toward the ship, ready to use his technique. Just a few more steps, a few more…

Mario grabbed onto Goombarry, hoping he wouldn't blast him off. Fortunately, the Goomba seemed to trust Mario had a plan. Then, Mario jumped high up into the sky, using Firebrand on his feet to rocket himself even further into the air. The ship was already higher than the roof of the casino, but Mario expertly maneuvered onto the brim, Goombarry in tow. They did it. They were out.

"Now get off me!" Goombarry said, wrestling out of Mario's grip.

Mario turned back to see what the villains were doing. Most were scrambling around, unsure what to do. A few projectiles came but none hit the far-off ship. Vel'zar wasn't even in the parking lot yet. Mario was lucky he caught the villains off-guard. If he got poisoned and they ambushed him on their terms, there was no way he would have survived.

Mario took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"That was really close. Now let's get back in the ship." Mario said to Goombarry. "You have a lot to catch up on."