Mario's Theatre (pt. 4): Into the Veil

The heroes have been poisoned by Agnetha's needles. Let's just hope that they survive this ordeal so that they can retrieve the staff piece…

Also, I need to clarify a few things before I move on with this story; some of you may have noticed several changes with the first two chapters regarding Marth's backstory. A good fellow by the username of Garben the Berserker pointed out the errors that I had unknowingly made and gave me the information needed to correctly follow the continuity of the Fire Emblem games (Marth's games, at least). I just want to avoid any sort of confusion I might have caused in making those edits, and I want to say this to Garben: thanks for correcting me, man (no joke).

The other changes I have been making recently are to improve the story structure and correct a few errors.

Let's get on with this. As always, you are free to R&R.

The spirit of sin has tainted the essence of all from the very dawn of society…

Not even the most good-willed of mortals are, or have been, spared from the corrupting touch of temptation…

In everyday life, most of the errors caused by all are simply minor grievances…

Sometimes, however, certain sins can be severe enough to inflict long-lasting tragedy on a family, group, or even a whole society…

And the worst of sinners have no remorse for others around them…

Murder, arson, fraud, stealing, and kidnapping have been, and will always be, among other things, their weapons…

Preying on the innocent and the weak…

Placing an undesired layer of filth upon civilizations…

Paralyzing much-needed progress to a magnificent vision of a cleaner world…

Was he dead?

Or was he still clinging to life?

As he regained consciousness, the world around him seemed… dull and blurred, for a lack of better terms. Numbness was the only thing that he could feel, for his sense of touch was shielded from the rest of possible sensations: cold, heat, pain, and pressure. It was as if though he had been purged from his own body. For how long, he did not know. His ears were granted the bare of minimum of power required to distinguish one sound from another. Whatever he was hearing now was muffled to a severe extent. A sound of unknown origin crawled its way into his eardrums, acting as a song that he had never heard of before. Long minutes dragged on before feelings of uncertainty and fear tore through his still-numbed skin. Maybe the noise was a sign of danger approaching, and if that was the case, then he would be utterly helpless in a literal sense. Since he was currently paralyzed, fighting back would certainly be out of the question. In other words, there would be no option but death. But…

What if there was no threat? What if the noise was from something harmless or possibly even helpful?

He was unable to decide on whether to remain still or flee, even when his condition was strictly confining him to the former choice. A few seconds drifted like a cold wind before the vital sense of hearing returned to him. The sound, no, sounds in question were voices engaged in a conversation, but to whom the voices belonged was an utter mystery to him. With the view of the world around him still a sloppy canvas, he twisted his head in numerous directions to notice various, barely recognizable figures in the room that he was stuck in. All seven of them were shaped like stars, with their bodies floating in the air.

"How much longer will they have to live?" a voice rang out. Its tone, to his knowledge, was soft and feminine, almost motherly in character. Worry seemed to be present in the mindset of whoever spoke, with the pitch of each word abnormally high and fraught with shakiness.

"I am not sure…" another figure answered. Compared to the first speaker, the second possessed a deep voice assisted by a great degree of both characteristic integrity and expansive knowledge. He sounded less worried about the ongoing situation, which could lead one to the assumption that he was holding his hopes high. That was not to say, however, that he was completely relaxed; the figure's voice was painted with a noticeable shade of tension.

"Well, we need to help them soon," a third voice echoed. A thick German accent was present, causing some of the words to be spoken in a rather distinct manner. There was no doubt that it was much like the Scandinavian variant that Lillian possessed, except a little sharper. Like the others, worry was gripping the speaker's mind, which manifested itself in an overall lower, darker tone of voice. "If they do not receive a cure in time, then they will certainly perish."

By now, the world around him, the observer, was beginning to form a clearer foundation. Staring to the left, then to the right, he soon realized that he was inside a temple that had its origins in ancient times. Grand columns surrounded the outer boundaries of the room, with polished walls inserted between them to build up the room's firm foundation. The ceiling was decorated with a uncommon style; checkers, in two alternating shades of light blue, mixed in with glowing specks to unveil a beauty seldom witnessed by the common populace of the Mushroom World. A third detail of interest was a set of seven large, diamond-made pillars, which was where the star-shaped figures were floating over. There were glimmering lights from each one that appeared to illuminate the already bright room, and they penetrated the cloudiness dulling the viewer's vision. Struggling to twist his body around, he could also, for a few seconds, notice a sparkling water-like substance flowing underneath the floor before locking his eyes to the center of the room. There, the final property was revealed: a pedestal-containing platform only connected to the outer area by a staircase. This temple was such a beautiful place, in honest terms.

"Hey, Eldstar!" the German speaker shouted. "Mario's waking up!"

The noise startled Mario to the point where his eyes instantly snapped open, forcing his vision to clear itself up. Now in a more alert state, he quickly realized that the star-like figures seemed quite familiar…

"Thank the heavens," the first speaker, now known as Eldstar, sighed, "We thought you were gone for good, Mario." Eldstar was recognizable for being one of the seven Star Spirits that constantly oversaw the magical realm of Star Haven, a place where wishes were granted. In the seven-piece hierarchy, he was blessed with the role of the leader, presiding over all others in authority. His elderly appearance, consisting of a yellowish body paired up with a gray moustache, seemed to complement his vast wisdom.

"E-Eldstar?" Mario coughed, "Is that-a you? I haven't-a seen you in a long time."

"Yes, it certainly has been long years since our last encounter. Now, what brings you back into the Mushroom World?"

Mario stopped himself just in time to realize that his party members were out of view. A quick left-to-right sweep of the area revealed nothing regarding them, not even a slight indicator. Slightly worried, he decided to ask Eldstar about their statuses; if they were dead…

"Eldstar, before I can-a answer that question, I-a must ask this: where are the others?"

"They are inside the inn. After Misstar and I did what we could to treat all of you, we reserved the inn for your group to stay in. The owner had extra mattresses available, but he stated that they were not enough to hold all seven of you. So, we had to transport you to this location."

"Wait-a," Mario hoisted his now partially-numb body up into a sitting position, only to notice that he was resting on a translucent platform a few meters away from the temple's center. "You were able to-a cure us of the poison inside our-a bodies?"

"No," Misstar answered. Misstar could be best described as a pink-colored Star with a golden ribbon on the top of her head, with a pure-hearted but strong spirit to accompany her physical features. "The poison was far too strong for even our curing abilities to handle. What we did merely halted its spread in addition to healing your battle injuries, so in a few hours, it will become malignant again. Also, we realized that your group was in possession of a Tasty Tonic, but there was only enough in the container to help one person, so we decided to use it on you. You will last longer than the others, but the poison will still eventually kill you."

What kind of poison was Agnetha using…? Mario pondered, letting Misstar's words sink into his mind. Eldstar's ability to cure poison was long known to Mario as a flawless solution; during the Star Rod incident from years ago, whenever he was injected with a dangerous toxin, he would summon the elderly Star Spirit to cleanse his body systems completely. It did not matter who the poison-wielding enemy was or how strong the effects were. But with the recent turn of events, there was no need to deem it flawless anymore…

"So, that-a means…"

"Yup," Muskular replied. Muskular was recognizable by his sharp blue hue, along with a sailor's hat on the top of his head. Per Mario's accounts, he also possessed the tendency to vigorously exercise to strengthen his small physical form. "If you cannot find the cure, which we have no idea about, then you and your pals will die for sure."

The plumber's blood nearly froze for a moment upon hearing those words. If the cure was unknown or, worse yet, not in existence, then how could his group even receive the benefit of surviving the adventure? The soured food of luck was leaving a bitter taste in his mouth upon realizing that he could perish and thus fail the mission at the most inconvenient of times. This was nothing like the matches at the Smash Mansion, where everything was just a simulation. The overall situation was very real and extremely dire, and he would have to act fast before it was too late…

"Let's get back to my question," Eldstar's voice freed the hero from his frozen state. "Why have you returned to this world?"

"I'm-a searching for a piece of this-a artifact called the Staff of Björn," Mario muttered. "Have you-a heard of it?"

"The Staff of Björn… Yes, I do know of this artifact. It is the very thing that can defeat the Svärtad Orm."

"Wait-a, before I-a passed out from the poison, Rosalina claimed that-a she had some knowledge on the artifact-a. Is that-a true?"

"Yes; in fact, we were the ones who shared our knowledge with her via a book that we have written," Skolar interjected. He was a violet-colored Star Spirit dedicated to the field of science, with intellectual skills that could only be rivaled by a few others. His characteristics were very distinct; he possessed a pair of glasses, a refined mustache, and a sharp German accent. "She visited us years ago when she got word of us researching this matter. At her request, we agreed to make a copy just for her so that she could learn more about the staff and its known history. As a little side note, the only other book in existence is in our possession for safety reasons."

"Speaking of-a safety matters, did you-a know that there is a group-a called the Orm's Lords? They are the guys that have-a been invading this world for the intent of-a reviving the Svärtad Orm."

"The Orm's Lords…" Kalmar muttered. The one and only attribute that distinguished the peace-loving Kalmar from a normal Star was his kempt mustache. "They want to revive that monster?"

"Correct-a; now, let me-a bring you all up-a to speed about what's-a going here."

The interior of a room inside an unknown structure had very dim lighting. The only thing that prevented it from being swallowed by complete darkness was a set of torches glued to all walls present. Moss accumulated in small but noticeable amounts near the bottom of the walls, which only served to fuel the visibly macabre atmosphere that loomed in the heavy air. Barren was the scenery; along with the torches, a single, octagon-shaped carpet and a stone-forged chair were all that decorated the room. The carpet, however, was heavily decorated with the following features: smoke-colored scratches that overwhelmed the edges, a black snake in the center, charcoal-colored tentacles emerging from the creature, and two red orbs at the horizontal ends. Such details clashed with the rest of the room.

A man was glued to the stone chair, with little bodily motion. His form was draped with a blackened robe that was commonly worn by the Orm's Lords, complete with the trademark insignia. However, his variant of the insignia was a bright gold in color. This not only distanced him from the other members, but it also sharply contrasted with the rest of the uniform. Black trousers could be seen underneath his robe, with smoke-colored boots to accompany it. Other interesting details included the presence of gloves on his hands and an expressionless mask on his face, things that the common Lord lacked. Combined with everything else, his features were left completely obscured from the rest of the world, amplifying his mysterious and threatening aura.

"I wonder how our search for the rest of the pieces is going…" he whispered. "The Holy Serpent cannot wait any longer for the moment of rebirth…" Just before he could delve any further into thought, a cultist emerged from the rusted steel door that connected the room to the rest of the building.

"Mästare!" he puffed in a somewhat out-of-breath manner. "Allow me to enter."

"Yes, what is it?" The leader spoke his words with a hint of curiosity, interested in the news that the servant was about to deliver.

"I have been able to find out about the ones who have been slaying our forces."

So, it was true. There were indeed opposing parties to the Orm's Lords, the very organization that would awaken the Svärtad Orm and establish a new world order. This would certainly ruin the plan set in motion. He was initially unsure about the existence of such forces, mainly due to the lack of reliable information from his loyal soldiers, but the servant's comment dispelled the traces of doubt that previously inhabited his mind. Still desiring to learn more, he asked:

"Who are they?"

"The survivors of the attacks were able to relay information to our experts in realm-study," the servant answered." After several hours of analysis, we finally received the answer to your question. It turns out that the attackers are from numerous realms, all of them being vastly different in character, but they unite in one central dimension known as the World of Trophies. They are identified as the Super Smash Brothers, and they are under the orders of a strange being called the "Master Hand"."

A fiery anger was now threatening to tear through the man's normally calm demeanor. Fists tightened up and shook. A low growl echoed throughout the room, just enough to intimidate the servant. How could they, the Smash Brothers, have the guts to interfere with the plan of the Svärtad Orm's glorious resurrection? Now that he had the information needed to identify his foes, he would force them to feel the full wrath of the Lords. There would be no mercy now.

"Tell the remaining captains to make the elimination of the Smash Brothers a top priority," he slowly snarled. "Do NOT let them reach the staff pieces first. Understand?"

"Yes, Mästare."

With little hesitation, the servant strolled out of the room through the steel door, leaving the leader alone once more.

Back at Star Haven…

"So, that's why they are here in this world. Am I correct?" Klevar muttered. The small Star was, as suggested by his name, renowned for his clever personality as well as his passion for reading, with the latter fact appropriately represented by him always carrying a book in hand.

"Yes," Mario responded. While he was speaking, his reduced numbness now allowed him to stand up, albeit very clumsily. "And that's-a why I'm-a heading to Smithy's former residence to retrieve this-a world's piece before they do."

"Wait a minute, that place has been sealed off for years since Smithy's defeat! How are you going to go back inside?"

Remembering the method of entering the hellish realm, Mario was quick to respond. "I'll-a have to figure out a way of-a reopening the mouth of the sword, Exor. He was-a the reason why I ended up in the factory during the Smithy ordeal. Now, I must-a leave now to get my teammates and-a retrieve the piece."

Stepping off the semi-opaque resting place, the hero in red slowly limped his way towards the center of the temple before carefully descending the flight of stairs. The loss of feeling in his legs complicated an otherwise-effortless task, with near-instances of tripping on the way down. He could also feel a wave of lightheadedness overwhelm him, almost to the point of physical incapacitation.

The poison really did a number on my body, he told himself. But he was not more than a few meters away from the exit when a soft voice froze him in place.

"Mario," Mamar, the most optimistic of the Star Spirits with a bow on the top of her body, called out. The plumber immediately twisted around before the Star Spirit continued speaking. "Good luck on your adventure. We'll be rooting for you!"

More joyous and hopeful words had never been spoken.

That was the thought that entered Mario's mind upon hearing Mamar's comment. From his experience of receiving morale-boosting words from others, there always was a light at the end of a dark tunnel, no matter how bleak things were. This situation would be no different. Throwing out a satisfactory grin, he muttered:

"Thanks-a for your support, guys."

Stepping out of the temple, he was quickly faced with a pleasant scene, one that he had not set his sights on for many years. In front of and around him was a celestial soup formed from millions, if not billions, of stars, the magical beauty of the planet's moon, faint images of nebulae in the distance, and the predominately violet area that he was stuck to, complete with several small buildings. This was the magnificent Star Haven, and it was a paradise filled with the energy of positive wishes. As he continued to stare at the vast scenery, his eyes caught sight of numerous star-like creatures. Unlike ordinary Stars, these beings were granted a complete face as well as the ability to communicate physically, with the latter trait shared only by the Lumas. Additionally, per Mario's personal memories during the Star Rod disaster, they would start their lives as Star Kids, younglings raised in the mostly-frozen Starborn Valley by a local Ninji tribe before they were ready to depart for this place. By overwhelming beauty piercing though the realm, the Italian man was nearly mesmerized. It was certainly possible, from his point of view, that he would return to this place to indulge himself in tranquility to outright leave his worries behind. Of course, this benefit would be out of reach until the current incident was suppressed. Liberating himself from his trance-like state, he traveled to the inn to reunite with his party.

"I-a better get them up so that-a we can head to Smithy's place before the poison kills us all-a," he muttered to himself. A good number of steps later, he found himself standing in front of the inn's door. Gently pushing it open, he was quickly introduced to an image of his party members, sans Diddy, resting in a series of mattresses. Only one of them was on a bed frame. The distribution of space between the three mattresses was uneven; Bowser's great bulk entirely occupied the first spot, while there was very little space left between Wario and DK, who were resting on the second spot. On the last spot, situated on the bed frame, Luigi and Yoshi had plenty of space between them, and they were the ones who were thus given the greatest comfort. As Mario stepped forward into the seemingly plain room, he failed to realize that Rosalina and Mallow were standing, or levitating in the star guardian's case, off to the left side of the room.

"Mario!" Mallow puffed with joy. "Oh, thank goodness it's you… I thought you were gonna die!"

"Well, I'm not-a exactly cured yet," the plumber responded, adjusting his cap slightly, "And-a neither are the others. We still-a need to find the cure for our-a condition, but we should-a be fine for now." He then glanced at his inactive group. "We need to-a wake these guys up-a so that we can-a continue with our-a journey."

Mario, alongside Mallow and Rosalina, then approached the resting Smashers with the intent of waking them up. After a few seconds of tapping and slight shaking, all of them, except for Wario, were in a sitting position and ready to stand up. Reactions to being dragged out of their sleep were mixed; most of them did not appear to exhibit any irritability in any way. In fact, they were quite confused as to their current location. When Luigi, the most curious of the bunch, asked Mario about this matter, the older brother had to quell the confusion by revealing where they were at. However, there was one member who responded differently…

"What the hell did you wake me up for, plumber boy?" Bowser snarled. "I was having a damn good dream about me finally having the Mushroom Kingdom in my grasp!"

"You might as-a well save that for later," Mario retorted bluntly. "I wouldn't-a become too sidetracked on-a conquering a kingdom if I were you."

The giant Koopa was about to protest to Mario's comment, but his voice trailed off immediately. Going back to an earlier comment from DK during the group's time in the blood-soaked remains of Toad Town, it slowly dawned upon him that conquering a kingdom had been rendered an entirely unnecessary goal thanks to the ongoing incident. The thought had not lingered in his mind then, but it was certainly doing so now. As much as he desired to deny it, he realized that Mario, the Mario who acted as his greatest enemy for the longest time, was indeed correct. There was simply no time to get distracted by trivial interests, lest he weakened efforts to stop the Svärtad Orm and allow his own territory to be dominated by the Orm's Lords. Conquest of a rival kingdom would have to wait until later…

"So, are we ready to leave?" Rosalina muttered, patiently waiting for the others.

"I just-a need to take care of-a one more thing," Mario replied, staring at Wario. "You may need to-a cover your noses for-a this one." The others heeded his order and proceed to block their nasal passages with their hands. Mario then proceeded to lower his body into a crouching position, which, as the others soon noticed, was a recognizable precursor for a jump. In a heartbeat, he performed a leap that carried him about a meter into the air before gravity started dragging him straight down…

CRACK!

…into Wario's flabby stomach.

FFFFFRRRRRTTTTT!

"OOOOOOWWWWW!" the greedy miser screamed. Great pain ripped through his fattened body as the blow's effects reached absolute fruition; not too long after, he started to flail around on his mattress due to high amounts of pain and shock. As his voice resonated throughout the inn, so did the gas forcefully expelled from his pummeled bowels. The rancid scent was merely a cut below the dreaded sulfur dioxide gas, lacking the compound's toxicity but not its extreme nose-irritating properties. Hands held noses tightly as the room's occupants tried to avoid sniffing the flatulence, and a few of them even decided to exit the inn as an extra precaution. Following the leap, Mario quickly shielded his own nose from the intense gas. A greenish discoloring also plagued the room, altering the natural hues of everything present.

It was truly a nasty scene to behold, even for the resilient of beings.

"What the fuck was-a that for?!" Wario roared, with a snarl directed at Mario. When the furious facial expression was combined with him clenching his stomach tightly, it was clear that he absolutely despised the method that his thinner, red-coated counterpart utilized to wake him up.

"Think of-a that as my way of-a giving you a wake-up call," the thinner plumber puffed nonchalantly. "But hey, you should-a be lucky that I didn't-a make you crap yourself-a this time around." Interestingly, Mario's indifferent comment was but a catalyst for a barely noticeable fit of laughter from Bowser, who treated the words as something to chortle about. Though hard to spot, it was not left unnoticed; as soon his ears heard the insulting sound, Wario directed his menacing glare at the Koopa King, forcing the latter to control himself as a way of avoiding possible conflict with the former.

"Can we… uh… please go now?" Mallow coughed, clearly affected by Wario's pungent odor. "This gas is starting to make me sick…"

"Sure thing," was Mario's response. "By the way, do you-a still have that-a bus with you?"

"Yes… I have called it over here and now it's waiting for you guys at the exit…"

"Alright-a. Let's-a get to Smithy's residence." In just a matter of seconds, the heroes departed from the gas-infested hotel to leave the refuge of Star Haven.

A few hours earlier…

Diddy was slammed into a chair by the same assailant that incapacitated him earlier. Within seconds, several nearby figures, which he quickly recognized as a few Lords, tied him up with a long string of dry rope. The string felt like thin pieces of cardboard rubbing harshly against his body, enough to where he received uncomfortable rope burns. The squeezing sensation that followed was no better; if fact, being constricted was one of the last things that he wanted to go through. Once the action in the darkened room settled down, Diddy took the opportunity to analyze the new scenery. Stone walls were once again present, complete with moss evenly scattered throughout the perimeter, and a set of rusted doors resided at the far end of the room, just like in the prison cell. However, while this new area was overall not much different from the old, there were significant changes. Replacing the solitary light bulb were a series of wall-mounted candles that provided the bare minimum of violet-tinted light and a chandelier that, while functioning, was in terrible shape. The room itself was shaped into a much larger, highly cylindrical form; these properties reminded the smaller ape of a silo, an area used to store certain supplies. One more thing also stood out: a rusted device off to his left. This specific device resembled a casket, except that it was forged from iron, shaped into a man's body, and littered with extremely sharp spikes on the inside of the door.

An iron maiden.

Chilling fear instantly stirred up inside his still-nervous mind. If he was set to be thrown into that hellish device of death…

"So," a distant, hissing voice snarled, "You thought you could sneak into this castle undetected? Did you honestly believe that? Well, you were in for a big surprise when we unleashed our newest creation on you."

"Who said that?" Diddy mumbled confusedly. He twisted his head left and right to locate the source of the voice, with no success on his side. Due to the low illumination of the chamber, it was difficult to figure out who was speaking a few seconds ago. A few seconds later, after his head was badly twisted in knots, he eventually realized that this task was essentially equivalent to searching for a specific strand of hair amongst a pile of other strands in a dark area. Meanwhile, approaching footsteps were heard.

"Confused, little one?" the voice echoed again, this time being closer to the cousin of DK and filled with greater clarity. "Let me help you…"

Wait…

Now that the voice was clearer, it sounded awfully familiar. But who could it be…

"Remember me?" the speaker whispered. Diddy suddenly felt his head being yanked upwards, only to witness the face of a person previously encountered on more than one occasion.

"You...!" the ape shrieked. "How could you be…!"

"Aw, you must be so surprised," the figure, now revealed to be the unrobed Agnetha Lindgren, spat. "I am assuming you have not heard of Återuppliva?"

"Återuppliva? What the heck is that supposed to be?"

Agnetha released her grip to flip her hair before continuing the conversation. "Think of this magic spell as… a boost to our life force. It allows us to survive from injuries that would normally be fatal and gives us increased endurance. Now, does that answer your question, stupid primate?"

A part of Diddy's mind sought to lash out at the evil woman, with fury building up inside. How could she have any right to call him stupid, especially when her assumption was solely based on his species? If anything, he was very knowledgeable on using his popguns correctly to the point of being a straight marksman with them, and he could fly his jetpack with no problem at all. In addition, he was also a musician of significant talent, being able to excel at guitar playing, as well as a proficient racer. The redhead's claim was completely unjustified, with no evidence to support it. Maybe she was just teasing him for her sick, twisted pleasure.

However, another part of him decided to hold back. Resistance could get him injured or even killed right off the bat; besides the threat of Agnetha herself, there were guards stationed at the door and around the room's perimeter, the former feature being his only way of escaping this trap. Attentive people they were, they would surely eliminate or stun him if he even garnered the courage to flee. And not to be forgotten was the towering behemoth glued to the back of the area, the one thing that could slaughter smaller creatures instantly if given the chance. As such, fighting back was an inconvenient choice, especially when considering that none of his allies were around to assist him. As a final blow to his initial decision, an important question just entered his mind. During the battle at Toad Town, he noticed Bowser incinerating some Lords with his fire breath, and they did not survive. So why was Agnetha still alive and breathing but the other victims were not?

"Wait, I've noticed that fire can kill you guys, am I correct?" he pointed out.

"Well, you must be an observant one," she responded. "The usual "monkey see, monkey do", I am assuming? Yes, it is true that severe burns can nullify Återuppliva's effects, but I have something stronger, something that not only renders me immune to burns and dismemberment, but allows me to revive whenever I die. But enough talk. We are going to make good use of you and another victim that we have captured earlier…"

Tap…

As Agnetha finished speaking, she ordered the monstrous creature, still concealed within the shadows, to return to the prison with the intent of retrieving the previously mentioned victim. What seemed like minutes soared by before the monster returned with a character in hand. Due to the dim lighting, Diddy strained his eyes as he attempted to receive a better view. In doing so, however, he was slapped in the face by the entity known as shock, with eyes widening and a gasp shooting from his oral cavity. The unconscious person in question was someone that he at least recognized; it was a younger Koopa that loosely resembled Bowser, but with less hair, a smaller body, an overall juvenile appearance, and a now-damaged bib that had a pair of sharp teeth painted on it. As a secondary detail, the Koopa seemed older than before thanks to five, faded years, but not to a drastic extent.

It was none other than Bowser Junior. And, like Diddy, he was going to be a victim of the Lords if help failed to arrive…

"What are you going to do with us?" the nervous ape puffed, fearing the worst of fates that could occur to him.

"Oh, nothing much," Agnetha chortled. "It is just a little plan to… trap some visitors in this place if they try and come looking for you. Now, be a good boy and say good-night!"

WHAM!

Before Diddy could absorb those final words, the mistress unleashed a darkness-fueled punch aimed straight for his cranium. The ape instantly succumbed to the blow and blacked out.

Departing from breathtaking Star Haven, a newer, larger version of the Royal Bus was soaring across the clear, dawn-soaked skies to transport Mario and his crew to Bowser's palace. The winter wind was a spirit that smeared her chilling essence across the atmosphere, heralding the freezing sensation that coated all those present in the vehicle. Warmth was scarce in supply, forcing most of the adventurers to shake noticeably. Mario and Rosalina appeared to be unaffected, but even they could not help but internally admit that this environment was a harsh one compared to what they were accustomed to. By this point, the snow storm had faded away to reveal the Mushroom World underneath, the one beautiful world that Mario proclaimed to be his primary home. Staring down at the terrain, he was reminded of something noteworthy: yes, very noteworthy. Being confined to the Smash Mansion for so long, a burning feeling of nostalgia had formed inside him to the point where he simply desired to re-explore all the places he had previously sojourned to, from bustling Rogueport to the picturesque Beanbean Kingdom. After the darkness was repelled, he would carry out his promise to the letter.

"Mario…"

It was Lillian herself, her echoing voice snapping Mario out of his trance.

"What's up-a, Lillian?" he muttered.

"Are you alright?" the maiden muttered. For some reason, her voice sounded gloomy, as if she was depressed. That was not normal, although the plumber did not pay too much attention to the seemingly minor detail.

"I'm-a fine for now, though it-a will only be a matter of-a time before a poison from Agnetha kills most of my group."

"Hold on, are you trying to tell me that you have been affected by Igel?"

"What?" A dumbfounded Mario scratched his head after hearing the last word. What was Igel, anyway? And to believe that Återuppliva would be the only trick used by the Lords…

"Röda Blodigel, or just "Igel" for short, is a special poison that is strongly resistant or even outright immune to almost every known cure in the entire collection of realms. It is fast-acting and can kill in a matter of minutes. The only known way of curing a person who has this toxin is by using a serum called Vit Hjärta."

"Can you-a create the cure?" Mario's voice was painted with curiosity, for he was wondering if Lillian could help the poisoned group out.

"I can, though it will take me some time. But, that is not the reason why I am contacting you."

The plumber paid more attention to the maiden's words as he heard the last statement. "What's-a your reason for calling us?"

"Mario…" The mysterious woman was now allowing her voice to be truly consumed with sorrow. "I have some terrible news for you, and it involves the one you love the most, Princess Peach. You may not like what you are about to hear."

Praying for the best and expecting the worst, Mario remained silent to listen to the incoming words filled with depression. Meanwhile, the others continued to either rest in the vehicle or stare into the skies above. Wario, now unable to pass gas for the few hours to come, was stretched across two seats to help recover from the earlier condemning blow inflicted by Mario. He was still squeezing his stomach tightly and his face was already fixed to one of serious pain. Rosalina was allowing her mind to be seduced by the number of fading stars in the celestial space above; staring at them, they reminded her of the Lumas, the very children that she swore to protect. None of the occupants, however, appeared to notice Mario's distraught mental state as Lillian informed him of the terrible news.

Several minutes passed and the skies were now filled with heavy smoke hissing from a volcanic valley below. Accompanying this change in scenery was the presence of Bowser's residence, still fearsome as ever and still standing strong. As the Royal Bus gradually approached the infamous structure of terror, most of the passengers prepared to disembark with adventurous looks on their faces.

"Hey, Mallow," Luigi mumbled, noticing that the prince was not standing up, "Are you-a going to come with us?"

The prince replied, "I'd love to stay with you guys for the rest of your journey, but I have to get back home soon. My parents are worried that I'm going to get killed by the Lords that you guys are talking about."

"Okay then. We'll-a see you soon." While Mario's younger spoke his final words, the bus driver, a Lakitu, soon froze his vehicle in place next to the rooftops, as per a request from Mario. With the Smashers stepping into hostile territory, he wished to grant them a boost of confidence before it was too late. He muttered these simple yet effective words:

"Hey, good luck on your adventure."

"Thank you, sir," DK replied. Taking the comment into consideration, most the travelers felt the powerful morale boost taking root from within as they departed from the bus and watched it soar away. Mario, on the other hand, earned no such beneficial change…

"You okay, Mario?" Yoshi squeaked, now spending some time on examining the main hero's expression of shock. He noticed that the plumber was wide-eyed, breathing unsteadily, and slightly slack-jawed; such an expression was unusual for someone as mentally stable as him, and only something of an extreme magnitude could force him into his current state. Yoshi's comment led the others to stare at the group leader as well, and they, too, realized that something was off.

"Is something wrong, Mario?" DK asked, patiently waiting for a response. But no answer presented itself to the ape. Then, without any warning, Mario suddenly pounded a nearby stone half-wall with his left fist. In the aftermath of such a harsh blow, cracks were seen upon the stone's foundation. Shock gave way to unfettered anger, unsteady breathing to loud yelling, and immobility to violent punching of the same wall. The others stumbled backwards upon witnessing this violent outburst.

"Whoa, bro!" Luigi yelped, not used to witnessing his brother being this upset. "Calm-a down! What's-a the problem?"

"I'M-A GOING TO KILL CAPTAIN FALCON!" Mario roared, his anger not subsiding over time. "I'll-a personally make him SUFFER for-a failing to keep Peach out of danger!"

"What-a are you so angry about?" Wario puffed, not realizing his rival's mental pain.

"That-a bastard of an F-Zero racer has deliberately put-a Peach in danger! He's-a condemned her to death!"

Rosalina froze for a moment as soon as she heard Falcon's name. A few months ago, she had received an invitation from Master Hand telling her to participate in an upcoming Smash Bros. tournament. As part of said invention, she was offered to attend a tour of the Smash Mansion, which she willingly accepted. The tour introduced her to a wide variety of characters, and one of those said characters was the valiant Captain Falcon. Learning some important aspects of his background and personality from other Smashers, as well as Falcon himself, Rosalina depicted the solitary bounty hunter as a brave man who would protect others from evil, even if it meant sacrificing his own life. Right now, because of his blind fury, Mario was not recognizing the fact that the F-Zero pilot would never cause harm to an innocent person… at least not intentionally.

"Mario," she spoke up, "How can you be so sure that Falcon wanted to harm the princess? He might have accidentally slipped up…"

"And how can-a YOU be so sure that he-a didn't?!" Mario fired back, seeing nothing but red. "I don't-a care what anyone says; it's-a his fault! It is-a all his fucking fault!"

"All his fault? You are not considering certain factors that would be far beyond his control. Think about it, Mario; what if he and Peach ended up in a situation that they were not prepared for? What if he was unable to protect her in any way? If that's the case, then would you say that it is truly his fault?"

But Mario, still filled with anger, was not convinced by the celestial mother's words. "Falcon should have known that-a Peach would be injured as soon as he left-a for Port Town. And to think-a that I actually trusted him with her!"

"I don't think that you're even listening to yourself, faucet boy," Bowser snapped. "If I know Falcon correctly-"

"SHUT UP!"

WHAM!

Mario quickly delivered a powerful left hook to Bowser's jaw, inflicting a bruise in the process, before separating himself from the others. As the Koopa King toppled over, the remaining Smashers could not help but stare at their frustrated leader out of fear. His great love for Peach and wild rage had transformed him into a savage tiger: teeth bared, eyes filled with an intense fire, ready to pounce on anyone who would dare venture too close to him. They were aware that he was clearly being irrational, but trying to talk him out of his anger would not help the situation, as demonstrated by Bowser's failed attempt. They had to leave him alone for now, they believed. It was for his own good.

With nothing better to do, the others, including a now-recovering Bowser, proceeded to stroll around the roof in search of Exor. Soon enough, they noticed pieces of a giant sword lying at the far end. The pieces appeared to be unfamiliar to most.

"Yoshi don't know what sword pieces are doing on roof," Yoshi chirped.

"Wait-a," Luigi puffed, "Didn't-a Bowser say something about-a Exor's remains being up here?"

Silence overshadowed the party members as they, not including Mario, approached the pile of metal. Upon closer examination, it was revealed that the blade itself was separated into a plethora of tiny sections that carried some resemblance to pieces of a broken window, while the hilt was resting in the middle of the mess. The hilt itself was coated with sharp coloring, but the real attention-grabber was the way it was shaped; carved into it were a pair of eyes and a large mouth, both of which seemed like they could move. The face harbored what many deemed a fearsome appearance, designed to scare off those that had the misfortune of crossing paths with it. These recognizable features were all but clues as to who this metallic entity was.

"I believe that's-a Exor…" Luigi sighed.

"Yep," Bowser grunted in acknowledgement, "That's him. Now, all we need to do is assemble him back together and open that dark portal. But the question is: how?"

Silence followed. No one was sure how to reassemble the broken sword-creature.

"Did you guys hear something?"

DK's words tore through the lack of noise and all eyes were now focused on him. Even Mario, who was still fuming over Falcon's "failure" to protect the Mushroom Kingdom's princess, redirected his attention towards his former rival. The ape was on to something for sure.

"I thought I just heard something from downstairs," the ape added, albeit with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. In all truthfulness, whether there truly was an odd sound from below or not was beyond him, but if the noise was real, then he would have to inform the others about it.

"You sure?" Wario grunted.

"You guys may need to listen more closely." DK then signaled the others to crouch down. Everyone followed his orders like sheep following a shepherd and pressed their heads against the floor in the process. The stone floor was uncomfortably cold, its touch a layer of ice. The winter environment, despite Dark Land's extreme heat, only worsened the sensation, forcing some of the Smashers to flinch a little. A minute slowly passed, but no clear sound was heard. Patience was running thin among the group. The others believed that it was most likely DK's hearing playing tricks on him, and if that was the scenario, then attempting to listen to for any sound was simply wasting valuable time. Even so, waiting was the only way to verify his claim.

"I think that you're just-a hearing things in your-a head," Luigi puffed.

"I have to concur," Rosalina added. "It could just be something that may not exist."

Thump…

"Wait-a," Mario interjected, his voice still trembling with a slight amount of anger despite his attempts to calm down, "I hear it."

"Same here," Bowser spat. "We gotta go investigate what's making that noise."

However, with strong fear on his mind, Yoshi was quick to protest. "Bowser, you remember what we saw at front? Whatever caused guards to be killed could still be in castle, and it could also be making noise we are hearing."

Not one to be deterred, Bowser arrogantly scoffed at Yoshi's comment before continuing. "So what? I can take on whatever or whoever caused the mess with no problem. Besides, there needs to be some punishment for murdering my guards!"

"Let's-a go," Mario ordered.

Treading carefully into the stairway that led down to the lower levels, the first thing that Mario and his allies noticed was that it was morbidly dark inside. There were light bulbs and candles scattered throughout the walls and ceiling, illuminated by the outside environment's lighting, but they were all inactive. The windows, for some strange reason, were blocked by what appeared to be blast shields, titanium plates designed to protect a building in the event of a lockdown. As soon as the door behind the group closed, the light immediately faded to nothingness. To add on to this blood-freezing atmosphere, the sound of the door clicking shut echoed eerily across the pathway to simulate multiple doors closing, one after another.

"Bowser," Rosalina whispered, "Is your castle normally… this dark?"

"No," the Koopa King grumbled. "Someone's cut the power to this place and activated the lockdown system prior to that. Don't know why the front doors are still unlocked, though..."

As they descended the long staircase with the others, Mario and Rosalina created small light sources with their Firebrand and wand, respectively. Using this new illumination, the Smashers were successfully guided to the door that would lead them into the larger rooms. But, unexpectedly, they were in for a nasty surprise…

"What the hell is this-a mess?" Luigi gasped. In front of the group was a scene of carnage reminiscent of the one back at Toad Town. This time, however, the victims were members of Bowser's grand Koopa Troop, from standard Koopa Troopas to the once-mighty Koopatrols. The clear majority of the still-decomposing bodies possessed numerous cuts, burns, gaping holes, and stab wounds, with blood oozing out of the injuries and onto the environment. Several of them were also missing at least one limb, and fewer still were decapitated. While examining the horrific mess, the Smashers happened to notice most of the missing body parts, separated from their owners and heavily smeared with blood; this detail, combined with the heavy, fear-inducing darkness, only exacerbated the nightmarish feel of the room. But the worst presented itself in the form of five bodies completely hacked to pieces, with entrails spilling out of each one.

Damage to the room was also present. A chandelier was no longer hanging from the ceiling and had fallen upon two unlucky Lakitus. Tables were completely reduced to tiny splinters and large chunks of wood, and numerous beds were knocked over. There were scratches on the walls caused by an unknown aggressor and a pathway that was missing a door. All this served to further deteriorate the room's appearance.

And if that was not enough, there was a strong smell of decay that polluted the air, one that almost caused Luigi to gag and the others to cringe visibly. If anything, this hellish environment appeared to be just as terrifying as, if not worse than, that of Toad Town.

"Oh, dear…" Rosalina shivered, shaken by the visuals. To her, this level of violence was unbelievable. Much like Mallow, she had lived her life in a world where physical harm and death were kept to a minimum. Any real instance of those destructive events occurring around her was a rarity. Thus, it could be argued that a person knowledgeable of the Luma guardian's background would not find her reaction to the mess in plain view all that surprising, in pure truthfulness.

"I wonder if the Orm's Lords raided this place…" DK mumbled.

"We can't-a tell for certain," Mario sighed. "However, I wouldn't-a be surprised if they did. Once we find-a the noise's source, we ought-a to investigate more of the castle to-a search for whoever's responsible for this-a massacre."

With no objections from the others, a search was initiated immediately. Care was taken to avoid squishing the horribly mutilated corpses, lest the Smashers found themselves standing in a hole-ridden body or an exposed intestine tract. There was a low amount of noise in the air, with the only sounds being the low, slightly louder thumping and the footsteps of those still breathing. The protagonists viewed every corner of the moderately large room, which was revealed to a barrack for the minions due to its contents, but nothing appeared to be the cause of the near-rhythmic noise that vibrated the castle's foundations. A search in a nearby washroom was also fruitless, providing nothing noteworthy aside from shattered glass and blood.

"Well," Mario sighed, "There's-a nothing in this area. We have to keep-a going down." Leaving the cramped showering area, he led his group to the pathway without a door, which was revealed to be a second staircase. This one was marked with smeared blood on the walls. During their continuous drop to the next floor down, the party members began to absorb what Yoshi had stated earlier. That alone was enough to chill their souls with fear; if the cause of this mess was still inside, then they would be in serious trouble if it turned out to be an especially powerful threat, and the fact that there was no light inside this horribly ruined structure only served to further put this troublemaker into an advantageous position, for it could simply hide anywhere within the shadows to strike the Smashers when they least expected it. Now that their minds were glued to this matter, something else popped up in their minds. If this… thing was also causing the noise that they were hearing, it would be a death trap for them all. They would end up like the dead Koopa Troop members around them… or worse…

"Yoshi nervous..." the normally jolly dinosaur whimpered.

"You're not-a the only one," Mario slowly admitted. His previous anger was giving way to sheer nervousness, as even he was not accustomed to witnessing such a horrific amount of bloody imagery. As he directed his group to the next room, which was a dining area, his heart seemed to pulse faster than before when he was face-to-face with yet another violent mess. There was simply no clear end to this mass killing, just like the one back in innocent Toad Town. A question zipped through his head:

How much more can I take before I lose my mind?

The search continued, with each Smasher vigorously sweeping through each nook and cranny, but nothing interesting revealed itself expect for a few thick, black puddles identical to the ones back in Toad Town. Leftover food on the table was starting to decay, along with the bodies meant to consume it. The only difference was that the attacking agent was a mixture of mold and bacteria, as opposed to colonies containing only the latter. The kitchen off to the left was, unusually, left untouched; there was no trace of carnage to be found whatsoever, perhaps due to a lack of a scuffle in the place.

The next room connected to the dining area was deprived of bodies, although a heavy load of blood was present. More scratches were present on the walls, as with the previous rooms, but this time, it was accompanied by a buildup of moss. This place was like a murder-filled prison now, if it was not that way before. The absurdly low thumping was building up in volume, which led the group to assume that the source of it was closer.

"Man," Wario sorely complained, "How much-a further do we have to go down?"

"We don't have the answer to your question," Bowser hissed. "And I highly doubt that whining like a baby is gonna make the solution come to you."

With his inflated pride insulted for the third time by the Koopa King, Wario stomped towards his adversary, only to be locked in place by Mario, Luigi, and DK. It was clear that the greedy man was allow his anger to boil over like steaming water, and his restrainers were the only people preventing him from wreaking havoc. Face red, voice growling, and muscles flexing, the savage beast in him quickly shoved Luigi off and tried to do the same for Mario and DK. His chances of doing so were destroyed, unfortunately, when the red-wearing hero kicked one of his legs out from underneath him, giving the simian a perfect opportunity to slam the miser down. As the room around him appeared to literally spiral out of control, Wario attempted to stand up, but Mario was the swift foe that stomped him into the floor without warning. The others simply watched in confusion and shock as the thinner plumber delivered the damning blow.

"You know he's-a right on one thing, as-a much as I hate to admit it," her spat, his words dripping like venom. "You need to-a get your act together, unless you want-a to compromise our group."

"Fu-"

WHAM!

Wario could say no more, as the foot on his chest was redirected to his head in an instant. While it was now crushing him slowly and painfully, he was tempted to resist, but doing so would possibly cause Mario to reduce his skull to powder: an unpleasant fate that would rather be avoided many. There was no other choice but to obey his rival.

"I'm-a serious, Wario. If you-a do that again, I'll-a make the pain a lot worse for you. Understand?"

"Alright-a!" Wario shouted. "I guess I-a gotta play by your-a game, then!" The area was calm once again as Mario pulled away to let the miser leap back up. While the adventurers resumed their search, an odd property of the room, one that was somehow not visible before, suddenly revealed itself to them.

It was a large hole, right in the far corner of the room. And it was not supposed to be there.

"What's up with the hole?" DK mumbled.

"Oh, that's just great," Bowser growled. "Now I have to pay for the floor as well. Shit!"

"Never mind-a the floor," Luigi piped up. "We should-a see where the hole leads to." At his suggestion, the Smashers approached the hole cautiously. Reignited after it was previously disabled during Wario's outburst, Mario's Firebrand illuminated the hole more clearly, with Rosalina's wand acting as assistance. Despite the much-needed light, it was just too dark to view what was inside the hole. In fact, the bottom appeared to be completely absent due to the estimated sheer depth of several hundred meters. Another interesting property was the lack of a room underneath when a normal gap would have created access to one, considering the castle's multi-floor structure. A chill seemed to crawl out of the darkness and quickly latched on to the very people gathered around the blood-soaked ledge.

"Yoshi wouldn't want to go down hole…" Yoshi chirped, frightened by the far drop.

"Mario, what should-a we do?" Luigi asked, unsure of the next course of action.

"We'll-a drop down through this hole," Mario replied. "Maybe we can-a get to the source of the noise faster this-a way."

"So, you wanna get us killed, huh?" Bowser grumbled. "Thanks, but I would much rather keep my life than get splattered against the cold, hard floor, if you know what I'm saying."

But his rival was not ready to back down. "You know, Bowser… You could-a hide in your shell to-a protect yourself from the fall."

"…" Bowser remained silent for a few seconds at most, and then, a thought raced throughout his mind. Using his past battles as reminders, he could recall the fact that his shell was notoriously impervious to most forms of damage, acting as a rear-facing shield of sorts. Perhaps it could help him survive a long fall. Of course, he had never fallen on his back from an extreme height and was thus left unsure if his shell would protect him at all.

"Well…" he finally stated, "I could do that, but if I get injured, then you're gonna be held accountable and I'll eventually kick your ass to kingdom come."

"Yoshi," Mario turned to the dinosaur, "I want you to-a use your flutter jump to slow down your descent-a. Are you-a up for the challenge?"

"Yep," Yoshi chirped.

"I can-a use my Cyclone to stall my descent," Luigi added.

"Same thing with my Spinning Kong," DK grunted, cracking his knuckles together.

"Rosalina," Mario asked of the celestial mother, "Can you-a carry Wario down the hole? I don't-a want him using Wario Waft to slow himself down; that-a… move's gas honestly makes me sick."

"I will," was her response. Before long, the group dropped down through the hole mostly in a one-by-one manner, soaring through an empty column of darkness for several long seconds; Mario was on Yoshi's back, for the former did not seem to have any way of slowing his descent, and Wario was levitated by Rosalina's magic. The other members utilized their gravity-defying maneuvers to soften their fall, which suddenly ended when a floor zipped into view. Loud taps and a deep thud rang throughout their current location, which was a narrow, moss-filled hall filled with rusted prison cells. There was no trace of blood to be located, but this did not provide any comfort to the Smashers whatsoever.

"The hole leads to the prison block," Bowser disbelievingly grunted, standing back up. "Now that is REALLY going to put a damper on my money supply…"

Thump… Thump… THUMP…

"We're-a much closer now," Mario muttered. "Let's-a keep moving."

Stepping through the long hall of identical cells, the Smashers noticed the repetitive nature of the new imagery; in all seriousness, it was comparable to a broken vinyl record repeating the same sound for a long length of time. Only when a sharp turn to the left occurred was the pattern erased, and said turn led straight to a pair of rusted doors. When they were pushed open, a seemingly plain, moss-filled room awaited. There was nothing in plain sight. Nothing at all...

"Stay on your guard," Mario whispered.

Tap…

As the fighters quietly shuffled inside, they realized something important. Just seconds prior to stepping inside, the thumping suddenly stopped, leaving the area in absolute silence. This was a potentially ominous omen, reinforcing the fear that the noise could be originating from the very thing that slaughtered the Koopa Troop. Taking a detour to the right, Mario caught glimpse of an iron maiden, one of the most infamous torture devices in the history of civilization. What it was even doing here in the first place was beyond him, as Bowser was not universally known for committing dreaded acts of torture, at least not per the hero's knowledge. There was that possibility, however...

Meanwhile, Luigi continued towards the center of the room while leaving the combined light of his brother and the space guardian behind. He was now covered with a black veil that not only blinded him entirely, but induced bodily and mental tension. Darkness was one of his worst fears ever, and he had to cope with being stuck in it numerous times during both mansion-related adventures. He would normally freak out if left in the dark by himself for too long. However, in addition to having teammates with him, a strange curiosity flared up from within, prompting him to explore the rest of the area on his own. In his past experiences, he had never visited this area of Bowser's lair, which was quite strange when considering his frequent travels to the whole structure. He had to explore this room more to discover what was hiding inside. Still, that was not to say that he was perfectly calm, for his fear of the dark was provoking a sensation of nervousness.

With nothing else to do, he took a few steps forward. He looked left, he looked right. Nothing in plain view. He stepped forward again.

And that was when a pair of menacing red eyes revealed itself to him.

"MAMMA MIA!" Luigi's scream shattered the silence instantly, echoing throughout the room and shocking the others.

"Luigi, what's wrong?" DK puffed. He witnessed the frightened plumber throwing his hands into the air and prancing towards the group like a crazed madman. But before the scared man could even take the chance to reply, a sinister voice presented itself to all the Smashers.

"Hahahaha… I have been waiting for you, Mario…"

Mario instantly recognized the voice. He had never wished to meet the speaker again, but fate was already denying him his strongest wish. "So, we-a meet again, Agnetha."

Click...

Suddenly, the darkness succumbed to a dim yet intense shade of purple due to a hanging chandelier from above. This new shading provided a rather nasty overtone to an already menacing structure, but that was the least of the Smashers' concerns. Presented in front of them was a new threat: a Boom Boom, one of the most feared soldiers in Bowser's army. But there were numerous things that were simply not right about it…

"Wait," Bowser muttered, noticing the odd coloring of the creature's skin, "Boom Booms do not have that sick-looking skin…" Indeed, this Boom Boom's skin was an unhealthy pale, reminiscent of a corpse stored inside a morgue. There was also a reddish glow in its eyes, something that Koopas of any variety would almost never exhibit. Beside these properties, it was much larger than a standard Boom Boom and had long claws on its fingers. There was something corrupting that drastically altered the creature into its current state, but what was it...

"How do you like this new creature of mine?" Agnetha giggled, appearing when her invisibility-inducing spell was nullified. "It took some time to create, but its creation was worth killing off the Koopa Troop."

The Smashers were not able to answer her question, as they noticed two creatures in her hands. DK and Bowser were struck with horror as they recognized these would-be victims of Agnetha's murdering spree.

"My son!" the Koopa King gasped.

"Diddy?!" the ape yelped.

"That's right," the captain spat. "And they shall have their lives cut short by the iron maiden, and yours by my pet, unless you reveal to me the location of the staff piece."

Bowser's fury only spiked upon hearing those threatening words. "Like hell we will! How about this: let go of my son or I will rip your ass apart for good!"

"So uncivilized… You always let your anger get the better of you, am I correct?"

While Bowser unleashed a low growl through his gritting teeth, Luigi and Rosalina were struck with confusion. The former could not figure out why the mutated Boom Boom created the low thumping in the first place, while the latter was clueless on the captain's revival after being dismembered with a Grand Star. Questions had to be asked soon, preferably before it was too late.

"Why was-a that Boom Boom creating the thumping from before?" Luigi interjected.

"Oh, is it not obvious to you, Luigi?" Agnetha sneered, her demented grin growing in length. "After my pet captured the ape in the main room's trap, I had it stomp around this room to create a noise that would lure an unlucky visitor into this trap. And it worked out perfectly."

"With your-a first trap, you-a mean to tell me that the front-a doors were left-a open because of you?"

The redhead's smile continued to grow. "Yes; I was looking for a hostage. I knew that you, the associated people, would come looking for him soon."

"Why is this woman still alive?" Rosalina asked of Mario.

"She's-a under the effects of Återuppliva, a magic spell that-a grants regenerative abilities as-a well as enhanced strength," the older plumber responded. "But she's-a using something stronger, and whatever it is, it-a gives her the ability to-a revive upon-a death."

Wham!

As questions were answered, Agnetha forced Diddy into the iron maiden and prepared to close the door. By this point, the smaller ape had regained consciousness and attempted to leap out of the device, but his captor accurately predicted his move and kicked him back down. On the other hand, Bowser Junior was still incapacitated.

"So, choose now," Agnetha hissed. "Relinquish the piece's location or perish!"

Mario's heart rate skyrocketed instantly. He was now forced into a disadvantageous position due to the vicious woman holding Junior and Diddy hostage, and with no way of reaching them without the captain or the Boom Boom interfering, he would have to act carefully. Attempting to attack would result in unnecessary deaths, and revealing vital information for the Svärtad Orm's revival would just be aiding the Orm's Lords. Viable solutions were few and far between. What could he do?

Then, it occurred to him that he had obtained a POW Block from the store. It could allow Diddy and possibly Junior to escape while still allowing him to avoid revealing the piece's location. Slowly reaching into his pocket while turning away from the two hostiles, he grasped the block tightly and pulled it out at a snail's pace.

"Well, Mario?" Agnetha whispered, growing impatient with the plumber's indecision, "Have you made your choice?"

"Yes, I-a have," Mario bluntly answered. Within a split second, he quickly rotated his body and tossed the POW Block into the center of the floor like a bowling bowl, with the object soaring a short distance before striking the ground. A massive tremor immediately rocked the room, forcing both the Boom Boom and Agnetha to topple over in seconds. Diddy, with his opportunity now granted to him, leaped out of the iron maiden and snatched up Junior from the captain's hands before rejoining the others.

"Foolish bastard! Now look what you have done!" Agnetha roared, sluggishly standing up after the earthquake faded away. Her face morphed into an enraged snarl as she spoke. "Well, no matter. Now, I would love to deal with you myself, but I will have my creation do the honors. Pray that we do not meet again. Next time, I will not be so generous."

With Agnetha teleporting out of the area, the Smashers were now up against the behemoth of a Koopa. Diddy quickly retreated to the doors to take care of the still-unconscious son of Bowser, and the others prepared themselves for battle. This situation was now a clash that could not be avoided.

"Well," Wario grunted, "This is-a gonna be fun."

I swear, I'm gonna murder Agnetha the next time I see her. That bitch has gone too far this time around! First, she denies me of my plan to take over the Mushroom Kingdom, then she murders my loyal soldiers, and now she just threatened my son! She better be praying that she does not see me again, lest I tear her throat out. After that, I'm gonna go with the Smashers to find the mastermind behind all this and tear him apart, too!

I also have a bit of a side note to add on. I hate to admit it, but I should be thanking Mario for saving my boy.

-King Bowser Koopa

Will the Smashers defeat the Boom Boom? Also, what has happened to Peach? Is Falcon truly to blame for the princess's distress, even though it seems unlikely? We'll find out on the fifth and final part of this theatre, which will be coming soon.

A/N:

-When the leader of the cult and his servant were speaking, I had their lines italicized to represent them speaking in a foreign language.

-More translations:

"Röda Blodigel"="Red Leech"

"Vit Hjärta"="White Heart"