Falling back down from the sky, Mario looked around.
Mario: Well, I guess that's all the stars from this area. Now we should go investigate this "shadowy presence" that took over the factory.
Yoshi: How do we get in? It's gated off.
Bob Omb Buddy: Hey, I overheard you guys. You wanna get in there? Use my cannon.
Everyone nodded in agreement and used the cannon to get into the factory.
Shadow Factory
The factory, now referred to as Shadow Factory due to its current state, was very big and wide. Most of the ground was covered in Dark Matter. If one were to fall in, their body would be torn apart in a matter of seconds. There were lots of spinning cogs, as well as some moving holes that would make one fall to their demise.
Mario: Let's be really cautious, everyone. This place looks deadly.
Waluigi: It may be deadly, but nothing's too deadly for Waluigi!
Luigi: (Showoff…)
Before they started however, they noticed a locked gate leading to a rocket.
Toad: Ooh! What a cool rocket!
Yoshi: Say, maybe we could use this to get to the moon where Rashay is residing.
Mario: Good plan, but we'll have to find the key. It must be in this factory somewhere.
Taking off, there were platforms sticking out of the dark matter, which the heroes used to safely cross. They had to perform some precise platforming which Wario had trouble with since he was the least athletic of the group. There was a thwomp sinking in the dark matter which they jumped off of to get up to the cogs.
Wario: *pant* *pant* Slow down, will ya?!
Waluigi: Y'know, bro. You could be more athletic if you could lose some weight.
Wario: Says the guy who doesn't even bother GAINING weight. You don't eat enough!
Next up, the heroes climbed up the spinning cogs. Luigi had almost gotten his foot crushed at one point only for Mario to save him.
Luigi: Thanks for that bro.
Mario: Just keeping you safe.
They grab a star at the end of that section and jump down to the next one where they walked up a spinning spiral platform. Next, Waluigi used his magnets to get the heroes up to platforms that otherwise would've been hard wall jumps. Soon they reached the top of the tower, where the heroes walked across the bridge into another room.
This room was… nothing. It was just a simple blank white void.
Toad: Wh-Where are we?
Luigi: I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this.
Luckily, the key was just ahead.
Mario: Something about this feels… too easy…
As they approached the key, however, they don't notice that their shadows disappear, and the key is immediately gated off as the room changes to have walls with whte and gray tiles.
Mario: Damnit!
Wario: Well, great! So, who are we fighting?
?: Heh. Greetings, heroes. We finally meet.
Mario and Co. look around the room. The exit was gated off, but they couldn't find the source of the voice.
Waluigi: Hey! Who are you?!
Luigi: Show yourself!
?: Don't try to look for me. I'm a manifestation of darkness itself. Anyways, the name is Shadoo, Rashay's right hand man. I've been studying your movements ever since you tried to get in my boss's way. And now, with your shadows, your clones are complete. Now's when I destroy you and take your place as heroes.
Mario: Oh yeah? Let's see what you've got!
A blob appears in the center of the room and takes the shape of Waluigi.
Waluigi: WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!
Shadoo: Oh heroes… Blessed souls… I shall destroy you all with the power of shadow.
The heroes took their stances and engaged.
Waluigi: No one copies WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALUIGI! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Waluigi charged at Shadoo, only for him to slap the lanky plumber to the side.
Shadoo: Pathetic.
Everyone else tried to attack. Shadoo summoned his two tennis rackets and used Waluigi's magnet to pull Mario in and hit him several times.
Mario: Oof!
Wario: This guy fights better than the real Waluigi!
Waluigi: HEY!
Luigi had experience with fighting Waluigi and kicked Shadoo in the crotch. This made him morph into Wario.
Shadoo: Not bad, heroes. But the fun's only getting started.
Wario: Oh, you want fun?! WARIO SHOW YOU FUN!
Both Wario and Shadoo clashed into each other with a shoulder bash.
Wario: Oof! This guy is tougher than he looks. I need a little backup here!
Mario: On it, cousin!
Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Toad all pounded the ground behind Wario at the same time to give him the strength to out do Shadoo. He then transformed into Toad.
Wario: Bah ha ha! What's he gonna do in that form? Tell me that my princess is in another castle?!
Toad: Hey!
Shadoo ran towards Wario at high speeds and kicked Wario in the crotch.
Wario: WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! (It's almost as painful as when that kid from the island did it to me. What was her name again?)
Mario, luigi, and Yoshi tried to catch Shadoo, but he was too fast and hiit them behind their backs.
Toad: I got this, guys!
Toad ran for Shadoo since he was just as fast and bashed into him using his head.
Toad: (I guess my head can be useful. Thanks Toadette.)
Shadoo morphed into Yoshi next.
Shadoo: You guys are tough. But unfortunately for you, I will have the last laugh.
Shadoo flutter jumped to Waluigi and ate him, letting him grow a huge egg and shot it at the real Yoshi. Waluigi hatched from the egg.
Waluigi: Why me…?
Shadoo: I really don't understand how you can still be friends with these fools when they punch you in the back of the neck, and sacrifice you down a cliff just to get a second jump. Goes to show how you can't stand up for yourself.
Yoshi: SHUT THE HELL UP! Mario is my best friend 'till the end! He doesn't punch me! The game just makes it LOOK that way! He's actually pointing his finger out! Plus, I'm FINE making a sacrifice. I just turn back into an egg and he can get me back! You'd understand if you actually had any friends!
Yoshi eats Waluigi and throws his egg at Shadoo. Waluigi hatches from it again.
Waluigi: (This is why I don't have any friends besides my brother…)
Shadoo morphs into Luigi.
Shadoo: Very well… but surely the green guy who's stuck in his own brother's shadow won't be able to stand up to himself.
Luigi: You be quiet! I've been getting out of that shadow recently, and I'll prove it!
Luigi used his super jump to knock Shadoo into the air. And deal a few kicks to him before he finally turned into Mario.
Shadoo: So it has come to this…
Mario: I believe so…
Shadoo: Let us end this!
All the other heroes besides Mario got surrounded by a cage.
Luigi: Ahh! It's up to you, bro!
Shadoo ran around the room, morphing into the floor and morphing back out to surprise attack Mario. The two dealt punches to each other. Shadoo then got serious and started spawning holes of dark matter around the room.
Shadoo: Surrender now, and I'll release your friends and give you all a quick and painless death. Refuse, and said death will be slow and painful.
Mario: Oh yeah? Try me!
Shadoo: Some hero you are. You always think you're better than others. It's time I prove you wrong.
Shadoo spawned more holes that tried to eat Mario up alive. But he dived out of the way. Shadoo dives towards Mario in an attempt to finish him off, only for Mario to ground pound on his back.
With that, Shadoo froze in place.
Shadoo: I was… so very… close to… defeating… the heroes… Rashay… please… you have to… avenge me… I am sorry…
Shadoo exploded. And so did the cage surrounding Mario's friends. Their shadows returned to them. The cage in front of the key also opened.
Luigi: Oh, bro! Thank goodness you're okay!
Mario: It's alright Luigi. I'm fine.
Toad: To think Rashay has minions this terrifying that took over an entire factory… So disturbing…
Yoshi: Who knows what evils await us on the moon.
Wario: Blech! Not excited to go there.
Waluigi: But the date of my giant pinball machine test in my hands!
Luigi: You mean "the world" and "our hands"?
Waluigi: Whatever, greenie.
Mario: Let's head back to the beginning and get to the rocket.
Mario and Co. head back to the beginning of the now normal factory and insert the key to unlock the rocket. With that, they all took off towards the moon. What dangers await them there?