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Author's Note:

Sorry for the long wait (again). There's been a lot of rewriting and I'm also trying to increase the length of these chapters. There's still a lot to cover before I can get to Act 3, which I hope to be the best one with everyone finally being reunited after some time of separation.

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Disclaimer: This following FanFiction story is a fan-based parody. "Mario" and all of its respectable characters are all owned by Nintendo and created by video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Please enjoy; favorite and review whenever you want.

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Chapter 94:
Pirates of the Desert

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As the rusted truck made its way through the desert sands, no one was aware they were being watched from a distance. Kneeling from up top of a large sand dune, a pair of binoculars was observing the moving truck from several yards away. Keeping his eyes on the truck, the owner of those binoculars pulled out a walkie-talkie from his belt and pressed a button to speak through.

"It's almost in position, everyone gets ready,"

…

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

…

Luigi had just managed to doze off for about twenty minutes when he heard moaning coming from the back. It sounded painful; enough for Luigi to sober up from his sleepy stupor. He looked back at the trunk where everyone else was either wake or waking up. He quickly found the source of the moans coming from Sergeant Guy who was being supported by Paraplonk.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't know, he just started groaning in pain," Paraplonk answered worriedly.

Sergeant Guy let out a painful hiss. "My legs…they hurt…"

"That's good, right?" Rocco noted. "It means he hadn't been paralyzed or something,"

"It's a good sign, but he still has to be seen by a doctor,"

"Can't you give him any more of those Mushroom Shakes? They're good for healing wounds, aren't they?"

"General wounds like cuts and bruises, but not for neuromuscular damages,"

Rocco hummed in thought before noticing something on the truck's dashboard. "Bloody hell,"

"What is it?"

"They must have given up on the truck when they couldn't get it running." He informed him. "The fuel light is on. In a couple of minutes, the truck will stop running and then we'll be stranded."

"Mamma Mia," Luigi sighed. This wasn't good. Guy needed help and the truck was the fastest method of transportation they had. While a warp pipe would be faster, they were hard to come across within a desert and sometimes tend to be random.

Before either one of them could say anything else, there was a loud pop, followed by another one. The truck stirred for a moment, but Rocco was able to maintain control of it.

"What was that?" The plumber asked. Rocco however cursed.

"Shit, don't tell me..." He brought the truck to a complete stop before stepping out.

"Luigi…"

The plumber turned to the back. Brianna and the others were awake, looking concern. Luigi flashed them a smile to ensure everything will be fine.

"Don't worry, we'll handle this,"

He stepped out of the truck and walked towards where Rocco was. He found the blond man at the back end of the truck, examining the tire. Luigi stood beside him.

"Rocco...?"

"We got a flat," The blonde interrupted, glaring at the deflated tire. "Two of them to be exactly…As if things weren't bad enough,"

"A flat?" Luigi questioned. "How did that happen?"

"Not sure, but with two flat tires, this truck won't be moving anytime soon," He squatted down for a better look when he noticed something sticking out. "Uhm? What's this?"

He grabbed the object and pulled it out of the tire. He held it up in the moonlight to expect it better.

"It looks like an arrowhead," Luigi told him.

"How the heck did we get an arrow in our tire?"

The mustached man tilted his head in consideration when he noticed something from the corner of his eyes. A quick flash of light was the only warning he got before he tackled Rocco to the ground.

"Hey!" Rocco shouted surprised as he tried to shove the green man off. "What the stars was that for?"

"We're not alone," Luigi told him. "Someone's out there,"

Before Rocco could say anything else, an arrow flew past him, glazing his left cheek. He cursed and quickly jumped to his feet as several more arrows were shot in their direction.

"Come on,"

The Blond man easily pulled the plumber back on his feet before pulling him towards the back of the truck where the others were. They quickly jumped in the trunk, surprising the others and taking cover from the wave of arrows. Soon after they did that, the assault stopped completely.

"What's going on?" Ranbir demanded.

"We've been ambushed," Rocco proclaimed, wiping the blood from his cheek. "Bastards must have punctured the truck's tires."

"What are we going to do?" Brianna asked with concern.

"Nothing left to do but to fight back,"

"We aren't exactly in the best position for a fight," Luigi reasoned. "They already had a major advantage over us with the element of surprise and disabling the truck; we're practically sitting ducks here,"

"Then what else do you expect us to do?" Rocco growled.

"Everyone in the truck…" A voice from outside yelled out. "Come out with your hands up! We have you surrounded,"

"Fan-fucking-tastic," The blond man sighed before calling out, "And who exactly are we giving up to?"

There was a brief silence before a response was given. "We are the Sander Desert Pirates…if you do not wish to be harm, then I suggest you and your friend surrender yourselves immediately,"

"Desert Pirates?" Rocco scoffed. "What the stars are those?"

"They're pretty much like any other pirates, only in the desert," Luigi explained as he recalled that Daisy once spoke about them during one of Peach's get togethers. "From what I heard they're a bunch of bandits and criminals who hid away in the desert and make their living by stealing cargo and other valuable items from anyone who travels through the desert,"

"As if traveling through a desert wasn't hard enough,"

"Hey, do you think they'll have a doctor with them?" Paraplonk asked hopefully.

"Won't hurt to ask,"

"If you do not surrender," The same voice, possibly the leader, yelled out. "…we will have no choice but to force you out. Choice wisely as it might mean life or die,"

Rocco snorted. "Oh yeah, that's reassuring,"

"I don't see why we're even talking about this," Ranbir included. "We could take these pirates easily,"

"We're considering the risk," Luigi explained. "We're not completely sure how many pirates are out there. Also, the drugs haven't completely left your systems yet,"

"So? Drugs or not, it won't stop me from fighting,"

"True, but it does give them an advantage…You don't want to get captured again do you?"

Ranbir scoffed but say nothing more.

"Let's try and talk with them," Luigi reasoned. "Guy needs to see a doctor and right now, they're our best option,"

"Fine, but if they don't agree to help us?"

"Then I guess you'll be showing off that handy ability of yours"

…

…

Tonight was their lucky night. Who would have thought they would spot a cargo truck this far west into the desert? They must have gotten themselves lost, but no matter. Their loss will be their profit.

These days fewer people were traveling through the desert; the traveling risks weren't worth it anymore. And with the rising technical use of planes, cars, and that damnable train station on the rise, valuable cargo and goods were passing through towns faster and safer, making it harder for pirates like themselves to rob and steal them.

Their campsite had a total of 45 individuals, all consisting of thieves and criminals, including himself. The desert was an ideal place to hide in if you're eluding the law. Unfortunately, taking up residence here isn't an effortless task. While some had nothing else to lose, others considered the hazard to be worth it, just to maintain their freedom.

"Banjo…" A Mouser beside him spoke as if requesting permission to act.

Banjo, a Shy Guy Bandit, nodded in understanding. They couldn't give them much time to think. He signaled the others to ready themselves by using a flashlight to perform Morse code. They'll surround the truck and take it by force, killing the two travelers if needed.

"Last warning…" He yelled out. "Surrender… or Die!"

He waited for a full moment for a response. When got none, he gave the signal for his men to close in. Soon after he did that, two hands came waving out.

"Okay, we surrender!" said a different voice from before; most likely the second guy they saw earlier. "But please, we have one request…"

He signaled everyone to stop in their tracks. He wanted to hear what they had to say. "And what would that request be?"

"Our friend is injured. He had temporarily lost sensation in his lower body and now he's in a lot of pain. Please let him seek aid from your medic,"

'An injured?' He thought. 'Could see why they're in a rush; not a doctor around here for tens of miles,'

"All right, we can help you," he told them. The mouser looked at with confusion but he ignored it. "But just to be clear, how many individuals do you have in your truck?"

There was a brief pause before he answered. "12 in total, the majority of us are children,"

"12, uh?" He mumbled. It was more than he had first thought; 5 less than the number of men he had with him. Even so, children weren't much of a threat. They were easy to scare into submission.

"Very well... have the adults exit the truck with their hands up. The children can stay where they are for now," He turned to the Mouser. "Be sure to keep a close eye on them for any tricks,"

The Mouser nodded and quickly left to pass the order on. His men ready themselves with arrows and other projectile objects. He watched closely with his binoculars as two human men and a Parakoopa stepped out with their hands in the air. His eyes narrowed, was that really all the adults?

"All right, we're out," said the first voice from before, probably the one with the cigarette in his mouth. "Now what do you want us to do?"

The Shy Guy Bandit grunted in annoyance. "Is that really everybody?"

"Yes," The second man, the one with the green cap, told him. "Like I said, the majority of us are children,"

"Very well then,"

Before anyone of them can realize what's going on, 7 of his men quickly grabbed them from behind. The three struggled but were quickly detained with some rope and forced onto their knees. Once they were out of danger, he revealed himself from hiding and approached their now three captives.

"Where is your injured comrade?" He asked them.

"Still in the truck with the children," Cigarette man said.

He placed a hand on his chin in thought. "We don't normally treat our captures… but in this case, we could make an exception,"

"So… you'll help us?" The Parakoopa said, sounding optimistic.

"Yes," He smirked. "We'll end his suffering by making his death quick and painless,"

"WHAT?!" Cigarette man growled. "You lying little…"

Cigarette man tried to make move towards him, but his men shoved his face into the sand. He laughed, "Come now…its better than leaving him here in the middle of the desert with the rest of you. If you ask me, that's being mighty generous,"

"Bastards," The man glared up at him. "You never planned on helping us, didn't you?"

"Of course not, we're desert pirates. We rob and steal from travelers just make ends meet. I'm more surprised that you actually believed us." He turned his attention to Green Cap. "If you were smart, you would have known not to trust us from the very beginning."

"You're right, we shouldn't have trusted you," The green hated one said. He lifted his head to meet so their gaze met. "So it's a good thing we didn't...NOW!"

As soon as they heard the signal, two of the Masrestler children jumped out of the truck and tackled four bandits to the ground. Thier large size and heavyweight provide them with an advantage as they easily took them down. The rest of their Clan was quick to follow suit, jumping out of the van at full force.

"What the shrooms?!" a Dryite Pirate shouted fearfully as he tried to aim his weapon. He failed as he was quickly disarmed and pinned to the sandy floor.

The surprise attack was enough to distract their restrainers as Luigi and Paraplonk hoisted themselves up and bodily slammed them away, dropping their spear weapons in the process. Rocco managed to maneuver himself around and kicked one of the Pirates into another.

"Damn it!" The leader of the Sander Pirates cursed. He pulled out a dagger from his belt and aimed for the kill. "Argh!"

Luigi gasped when he saw the Pirate Bandit coming at him with the dagger's blade shined brightly in the moonlight. A sudden sense of Deja Voo stunned the plumber for a moment, preventing him from moving.

"Watch it!"

A familiar figure knocked the dagger-wielding Bandit away, causing him to fall roughly and drop his blade. Luigi snapped out of his stupor and nodded at his savior,

"Thanks,"

Rocco shrugged, "Now we're even,"

"Stop them!" Banjo yelled out, stumbling to get back on his feet. "Kill them all if you have to!"

It was an order, one his Pirate crew was happy to follow. Three of the pirates pulled out a Bob-bomb from their bags. They lit them up quick and toss them at the children.

"Look out!" Ranbir warned everyone before he quickly moved out of the way. Seconds later, the bob-bombs explored with large amounts of sand flying through the air. Rocco groaned,

"You can't be serious,"

"Oh, but we are," The Pirate Leader said, a fully lit Bob-omb in his hands. "In the desert, you either live or die...and we don't plan on dying any time soon,"

He tossed the bob-omb right at them, causing Luigi, Rocco, and Paraplonk to separate so they wouldn't get caught in the explosion. Under the cover of the blast, Luigi tired to free his rope-tied arms. A battle cry caused him looked up and narrowly avoided a boomerang aimed at him. He jumped and stomped on the Pirate Boomerang Bro's head. The Bro was stunned for a moment but recovered fairly quickly as he glared at the plumber. But before he could do anything, his boomerang returned, hitting him from the back of his head and knocking him out.

"Luigi!"

The green man looked up to the chief's daughter running towards with a spear in hand. "Brianna,"

"Here, let me help you," With the pointed tip of the spear, she cut him free from the rope.

"Thanks," He said, with a roll of his wrist.

She nodded and quickly went to do the same for Rocco and Paraplonk. Luigi glanced down at the unconscious Boomerang Bro. He was dressed in proper desert clothing and wore a large fanny pack around his waist.

"Incoming!"

Looking up, another wave of Bob-ombs flew in the air, causing everyone to scatter once more. One of them explored mid-air. The force of the blast caused the others to travel further, one of which rolling next to the truck. Seconds later, it explored following by the truck.

"The truck!" One of the Pirates shouted.

"GUY!" "Chloe! Nia!" Paraplonk and Brianna screamed.

They had left two of their clan members to watch over the injured Shy Guy in the truck while they dealt with the Pirates. Now they have to watch in horror as the truck they were hiding in suddenly ignited in a blaze.

"Look!"

One of the children, Jace, pointed just pass the burning truck where there were some old stone ruins nearby. There, they saw the two waving happily while supporting Guy on their back. Everyone let out a sigh of relief at the sight of their friends being okay.

"Thank the stars,"

Their moment of happiness was interrupted, however, when the Sander Pirates approached them. Some of the Pirates had recovered from the surprise attack and were now armed with their spears, knives, and other weapons. At least two of them had a bob-omb in their possession with a light near the fuse, ready to be lit and use when necessary. The Pirate Leader, armed with his knife again, narrowed his eyes in anger.

"I suggest you give up now," He grunted. "You are all too much of a hazard to be roaming freely here,"

"We're the hazards?" Rocco growled in annoyance. "It was you bastards that were throwing bombs around like idiots. Now thanks to you, we have no other means of getting out of this bloody desert,"

"A small price to pay to ensure our freedom," The leader concluded. "We won't take the chance of just leaving you in the desert. The best thing for us is to kill you all now,"

The Pirates ready their weapons and lit their bob-ombs. The children grew fearful of the upcoming assault when Rocco stepped in front of everyone.

"I had enough of your bullshit,"

He took a squat, similar to a sumo wrestler position. He raised his right leg as high as possible, before stomping it back on the ground loudly. To everyone's astonishment, something unexpected occurred. The ground underneath tremored around them, making it difficult for everyone to maintain standing upright. Rocco raised his right leg and repeated the process, causing the ground to tremble even harder. Several of the Sander Pirates fell off balance, with them the bob-ombs of them had just lit up. Seconds after hitting the sand, they went off right next to the Sander Pirates.

Rocco grinned, "Serve you, berks, right,"

"What... was that?" Luigi asked astonishingly. The man had caused the earth around them to shake without the use of a POW block or any other item for that matter. He had seen enemies in the past use a similar ability, but those were usually brief and the individuals had either been usually large or heavy. Say blonde smirked at everyone's shock expression.

"That was MY handy ability,"

The plumber tried to stand back on his feet but the ground shook under him again. "Okay, I'll admit that was pretty cool, but do you have to keep doing it?"

Rocco pouted and tilted his head sideways in a confused manner. "I'm not doing anything,"

Luigi frowned. "If that's not you then..." He grew pale with sudden realization. "Ah no,"

Another tremor followed by an eruption of sand. Everyone covered themselves from the sands and rocks as a familiar loud roar filled the air.

"It's a Gao!"

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Ending Note:

Cannot promise when the next chapter will be up, but I can promise it will be longer than this one.

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