Author's Note

Ha, yeah, so re-reading the prologue, I was just thinking…how very un-mario sounding. Yeah, I can get very out of hand with a series, but I don't plan on veering Mario and the gang to far off course here. Hopefully…please review, if you like the story. Thankee.

Disclaimer

Nope, I don't own Mario, and most probably never, ever will, so I really don't see the point in explaining this any further as this is probably already something you have been made aware of or are under the general impression of…and in that case, you are correct. So…without further ado, chapter one. Enjoi!

CHAPTER ONE

And so we begin…

It was a lovely day in the mushroom kingdom…well, in most areas. And of course, I'm talking about the whether. Seems rather obvious, but I would like to point out that not everyone feels as though it's a lovely day and for a wide variety of reasons.

For example, Bowser was not having a lovely day. Recently, he had found himself in a creative stump as to what he could pull off next that he hasn't already done. In the past, when faced with this problem, he simply did the same thing, again, though wrapped it together differently, while the core intent remained the same.

The mighty lord sighed, and that sigh stayed floating in the air for a moment, drifting around in the empty throne room and eventually came back to him, as if it were a dog that wasn't sure where exactly to head off to after it's owner had just thrown a ball. Also, I would like to point out at this moment I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing other than stretching the simple concept of a sigh echoing into this rather pointless, needless description.

Bowser sighed again a moment or two later, his mind void of his usual thoughts, which, most of the time, consisted of thrasing his cursed plumber nemesis, Mario, and kidnapping Princess Peach…well, vice versa. Well, it didn't really matter a great deal to him, though he tended to savor the idea of him defeating Mario AFTER he had ventured far and wide to rescue the princess a bit more. That one he liked.

He tapped his claws against the cold throne seat, eventually decided to get some help with the problem, and clicked a red button on his right hand side. A few minutes later, the doors to the throne room opened and in came Kammy Koopa, floating on that old broomstick and referring to Bowser in her usual manner.

"You sent for me, your disgustingness?" She stated simply. Bowser took a moment and wondered why it had never dawned on him that all his servants seemed to state the obvious. Another split-second later, he came to the conclusion that he didn't really care and shouldn't waste time thinking about it at all.

"Yes, kammy, old hag…I…don't really know what to do about this anymore. What should I do?"

Kammy remained quiet, thinking. A moment later, she responded with her ever-so-helpful advice: "What?"

Bowser grew angry. In the time in which kammy had been thinking silently it had occurred to him that he had not exactly stated what his problem or real question was, but a moment later he had thought, well, if kammy was taking this long thinking about it she must already know what my question was, and she had better supply me with a good answer.

"FOOL!" Bowser roared, a hint of glowing embers appearing within his mouth, never a good sign. "Must I explain EVERY little detail to you?! Incompetent witch…I asked…What should I do this time around? I mean, it's all to cliché now…kidnap princess, yada yada, get thwumped by that bloated, miniscule little oddly-dressed plumber, yada yada, et cetera. I mean, I need a little…zazz, y'know?"

Kammy remained quiet. She began to think…then remembered bowser didn't seem to like that idea very much, and decided to speak instead.

"Well…" She realized it had been a mistake not to think in the first place, as her mind was dry, blank. No creative thinking up there. "Uh…"

Luckily, and by the type of precise timing only ever seen in video games that would only exist in very, very improbable situations outside the virtual world, kammy koopa was contacted by one of her scouts at that moment. It seemed that he had found something interesting, and requested Kammy bring this to Lord Bowser's attention as soon as possible. She obliged, and gladly.

"Excuse me, your clawed-feistiness, but it would seem as though we may have something now…"

Bowser grunted. This had BETTER be good…

"Well? What is it?"

"Somewhere beneath our very own mushroom kingdom, it would appear as though some new, unknown ruins have been found. Now, we don't know anything about these particular ruins, other than some odd writing in a wall…translated from an ancient language…that simply reads "Ye who enter in search of power from the depths of the shadow, may ye find your strength here". We don't know what it means, but doesn't that sound promising, Lord Bowser?"

Bowser adopted a look of thoughtfulness. Yes…indeed, it would seem as though a new power awaited him, just in time, too…with this, maybe he could finally end that wretched Mario…something about this just made him feel confident. He smirked, a very evil, twisted smirk.

"Kammy…thank you for bringing this to my attention. We will research this further…congratulate your scout for me, will ya?"

Kammy nodded, and turned on the transmitter in her ear to relay a message conveying the Lord's personal gratitude towards the koopa who had alerted them to this potentially rewarding new development, only to find that, when trying to contact the scout, she received nothing but static.

"Hmmm…most be technical difficulties, Lord Bowser."

"Ah. No worries, we'll thank him later. Now…let's get to business." The dark lord of the koopa growled wickedly, a fire burning with vengeance alight in his eyes.

Outside of the peaceful little abode in which Mario and Luigi lived, the sun shone down brightly and the birds chirped happily. A typical day in the mushroom kingdom. If it wasn't for the regularly disturbing events that happened to befall the kingdom often, most of them involving the kidnap of princess peach, it would be an ideal world, in most respects.

Mario yawned, stretched, and sat up in his top bunk bed for a moment. He could still hear Luigi snoring beneath him…he smiled groggily. He was about to lay back down for a few more minutes when the familiar sound of "MAIL CALL!" sounded into the house. Mario made his way down the bunk bed, rousing Luigi, who awoke slowly and with a yawn much more encompassing than his elder brother's.

The red-capped, overall-wearing older brother made his way outside to the porch, made his way to the mailbox, reached in and pulled out the letter. Who was it?

One look at the handwriting and his question was answered. Peach. He could recognize her handwriting a mile away, if indeed he could somehow see any form of writing a mile away. A part of him held a sense of foreboding…on more than one occasion, it was when peach sent him a letter that terrible events befell the otherwise peaceful place. He sighed, decided not to think about it, and slowly opened the letter.

To my dearest Mario –

I'm holding yet another party at my castle and was wondering if, by chance, you and luigi would be able to drop by? I would be delighted! It's simply a meeting of foreign nationals and all that…you know, details…but if you could drop by sometime this afternoon, it would warm my day! Most of the people who show up for these things are all business, and I would otherwise be bored to tears. So what do you say? PLEASE come. I will await your arrival.

Peach

Mario chuckled a bit. He knew that she already knew that she had an iron-clad grip on Mario…if she told him to do something, he did it, no matter what…most of the times.

At this point, Luigi had managed to drag himself out to the porch. Upon seeing the shining sun and hearing the chirping birds and finding himself staring at Mario staring at a letter, he was, if not fully, awake.

"What do you have there, bro?" He asked, though he felt a moment later that it had been unnecessary. He knew already, it was peach, again. He smiled faintly.

He showed his younger, green-clad brother the letter. Luigi read it over, and chuckled similarly to the manner in which Mario had chuckled but a few minutes prior. Peach sure did have Mario whipped…of course, luigi would go, if only to mingle. He sometimes enjoyed talking of politics and affairs in foreign kingdoms. Ever since his expedition to the waffle kingdom and his adventures there, his eyes had been opened to a larger world and liked to talk about places other than home. He was certainly a MUCH more talkative person than his brother.

"Sounds cool to me, bro, when should we head out?"

Mario shrugged, not bothering to say anything. Luigi sometimes wished he would talk more…though he could still demonstrate what he was thinking non-verbally, as he always had.

Luigi translated this as "well, you know, we're not doing anything of importance at the moment, so why don't we grab a bite to eat and then head out, little bro?"

"Sounds good to me." Luigi said, and the two went inside and luigi began to cook a meal for the two of them…well, just waffles, really, but hey.

Little did the two siblings know…but something was afoot in the kingdom, something…different. Soon, they would both be cast into this perilous trek, together…and at the end of this quest, would they ever be the same?