"Hey Mario, do you have any idea where we are?"

"I don't know-a. It doesn't look anything-a I've seen-a."

The plumber and hedgehog surveyed their surroundings. They were inside what appeared to be some sort of labyrinth with pitch black floors and bright blue walls. It was truly a bizarre place.

"Welcome to my realm." The two heroes turned around and saw Waku, the ninja that sent them here. "For humiliating me in front of my loyal subjects, we are going to play a favorite game of mine."

"A game-a? What kind of game-a?" asked Mario.

"Why, a game of cat and mouse of course. You run away and hide, then I find and kill you."

"Sounds like an unfair game" said Sonic.

"Hmm hmm hmm. That's what makes it so fun!"

Waku turned himself around. "Now go and get away from me. You don't want this to be a short game, would you?"

Sonic and Mario took their killer's advice and fled deeper into the maze. It was easier said than done, since they still had the injuries from the last event.

The blue hedgehog groaned at the slow pace he was managing to go at. "This must be what being in Hell feels like."

Mario looks behind him and says "should we-a split up? It'll make it-a harder for the ninja guy to catch-a us."

"I would suggest it, but in the state we're in we should stick together."

"I agree" says Waku. Mario and Sonic get out the way as Waku swipes at them with a katana. The plumber performs a tornado spin at the ninja, frightening the ninja off into the depths of labyrinth.

"HOLY RAVIOLI!" Mario cried in pain. "I think-a I just twisted my arms."

Sonic said sarcastically, "ah that's just swell. My legs are practically useless and your arms are twisted. Oh! I know, why don't I ride on your shoulders that way you can walk for me and I can punch that ninja for you!"

"Sounds like a good-a idea to me-a!"

Now came the painful part. Holding their screams of agony to not draw Waku's attention, Sonic walked over to Mario which then Mario picked up Sonic and placed over his shoulders.

"Mama mia, you weigh a ton-a!" wheezed the plumber.

Sonic took slight offense from that comment and responded, "it's all from my head, I swear!"

Now that the two became one, the heroes made haste to look for an exit from this labyrinth. If there actually was a way out.

"I think we already this way" muttered Sonic. "I swear this corner looks awfully familiar."

Mario replied "that's-a because all the corners look the same. It wouldn't be much-a of a maze if everything-a wasn't generic looking."

All of a sudden, Waku attacked again. Mario hopped over the swipe of the ninja's katana, and Sonic counter-attacked with a fist to the face. Another punch sent Waku sprawling on the floor. Mario kicked the blade away from the owner's reach and ran off.

"Ouch that smarts" Waku said while rubbing his jaw. "Well, at least I know this hunt is an interesting one."

The plumber wheezed as he continued running. Running out of breath, Mario went around a corner then stopped to regain some of his stamina.

"I think we lost-a him" Mario said as he inhaled and exhaled. "Let's keep-a this up and OOF!"

When the mustachioed man turned around, he ended up walking right into a wall. He and his passenger fell with a loud thump.

Sonic checked his surroundings and cursed "damn! It's a dead end!"

"Well we better get up-a and leave-a before…"

Too late. Blocking the only way out was Waku! The prey were surprised to noticed something odd about their hunter's emotions. Instead of acting proud to have his victims trapped and helpless, he seemed annoyed about something.

"What do you think you're doing?" the ninja shouted. "This area is off-limits!"

"Well excuse us for not knowing you had rules in this game" said Sonic.

"Don't be a smartass, hedgehog. I am serious. GET OUT! NOW!"

Waku didn't give them a chance to react as he lunged at them in fury. Luckily Mario kicked Waku right into the wall, and Sonic spin dashed the ninja to unconsciousness.

Mario looked at the knocked out ninja and said "hmm, he must-a be claustrophobic."

Suddenly, as if to congratulate the heroes on their victory, the maze realm began to disappear. The world then changed to a regular-looking dojo. A dojo containing AN ENTIRE ARMY OF NINJAS!!

All Sonic and Mario could say was "oh crap."

"INTRUDERS!" shouted the younger ninjas. "KILL THEM!"

The elite ninjas scoffed at the appearance of the heroes and said "look at them lying in agony! This will be easy!"

"Looks like they got worn from beating Master Waku" a ninja said.

There was a brief moment of silence.

"Master Waku… beaten?!"

"Impossible! We couldn't defeat him, so how can these two do what we can't?"

"Maybe that unconscious Waku over there is actually an imposter."

"No one would be stupid enough to pretend to be Waku."

"I would."

"Enough!" someone old shouted from behind the ninja army. "Let us see with our own eyes."

The ninjas moved aside for the elder council to pass on through. They stared at Waku, then Mario and Sonic, then Waku again.

One of the elders spoke "there is no doubt about it. Master Waku has fallen by these two strange people."

"What should we do them? They are intruders, and who knows how many of our secrets they found out."

"Then you know what needs to be done."

The ninja elders nodded to one another. One of them pulled out a bottle of herbs and sprinkled it's contents all over the heroes. In mere seconds the two had all their wounds healed and their stamina fully charged.

"Wow-a, I feel much-a better!" Mario says as he stands up.

Sonic asks "but why heal us? I was almost expecting to be finished off."

"True, that would be the obvious choice. But because you defeated the undefeatable, you have earned our respect."

A few meters away, some of the herbs floated off and landed on Waku. He instantly wakes up.

"Huh… what… hey! What's going on?"

The ninja elders turn to their master and bowed before him. "It has been a pleasure working with you, sir. Unfortunately, we no longer wish to serve you."

Waku had a puzzled look underneath his ninja cloak. "Why?"

"It is nothing personal" one of the elders spoke. "But we only obey those who we believe is the strongest."

"In fact, they can be our new leaders" said another elder pointing at Sonic and Mario.

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Waku interrupted. "Let us stop and think about what you are doing here. I mean… you know… okay, lets make a deal. You just help me kill these two guys and I'll get out of your hair forever. How does that sound?"

The elders shook their heads. "Unacceptable. We are honorable ninjas and we stick to what we have planned. You, however, are dishonorable by refusing to accept the fact you have been beaten by these two warriors."

Sonic added in "not to mention we were already injured when you fought us."

The ex-master ninja growled at the hedgehog and said "why you smart-mouthing little piece of-"

Waku gets smacked on the head by the nearest elder. "You dishonored yourself with this behavior. Not only have you lost your title, but you have now lost our respect. You were thought highly as a leader, but you took it all away because you act like a brat who can't get what he wants! Leave this place and never come back! I don't even know why we made you our master in the first place."

Clenching his fists in anger, Waku replies "then allow me to jog up your memory."

The elder that spoke before gulped and said "uh oh."

"Nice going" one of the elders said sarcastically. "Now Waku is going to kick our asses again!"

"Not if me-a and my-a friend have anything to say about it" said Mario. "Come-a on, let's team up and defeat your master once and for all!"

"We would love to" said an elder as all the ninjas were backing away. "But… umm… I have to go visit a friend in Russia so… AH SCREW IT LETS JUST GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE!!"

And so, the secret society of the Ninja Clan, containing the smartest and strongest people in China, ran away screaming like little school girls.

"So much for having honor" muttered Sonic.

"Looks like we'll have-a to fight this ninja ourselves-a" Mario said in a fighter's pose.

Waku calmed down and sighed. "Useless minions. Just when you think you can trust them they head for the hills. Oh well, at least their supplies are still here. Since this ninja disguise has lost its purpose I might as well reveal my true identity."

The ninja tore off his clothing with one quick tug. The plumber and hedgehog gasped upon seeing who they were really up against.

"It can't be!" gasped Mario.

"Unbelievable!" Sonic said in shock.

Then the two say simultaneously "so… who are you?"

Their enemy dropped a sweat. "You mean you don't know how am I? Fine, allow me to introduce myself. I am… PAC-MAN!"