Chapter 12

She was almost unrecognizable- almost. Though she indeed looked different wearing a torn dress and the signature cuff-link bands sported by Bowser's highest-ranking military officials, it was the inimitable blaze above her hooded face that gave her away.

Ralph recognized her on sight. "Candlehead!"

"Pleased to see me?" retorted Candlehead, in a mock provocative tone of voice.

"If the way you just said that didn't sound eerily as though you were about to kill me, then yes!" shouted Ralph. "Now come on! There's not much time!"

"Oh, believe me, I have all the time in the world," Candlehead replied, her eyes narrowed. "It's YOUR time that's up!"

"Wh- what're you talking about?" asked Felix. "It's us! Felix and Ralph! We're here to rescue you!"

Candlehead smirked.

"Rescue me? I don't need rescuing. Don't lie to me like that. I know what you're really doing here. You're here because you want this trophy!"

On her last word, the mast began to descend into the interior of the ship, exposing its contents. Candlehead's "trophy" sat on the very top of the mast. Tied up and unconscious, a familiar red-capped figure came into sight from above.

Luigi spotted his trapped, unconscious brother- and suddenly the rest of the world had vanished, his friends, enemies, and surroundings being wrapped up in an ephemeral miasma. For the moment, all that existed were the two brothers, with nothing to impede them. Unable to believe his eyes, Luigi tentatively cast his brother's name into the haze.

"Ma… Mario?"

At the sound of his name, Mario slowly opened his eyes, regaining consciousness. As they locked on to his brother's face, they lit up. "Luigi!"

"MAAAAARIOOO-HO-HOOO-owaaaaah!"

Luigi had broken free of the other heroes and rushed up to embrace his brother- only to be knocked aside by a single, mighty blow from Candlehead.

"Don't even think about it, you little thief!" the candle-headed girl sneered in Luigi's direction. "He's MINE!"

Felix rushed to Luigi's side, and helped him to his feet. Luigi narrowed his eyes. The mist returned to blot the outside world from his vision- and this time, it was surrounding just himself and Candlehead.

"HOW DARE-A… YOU MESS… WITH-A MY BRO!" Luigi shrieked as he charged her- and was flung aside again, this time by a magic projectile from Kamek.

"LUIGI!" screamed Mario, as his brother hit the ground unconscious. As if to respond, Candlehead clutched Mario's waist as if the plumber were her first-born son.

"Well, I think that takes care of our plumber problem," chuckled Kamek, before waving his magic scepter in Candlehead's direction. "Listen up, Flame-face! We got a couple of trophy thieves on our hands, so why don't you entertain our party guests here while they wait for King Bowser? And make it snappy!" he ordered.

"Yes, master," she replied flatly.

Ralph, Felix, and Calhoun could only watch as Candlehead began to levitate. The flames above her head were intensifying far beyond what she could normally muster. This had to be Kamek's work… but how was he making it happen?

The realization of the source of her newfound abilities was temporarily cast aside as she promptly used them to send a powerful surge of fireballs in the direction of the heroes. Using his large fists, Ralph shielded Felix and Calhoun from being caught in the blast. Calhoun fired her grappling hook at Candlehead, and it seized her by the scruff of the neck. With a mighty whip, Calhoun sent the supercharged 9-year-old flying. She collapsed in a heap at Kamek's feet before struggling to her own, panting.

Felix took this opportunity to reanimate Luigi using his hammer. The green-clad hero jumped to his feet, his fists pointing straight at Kamek.

"Hmmm… Four against two, eh? Doesn't seem too fair. Why don't we up the ante a bit?!" Kamek cackled as he waved his scepter.

Candlehead began to whirl around, and from her left and right sides erupted identical copies of herself.

"It's a magic attack!" warned Luigi as Candlehead and her twin clones began to converge on them.

"That… that can't be! No one in Sugar Rush can use magic! That's impossible! That's- Yaaah!" One of the clones had charged Felix, sending him flying to the edge of the bow. The clone readied for another assault, but Felix caught her by the ankles and sent her flying over the edge. She disapparated before she hit the ground.

"Watch it, Wreck-it!" ordered Calhoun as a second clone leapt right over Ralph's head. Calhoun seized the clone with her grappling hook and sent her careening towards the mast. She hit it head-on, fell to the ground unconscious, and faded into nothingness.

"He's right," said Ralph. "They can't use magic in this game! Which means the source of the magic must be…"

As if to finish Ralph's sentence for him, Luigi charged at the now-vulnerable Kamek and pounced on his head. Dazed from the unexpected attack, Kamek stumbled off of the ship's stern and dropped his scepter, which shattered apart and ceased to exist.

From the spot where the broken scepter had been there erupted a violent whirlwind, which swept up Luigi, Ralph, Calhoun, and Felix, and deposited them all across the floor of the ship.

"MY TROPHY!" yelled Candlehead as she watched as Mario was swallowed up by the storm, before being swallowed up herself. The whirlwind tossed them around like tumbleweeds, then disappeared. Kamek had vanished.

Mario, freed from his restraints by the windstorm, was quickly joined by his brother, who helped him to his feet. "Good to see you, bro!" Mario cried cheerfully.

Candlehead hit the floor with a loud thud. The infernal flame that had previously adorned her head had been reduced to a dull flicker. Slowly, she picked herself up from off the floor and stared around, blinking and rubbing her eyes.

"Where… am I …" she moaned.

Felix beamed. "I'll wager that nasty Kamek was controlling her with that scepter! Well, she seems normal again. Jeepers, I'm glad that's ov- wait! Where's Ralph?"

Mario jumped up. "RALPH!" he shouted into the darkness.

Only an echo answered his call.

"My land… where is he?" asked Felix.

In effect, the darkness suddenly lifted. Felix, Calhoun, Candlehead, and the Mario Bros. stared in awe at the sight that befell them. Before the band of heroes lay the threshold to the mighty, monstrous fortress of the evil King Bowser.