Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 11: Resolve

"Mario. Mario, it's time to wake up."

"No. Five more minutes."

There was an audible sigh. "Toad, do your magic."

"WAKE UP!"

Mario's eyes opened in a flash as he sat up in a pant. "What's going on? Where am I?!"

"Where do you think?" the princess scoffed. "How about you look around and tell me where we are?" He sat up and glanced at the landscape before him. The landmass was covered in huge trees that covered the entire landscape. It was a huge landmass, too. It reminded him of the Amazon Rainforest, and that was the biggest rainforest in his world, but he doubted this jungle was as big as that, but it was still huge compared to some areas he had seen throughout his life. It probably rivaled Italy for its size.

"Woah! It's huge!"

"Yep. One of the largest kingdoms in the world. I'll reveal more facts once we get moving." She turned to a Toad wearing a black and red coat. "You have my thanks, Captain T. Ode."

"Tis always a pleasure of mine to serve the princess of the utmost highest," he said, bowing. "I shall ever wait for your grand return should things turn for the worst. May you have smooth sailing as you win those hearts of the Kongs."

"Yes. We'll do. Well, Toad, lead the way! And try not to get us lost. This is a huge jungle."

Said organism huffed. "Oh, ye of little faith. I, Captain Toad, shall lead us to victory! Come, my followers! Onwards to adventure!" He hopped off the ship, humming to himself.

"Well," Peach said, "He sure is one to hop into danger headfirst. Well, we might as well get going. We don't want to fall behind." She hopped off. Mario took a deep breath. This was it, the true start of an adventure to stop Bowser and get a good look at what else this world had to offer, but considering Peach loved to hide secrets from him just to see his reaction, he had to discover most of this kingdom's secrets himself. He jumped off as the group began the march into the jungle.

As they walked through the jungle, Mario glanced around at all the shrubbery that lay around them. It was about what Mario expected with all the greenery around and the trees standing tall as their height could rival the Empire State Building, though that was just an exaggeration. "So," the princess said as they walked through the jungle, "You ready for some trivia?"

"Sure. Blow me away."

"Well, I highly doubt I would be able to do it that easily, but we've got a while to go, so let's pass the time. First off, did you know the Jungle Kingdom has one of the oldest monarchies in reign?"

"Really? Even older than your kingdom?"

"Yep. Back then, the Mushroom Kingdom didn't have a monarchy, but the Jungle Kingdom was one of the first kingdoms to set the trend. The rest followed. I just happen to be their first human princess, but Toadsworth's family used to be involved in running the kingdom and can be tied back all the way to the first monarch."

"So you can say running the kingdom runs in the family."

"Yep. That describes it to a T. Here's a fact that might cause a bigger reaction. The Jungle Kingdom is actually one of the most industrious kingdoms in the world."

Mario raised an eyebrow. "Really? In the middle of a jungle? How does that make sense?"

"Well, you'd be surprised. They have technology that most other kingdoms don't have. That's why they have one of the greatest armies in the world. The Kong Army can easily rival Bowser's army, especially in terms of its technology. But as to the specifics, I'll keep that a secret for now."

"You sure love keeping secrets from me."

She sighed. "Well, you're the only human I've ever met, and you will have to go home. I just want to cherish these moments as a reminder that I'm not alone. I wished for my whole life to know where I came from or even to see someone of my own species, but now that you're here, I just want to cherish these moments before you have to go home."

"Who says I won't come back?" She glanced at him. "Sure, I may get lost, but there's so much of this world I don't know, and if we weren't in a war, then I could see this world properly. I can make this promise: it may be further down the line, but I will come back. This won't be the last time you see me."

She smiled. "Thank you, Mario."

"And maybe I'll bring you to my world. One thing I can promise is that there aren't any evil turtles there. That's what my world has over this one."

She chuckled. "I'll count on it."

"Hey, love bugs!" The two glanced at Toad as he crossed his arms. "Are you two gonna flirt with each other all day or what? I'd like to make some progress, thank you."

"I never knew you were the impatient type," Mario said. "Also, love bugs?"

"Don't you dare act oblivious. I saw that little twinkle in your eye. You have a thing for her and vice versa."

"We were having a genuine conversation! This has nothing to do with love! Don't take things out of context, especially since you didn't hear the conversation!"

Toad shrugged. "Whatever you say. By the way, I totally ship you two to the Moon and back. Now, back to adventure!" As he walked away, Mario and Peach awkwardly glanced at each other.

"Well," the princess said, breaking the ice, "Talk about an awkward moment. Try not to think too much into it. Let's just go."

"Yeah." As they walked, Mario scratched his head. Where in the world did Toad get that idea from? Was he pranking him, or did he truly ship them? He shrugged. Who knew how much Toad heard, but as he followed them in silence, his mind drifted off to a corner as he couldn't help but wonder. Was that true? Did Peach have a crush on him? They only met a couple days ago, and she did open up to him, but never fully expressed those types of thoughts. Well, regardless, he had to stay focused. The mission came first.

"And here we are!" Toad pointed to two giant wooden doors that acted as the gate into the city.

Peach smirked. "Well done, Toad. I knew you had it in you."

"Of course. That's what happens when I'm the best adventurer there is. The very best."

"Well, let's put those adventurer skills to the test." She banged on the door using the handle and took a couple steps back as they awaited for a Kong to arrive. Based on the location, Mario had a hunch of who these Kongs actually were. His suspicions were proven correct when a gorilla wearing a white muscle shirt with a red bandana and black shades roared in their faces, causing Toad to scream as he ran behind Peach's leg.

"What the heck, man?! You scared the crap out of us!"

Peach smirked. "And here I thought you said you feared nothing."

"Well, I didn't expect to see an ape wearing weird shades screaming in my face! How the heck was I supposed to see that coming?!"

"Hey!" the gorilla hissed. "Don't you dare diss my shades! These are drip! Don't you even!"

"Hello, Sir Funky Kong."

"Well, I'll be! It's Princess Peach! It's been too long!"

"Of course."

"Isn't he gonna finish the first part of that sentence?" Toad whispered to Mario as the two hugged each other. "This guy's lingo is so weird."

The plumber rolled his eyes. "Do I even need to answer that?" He returned his eyes to Peach as she finished hugging the Kong.

"So, princess," the gorilla said, "What brings you out here in this neck of the woods?"

She sighed. "Well, you can probably guess why, considering I came here ten years ago."

"Oh. That Bowser dude who doesn't know when to respect a female's space."

"Yes. I need to speak to Cranky Kong. I know I was unable to convince him the last time I was here, but things have gotten worse. He has the Super Star and with it, he plans on destroying my kingdom. I need to recruit the Kong Army to stop his invasion."

Funky Kong audibly sighed. "Well, I don't see how this can go through. Cranky Kong's still as stubborn as the day he was born. That dude ain't movin' an inch. I highly doubt things will change, sister."

"Please! This needs to happen! Just give me one more chance!"

"Look. Just because I said that things won't change doesn't mean you won't get a chance. You're lucky I'm the guard on duty, otherwise you probably would've been turned away. Give me one second." He walked away. A couple minutes later, a rumbling sound entered his ear as Mario gasped. Wait a sec. Was it what he thought it was? He ran and glanced at a kart with an extra seat in the back as Funky Kong flashed his shades. "Hop on in!"

"Well," Peach said as she and Toad walked to the Kong, "You seem surprised, Mario."

"They have actual go-karts?! In the middle of a jungle?! This seems so surreal!"

"You'd be surprised by what other technology they have." They hopped in the vehicle with Toad in the back. "You'd better hold on because these can go very fast." Mario scratched his head. Why the heck weren't there any seatbelts? What kind of car didn't have seatbelts? He held onto the frame. Hopefully, he wouldn't fall to his doom.

Funky Kong laughed and slammed on the gas, the kart taking off as it sped through the jungle on a bridge, twisting and turning as Mario held on for dear life. "How the heck does this thing not have any seatbelts?!" he yelled. "Do you want to die?!"

"Why would I?" the Kong said. "These karts are built with the hardest steel there is. We ain't dyin' today!" That didn't give Mario any assurance. As they went into the city, Mario glanced at his surroundings. The place was surrounded by hundreds of huts with bridges that zigzagged across each other all while suspended above a body of water. In the distance stood some sort of structure of a Kong's head, presumably Cranky Kong's as they reached the end of a bridge. With the press of a button, a glider popped out as they flew inside the structure's mouth as it opened. Funky Kong landed safely as he braked more abruptly as Mario flew off.

"I thank you for everything, Funky Kong. I'm in your debt."

"Nuthin' to it, sister. Hope it goes well. See ya on the flip side!" He drove away.

"That was so cool!" Mario said, a huge smile on his face. "These karts can fly?! Again, so surreal."

"By all means, please come in." Banging sounds entered his ears as he glanced at the Kongs as they whacked their mallets on the ground. "Because it's totally fine to just waltz in here unannounced. So, by all means, come in." He glanced at a Kong sitting on a throne wearing a red robe and an Aztec-like crown of sorts.

Peach curtsied to him. "Hello, King Cranky Kong."

"Well, well, well," he said. "If it isn't Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom. You know it's very rude to show up here unannounced. You should've given me some sort of notice of your arrival ahead of time. You know better."

"I understand my arrival is a bit sudden, but I came here requesting your help."

"As you did ten years ago but go on. It's not like I have all the time in the world."

She sighed. "You know about the conflict going on between Bowser and I."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Well, Bowser's got the Super Star." Cranky Kong raised an eyebrow. "And with it, he's gonna destroy my kingdom. Please. I need your army so we can invade him before he strikes upon my kingdom. Please lend me your strength."

"Or you can say yes." She crossed her arms. "Don't get me wrong, princess. I completely understand your situation, but it can all end with one simple word, that way your problem will be solved, and my ears will be free of the broken record that are your words. It's that simple."

Peach scoffed. "What? Are you really suggesting I give into his demands?!"

"It seems pretty cut and dry to me."

"No! I'm not gonna let him subjugate his rule onto my people! They already suffered enough from his forces! That's not happening! I need to end this swiftly before things escalate even further!"

"Then I have nothing else to say. You can leave."

"But if he succeeds, your kingdom is next!"

Cranky Kong rubbed his temples and sighed. "Must I really have to spell it out for you again? Goodness gracious. Look around you, princess. What do you see? I'll go ahead and answer that for you. You are looking at some of my finest soldiers. These soldiers have been trained from the moment they were born. I raised them to be the mighty protectors of the Jungle Kingdom aka the Great Kong Army. This kingdom also has the most advanced technologies in this world. Bowser's army doesn't even hold a candle against mine. So, tell me. Why should I be afraid when I have the greatest army in the world?!" The Kongs banged their mallets. "Also, he has no reason to come after me. You've been tangled in a game of cat and mouse with him for the past decade, so he's your problem, not mine. Besides, just you being here brings a target on my kingdom, so I suggest you leave at once or I'll have my guards escort you out. That's final. Leave at once."

"But-"

"Five." Mario growled. So, this was the stuck-up king that was Cranky Kong. He had an idea of what to expect from him, but this was just absurd. For as mighty of an army that he had, surely, he could spare a couple soldiers to help Peach, right? This kingdom, and by proxy its population, was massive, meaning he must've had some spare resources, even if the Jungle Kingdom hadn't been in a conflict for years. No, he was just being stubborn just because. He knew what was going on and yet decided to ignore her cries. It was about time Mario gave him a piece of his mind.

"Four."

"No!"

Cranky Kong's eyes averted to Mario. "Who the heck are you?"

"Who I am doesn't matter. We're not leaving until we get your army."

"Who do you think you are?! You don't even look like you live here! What makes you think you have jurisdiction over my rulings?!"

"You're right. I don't live here, but I say what I mean. We're not leaving without your army!"

"Well, that's too bad. I already ruled against it. I'm already angsty because your sorry butts are still in my presence. I suggest you leave at once."

"No! We aren't leaving!"

"Mario," Peach said. "Don't test his patience."

"I came here for one reason and one reason only: to get his army, and I'll be damned if I have to see another one of your people suffer because of how ignorant he's been! He's been aware of the situation this whole time and yet can't even bother to spare a couple of his men! That just shows how unfit he is at being king!"

"I'm right here," Cranky Kong growled. "If you're gonna throw visceral insults at me, at least have the audacity to look at my face." Mario glared at him. "That's better. Also, what makes you think I'm an unfit king when you have no experience with running a kingdom? I will do everything to protect my people, even if it means not getting involved with other people's affairs. That's not being selfish or ignorant. It's called doing what's best for them. You have no right to judge me on my actions. No right at all!"

"But that doesn't mean you can't at least lend a helping hand to others in need. Your people will be fine either way."

"Not if I want to go making enemies! Next thing you know, they're at your freaking doorstep!"

"But don't you have the greatest army in the world?"

"I'm not putting my people in the middle of a war! That is final! Guards, get these maniacs out of here at once!"

The Kongs slowly closed in on them as the trio slowly backed towards the door. Mario growled. He should've known his strategy wasn't gonna work. Cranky Kong truly lived up to his name with the scowl that grew on his face. Should he take them on? Back in his own world, gorillas were quite fierce and weren't to be messed with but throw mallets in the mix and you had one of the most powerful organisms alive. Mario could barely take on a dog. He would be a mad man to take on the powerful primates, but sometimes, that was what mad men did. They took crazy risks, and he had no intention of saying no. "I'm about to do something really crazy."

"What?" Peach said. "Wait. Don't tell me you're thinking about taking them on. They're ten times stronger than you! That's how you get yourself killed!"

Mario smirked. "Yeah, well, that's what I do. I take out guys ten times my size for a living. This should be a piece of cake."

"Mario, no!" He ran and punched one of them with all his might. The Kong staggered to the floor. He could actually feel the pain in his arm when technically he didn't use 100% of his energy into every punch he threw, but this one he did, and the Kong didn't fall too far away due to its massive size and weight. This was gonna be harder than he thought. The others retaliated with a roar and charged at him, but Mario dodged to the side. He couldn't take them head on. His next best strategy was for them to hit each other, but he didn't know how intelligent they were. They could easily pick up his strategy, heck maybe even counter it with their own. But doing this had to cause something to change in Cranky Kong's mind. He had to notice how stubborn Mario was that he wasn't letting go of this. That was literally the last thing the plumber could do, or else Peach's kingdom was done for and Mario might not see Luigi again. He ducked as two Kongs swung their hammers, knocking them out as more charged at him. He continued dodging their attacks as he tried to execute his strategy, but one managed to catch his drift and punched him mid-dodge. He rolled along the ground.

Two other Kongs held Peach and Toad back as they yelled in protest. "No! Cranky Kong, please don't kill him!"

"Oh, calm down, princess. I won't. That is if he can answer my questions satisfactorily." He walked to the plumber as a Kong pinned him down with his mallet. "You're really quite stubborn, aren't you? You do realize my soldiers could've killed you, yes? Do you even have a brain, or are you just that stupid?"

"I'm not dumb," Mario hissed. "I'm just trying to prove a point."

"Right. And your point is you're trying to see how far you can go with this charade before I decide to kill you. First, you insult me and second, you attack my guards. I've never met someone with a death wish like you. Answer me something: you are aware of her conflict and that she needs you, yes?"

"Yes."

"And yet you decide to voluntarily throw your life in the balance without a care in the world."

"You think I don't care? I care for the people I'm close to. I protected my brother from all kinds of fiends. I promised Peach that I would save her people and stop Bowser at all costs! Don't you dare say I care because I do! You don't even know me!"

"Oh really? If you truly cared, would you throw away your life here and now when you haven't even faced the beast? If you do, then that's the antithesis of what you claim. You would do everything to make me change my mind, even if that means you die in the end. How does that show that you care when you don't consider the feelings of others?" Mario gasped as he glanced at Peach and Toad, who both were on the verge of crying as they stared at him with crying tears and huffed breaths. "Your determination is admirable," Cranky Kong continued, "But you're blind to what's in front of you. You let your emotions drive you instead of your thoughts." He knelt to the plumber. "You want to be the hero? Learn to take others into consideration with every decision you make. I don't make decisions blindly. I consider all my options before making a choice, and every choice I make has consequences in the end. Guards, release them."

The Kongs did as Peach walked to him. She sighed. "I completely misjudged you. I thought you were nothing but a selfish being who didn't care about what happened to my people. I'm sorry."

Cranky Kong shook his head. "No. Listen, my dear. I just fear for my people's safety. I understand your pain. Perhaps I shouldn't have turned a completely blind eye, but I made what I thought was the best decision at the time, and I'm quite stubborn to change my mind. I put my people first. Simple as that."

"So, what does that mean for my request? And what will you do with Mario?"

"That I'm still deciding on. Mario, was it?" The plumber nodded. "Come here." He walked to the Kong. "Clearly, you aren't budging on this and neither am I, so we're at a stalemate. Let's put your resolve to the test. I will base my ruling on how truthfully you answer these last few questions. What is it that you most desire from this world?"

"Peace. I want to stop Bowser and bring peace to this world."

"OK. Standard answer. How do you go about doing that?"

"How?"

"It's a very simple question. Tell me in specifics how you are going to accomplish those goals."

"But we have a plan to recruit your army to raid Bowser's Castle."

"Not sufficient enough. Go deeper. Reexamine your goals and your desires and tell me how you will accomplish them."

Mario sighed. Was there something he was missing? He had some sort of plan laid out. It seemed pretty cut and dry, but maybe it wasn't as simple as he thought. Back when he first met Toad, he called him a hero, and Mario has yet to let go of that moment. What about that moment made him remember it over and over? It was such a simple thing that he could do practically anyone who was suffering like he did, so why? He did it because he thought it was something he had to do. Then again, did he have any actual idea of what being a hero meant? He had read numerous comics about classic superheroes that saved the world, but they were fiction, not reality. But even then, they still exemplified traits that a real-life hero would have, but that was years ago. Did he truly have an idea of what was meant to be a hero? "Truth be told, I have no idea of what it means to be a hero. I guess I decided to do it because it needed to be done. That's why I'm so stubborn. That's why I'm willing to go to extreme ends to meet my goals. I thought I had what it took to accomplish them, but I guess I was wrong."

"Incorrect."

"What?"

"My boy, you have the determination to succeed, but you need to change how you view your goals. You have the right idea, but you're tackling it with the wrong mindset. You say you have to do it, but you need to want to do it."

"Want to?"

"You lack the passion that's exemplified in heroism. People don't just save others because they have to, but because they have the passion and drive to do it themselves. That's their driving force, not some external entity forcing them to do it. Tell me, Mario, do you want to save them? Are you willing to show how much you want this for her people? Tell me!"

"Yes."

"Answer me with your might! Tell me just how much you want her people to be safe!"

"I'll do it! I do want this for her people!"

Cranky Kong laughed. "There you go! That's the spirit! That's the energy you need to show them. Never forget who you're doing this for. Now, I have made up my mind. You will have the chance to prove yourself. Beat my son in a duel, and we will lend you a hand against Bowser. If you lose, then that's it. I can no longer help you then. What's your decision?"

Mario glanced at Peach and Toad. They were a driving force behind his actions. He needed to prove to them how much he cared and that he wasn't doing it because it had to be done. He had to show them just how much of a hero he could be. "I'll do it."

"Excellent! The duel shall be held in the Great Ring of Kong. I expect great things from you, Mario. Don't disappoint." He walked away. Mario smiled with his newfound determination. He was gonna prove everyone of the hero he meant to be.

Thanks to AFWidget for favoriting and following this story!

Now we have reached the Jungle Kingdom and were introduced to Cranky Kong. Now, I will say I absolutely loved the voice acting for most of the characters in the movie, especially Jack Black. He was my favorite for good reason that could be described with one word: Peaches. Anyway, the only one character I didn't like as much was Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong. He didn't fully embrace most of his cranky side like in the Donkey Kong games and was cockier than anything, and for this story, I wanted to combine both of those personality traits for this story, and I hope I accomplished that goal. Anyway, you all probably know who's next, so I'll see you around.