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

Chapter 7: Worth

Luigi stayed silent as he gazed at the bubbling lava below. He had already caved into the heat, not even bothering to say anything about his parched throat with the fear of retaliation from them, including that turtle, of whom he already forgot his name. He could hear the mask creatures staring ominously as the plumber could hear their feeble whispers.

"Who do you think he is?"

"No idea. He doesn't seem to be from here. But he's very quiet, not even wanting to glance at us. He probably might think we're gonna skewer him if he does." The two snickered.

"That's enough," a gruff voice hissed.

"Koopa General!"

"I thought I taught you two not to babble in front of our prisoners. For the Darklands's sake, show some dignity. Now, go make yourselves busy by refueling the coal in the burners. Go!" The two scurried away. The Koopa General sighed as he turned to Luigi. "You must forgive my men. Clearly they haven't learned a thing about respect, even to those beneath them. They will be disciplined accordingly." Luigi stayed silent. It didn't help that he found every organism he met intimidating. Well, that fear was always a part of him because he never knew how someone might react if he did something they didn't like. "Well, aren't you gonna say thank you? I did get them off your case. At least show some common courtesy."

"T-Thank you, Mr. Koopa General, sir."

"Just Koopa General. No need to be fancy with title names. Also, learn to relax. I didn't come to bite you. Your nerves are driving me crazy."

"Sorry, sir. I mean Koopa G-General."

The turtle sighed. "I've never met someone as jittery as you. I mean, it doesn't hurt to take a deep breath every now and then."

"You aren't here to hurt me?"

"If I wanted to, then I would've already. I just want a civilized conversation. Chatting with my soldiers has become quite boresome. This is a nice change of pace. Besides, we're still far away from Bowser's Castle, so a nice conversation can pass the time."

"But, sir-" The Koopa General raised his eyebrow. "Koopa General, I just want to find my brother and go home! Please! I… I'm just so scared and I don't know where I am, so please let me go!"

"And tell me something. Where would you go? According to you, this is an unfamiliar land. Where would you go if I let you leave?"

"Maybe back to the pipe, I guess?"

"OK, then what?" Luigi stayed silent. "As I thought. You haven't thought things through. The second I let you leave, you would become a lost Koopa Troopa without his shell. Do you even know where your brother is?"

"No."

"Then what's the point? You have nowhere to go without getting lost, so no. I won't let you go, not out of the goodness of my heart, but because you're a problem that needs to be resolved. Hence why I'm taking you to see Lord Bowser, so he can decide what to do with you."

"He won't kill me, right?"

"Not if you stay on his good side. Perhaps you might have a chance, but Lord Bowser has constant mood swings. You never know how he might feel during a certain moment, so he might decide to kill you just because he's in a bad mood. He's that kind of guy." Luigi gulped. That didn't give him any kind of reassurance. Not only was he clueless as to where he was, but he had no plan on how to get out of this situation. Being lost and scared weren't a good combination. But what else could he do? Pray for Mario to come like he always did? Let his negative thoughts consume him on how worthless he was? He scoffed. What better thing could he do? Nothing but being someone else's burden. He hated it. He stomped his foot. Why did he have to be like this?! "Tell me where you're from." He glanced at the Koopa General. "What? Just wanting to create conversation."

"Please, just leave me alone."

"I think not. Understand that I'm not acting oblivious to your anger and feelings alike. It's written all over your face. You're just going through the motions, but I want to chat about something, and you just happen to be front-and-center, so talk. Try to think of it as a distraction of sorts to help you to actually talk some instead of crying."

"But I just want to be left alone!"

"But aren't you curious about where you are? Not even in the slightest? Also, have you ever thought that this brother of yours couldn't be in this same world?"

"No."

"That's my point. Satisfy my curiosity, and perhaps I might give you the information you need to find this brother of yours."

"But what's the point? Your king probably wants me dead, anyway."

"You'll be surprised to find out that he has a bit of a soft spot."

"Really?"

The Koopa General smirked. "Now you're interested?" Luigi sighed. Focusing on where he was could prove to be useful, but he didn't know the right balance of information he could give that could put Mario in danger. If he was in this world, then maybe having that information could do Luigi some good, but even if he did have that, what good would that do if he couldn't even escape? Well, one thing was for sure. He had to be the one to protect Mario. He did so much for Luigi over the years, and he deserved something in return, which was why Luigi couldn't give the Koopa General anything.

"With all due respect, sir, I can't share anything."

"Oh, no? You can't? And tell me. Why not? What's there to hide? Telling me where you're from seems pretty harmless given your circumstances."

"I can't."

"Can't, or won't?" Luigi shivered. "You're acting like you've got something to hide. This is about your brother, isn't it? That's why you won't give me any information, because you're being protective of him." Oh no. He read him like a book. Luigi was in for it now. "Your expression says it all. Well, I'm definitely glad I found you when I did, because if your brother is in this world, and if he has any kind of a chance encounter with the princess, then he's become a threat that needs to be exterminated. And look. We're almost there." He pointed to a gray castle in the distance. "I hope you're excited, because you're about to meet the King of the Koopas. Consider that an honor. Most people don't walk away alive upon interaction with him, and depending on how satisfactory your answers are, we're gonna see if you walk away a free man." The air balloon landed in front of the castle as the Koopa General shoved him off as the mask creatures followed behind with their spears. Luigi gulped at the ominous stone carving of a figure head with its mouth in a snarl as it bared its gaping and sharp teeth, causing him to wince on the inside. "A couple of housekeeping rules," the Koopa General said. "One, don't speak unless you're acknowledged to. Two, always bow before speaking and use eye contact at all times. And three and most important, address him by his full title: Lord Bowser, King of the Koopas. Nothing more. Nothing less. Understood?" Luigi nodded. "Give me a response!"

"Yes, Koopa G-General."

He smirked. "Back to your stammery self. Not surprising." The sound of rock music filled Luigi's ears. "I can tell they're still celebrating their victory over the Snow Kingdom. That's not surprising. Lord Bowser hard-earned that victory if I say so myself." As they entered the throne room, rock music blasted tenfold in Luigi's ears as he quickly covered them, sensitive from the loud noise and organisms' cheers. On the throne stood a giant, scaly, reptilian-like creature as he laughed precariously. "Stay here." The Koopa General flew to him. "Lord Bowser, I have returned, but bearing grave news."

"Quiet. I said quiet!" The rock music slowly faded away as the crowd stopped cheering. "I'm sorry. We were still celebrating our victory over the Snow Kingdom. What did you say?"

"I have returned, but bearing grave news."

What 'grave' news could you possibly have?" the turtle scoffed. "We just hit a major milestone towards our victory over the Mushroom Kingdom! We need to celebrate!"

"Shy Guys, bring him forward."

"'Him'?" Luigi was shoved forward by the Shy Guys as he stared at all the creatures staring ominously at him before his eyes lay on the turtle as he was shoved towards the ground. "What the? Who the heck is he and when did he have the right to disturb our party?! Koopa General, explain!"

"I was returning from another scouting mission when the Shy Guys spotted him inside one of our bases. I've tried interrogating him, but he made one thing clear: he's not of this world. Now as to where he actually comes from, that is still unclear. It's highly unlikely that he's a spy for Princess Peach, but he won't tell me where he's from or this brother he's trying to search for."

Bowser rubbed his temples. "Great. Just great! It's bad enough that I have to deal with a broken heart every time Peach rejects me, but now I have to deal with more factors?! Just utterly great!" He stepped off his throne as he walked to him. "I hope you're happy, whoever you are, because I'm now in a horrible mood because of you! I had a great plan set out, one that would surely swoon Peach's heart, but you just had to mess things up!"

"Um," Luigi said. "Sir, I can-"

"Silence! I did not ask for you to speak!" He quivered and silenced himself. "Now, I want information. You may have not gotten my general to speak, but you will to me. If you and anyone else affiliated causes a threat to my kingdom, then they will be incinerated. Mark my words. Now, let's start simple. What's your name?"

"Um, Luigi, sir."

"Address me by my full title!"

"Luigi, Lord Bowser, King of the Koopas!"

Bowser scratched his chin. "Interesting name. Now then, Llewellyn-"

"It's-a Luigi."

"I didn't ask, Lyle! Now you made me lose my track of thought!" He turned to a robed figure with spectacles. "What was I gonna ask him?"

"Where he's from, Your Shellness."

"Right! I swear I'm not that old and already, my memory's failing me." He turned to Luigi. "Forgive me, Louis. Now, back on track. Tell me where you and your brother are from."

"No offense, but what good does that do if I'm not from this world?"

Bowser snorted. "What good? Tell me something, L-" He paused. "Ugh, your name is so hard to remember. Can I call you Green Stache? I like that better." Luigi didn't bother protesting. "Tell me something, Green Stache. Where you're from, how valuable is knowledge? Is it the be all, end all in certain situations? Does it help you get through everyday life?"

"Y… Yes."

"Of course it does." He grabbed a star of some sort that was hanging above his throne. "That was why I was after this beautiful thing. Do you know what this is?"

"No, Lord Bowser."

"This is the Super Star. When thinking of ways to swoon over Peach, the next best thing I thought was blackmail. Knowing her for years, she's bound to leap into my arms just for the safety of her people, but I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. I will destroy her kingdom if I have to, which is why I have this discovered through basic research. You can imagine where I'm going with this, yes?" Luigi nodded. "Sure, your brother might not be in this world, but he could be, and I can't take any chances, which means you will spill the beans or else."

"Or else?"

"Oh! You want a demonstration of the consequences, don't you? I can definitely do that." He snapped his fingers at the robed figure, who made Luigi levitate as the plumber flew to Bowser. The turtle twirled Luigi's mustache with his claw. "Forget about where you're from. I'm more interested in this brother of yours. So tell me. What's he like to the women? Does he have any special powers? What does he look like?" Luigi stayed silent. He couldn't say anything, even if Mario wasn't here. He had to protect him at all costs. "Oh, being defiant, are we? Too bad I have to ruin your beautiful mustache. I'm sure you worked on it for weeks!" He yanked on it, causing Luigi to scream. "Answer my questions unless you want it ripped clean off!" Luigi continued to scream as his mustache began to come off, bit by bit. A couple minutes later, Bowser roared and threw Luigi across the ground. "Pathetic! I guess I have to get more physical!"

"Your Brashness, wait!"

"Kamek, not now! I need to get this information out of him!"

"There are other ways," Kamek said. "He's not speaking because he's being protective of him."

"That just proves his brother's a threat!"

"But there are other ways than making him talk. Send the Koopa General to find out that information."

"But we don't know anything about this guy! Not his appearance or even his name!"

"But I'm sure that won't be too hard," the Koopa General said. "Think of it this way. Siblings often look similar to each other. It's in their DNA, after all. Knowing that, we can assume that we have somewhat of an image of what he looks like. I can find out that information knowing that and any other plans they might have."

Bowser scratched his chin. "That is true. Very well. Head on out at once. Be back no less than two days or I will make my invasion to the Mushroom Kingdom without you. I can't wait too long for her to make any plans."

"Of course. For the Darklands!" He saluted and left.

Bowser chuckled as he turned to Luigi. "How about that? We might get information about your brother, anyway. You do look like Peach, and she's the only one of your kind that I know of, so this isn't like finding a needle in a haystack. Take him away at once!" The Shy Guys dragged him away as Bowser's laughter echoed. Hopefully, Mario would be OK in the end because all he could pray for was that Mario either knew of the danger or wasn't in this world after all because Luigi just put him in the line of fire with no way of knowing whether he was gonna make it out alive or not.

Mario hovered behind a corner of the castle as Toad ran inside the castle, making all sorts of noise to draw the guards out. Mario didn't know how long he tormented these guards of their jobs, but he was glad to be able to help him overcome a long-term problem. Using humor to mask his own feelings only escalated the problem, so in the end, seeing Toad be genuinely happy instead of hiding was one of the best feelings Mario felt in a long time. He actually called him a hero, which gave him a rush of dopamine and excitement more than being a plumber ever did. He couldn't drop the smile he had on his face when Toad ran away, briefly flashing a cheeky smile with the guards on his tail. Well, he bought Mario some time. All he needed to do was make it to the princess. Toad had given him some brief instructions on where the throne room was before shoving him into a corner then rushing inside. Two lefts and straight. Sounded pretty simple. Hopefully all the guards were gone.

After following the basic directions, he stared at the massive pink, granite throne doors standing before him. This place was surely something to behold. He could vaguely hear the sounds of voices from inside, including an elderly, gruff voice and a female one Mario assumed to be the princess. He began to approach the door.

"Hey!" Mario jumped at the voice. A lone Guard Toad glared at him. "How did you get in here? Did the princess summon you or did you come in here uninvited?"

"Um, the latter."

"Then you aren't allowed in here! Only ones with summons or invitations can enter for security purposes!"

"But I just need to see the princess! Just let her hear me out and then I'll leave!"

The Guard Toad snorted. "As if." He grabbed the plumber's hand and barged through the doors as he threw Mario across the ground. Rubbing his head, he stared at all the numerous Toads staring at him in disbelief. Mario laid his eyes on the princess as he ran to her. The Guard Toads in the room responded with a couple tackles, pinning him to the ground.

"Princess!"

"Who the heck is he?!" said an elderly, tan Toad with brown spots. "Guards, explain who this ruffian is at once!"

"We found him near the throne doors," one said. "He came in unannounced with no summons or invitation. He claims he needed to see the princess, but I think that's a load of baloney. He could be a spy of Bowser for all we know!"

"I'm not! I just need her help to find my brother and I also want to help take down Bowser! Please listen to me!"

The elderly Toad huffed. "I think not. Why should we trust you when we had hundreds of others claiming the same thing? We've heard this story hundreds of times, and with our conflict with the Darklands at an all-time high, we can't afford to have any distractions. Take him away at once!"

"Wait." All eyes turned to the princess as she stood up from her throne.

"Princess, you must trust my word! We can't trust him! Too many times have organisms of all kinds claimed they needed you when they were allies of Bowser's! He needs to leave at once!"

"I'm not doubting your word, Toadsworth. We have had numerous invasions of the castle itself from individuals, but don't you all see? Look at him a bit closer and tell me if this one is different or the same." Many Toads scratched their heads, including Mario if his hands weren't pinned. He wasn't like the rest? How? According to the Toad named Toadsworth, apparently, he did what many did before only for them to be enemies. They were right to be suspicious, but how was he different? The Toads made numerous glances at him, but also yielded the same results.

"We don't understand, princess."

"Understandable. Perhaps a closer comparison is in order." She walked to him as she snapped her fingers, the guards releasing Mario as he stood up. "Forgive them for their abruptness," she said. "They were just doing their duty. But surely you understand what I'm alluding to, right, human?"

Something about the way she said that last word jolted Mario's mind. She was human. Why was that important? Perhaps that was what stood him apart from the rest, because he was human, and then he could assume that humans weren't a common species. That was the answer. "Because we're humans."

She smirked. "You're smarter than you seem. Look closely, my Toads! What do we have in common? Do we look similar? Because we do. We are the only humans in this world. Have you ever seen a human spy before? No, because before him, I was the only human in this world. That should set the record straight."

That managed to change the hostile expressions of the Toads as they glanced at each other. "Perhaps you might be right," Toadsworth said. "But we still don't know if he might have any ulterior motives!"

"That I can agree on. Listen, human. If you can answer my questions honestly and thoroughly, then based on your answers, you will be one step closer to your goals which we will bring to light." She circled around him. "So, tell me, human. What is your name?"

"Mario."

"Where are you from?"

"Brooklyn, New York."

"And where is this Brooklyn?"

"In a different world."

She nodded. "Interesting. Why did you come here?" Mario told her the whole story of what happened with him and Luigi that caused the two to be separated. "Interesting," she said when he finished. "So, you stumbled upon this world and want to find your long-lost brother, correct?"

"Yes, but there's more. Upon arriving, I met someone named Toad who told me of what happened to his parents. They were killed while you were trying to flee from Bowser's forces, and that got me thinking. This Bowser has caused more damage to this kingdom than I thought, so I want to help you defeat Bowser and bring peace to this world." That caused a bigger reaction from the Toads. "And I know that might sound strange for someone you barely know, and I do want to find my brother, but I can't just leave this place the way it is. Let me help you."

The princess was silent for a moment. "Bold words, human. I like your guts. But tell me. Do you truly understand who you would be facing if you were true to your words? Do you have any idea what you would be going up against?" Mario was silent. Sure, he heard some stories of how ferocious Bowser was, but he had never seen him up close. Heck, he had no idea what he looked like. She was right to bring up the many unknowns he was going against. But his heart told him to do it, no matter how many times his mind protested. Sure, he was athletic and he probably wasn't as strong as Bowser was, but he didn't care. This had to be done no matter what. People like Toad have been suffering for too long, and Mario wasn't gonna let that slide for one more moment. He didn't care how hard he would have to train. He vowed to stop Bowser, and he intended to not back down from that. "I understand the danger involved, but my heart won't let go of this. Let me prove to you how much of an asset I can be. That's all I ask."

"Very well. Follow me." Mario didn't say anything and followed her regardless. Oddly enough, he already knew she trusted him, but wanted to show that to her people.

"Princess, what are you doing?"

"One thing stands out to me: he has heart. He isn't afraid of the unknown, and I can see the determination in his eyes. He wants to help us, but he has to prove his worth. Once he does that, then he can join me." Toadsworth didn't say anything else, but his words said everything with a disapproving glance at Mario. He sighed. He was gonna be the hardest to win over. They went towards the balcony as many Toads gathered in front of the castle, their cheers filling the chill, day sky. "Attention, my Toads! For over a decade, we've been at war with the Darklands. In the beginning, things were simple, but things have progressed to a point where Bowser invaded the Snow Kingdom and nabbed the Super Star!" The Toads' frightful screams filled the crowd. "But worry not, for I have a plan! I know we don't have the numbers for an invasion at Bowser's Castle, but I will travel to the nearby Jungle Kingdom and convince King Cranky Kong to join our forces, and together we will-"

"Who the heck is he?!" shouted a Toad as he pointed at Mario. The others noticed him as they glanced and murmured at each other as the plumber heard their whispers.

"Who the heck is he?"

"Maybe he's a spy for Bowser!"

"We're all in danger!"

"My Toads!" the princess shouted. "I know this man's appearance scares you, but also worry not! He does not come here out of ill will. His interests are in fact in line with ours! He will state his goals himself!"

"What?" Mario said, in disbelief as she put him on the spot.

"This is the first part of gaining their trust. To them, you're a stranger. Prove to them why they should trust you with your words. Annunciate the confidence through your voice! Let your words ring loud and clear!" Mario smirked. She did have a way with words. Well, she was their princess. She needed to have that ability to ease her subjects' minds. He had to do the same, though he wasn't much of a public speaker. He stepped forward, making himself more visible to those in the back.

He took a deep breath. "Hello. You all may not know me, but I'm Mario. I'm actually not from here, so it's actually weird for me, a stranger, to speak in front of you all." His nerves tingled a bit as he stared at all the disproving looks of the Toads. He glanced at the princess, who gave him a reassuring smile as she coaxed him to continue speaking. He took another deep breath. "Truth be told, my original goal was to just find my brother. We accidentally stumbled upon this world, but we ended up separated, and now I'm worried for him. I don't even know if he's here, but hearing other stories of how Bowser destroyed other's lives just to get to your princess spoke out to me. A personal friend of mine told me of how his parents died to his forces, and it's safe to assume that some of you all went through the same thing. Some of you probably lost loved ones, and I'm scared to death if my brother is trapped in Bowser's kingdom, which is why I can't leave until I've stopped him. Let me prove to you my worth. Let me put my words into action! Let me be the one to help end this war with Bowser once and for all!" There was silence across the crowd as no one said anything. Sure, some might've changed their glances, but they were still unconvinced.

"Woohoo!" The Toads glanced around at the sound of the voice. Mario smiled, knowing exactly who that was as Toad jumped in the air, throwing his backpack in the air. "Go, Mario!" He started chanting his name to which his fellow organisms followed one-by-one, chanting his name until it enveloped the entire crowd, making the plumber shed a tear.

"I'm assuming that's your personal friend," the princess said. He nodded. "Well, he has become quite the prankster, but he helped win the crowd into your favor. Impressive." Mario slightly blushed at the comment as she turned to the crowd. "My Toads! Mario has spoken, and you all have interest in him. Now's the time to solidify that interest into trust!" The balcony started moving forward, catching Mario off guard until they stopped in front of a massive body of water. At the princess's signal, a huge question block of sorts started to rise out of the water as the crowd of Toads followed them. The block expanded as it broke apart, putting together what looked to be some sort of training exercise filled with all sorts of obstacles like gaping metal plants and fireballs that spun in the air. The whole thing made Mario gasp in awe. She had a whole block hiding underneath the water like that? How could this world get any more wackier? "Here's the requirement. If you complete this course and make it to the flagpole at the end, you're coming with me." Mario gulped. This became a lot harder than he thought.

And here we have Peach. One thing I'm glad they did was switch up the roles for Peach and Luigi. Actually, the directors did that to avoid redundancy in its storytelling, which the Mario games are known for, but they're designed around gameplay to begin with, not story, but I digress. Also, we have Toadsworth! It's a shame Nintendo practically abandoned this character. He's such a great character, and yet he got replaced by some dumb copycat, which makes no sense. Bring him back, Nintendo!

Anyway, thanks to Pickles and Cats, OldGlory, ShaggyBoi23, and Sonic Thunder Saiyan Turtle. for fravoriting, following, and/or commenting this story!