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

Chapter 8: Test

Peach smiled as Mario stared in awe at the course standing before them. She wasn't surprised by his reaction. After all, he wasn't of this world, so seeing anything out of the ordinary like that was bound to shock someone every once in a while. But as strange as Mario was to be from another world, she actually trusted him. Why would she trust a stranger so quickly? Toadsworth and the others certainly didn't, especially with how much the war with the Darklands had taken a toll on her people, but perhaps the real reason might've been because he was human.

For all her life, she was the only human that lived in the Mushroom Kingdom. Heck, that was probably why Bowser loved her so much, but she would never go to great lengths just to confirm that. While growing up with her Toads made her happy as she was accepted into their family, she hadn't seen someone of her own species. Being the only human sometimes made her feel outcast to the world, but there was someone of her species here. For once, she didn't have to feel alone anymore. But he couldn't stay here forever. He had a place of his own and a brother he had to rescue. Case in point, this wasn't his home, and it would be selfish for Peach to wish to have him stay. It wouldn't be right. She just had to cherish the times they shared together, even if Mario wasn't gonna be here for a while. Just knowing she wasn't alone was enough to give her peace.

"Hello," Mario said. "You look a bit phased out."

She chuckled. "Forgive me. I was in my own world. So, what do you think?"

"What do I think? I had no idea you had a block as big as that hiding under water! Then it just broke apart and made that course?! That's just crazy!"

"No surprise there. Well, you have to complete this obstacle course and reach the flagpole to join me on my quest."

"OK." He took a deep breath. "Let's-a go." He was about to run when Peach grabbed his hand.

"Woah! Hang on there, grasshopper! There are some things you need to know before you can tackle the course." She jumped in the air, hitting the Question Block as a mushroom fell into Mario's arms. "In order to successfully complete this course, you need the help of something called a Power-up."

Mario scrutinized the mushroom. "Power-up?"

"Yep." She grabbed one herself. "Like this." She ate one, her body growing in size as Mario's mouth went agape.

"Woah!"

"Power-ups grant us all kinds of unique abilities. This one in particular is called a Super Mushroom. It lets you grow in size and increases your power output. All you have to do is consume it and the Power-up's abilities are yours, unless you take a hit, then it's gone. Does it make sense?" Mario didn't respond as all he could do was gag. "Well? Aren't you gonna eat it?"

"Eat it? Are you kidding me?!"

"That's how you get their powers."

"I know that, but it's a freaking mushroom!"

"And your point is?"

"I hate mushrooms! I hate their taste, their smell, everything about them! No! I'm not eating it! I can complete the course without it!" He threw the mushroom away and took off at the course. Peach rolled her eyes. Looks like he was gonna have to learn the hard way. After jumping over some spikes, he tried jumping to the first block, but his height wasn't big enough as he collapsed through some bricks into the ocean below before popping onto the balcony, coughing.

"Are you sure you wanna try the Power-up now?"

"No! I-" Toadsworth whacked him with his cane. "Ow! The heck was that for?!"

"Learn to show some respect and dignity!" the Toad hissed. "Princess Peach is trying to help you, and all you're doing is refusing said help because of the distaste of mushrooms! Utterly pathetic! How about you put your distaste aside and start taking her teachings seriously!" Peach couldn't help but chuckle. Toadsworth was always the cranky one with the quickness of the draw to defend her whenever people either did something he didn't like or anything regarding Peach. He was always her defender, whether to uphold her respect or protect her at all costs. He normally didn't like strangers, but sometimes, he had his own way of showing how he cared to others, even if his methods were brash. "Tell me something. Are you really gonna be this stubborn not to set it aside, not even for the sake of your brother?"

"That's not what-"

"Answer the question!"

Mario sighed. "No."

"Then drop the act. You made two promises: to rescue your brother and stop Bowser. You need to drop the act and start taking things seriously. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Toadsworth. You may leave. I can take it from here." The Toad grumbled and left. "You must forgive Toadsworth. That's how he's always been, even to me."

"But aren't you the princess?"

"You really think that's gonna make me exempt from his rantings? It may not show it, but he does that because he cares. That's why he's so paranoid about my safety. And he cares for you, too. Try not to take what he said too personally but do understand what he says."

"I'm sorry. I guess I just hate it because of my family. Everyone thinks down of me and can't trust me to make my own decisions. I guess that's why I hate my heritage, as horrible as that sounds."

"Look at me." He did. "Focus on the family that matters. Focus on your brother and nothing else." He nodded, staring at the mushroom before eating it, gouging as he struggled to get it down his throat, but as he did, he glanced at his body, which started to elongate, starting with his hands, then his feet before his whole body enlarged.

"Woah! This is so cool!"

"Try hitting the brick over there." He nodded, running as he punched the brick with his might, destroying it instantly. "Cool, huh?"

"Totally! Sorry for being stubborn."

"It's OK. You had your reasons. Truth be told, if you were gonna refuse again, I was gonna shove it down your throat, anyway. Now, watch and learn, grasshopper." She ran through the obstacle course, wall jumping from brick to brick as she hopped from one obstacle over another, jumping over the munching Piranha Plants with ease. She had done this course a thousand times. When Bowser first started appearing, she knew that she needed to train somehow in order to face him, so she managed to stumble upon the Question Block and actually built the obstacle course herself, using different bricks to build everyday obstacles from the world. It was a feat two months in the making, but she was proud of the result. She used it once every week, adding in something new every now and then to keep things fresh. Sometimes, the results of the training were mixed and even with all the help of the Power-ups, it still wasn't enough to stop Bowser.

But she wasn't gonna stop, especially not when he managed to get hold of the Super Star, the mystical artifact of the Snow Kingdom. There were such powerful artifacts that helped protect the people of the kingdoms, most likely granted by the Star Spirits themselves, a couple examples being the Star Rod and the Beanstar among others. The Super Star held a similar role, and now that Bowser took hold of it, it was only a matter of time before he struck her kingdom, so she had to join forces with the Jungle Kingdom, even though their relationship wasn't the best. And with Mario's tenacity, that made her goal even closer to complete. All he had to do was to prove he had the physical capability to stand against the Koopa.

She completed the obstacle course with a twirl around the flagpole as she floated to the ground using her dress, another technique that took her years to perfect. "Well, seems pretty simple, right?"

"Maybe to you. It probably took you years to perfect this."

"That is true. It took me a while to get the hang of things, but once I did, training became a breeze."

"And you expect me to complete this in a much shorter time span."

"Well, yes. We know that Bowser will attack us very soon, so you practically have all day today and till noon tomorrow to complete this course, otherwise you aren't coming with me. Simple as that."

He growled. "Then I guess I'd better get started." And so began the slew of failed attempts from the plumber, one after another, making the princess cringe as he fumbled every time having to plop on the balcony floor with a growl on his face as he grabbed another mushroom, not even examining what he did wrong and just winging it. It was most likely that he was learning on the fly, experimenting with a lot of different options of traversal because the course wasn't designed with one specific path. He could pretty much spend the next hour just trying to find the best path forward, and all Peach could do was stand there as the man barely caught his breath between trials. It took Toadsworth and a couple guards to finally stop the man before he threw up over the balcony, his face pale from all the mushrooms he forced down his throat.

Nighttime had finally come as Mario and Peach sat down for dinner, the plumber's mind clearly on the obstacle course as he talked out loud his plans. Peach smiled. Even if he wasn't physically training, he was still planning for the future. He was so determined that he could keep going through the night if he wanted to, which Toadsworth was quick to interject. That man showed more tenacity than she did during certain parts of her life. He didn't know when to quit, and that was a kind of quality that could prove most useful against Bowser.

"That man never knows when to quit," Toadsworth grumbled. "I swear if I didn't stop him, he was gonna get himself killed."

"Well, what can I say? He's not cut from the same cloth as other humans. He's built differently. That's what I think of him at first glance."

"Yet I see how you look at him."

"What's wrong with the way I look at him?"

"There's no need to deny it. You had that look when he came here. You've started developing feelings for him." Peach blinked in surprise. "You're drawn to him solely because he is the first of your kind that you've seen."

"Feelings? What are you talking about? I'm just glad that I've finally seen some of my actual kind. Are you suggesting that I'm actually in love with him?"

"Take it as you will. Just remember to focus on the mission. We must try again to win Cranky Kong's favor. Never let any feelings for that man distract you from what's truly important. That's all I have to say." He ate his meal in silence. Feelings? Where did Toadsworth get that idea from? She wasn't in love with him. She was glad that she finally met someone of her kind for the first time in her life. That didn't mean she was in love with him. Toadsworth was just taking things out of context. Well, tomorrow, she was gonna head out to the Jungle Kingdom with her transportation already set. The only thing that mattered now was whether Mario was gonna join her or not.

Morning came quickly as Peach got out of her bed with a stretch of her arms. She had gone to bed early to be ready to take off for the Jungle Kingdom by noon. She quickly got dressed after a shower before Toadsworth approached her. "Morning."

"Good morning, princess. I take it that things are ready for your departure."

"Yep. The only thing left is to see whether Mario will join us or not."

"Speaking of which, you know what time that man got up? Dawn. Freaking dawn! Sure, he might've gone to bed earlier last night, but that man just doesn't know when to quit! He's been practicing for the past three hours and hasn't even had breakfast!"

"Well, has he made any progress?"

"Heck if I know. All I know is that he's been doing nothing but making a racket. He woke me up twice, and I have sensitive ears for an old Toad."

"Well, we're gonna need that kind of strength if we're gonna win against Bowser. Just be glad that he's on our side." Toadsworth huffed but didn't say anything else. She walked to the balcony where low and behold, Mario collapsed to the ground, coughing.

"Geez, that landing was tougher than I thought."

"Mario."

He jumped at his name. "Princess! I didn't see you there."

"I just got up. Toadsworth told me you got up early this morning."

"Yeah, and he's been nothing but a pain in my butt for it."

"Because I was trying to sleep! Besides, you need to rest! You've been pushing yourself beyond your limit, barely having any sort of rest! You're only worsening yourself!"

"Toadsworth's right," Peach said. "I know you're doing this for your brother, but you can't keep pushing yourself like this. You can't. It's not healthy and we need you at your best."

"I know, but-" The plumber sighed. "I just couldn't stop thinking about him. We've never been apart this long. I just can't leave him behind. And I've been so close. So freaking close so many times to complete this dumb obstacle course, but it's always something that messes me up!" He kicked the ground in frustration. "All my life, people looked down upon my brother and I. My dad can't trust me with my own decisions. My former boss made my life a living hell. I couldn't tell you the number of times I fended off bullies of all sorts for my bro. I took blow after blow for his sake, and now I can't complete a stupid obstacle course just for this one chance to save him and this world." He sighed.

"Mario, look at me." He glanced at Toadsworth. "Your love for your brother is admirable. I can see the love you have for him every time you take this course. But if you keep rushing yourself, thinking things will change at every attempt, well, at that point, you're nothing but a fool. Being reckless will not save your brother. Understand?"

"But I don't even know if he's here!"

"Well, that may be a valid point, but why do you think you came here in the first place if you didn't think that he wasn't in this world?"

"What?"

"Think about it. You could've looked around for a bit, determined he's not here, and left right where you came in. The only reason you're even in this world is because you still believe he's here somewhere. That's why you won't quit. That's why you're so stubborn. It's because you truly believe that he's here. I may not know a whole lot of the other worlds, but a: don't claim against something you believe, and b: learn to rest. Remember what happened last night? It took three guards to get you away from the course. I believe that your brother's still alive. That's all the assurance that you need right now." The plumber's expression softened.

"Tell me his name."

He glanced at Peach. "It's Luigi."

She smiled. "Luigi. Such a beautiful name. We will rescue him. You're not alone. At this point, I think you proved your worth just by your tenacity alone. You're coming with-"

"No," he said. "One more try." He glanced at the flagpole, just itching to be grabbed at the other end. "Let me do it one more time. I've got a good feeling about this run."

Peach smirked. "Very well. One more run." She hit the Question Block, the Super Mushroom landing in his hands as he gobbled it down immediately. "One quick question. Do you still hate mushrooms?"

He smirked. "Totally." With a mighty jump, he soared over the metal spikes as he rolled to stabilize himself before jumping across a couple bricks as he stared at a metal Piranha Plant, biting at him with its gaping teeth. He waited until it emerged into its pipe, making a run for it as he jumped over the remaining ones before coming across the fireballs, one of the bigger obstacles the plumber faced against. He ground-pounded, falling to the lower level as he ran, smashing through the bricks that got in his way before building up momentum, smashing through the Bowser cutout with a yell.

"Peach." She glanced at Toadsworth. "Look." He pointed to the numerous Toads who stared at him in awe as he raced along the Donut Blocks, being careful not to slip off as the platforms fell one after another. As he made his way towards the Bullet Bills charging at him, the Toads started cheering as he hopped from one to another with such grace before making his way to the flagpole, sliding down as he rolled to finish.

"I did it. I actually did it!" He cheered as he gazed at the crowd, laughing with glee from his accomplishment many hours in the making. Peach was really impressed. He actually completed it, and it took less time than when she first started. Not only that, he also managed to grab the attention of her Toads as they cheered his name in applause. He truly had what it took to stop Bowser. Mario made his way to her. "Did you see that?! I actually did it! I can't believe it!"

"I must say, you were quite amazing, Master Mario. I must apologize for doubting you. You do have what it takes to save our kingdom yet." Toadsworth bowed to him. "You have my immense thanks and gratitude."

"Well," Mario said, "It was actually because of you two. You helped me when I was getting frustrated and when I ran that course, I kept thinking of my brother, of how I'm gonna save him from Bowser. But you called me Master? What does that entail?"

"As a sign of trust and honor. Not many get to be called Master by me. You have proved your worth, and as such, are worthy to be esteemed with such a grand title as Master. Don't take it for granted."

"I thank you, Sir Toadsworth. You know, this whole world has been nothing but kind to me since I first arrived. Sometimes, I hated parts of my old world, but you treated me like one of your own, even when I had to prove myself. Thank you all so much."

Toadsworth chuckled. "Well, you've earned said praise. Now, get some breakfast, you stubborn man! Peach plans on leaving by noon! Get moving now!"

"OK, OK!" The two went inside as Peach stared at him once more. Perhaps she might open up to him after all.

High in the sky stood a blue shelled figure as it peaked its eyes at the princess. "Finally," it said. "I have all the information I need. I must report to Bowser at once." It flew away in a flash.

Thanks to Geek-Mytho, breath20k, and mugiwara-cristal for favoriting and/or following this story!

Now, let me explain why I changed the functionality of the Super Star. As you all know, the Super Star grants invincibility to those who use it. Duh. But what spoke out to me was that there seemed to be just one in this universe compared to the games. Then again, these two don't share the same continuity for other reasons I'll get to later in a different chapter, but you all probably know what I'm talking about. Given this movie is set in a different continuity, considering it completely bypasses the Yoshi's Island games and Partners in Time, I decided to change the functionality of it based on a narrative perspective and to raise the stakes. Having the Super Star retain its same function as in the games seemed boring to me, and I'm already working with a bare-bones plot as is, so changing the functionality will hopefully give a fresh perspective on a plot that we've seen hundreds of times. It also raises the stakes by doubling Bowser's threat level, and he's already menacing enough, but who doesn't love a story with higher tension?

Now, ramble aside, I'll go into more detail of the specifics of the Super Star in a later chapter. See you all next time!