All right, fellow readers. This is the 79th chapter of this story!
Now, there 'really' isn't much to say here, other than the fact that we're starting to reach the climax of this entire story.
This chapter, in particular, will pick up from where the previous chapter left off, with Grodus getting up and revealing Princess Peach to Andrew and his friends. From there, Grodus will make a threat regarding Peach, and he'll attack Andrew and his friends with a Thunder attack as their guard is down.
Additionally, before Grodus can kill the heroes and Peach, a certain Koopa King drops in unannounced right on top of Grodus and is accompanied by his elderly Magikoopa advisor.
And of course, Andrew and his friends will have to fight Bowser and Kammy Koopa, while Grodus uses this as the perfect diversion to make off with Peach through that secret passenger way behind the throne chair before the real horror unfolds itself onto the world.
Several other stuff will occur too. How will things go for Andrew and his friends? Read and find out now, readers!
IN THE THRONE ROOM - WITHIN THE PALACE OF SHADOW:
It didn't take long for Sir Grodus to be back on his feet, even after the brutal beatdown he endured at the hands of Andrew and his seven friends. Yet, despite this, he still had enough energy to stand up.
It was likely his ambitions for world domination that gave him the encouragement to stand back up. Still, he decided to play it wise to not battle Andrew and his friends again, since he needed that energy to unleash the dark and ultimate evil onto the world.
Andrew remained in a fighting position, along with his friends, just in case he'd try something with them. They remained quiet as Grodus started speaking to them again.
"Uuuuuuuunhh..." Grodus moaned, getting a hold of his breath. "You are more than you seem..."
"Well what did you expect from someone who was able to collect the seven Crystal Stars, not to mention lay the beatdown on the Shadow Sirens, Lord Crump, and your X-Naut soldiers," Andrew told him dryly. "I told you that you shouldn't underestimate us, and now your left lens is broken, your dome head has a massive crack on it, and your scepter also has a crack on it."
"Your wisecracks do not dissuade me in the slightest, fool," Grodus shook his head and then told him coldly. "This is not finished. I saw even this possibility."
All eight of them had to raise their eyebrows at this. Just what was it that he was trying to say to them? And just what is he planning now? Their tone of voice pretty much said it all.
"Huh?" Goombella raised an eyebrow as she gave him a suspicious look.
"What?" Koops tilted his head sideways as he wondered what he was talking about.
"Excuse me?" Flurrie huffed and crossed her arms, not having the faintest idea as to what he was saying.
"Whuh?" Yoshiam gave him a bewildered look as he scratched his head in confusion.
"Hmm?" Vivian frowned, feeling like Grodus was planning something against them.
"Pardon?" Bobbery felt his mustache twitch and his admiral's cap tilted to the side slightly upon wondering what he meant by that.
"Mm?" Ms. Mowz felt her tail twitch as she crossed her arms and squinted at Sir Grodus.
"What kind of nonsense are you giving us now, Grodus?" Andrew queried while raising an eyebrow and giving him a suspicious look.
"Watch THIS!" Sir Grodus turned around and waved his scepter around towards a spot not far from the throne chair.
Before Andrew could even ask about that, he managed to reveal someone who was in hiding all along in the throne room, or at least was there since Grodus came here before the heroes did.
The person that he revealed with the power of his scepter was none other, than Princess Peach. She was sprawled out on the floor, as the instant sleep potion that she was given earlier had finally worn off, she slowly got up and wiped her eyes.
Immediately after she stood up, a green circular shield was summoned around her to prevent her from getting away from Grodus's clutches.
"...Where am I?" Princess Peach yawned before looking around her surroundings to see where she was since it looked so unfamiliar.
It was then she stopped looking around when she saw Andrew a few feet away from her, along with his seven diverse friends.
She had quickly figured out who he was, and that he was the one who had the map and collected the Crystal Stars to rescue her. After letting out a quick gasp, she then decided to respond to his presence.
"What... Is... Is that..." Princess Peach then yelled. "ANDREW!?"
Andrew was already startled by the princess's sudden appearance that he couldn't have any coherent thoughts come up. As soon as Peach yelled his name, he was brought out of his dazed funk long enough to comment.
"Wait, that's...that's the princess?!" Andrew wiped his eyes.
"Princess Peach?!" All seven of his friends yelled in unison, also surprised by how she appeared like that.
"Yes! That is Princess Peach!" Andrew said, still in a state of shock. "I recognize her from anywhere. And Grodus must've had her in hiding all along!"
"Totally," Goombella gulped. "What does Grodus plan to do to her?"
She got her answer when Grodus cleared his throat again to get their attention. He then made a cold, callous, and ominous threat regarding Princess Peach.
"Move one step, and she will breathe no more!" Grodus howled darkly, not even wasting a breath when he said that.
Instantly, all eight heroes glared venomously at Grodus. It didn't take a genius to know that he was planning to kill her if they tried to interfere. Andrew went as far as busting out his Ultra Bat again, with the plan of bashing his head in if he tried to even harm the Mushroom Kingdom Princess.
"You wouldn't!" Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, Vivian, Bobbery, and Ms. Mowz growled simultaneously at him, as Andrew felt steam escape from his ears in a fit of anger.
"You know, you're just making the desire for me to bash in that dome head of yours even further all the 'MORE' STRONGER, YOU INSOLENT AND HORRIBLE LOWLIFE!" Andrew bellowed angrily, not even afraid of raising his voice at him.
"Your threats do not faze me in the slightest, fool," Grodus said calmly but coldly before he raised his scepter. "Now try THIS!"
In a matter of seconds, he pointed his scepter at the heroes, launching a Thunder attack on all eight of them with their guard down.
All eight of them were struck by it, feeling some rather undeniable pain from the Thunder attack. All eight of them fell over in pain as soon as Grodus was done, all while Peach could only watch in horror at what Grodus was doing to Andrew and his friends.
"ANDREEEW!" Princess Peach yelled in horror upon seeing this strange but kind strong man being electrocuted by Grodus, along with his friends.
"Gaaack ack ack ack ack!" Grodus, by contrast, was taking great pleasure in seeing Andrew and his friends suffer from his unexpected attack. "Now! AGAIN!"
As soon as the eight heroes got up, Grodus pointed his staff at them and summoned another Thunder attack. Just like before, the eight heroes were struck head-on, falling over in even more pain and agony upon what Grodus just did to them.
Princess Peach could only watch the terror being unleashed on Andrew and his group. She was powerless to try to help them. But she felt sorry.
This young stranger was just trying to do the right thing by rescuing her and escorting her back to the Mushroom Kingdom where she belongs. And even with Grodus's persistence, Andrew is not willing to give up until he rescues her and brings her back home.
Nonetheless, she could only cry in fretting about Andrew's well-being from inside the shield that she was trapped in.
"NO!" Peach cried. "ANDREW!"
As Grodus was pondering to attack them again, Andrew and his friends looked rather badly beaten and worn out from what Grodus did to them, as they stood up. Still, they had to make the right move and choose it wisely. Otherwise, it will be game over not just for Princess Peach. It'll also be game over for Andrew, and all seven of his friends.
"Guys? I didn't think Grodus could do something like that," Andrew panted, feeling a cough come out. "What should we do?"
"I was hoping you'd know, Andrew," Goombella murmured weakly. "We're 'totally' done for if we don't attack him..."
"I mean, we're finished if we don't attack him..." Koops wheezed as he tried clearing his throat.
"I daresay we're done for if we don't attack him..." Flurrie panted weakly as she got a hold of her say.
"We're toast if we don't attack him..." Yoshiam moaned as he felt his head spinning in circles from what Grodus had just done to them.
"We won't make it if we don't attack him..." Vivian coughed but remained protective of Andrew and his well-being despite her condition.
"We're doomed if we don't attack him..." Bobbery hacked as he sighed tiredly.
"I don't like our chances if we don't attack him..." Ms. Mowz uttered as she was also worn out from what just happened to them.
Andrew realized that he and his friends only had one option. They had to attack him. They were barely hanging on with themselves as it was. So they would have to make this one count and stop Grodus from killing Princess Peach, provided that he wasn't bluffing when he made that threat.
"I say we attack him," Andrew growled, gripping his Ultra Bat and getting ready to strike Grodus on the head. "We'll have to give it our best shot!"
"WORM! You dare defy me?!" Grodus howled furiously before viciously pointing his scepter towards the helpless princess. "Do you not care for the life of your pitiful Princess?"
"We do. But we're not gonna let you get away with killing us too," Andrew seethed, as he felt another cough escape his lips. "We're gonna stop you no matter what!"
"Very well, then... This is it!" Grodus was planning on going through with his plan. "All eight of you fools, and Princess Peach, meet your end!"
Grodus then started to swirl his scepter to strike a powerful Thunder that would kill Princess Peach and the eight heroes. All while Andrew was getting ready to attack him as he stomped over, Ultra Bat readied, and he would bash his head in endlessly in a no-hold-barred beatdown, with whatever energy he had left. And his friends were gonna aid him.
However, before anything could happen, a strong rumble was coming from the ceiling up above, getting Andrew and his friends to stop moving, and Grodus to lower his scepter. Grodus then looked in all directions in confusion as to what that rumbling was.
"Wha-WHAT?!" Grodus yelled as some sand dropped down from right above him.
"What's going on?" Andrew looked confused by this along with his friends.
"GWAAAAAAAR!" A rather familiar voice was heard bellowing up above right over where Grodus was standing.
"Oh no," Andrew uttered under his breath. "That can't be who I think it is right now..."
Then all of a sudden, the ceiling above Grodus crumbled. All the debris from the ceiling above fell on top of Grodus, along with a rather familiar-looking foe, who landed right on top of the X-Naut leader and was in a daze. The person was revealed to be the Koopa King himself, and the heroes were shocked by his sudden appearance.
"Oooooooooooooooooooooooooog..." Bowser had moaned in agony, as Peach got a good look at him and recognized him instantly.
"Bowser!" Princess Peach yelled, startled by the fact that the person who's been kidnapping her for years could just drop in uninvited at a time like this.
"Oh for crying out loud! Not him again!" Andrew griped as he then added sarcastically. "That's just what we need right now."
"Urrrgh..." Bowser was still in a daze to the point where he didn't hear the sarcastic comment Andrew made. "That was a surprise... I didn't think I'd fall... Have I put on weight?"
"Your Chunkiness!" Another voice was heard that belonged to an elderly Magikoopa. "Are you OK?"
Then coming down from the hole in the ceiling, on her trademark broom, was Kammy Koopa, as she accompanied Bowser, whom Andrew only heard vague rumors about, and that she is Bowser's advisor.
It was then Bowser chose that moment to get back up on his feet, as he was still standing on top of Grodus.
He then saw Andrew standing in front of him, along with his friends who were accompanying him. Even though he didn't know too much about him, he knew enough that Andrew was just as much of a nuisance as Mario was, if the beating he received from Glitzville was any indication.
"GWAR!" Bowser grunted as he didn't appreciate this. "Why is ANDREW here?!"
It was then Kammy Koopa turned around and saw that Princess Peach was in front of the throne chair, in a green shield of some kind. Kammy was just as confused as Bowser was, as her reaction said it all.
"And Peach as well?!" Kammy Koopa yelped.
Bowser 'clearly' had no idea what was going on here, and frankly, he didn't care. The princess was within his reach, as was the legendary treasure he planned to claim, unaware of what it truly was supposed to be. And he still had a score to settle with Andrew and his crew, considering what happened in Glitzville.
Feeling the need to put a stop to this, Bowser then made the declaration.
I don't know what's going on here, but I'm gonna put an end to it RIGHT NOW!" Bowser then stomped his foot and sneered in Andrew's direction. "Andrew, you punk! First, I pound you. Then, I take the princess! And then, the treasure!"
It was then Andrew felt his left eye twitch. After all he had been through, now he has to deal with Bowser too, and quite possibly Kammy Koopa as well.
Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, and Yoshiam had fought Bowser with Andrew before, while Vivian, Bobbery, and Ms. Mowz had heard countless rumors about the Koopa King, and how he's been constantly kidnapping Princess Peach for years.
"You can't be serious!" Andrew screamed. "This is outrageous!"
"This is 'totally' unfair!" Goombella griped in agreement.
"This is almost unfair!" Koops yelled, frowning deeply.
"This is hardly fair!" Flurrie bellowed quite drastically.
"You gotta be kidding!" Yoshiam howled at this.
"This is unbelievable!" Vivian gasped in shock.
"This is rather unfair!" Bobbery shouted at this twist of events.
"This isn't very fair!" Ms. Mowz complained just as much as the others.
"All this and Bowser, too?!" All eight of them boomed simultaneously at this.
Bowser, for his part, took notice of how worn out Andrew and his friends were right now. It's as if they had just gotten through a brutal fight. Combined with the fact that Kammy Koopa was gonna assist him this time, he figured that this fight would be a piece of cake.
"Gwar har har har har har!" Bowser let out his trademark laugh before making a taunting comment on Andrew's condition. "Aww, all worn out from battle, Andrew?"
"What was your first clue, genius?" Andrew retorted sarcastically, giving him an annoyed look.
"Make all those sarcastic witty remarks all you like, you runt! To me, this is easy pickings!" Bowser then declared. "You may not be Mario that mustache menace, but I will still take the pleasure of flushing you down the drain!"
Bowser and Kammy Koopa then approached Andrew and his friends, getting ready to battle the likes of them, as the former got off of an unconscious Sir Grodus.
Andrew realized that they had no choice if they had to continue onward to save Princess Peach.
"Very well," Andrew told him. "Let's get this over with."
"Gwar har har har har har!" Bowser cackled before he haughtily asked a rhetorical question for all to hear. "What's a finale without a Bowser appearance, huh?"
"This one," Andrew guessed dryly.
"A cruddy finale, that's what!" Bowser ignored him as he boomed effortlessly.
"I don't think it would matter if you were to appear for a finale," Andrew said with a dry tone. "It would still be a finale."
"Bah! So what? As long as I get what I want and pound you, it'll be worth it!" Bowser howled in determination. "Now, hold still while I trounce you and take my Peach!"
"We're not gonna allow that to happen," Andrew had a tongue-in-cheek tone as he said that.
"Hmph! You have some sharp tongue, Andrew, you meddling and sniveling bug!" Kammy Koopa spoke up sharply as a result. "This is it for you! Mweh heh heh heh heh!"
"Not so fast!" Andrew yelled as he got his Magical Map out. "I'm gonna make sure that my friends and I are fully replenished in energy before we do anymore fighting."
"Huh? What the...?" Bowser uttered in confusion as Andrew summoned the Sapphire Star with the map, causing the Koopa King and Kammy to just stare in shock.
"Guys," Andrew declared, allowing the Sapphire Star to hover above him. "I think it's about time for us to be given a Sweet Feast!"
"All right," his friends cheered in excitement as the Sapphire Star started to use its Sweet Feast on the eight of them.
In a matter of seconds, the Sapphire Star started floating back and forth above the eight heroes, sprinkling a bunch of shiny blue sparkles over them that were starting to replenish their energy. This took place for several moments as Bowser and Kammy Koopa watched in bewilderment.
After it was done, the Sapphire Star was done using its Sweet Feast on the heroes, as all eight of them were completely replenished, and were up to fighting again with the energy resurging through their bodies. As soon as the Sapphire Star vanished into a bunch of blue sparkles, Andrew was satisfied as he put away the Magical Map.
"All right! Now we're feeling better!" Andrew had to flex his muscles. "That should do the trick, guys!"
"You said it, Presto!" Yoshiam whooped. "Now let's go ahead and whip that Koopa King's butt again, along with his hag freak that's behind him!"
"But first things first," Andrew ignored the cold glare Kammy Koopa was giving him upon hearing that insult as he turned to face Goombella. "Goombella, do we 'really' need to look up Bowser again? We fought him before. And besides, he has the same attacks that he used on us back in Glitzville, right?"
"You betcha, Andrew," Goombella told him as she had her Tattle Log out and opened up to a particular page. "And for anyone that doesn't know already, he'll keep kidnapping Peach, and Mario will keep fighting him, until the end of time, I think. Blah blah blah blah blah."
"That's what I figured," Andrew then asked her. "What about Kammy Koopa? Do you have any information on her?"
"Sure do. And I'll read it to ya," Goombella looked to the page that had info on Kammy Koopa in it. "Ahem. That's Kammy Koopa. She's an evil old witch who's always helping Bowser out."
"That much makes sense," Andrew said dryly. "Especially after hearing about the stolen Star Rod fiasco that Mario settled a while back."
"Yeah," Goombella sighed as she continued reading from her Tattle Log. "Anyway, just like any Magikoopa, she uses magic to increase her strength and gain some armor or get electrified or invisible."
"Yeesh," Andrew grimaced. "We'll have to do everything we can to prevent that."
"There's more," Goombella continued reading from her Tattle Log. "When she's feeling low on energy, she may also use magic to replenish her health, along with some other crazy stuff."
"Of course," Andrew sighed. "It'll cause us problems and hindrance if we allow it to plague the fight."
"You're telling me," Goombella rolled her eyes playfully. "Her magic is 'totally' annoying, so take her out before you focus on Bowser."
"Or all eight of us can utilize teamwork and handle both her and Bowser at the same time," Andrew proclaimed.
"You know what I mean, Andrew," Goombella gave him a look before she then commented. "Still, you gotta feel for her, having to hang out with Bowser all the time..."
"Anyone who hangs out with Bowser has got to be worn out after doing it for many years," Andrew remarked.
"Or do you think Bowser has a harder time enduring her?" Goombella decided to ask.
"I think they both have a hard time dealing with each other," Andrew pointed out.
"Fair point," Goombella chuckled briefly before adding. "Still, we gotta deal with them quick before things escalate any further with the princess!"
"You got it," Andrew claimed as Goombella put away her Tattle Log.
He then noticed Bowser charging for them. He was getting ready to scorch them with a Fire Blast, which got Andrew to react immediately. "Guys? We better get out of the way!"
All eight of them got out of the way just in time for Bowser to breathe a powerful Fire Blast in their direction. Although they were fortunate to get out of the way in time before burning to a crisp, all eight of them could feel the intense heat that came from the Fire Blast.
By the discomforting looks on their faces, it looks as if their tushies were torched. Bowser couldn't help but notice this fairly quickly, as he decided to gloat about how he was feeling as strong as ever.
"Gwar har har har har har!" Bowser cackled before he bellowed proudly. "I sure do feel good today! I am FEELING IT!"
Kammy Koopa, meanwhile, was acting like some kind of cheerleader who was on Bowser's side, which was rather disturbing given her old age as she was heard chanting.
"Lord Bowser! Lord Bowser!" Kammy Koopa chanted. "Rah! Rah! Rah! Get 'em!"
"Yeah. Yeah. That's real swell and all, Kammy," Bowser said with a rather sarcastic tone before he then ordered. "Now why don't you make yourself useful and attack that Andrew runt!"
"As you wish," Kammy Koopa nodded.
While she remained on her broom, she used her magical staff and waved it in circles. In a matter of seconds, Kammy used her Magikoopa Blast which fired a square, circle, and triangle that looked identical to the 4-Polygon Blast.
Although Andrew could feel the magical force coming from the attack, he managed to dodge it in time by doing an acrobatic flip into the air. He was then able to land on his feet. He decided that the fight could truly begin.
"You asked for it," Andrew told them while cracking his knuckles. "Let's get this fight started."
Andrew then went ahead and started things off by charging over towards them and jumping into the air. He then unleashed his Multibounce attack on both of them. He jumped onto Bowser first.
He hit him in the head before jumping off and landing right on top of Kammy Koopa. Both of them felt some significant damage from that attack, and in Kammy's case, she fell off of her broom and landed on the ground, as her broom disappeared.
Kammy slowly got up and grumbled at what Andrew had just done while Bowser shook his head from the strike. They regained themselves long enough for Andrew to get out of his Ultra Bat and make his next move.
"You think that was something," Andrew said. "Wait until you see this!"
In a matter of seconds, Andrew went ahead and performed Bat Quake, where he slammed the bat onto the ground, shaking it and causing Bowser and Kammy Koopa to topple over as a result before they both got back up.
"ARGH!" Bowser huffed. "I can see that you haven't changed in your fighting. No matter! This battle is just getting started!"
"I know. This is only the start of it," Andrew then turned to face his friends. "All right, guys! It's all you! Have at it with them!"
"Gotcha, Andrew," Goombella smirked as she then approached them.
In a matter of seconds, Goombella dished out her Multibonk on Kammy Koopa, striking her 9 times in a row. Kammy didn't appreciate this one bit as she shook her head and wiped her beak.
"You insolent ingrate," Kammy Koopa hissed. "Just who do you think you are?"
"Just someone who is 'totally' doing my friend a favor by dealing with you two," Goombella told her sassily as she landed on the ground. "That's pretty much it."
With that, Goombella walked away, as it was Koops's turn to attack. He got into his shell and charged up to strike both of them with his Power Shell.
Once he was done, Koops rammed through both of them with his Power Shell, doing some more damage to both of them. As soon as he was back with the others, he did a breakdance routine before getting back onto his feet.
Bowser then charged up towards Andrew as he was about to lash at him with his Poison Fang attack. As he tried to take a bite at Andrew, the muscular man managed to jump a few feet away from him.
When Bowser tried it again, Andrew took out his Ultra Bat and smacked it across his head, getting him to back off from him for the moment. Kammy Koopa then used her staff to perform a Defense Boost on herself, giving herself some armor for protection.
It was Flurrie's turn to give it a go, as she then soared through the air, and landed a Body Slam attack on Bowser. Bowser fell over as Flurrie managed to impale some damage on the Koopa King. After doing her fabulous pose, she floated off of him and allowed him to get back up.
"All right! Now it's my turn to give it a whirl!" Yoshiam bellowed. "I'll show these two Koopa creeps who they're messing with!"
Seeing that Kammy gave herself some armor, Yoshiam decided to use his Gulp attack on her. As soon as he was in front of her, he launched his tongue out of his mouth, grabbed Kammy Koopa, and put her into his mouth. Kammy was heard muffling about demanding that Yoshiam release her at once.
Yoshiam obliged, but not in the way she expected. As soon as Yoshiam was facing Bowser, he spat Kammy Koopa out, careening her into the Koopa King, which did damage to both of them, as Bowser felt the impact of that attack.
"Yowch!" Bowser grumbled before adding sarcastically. "Way to go with striking me, Kammy you old hag! Could you hit me any harder?"
"My apologies for that, Your Grunginess," Kammy apologized. "That young Yoshi rascal certainly has it in him to mess with the likes of us."
"Yeah, yeah," Bowser rolled his eyes. "Just make sure you stay useful and help out by dealing with those pests!"
"Of course," Kammy adjusted her glasses.
By now, another broom had been provided for Kammy Koopa. So Kammy let out a whistle for the broom to lower, she got onto it, and the broom floated back up into the air, as Kammy was flying again.
"All right, Vivian," Andrew looked towards the former youngest Shadow Siren. "It's your turn. Be sure to rough up both of them for us with your fire abilities."
"Sure, Andrew," Vivian nodded as she adjusted her witch hat. "I'll be sure to do my best."
With that, Vivian put up her right hand, started waving the index finger, and caused a magical sparkle to appear. In a matter of seconds, she had unleashed her Fiery Jinx on both of them, and they both got engulfed by flames, which caused some damage and left behind a nasty burn on them.
While Kammy was struggling to get the flame off of her hat, Bowser shook off the attack and sneered in retaliation.
"Hmph! So you can play with fire, huh?" Bowser snorted. "Well, two can play that game. Let me show you how it's 'really' done!"
In an instant, Bowser unleashed his Fire Blast on the Shadow Siren. But what he didn't count on was the fact that Vivian had already sunk into the shadows, just barely avoiding the attack.
By the time Kammy Koopa put out the flame on her hat, she then waved her staff as she gave herself the Shock ability with her Zap move. Now direct attacks can't hurt her without them being hurt first.
"OK. Looks like Kammy had given herself the shock status," Andrew studied her closely. "So we shouldn't do any direct attacks for the time being."
"In any case, allow me to take over, old boy," Bobbery proclaimed. "I believe this should provide for us by stalling for time while we wait patiently."
With that, Bobbery used his Bomb Squad attack, by tossing three Bomb Squad time bombs in their direction, landing right near Bowser and Kammy Koopa. It would take five minutes for them to go off.
In the meantime, Bobbery marched towards Bowser and lit his fuses. Bowser didn't know what hit him, for in a matter of seconds, he got struck by Bobbery's Bomb attack, which the blast left behind some more damage. Bobbery had regenerated and landed right next to Andrew.
"Hmm mmm mmm mmm," Ms. Mowz snickered slyly. "I believe it's my turn now, yes?"
"That's right," Andrew nodded. "Go ahead and do your stuff!"
Ms. Mowz simply nodded as she walked over slyly to the Koopa King. Bowser was just about to bite her when Ms. Mowz jumped up and landed on his snout.
Before he could try snorting steam from his nostrils to blow her off, Ms. Mowz already went ahead and did her Love Slap on him, smacking him three times with her hands before slapping him across the face with her tail.
She then jumped off before Bowser could slash at her with his clawed arms. She landed back near Andrew, as Bowser was going to show them what for.
Bowser then tried to use his Jump attack to stomp on the muscular man, who then barrel rolled out of the way in time, as Bowser slammed into the ground. However, Andrew did feel the impact of the attack and felt shaken up by the slight tremor.
Kammy Koopa decided to step in and use her Magikoopa Blast on them. Sending several beams of polygons towards them, the eight heroes were able to narrowly dodge them while getting struck only a little bit by them.
By now, the Defense Boost had worn off, as Kammy Koopa lost the armor she had given herself previously. Andrew could only shake his head as he then leered in their direction.
"It doesn't matter how you attack us," Andrew warned them. "There's still a way to go before you can finish us off."
Andrew then went ahead and performed his Bat Throw towards Kammy Koopa. He threw his Ultra Bat in her direction, where it hit her square in the face. The force that she felt from the attack caused her to fall off of her broom again, and she landed on the floor while her broom vanished for the second time.
Andrew then charged ahead and did a Power Bounce attack on Bowser. He managed to strike him 13 times in a row, leaving behind some more damage on the Koopa King. He shook his head by the time Andrew was done and sneered at him.
"OK, you scrawny punk! You asked for it!" Bowser snarled while stomping his feet. "No more playing around! It's time to scorch your behind once and for all!"
"That's right, Lord Bowser," Kammy Koopa agreed. "And I will provide some assistance!"
"Very well then," Andrew cracked his knuckles. "We're more than willing to retaliate."
And with that, Bowser tried using his Poison Fang on Andrew, who jumped up and landed on Bowser's head as a counterattack. Before Bowser could torch them with a Fire Blast, Goombella stepped up and used her Headbonk on the Koopa King, knocking him back a bit as she struck him twice.
By now, the five-minute time limit was up, as all three Bomb Squad time bombs went off, blowing up in both Bowser's and Kammy's faces. They felt some more damage from the explosions that were triggered by the time bomb. Upon shaking the soot off, Bowser and Kammy decided to continue attacking the heroes, as the battle raged on.
Meanwhile, Princess Peach could only watch the fight take place inside the green shield she was imprisoned in. She had watched as Andrew landed a punch on Bowser as the latter tried to bite him again, as well as seeing Koops plow through both the Koopa King and his advisor with a Shell Slam.
Peach had to admit, she was rather impressed by how Andrew was fighting so well. No wonder he was successful with getting the Crystal Stars and stopping all of the schemes Grodus tried to unleash on him and his friends.
Princess Peach was immediately reminded of Mario. Andrew was a completely different person from the red-clad plumber, with how muscular Andrew was. But there was one thing that they had in common; determination.
Andrew was showing just how determined he was to put an end to this fight and rescue the princess once and for all. It reminded her of the determination Mario had whenever he tried his hardest to save her over the years she'd been kidnapped. And Andrew was just as determined.
True, the muscular man was no Mario by any stretch, and she felt like she belonged to Mario too. But she couldn't help but admire Andrew's prowess and his strength.
He was also kinda attractive around the [bod]. While she is more fond of Mario, she wouldn't mind having Andrew be associated with her in case of anymore attacks on her kingdom.
Her mind had been thinking about some possibilities for Andrew's future. She was 'definitely' considering hiring Andrew to work in her castle sometime soon, to keep her and her kingdom safe. Provided that Andrew would let her in and take up her offer to heart.
I 'really' hope that Andrew will let me in. I would 'really' love for him to work for me at the castle. Peach thought in admiration as Flurrie used her Lip Lock attack on Bowser, draining him of his energy and adding it to her own. He's very strong and brave. Just like Mario. My heart belongs to Mario, but I'd love to know more about Andrew once this situation is over.
Peach sighed slightly as she watched Yoshiam do a Ground Pound attack on Bowser, striking him across the head six times in a row.
At this point, Kammy's shock status had worn off, as she was now flying on another broom again that she summoned. Bowser had tried using his Fire Blast on Andrew and his friends, but of course, they dodged it in the nick of time.
Kammy Koopa then decided to strike Andrew with her Magikoopa Blast attack. This time, he felt the impact of the attack, as he was a little shaken up by it. Despite that, he was still raring to fight back.
"All right, Goombella!" Andrew turned to face his Goomba friends. "What do you say we give these two a taste of our Power Bounce and Multibonk combination attack?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Goombella smirked in determination. "You can take Bowser, and I'll take Kammy Koopa."
"Sounds like a plan," Andrew smirked back as he stretched his fingers. "Let's get to work!"
With that, Andrew and Goombella approached Bowser and Kammy Koopa as they were planning to attack. Neither of them could react as Andrew used Power Bounce on Bowser, while Goombella used Multibonk on Kammy Koopa.
Both of them were struck at least 14 times in a row. Kammy fell off of her broom again, while Bowser recoiled from the impact he endured.
"Good work there, Goombella," Andrew gave her a thumbs up.
"You too, Andrew," Goombella winked at him in return.
"GWAR!" Bowser bellowed. "Kammy, you better do something and assist me before I torch this palace down to bits!"
"As you wish, Your Fieryness," Kammy then waved her staff and used Make Huge ability on Bowser.
Now Bowser was twice the size he normally was. Despite this, Andrew wasn't intimidated, and neither was Ms. Mowz, who stepped up and made a suggestion to Andrew.
"Well Andrew, my sweet, it would appear that the Koopa King has grown in size," Ms. Mowz then made the suggestion. "Would it be all right if I could distract him while you made your move from behind him, hm?"
"Oh yeah. Good idea," Andrew then whispered to her. "You can use your Tease to get him distracted, and I'll go and grab him by the tail."
"Sounds like a plan," Ms. Mowz whispered back. "Well, we better get started then, shall we?"
"Of course," Andrew nodded.
As Andrew jumped out of the way, Ms. Mowz approached Bowser and then used her Tease move on him. She created three copies of herself as she started moving all around Bowser, which was making him dizzy.
"ARGH! Stop moving around you little rats!" Bowser snarled. "Stay still so I can torch you!"
He then used his Fire Blast on them. But because he was in a daze, and Ms. Mowz and her copies moved fairly quickly, the attack missed.
This was the perfect chance for Andrew to get behind him and grab him by the tail. Kammy Koopa noticed what Andrew was about to do, as she was about to counter with her Magikoopa Blast.
Before she could do that, she felt a white-gloved fist deck her across the face, preventing her from striking Andrew. The person responsible was Vivian, and she had just done a Shade Fist on her.
Before Kammy Koopa could attack her instead, Vivian had already departed from the shadows.
As soon as Ms. Mowz and her copies did a quadruple Love Slap on the Koopa King, she had gotten out of the way just in time for Andrew to grab him by the tail.
As soon as he did, he planted his heels in the ground and then he started hoisting Bowser in the middle of the air while slowly spinning around with his tail firmly in his grip.
Kammy Koopa was almost struck by this, as Peach was surprised that Andrew could do something like that. Bowser, for his part, couldn't believe that he was doing it again.
Oh crud. Not again... Bowser thought in irritation. I can't believe he decided to do this to me a second time.
Bowser was getting dizzy as Andrew picked up the pace and spun faster and faster. Yoshiam realized what this meant, as he got ready to act once Bowser came his way.
In a matter of seconds, Andrew stopped spinning and tossed Bowser right toward Yoshiam. Just like before, Bowser was sent flying and couldn't regain his balance.
Then acting on instincts, Yoshiam used his Gulp attack and wrapped his tongue around the oversized Koopa King, stuffing him into his mouth somehow.
"That's the ticket, Yoshiam," Andrew got ready and held his Ultra Bat correctly. "Now send him this way and let 'er RIP!"
Yoshiam complied, spitting him out towards Andrew, as Andrew got ready to swing. As soon as Bowser was within his range, Andrew swung his Ultra Bat into him and he was sent flying upward, grabbing a hold of the massive chandelier.
Because of how heavy he was in his colossal state, the chandelier fell and crashed onto the floor, with all the flames going out on it as the candles snapped in half. Kammy Koopa felt the blow of the fallen chandelier strike her, as she was sent back a bit.
"Smashing job, old boy," Bobbery stepped up. "Now allow me to do the honor and give these two the ol' fashion kaboom like they've never seen before!"
With that, Bobbery lit his fuse and got ready to explode on both Bowser and Kammy. Before they knew it, they were both struck by Bobbery's Bob-ombast attack, which did a massive amount of damage to them as Bobbery regenerated and landed next to Andrew.
Bowser then tried to use his Jump on Andrew. But all he got was a punch across the chest by the muscular man for all of his troubles.
Kammy Koopa then waved her wand and used Heal on herself, restoring some of her energy a bit, as she summoned another broom to get back on top of.
"All right! That does it!" Yoshiam howled, getting ready to do his next attack. "I'll show you creeps what I'm 'really' capable of doing!"
In an instant, Yoshiam closed his eyes and scrunched his face, looking as if he was thinking hard. A few moments afterwards, Yoshiam felt that pulse that he was expecting, and he was more than ready to take action.
Taking two of his fingers from his right hand, he put them into his mouth and let out a rather loud whistle. It sounded like he had called in reinforcements, and Andrew realized what he had just done.
Oh. Looks like Yoshiam just did Stampede again. Andrew thought confidently. I think we'll be expecting some Yoshis to stop by right about now.
Then right on cue, the heroes, the Koopa King, his advisor, and the princess heard some galloping heading towards the room. Bowser and Kammy Koopa couldn't even react to this as an entire herd of green grown-up Yoshis came barreling into the room and managed to trample over the two of them.
Both of them endured some significant damage from the Yoshi herd that just entered the room. As soon as the Yoshis were done trampling over them, they took their leave, leaving Bowser and Kammy Koopa in pain from the attack that they had endured.
By now, Bowser's Huge status had worn off, and he returned to normal.
By contrast, Kammy Koopa fell off of her broom and realized something. The Yoshi herd pretty much took a toll on her, as it was obvious that she couldn't fight any longer. She then collapsed onto the floor, as she had to announce to her lord that she was officially out of the fight.
"Forgive me, Lord Bowser!" Kammy Koopa announced before she said to him in a frail tone of voice. "I have nothing left..."
And with that, Kammy Koopa was knocked out cold, leaving Bowser all alone to deal with the heroes himself. And it was something that he took notice of.
"Oh, sure. Go ahead and go unconscious on me, why don't you, you old crusty hag," Bowser sneered sarcastically before he sighed. "Guess I have to take care of these pests myself!"
"Not if I can help it," Andrew took out his Ultra Bat and charged for the Koopa King.
In a quick movement, Andrew went ahead and used his Power Swing across Bowser's face, dealing some more impeccable damage to him.
Bowser shook his head in pain as he was then greeted with a punch across the face, also courtesy of Andrew. He had to look at Andrew and realized something. Even after what he had done so far, he was still raring to fight him.
"OOOF!" Bowser huffed before he then had to say to him. "So, Andrew... You still have some fight in you! Not bad!"
"You darn right I do," Andrew told him confidently before looking towards Koops. "All right, Koops. Mind giving it a go from here?"
"Sure, Andrew," Koops gave him a thumbs up. "I can do this."
From there, Koops went into his shell. In a matter of seconds, he then rammed into Bowser with his Shell Toss. Bowser tried to scorch the Koopa with his Fire Blast, but Koops was a step ahead of him, as he did his breakdance routine to get out of the way.
That didn't mean that Koops got away unscathed. He had a few burn marks on the surface of his shell. But otherwise, he came out of that one perfectly all right.
"My, my! I do believe that the fight is falling in our favor, darling!" Flurrie declared. "Now I daresay, I shall give it a go with dealing with this lout!"
From there, Flurrie floated through the air and landed yet another Body Slam on Bowser. It did some more damage to the Koopa King, and he was wondering how much more he could take of this. Regardless, the princess and the 'treasure' were within his grasp. And he was gonna keep fighting until he claimed what was rightfully his.
By now, Sir Grodus had managed to regain his consciousness as he slowly crawled out of the rubble that was on top of him. From there, he slowly got up onto his feet and turned around to see what was going on.
He was witnessing Andrew and his friends dealing with Bowser while Kammy Koopa was knocked out cold from the fight. Truth be told, Grodus didn't know who the oversized Koopa and his hag friend were supposed to be. And frankly, he didn't care.
Still, this proved to be the perfect diversion to sneak off without the others knowing. He would make sure to deactivate Peach's shield and grab her before taking her down the secret passageway behind the throne chair.
Seeing this as his chance, Grodus started by pushing the throne chair out of the way, allowing him to go through the passageway to the bottom where the cataclysm's crypt was located. And he would make off with the princess while Andrew and his pals were preoccupied.
In a matter of seconds, he had pushed the throne chair to its side as he then approached the trapped Princess, waiting for Andrew to be done with his fight before he could make his move.
At this point, Yoshiam had summoned four Mini-Eggs for his Mini-Egg attack. Once they were behind him, Yoshiam tossed all four of them into Bowser's face.
They made direct contact with him, as he was belted by them. He felt more damaged from it, as he shook his face from this attack. He was then greeted by another Shade Fist attack from Vivian, as well as a Bomb attack from Bobbery.
It was clear that Bowser was almost down for the count. And since Kammy was out cold, there was nothing he could do to prevent his downfall.
It was then he got struck across the head by another Headbonk from Goombella, and was given another Love Slap strike at the hands of Ms. Mowz. After Yoshiam struck him six times with another Ground Pound, Andrew stepped up and decided to put an end to this fight.
"All right guys," Andrew cracked his knuckles again. "Stand back as I finish this fight."
Bowser then reacted by using one last Poison Fang on Andrew to save his hide. But Andrew retaliated with a roundhouse kick, knocking him back from him. Bowser was feeling dizzy, as he would fall over if he was struck by one last attack at the hands of the muscular man.
With the ambition to wrap the fight up, Andrew jumped up and performed a Spring Jump on Bowser, ramming into him twice with his two feet and a Spin Jump. Then for the final blow, Andrew smacked Bowser across the face with a Power Swing attack.
Bowser was now seeing stars, as he realized one thing. This was it for him. He was unable to fight any longer. He could only react to his latest defeat at the hands of Andrew and his friends.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Bowser howled as he then fell over, ending up right next to Kammy Koopa as they were both defeated.
Moments later, Bowser could only moan as he had to accept defeat by Andrew for the second time in a row.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!" Bowser yelled in agony as he lay in defeat. "How could this happen?!"
With that, Bowser was out cold along with Kammy Koopa. Andrew had to wipe his forehead at this, along with his friends.
"Phew..." Andrew, Goombella, Flurrie, Vivian, and Ms. Mowz huffed in slight exhaustion.
"Whew..." Koops and Bobbery moaned tiredly.
"Hoooo..." Yoshiam yawned, wiping his forehead as a result.
"Guys, that was way too close," Andrew proclaimed. "I'm surprised that we stood a chance after the beating we got from Grodus."
"Yeah," Goombella sighed. "At least we settled THAT nut's hash."
"We got Bowser taken care of, huh, Andrew?" Koops proclaimed.
"We settled our accounts with Bowser, hm?" Flurrie moaned.
"We rocked that guy's world, am I right?" Yoshiam dusted his hands off.
"We can close THAT chapter, though, right?" Vivian brushed her gloved hand across her pink hair.
"We've settled that blurry bloke's account, old boy," Bobbery stated.
"We got that thorn pulled out of our sides." Ms. Mowz said.
"Yeah. We don't have to worry about Bowser or Kammy Koopa now that they're knocked out," Andrew snapped his fingers. "Now let's go save Peach."
"Right," all seven of them nodded and they were about to save her when they noticed something.
Sir Grodus had gone missing. And Andrew was the first to have noticed his disappearance.
"Uhhhh, guys?" Andrew pointed. "Where's Grodus?!"
Grodus was no longer under the rubble and debris that was caused by Bowser. The eight of them were unsure about where they went as they were in deep thought. While they were contemplating that, Sir Grodus felt that now was the time to make his move.
In a swift movement with his scepter, he deactivated the green shield that was surrounding Princess Peach. From there, he then went ahead and grabbed the princess, causing her to react accordingly.
"EEEEYAAAIIII!" Peach screamed, getting Andrew and his friends out of their thoughts as they realized who it was.
"Guys! That was Princess Peach!" Andrew then looked up and saw Sir Grodus with the princess in his arms.
They saw Grodus storm through the secret passageway that was behind the throne chair, with the princess in his arms. He was about to put the final phase of his plan into action before he could unleash world conquest onto the world.
"Guys! Grodus must've used our fight with Bowser and Kammy Koopa as a diversion so he could sneak off with the princess once we were done!" Andrew had figured it out.
"Omigosh! You're right!" Goombella gasped. "Grodus would 'totally' do something like that!"
"Yeah," Andrew then had to comment. "I gotta admit, I wasn't expecting Bowser to have 'actually' gotten this far in the Palace of Shadow. Same with Kammy Koopa."
"Yeah," Goombella then had to admit. "You gotta give him credit for coming this far, 'really'. I almost respect him, 'actually'."
"Same here," Andrew agreed. "If it wasn't for him, Grodus would've killed us and the princess. Unfortunately, with them out for the count, they're the least of our concern right now."
"Yeah. What do we care?" Goombella admitted. "Let's stop worrying about them and go after Grodus and Peach! [C'mon]!"
"Right," Andrew then started to storm for the secret passageway. "We better get a move on!"
"Yeah!" All seven of them nodded as they followed Andrew passed the knocked-over throne chair.
From there, they went through the passageway.
They were now in a smaller but long staircase leading to the very bottom of the palace. At the top near a staircase was a brown chest.
And in it was an Ultra Shroom. Something told Andrew that he'd need it very soon, so he put it into his backpack. There were several lit candles on stands on the staircase leading to the very bottom, which Andrew was gazing down towards.
"Looks like Grodus took the princess 'all the way' to the bottom of this staircase," Andrew pointed down the stairs. "We're gonna have to go down the stairs to proceed further."
"There's a long, long staircase leading down," Goombella grimaced before admitting with dread. "And I get a 'REALLY' nasty feeling about what's waiting down there."
"That might be where the cataclysm is resting," Andrew pointed out, feeling his stomach churn. "And where the ancient demon's spirit rests. And Grodus is planning to use it to take over the world, and he plans to use Princess Peach for something dreadful."
"No kidding," Goombella gulped. "But we've come this far, so we gotta soldier on. Let's go, Andrew."
"Right," Andrew then motioned to his friends to follow. "We better get started."
All seven of them nodded as Andrew started to go down the stairs. Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, Yoshiam, Vivian, Bobbery, and Ms. Mowz trailed right behind him as the stairs they were going down were pretty massive and it took forever for them to reach the bottom.
After a long and dreadful five minutes of going down the stairs, the eight heroes finally reached the bottom of the hallway. Once they reached the bottom, Andrew found another treasure chest nearby.
Inside the chest was a Jammin' Jelly. He was certain that he'd need it too for what was waiting for them beyond the red and yellow door in front of them. So he put it into his backpack.
"OK, guys. This is it," Andrew informed them. "Beyond that door is where that cataclysm is resting, and Sir Grodus went in there with Princess Peach. And once we go in there, the fate of the entire world will be resting on our shoulders. So stay on guard, and be ready for whatever will happen once we go in there. Got it, guys?"
"Gotcha, Andrew," Goombella beamed as she rubbed against his left leg. "I'm 'totally' ready to put an end to this nonsense! 'C'mon' now!"
"Right, Andrew," Koops nodded as he took deep breaths. "Let's get this over with. Man. I hope we can get out of this alive. Sure wouldn't like to be dead upon stopping this cataclysm. Let's go!"
"Why, 'absolutely', Andrew," Flurrie told him as she remained close to Andrew to keep him safe. "I shall be ready for whatever may happen to us. We mustn't fall from whatever this horrid cataclysm could do to us, thanks to that Grodus scoundrel. Come along now, darling."
"Aw yeah! You bet I'm ready for this, Presto!" Yoshiam jumped up and down. "Time to rough up some heads and put this cataclysm to rest! Let's rock out, dude!"
"I'm ready too, Andrew," Vivian said shyly as she floated over to Andrew's side. "Even though I dread what's beyond that door, and the vaguely familiar scent I'm getting here, I will remain by your side, just to keep you safe. Let's get this done, right now!"
"Aye! I am also ready for whatever this cataclysm could chuck in our direction, Andrew," Bobbery nodded as he stood firm. "Let's give Grodus and this cataclysm the old one-two that they'll never forget and rescue her Highness, once and for all. Let's make haste!"
"Yes. I am also ready to put an end to this, Andrew," Ms. Mowz said slyly but calmly. "We better get this over with and make sure things don't take a turn for the worse. Not just for us, but for the entire world as well. So, shall we get started, sweetie?"
"Great," Andrew smiled as he walked to the door. "Let's finish this."
"Yeah," all seven of them cheered simultaneously, following right behind Andrew as he pushed the door open, ready to take on their final challenge.
But what they didn't know was that once they entered that room, they would be greeted by the ancient demon's spirit, whose grand reentry into the world would not only affect them, but it would affect the world as well.
And Sir Grodus was going to be the one to bring the demon back from the depths of the abyss. There was no doubt about it. The true nightmare was about to begin...
END OF CHAPTER 79...
Yeah. That's it for this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it, even though the fight against Bowser and Kammy Koopa was nothing special overall, as it provided Grodus with a diversion. Still, I think I enjoyed writing.
Anyway, starting right now, we've officially reached the climax of the story. There are only a few chapters left, and we're getting to the most memorable part of the game, the grand finale.
The next chapter will involve Andrew and his friends reaching the crypt of the ancient demon, whom Grodus is going to reawaken. He then reveals what Peach's purpose is for the demon; known as the Shadow Queen, and how Peach is to be used as the demon's new vessel.
Additionally, the world goes dark with an ominous shadow, and everyone in the places that Andrew visited will see it for themselves, with some extra comments added in addition to sticking to the original script.
And basically, Grodus will get what he deserves for thinking he could control an evil demon, and it'll be revealed who was 'really' pulling the strings in the shadows, 'literally'.
And the final fight will start that'll end with no way of proceeding, providing the heroes with a fate that was filled with hopelessness and despair before things get better. And a few other things will occur too.
How will the fate of the world go, along with what Andrew and his friends will have to face next? Find out next time, readers.
In the meantime, only if you want to, you can leave a review, and let me know what you thought about this chapter overall.
Otherwise, I have nothing else to say here. So until next time, I hope you all look forward to the climax of the story starting to unfold. And with that said and done, thank you once again for reading, everyone!