In the garage, a dark green Chrysler Imperial sat in silent repose. The slightly ajar hood revealed two thick cables slithering out, connected to a nearby box on the floor. It emitted an infinite hum as it meticulously trickle-charged the car's battery, ensuring its readiness for the road ahead.
"If I had called home for a ride that night, none of this would have happened," Cassidy mused, her frown directed at the motionless vehicle, which, of course, offered no response.
Placing her palms on the car's roof, Cassidy glanced at the Super Mario Bros. 2 clock on the far wall. Covered in dust, equipped with a quartz mechanism that hadn't run in decades, it displayed King Wart's minions in place of ordinary numbers. A three-headed snake grinned at her from the 9 o'clock position.
"Well, I guess some things never change, Dad's favorite ride is still here," Cassidy whispered to the vehicle, her eyes welling with tears. She wiped her face and surveyed the garage.
Behind the car, a weight bench with a barbell rack stood as a leftover relic from Paul's middle-aged years. Shelves held up by cement bricks showcased gardening tools—a silent testament to her long-gone mother. Cassidy ran her fingers over a shovel, watching sand trickle off the blade to the floor.
A sudden burst of brightness accompanied by a red-yellow glow emanated from the utility room, drawing Cassidy's attention. An entity, composed entirely of crackling electricity and roughly the size of a basketball, hovered at shoulder level. It was a Spark, a familiar villain from the Super Mario Bros. 2 video game, known for its patrol along walls and floors.
"You didn't hurt anyone," Spark said, its voice a composite of electrical zaps and crackles.
"I hurt my family," Cassidy responded, her gaze unwavering in the presence of this beautiful and enigmatic being.
The door at the top of the steps swung open, and Paul emerged, making a gradual descent to meet Cassidy in front of the utility room. The being of electricity had vanished without a trace, leaving behind no evidence—no charred ceilings or blackened walls. Nothing to suggest its presence.
"Do you want to take a ride with me to the store?" Paul inquired.
"Yeah, I think I could use some fresh air. I'm really struggling today," Cassidy admitted.
"You're coming along great. Give it time," Paul reassured, his hands gently resting on her shoulders.
"My imagination is super active," Cassidy confided, a hint of concern in her voice.
"So tell me about it," Paul prompted, walking around to the front of the car and opening the hood.
"This is really embarrassing," Cassidy admitted quietly.
"Is it something you would rather share with your therapist?" Paul asked, detaching the clamps from the battery terminals.
"I just feel like I'm ten again. I daydream, a ton now," Cassidy spoke, as if rattled.
"Flashbacks?" Paul shut the hood and looked at her, concerned.
"No," Cassidy answered.
"Then what are you ruminating on?" Paul asked, walking around, and opening the driver's side door.
"Like, kid stuff. This is hard to talk about," Cassidy replied, walking around the long vehicle, and entering the passenger side.
Paul inserted the key into the ignition, and the car came to life with a satisfying roar. Activating a remote on the visor, he commanded the garage door to ascend, and it lifted slowly. Cassidy glanced into the passenger side mirror, observing a red and white mask affixed to the rear wall that hadn't been there before. It was a Phanto—one of King Wart's formidable guardians assigned to pursue those who dared to steal a key in his realm. The Chrysler's brake lights briefly illuminated, exposing the sinister face watching over them. With a smooth motion, Paul shifted the column into Drive, and the car glided forward.
Cassidy, now focused ahead, was met with an unusual sight. Instead of the familiar real-world surroundings, the windshield depicted a parchment canvas with the text, "WORLD 2-3" centered where the rear-view mirror should have been. Dry hills, trees, and a sandy landscape materialized beneath the text, creating an otherworldly scene beyond the car.
The quartet found themselves traversing a wide hallway within the sandy pyramid of World 2-3. Spread out side by side, they moved forward, their steps echoing softly against the illuminated sand. Massive concrete pillars flanked the hallway, casting long shadows in the dim light. As they gazed ahead, they spotted a locked door in the distance.
"I can't shake the feeling that we're overlooking something important," Mario mused, unaware that he had spoken aloud.
As if queued by his words, a flash of blinding light rushed through the tunnel, leaving a formidable adversary in its wake.
Before the locked door, an imposing figure emerged—a Shyguy bedecked in opulent Arabian armor, perched atop an equally attired Ostro. The Shyguy's outfit boasted a Bayda helmet adorned with Captain's bars, a sizable saber at her side, and a rounded shield with a prominent umbo on her back. Draped in a padded coif and embellished with tiraz on each shoulder, she sported a lamellar cuirass and leather khuffs, exuding an aura of formidable strength and authority. The Ostro was equipped with a bridle, martingale, and a psalion covering his beak, while a Bargustuwan was draped over his body, adding to the imposing appearance of the lightly armored creature. The two figures exuded an air of regal authority, their presence commanding attention in the dimly lit hallway. Three Phanto masks appeared behind the Captain, levitating in thin air.
Shyguys typically don robes and a white mask with black eyelets, serving as the most prominent members of King Wart's army. They are commonly seen in red and pink variations, symbolizing different roles or ranks within Wart's forces. Ostros are avian creatures resembling large birds, often utilized as a mode of land-based transportation by Shyguys within the dream world.
"Wait a second… World 2-3 isn't constructed this way. We're supposed to dig…and there are no gray or armored Shyguys for that matter," Mario gritted his teeth, surprised by the foe's presence.
"That's right Cassidy, I am the gray Shyguy, a lost enemy from Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic," she declared, glitching in and out of reality. A golden key dangled from a chain around her neck.
"What is your name?" Luigi asked timidly, not quite ready to break down who or what Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic was.
"My name is Fatima," the Captain cheerfully answered. Some of the pixels creating the tiraz on her right shoulder appeared mismatched and flickered, reminiscent of someone needing to blow on a Nintendo cartridge to set it right again.
"Why did you call him Cassidy?" asked Peach.
"Well, it's him or you, or him, or him, does it matter?" The Captain pointed at each member of the quartet as she said this, evidently assuming they all knew each of them represented Cassidy in some shape or form. The Ostro let out a deep, horse-like whinny.
"I think I speak for us all when I say that none of us know what the hell you're talking about," Toad remarked.
"Hehehe…you cursed. You can't do that here. Tisk tisk. No one curses in a Mario game," The Captain's shoulders moved up and down a few times as she chuckled.
As tension mounted in the conversation, Mario's expression darkened, reflecting the gravity of their situation. "But this isn't a Mario game…is it?" he questioned, his voice heavy with concern.
"The fun is in the journey, Cassidy, not the destination," chimed in one of the Phantos, sounding almost admonishing in tone, its mouth never moving.
Peach's frustration was palpable as she retorted, "What does that even mean?!"
Amidst the confusion, another Phanto's voice cut through the air, its tone stern and determined. It's mouth did not move either. "You have a lot to work through, Cassidy, and there's no waking up until you disrupt Mamu's operations."
Before the quartet could fully process these cryptic words, the Captain erupted into action. "It was our destiny to fight!" she bellowed, abruptly interrupting the pensive dialogue. With a swift motion, she unclasped her saber, its massive, curved blade gleaming ominously as she brandished it. The ground beneath them quivered subtly as she pointed it at the quartet, her demeanor jovial yet eager to engage them in combat. As she advanced, the Phantos surged past her, their ghostly forms racing after Luigi, Toad, and Peach, setting the stage for a fierce confrontation.
"She's stronger than Mouser, watch out! There's no malice behind her actions either!" shouted Peach.
"I'm sorry, but your princess is in another castle!" sarcastically screamed the armor-clad Shyguy. She laughed and gently squeezed her thighs against the Ostro's ribcage, causing the ostrich-like animal to lumber forward towards the crimson plumber.
Seven POW Blocks mysteriously materialized, scattered about the hallway. In the world of Subcon, POW Blocks resembled oversized console televisions, with the word "POW" endlessly repeating on their analogue glass screens. In the game, any member of the quartet could hurl one of these televisions against the ground, triggering a tremor that incapacitated all nearby enemies. But these POW blocks were different—each screen depicted a memory of Cassidy's life.
As Mario lifted the POW Block overhead, memories from Cassidy's 1982 Christmas morning flickered across its screen, casting a nostalgic glow over the dusty hall.
"Heh! What did you get that year? Commodore 64?!" The Captain's enthusiastic retort echoed through the chamber as she charged forward, saber poised for attack.
"I don't have time for this!" Mario's frustration boiled over as he hurled the large television into the Captain's chest with all his might. The impact was forceful, sending the Ostro crashing to its knees. Bits and pieces of the lamellar cuirass scattered into the dry atmosphere, adding to the chaos of the moment.
"Uhn... that was a good one!" The Captain grunted, her hand brushing over her chest before swiftly jabbing at Mario with her saber. He narrowly evaded the attack, the blade sparking against the buttons on his overalls.
"Oh my god! This is ridiculous!" Peach exclaimed, dodging a Phanto as she launched another POW Block towards the Captain. The television soared through the air, displaying a memory from 1983 where Paul was laid off. The POW Block crashed into the Arabian soldier's Bayda, causing her helmet to disintegrate. She laughed joyously, her white mask and shadowed eyelets now exposed.
"STOP IT!" Toad suddenly appeared behind the Captain, violently pulling back on the chain around her neck. She laughed, a beautiful shimmer radiating from the mouthpiece in her mask. Another Phanto intervened, ramming Toad in the face, causing a splash of fluid to erupt, sparkling through the air.
"That's enough!" Luigi's voice rang out, tossing yet another POW Block towards the Captain. It struck one of her leather khuffs and the Ostro simultaneously, eliciting winces of pain from both. The Ostro disappeared, evidently having taken too much damage. However, a Phanto angrily sunk its teeth into Luigi's left shoulder, drawing out tufts of glittering fluid, splattering against the quartet as they grappled with the Captain.
"Oh, WOW! I never thought I'd have this much fun with the four of you! I think it's time you opened your gift!" The Captain's gleeful exclamation cut through the tension, her breath coming in heavy gasps. In fact, everyone in the chamber was breathing laboriously by this point. The Phantos, sensing impending danger, began to retreat, slowly pulling away from the entanglement. Meanwhile, Fatima's saber started to pulse with a blinding brightness. In Subcon, only the mightiest adversaries wielded such devastating techniques, known as One-Shot Kill Moves, capable of dealing critical hits and inflicting severe damage. Fatima slowly rose, each member of the quartet edging backward, their eyes fixed on the pulsating saber. She advanced towards Mario once more.
"Tell me who Cassidy is! What did the writing on Mouser's wall mean?!" Mario's fists clenched tightly, the vibrant hues of her sword casting flickering reflections across his face.
"Give me the glorious battle I want, Mario, and find out!" The Captain declared nobly, a dust storm swirling around her as the saber grew brighter and brighter. She reached back and grabbed hold of her shield, wielding it in her non-dominant hand. Mario watched as his comrades simultaneously and futilely attacked Fatima from all sides, yet she kept coming.
"I don't understand any of this! Why do you want to hurt me so badly!?" Mario attempted to reason with her, feeling the weight of confronting a foe this relentless for the first time in quite a while. Fatima raised the saber, now within arm's reach of the crimson plumber. The squall around her intensified, and the blade began to hum with a beautiful and uplifting sound.
"Cassidy, aim for the center of the umbo," a calm and digitized voice rang out, seemingly audible only to the crimson plumber at first. The voice carried inappropriate tones and pitches, sounding as if it were generated by a computer. In fact, it resembled a distant and weakening broadcast, echoing through the chamber with an urgent command. Mario listened intently, recognizing the urgency in its instruction.
"NOW YOU'RE PLAYING WITH POWER!" The Captain excitedly shouted, violently swiping the saber down upon Mario. With lightning reflexes, he barely, just barely, sidestepped as the metal tore through the fabric covering his shoulder blade, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike. A magnificent burst of light followed, as a ray beam soared past him, screaming down the hall and obliterating hundreds of pillars in its wake. The pyramid trembled, and sand swirled in a chaotic dance of destruction.
Mario launched forward, ramming his fist into the center of the shield's umbo. A spiderweb of cracks spiraled outwards, and Mario's momentum continued, his fist passing through the shield and violently impacting Fatima's chest. She staggered backward for a moment, and then everything seemed to freeze. To everyone's shock, Fatima dropped to one knee, trembling quietly, her usually indomitable demeanor momentarily shattered.
"That… was a great shot," Fatima coughed up circulatory fluid, which spilled over the front of her armor and down her bust. Something was completely off about her now, her voice strained and her usually composed manner faltering in the wake of Mario's unexpected strike. Peach's eyes widened, immediately recognizing Fatima's power level plummeting.
"Mario, I think she may have been under a spell," Peach stated calmly.
"Fatima, are you alright?" Luigi asked.
"No, I haven't much time," Fatima smiled weakly, struggling to keep herself together despite the evident toll Mario's blow had taken on her. The armor produced light clanging noises as she trembled, her movements worsening with each passing second, as minutes felt like an eternity in her weakened state.
"Who is Cassidy?" Toad asked, trying to get the quartet's questions in before Fatima departed.
"All of us," she weakly replied, her voice barely above a whisper now. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept into the pyramid, carrying with it an ethereal shimmer of sparkles and glitter, casting an otherworldly glow across the chamber. Subcon's harbinger of Death had arrived, staring the five in the face.
"What is this? A game? A dream? I don't understand," Mario asked, oddly calm.
"We're here to save Subcon, the Land of Dreams!" Toad rudely interrupted Mario, without thinking.
"You're in a coma and in a hospital," Fatima responded, her breathing becoming more labored with each word.
"No! We're here to defeat Wart and return Subcon to its natural state!" Peach interjected, speaking over Fatima with a hint of indignation.
"Are you really this fanatical?" Luigi asked Fatima, puzzled.
"The Dream Machine called out to you, Mario, I heard it," Fatima coughed violently, her voice strained. She tossed a Super Mario Bros. 2 Instruction Booklet onto the sand in front of them, the pages fluttering open to reveal the Nintendo Seal of Quality and Table of Contents. Luigi, Toad, and Peach looked down, their gaze fixed on the instruction booklet, but Mario remained unfocused, his attention elsewhere.
"What does 'WELCOME TO YEAR FIVE' mean?" Mario asked, his tone tinged with confusion.
"You know what it means," Fatima answered, her voice betraying a hint of guilt.
As the wind intensified, Fatima began to fade away, gradually succumbing to Subcon's relentless gusts of death, until only the key remained in her place. The locked door behind her loomed tall, a silent sentinel awaiting their next move.
One of the POW Blocks briefly displayed the face of King Wart before it faded, the metallic shine of the Nintendo icon appearing momentarily before vanishing into obscurity.