-Chapter 20-
Something Missing, Something Found
Warp Zone
Mary Pat struggled against the violent current of the drain, clinging to what little air was still in her lungs while fighting to surface. Various debris kept striking her with every violent turn, threatening to knock her out, but she somehow managed to keep herself conscious. She was, however, unable to see the large green pipe that ended up sucking her away, along with her tools. All she saw was rushing water as she was thrown around before she was mercifully spat out into the air.
-X-
Dark Lands
Landing with a wet splat on the ground, she groaned and coughed, spitting up water as she tried to empty her lungs. This took a few minutes, but once she was finally able to breathe unhindered, she flopped onto her back just breathing heavily and trying to let her body regain its lost oxygen. After a minute, she was back to some semblance of normalcy and began taking stock of herself.
One of her overall straps had snapped and she had some rather nasty gashes and bruises from the various debris she'd hit. She was soaking wet and was missing a shoe, though by some miracle, her hat was right next to her. Her tools were all scattered around her as well, which included her flashlight.
Fumbling around for a bit, MP grabbed the flashlight, shaking it a bit and slapping the side before it turned on. She then used the light to gather up her tools, sliding them into place on her belt. She also grabbed her hat, putting it back on her head before carefully getting to her feet.
"Okay…" she let out, steadying herself. "Good news, I'm alive. Bad news, I have no idea where I am."
She began to sweep the area with her flashlight, but when she hit a tree, she stopped. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, then looked at the tree again.
"A… did I hit my head?" She felt her head but didn't feel anything that felt like a broken skull or blood. "Okay… not a concussion. Dream maybe?" She poked at one of the bruises on her arm and instantly recoiled. "Ow! Ow! Not a dream!"
Shaking off her arm, she steadied her nerves and continued to search the landscape. She knew for a fact that there weren't any forests near Main Street, and she wasn't in the water long enough to leave the city. More than that, she distinctly remembered going down instead of up. The fact that she could see the sky suggested that she was outside, but she didn't recognize the landscape at all.
"Hello?!" she called out, her voice echoing across the barren landscape. "Anyone here?!"
A noise behind her made her jump and she quickly turned around, scanning the area with her light. She didn't see anything at first, then did a double take at the sight of a strange skeleton. She yelped, nearly dropping her light before cautiously approaching the skeleton. It looked almost like a turtle, but was somehow standing upright, and was just slightly shorter than she was.
"What the heck?"
Carefully, she approached the skeleton, pulling a wrench from her belt and poking it in the beak. Yellow lights immediately manifested in the skeleton's eyes and its jaw dropped, letting out a zombie-like groan. With a horrified scream, Mary Pat swung her wrench like a baseball bat, knocking its skull off. The body crumbled into bones and the skull bounced across the ground, leaving her panting and her heart hammering in her chest.
"Che cazzo era quello?!" (1)
Keeping the wrench raised, she slowly approached the skull, nudging it with her remaining sneaker.
"Am I dead? Did I die and go to Hell? Is that thing a demon?" She paused. "Demon… skeleton?"
She checked her pulse.
"No, I'm pretty sure I'm still alive… for now at least." She turned back to the skeleton, picking up the skull. "Which begs the question… what is this thing, and where am I?"
The light returned to the skull's eyes as its jaw unhinged. "Dry…. Bones…"
With a scream, she threw the skull and took off running. With every step she took, the ground erupted as more and more turtle skeletons pulled themselves out of the dirt. They tried to grab at her, forcing her to evade them while desperately seeking shelter. She managed to lay eyes on a large castle just up ahead and made a beeline for it. More and more skeletons were shuffling after her, moving much faster than she would have expected for the undead. They were closing in on her fast so she was quick to push the doors to the castle open enough to slip inside. As she tried to push them closed behind her, several skeletal arms reached through the cracks to try and grab her. She shoved them all back through, then slammed the doors shut, a massive wooden beam slamming into place for the lock.
Now safely inside, Mary Pat leaned against the door, a hand over her heart as she tried to steady her breathing. She then let out a very long breath, wiping her brow.
"Safe at last."
Something struck her from behind and she crumbled to the ground, revealing a Snifit and at least a dozen Shy Guys right behind her. They all crowded around the unconscious girl, with the Snifit picking up her hat. Seeing the monogrammed MP on the front, he made a choice.
"Bring her to King Bowser immediately."
Mushroom Kingdom
In Princess Peach's castle, Mario and Luigi were sitting with the princess in a large theatre room, along with Toad, Toadsworth, and a few other members of the palace staff. Popcorn was being passed around as they waited for the show to start. The show in question: the new Super Mario Bros commercial. Like their original, it started with the two of them in their van, stopping on one of the streets of New Donk City while nodding along to the beat of a redux of their rap.
"It's the Mario Brothers / and plumbing's the game. / Found the secret warp zone while working on a drain / Lent the Princess a hand / in the mushroom land. / Join the action with the plumbers / you'll be hooked on the brothers!"
As the rap told their story, a dramatization played of their adventure. Mario and Luigi dropped down a Warp pipe, landing right on top of someone wearing a Bowser costume. This actor was standing over what looked to be fake lava and fell into it with a dramatic reach for the sky. In a cage over this fake lava was Peach, who was promptly freed and jumped into Mario's arms, giving him and Luigi both a peck on the cheek. The scene then switched to both Mario and Luigi standing back to back on a simple black background with their logo, arms crossed, and smiling at the camera.
"Hello It's-a me, Mario."
"And-a me, Luigi."
The screen shifted to Toad standing before a sink that was spurting water like a fountain, only to turn around and be met with someone in a Koopa costume aiming a fake spear at him. Mario's voice played over the scene.
"Got a sink in trouble? Or are you the one in trouble? Either way, the Super Mario Brothers are here to help!"
Mario and Luigi both dropped into the scene, Luigi quickly fixing the sink while Mario punched out the Koopa. Toad cheered on them as the brothers shared a high-five over Luigi's voice.
"We're more than just plumbers, we're heroes too!"
A large map then dominated the screen, with a small version of their van being pushed across it, starting from New Donk City.
"Willing to lend a hand all across New Donk City," Mario declared.
"And-a Mushroom Kingdom too!" Luigi added as the van came to a perfect stop right in front of the kingdom on the map. The screen then shifted to Peach standing in her throne room, hand over her heart as she gave a genuine, warm performance.
"Thank you, Super Mario Bros. I always know I can count on you."
The scene shifted one last time, showing the brothers in front of their business. Mario spoke first, holding up a single finger.
"So be it pipes, Koopas, Snifits, or showers…"
Luigi held up his own finger before picking up where his twin left off. "Know you can call the Super Mario Brothers!"
"Woo!" Mario cheered. "Did you guys see that? That was absolutely incredible!"
"Heck yeah!" Toad cheered.
"Ehhh…" Luigi gave a "sort-of" hand gesture.
Mario perked. "Oh come on bro! That was amazing!"
"I'm sorry, Mario… I just… I kinda liked the old commercial more."
Mario blinked in surprise. "Seriously? It was a cheap fan film we made with a tax write off and a loan from our uncle."
"I know… I know… But I liked how raw and unrefined it looked. It was charming. This is just… I dunno..."
"That girl we hired literally flubbed her lines! Peach was perfect!"
Peach blushed at that.
"I'm not trying to diss Peach or anything," Luigi clarified. "I just feel like the old one was more...I don't know, it had more heart. More character."
"More heart? More character?" Toad exclaimed.
"It's like… You ever read a story or watch a show... And there's this character who has or does this thing… And it messes everything up for him. But at the same time, it makes him feel more like a person? Like you wanna root for him?"
Mario gave him a blank look. "You've been reading film study books again, haven't you?"
"I have hobbies!"
"Keep going," Peach urged. "I'm curious about what you're saying."
"Right… Anyway, then there's the new commercial. And it's kinda like another this one is perfect. Everything you've ever dreamed of. Strong, handsome, smart. The whole calzone. You know he's a good guy. You know he's got what it takes. But when you see him being the hero, you just kinda… space out."
"I suppose there is some merit to that idea," Peach mused.
"Seriously, Princess?" Mario exclaimed.
"It's true," Peach pointed out. "There's merit in imperfection. You learn more from your failures than successes."
"Yeah, and we learned that making a commercial takes a lot of money, time, and work, which we didn't have back then," Mario replied. "But now.. Well, Ma said it should be in a movie. This one? It really could!"
"I'm not saying that this one is bad or the old one is perfect," Luigi said. "I'm just saying that this one is...missing something."
"Oh come on!" Toad exclaimed. "What could it possibly be missing?"
Dark Lands
The Shy Guys and Snifit made their way across the Dark Lands to Bowser's main castle. Two of them were carrying a stretcher, on which the unconscious MP was resting. A third was carrying all the tools that had been taken from her belt, along with her flashlight, while Snifit was still holding her hat. They marched with a purpose right up to the main gates, knocking on the massive, iron knocker. One of the Shy Guys covered MP's ears as they boomed. She didn't stir.
"She's reeeeeeeally sleeping…" one Shy Guy said.
"She must reeeeeeeally need it," said the other.
"Quiet back there," the Snifit ordered.
They marched inside, past the line of Koopatrols on either side of the wall. Seeing the hat in the Snifit's hand, many of them began to whisper, eyes falling on the stretcher and its sleeping occupant. Eventually, they arrived in Bowser's throne room, where the Koopa king was seated.
"We found her in the Dark Lands as Master Kamek predicted," the Snifit reported. "The Dry Bones had chased her into the old fortress."
"I see," Bowser rose to his feet. "You did well to bring her here." He took the hat from Snifit, turning it over in his hand. "Kamek, take the girl to the medical wing. Tend to her injuries."
Kamek bowed. "Your will be done, Lord Bowser."
Bowser gave the cap a small flick, watching it land perfectly on MP's chest before she was carried off. Just as the Shy Guys slipped down a hallway, the main doors opened once more, allowing the Koopalings to enter. Junior immediately began running straight for Bowser.
"DADDY!"
Bowser scooped him up, hoisting him up on his shoulder.
"Hey there, buddy," Bowser chuckled as he adjusted his son, then turned to the rest of his kids. He held his arms open, and all of them came in for a hug.
"Dad, please don't just drop off the face of the planet again," Wendy asked. "We were legit worried."
"Sorry about that." Bowser said as they pulled away.
"So who was the squishy being dragged out by the Shy Guys?" Lemmy asked.
"That, Lemmy, is part of our plan."
Bowser sat down, explaining what he and Kamek had seen in Kammy's crystal ball and the circumstances that led to MP being brought here.
"Mein Grambi…" Ludwig let out.
"What a dingus," Morton spat.
"The mobster or the brothers?" Lemmy asked.
"Both."
"So I guess she's gonna be sticking around for a bit?" Roy asked.
"Ooh!" Iggy cheered. "New friend! Our own Mario!"
"Will we be able to meet her?" Wendy asked.
Bowser nodded. "Once she's awake and stable enough, I'm certain we can introduce you."
"Y'know… If she's a Mario, maybe she can kidnap the princess for you, Dad!" Larry offered. "Mario's sister... she could easily slip past them."
"And could probably walk right out of there with her and none of them would bat an eye," Morton added.
"The idea has merit," Bowser admitted. "For now, let's just let her get acclimated. In the meantime, it's time for my revenge."
All of the Koopalings giggled and cackled, excited by the idea.
Toad Town
After the commercial showing, Mario and Luigi walked through Toad Town discussing things.
"So, you really didn't like the commercial?" Mario asked.
"Again, I just feel like it's missing something, Mario."
"Like what?"
"I-I dunno, just...something!"
"Mama mia…" Mario shook his head. "Way to zero down, Bro."
"Mario, please. Think about this," Luigi thought before snapping his fingers. "Ooh! Remember Little Mac?"
"The WVBA World Circuit Champ? Who doesn't?"
"What do you remember about him?"
"He was the small, seventeen-year-old underdog of the league."
"Exactly! The kid was short. He wasn't as muscled. And he came from nothing. Just some regular guy from the Bronx. But he was taking on guys literally twice his size and weight like nothing!"
"What's your point, Lu?"
"My point is nobody expected him to go the distance. Did you expect a small fry like him to be able to take on that big gorilla Mr. Sandman, much less actually win?"
"Well, no…"
"Or King Hippo? Or Super Macho Man? Or...IRON MIKE TYSON!?"
"To be honest, when he got into the ring, the only guy I thought he'd stand a chance against is that wimp Glass Joe."
"That's my point, Bro! Those little things that make people write you off, they're the things people write about . You could have something absolutely flawless. A freaking Mona Lisa or Avengers. And then...that's it. They see it, they nod, they move on. But then you got your Little Macs, your Kid Icaruses, your World's Mightiest Heroes… They got issues. They hang-ups. And it's how you relate to them. How you can root for them and hope they win. And even if they don't, people still talk about them. They sit around the dinner table or the water cooler or whatever and they say…" He blinked, looking past Mario. "There's a dinosaur in a toga stealing a fruit basket."
"Why would they say thaaaaaaa…" Mario raised an eyebrow. "There is a dinosaur in a toga stealing a fruit basket, isn't there?"
"STOP! THIEF!"
Sure enough, the Bros. saw a green dinosaur carrying a fruit basket being chased by a Toad shopkeeper.
"Just when you think you've seen everything," Mario mused. "C'mon, Bro. Let's go."
"Okie-dokie."
"Come back here!" the shopkeep yelled. "You have to pay for those!"
The dinosaur ignored the man, grabbing an apple and devouring it whole. He then proceeded to grab two grape bunches and shove those in too.
"Somebody stop that fruit thief!" the shopkeep yelled.
"Hold it!"
The dinosaur looked ahead, seeing Mario and Luigi right in front of him.
"Whoa!" The dino leapt over them, Mario and Luigi looking on in shock. It landed before speeding off faster than before.
"Luigi…" Mario began.
"Mama mia…" Luigi let out. "That dino can jump as high as you can!"
The Toad reached Mario and Luigi, stopping. "Mario! Luigi! What are you doing just standing around!? He's getting away!"
"Right!" Mario snapped to attention. "We can gawk later! C'mon!"
He ran after the dinosaur.
"Mario, wait up!" Luigi cried.
-X-
Meanwhile, the dinosaur hid under a bridge, panting.
"Whew… close one. People-men… almost… get," He looked at his fruity prize with stars in his eyes, licking his lips. "But now, Yoshi get." He grabbed a honeydew melon, mouth watering (3). "Quick breakfast, then Yoshi go back to finding red man for Elder Suika."
He shoved the entire melon in his mouth before swallowing it whole. His eyes lit up before he spun around. "Yummy-yummy-yahooooooooo!"
At that very moment, something dropped down from over the bridge. Mario landed on his feet before him.
"Nowhere to run now, buddy!"
Yoshi yelped, turning around to run, only to find Luigi blocking his path.
"End of the line, buster."
"No!" Yoshi clutched his basket. "People-men no take Yoshi food basket!"
"You stole that from the owner!" Mario pointed out. "You can't just go around taking things without paying!"
Yoshi blinked. "Pay?"
"You know, you give something to get something."
"Like, y'know, money?" Luigi offered.
"What money?"
Mario raised an eyebrow. "Say what?"
"Yoshi not know this money."
Mario exchanged a confused look with Luigi.
"Well, it's something you use to exchange for stuff. Like a trade."
"Trade…" Yoshi perked. "Oh! Trade!" He looked confused. "But why trade fruit? Fruit everywhere."
"Because someone worked hard to grow the fruit, and to gather it," Luigi replied. "You're trading for their time and effort."
"Yoshi confused."
"You're... not from around here, are you?" Mario asked.
Yoshi shook his head. "Yoshi...not from Mushroom-man place. Yoshi from...Yoshi's Island. Dinosaur Land."
"Clearly," Luigi deadpanned.
Mario thought for a moment before nodding. "You mind coming with us back to where you got that basket? Just so we can clear up this little misunderstanding."
Yoshi hesitated before nodding. "Okay."
They headed back to the shop in question, where Mario explained the situation.
"I'll pay for the basket, Chanterelle," Mario told him. "How much?"
"Fifteen coins."
Mario pulled out fifteen coins, handing them over. "Here you go."
"Thanks, Mario," Chanterelle smiled. "You two have a good one."
"You too." Mario tipped his cap to her as the trio walked off. "Another crisis averted."
Yoshi looked at the coins curiously. "Ooh, shiny. Shiny circle money?"
Luigi nodded. "Yep."
"So... Yoshi, right?" Mario asked. "What brings you here?"
"Oh!" Yoshi perked. "Yoshi on big important quest. Yoshi come here with Suika, elder of Yoshi Village. We looking for someone."
"Looking for someone?"
Yoshi nodded. "Man in red, like you."
Mario looked at himself, then Yoshi. "Um, Yoshi... I think you're looking for me."
Yoshi perked before looking at Mario, getting very close. "You red."
"Yeah, I am." Mario tugged at his collar awkwardly. "Could you please take a few steps backward? You're making me nervous."
"Oh, okay." Yoshi backed off.
"Yoshi! There you are!"
They turned to see another dinosaur walking toward them, this one an older, chubbier one with a fur kilt and a headband with a feather. He had several prominent stretch marks on his round belly, making him look like a watermelon.
"Elder Suika!" Yoshi exclaimed.
"Good grief…" Suika sighed. "I take my eyes off you for one second and you're already causing trouble."
Yoshi winced with guilt.
"I see you've made some friends, though. That's good." He turned to the Bros. "I apologize if my disciple caused you any trouble. He has a good heart, but he's–" He trailed off, eyes going wide as he took in their appearance. "No, it couldn't be…" He looked specifically at their caps, taking in their faces. "You two... your names wouldn't happen to be Mario and Luigi, would they?"
"I see our reputation precedes us," Mario mused.
"The Super Mario Bros., at your service." Luigi greeted.
"Blaargs below…" Suika gasped. "It is you. The last time I saw you, you were just little babies!"
That got the Bros.' attention.
"Babies…" Mario repeated.
Luigi perked. "Wait… does that mean you knew us?!"
"Well... sort of. I-It's a very long story. Mayhaps we could discuss this somewhere more private?"
"Right…" Mario nodded.
"C'mon," Luigi said. "Our place isn't far."
"Wonderful!" Suika smiled. "Come along, Yoshi."
The four of them headed off.
Dark Lands
In the infirmary, MP let out a groan, stirring as her eyes slowly peeled open.
"What a horrible nightmare…" she let out groggily, hearing the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor. "Guess I made it to a hospital. That's good…"
Carefully she lifted her head, coming face to face with a Koopa in a nurse outfit. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, then blinked again.
"Good morning," the nurse greeted.
A dead silence followed, MP staring wide-eyed at the Koopa before suddenly screaming. The Koopa recoiled, also screaming in surprise.
"Why are you yelling?!" the nurse demanded.
"I... Uh... Because you... you're-!" MP stammered before perking. "Oh shiitake, those skeletal things were REAL! I was chased by living skeletons!"
"The term is Dry Bones, kid."
"Dry…" MP took several deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. "Dry Bones. Right… Okay… So... this is real. I'm… Where am I?"
"This is the Mushroom World, as most people call it. More specifically, you're in the Dark Lands. The area ruled by our glorious leader, the Demon King (2) Bowser."
"Mushroom World…" MP gagged. "Great, just great." She perked. "Hold on... did you say, Demon King?"
"Relax, it's just a title."
"Right then. Dark Lands. Demon King, I've been isekai'ed into the villain's lair."
At that moment, the door opened. MP perked, jaw dropping as Bowser lumbered inside.
"Whoa…" she let out. "You are... a very big and spiky turtle." She turned to the nurse. "That your Demon King?"
The nurse nodded. MP turned back to Bowser.
"Well, in for a penny, in for a pound." She straightened up, smiling and waving. "Hi. Sorry for trespassing in your lands, and if that was your castle I broke into, please accept my apologies."
"Frankly, I'm the one who should apologize," Bowser replied, sitting down next to the bed. "The Dry Bones out there can be a little... rabid."
"Yeah, that was…" MP let out a long breath, shaking her head. "I thought I was in Hell for a bit."
Bowser nodded at that. "A lot of people get that impression the first time they find themselves in the Dark Lands. You're not alone in that thought, Mary Pat."
At the use of her name, MP froze. "How do you know my name?"
"From this, for one." Bowser held up her hat, which she immediately snatched up and clutched to her chest. "And for another, and please don't take this the wrong way, I was watching what that mobster did to you."
That made her stiff all over again. "You were spying on me?!"
"Not for very long, I assure you. Just long enough to watch your dealings with that mobster Scapelli. When he threw you down that drain, I had one of my court magicians open a Warp Pipe to bring you here."
His eyes drifted over to an adjacent bed, and MP's eyes followed. There, resting on the bed, was Kammy. She was hooked up to various machines and seemed to be in some sort of coma. Seeing that, MP couldn't help but feel uneasy. The portal spell had clearly been a taxing one, and yet Bowser had used it on her.
"Why?" she let out, turning back to Bowser. "Why would you bring me here? What's your motivation?"
Bowser smirked. "I'm glad you asked. Allow me to break it down for you." He cleared his throat, straightening slightly. "Not sure if the nurse explained things to you, but I'm about to rule the world."
"Yeah, that fits with the whole 'Demon King' schtick."
"Well, there are two little problems, Mary-"
"Mary Pat. "
"Mary Pat, sorry. There are two problems with my plans for global conquest: two humans, in red and green. Have mustaches, and hats just like yours."
MP gasped in shock, immediately trying to get to her feet. "You know my brothers?!"
Pain lanced across her chest and she was forced back onto the bed, having accidentally strained her injuries. Bowser waited for her to get settled again, then continued.
"Yes. A few months ago, they humiliated me. Handed me my first defeat in a long time."
While part of her was surprised Mario and Luigi had defeated this evil king, MP's mind was far more focused on the reveal they were alive and in this world as well. She fell back, practically collapsing in relief.
"They're alive…" she managed. "Thank God, they're alive…"
About that time, Kamek came in, pushing a tea tray with some steaming tea and a potion bottle.
"I brought the girl's medicine, your nastiness, as requested," he said. "I also brought along something I think both of you would like to see."
"Is that so?" Bowser asked.
"Yes, sire. But first, let me prepare the girl's medicine."
MP glared at him. "The girl is right here and has a name."
Kamek simply poured her a cup of tea, then added in the potion before mixing in a little honey to sweeten it, stirring the tea.
"Here. Be sure to drink all of it. I promise it will make all your pain go away."
MP looked down at the tea. "Did you poison this?"
Kamek raised an eyebrow. "Mary Pat, do you truly think we would go through all this trouble to save you from those goons and treat your wounds simply to kill you here?"
MP mulled on that for a bit, then sipped at the tea. She hummed slightly, nodding. "This tastes good."
"Just keep drinking, my dear." Kamek turned to Bowser. "In the meantime, your vileness, we found something on the viewing crystal. A video from one of our men in New Donk City."
"Well, don't leave me hanging. Let's see it."
Kamek, with a small smirk on his face, pulled out a viewing crystal. It shimmered, then began to show the brand new Super Mario Bros commercial. As it plays, MP was staring in complete shock, her now empty tea cup clattering to the ground. She was staring at the image, her eyes glassy and her jaw slack.
"It seems your brothers have acclimated to this world quite well, wouldn't you say?" Kamek mused.
"No…" MP shook her head. "Mario… Luigi…"
Bowser grimaced, turning away as he heard the heartbreak in her voice.
"I know how you feel," he said solemnly. "My father, Morton Sr. (3), was a deadbeat. More focused on being a conqueror than a parent. Kamek was more of a father to me than he ever was. I know you must feel angry, hurt, betrayed… You must hate them for abandoning you."
Kamek was grinning, glancing over at MP. The light was slowly returning to her eyes, but there was a strange, red tinge to her irises.
"I... I am angry… I am hurt… they betrayed me… I…" Her fists clenched. "I hate them…"
In an explosion of rage and sorrow, she snatched up Kamek's crystal ball and threw it against the wall with a shriek, where it smashed into a thousand pieces.
"I HATE THEM! "
"Well then, you're in the right place," Kamek said. "King Bowser will take care of you, and let you get the revenge you deserve."
"Damn right, I will. Call me a villain all you want, but if there's one thing I can't stand, it's abandoning family." Bowser snorted smoke from his nose in discontent. "Stinking red 'stached weasel didn't know how good he had it in your world."
"He's chosen his side," MP spat. "Chosen some puffed-up princess over the people who raised and loved him." Angry, bitter tears rolled down her face. "I'll show him… I'll show both of them."
"Yes, you will." Bowser placed a gentle hand on her back, unaware of Kamek's silent chuckles.
Author's Note:
(1): "What the fuck was that?" in Italian
(2): Taking from the Japanese version, where Bowser has the title of Daimaō, or Great Demon King.
(3): Some fanon bits suggest that this is the name of Bowser's father. Morton Jr's name had to come from somewhere.
Oh no! Bowser has Mario and Luigi's little sister, and is turning her to his side! What will happen next?
And yes, we decided to introduce Yoshi early. His outfit, the toga, is basically the Caveman Outfit from Odyssey without the headgear. The Elder, Suika, is based on the Village Elder from Paper Mario. And saying this right now: in my take, Suika is the green Yoshi who helped Baby Mario back in the Yoshi's Island trilogy. Yoshi himself is the Baby Yoshi born during the credits of Yoshi's Island DS. Also, Suika is Japanese for "watermelon"; all Yoshis barring Yoshi himself have a fruit name theme.
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Yoshi - Casey Mongillo (Limstella from Fire Emblem Heroes, Emporio Alniño from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean, The Nahobino from Shin Megami Tensei V, Shinji Ikari in the 2019 Netflix dub of Neon Genesis Evangelion)
* Suika - Eugene Brave Rock (Chief in the DC Extended Universe)
Please R&R. Until next time!