Welcome back to a fresh chapter! After this one, we'll hit the finale, but for now, Wario's advancing to the next step of his…shoddy, thrown together plan. Can the heroes stop him before he steamrolls the nation? Or will they fall to the thorn in their side?
Find out in this 3K+ word chapter!
Toad Town
It's another swell day for the Toads. Their short stature, and dotted heads are innocent enough for such a town. It's right beneath a monarch's gorgeous castle, but isn't a weak town that constantly needs handouts.
A koopa flies in to grab mail at the Post Office. A toad's planting seeds that look like thumbs, trancing along the garden. There's even a couple black toads working a train, able to transport its citizens, and at least approved visitors to a new location. A surprisingly civilized civilization for a monarchy.
With a solid system, There's of course, the more outlandish subjects. Pipes cut off from the town. A couple sketchy fellas selling "badges." Then of course, there's the purple covered hut, with a spinning roof. EASILY a standout.
A green Toad twiddles his fingers, watching a purple one with long brown hair, pout water over a few seeds. "Should I tell her how I feel?" He asks himself.
An invading group of Shy Guys barge in, knocking a red Toad on their butt! They mob the citizens, stealing valuables like IDs, Wallets stuffed with coins, calculators, and much more. One breaks a toads window and leaps out with her frying pan!
That poor yellow toad's struck with sadness. "Come back! Do you know how much that means to me?"
"Nah."
Wario obstructs her whole view. His slimy smile striking her with disgust. "What do you want from me?"
"This place is LOADED!" Wario rubs his hands together. "I could make a town without so much pointless construction."
There's a large project going on down South, but at this rate, it will never get done.
The yellow Toad backs away, after the reality sets in. Toad Town isn't a safe haven anymore. "Please.."
Wario's face goes flat. "You act like I'm gonna kill ya."
"Because you look like a killer…"
"These biceps are killer!" Wario claps back, kissing them. "These guns are gonna make the best city ever."
"..Do you think they'll bow to men like you?
"Oh guess who brave all of a sudden." Wario huffs. "Now I'm totally making a town! Just to prove you wrong…and i don't need the bowing."
A wizard in purple, dawning a wand and a massive mustache, floats behind him. "SHOW ME YOUR TRUE FORM!" He zaps Wario with his wand..
Nothing happens.
"The hell is that supposed to do?"
The wizard blinks at his wand. "You must really be human. NO MATTER!" The orb at the end lights up, but Wario snatches it from his hands!
"Don't you even—" the sound of screeching cars interrupts Wario's trash talk. He grits his teeth just thinking about their redemption. "Who needs redemption? They don't…"
"..who are you talking about?' The Toad asks.
"A big red pain in my wallet."
The Mario and Kong families speed up, with their new whips.
Mario's got a red cart with an "M" at the front. Basic, but steady.
Jumpman has an entire van, with Yoshi as a passenger. Good cover for themselves incase of an attack.
Donkey Kong's on the Varmint, with two barrels attached. With its four stroke engine, and loud roar, it's a surprisingly formidable motorbike..with a scarier driver.
Lastly, Cranky's pulling ahead with
Wario aims his wand at the group. "Shy Guys! You know wah to do!" At his command, a group of Shy Guys with spears, AND war paint charge into the suicide mission. Some lob their spears, to no effect. One aims for Mario's tires, so he has to swerve to the left.
DK's barrel snap forward. He launches bananas! Sure enough, one Shy Guy doesn't pay attention, and slips over the peel! That causes a pile of up of charging guys..and opens up the path further.
A red Toad peers out. "They're gonna save us?!"
A green Toad jumps up in shock. "ARE THOSE THE KONGS?!"
DK pounds his chest, and Cranky does it meekly.
"No way.." another Toad murmurs.
"I thought they hated us?"
Cranky doesn't mind the towns chatter, instead giving Wario that thousand yard stare. "YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD DISRESPECT US AND GET AWAY WITH IT?!"
Wario glares right back! "Go back to the stone age!"
"NO!"
Mario just rams through the entrance, taking down multiple Shy Guys! His dad, and the Kongs follow. It's the five of them against Wario and his little group. Not a total warzone, but things aren't looking pretty for Toad Town.
Speaking of, they still chat amongst themselves.
"Is that another human?"
"Cranky got old."
"The princess needs to hear about this.."
"Wow..Yoshi looks so much cuter in person!"
Wario stomps around to cut off the chatter. "ENOUGH!"
Mario steps forward. "I've-a had ENOUGH of you! First you scam Brooklyn, now you want to hurt-a these people!"
"HURT?" Wario groans. "How many times do I gotta say this? I'm no killer! I just want to get big! It's not hard to get."
"You want to get big by taking over a small town?"
"That's how everyone else does it."
"That won't fly for me." Mario gives him a confident look, DARING him to use the wand. His confidence is at a high, especially after he beat an unbeatable Kong.
"Your dumb hero act won't fly. You couldn't save my old business, so how about you face-a that instead?" Wario asks, mocking the accent. He aims his wand, having enough of Mario's comebacks. He tries a quick one on Jumpman instead, but Mario takes the bullet in a heartbeat! Toads gasp at the show of heart!
Mario vanishes right in front of his dads eyes! "Mario? MARIO!"
Wario aims it again..but DK shoves both elders out of the way, vanishing along with the plumber. Two down.
Cranky uses his cane to knock Jumpman on the head. "No time to cry. We've got work to do." Despite Cranky's words, Jumpman is silent. He glances at Wario with a cold glare.
"We're taking that wand."
"On these bum legs?"
Jumpman glances at a ? Block behind them.
"NOW!"
As they go for the blocks, Yoshi covers them. He spreads his arms, looking very hostile for a Yoshi. Despite his happiness sinking second by second, he's standing his ground.
"Stupid Yoshi."
Wario zaps Yoshi with a wand. He vanishes from thin air, much to the disdain of the Toads.
"NO!"
"Why him?!"
"Shut up!" Wario demands, aiming the wand at them. His idea of threatening them flops, and he'd find out in mere seconds..
It's like free falling into a database. All Mario, DK, and Yoshi can see are 0's and 1's all around, plus a white light at the end.
"Woah!" Mario yelps. "Where are we-a going?!"
"Don't know!"
"Yoshi?"
They get encased by the white light. The unknown has gotten to them, and all they can do is hope it's merciful. Knowing that Wario just got magic from a wizard, Mario doesn't get his hopes up. "Please-a be good. No, be OK. Good is too much to ask for."
.
.
The first three microgames are easy enough, but weirds Mario out. Yoshi's clearly having fun, while DK is dead serious.*
The trio wake up to funky music, and a door that says "1." There's nothing around them but a yellow, cybernetic floor. Mario takes the lead, opening the door to see a black void.
"What-a the hell?"
Yoshi just jumps in, vanishing in his sight!
"No! Yoshi! What are you-a thinking?" Mario asks, facepalming.
"He must have went somewhere else. I follow." DK enters too, leaving the plumber all alone.
"Mamamia.."
Mario heads in, unsure of what'll meet him on the other side…
.
.
He finally has sight! Mario looks both ways. Yoshi's on his right. DK's on his left. There's a little handle ahead, with a flat balloon. When he sees the fire light on the bomb, he rushes up! "NOT ON MY-A WATCH!
"Pop it!"
Mario uses his newfound strength to get that balloon up pretty quick! One loud POP and they've won.
"That was-a easy.." Mario admits.
DK and Yoshi are already through Door #2.
"Be-a patient.."
.
.
Mario joins his partners. Right ahead of the, is a giant kid, covered in smoke. His coughs are getting hoarse by the second!
"Maybe not so easy.." Mario admits.
"Clear the air!"
There's a BOMB ticking, with a flame racing to it!
"Think-a fast! How do we-a get up there?" Mario asks. DK answers by scaling the kid, and using his thunderous claps to blast the smog away! After he hops down, the kid cheers..it also turns out there's a Wario shaking his ass at the group.
Mario cringes. "EW!"
The three run ahead through Door #3…
.
.
Once in for numero tres, they see another weird mission with that stressful timer. There's a mass of dirt beneath them, and a giant leg above.
"Don't get crushed!"
Donkey Kong hacks it by climbing onto the shoe, leaving Mario and Yoshi to complete it. The two dodge a giant stomp, leaving Mario on his ass. Yoshi swoops in to save the day, and Mario from the merciless human!
That shoe is ON them, barely grazing them each time! Yoshi runs up a wall, and hits a sick backflip to avoid them. All with a smile!
"Ya-hoo!"
Mario's getting dizzy, as Yoshi gets popped up by the stomp! The exits in reach! "You're-a lifesaver."
"Yoshi!"
Donkey Kong hops off the shoe, and rushes with them. Soon, they get out of reach from the human that wanted to squish them like ants. "Everyone ok?" DK asks.
"I'm-a dizzy…"
After escaping for their lives, the trio heads for the black door ahead, labeled "4", Mario's left scratching his head. "Talking dinosaurs were-a new, but this…"
"Cannot describe?" DK asks.
"Yes. Thank-a you.."
In the real town, Wario got distracted by someone else's opinion. It comes back to bite him. He turns back to the elders of those heroes, and they can finally stand on their own two feet. Whatever power they took has healed the wound.
"You should try a mushroom. Good for your health." Jumpman says, enraging him further.
"Go back to the Great Depression!" Wario shouts, aiming his wand at the two. They decide to split up, dividing Wario's attention. The villain doesn't know who to go for! "If I get Cranky, he loses and it'd be funny. If I get Jumpman, I take out bigger threat."
Jumpman's closest to a ? Block, so Wario goes to zap him! Jumpman rolls, smashes the block…and turns into Tanooki Jumpman! Brown suit, striped tail, and all! He turns around to see Cranky with the same!
"Oh no…"
The elders smack him with their tails, like he's a ping pong ball! Back and forth, back and forth! Wario can't get any offense in. Cranky dropkicks Wario, sending him into a Supermario punch from Jumpman! He's flat on his ass!
"Let's finish him." Jumpman says.
"I've been praying for this."
The two take to the skies, keeping their eyes on that dastardly Wario. If they can fly in fast enough, it's sure to be the fatal blow in this fight. They dash forward, ready to avenge their fallen children..
Wario comes back to Earth, seeing the Tanooki's ready to eat him up. He looks to his left, sees the wand. He looks to the right, sees a ? Block. Seeing no other choice, he smashes the block..revealing a Mushroom with a rock for a head. With the Tanooki's oncoming, he gobbles it up in no time!
Jumpman and Cranky stretch out their fists. The Wario they knew suddenly turns into a boulder! He leaps up and FLATTENS THEM! Just like that, their Tanooki powers vanish, turning them back into their basic selves. Wario rolls tall, with his face sticking out at the middle.
"Wahaha! You think you can beat Wario? Wario
Wario turns his back on that wand. Big mistake. That bearded wizard grabs it, possessing his great weapon again..
Mario, DK, and Yoshi run into the eighth Microgame. There's no bomb inside for a change. There's a catch. In a matter of seconds, they shrink down to form..animals?
Mario's a white chicken with a stache + red hat. Donkey Kong is a brown hen. Yoshi looks the oddest of all, being a green chicken with a tail. They are fenced in, and some boxes are just laying around.
"Bawk?" Mario freaks himself out! "Bawk Bawk Bawk!"
"Bawk.." DK Chicken says, calmer than ever. He runs for the finish immediately, not caring about whether there's a timer or not. Yoshi just hops around, glancing at his new feathers often. Mario just takes a look around.
Nobody.
"Bawk?" He asks, walking along the trail. There doesn't seem to be any danger around. Just nature.
"RUN!"
Mario clucks, when he sees a blond haired kid in green coming for him! "Get back here!"
"BAWK!"
Mario runs ahead the best he can, following the fence and moving past boxes. That kids no joke though, constantly breathing down his behind. He sees a stack of boxes, and clucks at his new friends to do something!
DK and Yoshi leave their finish line, to peck at the boxes. DK keeps ramming himself in until one tips over! Chicken Mario dodges it, but the kids foot doesn't, getting crushed beneath the light weight! Sure, he just kicks it to the side, but he lost valuable time.
Mario crosses the finish line. With all three across, they transform back into their human selves. The kid just walks away, dejected at his failed catch.
Mario's panting like a dog. "What-a wacky world!"
"Kid not scary."
The three head into Door #9 for their next quest. Mario doesn't know when this will be over, but he only hopes the real world is fighting back against that greedy, selfish businessman.
Back at Toad Town, Wario kicks Cranky while he's down. "I hate you the most."
"The feelings mutual."
"Da FeElIngS MuTuAL. Blah blah blah, that what you sound like." Wario mocks, turning his focus to Jumpman. "And YOU…I don't really hate you. Your kid keeps getting in my way! Why does he care so much about Brooklyn anyway? He can save a baby and they treat him like nothing."
Jumpman coughs. "He doesn't expect anything from anyone. Unlike you.."
Wario gives him a kick for that answer. "If he want to lose to me again, he can come and get this hunk!" He smacks his belly. "But i know how small he is. He's already lost to my failed business…" Wario takes a second to look around. "Does anyone play games?"
"..no?"
Coins replace his pupils. "Oh yes.."
After a long journey through the microgames, Mario, DK, and Yoshi enter the next game. There's a sign there that reads: "One player." DK scratches his head. "What that mean?"
"After you guys saved-a me, I'll do this." Mario demands, stepping forward. His pals start levitating in the air. Yoshi's cheering it on, while DK looks the most puzzled he's ever been.
"What is this magic?"
"You're-a watching." Mario answers, as a white remote pops up above his head. He grabs ahold of it. "Don't know what this does, but here we go!"
"Get through it!"
He runs ahead, and it turns out the plains aren't as safe as they look. A little brick wall, layered 2 up, appears first. Mario hurdles over it like nothing. Next, a brick wall with 4 up appears. Mario has to spin above the wall! His leg scrapes the wall a bit, but he fights through the pain.
"Yoshi!" The Dino cheers, clapping for his friend.
Mario doesn't see any more bricks ahead. Instead, gray boulders are fired at him!
"Change position!"
Mario sees the sign ahead, and sets the remote at his head. "Ok?" Those boulders are starting to come down. Mario fires bananas from the remote, sending those obstacles to the side! After a little more fire, Mario breaths in relief.
"What's next, huh?"
A giant head overshadows the plains. Literally. At first, Mario can't make out the shape, but when the entity reveals itself, his eyes shoot open! The head is a blue alien, with blinking white eyes. It has no mouth, but it's presence says everything. This is the boss fight of the microgame. Mario was unsure of where this ends, but maybe if he takes this down, they will be free.
Boulders come from the eyes, but Mario shoots them at the alien, making it squirm! "Not-a today!" With the alien open, he fires bananas at it, turning its skin from a cold blue, to a light red.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Explosions impact the aliens head, leaving it to sink. "WAHOO!" Mario shrieks, close to the exit. There's another door labeled #11. A purple pipe rises in front of it! Mario can make out a faint spirit of that wizard from earlier.
"The real world needs you!"
Mario turns around to find DK and Yoshi dropped from their levitation. The whole squad is ready to give that menace the fight of his life.
"Let's-a go."
The trio slides down the pipe, ready to deliver some serious payback.