Mario & Luigi: The Two Super Bros

by VittorioFGC

A series of one-shots starring Mario and Luigi! Our two favourite brothers are twins, and their bond has always been very strong. Let's see some of their moments together, in adventures, sports or even something more mundane. You can do requests if you want to, unless it's an idea I already used in a previous chapter. Rematches will be exceptions.

24. Peach's Showtime: Part 2

A/N: Hey guys! In the previous chapter, Mario and Luigi went with Peach to the SparkleTheater, where they met Stella, and are taking part in a play. We're halfway through the play, so let's see how the rest goes. Did you see the June Nintendo Direct? I didn't expect a new Mario & Luigi game to be announced after AlphaDream went bankrupt, let alone at the beginning of the Direct! The new game is Mario & Luigi: Brothership, and it's scheduled for release in November. Three Mario RPGs, one from each series, in one year? Crazy, huh? Now let's get started.

---

Chapter 24: Peach's Showtime: Part 2

(''Snowy Field- Kirby's Epic Yarn OST'')

It was still Friday night. When the interval ended, the sixth part began. It was set in a small snowy town, and Mario, Luigi, and Peach were greeted by several Theets who played the roles of figure skaters.

''Wow... now that's a snowy landscape.'' said Mario.

''Wait until you see the ice skating show. You'll be dazzled.'' said Peach.

Daisy was still watching TV, and it was a shame for her that she couldn't watch the show herself.

''Daisy would really like the show.'' Luigi commented. ''She's a tomboy, yeah, but that doesn't mean she doesn't like typically feminine things.''

But as they continued on, a Sour Bunch minion blocked the way with a pile of snow, but Mario shooed him away and Peach used Sparkle on the frightened skaters, who cleared the way to the skating arena.

''The ice-skating show is about to start! Let's go!'' an excited Theet said.

They entered the igloo-like skating arena, but there was a problem. Other members of the Sour Bunch had taken over the rink, and they looked like show-offs.

''Let's shut those idiots up!'' Mario shouted.

''And we will. But not now.'' Stella said, and they went outside.

The ice skaters quickly realized that their team was not complete: there were supposed to be eight of them, but three of them were missing.

''And now what do we do?'' asked Luigi.

''They must be out there somewhere.'' Peach said.

A shrill scream caught their attention, and they all headed to the left. Three female ice-skating Theets were trapped in some snowmen, and the Sour Bunch were harassing them. When they finally chased them away, a bell rang.

''It's almost time! We should be at the skating rink right now!'' exclaimed a skater.

''Peach! Go in there!'' Luigi said, pointing to a glowing spot.

(''Snowy Field- Kirby's Epic Yarn OST-s'')

(''Freezy Flake Galaxy- Super Mario Galaxy 2 OST'')

Peach stood on the glowing spot, and Stella used her powers to transform her. When the light disappeared, the princess was wearing a short sleeveless dress of a beautiful light blue color, high heels, skates, a white feather band on her waist, and gloves and a skirt with a pattern similar to ice crystals, and her hair was tied in an elegant bun with a white feather headdress.

''That's Figure Skater Peach!'' said Stella.

Luigi and Daisy were fascinated by Peach's dress. She had always been very beautiful, but with this dress, she seemed to come straight from the mountains illuminated by the northern lights.

Mario was so enthralled by Peach's beauty that he remained still, with his mouth and eyes wide open.

''Mario? Mario? Can you hear me?'' Luigi asked. Seeing that Mario wasn't responding, he waved his hand in front of his brother's face. ''Hello? Earth to Mario!''

''Hm? Oh, sorry. I was... busy looking at this new dress.'' Mario said, surprised.

''What's the matter, Mario? Are you dazzled by my beauty?'' Peach joked.

Mario turned red as a tomato, too embarrassed to say anything in response, and Luigi couldn't help but laugh.

''Can't say that Mario's reaction was unjustified.'' Daisy commented, giggling.

''Does this remind you of anything? From that movie, I mean?'' Luigi asked.

''I see the resemblance.'' Peach said.

''It's not the first time we did ice-skating together.'' Mario said.

''Really?'' Stella asked, curious.

''Yes.'' Mario replied.(1)

''You guys have lived a full life.'' Stella said. ''I'm going to give you and Luigi my powers, and then we'll head to the ice rink. Those Sour Bunch thugs are ruining the show.'' She used her powers, giving Mario and Luigi a blue tuxedo.(2)

''Hey, it goes great with ice!'' Luigi said. "Come on, let's go in!"

(''Freezy Flake Galaxy- Super Mario Galaxy 2 OST-s'')

The skating rink had an abnormal aura when Mario and the others entered, and it was noticeable right away. Five Sour Bunch minions had taken over the skating rink, and the Theets in the stands hated how they were ruining the show. The door opened, revealing Mario, Luigi, and the girls, surprising the Mosti and forcing them to leave.

''With this power, Peach can skate gracefully on the ice, and can also get rid of enemies by using a skating move on them. Mario, Luigi, direct Peach and the dancers and help them perform.'' said Stella.

''OK.'' said Mario.

''Are you sure we can do it?'' Luigi asked. ''I don't want us to ruin the show.''

''Come on, they'll go just fine.'' his brother replied.

''If you say so.'' Luigi said.

(''A Little Light Snowfall- Yoshi's Woolly World OST'')

The performance began, and the first part consisted of a series of jumps. Yellow hexagon-shaped snowflakes appeared on the ice rink.

''Get ready, Peach! Let's start jumping!'' said Mario.

Peach began to skate, and at the same time as Mario raised his arms, she jumped when she touched the snowflake. She did it twice more, and with perfect timing, she jumped higher than before, drawing the attention of the crowd to herself. More snowflakes appeared, this time blue ones.

''What do these snowflakes mean?'' asked Luigi.

''They indicate what to do when the skater steps on them. The blue snowflakes require pirouettes, while the yellow and green ones require jumps.'' Stella replied.

''I get it no.'' said Mario.

''Peach! Get ready for the pirouettes!'' said Luigi.

Peach hovered over the snowflakes as Luigi moved his arms, making graceful pirouettes that further impressed the audience. Five more snowflakes appeared, four white and one yellow.

''Nice! Now let's try to do both the pirouettes and the jump!'' Mario told her.

"Great!'' Luigi shouted.

''Now, girls! Together!'' Peach said, and four of the female figure skaters joined her. They stopped on a rainbow-colored snowflake and did a graceful pirouette before striking a pose. She did the next part of the routine alone, and the other four remaining figure skaters came out onto the rink. She gathered them all together and they did a pirouette and a group pose.

''Wonderful!'' Mario cheered.

''Just what I'd like to see from a skating show!'' said Daisy.

(''A Little Light Snowfall- Yoshi's Woolly World OST-s'')

(''Ice Ruins- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds OST'')

But before the performance ended, an flamboyant Sour Bunch skater appeared from behind the door, and skater Theets approached him against their will, then, they were surrounded by a dark aura and their eyes glowed red.

''What's happening?!'' Luigi exclaimed.

''He corrupted them! He stole my teammates!'' Peach replied, and she wasn't happy at all.

''Let's follow him, quickly!'' said Mario.

Mario, Luigi, and Peach left the skating rink and went backstage, where a panicked Theet showed them the way.

''There's a path over there that will lead to another stage. Nothing difficult, but watch out for those hanging balls.'' Stella said.

They had no problem overcoming the obstacles, and they soon reached the Sour Bunch skater in his tent.

''How are we going to free those skaters?'' Mario asked.

''We have to beat him at his own game. When he makes his moves, he always gets dizzy afterwards, so I can use a pairs figure skating move on him when he's dizzy.'' Peach said.

''If we can weaken him, the girls will come to their senses.'' Stella added.

The dark skater began his performance, and the skater Theets followed suit, albeit unwillingly. He took a pirouette jump, but overdid it and spun his head on the first leap, while the girls went on as if nothing had happened. Peach grabbed his hand and did a death spiral, then let go after gaining enough momentum.

''He's stunned! This is our chance!'' Mario exclaimed.

The figure-skating Theets were also dizzy, and they had scattered in the conclusion. ''Girls, snap out of it!'' Peach shouted, and they returned to normal.

The dark skater recovered, and annoyed by what Peach had done, tried to grab her from behind to throw her, but Mario stuck out his hand, and a bundle of ice came out of his hand, making him stumble, and in the meantime, the princess gathered the eight Theets.

''Now it's time for our finishing move!'' said a skater.

Mario did a death spiral with Peach, while everyone else did a pirouette. The Sour Bunch skater was impressed, but then left.

(''Ice Ruins- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds OST-s'')

''Great job, girls.'' Peach said, as the Theets in the audience gave them a loud applause.

(''Snowflake Lake- Mario Party 6 OST'')

Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Stella left the skating arena and returned to the town, where they found the Figure Skater Sparkla.

''Judging by your faces, it looks like you put on quite a show.'' the Sparkla said.

''Yes. We just left the skating rink.'' Mario said.

''There's a parade in town. Follow me.''

There was serious trouble in town: five Sour Bunch goons were on the parade float, and they were trying to ruin the party for everyone. The Theets yelled at them to stop this at once, and their noses glowed bright red, but they ignored them, forcing Mario, Peach and the Sparkla to chase them away.

(''Snowflake Lake- Mario Party 6 OST-s'')

(''Cozy Cabin- Kirby's Epic Yarn OST'')

''Now we can begin the parade.'' said the Figure Skater Sparkla.

But as they began to skate along behind the wagon, Luigi remained silent, and Peach couldn't help but notice that he had a worried expression on his face. ''Hey, are you okay?'' she asked.

''I wonder if something is bothering him.'' the Sparkla said.

''Oh, excuse him. The last time my brother and I went ice skating, we were in an ice skating competition.'' Mario explained.

"And how did it end?" the Sparkla asked.

''We faced each other in the final and I won. But we got a little too competitive and Luigi got hurt. We are brothers, so it's normal that we are competitive, but... that evening, that accident, left a strong impression on him.''

''Excuse me, but does this have anything to do with this?''

''I think Luigi is associating ice skating with that incident. It reminds him a lot of what happened that evening. It's not the only time their competitiveness has caused problems between them. Even though he and Mario are very close, Luigi is always worried that competing with each other will irreparably damage their relationship.'' Peach explained.

''It's true. This made him think that we won't have to compete with each other anymore. There was another incident that had nothing to do with ice skating but that caused us a lot of stress. There was a tennis tournament, and in the singles final, we faced each other in the finals. Luigi had won, but the final was very competitive and full of tension. During the awarding ceremony, something happened, and that made things difficult.'' Mario added. ''You know, when it happened, I wanted to give up the doubles final, but Luigi had insisted that I play.''

''Yes, you don't have to remind me, Mario.'' Daisy commented from the TV. She knew it wasn't her best moment, and she didn't like being reminded of it.

''Well, Luigi, try not to think about it too much.'' the Figure Skater Sparkla said.

''It's not that easy.'' Luigi replied.

Mario, Luigi, Peach, and the Splendì escorted the parade float, followed by some ice-skating Theets but some members of the Sour Bunch tried to sabotage them. Stopping them wasn't difficult, but halfway through the parade on the ice, Luigi tripped on his leg and fell.

''Careful there, Lu!'' Mario exclaimed.

''Sorry. I've always been kinda clumsy.'' Luigi said embarrassed.

''Don't think about it, Luigi.'' Peach told him.

They reached a staircase leading to a stage, but suddenly, the atmosphere changed, and the lights went out.

(''Cozy Cabin- Kirby's Epic Yarn OST-s'')

''Ah! Help!'' Luigi shouted.

''Hey! Who turned off the light?'' the Figure Skater Sparkla asked.

When the lights came back on, the same skater from before was on stage.

''Again?'' Mario commented.

(''Second Movement Waltz of Ice- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST'')

''He wants to ruin everything! Let's take back the parade!'' Stella shouted.

They went up to the stage and reached the dark skater, who had eight other skaters under his control. The rematch wasn't much different from the first round, but the Sour Bunch skater was surrounded by two henchmen. After jumping, he was dizzy, and Luigi created an ice ramp that knocked him to the ground, allowing Peach and the Figure Skater Sparkla to grab him and throw him away. They quickly defeated him, but he wasn't going to give up.

''He just won't give up!'' said Mario.

"We just have to defeat him one more time.'' said the Sparkla.

''If it's a skating competition you want, so be it!'' Peach declared.

The dark skater did a pirouette, and in the process, almost bumped into Luigi, who dodged. As he looked up, a large icicle fell from the ceiling and nearly fell on him. ''Hey! That's no fair!'' he shouted.

"I'll power up your moves, Peach. We need to defeat that troublemaker before he continues to sabotage our show!" said Figure Skater Sparkla.

After avoiding a death spiral, Mario fired ice balls at the enemy's head. He missed, but Luigi managed to hit the dark skater's legs, immobilizing him, and Peach jumped over him, striking a pose.

The Sour Bunch figure skater raised his hands, summoning chunks of ice that slashed through the air. Luigi leaped out of the way to avoid them, but he tripped after hitting the ground and began to slide out of control.

"Look out, Luigi!" Peach shouted, pointing to a patch of ice in the distance. The younger brother turned and managed to use his skates to safely stop.

"You ain't seen nothing yet, buddy," Mario said.

The Figure Skater quickly stole the show, with graceful moves that left even the opposing skater speechless. Peach joined her, and after fending off his minions, she skated around him until his head was spinning, freeing the other skaters from his control.

''It works!'' Luigi exclaimed.

"Now let's get serious!'' the Sparkla said. As she skated, jumped, and took steps and spins, she left a trail of snow dust behind her.

''Ready, girls?'' asked Peach.

''We're ready!'' the skaters replied.

Mario nodded to Peach, and he and Luigi used their new ice powers to create an ice ramp and slide.

''Get ready to jump!'' said the Sparkla. She jumped onto the ramp, followed by Peach and the other skaters, then Mario and Luigi followed and they all went down the ice slide, making themselves the center of attention under her guidance.

Mario grabbed Peach from behind and threw her effectively, then they did a death spiral, with the skaters spinning around them, while Luigi used his powers to raise a platform under their feet and surround everyone in small ice crystals which he then destroyed at the end.

There was great applause from the audience, and the dark skater admitted defeat and walked away.

(''Second Movement Waltz of Ice- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST-s'')

(''Phendrana Drifts- Metroid Prime OST'')

''Never underestimate the power of Sparkle!'' said Peach.

''It's like being in an ice cave, but better!'' Daisy cheered.

''Great job everyone. You stole the show.'' the Sparkla said.

''Can I say it was wonderful?" Mario asked.

''No doubt about it.'' Peach giggled, and kissed Mario on the nose.

''I thought I was going to ruin the show for a moment.'' Luigi said in relief.

''You're not ruining anything, Luigi. You did a good job.'' his brother told him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

''Thanks, bro.'' Luigi said.

(''Phendrana Drifts- Metroid Prime OST-s'')

---

(''Quilty Square- Kirby's Epic Yarn OST'')

The seventh part was set in a city. The architecture of the city was very similar to the buildings of London.

''The next part features a detective.'' Peach said.

''I don't think I've ever been a detective.'' Mario said.

''Remember, Mario, being a detective requires intelligence, cunning and great attention to detail.'' Stella told him.

''Every detail, even the smallest one, could make a difference.'' Peach added.

''While you're at the crime scene, talk to witnesses to get more information. But be careful: some people have no qualms about lying to you to put a spoke in your wheels.'' Luigi said.

''It's perfect for you, Luigi! You'll be amazing!'' Mario exclaimed.

''Are you sure, Mario?'' Luigi asked timidly.

''Yes, what do you mean?'' asked Stella.

''Mario tends to be impulsive and stubborn. He doesn't always think before he acts.'' Peach replied.

''Luigi is much more cautious than I am, and he doesn't like to put himself in danger. You don't know how many times he has scolded me for not listening to him.'' said Mario, combing his moustache.

''Reckless, huh, Mario? Well, come on, the next part of the show awaits us.'' said Stella.

(''Quilty Square- Kirby's Epic Yarn OST-s'')

(''Forest of Outset Island- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD OST'')

The Worm Company was causing trouble in the city, and Peach sent away one of them, who was trying to rob a Theet. Alongside Mario, Luigi and Stella, she went to the museum, but it was closed.

''That's strange... what could have happened?'' Mario wondered.

The Detective Sparkla, famous for his investigative skills, was not there at the moment, and his assistant could not enter, as the guards wanted the detective. He was relieved when he saw Peach, and led them to the detective's office.

''There's a secret passage here, but I can't activate it.'' he said.

''Peach, take a look at these four books. Maybe you could use Sparkla on them.'' Mario said.

"Mario, look at this!" Luigi exclaimed, pointing to a panel with four symbols and an arrow underneath. ''Star, lightning, cloud, sun.''

Peach used the Shine on the four books in the order indicated by the panel, and the shelf disappeared, revealing the secret passage. ''That was the combination. Let's go.''

(''Forest of Outset Island- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD OST-s'')

There was a glowing spot in the room where Stella used her powers, giving Peach a brown detective outfit with a matching cap and a magnifying glass.

''That's Peach Detective!'' said Stella.

''I'd say you're ready to investigate.'' Mario said.

Stella used her powers on Mario and Luigi, dressing them in a suit and a tie.

(''Investigation ~ Opening 2001- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney OST'')

''Just like a private investigator.'' Luigi said, taking a flashlight and looking at his clothes.

''Hey, I didn't expect to see any more assistants!'' the detective's assistant exclaimed. ''Wait a minute!'' he hid in the room, but Peach noticed his large nose between the couch cushions and Luigi removed them, revealing him.

''Was it a test?'' Mario asked.

''Yes. To see if you are ready.'' the assistant replied.

''Mario, Luigi, remember, you can reveal hidden object details or expose liars and criminals using the Strike of Intuition.'' said Stella.

''That seems simple enough.'' Mario said.

''Yes, but this requires you to use your brain. If you use the Strike of Intuition at the wrong time, it will disappoint the audience, and that could ruin the show, so be careful how you use it.'' Stella added. (3)

''Another reason not to mess things up: we could humiliate ourselves in front of everyone.'' Luigi commented.

''Don't say that, Lu. You have an eye for detail, this role is perfect for you.'' Mario told him. ''Let's go to the museum.''

Like any self-respecting museum, the museum was filled with ancient artifacts. One of them resembled a Sparkle gem. The junior detective led Peach and the others to a room with an ancient mural.

''What is this?'' asked Mario.

''The Theepota mural.'' the detective's assistant replied. ''I don't know if it's just me, but I have a feeling of déjà vu.''

''This scene seems to have come out of a tapestry or a legend.'' said Luigi.

"Not bad, huh?" the museum curator asked.

(''Investigation ~ Opening 2001- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney OST-s'')

Suddenly, everything went dark, and Luigi and several Theets panicked.

''Aaaaahhh!'' Luigi shouted in fere.

"Hey! Where did the light go?'' a guard called out.

The lights came back on, and at first, it seemed like nothing had happened.

(''Environmental Shock- Metroid Fusion OST'')

One of the Theets was holding on tightly to a cop, and the others were still in shock. But no one had time to breathe a sigh of relief before Luigi screamed like a little girl.

''Luigi! What's wrong?!'' Mario exclaimed. Seeing that he was too shocked to reply, he moved closer to see for himself, and let out a high-pitched scream of his own. ''They stole the mural?!'' he shouted.(4) The mural was gone, and there was nothing but a vandalized red wall.

The Theets all went into a panic as the police tried to calm them down. ''What do we do now?!'' the museum curator cried.

"We're on the case!" said Mario, Luigi, Peach, and the detective's assistant, and the director sighed with relief.

(''Environmental Shock- Metroid Fusion OST-s'')

(''Leave the Sleuthing to Me (Detective Peach) - Princess Peach: Showtime OST'')

When Peach and the others asked the Theets for information, Mario received a clue. Someone had gone to a room on the left. They went to that room, and a detail caught their attention.

"There's something strange about that stone slate.'' Luigi said.

''Aha!'' Using the Strike of Intuition, Peach noticed that there was something behind the stone slab, and Luigi pushed it, revealing an air vent.

''The vents! Maybe the thieves passed through here!'' exclaimed Mario.

They entered the vent and enter another room, where they found a broken glass case.

''There used to be masks here that allow to change appearance, but they were stolen.'' Peach said.

"Someone must have disguised themselves as someone or something,.'' said Junior.

In the next room, Luigi discovered two more clues: a camera was missing, and someone had stolen popcorn from a Theet during the blackout. In another room, which contained two sarcophagi, Peach heard a voice screaming for help from the red sarcophagus, but Mario couldn't open it. ''It won't open!''

"You'll need a special key to open it.'' Stella said.

Luigi went back and found a red key shaped like a diamond, then he gave Peach the key and Mario opened the sarcophagus.

"Just the key we needed!" said the junior detective

A Theet came out breathless. He had nothing on over his undershirt. ''Thank you! Even though I look like this, I'm a cop too! Someone attacked me, stole my uniform and locked me in here!'' he said, still scared.

(''Leave the Sleuthing to Me (Detective Peach) - Princess Peach: Showtime OST-s'')

(''Nagging Suspicions- Princess Peach: Showtime OST'')

Peach, Mario, Luigi and the junior detective returned to the room with the statues and asked a policeman with a camera for an explanation, but he shook his head and said that nothing suspicious had happened.

''Hey, wait a minute!'' Mario exclaimed, snatching the camera from his hand and pointing an accusatory finger at him. "I found you, thief!" He grabbed him by the face, revealing a mask that he peeled off. The cop was a member of the Sour Bunch!

''Well done, Mario! You found him!'' Junior cheered.

''Impressive. You've unmasked him with his clothes and camera! There's still a thief here. Find him and we can question them.'' said a policeman.

A Theet on the other side of the room pointed out loudly that there was one more statue than before, as there should have been two instead of three. Mario took out his magnifying glass and knelt down, noticing something on the floor. ''Traces of popcorn. That other thief shouldn't be that far away.'' he said.

''But we don't know which statue is fake.'' said the assistant. Peach found that the statue on the left was real, but it wasn't enough to figure out which statue was real and which was fake.

Luigi examined the statue in the center and noticed a bag of popcorn. "This statue is fake! Show yourself!" he declared, using the Strike of Intuition. The statue disappeared, and Luigi removed the mask from another henchman, who ended up in police custody.

''Way to go, Luigi! The popcorn revealed everything!'' Mario said happily. ''Let's go back to the mural room!''

(''Nagging Suspicions- Princess Peach: Showtime OST-s'')

(''Sneaky Adventure- Kevin Macleod'')

In the room with the mural, the cops interrogated the thieves, who ended up revealing that the mural was still in the museum. The problem was that no one knew where the mural was. After eavesdropping on the conversation, Peach saw a window, and barely managed to open it, but it was too high up to see through.

''I can't reach the window, it's too high.'' said Peach.

''I'm going to get the stool.'' said the assistant, leaving the room.

A sudden gust of wind took everyone by surprise, and Luigi thought he saw something move. When Junior returned with the stool, Peach was caught off guard by a gust of wind.

"Hey, Mario, look at the wall!" Luigi exclaimed, noticing something moving.

''I see it too!'' said Mario.

The wall wasn't a wall, but a curtain, and Mario and Peach opened it, revealing the mural. ''Found it!''

''So let me get this straight. We did all of that for nothing?'' Luigi asked.

''No, they just made us think it was stolen. They just hid it.'' Peach replied.

''So the mural had never moved from here! Thank you so much!'' exclaimed the museum curator in relief.

(''Sneaky Adventure- Kevin Macleod-s'')

(''Getting a Grasp of Rabbid Anatomy - Rayman Raving Rabbids OST'')

The troubles weren't over, because that evening, the junior detective received a message from his mentor.

''Is the Detective Sparkla here?'' asked Peach.

''I think he's further ahead. But he sent me a message about a shady character lurking around these streets.'' the assistant replied.

They waited for a few minutes, and in the meantime, it started to rain. A Sour Bunch henchman passed in front of them, interfering with the population.

''There he is!'' exclaimed Luigi.

''Let's follow him without being seen.'' Peach said.

They tiptoed around, avoiding the henchman's sight, but he ran away. Using their detective skills, Peach, Mario, and Luigi tracked his trail through the puddles of water, eventually coming across three apartments. They entered the apartment in the center and heard voices. The henchman from before was planning something with other members of the Sour Bunch, and mentioned a bomb.

"D-did he say b-bomb?!" Luigi and the detective's assistant cried out.

''Shhhhh! Keep your voice down!'' Mario and Peach whispered. But it was too late, and their cover was blown, allowing the criminals to escape.

(''Getting a Grasp of Rabbid Anatomy - Rayman Raving Rabbids OST-s'')

(''Cavern- Metal Gear Solid OST'')

''Oh, no...'' Luigi muttered.

''We've screwed up big time...'' said the assistant.

''It's okay, we found out something.'' Peach said.

"We know they will use a bomb, but where?" asked Mario.

"Let's take a look around the room. I think there are some models of the city." Stella replied.

The assistant looked at the small telescope in the room, while Mario looked at a map on the wall. ''It looks like we're here. They want to detonate the bomb to the southwest of here, but where?''

Luigi found a book, which Stella began to read. ''It looks like the details of their plan, but the page is all torn up. I can't read most of it.'' she said.

''Let me see.'' Luigi said, tearing out the page to look better. Although the message was unclear, he could make out the words ''bell'', ''detonate'', and ''midnight''. which gave him another clue. ''I got it!'' he exclaimed.

''I saw the clock tower through the telescope. Did you find anything?'' asked the assistant.

''I found the details of the plan. Those criminals will detonate the bomb at midnight and in a place with a bell.'' Luigi replied.

''The clock tower!'' Peach exclaimed.

"Then they'll attack the clock tower! We have to call the police!" exclaimed the assistant.

They went to call the police, and found that there were three people in the clock tower. The police informed the detectives that the Detective Sparkla had passed by here.

(''Cavern- Metal Gear Solid OST-s'')

(''Dick Gumshoe ~ Detective Gumshoe, Pal- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney OST'')

The clock tower had a special security system, as there were no stairs, and a key was needed to access a certain floor. Peach, Mario, Luigi, and the assistant detective found the key to the sixth floor, and found the Sparkla on that floor.

''Well, well. We got company. Glad to know there's someone to help me.'' the Detective Sparkla said.

''Detective! We've discovered their plan. They won't get far.'' the assistant told him.

''We're here to help with the case.'' Mario added.

''Very well. We don't have much time before the bomb goes off, so I appreciate the help.''

They went down to the fifth floor, and Luigi looked at a large black pipe. "I wonder if that makes the clock run?" he said.

''Hold on a minute! I saw someone!'' the Junior detectice exclaimed. ''Show yourself, you can't hide!''

The intuition was correct, as one of the criminals was hiding behind the pipe, and the police went to question him.

The Detective Sparkla was positively impressed by his assistant's progress. ''Impressive, my boy! You've improved a lot since the last time you worked on a case with me!'' he congratulated him.

"T-thank you, Detective!" said the assistant, happily.

They went back upstairs and listened to the argument between the policeman and the criminal. They heard him mention the top floor, and they were sure it meant something.

''He said the bomb isn't on the top floor. Doesn't that seem suspicious to you?'' Luigi asked.

''I agree. This doesn't seem right.'' the Sparkla replied.

''He is definitely trying to trick us. I think the bomb really is on the top floor.'' Junior added.

(''Dick Gumshoe ~ Detective Gumshoe, Pal- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney OST-s'')

The detectives began to climb the top floors of the tower, and it was clear that someone was getting in their way, as they had to find four pieces of gears and find a key in the pipes that led above the hands of the clock. A second criminal was hiding behind the gears, but the Sparkla Detective caught him. Before being arrested, the henchman warned them that the bomb would soon explode, as it was already ticking.

When they finally reached the top of the clock tower, a trap was sprung. There were three Sour Bunch minions with the appearance of the Detective Sparkla, and four cages fell on them and the real Sparkla.

''What?! What just happened?!'' exclaimed Luigi.

''Oh, bother! It's almost midnight! We only have a few minutes left before the bomb explodes!'' exclaimed the detective's assistant.

''We need to find the real Detective Sparkla. Use the Strike of Intuition if you're sure.'' Stella said.

(''Environmental Tension- Metroid Fusion OST'')

Mario went to the first Detective Sparkla, who looked impatient and pressured him to use the Strike of Intuition. ''That's not him.'' he said.

Peach listened to the second Detective Sparkla, who mentioned ''Madame Grape'', and when she heard these words, she already knew what to do, since it was enough to make her realize that he was from the Sour Bunch. ''That's an impostor.'' she said.

The assistant went to listen to the fourth Detective Sparkla, who seemed a little impatient, but his words indicated that he did not have an assistant. ''I'm already an assistant. You are not the detective.'' he told him, avoiding the trap.

Luigi went to talk to the third Detective Sparkla. Unlike the other three, he was calm, collected, and confident in Peach and the others' abilities. "I found him!'' he called.

Mario, Luigi, Peach and the assistant pointed at the Sparkla ''You're the real detective!''

They guessed right, and all the henchmen were exposed and arrested.

(''Environmental Tension- Metroid Fusion OST-s'')

''Thank you! I never had any doubts!'' the Sparkla said.

''A real detective always pays attention to details.'' said Peach.

''The bomb, quick! We have to get rid of it!'' Luigi reminded them.

''Oh, right!"''Mario exclaimed. He pointed the flashlight at the bell with his brother, and the bomb was right under it.

(''Drowning- Sonic Generations OST'')

The ticking of the bomb quickened, and Luigi panicked. ''It's gonna blow!'' he yelled.

''We don't have enough time to defuse the bomb. We have to find another way to minimize the damage!'' said the Detective Sparkla.

''The window! There's a river down there!'' Junior exclaimed.

''Let's throw the bomb out the window!'' Mario shouted.

The Junior picked up the bomb, but tripped before he could throw it and it fell from his hand.

''Hurry!'' the Sparkla exclaimed.

The bomb was about to explode, and Luigi acted on instinct. He jumped out the window with the bomb in his hand and threw it at a 60 degrees angle. It seemed as if everything was in slow motion.

(''Drowning- Sonic Generations OST-s'')

The bomb was no longer at the tower, but shortly after Luigi threw it away, it exploded. He was far enough away from the bomb that the blast did not hit him directly, but he was knocked back by the recoil and crashed into the bell. Daisy was shocked when she saw this.

''Luigi! Are you alright?!'' Mario cried, running to his brother.

''My kidneys... My back is killing me...'' Luigi muttered, as Mario helped him up.

''I hope no one was hurt by the explosion out there.'' the detective's assistant said.

(''Victory! ~ The First Victory- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney OST'')

Fortunately, the police informed the detectives that citizens were somewhat shaken by the explosion, but the clock tower was intact and no one was hurt.

''Thank goodness.'' Daisy said, relieved. ''That was a close call.''

''Good job, bro. Thanks to your quick reaction, everyone is safe and sound.'' Mario said.

''You have been wonderful. I will always be grateful for your help.'' the Sparkla said.

''It was nice working on a case like this together. Come back sometime.'' the assistant added, and the detective segment ended.

"Case closed!" they all declared, to an applause from the audience.

(''Victory! ~ The First Victory- Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney OST'')

---

(''Metropolis- Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! OST'')

The eighth part was set in a technological and futuristic city, a rather common setting in films.

''It's just like in those superhero movies!'' said Mario, who loved this part.

''Yes, and you'll see what happens with the transformation in this part.'' Peach said.

Luigi felt a little nervous. He had seen enough movies to expect the worst in futuristic settings, such as alien invasions, dimensional rifts, and distortions of space-time. Soon after, he heard Theets screaming for help. Two UFOs began to abduct the city's inhabitants. ''Aliens!'' he shouted.

''They're kidnapping them! We have to save them!'' Stella exclaimed.

Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Stella raced through the streets, trying to save as many Theets as possible. The aliens destroyed a street and caused a building to collapse, causing a fire that Peach put out by using Sparkla to activate the fire extinguishing system of a fountain. Eventually, they came to another area under attack, where they saved a Theet in a lab coat, who seeing hope in them, took them to his underground lab.

''That's the professor.'' Peach explained.

(''Metropolis- Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage! OST-s'')

When they arrived at the lab, the Theet scientists created a platform where Peach transformed with the help of Stella. Her hair was tied in a recognizable ponytail like when she took part in sports, and at the end of the transformation, she was wearing a red and black combat armor, magnetic bracers and a visor.

(''Weapon Get- Mega Man 8 OST'')

''That's Mighty Peach!'' said Stella.

''Mamma mia! You look like an action heroine!'' Mario exclaimed, amazed.

''Mario, just to know, how strong are you and Luigi?'' asked Stella.

''We are stronger than you might think, Stella. Don't let my chubby physique fool you, we have superhuman strength. Not to brag, of course.'' Mario replied.

Stella transformed Mario and Luigi, giving them a weapon. Mario had a cannon, while Luigi had a laser gun.

''Now we are ready for action.'' said Luigi.

''These bracers increase your physical strength, allowing you to throw energy punches, and you can also fly with a built-in jetpack.'' Stella said. ''Mario, your cannon shoots powerful explosive fireballs. Use it carefully. Luigi, your laser gun can paralyze enemies.''

''An explosive cannon? Great!'' Mario exclaimed.

''A stun gun, huh? Reminds me of a certain bounty hunter.'' Luigi said.(5)

(''Weapon Get- Mega Man 8 OST-s'')

(''Environmental Tension- Metroid Fusion OST'')

The city was under attack, and Sour Bunch aliens and UFOs were abducting the citizens.

''The city is in turmoil! We have to do something!'' said Mario.

''Luigi, evacuate the Teatrì and help them escape! We'll take care of the aliens!'' Mario said to Luigi.

''Where should we take them?'' asked Luigi.

''We need to take them to a bunker up ahead. Round up any citizens you find and get them to safety.'' Peach replied.

''We're counting on you.'' Mario added, and Luigi nodded.

(''Environmental Tension- Metroid Fusion OST-s'')

(''Mighty Rescue Power- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST'')

Luigi activated his jetpack and flew towards the devastated suburbs. After paralyzing a group of aliens with his laser gun, he rescued a group of Theets. ''Follow me! I'll take you to safety!'' he said. Other aliens tried to kidnap the Theets, but he immobilized them before they could.

Meanwhile, Mario and Peach found a group of Theets trapped in front of a destroyed road. Mario lifted a bus so they could hide underneath it, then positioned it to create a bridge. They were attacked by more aliens, but Luigi defeated them with energy punches and carried the Theets away.

Mario and Peach continued to escort the Theets that were with them, and the UFOs tried to capture the citizens again. Mario took aim with his cannon, and a single explosive fireball was enough to destroy a UFO, leaving him amazed by such firepower. Everyone worked hard to gather and evacuate the Theatrì. With electromagnetic force fists, their superhuman strength, and their jetpacks, they managed to get everyone to a safe area and reach the bunker.

''Hey, Mario! I'm back!'' Luigi called out to them.

''Luigi, is everyone with you?'' asked Mario.

''They're here with me.'' Luigi replied.

''That's good. Now let's take them inside.'' Peach said.

All the Theets entered, but shortly after a shocking thing happened. A large UFO took away the entire bunker!

''They've kidnapped them all!'' Luigi shouted. ''And now?''

The professor reached them in an elevator. ''Sorry I'm late. I'm equipped for cases like this. Come in here and you can track the UFOs and save the scientists.'' he said.

''Leave it to us, Professor.'' Mario replied. He entered the platform with Luigi and Peach, activated their jetpacks and jumped.

Mario, Luigi, and Peach flew around the city, chasing UFOs and hitting them with their energy fists when they got close enough. One UFO was destroyed by Peach, and a Theet opened his parachute.

''It's a shame Daisy isn't with us. Just think how great it would have been for her.'' Luigi said, as he paralyzed the enemy ships.

''I totally agree.''said Peach.

Daisy nodded as she watched the show on TV. ''I hate having to stay in the castle. It's so restrictive.'' she commented. ''Great, now I'm jealous.''

An energy punch from Mario destroyed a UFO, and Luigi dropped another one, sending it flying into three more.

''We have to destroy the biggest UFO!'' Mario said, throwing the UFO at the others with his super strength and destroying them.

The superheroes were attacked by alien spaceships, but they managed to destroy them with the help of Luigi's paralyzing lasers, Peach launched a UFO at the large UFO that was carrying the bunker and Mario and Luigi destroyed them by combining their weapons.

(''Mighty Rescue Power- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST-s'')

(''In the Space Pirate Ship- Kid Icarus Uprising OST'')

The citizens were safe, but there was another problem: the professor informed Peach and the others that the aliens had kidnapped six scientists to take possession of their research, and they had to follow them into space, where they would be accompanied by him and six other spaceships led by the Theets.

''I wonder if the Mighty Sparkla is ahead?" Stella said as the rescue mission began.

''Maybe.'' Peach said.

''The enemies are ahead! Defend my spaceship.'' said the professor.

''It's been a long time since we last went to space, huh, Mario?'' asked Luigi.

''Oh, yes. But this is completely new to me.'' Mario replied.

The enemies opened fire, and the Theets maneuvered their spaceships to dodge, returning fire, while Peach punched one UFO, sending it flying into another.

With his cannon, Mario destroyed several UFOs, but the Mosti Company had some tricks up their sleeves, and there were some particular aliens. One of the spaceships fired and this ended up attracting the aliens, who fired lasers.

''No, stop! Don't shoot! Those aliens react to your fire!'' Luigi shouted, chasing away one of these aliens with a kick of magnetic energy.

''Thanks for the warning.'' Peach said, noticing that she was surrounded by a group of aliens, and Mario helped her get rid of them with his physical attacks.

"Use your projectiles carefully, folks, or some aliens might fire back. If you see one, engage them in melee," the professor said.

There were also octopus-like robots that clung to the Theets' ships and hammered them with their metal tentacles, but Mario, Luigi, and Peach destroyed them with their energy fists as they passed through the asteroid belt.

''We are close to the planet!'' said the professor. "Prepare to enter the atmosphere!"

However, Peach and the others found their way blocked by four spaceships and a large robot.

''Oh, there is no time to waste!" Mario said sharply. Luigi paralyzed the enemy ships with his lasers, allowing Mario and Peach to destroy the robot and land safely on the alien planet.

''We'll look for the base from above! You take three of my men and go forward!'' said the professor.

''Got it!'' said Peach.

''Did we end up on Mars, by any chance?'' Luigi asked.

''I don't know, it's hard to say.'' Mario replied.

Mario, Luigi, and Peach quickly ran across the surface, where Sour Bunch aliens tried to kidnap the Theets, who attempted to defend themselves with a laser blade and passed three spare swords to the heroes.

Luigi immediately tested his new weapon and cut a small UFO in two. ''Wow! This looks familiar!'' he exclaimed.

''I agree with you, Lu! I feel like I'm on the set of Star Wars! Get out of my way, you alien kidnappers!'' Mario said, imitating Darth Vader as he destroyed two aliens with his lightsaber.(6) As they made their way across the planet, they heard sounds of intense fighting.

''Look over there!'' Stella exclaimed.

(''In the Space Pirate Ship- Kid Icarus Uprising OST-s'')

(''Main Title- Star Wars OST'')

The Mighty Sparkla was fighting against a group of eight aliens, and despite being heavily outnumbered, he was dominating the fight. His attacks had a flashy aura, with energy punches, powerful kicks, flying charges, and a lightsaber that shone on the stage.

''Wow! The Splendì is simply the best!'' the Theets cried out.

''The Mighty Sparkla!'' Peach exclaimed.

''Hey! Looks like he got some new sidekicks overnight!'' the Mighty Sparkla exclaimed.

''We received the SOS message. We are here to save the scientists.'' Mario said.

The Mighty Sparkla was incredibly strong, and when he fought against aliens or other enemies, there was no doubt about who would win among them, as he completely dominated the fights even on his own. Even Daisy had a hard time taking her eyes off him.

''That Sparkla sure is strong.'' Luigi said.

''Yes, especially for his size.'' Mario agreed.

''The Sparklas are the stars of the show for a reason.'' Stella said.

''The Mighty Sparkla is so cool!'' a Spike from the audience cried out.

Mario, Luigi, and Peach helped the Sparkla when possible, and the Theets soldiers, motivated by his presence, fought better.

Eventually, they reunited with the professor, found a cell, and Peach saw the scientists through the window. ''There they are! They're in here!'' she said.

Mario destroyed the door with a punch of energy, opening a way out for the scientists. ''You're free now! Come out!'' he told them.

(''Main Title- Star Wars OST-s'')

(''Diggernaut- Metroid: Samus Returns OST'')

The scientists left the cell, but shortly after, a giant UFO appeared.

''Whoa! That UFO is huge!'' Mario exclaimed, surprised.

''It's the mother of all UFOs!'' Luigi shouted.

The huge UFO revealed its enormous arms, and Luigi cried out in fear, holding his lightsaber in a defensive position. ''I don't think we can destroy the UFO like this, it's too big.'' Mario said.

Despite the situation, the professor remained calm and activated a system to create a power-up, and Mario, Luigi and Peach became as big as giants, while the Sparkla remained as he was.

''Let's hope that's enough...'' Luigi said.

''It's Mega Mario time!'' Mario cheered.

''What? Have you and Luigi become giant before?'' Stella asked.

''Oh, yes, with the Mega Mushroom.'' Mario replied.

''There are tons of items in the Mushroom Kingdom that give you power-ups. The Mega Mushroom is one of them.'' Luigi added

''Fascinating! Maybe they would be great for shows!'' Stella exclaimed, amazed.

The UFO flew at high speed towards the group, and Luigi, with a cry of surprise, threw a sudden punch that pushed it back.

''Oh, that's no good!'' the professor exclaimed, leading the other Theets into his spaceship. ''I have to get back to Earth to get everyone to safety. You take care of the UFO!''

''Certainly.'' said Peach.

Mario dodged a laser beam and opened fire with his cannon, but the UFO flew up, dodging the shot.

Luigi fired a laser, but the UFO was unaffected. ''My laser is not strong enough, it has no effect!'' he exclaimed in shock

"Try charging your lasers, Luigi!" Mario told him, as he blocked a charge.

Taking advantage of this distraction, Peach threw the UFO, and the Mighty Sparkla attacked it from behind with style.

''Nowhere here seems safe from the Sour Bunch...'' Luigi muttered.

''I'll weaken the UFO from behind, you take care of the rest!'' said the Sparkla. Agile and strong, he had no trouble against the giant UFO, with magnetic punches, energy kicks and lightsaber strikes.

Peach managed to dodge a laser and hit the UFO with her lightsaber, but it was quite durable, giving her, Mario and Luigi some troubles, and Luigi's paralyzing lasers had no effect on it unless they were charged.

Mario fired his cannon, and the UFO dodged three fireballs, but the fourth collided with a laser beam that created a cloud of smoke, allowing Luigi to charge the laser. ''Now, Luigi!'' he shouted.

Luigi nodded and fired the laser from his gun, successfully paralyzing the UFO.

''Now's our chance!'' said the Mighty Sparkla, and they all attacked with their respective lightsabers. Before the UFO could take flight, Mario and Luigi hit it with a series of energy punches and kicks, and Peach threw it into the air.

A laser beam was fired at Luigi, who defended himself with his own laser, but it was overwhelmed, hitting him, but he recovered and activated the jetpack together with Mario, jumping up and stomping on the huge UFO, which Mario hit with an explosive fireball. The Superhero Shine destroyed it with his lightsaber, cutting it in two.

(''Diggernaut- Metroid: Samus Returns OST-s'')

''I think we've completed the mission.'' Mario said. But shortly after, the superheroes heard a sound coming from the communicator on their visors.

''Or maybe not.'' said Luigi.

(''X Invasion- Metroid Fusion OST'')

''Bad news! The Earth is in danger!'' shouted the professor.

''What's going on?'' the Sparkla asked.

''A meteor shower is on a collision course with our planet!''

''AH! We're all going to die!'' Luigi screamed.

''Not if we destroy all the meteorites.'' Stella said.

''I suggest you hurry. I know it's hard, but I know you can do it.'' the professor said.

''Leave it to us," Mario replied, activating his jetpack. ''Let's-a go!''

(''X Invasion- Metroid Fusion OST-s'')

(''Meteo- Star Fox 64 3D OST'')

Mario, Luigi, Peach and the Mighty Sparkla flew into space as fast as they could, trying to find both Earth and the meteorites.

''Up there!'' Luigi shouted, pointing to the approaching meteors, and began shooting. His paralyzing lasers may not be very powerful, but the meteors had to be stopped.

The first meteors were small, and the lasers Luigi fired were powerful enough to split them into smaller fragments and not destroy them entirely, but the later ones were increasingly larger, rendering his laser gun useless after a minute.

''Try some physical attacks, Luigi!'' Peach said, destroying two small meteors with an energy punch, and Mario destroyed two more with a kick. Following this instruction, Luigi destroyed a few more.

''Is there always danger where you come from?'' the Sparkla asked, shooting down four medium-sized meteorites.

''If you mean invasions, there are a lot, and I mean a lot. We've lost count by now.'' Luigi replied.

''Hard to believe? It's all true.'' Peach added, as Mario fired his cannon. Some of the fireballs missed the meteors, but the explosions diverted their trajectory, slowing their fall slightly.

However, the next batch of meteors were bigger and faster, and even Mario was having trouble destroying them completely. This led Mario and Luigi to split up so they could destroy the meteors from a distance, but they struggled even with this strategy.

''I have an idea! Throw me!'' said the Sparkla.

''Wait, what?'' Luigi asked in confusion.

''If you throw me at the meteorites, I should be able to weaken them for you.'' The Mighty Sparkla replied. Peach nodded and threw him, allowing him to destroy a series of meteorites with a super punch.

The meteor shower kept intensifying, and Luigi was hit by two exploding meteors. ''There's no end to these meteors!'' he shouted, trying to cut the meteors with his lightsaber, with mixed results. Mario went to help him, but even the two of them were becoming overwhelmed. Peach and the Sparkla fared better, but had to retreat to help.

''It's not over yet! Look!'' Peach exclaimed, pointing to a huge black meteorite.

''That's a big one...'' Luigi muttered, frightened.

''We must combine our powers! Come on!'' the Might Sparkla said, giving his power to Mario, Luigi and Peach. They flew together towards the meteor and hit it with a powerful magnetic uppercut, followed by a series of slashes with their lightsabers. With a powerful kick, they pushed the meteor back, but it was not destroyed yet.

''Luigi! Let's destroy that meteorite with a charged shot!'' said Mario.

"Right!" Luigi replied, and they charged their weapons to the max before firing a large fireball and a laser beam that combined, creating an electrified fireball that exploded upon contact with the meteor, destroying it.

(''Meteo- Star Fox 64 3D OST-s'')

With all the meteorites destroyed, Peach and the others returned to Earth, where the citizens were waiting for them. "Mission accomplished!" they declared, and everyone cheered, hailing them as heroes.

''Thanks for the help! You did a great job out there! I hope I can fight alongside you again sometime.'' said the Mighty Sparkla.

''That was a lot of fun. Let's do it again sometime.'' Mario said.

---

(''Sector 4 (AQA)- Metroid Fusion OST'')

The ninth part of the show was about a mermaid, and it was one of Peach's favorites. ''Ah, mermaids... There's always something magical in their voices.'' Peach sighed.

''There'll be a surprise for you, Mario.'' Stella said jokingly, and Mario blushed.

''I wonder if I'll ever be permanently considered a hero...'' Luigi muttered.

"Did you say something?" asked Stella.

''Where I come from, I don't get the same credit as Mario, even though we often save the world together. It's not his fault, but... sometimes, it's annoying when people don't even know my name.'' Luigi replied.

''Luigi getscompared to me, and as a result, he often goes unnoticed. I don't know why, but not everyone sees what I see in him.'' Mario added.

''Oh... I'm sorry.'' Stella said sadly.

''It's fine. I'm used to it.'' Luigi commented.

''We'd better get started. I don't want that atmosphere in the rest of the show.''

(''Sector 4 (AQA)- Metroid Fusion OST-s'')

(''Destiny Islands- Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMix OST'')

The setting was a beach inhabited by mermaid-like Theets. It was like being on a tropical island, which reminded Mario and Peach of Isle Delfino. Mario and Luigi swam along the shore, while Peach needed a ride from a sea turtle.

''Looks like there's going to be a concert.'' Peach said.

''In the depths?'' asked Luigi.

''It seems so.'' Stella replied. ''I don't know if you can handle the pressure in the deep water.''

Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Stella reached a cave, and found that the singer was missing. Peach immediately realized that the singer was the Mermaid Sparkla, and they had to go through the secret cave to find out what happened.

(''Destiny Islands- Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMix OST-s'')

There was a body of water in the cave, but there was no way to proceed except by going underwater. With the platform in the center, Stella used her powers to transform Peach. At the end of the transformation, Peach had her hair down, and she also had a fish tail, like a mermaid. She dove into the water and gave Mario a flirtatious look.

(''Cosmic Cove Galaxy- Super Mario Galaxy OST'')

''That's Mermaid Peach!'' said Stella.

''Wow... I have no words.'' Luigi commented, amazed. Mario was so shocked that he fainted in his arms. ''Huh? Mario? Mario? Hey, wake up.''

''What happened?'' Stella asked.

''I think seeing me as a mermaid was too much for him.'' Peach replied.

''Mario? Is anyone there? Mario, wake up!'' Luigi said, lightly slapping his brother's face to wake him up.

''Huh? What?'' Mario stammered.

''Mario, we have to go.'' Luigi explained. ''What's wrong? Too glamorous for you?'' he asked jokingly.

''Ah, stop it!'' Mario exclaimed, blushing with embarrassment.

Daisy laughed out loud. ''Yeah, I thought so.'' she said.

''With this transformation, Peach can take control of schools of fish by singing. This allows her to open shells or narrow spaces, but she can't move and sing at the same time because it requires concentration.'' Stella said, and began to transform Mario and Luigi as well. ''Get ready, it's your turn now!''

Mario and Luigi took off their respective hats and dove into the water as the transformation began. When the transformation was over, they hadn't changed much, except that they were bare-chested.

Luigi felt strange, and when he looked under his waist, he saw that his legs were gone, and in their place was a green fish tail. Mario also had one, but it was red. This discovery drove him crazy. ''My legs! What have you done to me?!'' he screamed. ''My legs are fused!''

''Hey, hey, calm down, Luigi! It's a fishtail!'' Stella explained.

''Is it normal?'' asked Luigi.

''Yes. You and Mario have become mermen now. With this transformation, you will be able to swim better underwater, and the fish tail will give you greater control of your movements in the deep.''

''I feel so weird...'' Luigi muttered, looking at his fishtail. ''It's like I have fins that have fused with my legs.''

''Don't worry, Luigi. You'll get used to it.'' Mario reassured him.

Mario, Luigi, and Peach discovered that the Mermaid Sparkla, known as a legendary singer, was currently absent, and Peach had to perform in her place.

''I wonder if something happened.'' Luigi said.

(''Cosmic Cove Galaxy- Super Mario Galaxy OST-s'')

But when it was time for the concert to begin, the lights flashed and went out, sending everyone in the theater into a panic.

''Hey! Who turned off the lights?'' Mario exclaimed.

When the lights came back on, the members of the orchestra freaked out. Three of them were trapped in large bubbles, and the people in charge were mermaid-like Sour Bunch minions. The sea creatures were all down in the dumps, but Stella reassured everyone that they would save the musicians.

(''Enchanting Echo of the Deep (Mermaid Peach) - Princess Peach: Showtime! OST'')

While exploring underwater, Peach saw a conch shell and used her singing voice to attract small yellow fish who opened it. Her voice sounded like it was coming from an opera house. Soon after, they found a huge conch shell that began to shake.

''There's someone in there!'' Luigi exclaimed, as Peach began to lead the fish with her voice, opening a couple of small shells. A Sour Bunch mermaid teased them for letting the fish do the dirty work, but Peach responded with a tail swipe, and Luigi swatted her away with a flick of his tail.

''Luigi, give me a hand!'' said Mario, trying to open the largest shell, and with Luigi's help, he freed the first kidnapped Theet.

''There are still two to go.'' Peach said, and they swam deeper.

Suddenly, Luigi was grabbed by a moray eel that began to bite him, making him scream in pain.

''Hey! Let go of my brother!'' Mario shouted, about to punch the moray eel in the eye, but Peach used her song to control the moray eel, which let go of Luigi and moved away.

''And I thought I had enough trouble with Mawrays...'' Luigi muttered, still in pain.

Aside from this inconvenience, they had no trouble finding the second Theet among the seaweed. To free the last one, which was stuck under an unconscious turtle, Peach had to take control of some puffer fish, and the turtle took them back to the place where the concert was to begin.

''Is everyone there?'' Mario asked.

''Yes, they're all here.'' Stella replied.

Suddenly, the area around them began to shake, which frightened the orchestra members.

"I have a bad feeling about this. Let's go see what's going on.'' Peach said.

The deep was an inhospitable and dangerous place, and it was certainly not a pleasant place to be. As he looked around, Luigi trembled with fear. ''This place gives me the creeps...'' he muttered. ''Do you really think there might be sharks around here?''

''I don't know. But this place has a dark atmosphere.'' Mario said.

''Over there!'' Peach shouted, pointing to some Theets playing the role of mermaids. They were black, as if corrupted, but they looked scared. ''Something's wrong with those mermaids!'' Using her singing voice, she attracted the attention of a yellow fish who helped her turn the mermaid back to normal.

''Wait a minute. Is this part of the power of Sparkle?'' Luigi asked, noticing the light effects around the fish.

''It could be.'' Mario replied. As he thought about it, a harmonious voice caught his attention, and Luigi, Peach, and Stella followed it, arriving at an underwater cave, where they found the Mermaid Sparkla restoring some mermaids with her voice. ''Hey! It's the Sparkla!'' she exclaimed.

''Oh! Hey, you found me!'' the Sparkla exclaimed in surprise.

''We heard your voice, so we went to look and we found you.'' Peach said. ''Someone did something strange to the mermaids.''

''So you saw it too. A ship is kidnapping the mermaids, and we have to save them.'' the Sparkla said.

''We'll give you a hand.'' Mario said.

''Thank you, I really appreciate it. We better hurry, I have to finish everything in time for the concert.''

(''Enchanting Echo of the Deep (Mermaid Peach) - Princess Peach: Showtime! OST-s'')

(''Submerged Castle- Pikmin 2 OST'')

Led by the Sparkla, Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Stella explored the dark waters of the deep, and Luigi couldn't help but tremble in fear. ''I don't see anything here... these waters are so cold and eerie...'' he muttered.

''I really love all of this.'' said Mario.

''Yeah, sure. Excitement, adventure, danger lurking around every corner...''

Luigi couldn't finish his sentence before he found himself face to face with what looked like the face of a shark and he let out a scream of fear, swimming backwards so abruptly that he hit his back against the wall and a part of the nearby cave almost fell on him. ''SHARK! A SHARK!''

''Luigi, don't be such a guppy.'' Stella told him.

''I'm not a guppy.'' Luigi retorted.

''I wonder where I heard that joke?'' Peach chuckled.

''That's not a shark. That's the ship we're looking for!'' said the Sparkla.

''And look over there!'' Peach exclaimed, seeing the mermaids on the ship. ''Those mermaids look so scared!''

''Come up ahead! Try to free those mermaids, we'll follow the ship!'' Mario said. Although he felt uncomfortable, Luigi nodded.

The Mermaid Sparkla's voice turned some of the mermaids in the surrounding area back to normal, while Peach had to guide the little fish with her singing.

''It's like I'm in a ship graveyard. I can barely see in front of me.'' said Peach.

''I'll try to shed some light for you.'' Stella said.

''Keep singing, Peach. There are so many mermaids who need us.'' said the Sparkla, and Peach kept singing.

(''Submerged Castle- Pikmin 2 OST-s'')

(''Enchanting Echo of the Abyss- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST'')

Meanwhile, Luigi swam nervously as he followed Mario into the depths. ''I don't like this place at all, Mario...'' he muttered.

''We have to move on, Luigi. Those mermaids need us.'' Mario told him. ''Come on, let's follow that ship.'' As soon as he finished, rocks began to fall and almost hit him.

''Where did those rocks come from?!'' Luigi exclaimed.

''Over there!'' Mario said, pointing to some sirens from the Sour Bunch. One of them fired rocks at them.

Luigi kept his distance, and in the meantime, Mario tried hard to get closer. He managed to hit the masked mermaid with his tail, but it didn't have much effect, and a boulder hit him.

''Mario! Try to push those rocks away!'' said Luigi.

Following his brother's advice, Mario slammed a boulder into his tail, knocking it back. This was more effective, but it wasn't enough to take down the masked mermaid, and Mario and Luigi found themselves continually knocking back boulders with mixed results, all while she taunted them. Luckily, they were joined by Peach and the Sparkla, who had saved all the mermaids, and their singing voices guided the fish through the boulders to damage her. The Sparkla surrounded herself with water and charged at her opponent, defeating her.

The ship crashed into the rocks, revealing a passage, and the little fish went away. All the band members were locked in cages, and neither Mario nor Luigi could bend the bars.

''We'll need a lot of strength to free everyone.'' Luigi said.

As Mario moved a prop, Peach's gaze shifted to a moray eel on the other side, and an idea came to her. ''Of course! The moray eel!'' she exclaimed. She began to sing, drawing the moray eel toward her, and commanded it to charge, breaking through the cage and saving all the prisoners.

''Great idea!'' said Mario.

All the band members were delighted to be free, but they didn't know what to do, given all the unforeseen events that had hindered the concert, and they turned to the Mermaid Sparkla on what to do.

''You go back and go on stage. We'll see what to do.'' the Sparkla told them.

''Problem solved?'' thought Peach.

''At least everyone is safe.'' Mario said.

(''Enchanting Echo of the Abyss- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST-s'')

(''The Second Maritime Battle- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD OST'')

Immediately after, the sea went dark, and giant whirlpools appeared out of nowhere.

''Or maybe not...'' Stella commented.

''Dang it, Mario! Would you just keep your mouth shut?'' Luigi complained.

''Sorry.'' Mario replied.

''Is that a sea storm by any chance?!'' Daisy exclaimed, shocked by what was happening.

The whirlpools created strong currents that Mario and Luigi could barely swim against.

''What a nasty weather?'' Luigi cried out, after almost getting sucked into a vortex.

''Yeah, but don't stop. We need to get rid of these whirlpools.'' Peach said, as the Sparklas used her voice to attract two sea turtles so everyone could be more protected from the dark whirlpools, and several fish.

''Do you have an idea, girls?'' asked Mario.

''We can lead the fish to those whirlpools with our singing voice to make them disappear and calm the waters, but we will need help.'' the Mermaid Sparkla said.

''Mario, you and Luigi will have to swim around the whirlpools.'' Peach added.

''Are you crazy?! They'll suck us in!'' Luigi shouted.

''Stay calmo and don't think about it. Create a stream of water around yourselves and swim around the whirlpools. This will help the fish follow our directions.'' the Sparkla replied. ''I know it might be reckless, but if we don't get rid of these whirlpools soon, the entire ocean will be in shambles.''

''I can't say I'm not used to it.'' Mario said.

(''The Second Maritime Battle- The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD OST-s'')

(''The Tempestuous Sea- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST'')

Four dark whirlpools were causing destruction all over the ocean. Mario and Luigi concentrated, successfully created a jet of water around themselves, and began swimming around the whirlpools. At the same time, Peach and the Mermaid Sparkla began to sing, guiding the fish with their voices. Luigi was almost swept away by the current, but they managed to make the first whirlpool disappear.

''This place scares me! I don't want to die here!'' Luigi shouted, after barely avoiding being sucked into the whirlpools.

''Come on, Lu! Don't stop!'' Mario encouraged him.

Peach and the Sparkla gradually increased the intensity of their duet, directing the fish towards the whirlpools until they all disappeared, and with Mario's help, Luigi was able to perform his role without inconveniences.

(''The Tempestuous Sea- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST-s'')

''Let's do this again sometime.'' Peach said.

''Oh, I hope so.'' said the Sparkla.

''I never want to swim in a stormy sea again.'' Luigi said, adjusting his hair and fishtail.

After the catastrophe, Mario, Luigi, Peach, and the Sparkla went back to the concert venue. They found out that the room had been damaged by the storm, and the band didn't know what to do.

Eventually, the Sparkla decided to improvise by replacing the concert with a sea spectale, and even Stella was surprised.

''Will we be able to get it right?'' Luigi asked.

''If you do as we do, you shouldn't have any problems.'' Peach replied.

''OK, let's begin! Music!'' the Mermaid Sparkla declared.

(''An Adventure in Atlantica- Kingdom Hearts III OST'')

The orchestra began to play and the props on the ceiling were raised, revealing the surface of the water. The Sparkla opened the show by surrounding herself in a jet of water, swimming up to the surface and diving back into the water. Mario began to spin on his fishtail, which worried Luigi, as he thought he might trip.

Peach did the same trick as the Sparkla and followed her to the surface and back down before taking Mario by the hand. As they danced together, Luigi hit an opening in the bottom with his tail, revealing a geyser that sent them flying towards the surface. After a double swan dive, several mermaids came to watch the spectacle in amazement.

Mario and Luigi surrounded each other in a jet of water and went to opposite sides of the room before returning to the other.

''Awesome!'' Daisy shouted.

Even the fish joined in the show, which intensified with water games and graceful dives, and ended with a huge round of applause.

At the end of the underwater show, Mario and Luigi burst out laughing with happiness. ''That. Was. AWESOME!'' Mario cheered.

''That was really fun. Maybe we should do it again sometime.'' Luigi said.

''I had a lot of fun with you. We should do this more often.'' the Sparkla said.

''Oh, we'll definitely do that again.'' Peach said, and she kissed Mario on the nose, making him blush.

---

(''Swamp- Temple Grounds- The Legend Of Spyro: The Eternal Night (GBA) OST'')

The tenth and final part of the show was set in ancient China, the home of kung fu.

''We're in the homeland of kung fu, it seems.'' Mario said.

''It reminds me of the new Kung Fu Lakitu movie that came out recently. We should go see it, unless Bowser is involved.'' said Peach.(7)

''Considering that this segment will feature a martial arts master, Daisy will love this part. She prefers action, physical activities and sports to sitting in her castle and court etiquette.'' added Luigi.

Stella saw some strange people in the nearby martial arts school. ''There's something strange at the martial arts school. Let's go see.'' she said.

They went to check it out and saw a sensei Theet fighting an enemy.

''I think that's the kung fu master.'' Luigi said. ''But who is that?''

(''Swamp- Temple Grounds- The Legend Of Spyro: The Eternal Night (GBA) OST-s'')

A sudden explosion caught everyone's attention. Hearing the battle cries, Peach led the others forward, and when they arrived in front of the school, two apprentice Theets let out a bloodcurdling scream.

''Master!''

''Nooooo!''

The entrance had collapsed, but a kung fu master had been defeated by a masked fighter. ''Oh, no! They defeated the kung fu master and took over the entire school!'' Mario exclaimed.

''What do we do now?'' a Theet whimperered, his nose glowing a deep blue. ''Master has been defeated, and now...''

''Get it together, guys! We have to get into the school and take down those masked fighters!" Mario said.

''Don't give up, guys!'' Peach added, using Sparkle on the apprentices, who opened the door on the right. They reached another door, but some Sour Bunch goons blocked their way.

''The door is locked. We won't be able to break it down here.'' Stella said.

''We'll find another way in. Let's go to the room ahead.'' Mario said.

The room had a test to pass, with wooden poles and sticks above that moved. Despite the fast movements of these traps, Mario, Luigi, and Peach had no trouble passing the test, and Peach used Sparkla to open the door, revealing a room with a transformation platform. She stepped onto the platform, and Stella transformed her with her powers. Peach now had her hair in a braid and was wearing a purple gi and green pants.

(''The Legendary Dragon Kick (Kung Fu Peach) - Princess Peach: Showtime OST'')

''That's Kung Fu Peach!'' Stella said. ''With this transformation, you can attack enemies with kicks and other martial arts moves.''

''Great, now I feel jealous!'' Daisy commented, hating the fact that she couldn't be part of the action.

Stella also transformed Mario and Luigi, giving them the same powers. Now both were dressed in a sleeveless karate gi and a red headband on their foreheads and were barefoot. Mario had his chest exposed and wore a white gi, while Luigi wore a red gi and his chest was more relatively covered up.(8) Mario had a nunchaku, while Luigi had a gun staff.

''OK, we're ready for action!'' declared Mario.

As they went down the stairs to leave the room, they were ambushed by henchmen from the Sour Bunch.

''Prepare to fight!'' Peach said, kicking back a group of enemies. Mario hit one henchman with his nunchaku and Luigi hit another with his staff, then Mario sent the last one into the ravine below with a seoe nage.

''Our experience in judo at the Olympics was worth it!'' said Luigi.(9)

''Huh? What?'' Stella asked, confused.

''It's a long story, but it's not the first time we did judo or other martial arts'' Mario replied. ''Anyway, let's move on.''

Peach, Mario, and Luigi returned to the door and kicked it down, while the apprentice Theets volunteered to stay behind to fight the Sour Bunch henchmen. Beyond the door, they came to a bridge, where they defeated more enemies and saved some Theets until they came to a small Chinese village and then a ravine full of poles with masked fighters on them. Mario and Peach kicked them into the ravine, while Luigi proceeded cautiously, avoiding the enemies as much as he could.

''The school is up ahead. Watch your backs.'' Stella said.

They moved forward, fighting other enemies and using the poles to attack nearby enemies.

''There are a lot of masked enemies here.'' Mario commented, as they crossed a suspended bridge.

Shortly after, when Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Star entered the martial arts school, a masked kung fu fighter jumped in front of them from the roof. He saw something familiar in Peach, but he didn't seem impressed by the others.

''Look! There's the sensei!'' Peach exclaimed, pointing to the martial arts master, who was on the ground and unable to get up.

''Get to safety, sensei! We'll take care of that villain!'' Mario said, helping him up.

''Thank you, promising warriors...'' said the sensei, stepping out.

The masked fighter attacked first with a kick, which Mario dodged, then Peach blocked another kick with one of her own.

''What is he going to do?'' asked Luigi, while dodging his enemy's kicks.

''I think he wants to test your skills. He doesn't take you very seriously, though, and he's causing a lot of trouble here.'' Stella replied.

Mario kicked the masked fighter in the chest, stunning him, allowing Peach to kick him in the head.

''Wait for the right moment and then attack!'' said Peach.

The enemy launched a stretch kick, which hit Mario in the stomach, but Luigi grabbed him by the leg and knocked him to the ground before hitting him with an axe kick. The battle continued on the school's rooftop, where Luigi blocked the masked fighter's kicks with his staff and Mario hit him with his nunchaku until he was stunned, then he and Peach hit him with an energy kick that sent him off the roof, defeating him.

(''The Legendary Dragon Kick (Kung Fu Peach) - Princess Peach: Showtime OST-s'')

''Are you okay, sensei?'' Stella asked.

''I've been better... thank you. I'm too weak to fight any longer. This masked fighter and his henchmen are causing a lot of trouble here.'' the sensei replied.

(''Theme of Chun-Li- Super Street Figher IV OST'')

The troubles were not over yet. Some Sour Bunch henchmen kidnapped some female Theets, who screamed for help.

''Oh, no!'' Mario shouted.

''My children!'' the sensei cried out. Some of his students rushed to the nearby door in an attempt to save them, but were defeated.

''Don't worry, we'll take care of it.'' Peach said. Alongside Mario and Luigi, she went through the door and defeated a wave of enemies, then entered a building where she saved the first female Theet.

''Peach? If you defeated the witch Grape, how come her henchmen are still here?'' asked Luigi.

''That's what ask myself too! I defeated her last week, and it makes no sense that the Sour Bunch is still here!'' said Peach.

''Maybe they want to avenge their leader?'' Stella suggested.

''OK, but Peach had regained control of the theater when Grape was defeated, and yet her henchmen are still causing trouble,'' Mario retorted.

''I agree. It's too suspicious.'' Stella said.

They continued to fight against the enemies, and at one point, they found a Theet who easily disposed of a wave of masked fighters with kicks, punches and energy karate chops.

(''Theme of Chun-Li- Super Street Figher IV OST-s'')

(''Fields of Honor- Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMix OST-s'')

''That's the Kung Fu Sparkla!'' Peach exclaimed, and knocked down an enemy with a flying kick.

''Are you here to help me?'' the Kung Fu Sparkla asked.

''We'll give you a hand!'' Mario said, knocking the enemy upwards with a sweep kick, allowing Luigi to send him flying into a small group of enemies.

''Thank you.'' the Sparkla said.

Luigi swung his staff at his enemies, blocking their attacks and allowing Mario to strike them down with his nunchaku.

''Those girls are in danger! Let's move on!'' Stella said.

The group was attacked again by the fighter from before, but he left immediately after, as the Kung Fu Sparkla was too powerful for him.

''Should we follow him?'' Mario asked.

''We'll take him out later. We have to save those girls.'' Luigi said.

Peach, Mario, Luigi, and the Sparkla kept chasing the masked kidnappers, who escaped into another building. Using poles to jump and scale the building floor by floor, they managed to catch up with them and rescue the kidnapped girls, who they led to an empty room.

''I don't understand how these guys represent martial arts.'' Mario commented.

''Tell me about it. If this is the spirit of martial arts, then I would be a despicable being.'' the Sparkla said

(''Fields of Honor- Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMix OST-s'')

The lights went out, and Peach couldn't help but look around a little annoyed.

''Seriously? Again? This thing is getting old so fast!'' Daisy complained.

(''Zhu Baije- Minecraft: Chinese Mythology OST'')

When the lights came back on, the masked fighter reappeared from the roof and attacked everyone by shooting dark energy projectiles. The Sparkla jumped in front of the girls to protect them, but Luigi was hit by the blast radius.

The masked fighter attacked Mario with a few kicks, which he managed to block before attacking with his nunchaku, but the attack missed.

''What was that?!'' Luigi exclaimed.

''Don't panic, Luigi, but I think this is Darkle.'' Stella replied.

''Darkwhat?'' Mario asked.

''Darkle. It is the negative counterpart of Sparkle, and Grape's most powerful minions have access to this power. This power causes or reinforces people's feelings of inadequacy and despair, especially if they are connected to a problem, and negatively affects their self-esteem. Using Sparkle is the only way to cheer up a person who feels discouraged or too weak to face a problem, but it does not work on those who are frightened by external factors.'' Stella explained.

''I wonder what would happen if Darkle did something like that to you. Be careful, Mario.'' said Peach, as she pinned her opponent to the ground with a leg submission hold.

Luigi hit his enemy with an axe kick to the head, but was left exposed by a dark projectile that hit him in the chest and disarmed him. The masked fighter also freed himself from Peach's grip, but seeing the damage his brother had suffered, Mario repeatedly hit him with his nunchaku before being sent flying by a kick when he lowered his guard.

He attacked again with Darkle orbs, which Peach kicked back at him to stun him, then gave him the finishing blow alongside the Kung Fu Sparkle before fled once more.

(''Zhu Baije- Minecraft: Chinese Mythology OST-s'')

(''Dragon Palace- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe OST'')

''He ran away again!'' Stella exclaimed.

''It's okay, he couldn't have gone far. We only need to defeat him one more time anyway.'' the Sparkle reassured them.

All the Theets were safe, but the bad guys were still around. As Peach and the others headed to a nearby academy shrouded in a dark cloud, they were ambushed several times by the Sour Bunch henchmen who tried to trap them between the boulders, but to no avail.

''I'm going to need a break after this...'' Luigi panted, after the third ambush in a row.

''Are you tired, Luigi?'' asked Mario.

''A little.'' Luigi replied, yawning.

''I know, we've been working hard. But we have a little longer to go.'' Peach said sympathetically.

Eventually, after climbing the building, they reached the dojo, where they found the masked sensei.

''Enough playing around! You have no escape!'' declared Mario.

(''Dragon Palace- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe OST-s'')

(''Terracotta Army (The End) - Minecraft: Chinese Mythology OST'')

Suddenly, the masked sensei split into three, and Luigi was disoriented. ''Now who's the real one?'' he asked, looking around.

''We have to take them all down.'' the Shining One said, and began attacking all the clones, while the others faced one clone each.

''Mario, you take on the left one, and Luigi, the right one is yours. I'll take on the middle one.'' Peach said.

The clone on the right used the same fighting style as in the last fights, often using his arms, but the others had a different style. The one on the left often jumped and used axe kicks, while the one in the middle shot orbs of darkness.

As she fought the enemy in the center, Peach found that she couldn't make a dent in it at the moment. ''Defeat the others! We'll take care of that later!'' she said.

Mario and the clone on the left had several physical clashes. His nunchaku would hit his opponent's legs every time, but it wasn't enough against a direct attack from mid-air. Seeing that attacking him from above was useless, he had to change his approach and was forced to fight on the defensive. The clone on the right was particularly aggressive, and Luigi resorted to a cautious fighting style, blocking attacks with his staff and his arm whenever he could. On top of that, they also had another problem to deal with, as the clone in the center was constantly shooting Darkle orbs from his hands. Every now and then, the Sparkle would help them, but they still couldn't damage that clone.

''If Darkle does something to you, the entire Mushroom Kingdom would go into chaos, Mario. Be careful.'' said Peach.

''I wouldn't worry about that, Peach. I'd worry more about Luigi.'' Mario replied, and in the meantime, the Sparkle destroyed the Darkle projectile with his energy punches and kicks.

''You're right about that, Mario. As you told me before, your brother never had much confidence in himself. What if someone used Darkle on him? He'd fall to pieces!'' Stella said.

''Stella, what are you saying?! Are you suggesting that Luigi is mentally weak?!'' Mario snapped, annoyed, and looked back at Luigi to see if what he had heard had hurt his feelings. Luckily, he was fine and focused.

''No, that's not what I meant!'' Stella exclaimed, not expecting this anger.

''Calm down, Mario!'' Peach said. Trying to calm him down distracted her from the fight, and she was struck from behind by a dark attack.

''Sorry, Stella! I shouldn't be so touchy!'' Mario said hastily, as he shielded himself with his arms to ward off the attacks of the clone he was fighting.

''It's my fault too! I wasn't very tactful!'' said Stella.

After blocking his opponent's barrage of blows, Mario repeatedly struck him with his nunchaku and defeated him with an uppercut.

Meanwhile, Luigi was hit by a Darkle projectile and fell to his knees. Daisy watched with concern from the TV.

''Come on, Luigi, don't give up! Don't let the power of Darkle get under your skin, you're stronger than this!''

Hearing Mario's encouragement, Luigi stood up and repeatedly hit the dark sensei clone while spinning his staff, much to Daisy's excitement.

''Go, hit him!''

The clone used the power of Darkle again, but Luigi was ready, and deflected all the projectiles by spinning his gun staff, then hit him several times with it. A fifth hit sent him flying, and a downward jumping hit sent him crashing to the ground and knocked him out, leaving the last clone vulnerable.

''Well done! Now we can finish this fight!'' the Sparkle said.

(''Terracotta Army (The End) - Minecraft: Chinese Mythology OST-s'')

(''Finishing Blow- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST'')

The last clone attacked with Darkle projectiles while continuously teleporting.

''I think that's the real deal!'' Mario said, as he and Luigi kicked and slammed the projectiles away. Another dark sphere, this time larger, shot towards them, and the Sparkle helped them in repelling it with a series of kicks, stunning him.

''Together!'' Peach declared, and they all hit the dark fighter with an energy kick that sent him flying into the wall.

(''Finishing Blow- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST-s'')

''Is it over?'' Stella asked.

''I hope so, because I'm tired of fighting this guy.'' Luigi said.

(''WildsEdge- Fruit Ninja 2 OST'')

Despite everything, the dark sensei was not defeated yet, and he rose again like a puppet.

''Not again...'' Peach commented.

''I've had enough of these games!'' said Mario. ''Luigi! Together!''

Luigi nodded and walked over to Mario, who grabbed his hands tightly. He then let himself fall to the ground and used a tomoe nage on Mario, throwing him with his legs, to the shock of their teammates, who were blocking their opponent's attacks. It was all calculated, with Mario jumping off the wall, and both he and his brother dropkicked their opponent from both sides.

''Whoa!'' Stella exclaimed, amazed.

Despite this powerful attack, the enemy was not defeated yet. ''We need more power!'' said the Sparkla, as he blocked the dark fighter's kicks.

''We're going to have to resort to drastic measures, Mario.'' Luigi said. ''We'll take him out the old-fashioned way.''

''Great idea, Luigi!'' said Mario, and they put down their weapons.

Luigi kicked the dark sensei in the shin, and both brothers grabbed him by the legs and slammed him into the ground. They grabbed one leg each, pulled them toward their chests, and began spinning around in a giant swing, using their signature throw, their favorite finisher. They spun faster and faster, becoming a white and red tornado, and the Sparkla couldn't help but watch in amazement.

''So long!''

They released their grip, and the dark fighter was launched into the sky, disappearing after a few seconds. Although he was no longer visible, a purple explosion was visible.

"Old school, baby!" Mario said, and the crowd went wild.

(''Wilds Edge- Fruit Ninja 2 OST'')

''Wow! I've never seen anyone do anything like that!'' Stella exclaimed, amazed. ''How do you do it?''

''That's how we do it in the Mushroom Kingdom. When we fight against Bowser, our archenemy, we often use this throw as a finishing move.'' Mario explained.

''Impressive. You have very strong chemistry.'' the Kung Fu Sparkla said in amazement. ''Thanks for the help.''

''You're welcome. We've faced far worse threats.'' Luigi said.

Mario approached him, and they shook hands tightly. ''You did great, bro.'' he told him.

''You too.'' Luigi replied.

---

Stella deactivated Mario, Luigi, and Peach's transformations and levitated around them. ''Great job! We've completed all the segments. Now we have to do the grand finale.'' she said.

''Oh, right.'' said Luigi.

''We also have to go home, I'm starving.'' Mario added.

''Mario... you're always thinking about food.'' Luigi commented.

(''King Dodongo- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST'')

Suddenly, the ceiling began to collapse, and dark flames came out of the windows. A large dark dragon destroyed the roof and attacked everyone. The audience screamed in terror, and Toad, Blue Toad, Yellow Toad, and Toadette barely held back the urge to flee.

''WHERE DID THAT DRAGON COME FROM?!'' Daisy screamed in shock.

Luigi began to shake with fear. ''And now we have to fight a dragon?!'' he asked, scared.

''It seems so.'' said Mario.

''Mario, you don't seem too scared about this.'' Stella said.

''I fought a dragon once.'' Mario explained.(10)

Peach heard laughter, and saw some of the Sour Bunch goons making faces at them. ''I think they summoned that dragon!'' she said.

''Are you sure we can fight the dragon like this?'' Luigi asked.

''Maybe you're right. Stella doesn't have enough energy to transform us, and there's no spot that can do that.'' Peach admitted. ''When I fought Grape, I had to enlist the help of the Sparkla, and at one point, she destroyed the theater and caused me to lose consciousness when I thought she was defeated.''

(''King Dodongo- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time OST-s'')

(''Stella- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST'')

The Sparklas approached with a worried look. ''Please, save the theater!'' the Mermaid Sparkla cried.

''There's not much we can do, but you'll need our power to destroy that dragon.'' said the Swordfighter Sparkla.

''With the power of Sparkle, you will win!'' the Kung Fu Sparkla said, and a turquoise light came out of all the ten Sparklas' noses and stopped on Mario and Luigi's hearts.

''What's that?'' asked Mario.

''Those are Sparkla Spirit. They are created by the Sparklas' passion for this theater and performing, and they can enhance the power of the Sparkle. Only those who are worthy of the leading roles can receive them. Peach already received them last week, but now, you and Luigi have proven to the Sparkla that you deserve your roles.'' Stella replied.

''Impressive.'' Mario said, amazed.

''Knowing that the Sparklas recognize my abilities makes me feel great.'' Luigi said.

''We're going to need more power to take down the dragon.'' Peach said. ''Ready, Stella?''

''Of course!'' Stella replied, as sparks of Sparkle surrounded them, and the resulting light created an intense white glow that forced everyone to close their eyes.

(''Stella- Princess Peach: Showtime! OST-s'')

(''Zelda's Lullaby- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess OST'')

When everyone opened their eyes, Peach had a new look. Her hair was down again, but this time she had a crystal tiara on her head. Her pink dress had become wider as if it had a crinoline underneath that puffed it out and its colors had changed from pink to white with a turquoise underlayer and her brooch had took the shape of a sun. Mario was so shocked that he couldn't say anything.

''I say it even though I'm a girl: Peach is just splendid.'' said Daisy, amazed.

''That's Radiant Peach!'' said Stella.

''I'm speechless...'' Luigi muttered.

Sparks of Sparkle flew towards both brothers, and Stella took advantage of this by using her powers to transform them as well. Their usual outfits became turquoise tuxedos, their hats became top hats of the same color with a red stripe for Mario and a green one for Luigi and their logos on top and a pin similar to Peach's appeared on the collars of their jackets.

''Pretty stylish, don't you think?'' asked the mysterious Shining Thief.

"Absolutely," Luigi replied.

''Oh, I forgot. In this form, you can levitate and attack enemies by summoning Radiance projectiles that you can fire from your hands.'' Stella said. ''Peach, Mario, Luigi, you have to defeat the dragon alone.''

''What do you want to do, Stella?'' asked Peach.

''The Sour Bunch. I'm sure they're the ones who attacked with that dark dragon, and they want to avenge their leader. The Sparklas and I have to banish all the remaining henchmen out of the theater. Good luck!'' Stella said, and left the stage.

''Now let's go take down that dragon!" Mario declared.

''You can do it!'' said the Splendid pastry chef.

''May the power of the Sparkle be with you!'' the Mighty Sparkla said, and Mario, Luigi and Peach left the theater to chase the dragon.

(''Zelda's Lullaby- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess OST-s'')

"Is this part of the show?" Daisy wondered, confused. No one, not even she, would have expected that dragon to appear, but she felt that Mario, Luigi, and Peach would improvise to take it down.

''Mario? How can you be so calm about this?'' Luigi asked nervously.

''Because I know we can beat it, Luigi. How hard could it be?'' Mario replied with confidence.

''Here it comes.'' said Peach.

(''Perfect Dark Gaia- Sonic Unleashed OST'')

The dragon stopped in front of the three and spat out dark fireballs. Peach easily dodged them all, while Mario and Luigi needed some time to get used to their new form. However, when she fired Sparkle projectile at the dragon, it didn't react. Mario also tried to attack, but once again, it didn't work.

"It had no effect!" Peach exclaimed, and the dragon charged towards Mario at high speed, narrowly missing him.

''Hey, Mario, don't get cocky! That thing's after you!'' Luigi cried out, seeing that his brother was being chased by the dragon.

''There must be a way to make it vulnerable.'' Peach said, flying around the enemy to get a closer look.

Not knowing what else to do, Luigi fired some Sparkle projectiles, which bounced away, and noticed that the dragon was protected by a barrier. ''We have to destroy that barrier!'' he shouted.

''Yes, but not without a weakness, we won't be able to do much.'' Peach said.

''Luigi! Peach! I'll distract it! You do something about the barrier!'' said Mario, making the dragon chase him.

Luigi began to fly around the dragon, avoiding its dark flames, and eventually, Peach fired a projectile at the dragon's tail. It hit the tip and the barrier began to flash.

''Did you found the weak point?'' Luigi asked.

''Its weak point is the tip of its tail! Chase after it, Luigi!'' Peach replied.

Luigi was hit by a dark flame, but he managed to grab onto the dark dragon's tail and saw a small purple crystal at its tip. He hit it with his palm, and Mario and Peach fired projectiles at it. The barrier flashed again, but this time, it flashed faster.

''It's working! The barrier is giving in!'' Mario shouted. ''Keep hitting, Luigi!''

The dragon roared, and a bolt of lightning suddenly struck Peach, who wasn't expecting it. After dodging a bite, Mario somersaulted behind the dragon and caught up with Luigi. They tore the crystal off the dragon's tail and slammed it into its skin several times until it broke.

''The barrier is gone!'' Luigi said loudly.

''Great! Now we can hit it!'' said Peach.

They flew close to the dragon, shooting out projectiles of Sparkle when the opportunity arose, but its attacks caused them some trouble, leading Peach to wonder if it was the power of the Darkle. The dragon charged at her, but she managed to dodge the attack and hit it from behind.

Luigi kept his distance as he fired his projectiles, while Mario fought more aggressively. At one point, the dragon attacked him with a bite, and it seemed that it got him. Peach was horrified.

''Mario!'' Luigi shouted, equally horrified.

''I'm fine!'' Mario replied. He was holding the dragon's jaws back with his arms and legs. ''Just focus on shooting!''

The dragon flew low toward the theater, but Peach blocked the dark flames with her powers, and she and Luigi fired a barrage of bullets when the flames disappeared. After forty seconds, Mario had to move away from the dragon to avoid being devoured, but was knocked to the ground by a swipe of its tail.

Luigi tried to defend his brother, but the dark dragon slashed him with its claws. ''I think we need some help.'' he said, holding his aching shoulder.

''Look!'' Peach exclaimed, noticing sparks of Sparkle. The Theets were outside the theater, sending their power to them. The sparks of Sparkle hit the dragon, making it roar in pain.

''We won't lose!'' Mario declared. When the dragon tried to bite him again, he hit it with an uppercut to the jaw, then shot Sparkle projectiles into his throat, and Peach did the same. The dragon unleashed a dark storm, and Luigi had to fight to keep himself from being blown away by the wind.

The dragon prepared to breathe fire, and Mario, Luigi, and Peach charged up a projectile of Sparkle together. Their attack transformed into a Sparkle beam that collided with the dark fire breath. Determined to win for Stella and the other Theets, they kept pushing, and the beam of Sparkle overwhelmed the dark fire, destroying the dragon.

(''Perfect Dark Gaia- Sonic Unleashed OST-s'')

''Did we… Did we do it?'' Luigi asked, exhausted.

''Yes! We did it!'' said Peach. ''The Sparkle Theater is safe!''

The man in green smiled in relief. He opened his mouth to say something, but here turned to normal before he could speak and lost consciousness.

''Luigi!'' Mario shouted, and swooped down to catch him before he fell into the water. ''Let's bring him in, come on!''

Worried about Luigi, Peach nodded, and they headed back into the Sparkle Theater.

---

(''Theme of Love- Fire Emblem Heroes OST'')

With the dark dragon defeated, Stella, the Sparklas and the Theets celebrated, but their expressions changed when they saw Mario holding an unconscious Luigi and Peach, both with sad looks as their transformations ended.

''What happened?'' the Mermaid Sparkla asked

''We won, but... Luigi has fallen unconscious.'' Peach replied sadly.

''Oh, no... I'm sorry...'' Stella muttered, mortified.

''It's not your fault, Stella. I should have noticed sooner.'' Mario told her. ''During the kung fu master segment, Luigi was tired. If we had given him a break, maybe...''

''Luigi will be fine, Mario.'' Peach said.

But despite this, Mario was unable to hide his concern. ''Wake up, Luigi, wake up!'' he shouted.

Luigi opened his eyes with an exhausted groan. ''Mario...?'' he murmured.

''You're alright... What a relief...'' Mario murmured, holding him close.

''Is it over?'' asked Luigi.

''Yes, the theater is finally free, and there are no more traces of the Sour Bunch.'' Stella replied.

''Good. Let's close the show.''

(''Mario! When can I eat? I'm starving!'') Yoshi complained.

''I know, Yoshi. Wait just a little longer. Let's do the grand finale and then eat.'' Mario said. ''You come up on stage too.''

(''Theme of Love- Fire Emblem Heroes OST-s'')

Mario and Luigi went backstage to put on tuxedos, then went on stage with Peach.

(''Looney Tunes Theme'')

The curtain opened, revealing the brothers and the princess as background music started.

All the Sparklas went on stage, followed by Yoshi, and the crowd cheered as they prepared to deliver the line. Luigi started to stutter, but managed to deliver the final line at the same time as everyone else.

''That's all, folks!'' they all said, striking a pose,(11) and the crowd cheered even louder than before.

(''Looney Tunes Theme-s'')

---

After the show, everyone met in the hall for dinner. A Theet gave Peach a mask, and the princess, recognizing it, felt uncomfortable.

''Something wrong, Peach?'' asked Mario.

''That's Grape's mask. Looking at this mask makes me feel like she might come back.'' Peach replied.

''But you defeated her.'' Mario said.

''Yes, but maybe not completely.''

''I think you have a nemesis too. Mario has Bowser, I have King Boo, Yoshi has Kamek, and you have Grape.'' Luigi said.

(''Sky-High Sundae- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe OST'')

Dinner consisted of desserts cooked by Peach and the Patissiere Sparkla. Yoshi couldn't contain himself, drooling frequently during dinner, and the others had to remind him several times not to eat all the food.

''Now this is paradise!'' Mario said happily, munching on two donuts he was holding in his hands.(12)

''Whoa, hey! Take it easy, Mario!'' Stella exclaimed.

''You know how Mario is with cakes. You have no idea how many times Peach bakes a cake for us when we rescue her.'' said Luigi.

''You could say you spoil him.'' the Patissiere Sparkla joked, and everyone except Mario laughed.

"Hey!" Mario commented, unimpressed. "OK, I eat a lot of cake. So what?"

''With all the cake you eat, I'm surprised you're not chubbier than this.'' said Stella.

''Well, with all the physical activity we do, we don't gain weight. I eat almost as much cake as Mario, and yet I'm slimmer than him.'' Luigi replied.

''And when it happens, it's always after Bowser kidnaps me. He's so obsessed with me that he drives me crazy, I swear. It makes me want to use one of these transformations and take him down like this.'' Peach said.

''Maybe that wouldn't be a good idea. He would become even more obsessed with you.'' Luigi said.

''And there's a problem. You can't use these transformations outside the Sparkle Theater, anyway.'' Stella added.

''Anyway, when I defeated Grapelast week, I got some help.''

''How did it happen?'' Yellow Toad asked.

''When I thought I had defeated her, she destroyed the entire theater and I was knocked unconscious. I only defeated after all the Theets gave me their power.''

''Look at this. The Bow Master took some pictures showing Peach in action. This transformation is Super Radiant Peach, a more powerful version of the transformation you saw before.'' Stella said, showing an album. In one of the photos, Peach was shooting a beam of Radiance, and her dress was very similar to Radiant Peach's, but it was longer and the crystal crown was larger and sparklier.

''Awwww, I wish I could have seen that...'' Toad complained.

''We all wanted to see the princess in action,'' said Yellow Toad.

''By the way, the Ribboner completed a photo album with the three of you. Somehow, they even managed to snap a photo of you fighting the dragon.'' Stella said.

''Good. We'll check it out.'' Luigi said, nibbling on a donut.

''This is true culinary perfection! Peach's magical cooking!'' Mario exclaimed, eating a slice of cake.

"You should open a bakery, Peach." Stella said, and everyone laughed out loud.

(''Sky-High Sundae- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe OST-s'')

(''S.S. Anne- Pokémon Fire Red & Leaf Green Version OST'')

By the end of dinner, everyone's bellies were full of food. Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and the Toads received the album from the Ribboneer, and it was time for them to go home, so Stella took the bow out of Peach's hair.

''We had a lot of fun tonight. Thank you, Stella.'' Luigi said.

''I hope you can come back to see our plays sometime.'' Stella said.

''Oh, yes, we will!'' said Mario.

''See you soon, Stella!" Peach said as they took the ship back to the Mushroom Kingdom.

''Come back soon!''

Meanwhile, in Sarasaland Castle, Daisy was smiling from ear to ear, and she had a lot of fun watching the show, but she couldn't think about it much, as a valet reminded her that she had to manage a court protocol.

On the way back, Luigi was still on the verge of falling asleep, and he rested his head on Mario's lap. ''I'm exhausted...'' he muttered.

''You're right, Lu. I'm a little tired myself. We'll go home soon and get some rest.'' Mario told him.

"I don't think I've ever seen a show this complex. It must have cost something like a million dollars in budget," Toad commented.

''Not as expensive as the movies,'' Peach said.

(''S.S. Anne- Pokémon Fire Red & Leaf Green Version OST'')

---

(''1 AM- Animal Crossing Wild World OST'')

When Mario and his friends returned to the Mushroom Kingdom, the plumber in red yawned. ''Mamma mia... it's been a long day.'' he said.

''Yeah... it's late, and Toadsworth will be worried if he doesn't see me come back. He'll probably give me an earful for coming back this late.'' said Peach.

(''I have to go too. See ya.'') said Yoshi.

''Bye, Yoshi.'' said Mario and Luigi.

''Tired, boys?'' Peach asked.

Luigi began to stagger, and Mario picked him up to keep him from falling to the ground. ''Absolutely. My brother needs rest. Soon, I'll go to bed soon, too.'' his older brother replied.

''Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then.'' Peach said, and kissed both Mario and Luigi on the nose.

Mario carried Luigi home and placed him on his green bed. ''Did you have fun?'' he asked.

''It was fun. And tiring too, I'll be honest. I didn't expect to become an actor.'' Luigi replied.

''I know. You deserve some rest.'' Mario said.

''I love you, Mario.'' Luigi said, hugging his brother and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

''I love you too, Luigi.''

''Did I do well during the show?''

''Were there any doubts? Some of these roles seemed written for you! You were fantastic.''

''You too.''

Mario put his brother to bed and kissed him goodnight. ''Goodnight, Lu.'' he said.

''Goodnight, Mario.'' Luigi said, and fell asleep soon after.

As he looked out the window, the mustachioed hero smiled. He had seen plays before, but this was different, much more complex than the average show. He yawned again, admitting that he was tired. He leaned down to give Luigi another kiss on the forehead, then climbed into bed, and after another yawn, he too fell asleep.

(''1 AM- Animal Crossing Wild World OST-s'')

---

A/N: Mamma mia, what a long chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed the show for this chapter and the previous one! That's all, folks!

(1): In Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, one of the game's events is figure skating pairs, which requires two characters, a man and a woman. At the end of the performance, the pair strikes a pose, and four pairs have a special pose: Mario and Peach, Luigi and Daisy, Sonic and Amy, and Silver and Blaze.

(2): Mario and Luigi's blue tuxedos in this segment are a reference to the end of Chapter 16.

(3): This is a reference to Peach losing a heart as if she had taken damage if she uses the Strike of Intuition on the wrong object or person. The same happens if Peach fails to follow the rhythm of the song at the end of the levels with the Mermaid transformation.

(4): This joke comes from The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, when SpongeBob and Mr. Krabs find out that the Krabby Patties are out of stock and they can't make them without the secret formula.

(5): When Samus is in her Zero Suit, she uses an emergency laser pistol, the Paralyzer, and is playable in this state in Metroid Zero Mission and Metroid: Other M. The Paralyzer does not deal damage to Space Pirates, but it charges automatically and can paralyze them when fully charged. In the Super Smash Bros. series, Zero Suit Samus uses the Paralyzer in several attacks, with a down smash attack and a neutral special that temporarily paralyze enemies, and she can also create a plasma whip from it in some of her attacks.

(6): The lightsaber is the signature weapon of the Star Wars franchise. During the Mario in Real Time sessions where Charles Martinet communicates with fans, a 2007 clip shows that Mario can imitate Darth Vader's voice.

(7): In Mario Kart 8, there are visible posters for the movie Kung Fu Lakitu, a reference to Kung Fu Panda. Po, the protagonist of Kung Fu Panda, is voiced by Jack Black, who voiced Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Kung Fu Panda 4 was recently released.

(8): This is based on Ryu and Ken Master's gi from Street Fighter. Ryu and Ken are best friends and rivals, as they trained under the same master. Ken's ending in Street Fighter Alpha 2 shows that Ryu's red headband belonged to Ken, who gave it to him to help him stay focused after winning a sparring match against him, as he noticed something was wrong with Ryu.

(9): In the 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, not all characters can be used in every event, as they are divided into five teams of four characters, and the amount of singles, doubles, and four-character team events that characters can take part in depends on the team they are on. Mario, Sonic, Luigi, and Tails are on the Heroes team. Judo is exclusive to the Heroes, so only Mario, Luigi, Sonic, and Tails can take part in it, and since it is a single-player event, they challenge each other in a series of two matches. Judo also appears in Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as one of the 2D events based on the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. These events have a style based on the earlier games in their respective series, and only Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Dr. Eggman can take part in them.

(10): In Super Mario Odyssey, Mario's spaceship, the Odyssey, crashes twice during the story after an ambush from Bowser and is damaged by the impact. The second time this happens, it crashes into the Ruined Kingdom after Bowser attacks Mario with the Ruin Dragon, known as the Lord of Lightning, who has immense electrokinetic powers. In the Ruined Kingdom, Mario must defeat the dragon to recover the Multi Moon needed to repair the Odyssey.

(11): In the Looney Tunes franchise, the line "That's all, folks!" is often used in the ending theme, and in the games, it is also used in the Game Over screen. Porky Pig, the oldest character still used today, has a stutter, and this line is especially associated with him.

(12): In Mario Party 10 , in the minigame "Shy Guy Shuffle", players must keep an eye on the five Shy Guys carrying donuts and choose one of them, getting an amount of points equal to the donuts the chosen Shy Guy carries, and after three rounds, the one with the most points wins. At the end of the minigame, the four characters who took part eat the donuts together, and each character has their own animation. For example, Mario, Wario, and Waluigi eat both of the donuts they are holding.