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Even though there's a push to find the sprites, that doesn't mean the original goal has been forgotten. A way to bring other kingdoms together to create an alliance against Bowser and his army. They have the BeanBean and the Desert Kingdom's support, so the next logical step would be the Jungle Kingdom right?
Afterall, it's not like they pulled away first after their king kept demanding for some kind of action to be taken and when nothing did happen he felt jilted. And there's no way he had kept those hard feelings for so long that the next generation of rulers would have to deal with the outcome.
âŠRight?
Fandom: Super Mario & Releated Fandoms
Rating: Teen and UP Audiences
Relationship: Mario & Luigi & Wario & Waluigi, Princess Peach & Princess Daisy, Mario/Princess Peach, Luigi/Prince Peasley.
Additional Tags: DK, Donkey Kong, Cranky Kong, new kingdom!, we're pushing forward, getting a new member of the team, fighting, intense fighting, self doubt, bullying through words, cranky isn't going to give in without a fight, but he's not the one fighting, DK! Donkey Kong! (please read this like you're singing the song), more than meets the eye, something's stirring, gang's all here.
âOkay, here we go⊠Build up the chargeâŠ. Move it to the fingertips⊠HoldâŠandâŠrelease!âÂ
Peasley leaned back slightly, with eyes wide in amazement, as green energy arched between Luigiâs fingertips. The Beanish prince laughed softly as his shock fell away. âOh, how wonderful!â
On his part, Luigi flushed softly while still maintaining the continuous charge. âItâs really nothing more than a party trick.â
âYouâre showing amazing control over your powers. That feels like something more than a simple trick! Youâre doing so well.âÂ
A little flustered from the praise, Luigi couldnât hold back the sudden surge of energy. Causing him to give a small yelp of surprise as he quickly cut off the flow. Peasley instantly reached out to collect Luigiâs hand in his own. Despite the humanâs noise of panic.
âC-Careful!â Luigi said frantically, âT-There could still be some discharge.â
âYou wonât hurt me, I know it. But are you okay?â Peasley asked, thumbs gently rubbing over the otherâs knuckles.Â
âY-Yeah, Iâm not in pain, I canât really be hurt by my powers. I was more surprised than anything. Sorry for worrying you.âÂ
Peasley just laughs softly, âAs long as youâre okay.â
âI am, promise⊠Iâm really glad you came.âÂ
âOf course, why wouldnât I! I get to help build relations with other kingdoms, see new lands, and I get to be with you? Sounds like the perfect way to spend the next few days. Do we know which kingdom weâre going to?â
âPeach and Daisy are supposed to be announcing today. Iâm just hoping itâs somewhere calm and quiet.â Luigi pouted slightly at Peasleyâs soft laughter.Â
âIf you find a place like that, please, let me know.â
âDonât tease!â
âIâm not, I just find that idea charming but not very achievable. How about this, when my kingdom is fit to have visitors, you come by and Iâll show you around my peaceful kingdom?â Peasley smoothed out Luigiâs shirt before leaning forward to place a kiss on the humanâs cheek. Laughing softly seeing the flush.Â
âDo weâŠhave a possible date for this visit?â
âNot for a while, unfortunately. Opening up our borders could lead to a lot of possible issues, ones that the council wants to plan for. But the moment it happens, you will be the first invited. You and your brother, of course. A-And Peach, I believe that would be fair.âÂ
Luigi smiles watching as Peasley becomes flustered. Reaching out to take the beanish princeâs hands in his own. âPromise?â
âOf course⊠I promise, my Little Flower.âÂ
Feeling his cheeks burn, Luigi nervously ducked his head, but his smile grew.Â
The quiet moment between the two was interrupted by Luigiâs name being called out. Both looked back as Wario walked over to where they sat. Who waved over, offering a sheepish smile as he drew closer.Â
âSorry to interrupt you two lovebirds. But Peach and Daisy are ready to announce their decision. Iâm making the rounds to get everyone.â
âReally, that was kind of quick.â Luigi commented.Â
âI think theyâve known for a while. If the numerous letters were any indication. They just wanted to hold us in suspense. Come on you two, chop chop. Letâs see what they have to say about their great plan.â
Peasley stood first, offering a hand to Luigi. Who took it happily. Both ignoring the rather dramatic sigh and rolling of the eyes from Wario before he led the way. The meeting room was already filled with the rest of the steadily growing group. With Peach and Daisy at the front of the table, a covered board behind them. The rest clustered around the same table.Â
âHey,â Mario cautiously started, âwhat were you two up to?â
His worried expression brushed away as Wario ruffled his hair.
âCalm down, Mini-Me. Everything was PG when I got there, with a safe distance apart.âÂ
Peasley couldnât help but laugh softly while Luigi groaned in embarrassment. The beanish prince quickly cleared his throat as Mario sat himself right. âI assure you Mario, I have nothingâŠnefarious planned. Luigi just wanted to show how advanced his control is over his ability now.âÂ
With a raised brow and narrowed eyes, Mario looked towards Luigi. Who merely let out a small sigh. âMario, please, nothing happened.â
â...Alright.â
âIs Mairo done having a protective brotherly worry attack?â Daisy asked, arms crossed with a teasing smirk.
âLet me worry about my brother in silence.â
Peach waved her hands to quickly dissuade the building argument, smiling weakly. âOkay, how about we get to our meeting point.â
âFine.â Daisy grumbled weakly.Â
âThank you. Now, Daisy and I have given it a lot of thought. As well as built a list of good and bad points for the kingdom weâre going to go next. Iâll just ask that you keep an open mind as we talk through this. Our next place is going to be a big one.âÂ
âWhy do I have a feeling weâre going to hate it.â Waluigi said dryly.Â
âNo comments from the peanut gallery, please!â Daisy said before dramatically grabbing the cloth, flashing the group with an excited smirk. âWeâre pleased to announce that weâre going toâŠâÂ
Pause for dramatic effect.Â
The cloth is pulled off in a large arch, Daisy moves back to allow further viewing of the board. That hand a large list of pros and cons on either side, with a title written at the very top.Â
âThe Jungle Kingdom!â
All turned to Waluigi, who had suddenly stood up, with his hands raised.Â
âIâm out.â
âWaluigi-â
âYou two can not be serious.â
âWhat problems do you have with this?â
âOh, I donât know. How about the fact that Cranky Kong is insane! Even before he pulled away all those years ago.â
Peach frowned, âHeâs not crazy.â
âWell, heâs certainly not someone to trust either! He left the moment he could, even though he has the strongest army weâve ever seen and complained the loudest about being prepared. If he was really that concerned about âsafetyâ, he would have stayed. No matter how annoying it got around here.â
âDonât you mean dangerous?â Luigi asked.Â
âNo, annoying. Cranky left because he couldnât stand how no one jumped to the quick conclusion to panic like he did. He was annoyed we were doing what we thought was the best thing.âÂ
âI, uh, I kind of agree,â Mario spoke up, âNothing Iâve heard about this guy soundsâŠgreat.âÂ
âBut we need numbers and strength, and thatâs what the Jungle Kingdom has!â Daisy argued back.Â
âWe wonât word our reasoning like that,â Peach quickly said, âWeâll have better counterarguments for this stance. But we do need power in numbers, which the Jungle Kingdom has in spades. Theyâre a strong kingdom to have on our side. We justâŠhave to convince them.â
âYeah, nothing says âwelcomingâ like âwe just want your shiny toys - please giveâ. Thereâs no way he wonât figure out what we want.â Waluigi added on.Â
Daisy huffed, âOkay, what do you recommend?â
There was a pause to contemplate, until Luigi spoke up. âHow about weâre ready to listen to his concerns?âÂ
âWhat do you mean?â Peach asked.Â
âIf I remember correctly, Cranky Kong pulled away before because he felt no one was listening to what he had to say about the situation. Now with Bowser back, if we go with the stance of listening, we might be better accepted?â
âSo, we butter him up before we make our request.â Daisy clarified, leaning over.Â
âUm, sure, in a way.âÂ
âCranky is going to be paranoid, regardless of what we say,â Wario argued, âIsnât he more of an âaction speaks louder than wordsâ kind of person?âÂ
Peach hummed softly in thought, eyes eventually flickering up to the bean prince. âPeasley, what are your thoughts on this?â
Seemingly surprised by the sudden question and attention brought onto him, Peasley shifted in his seat before answering with, âIâŠdonât have much to weigh in on this. To be honest, I was hoping to learn more than anything else. The BeanBean Kingdom hasnât had a need to build connections like this forâŠeons. I donât believe I have much to offer.âÂ
âNonsense, you have plenty to give in this conversation! As a kingdom that went into self-exile, youâll be a perfect companion to the Jungle Kingdom. Obviously the silence was broken when you heard about these two,â Peach gestured to Mario and Luigi, âbut is there another reason for this movement?â
Peasley bit his bottom lip, silent for a few moments as he thought. â...May I speak freely?â
âOf course.âÂ
âI donât feel that anyone here knows what theyâre doing.âÂ
âOuch,â Daisy huffed, âweâre trying.â
âI know! I know, I didnât mean for that to be a negative comment, i-itâs more of an observation. But if Iâm understanding this meeting correctly, this is the first kingdom that you, Princess Peach, have reached out to.âÂ
âI..suppose so.â Peach was a little flustered when Daisy gently pushed her out of the way to stare Peasley down.Â
âExcuse you, she reached out to the Desert Kingdom.âÂ
âNo, you brought yourself here and she returned you. Which incited the conversation about building the alliance again.â
âAlso got us to do your dirty work over that crumbling building.â Wario muttered.Â
âMy kingdom reached out on our own accord.â said Pealsy, frowning softly.
Daisyâs glare hardened, âWell, how were they supposed to know they could contact you?â
âThey werenât! Itâs just-â Letting out a huff, Peasley tried to relax his form as he started again. âThis was not supposed to be a slight against your planning. Iâm very well aware of the trepidation when thereâs a need for a first good impressionâŠand with the weight of so much on your shoulders.âÂ
At that, Luigi reached out to place a hand over Peasleyâs clasped ones.Â
âThere is a need to build up our strength back,â the beanish prince continued, âHowever, the Jungle Kingdom, King Cranky Kong, might not be the best first step with this plan, princesses. Is there another area, maybe a town or city, that we could do a trial with?â
Peach sighed softly, âI hear your concerns, Peasley, but Iâm worried about time. Itâs been thankfully quiet for some time now.âÂ
Wario loudly cleared his throat.Â
âFrom Bowser, specifically, point understood Wario. We donât know what heâs planning next or what new weapon or tool heâll have at his disposal. This is not something we can just take our time with. We need to act swiftly. So no, weâre not able to do a trial elsewhere.âÂ
â...Fine,â Peasley started, âI willâŠattempt to strike up a conversation with the King. Maybe my perspective will help him see that a restructure, a reconnection, wouldnât be a bad thing.âÂ
âThank you Peasley, Iâm sure youâll be able to sway him.â
The prince only offered a nod.Â
Waluigi gave a heavy sigh. âWeâre really doing this, arenât we.â
âHeck yeah we are!â Daisy cheered, gently shaking Peach in her excitement. The other princess laughed back.
âW-Well, not quite yet,â Peach said quickly, âWe still need to write a request to visit. Iâd rather not have traveled all the way just to be told ânoâ. Iâll have Toadsworth help me write out a request. Hopefully, weâll have a response before the end of the week.âÂ
The group departed shortly after, Peach leaving to go find her caretaker with Daisy following close behind. Wario and Waluigi bid their farewell, saying if they had a few ends in the kingdom to tie up before they left. Especially if the group was going to be gone for a while.Â
Mario was about to suggest that he and Luigi help, only to find his brother watching the retreating back of the prince. Worry written over the younger twinâs face.Â
â...How about I join you two?â Mario offered, smiling sheepishly as the other pair of brothers looked back with raised brows.Â
âYou sure? Itâs not the glamorous work of hero tasks.â Waluigi teased.Â
âHa ha, if you forgot, we were plumbers by trade before all of this. Itâll be fine. Iâll meet you both outside in a second.âÂ
A shrug shared between them, Wario and Waluigi made for the front door. Once left alone, Mario turned back to Luigi. Who was looking confused.Â
âWhy arenât I joining you?â
âBecause I have a feeling that head of yours is focused around a certain prince at the moment.â Mario argued.Â
Luigi flushed, looking away. âMaybeâŠIâm just worried. Peasley didnât sound super confident back there. I donât think he was expecting to be this involved with what weâre doing quite yet.âÂ
âHe was aware that being part of this team meant contributing, right?â
âWell, yes. But I think everyone keeps forgetting that heâs not had interaction with anyone outside of his kingdom ever.âÂ
âPeach said-â
âI know what Peach said,â Luigi frowned, âWeâre aware of it, but not to the finer details of what that really means. His first time building a political connection was with us, and we were desperate for it. Now weâre throwing him to a king that had not the most friendliest reputations? This is big, Mario. Really big.âÂ
Offering a warm smile and a side hug, Mario gently shook Luigiâs shoulders, saying, âYouâre the best, Lu.â
âW-What?â
âAlways thinking about others. Youâre right, as usual. Go ahead and go check on him. Stay for as long as you need, I can handle Polterpup tonight. You just focus on getting that prince out of his own head, yeah?â
Luigi gave a small smile and a confident nod, âYeah, I can do that.â
âGood, now check on him.â
âRight!âÂ
âAnd keep it PG!â
âMario, STOP!â Luigi glared after Mario as his brother ran off. Cheeks burning as he turned to follow Peasleyâs path. He did a few rounds of deep breathing to calm back down as he made his way towards the guest rooms. Feeling a little more at ease by the time heâd reached the door.Â
Shaking off the last bits of nerves, Luigi reached up to knock twice on the door. âPeasley?â
There was a sound of some slight shuffling before said door opened. Peasley peeking out with a look of confusion. âLuigi? I thought you were with your brother.â
âI wanted to check on you. Can I come in?â
âOh, sure, of course. PleaseâŠâ Peasley opened the door further, stepping to the side to allow the human in.Â
As Luigi entered, his eyes traveled around the guest room. Smiling seeing Peasleyâs items neatly tucked away. âWe should get you a permanent room here.â
Peasley flushed softly, âReally, w-why?â
âOh, well, I mean,â Luigi flustered, âDaisy should have one too. B-Because you two are going to be helping us a lot moving forward! So, it might be good if you had a room that you knew was here. O-One less thing for you to worry about, right?â
âLook at you, planning ahead.â Peasley smiled, reaching out to take Luigiâs hands.Â
âWell, I try⊠But Iâm not here about that, I wanted to ask if youâre okay.â
âOfâŠcourse⊠Why wouldnât I be?â
Luigi frowned softly when Peasleyâs smile faltered, the beanish prince unable to look at the other. âPeasleyâŠare you nervous?â
âMaybeâŠa little? Perhaps itâs selfish for me to say this, but I just wanted to see the world beyond the BeanBean Kingdom border. See how other royals interacted, get some ideas for myself on how to carry myself. Iâm used to people just trusting me, Iâve never had to âproveâ myself. But now, Iâm supposed to sway the views of an, apparently, very stubborn king? What am I supposed to say? What can I say?Â
âYouâre good with your words,â Luigi attempted to calm the frazzled prince, âIf needed, we can plan out what you can say. Kind of like acting it out. Would that help?â
âPossiblyâŠI just donât want to make this worse.â
âYou wonât! Having different points of view gives us a stronger stance. Youâll make this work, promise.â
Peasley's smile returned to its soft nature, âPromise?â
âYesâŠmy Sugar Bean.â
âSugar beans arenât a thing!â The prince laughed, more than happy to be pulled into a strong hug by Luigi.Â
âYes it is, itâs what you are!â
âYou are ridiculous.â
âOnly for youâŠâÂ
_____________________________
While Toadsworth wasnât thrilled with the fact that the Jungle Kingdom was the selected area of focus, he too understood it would be the best place to start. The letter for said kingdom took a few days to write. Mainly for the fact that everyone kept putting their own points onto it. As well as having a worry in making sure the letter didnât sound too desperate or direct.Â
In the end, the message they sent was a bare bones request to visit for a casual means.Â
The reply came far faster than any of them were expecting, or really wanted. Said letter only containing one word.Â
âNow.â
âWell, how comforting.â Waluigi muttered weakly when the group read it over.Â
There was nothing to it, other than to pack up as quickly as possible. The group heading out the next morning, as soon as they could push Wario into one of the carriages.Â
Unlike on the trip to the Desert Kingdom, where there was a bit of a nervous feeling among the group, this trip put everyone on edge. None of them were able to maintain a conversation for longer than a few seconds before it was dropped. All sitting quietly in their corners, staring out the window, as they seemed to down in their own thoughts.Â
Except Wario, whoâs snores were a constant reminder he had a reprieve from this.Â
The rolling green hills were slowly but surely replaced with heavy foliage that became denser the further they traveled. Think vines of vibrant green and purples that wrapped around deep brown trunks. Trees so high that none in the traveling party could see what the colors of the leaves were. The leaves they could see belonged to the numerous bushes that filled in whatever empty space they could cram themselves into. Each one seems to offer a different shape and color.Â
Even with the shading that fell over the paved path and the traveling party, the group could feel the heat coming from the other side. The carriage cooling system working overtime to keep said heat out. Their path wound and curved around in a way that made it hard to make certain turns.
The wonder of it all came to a halt when the carriages stopped. All doing their best to peer out the windows, before needing to brave the heat waiting for them. Wario finally woke up when the change in temperature was so sudden. All letting out small noises of complaints as the heat washed over them, realizing it wasnât just heat. There was humidity as well.
Attention eventually traveled over to the tall barrier that blocked their path. A pair of towering double doors made from the same dark wood that surrounded them. Each door held the carvings of multiple primates that flowed and moved around the available space. The group could just barely make out areas of paint from the deeper areas carved out.Â
Toadsworth recovered first. Straightening out his bow tie and clearing his throat, the elder Toad addressed the rest. âShape up now. Itâs very doubtful weâll be given a welcoming reception. We need to be on our best behavior. No arguing, no powers unless necessary, weâre going to be as diplomatic as possible. Understood?â
There was a collective nod of agreement among the group.Â
That was all Toadsworth needed before facing the double doors once more. Giving two hard but sharp knocks before stepping away. Said doors let out heavy groans as they slowly opened. A large gorilla, dressed in a red dress suite of all things, walked out. Having a guard, somehow larger than the other, on either side. All looking down on the group. Both from the size status and because it was clear the group wasn't welcomed.Â
Peach, only snapping out of her stupor when Toadsworth gently tugged at her dress, stepped forward. âI, Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom, have requested an audience with King Kong.â
âWeâre very aware as to why youâre here.â The ape dressed in red answered, âYou may address me as Koko. Your carriages and Toads will be taken care of as we discuss your terms. I will ask the rest of you to please follow.â
âI thought you said this kingdom was crazy? They seem reasonable, if not a little stuck up.â Mario whispered to Waluigi.Â
âSure, the kingdom and their king, not the people. Theyâre just good at adapting.â
âWhat? How does that work?â
âYouâll see.â
The question was answered relatively quickly when the group entered the kingdom proper. The current area is relatively empty with the trees framing the openness. In the distance, there were a number of treehouses spotting around among the foliage with bridges connecting between them all, crossing in the air.Â
But what caught everyone's attention were the karts. Well-built, brightly painted, decked out with some heavy equipment go-karts. Holding enough room to have a single driver and seats attached in the back. The pathway they were resting on were nothing more than planks of wood, placed as close together as possible. Any gaps filled in with strips of wood. Lines painted on that the twins feel were very crudely drawn street lines.Â
As Koko and the guards took the driverâs seat for each cart, Mairo and Luigi looked over to Waluigi. Both having a look of disbelief.
âWhat is this?â Mario asked, voice cracking a little.Â
âCranky Kong is obsessed with go-karts, a bit of an adrenaline junky. Could say he sees every opportunity as a challenge. Hope you two have strong stomachs, because they donât believe in walking here.â Waluigi teased as he and Wario claimed the furthest kart, with Daisy bringing up the rear.Â
Luigiâs worries were put on pause when hands gently gripped his upper arm. Looking over to find an extremely nervous looking Peasley. âW-Were you aware of this?â
âNopeâŠhow about you sit with me?â
The beanish prince nodded quickly, âY-Yes pleaseâŠâ
Mario gave his twin an understanding smile as Luigi led himself and Peasley to the middle cart. The red-cladded hero walked to the front kart, where Peach and Toadworth were already sitting.Â
âNot going to ride with Luigi?â Peach asked with a smile.
âHeâs taking care of Peasley right now.â
âFor someone whoâs very adamant about not leaving those two along, you do it a lot.â
Mario frowned softly at the comment, âLuigi was supportive when you and I were⊠Well, when I wasâŠâ
âWhen you had a crush on me?â
âHey, I still do,â Mario smiled hearing Peach laugh softly, âI may not like the idea of Luigi dating someone, but I also need to be there for him when Iâm needed. Which also means I need to give him room.â
âNo matter how much it makes you squirm?â
âYeahâŠâ
âAre we ready back there?â Koko asked. After getting an affirmative call back, she gave a nod. âAlright. Hope you all have a good grip.â
âWait, what-â Marioâs question was cut off when he was practically flung back into his seat. Reaching out to grab the bar placed before him in desperation. Unable to turn his head, Mario could only see Peachâs hands do the same.Â
The rush of wind made it impossible to hear anything. Even the roar of the engine had been reduced to nothing more than background noise. They passed by numerous other karts racing around their own, only appearing as colored blurs going the opposite direction. Truthfully, everything was nothing more than swirls of colors that temporarily took solid shapes when they were far away. Allowing them to catch brief glimpses of the huts spotted around the edge of the wooden street, appearing to be more shops than homes.Â
The group let out a collective gasp as they suddenly turned left.Â
Congested huts turned into a wide valley of âstreetsâ and a collection of trees spotted around randomly over the deep water. Mario relating this area to that of some kind of highway. Nothing more than wooden streets having a large number of other karts darting around.Â
With every kart they passed, Mario was uncomfortably reminded that none of the streets seemed to have guardrails. No way to keep the vehicles on the road if they went too far over the edge. How was this place liveable?Â
It took a while, far longer than Mario wanted it to be, to reach the castle. Or what he assumed it was the castle as it was the largest, grandest piece of architecture heâd seen from this area yet. A large primate face carved out of the mountain side that seemed to glare down at the approaching party. The bared teeth slowly opened to the deeper parts of the mountain.Â
Before Mario could take in any further details, the carts drifted to the side before coming to a halt. Mario and his other companions collided against each other from the sudden stop. All needing a few moments to collect themselves, stomachs churning as they took deep breaths, eventually departing from their seats. Eventually shuffling away slowly as they tried to relax their tense muscles.Â
âThat was horrible,â Mario whispered, Toadsworth letting out a small groan of agreement.Â
âI hope to never do that again,â Peach weakly replied, âWho would ever enjoy something like that?â
The princessâ question was answered by a jovial laugh that echoed loudly in the carved out cave. Eyes darting to Daisy as the first guess, only to find the desert princess standing on wobbly legs and looking pale. Attention moved away as the laughter grew once more, finding Peasley doubled over as he desperately clung to Luigi. The princeâs hair was windswept, cheeks a deep blue as his face was scrunched up in absolutely glee.Â
âGuess Peasley would be that person.â Mario answered in awe.Â
Finally able to calm down, Peasley let out a heavy but contentful sigh as his shoulders dropped. Beaming over to Luigi, âOh goodness, that was thrilling!â
âY-YouâŠreally liked that?â Luigi asked. Hoping he didnât sound offensive as he was overly surprised by this reaction.
âYes, that was amazing! Iâve never experienced anything quite like it, the BeanBean Kingdom has nothing like it. Think we could ride it again?â
âI-IâŠthink we have to? To leave?â
One of the guards grunted as they passed by the duo, âGood to see at least one of you knows how to have fun.â
Luigi looked back to Peasley in surprise, to which the prince just giggled further. âSo, youâre okay?â
âBetter than okay, to be honest,â Peasley replied as he started straightening out his hair, âBut I suppose thatâs going to be something to discuss further at a later time. We do have royalty to meet, and I donât think letting them wait would be a smart idea.â
Still a little stunned by this revelation, Luigi could only watch as the beanish prince joined the front of the group. Said human breaking out of his surprised stupor when Daisy landed a pretty hearty slap to his back.Â
âGot yourself a keeper there, Greenie.â The desert princess smirked.
âW-What?â
âThat bean prince seems to be a bit of a daredevil. Prim, proper, and knows how to have a good time? Thatâs the whole package right there.â
âHow about we worry about Luigiâs love life later, yeah?â Waluigi casually suggested as he grabbed Daisyâs upper arm to pull her away.Â
Luigi looked over when Wario wrapped an arm around the younger twin. Said human weakly whispering out, âI thought he would have hated that.â
Wario just laughed softly. âWell, you canât predict everything. Peasleyâs going to be experiencing a lot of firsts. I have a feeling weâre going to be seeing a new side to this prince. Take interest in whatâs going on, just donât overthink it.â
âRight.â
Being shepherded in by Koko and her guards, the group turned their attention to the long throne room. Possibly more of a hallway with how long it truly was. Even with being inside a mountain, there were thin openings at the very top of the curved walls that allowed sunlight to pour in. What couldnât be illuminated by the âwindowsâ were covered by numerous burning torches. The pathway the group walked on was nothing more than tamped down red dirt that crunched softly underfoot. The walkway lined with further guards, dressed in heavy armor and carrying spears.Â
At the very end was a tall backed throne carved out from the same stone that surrounded them. Colored with vibrant reds, greens, and golds that seemed to gleam, even if there was no lighting directly hitting it. Rest on it was the oldest chimpanzee that the twins had ever seen. Appearance helped along by a large, gray beard that draped over his lap. A pair of small spectacles resting on the bridge of his wide nose, still needing to squint at the approaching group. A cane made from knobbled wood resting at the base of the grand seat.Â
Truthfully, the only way it could be determined that this primate was the king was from the large golden crown. One that was precariously perched atop of his head.Â
The assumed King Cranky Kong leaned further forward. Both to get a better look and to grab his cane. âWell, wellâŠwhat a sight for very sore eyes.â
âU-UmâŠâ Peach cleared her throat before offering a low bow, the rest quickly following after. âMighty King Kong, we have asked for an audience with-â
Cranky Kong gave a laugh as he slid from the throne, waving his hand. âGoodness, child, you are certainly your fatherâs daughter. So focus on formalities. Though I suppose thatâs more from the person whoâs still raising you.â
Toadsworthâs face grimaced as a hand was placed on his shoulder.
âYou old Toad,â Cranky laughed, âhow are you?â
âIâm well, sire. Good to see you are still young at heart after all of these years.â
âSure, sure, you still seem stiff as usual. And young Peach, last time I saw you, you only came up to my waist. On a good day when I wasnât hunched over. Now, youâre taller. Unfair, but expected.â
Peach tensed up a little when Cranky gently gripped her chin, tilting and turning her head.Â
âAll of Dahliaâs looks, I see,â the king quietly commented, âNot that itâs a bad thing. Mat wasnât much of a looker. Never knew what Dahlia saw in that mushroom mess. Eh, but what are you going to do about it? Nothing at this point.â
Before anyone could comment on this, Cranky had moved on. Squinted eyes turned to Daisy and Peasley. âAnd you brought back up of the royalty variety, good for you. I remember you, Daisy, little firecracker you were. But with your scars and build, I would guess that you still are. Good. Love a woman who can take anyone down.â
Daisyâs huff was ignored as attention was turned to Peasley now. Who tensed up immediately. Same as Peach, the princeâs chin was gently grabbed onto, Cranky moving Peasleyâs head around. Said prince tense as he was examined.Â
âArenât you a curious oneâŠâ Cranky mumbled, âFrom the BeanBean Kingdom, for sure, but a representative? NoâŠwrong outfit. To well maintained and created⊠A prince .â
Pealsey leaned back the moment he was released, a little started as the king laughed.Â
âA BeanBean prince ? Oh, Iâve missed a lot, apparently. Did the queen need to adopt?âÂ
âN-No, Iâm from royal blood.â Peasley commented back.Â
âRoyal blood?â Cranky sounded very surprised, âActual royal blood? That would make you the first prince born inâŠcenturies? A few centuries?âÂ
âY-Yes sir.â
âHa! And how does that feel? First male made of blood after the last ânaturalâ king caused a number of casualties. What an act to follow. Your citizens must be standoffish, people can be so superstitious. Must feel a little awkward.â
âN-No,â Peasley cleared his throat, âNo, my citizens trust me.â
âOh, sure,â Cranky gave Peasleyâs a sympathetic pat, âSure, sure happy to hear you so⊠confident in your people. Thatâs a good word.âÂ
As Cranky moved on, Pealsey looked fearfully over to Daisy, whispering out a small, âWhat?â
The desert princess gently shook her head, wrapping an arm around the other in hopefully a comforting manner. âDonâtâŠthink about it. Itâs fine, youâre fine.â
Cranky Kong shuffled over to Wario and Waluigi next, pushing his glasses up and he peered at the brotherâs with a small look of displeasure. âI remember you two⊠Familiar faces, troublemakers. I recall the stories Toadsworth would grumble about when we held meetings.â
The brotherâs frowned over to Toadsworth, the elder Toad not looking back.Â
âWeâre not sure what youâve been informed, but people do change.â Waluigi calmly argued back. Only to frown when Cranky just laughed, hard, at that comment.Â
âChild, actions speak louder than words, and your past actions have said plenty. If you donât believe that, prove me wrong. Either way, what are you two doing here? Shuffling along looking for entertainment?â
Wario gripped onto his brotherâs shoulder to keep Waluigi back, the oldest calmly replying with, âWeâre mentors and advisors for the Heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom.â
That got Cranky into a steam of ruckus, mocking laughter. One that lasted not only a few minutes, but caused the brotherâs cheeks to turn a dark red in indignation and humiliation. âYou two, mentors ? Advisors? What are you advising on? How to ruin your reputation in three easy steps? Hilarious.âÂ
âYou canât talk to them like that!âÂ
Crankyâs teasing smirk fell to an annoyed scowl as Mario and Luigi pushed their ways between the king and the other brothers. The twins glaring at the king with the remainder of the group tensing.Â
âAnd you two must be the so-called heroes.â Cranky said slowly, leaning on his cane, clearly uninterested.Â
âSo-called? I think the number of times weâve battled against Bowser would give us that title. You remember Bowser, the person you so desperately wanted to fight against before? Weâve actually faced him.â Mario said back.Â
âDonât get your ego inflated anymore than it already is,â the king gave a warning growl, âI was dealing with this Koopa and his family long before you were even born. With the stature of you two, I can only assume youâre only alive because of sheer, dumb luck. Seriously, how short can one get?â
To prove his point, Cranky dropped his hand on top of Marioâs head to ruffle it, the human letting out a disgruntled noise. Only for Luigi to push it off, doing his best to glare at the king as he pushed Mario behind him.Â
âYou donât talk to people like that.â The younger twin said tersely.Â
âYeah I do, Iâm the king.â
âThat doesnât mean you get the power to belittle people! Youâre rude and arrogant!â Luigi faltered slightly as Cranky leaned forward, teeth bared. Mario instantly pulled his brother behind him.Â
âBe mindful of your words, human, youâre here asking for my favor. I have all the cards. If you donât like how things are run here, youâre more than welcome to leave. I have not invested interest in your little party.âÂ
âWeâre here trying to rebuild the bonds that you helped break-â Marioâs argument was cut off at Cranky snapped his teeth at him.Â
â I did no such thing! I left because King Matsutake was too stuck up his own ass to realize what was going on.âÂ
âHis wife was sick and dying!â Luigi stated, still behind his brother. âI understand that there were kind of major things to worry about, but-â
âKind of major things? Kind of! The âheroesâ who fought Bowser sees that Koopa as a kind of problem. Great to know what kind of people weâre leaving our future to.â
âAt least weâre trying something-â Mario huffed as he was cut off again.Â
âSure, now youâre doing something, it took the Mushroom Kingdom long enough. Had to have their princess captured twice and then we decided to put our heads to good use. Even then , if I heard correctly, others still had to make the first move.âÂ
Peasley flinched slightly when Cranky Kong pointed his can to the beanish prince.Â
âA self-exiled kingdom had to push everything forward! They took the first steps! The Mushroom Kingdom being what Bowser is after, I donât get it. Never understood it, never will. Youâre all children trying to fix the problems of your parents without even knowing what theyâre supposed to be doing. The blind leading the blind and what not. This is a disaster waiting to happen.â
Cranky huffed as he hobbled back towards his throne, face scrunched up into a deep scowl. âGet out.â
Peach felt her heart skip in panic, stepping forward to follow the king. âBut-â
âGet out! Until you can show that you actually want to build a connection, I have nothing for you.âÂ
âThatâs unfair!â Daisy argued back, âHow would you suggest we do that? If fighting Bowser isnât enough to tell you weâre serious what is?â
âSir, if the Mushroom Kingdom falls by Bowserâs hands, you know he wonât just stop there. The Jungle Kingdom is in as much danger as any of us. If you ignore this now, it could make everything worse.â Peasley argued back.Â
âI want action!â Cranky banged his can down, turning back to glare at the group. âI want to see your attempt to find a way forward.â
âAnd this isnât it?â Daisy frowned.Â
âNo, this is your plea to have power without knowing how to wield it. Iâm not helping you fix a damn thing if youâre just wanting numbers.â
âWeâre not just looking for power,â Peach pleas, âWe justâŠthereâs strength in numbers, right? We need to build a strong front against Bowser, to show him weâre not afraid. You were angry whenâŠwhen my father didnât take your words seriously. Well, I am! I want to hear from you, to let you help with defeating that Koopa and his kingdom.â
Cranky slowly shook his head, frown still in place. âPrincess, I hear you, but itâs not enough.âÂ
âIf itâs action you want, then let us show you!â Mario called out, Luigi nodding behind him. âWhat can we do, right now, that shows you we mean what we say? Let us show you weâre more than ready for this.â
Contemplating the red-cladded twinâs words, Cranky gently tugged at his beard. Letting out a low hum before a smile broke out over his face.Â
âWellâŠif youâre offering. Thereâs one thing that could be offered as a challenge, if youâre willing. If youâre both willing.âÂ
âWe can handle it.â
âVery well, if youâre determined to prove yourself, I issue a challenge. Steeped in tradition as a way for any member of the Jungle Kingdom to prove themselves. You two must prove yourself in the Great Ring of Kong!â
Before either Mario or Luigi could answer, hands were quickly wrapped over their mouths. Peach giving a quick âJust one moment please!â before the collective group huddled together. The twins only released from Waluigiâs grapes when the group could whisper.Â
âWhat was that for?â Mario asked.Â
âDo not agree to this.â Daisy hissed out.Â
Peasley frowned, âWhatâs going on? What is King Kong talking about?âÂ
âThe Great Ring of Kong is a challenge set for their fiercest warriors,â Toadsworth voice quivering in panic, âThe challenge is unknown to the party taking up the gauntlet, namely you two. Youâre not going to know whatâs to be expected until the time of and the King can set it up to be anything.â
âT-That seems wildly unfair,â Luigi shivered.Â
âItâs not supposed to be fair,â Wario grumbled, âItâs about pushing you to your limits. Seeing what you can put yourself through for the entertainment of others.âÂ
âI told you, daredevil, in every capacity.â Waluigi frowned.Â
âSo, what, weâre not supposed to take it?â Mario voiced, âIâm assuming thatâs why everyoneâs in a panic right now.â
âWe donât know what heâll have planned. But if heâs already in a foul mood, it canât be good. I mean, it probably wasnât going to be good to begin with, but now itâll just be worse.â Toadsworth advised.Â
âBut heâs giving us a chance to prove ourselves now! We donât have time to really go back and forth in hopes of getting in the good graces of everyone. We need to strike now.â
âNot at the expense of your health,â Peasley frantically whispers, âWe didnât plan for something like this. If we need to take a few days to think something out-â
âI donât think days are going to be enough,â Daisy argued, âI think this crazy guy wants us to do something drastic. Like, I donât know, take over some of the Dark Lands to show we mean business.âÂ
âIf thatâs the case, this Ring of Kong might be the kinder alternative.â Luigi said weakly.
âBut it also might be the worst thing for you two to experience.â Toadsworth frowned.Â
âWe donât really have that many optionsâŠâ Mario looked over to Peach, âWhatâŠdo you think, princess?âÂ
â...I donât like this, butâŠâ Peach let out a heavy sigh, âIt might be our best option at the moment.âÂ
âThen let's do it.âÂ
Cranky Kong watched the group disperse with a prideful smirk on his face, head tilting to the side as they approached his throne once more. âWell, I hope whatever the conversation was, it was well worth it. Itâs rude to whisper in front of company, you know.â
Mario ignored the comment. Looking back to Luigi, who gave a silent, but determined nod. â...Weâll take you up on your challenge.âÂ
That got the kingâs full attention. âYouâre agreeing to the Great Ring of Kong?â
âYes, weâre agreeing.â
âExcellent to hear! Now weâll get to see what your little kingdoms are made of. Iâll need about an hour to get it all ready for you. And Iâm sure youâll need a bit of a power talk thatâs not held through harsh whispers with your little party. My guards will take you to a vacant hut to regroup and plan as best you can. Theyâll collect you later.âÂ
Cranky Kong shuffled his way out of the throne room, his laughter seeming to grow the further he went. Clearly giddy over what was about to happen.Â
âWellâŠwhat an unfortunate turn.â Waluigi unhelpfully commented.Â
Peach receives a letter from someone in the Dark Lands. One asking for help in moving an entire village worth of people to the Mushroom Kingdom. That shouldn't be an issue, right? After all, DK is here to help! And as long as they do this as quietly as possible, they'll be able to keep Bowser in the dark.
Everything sounds better before put into practice.
Fandom: Super Mario & Releated Fandoms
Rating: Teen and UP Audiences
Relationship: Mario & Luigi & Wario & Waluigi
Additional Tags: Princess Peach, Captain Toad, Koops, Boswer (mentioned), Kamek (mentioned), getting a little more lore, got another piece to the puzzle, someone's showing off their art skils!, DK's first mission, Bowser isn't the only threat in that kingdom, removing people for safety.
Peach was not ready for the morning following the groupâs return from the Jungle Kingdom to begin with a frantic Captain Toad. Who was waiting for her in a state of panicked mumbling and pacing in the throne room that had everyone on edge. Hand clasped together tightly in front of him, Peach just able to make out a rolled parchment held between them.Â
âCaptain,â Peach called out, âwhat seems to have you so troubled?â
âIâm sorry for bothering you so early, your highness. But Iâve come into possession of some rather distressing news. Kind of. Sort of? I mean, where the letter came from is worrisome and the contents are a bit of a mixed bag, but-â
Captain Toad was spared the need to ramble on further when Peach held up a hand. Using the same to silently requisition the letter to be handed over. To which the adventuring Toad obliged. Watching fearfully as Peach began to read.Â
To Princess Peach,Â
Iâm in desperate need of your help. My village is struggling with an unknown force thatâs quite literally breaking our homes apart. Our leader, Lord Bowser, has not offered help or even interest in solving this issue. Iâm hoping you and your heroes would be able to step in to aid us. Or, at the very least, get us out.Â
Understand that Iâm reaching out to you as a last resort to help. But we are reaching a state of desperation, as we arenât able to just leave on our own. Lord Bowser wouldnât allow such a thing. Weâre too large of a group to move cohesively and weâre unable to physically fight back.Â
Please, we really need your help. I know I have no reason to believe you would do so, or have truly any benefit to this. But I hope youâre able to look past who we are to offer what Iâm asking.Â
Please, youâre our last and truthfully only hope.Â
Koops Troopa
Peach frowned softly as she reached the end of the letter. Eyes scanning over to the attached map before addressing Captain Toad once more.Â
âHow did you come to have this?â
âA Paratroopa, one of our new allies.â
âDid they get it from the village directly?â
âAccording to them, yes, and Iâm not sure how else that letter would have gotten here.âÂ
âWhy were they-â The princess shook her head. âOkay, we canât focus on that bit of information at the moment. The letter makes me believe their village is experiencing the same issue the Desert Kingdom had faced. Which offers up further problems, between knowing whatâs causing the issue and where this village is located.â
âShall I go get the brothers, your highness?â
âIf you would be so kind. I have a feeling we need to move on this as quickly as possible on this matter.â
Captain Toad gave a salute before running off. On her part, Peach bypassed her throne and headed towards the newly appointed planning room. Giving a quick request to the kitchen staff to send their crafted breakfast to the same room. As she passed through the double doors, Peach squinted her eyes at the map where a crudely drawn circle was. The name of âPetallingâ just made out under the thick ink.
âHowâŠinteresting. I didnât believe they named their villages.â She mumbled weakly. There wasnât much time to dwell on this fact when heated words could be heard exchanged from the hallway. Ones that were steadily growing louder.Â
Peach shuffled to the side as the kitchen staff came rushing in. Clearly intend on placing the items down and leaving as quickly as possible. Doing so just as Mario and DK came practically barreling into the room. Glaring at each other, Mario in fury, DK looking smug, as they continued to âtalkâ. The remainder of the group consisting of Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi, brought up the rear. Looking absolutely exhausted.Â
Peach blinked in confusion, watching as the argument continued until her annoyance won over. The harsh words only halting when a sharp whistle shocked them into temporary silence. All looking over to see the princessâ eyes furrowed in frustration.Â
âWhat is going on?â Peach asked.Â
âMr. Kaiju has the worst ways to actually train someone. I need him to explain to me how just knocking us around is supposed to help us become better fighters.â Mario growled out.Â
âNot my fault you and Green Bean over there are so poorly handled that I have to fast pace you through everything I know.â DK argued back.Â
âStop!â Peach called out watching Marioâs chest puff out in defiance. Waiting until the human deflated before addressing DK directly. âDK, when we agreed to have you here to train the brothers, it was with the understanding that you would do so gracefully. Knowing that they have not held formal training before.â
âYeah, well, we both apparently have different meanings of the word âgracefullyâ. Because Iâm not thrilled being handed basically two conscious, free moving, barely thinking weapons that know practically nothing. But carry enough power to technically level cities if weâre not careful. If you want these two ready to actually fight, Iâm gonna have to move fast. And being an ass about doing it is the best way.â
âFast doesnât equal good, or at the very least decent at combat. While I understand yourâŠconcerns, your stance will mean nothing if they push back and still canât fight.âÂ
DK huffed, but didnât contribute further. Instead opting to grab the fruit bowl from the table and claim a seat. âLook, you wanted training, you have training. You donât get to back out now that itâs becoming too difficult. I doubt youâll find anyone else willing to step up that also has my level of combat knowledge. Whatever. Have fun discussing this âimportant thingâ. Iâll be over here trying to figure out a plan to make up for the time lost on this.âÂ
âHow supportive.â Peach mumbled weakly. Rolling her shoulders to try and relax, turning back to face the rest of the group. âIâll take it, training has not been going well.âÂ
âI thought I was annoying,â Wario grumbled, âThat ape has a whole new level ofâŠjust, ugh.â
Luigi cleared his throat before answering with a lowered voice, âI donât think he likes us very much. His methods wouldnât be so bad, if he was actually trying to teach us.âÂ
âIsâŠhe not?â Peach frowned.Â
âWellâŠâ
âMore like yelling his teachable moments,â Waluigi commented, âItâs a weird mix of knowing he knows how to train people. But purposefully making it a train wreck to itâs more of a punishment. Seriously, my headâs still rattling around from how loud he was shouting.âÂ
Peach frowned, looking towards Mario. Who was still glaring at the great ape slowly depleting the fruit.Â
âWhat about you, Mario?â
The red-cladded hero just shook his head. âIâm not sure what weâre supposed to learn from him. I want to keep the peace between the kingdoms. But it truly might not be worth it if this is what we have to deal with.â
âIâllâŠput that on the back burner for now. We have a more pressing matter to deal with.â Peach unrolled the letter to show it off to the group. âCaptain Toad obtained this letter, itâs from a village in the Dark Lands. Theyâre claiming to be experiencing a power that is shaking their world apart. Sound familiar?â
âYouâre thinking itâs the Desert Kingdom situation all over again?â Waluigi asked.Â
âItâs too coincidental to not be the same thing.â
Wario huffed, âIs Bowser not dealing with this? It is affecting his kingdom.â
âApparently heâs not, and Iâm not surprised. The Dark Lands are large enough that one village is not going to ruin anything in his eyes. In fact, if thereâs nothing there that Bowser wants from that section of land, why would he deem it necessary to waste the resources to help? No, theyâre asking for our help in this matter.â Peach passed the letter over to Wario to allow him to read better.Â
âSo, what are your thoughts on this?â Mario asked.Â
âIâm hoping to do an extraction,â Peach said, âOf both the people and the artifact thatâs causing this. Iâd like to have as many of these sprites as possible, especially if it means Bowser wonât have access to them.â
âWe knew where the tremors were originating from in the Desert Kingdom. We donât have that luxury here. Weâll be pushing it to remove citizens and find this weird sun sprite thing without drawing attention.â Waluigi argued.Â
âBut theyâre asking for our help in gaining safety, and I think a removal from that kingdom would be best. Further, in regards to that âspriteâ, if E.Gaddâs understanding of the object is correct, even remotely, weâll need it.â
âIâd rather we take the risk now of getting everything on in one go instead of having to double back.â Wario said.Â
Mario added on with, âIf we remove the citizens under Bowserâs nose, heâll have that place under lockdown as fast as possible. Meaning anything we would need to go back for would be almost impossible.â
âA-Are we all aware that weâre intentionally g-going back into the Dark Lands. Even more s-so worried about the fact that w-weâre going deeper into e-enemy territory?â Luigi squeaked out.Â
âIâm not thrilled with this either,â Peach sympathized, âbut Iâm not letting them suffer.âÂ
âHow soon do you want to move out on this?â Mario asked.Â
âToday, if possible.â
âEasy.âÂ
All paused in their planning when a loud âbelchâ sounded at the end of the table. DK put the now peel and rind filled bowl aside as he got up from the chair. Rolling his shoulders as he rejoined the rest. âAlright, I can be ready in an hour. What about the rest of you?â
âWhat?â Peach asked, voicing the surprise that everyone felt.Â
âWhat do you mean, âwhatâ? You didnât think Iâd really let you lot have all the fun. Besides, in the good nature of building relations, it would be best for me to keep an eye on your âheroesâ. See how well they perform in battle.âÂ
âNow hold up,â Wario argued back as he and Waluigi positioned themselves in front of the ape, âyouâre just here to train them. There was no agreement on you tagging along for missions. This is a serious endeavor, not a fun little outing.âÂ
Undeterred and clearly not bothered, DK merely leaned forward with a snarl. âThink Iâm treating this like a joke?â
âPrevious actions would agree with that statement,â Waluigi added, âTraining is one thing, being on the field is an entire other issue.âÂ
âOh please, stuff your worries up your nose. Your âheroesâ barely bested me and the eliteness of the Kong Army. Iâm sure this will be nothing to what Iâve trained for in the past.âÂ
âDK, I do agree with-â Peach was cut off as a huff of hot air was washed over her.Â
âIf you want my help, I need to see all that these two are capable of. No matter how small or non-dangerous a so-called mission could be. If this is truly just a relocation project with the added difficulty of stealth, so be it.âÂ
âBut weâre going into enemy territory,â Mario now tried his hand in arguing, âWeâve only been there once. You-â
âYouâre not going to command me around, human.â That got a bristle response out of the group, something DK only smirked at in quiet victory.Â
âH-He should come.â Luigi barely flinched when all turned to him. Even DK looked a little shocked by the sudden response.Â
âLuigi-â Mario faltered when the other shook his head.Â
âDK is here to help us and it would b-benefit him if he sees what we can do. S-Something thatâs not training related. Plus, this is going to be an i-interesting mission. I have a f-feeling weâre going to need a-as much help as possible.âÂ
âAh, see, one of you has some common sense!â DK pushed past the group to pull Luigi into a side hug. Shaking the bewildered human in giddiness. âYou guys should listen to him more often.â
âWe do listen- Ugh, fine, whatever. Lu, if you think this isâŠfor the best, weâll do it.â Mario agreed.Â
Waluigi crossed his arms, but said nothing more as Wario nodded weakly. Adding on, âI donât like it, but we also donât have a lot of time to argue.âÂ
âThen Iâll talk with Captain Toad about a safe entry place for you all. As well as mapping out how far this village would be from the border. As I said before, I would like you all to head out today.â said Peach.Â
âYouâve got nothing to worry about, princess. Weâll have this all handled in no time.â DK smirked. Eventually putting Luigi down and heading for the door. âAs said before, Iâll be ready in an hour. Iâll wait by the front gate. You can fill me in about all the details when weâre heading out.âÂ
He didnât wait for a reply, not that any would have offered him one, and DK was heading towards the guest wing. Head held high as he silently touted another self proclaimed victory.Â
âI canât believe weâve found someone more smug than you.â Waluigi nudged Warioâs shoulder.Â
The frown from the comment disappeared as the elder brother leaned over to talk to Mario. âI, uh, wasnât that badâŠwas I?â
Mario blinked back, â...He doesnât call me âMini-Meâ.â
âWha- thatâs a term of endearment! I canât believe you donât like that name!âÂ
âRegardless, you were annoying in a different way. So I donât think comparing you two would be fair to anyone.âÂ
âI canât tell if Iâm supposed to be insulted.â
âIâll let you figure that out on your own.âÂ
âYou little pest!âÂ
The remaining three merely shook their heads as Wario headlock Mario under his arm. The younger of the two tried to break out while Wario dug his knuckles into the top of the humanâs head.Â
âTheyâll be like that for a bit. While we wait,â Waluigi turned to Luigi, âI have a bone to pick with you. Whatâs the big idea agreeing with having him come along?âÂ
âI made my points,â Luigi mumbled, âItâs be agreed upon anyway.â
âI actually have a question about that as well,â Peach interjected, âI understand your reasoning, and DKâs for that matter since they are one in the same. But I feel thereâs something more than that for why you want him to join you.âÂ
âOkay, look, I think DK is full of himself in a really bad way.â
âThereâs a good way?â Waluigi asked.Â
âI mean, kind of. Look at Wario.â
âStop using me as an example!â Wario called out. Scrambling when Mario finally freed himself, causing the older to flee from a swinging fist.Â
The others ignored as the duo started to race around the table.Â
âDK is strong, but heâs also extremely sheltered. This has probably been the only time heâs been away from his Kingdom. He no doubt comes from a life of being praised for anything he does and trained to prepare for the worse.â Luigi continued.Â
âYes yes, traits we already know about him,â Waluig waved his hand, âWhatâs the point here?â
âMy point is that DK only knows about training. Heâs never been in a situation where your âenemyâ plays dirty. We may have had a difficult time in the Ring of Kong, but we know how to handle Bowser. We can come back from the unexpected. Weâve probably seen more actual fighting that DK has. We need to show him that we know what weâre doing and possibly bring him down a peg.â
âAnd the only way to do that is to have him come along.â Peach nodded slowly.Â
âExactly.â
âI hate how good of an idea that sounds,â Waluigi huffed, âBut in order for this to work, DK would have to listen to us. And you know thatâs not going to work. Especially after that Ring of Kong incident.âÂ
âIâll admit, Mario and I werenât on our best game,â Luigi admitted, âThe worry of possibly having an enemy in the Jungle Kingdom instead of an ally wasâŠdaunting. Thatâs unfortunately DKâs starting point in understanding how we fight. But I have a feeling that by showing instead of just telling, weâll be able to prove to DK we do know what weâre doing. And maybe heâll go easier on us during training. Or at least not use it as a way to beat us senselessly to make up for his loss.âÂ
Peach winced, âYou think heâs using training as a way to get back at you two?â
âI know my bullies and thatâs a classic move. Play by the rules enough to make it look like youâre interested. When really itâs just a way to torment you in closer proximity.â Luigi flushed when Waluigi and Peach stared back.
The lankier brother shook his head, âOkay, weâll need to unpack that comment later. Right now, we need to plan. Especially with so much riding on this.âÂ
Peach nodded, âLetâs do this quickly then.â
The three jumped when a heavy thud sounded. Turning to find Wario sprawled out on the ground, in a daze, with Mario sitting on his stomach wearing a triumphant smirk.Â
_____________________________________
âFrom what Captain Toad was able to tell us, getting into the Kingdom isnât going to be an issue. There arenât guard or sentry stations or anything like that in our way. The problem will be getting back out. Especially if we draw a lot of attention to ourselves while trying to leave. Which we would like to avoid.â
âOkay, so, the gist Iâm getting is that we go in, gather everyone up, and leave. Sounds simple enough!âÂ
Mario held back a sigh of annoyance as DK cut him off. Taking a few seconds to better collect himself before continuing. âThatâs the idea. To do that in the fastest and safest way possible, we need to stick to the path that the Captain drew out for us.âÂ
âHas this little squirt actually been to the Dark Lands before? How accurate can these âtrailsâ be if he hasnât traversed them.âÂ
âHeâs taking notes from those who have lived in the Dark Lands before and building from there,â Waluigi argued back, âPlus, he can read a map like no other.â
âPlus plus, heâs the only one I trust to lead us around dangerous situations. Even if he isnât here.â Wario added on.Â
Mario took over again, âLook, the main thing to focus on is the fact that we have a lot riding on this and we canât afford to be reckless. It would be best if you followed our lead during this-â
âExcuse you? Follow your lead?â DK laughed. Practically flinging himself to the ground with his cackles to the point the group had to stop. âI doubt you can lead anyone out of a wet paper bag! If anyone should be leading, itâs me.âÂ
âWhy would that be.â Waluigi growled out.Â
âUh, hello? Iâm the Captain of the Kong Army and the prince to the Jungle Kingdom! Iâm literally made to lead people.âÂ
âNot to s-say youâre not skilled in that a-area,â Luigi started calmly, âB-But this is a new situation for y-you. S-Since w-we can read Captain Toadâs instruction and have d-delt with these lands before, w-we really should take lead.âÂ
DK rolled his eyes. âWhatever, guess I am supposed to be watching you lot.âÂ
âDoes this mean youâll play nicely?â Wario asked.Â
There was a huff, but nothing more of an answer was provided.Â
âIâm taking that as a yes.âÂ
The group fell silent as an audible âcrunchâ sounded below Luigiâs shoe. Eyes traveling down to find relief in realizing heâs only stepped on a charred branch. The earth below them showing clear signs of distress and dehydration.
âOkay, here we go.â Mario dug through his bag to pull out the rolled up map. Opening it out for all to look over. âWeâre right at the section the Captain told us to enter though. If we keep our progression straight, we should reach the village before nightfall.â
âThen weâll just have to hope weâll actually be welcomed.â Wario voiced with clear worry.Â
âD-Do you think itâs a trap?â Luigi asked.Â
âNah, but I canât tell from the letter if everyone in that village is hoping to be rescued or if this Koops character is just wishful thinking everyone will just play along.âÂ
âWeâll find out when we get there.â Rolling the map back up, Mario handed it over to Waluigi. âThink you can lead us through?â
âNot a problem.â The lanky brother answered, taking the map.Â
âOkay, Iâll stick behind Waluigi. DK, youâll need to take the middle, with Wario and Luigi bringing up the back.âÂ
âWeâll need to keep our heads on a swivel at all times,â Wario added, âThis place is nothing but an open area with few spots to hide. If weâre seen, we can kiss this mission goodbye.âÂ
âWow, you all are such downers. Letâs go already!â DK called out. Only to have a hand quickly placed over his mouth with a glaring Waluigi staring him down.Â
âKeep. Your voice. Down. âÂ
It was slow progress. With Waluigi continually checking their only key to move forward while the rest scanned the area as quickly and as often as they could. Every five minutes or so, they would freeze, ears strained as they listened for some sound. Some noise. Some indication that theyâd been found or were being hunted.Â
But no one came.Â
Progress came with new visuals for the land, but ones that the group recognized. Cracks, deep and wide, spread out through the land. Similar to the ones that had decorated the Desert Kingdom during their visit. Parts seemed to fall away into the newly created abyss below as the group walked by. Mario silently wondered how far these went down. Hoping they wouldnât have to find out.Â
By the time the sun had started to dip below the horizon, Waluigi stopped once more. Hand up to indicate for the rest to follow before checking the map again.Â
After a few seconds of reading it over, Waluigi turned to the rest and gave a nod. âWeâre here. It should just be over the hill. How do we want to handle this?âÂ
âDonât suppose we could just walk in?â DK asked, hunching down to be on an easier speaking level.Â
âWe could, if we knew everyone would greet us well.âÂ
âShould we send only one of us? Sort of scout the area and see whatâs going on?â Wario asked.Â
Mario shook his head. âI donât like the idea of someone possibly being captured.âÂ
âWe could send two.âÂ
âSame issue.âÂ
âYou just donât like my ideas, thatâs all this is.âÂ
âWould you just-â
âUm, hello?â
The group collectively jumped at the new voice, frantically turning to face where it had sounded from. At the crest of the hill Waluigi had pointed out stood a Koopa. One that barely seemed past their teenage years, wearing a blue hoodie that was a little faded in some areas. A bandaid resting on their beak and a weak eyelid caused a bit of worry that seemed to be forgotten when they saw how in awe he was. Arms practically shaking with excitement as he looked the group over.Â
âYouâre here⊠Youâre actually here, you got my letter! Oh, this is the best thing ever in existence!âÂ
Mario stepped forward as the Koopa tamped the ground with eager stomps. âAre you Koops?â
âYes! Yes sir, Koops Troopa at your service! You must be Mario, the red is well known to us Koopas. Oh, and Luigi! I canât believe youâre both here, a-and you brought Wario and Waluigi with you! I have to be dreaming, thereâs no way all of you came to help us?â
DK cleared his throat, âAlong with a prince, but you focus on what you need to.âÂ
Mario glared back at him before addressing Koops again. âOf course we all came to help. We came as fast as we could.â
âAnd I wish we could leave just as quickly. But itâs too dangerous right now. Ah, never mind that, follow me! Gran will be just thrilled to see you all.â Koops turned to lead the party in.Â
Waluigi took a few quick steps to fall in line with the Koopa, who seemed absolutely thrilled the lanky brother was so close to him. âNow, just for clarification purposes. Should we be expecting some hostility from some of the residents orâŠâ
âNone to worry over that. We all want to leave, but havenât been able to make the move. But no one from this village will harm a hair on your head. Or, er, body in the case of the ape,â Koops looked back with a sheepish smile, âIâm sorry, but I donât think I know your name?â
âDK. Donkey Kong? Prince from the Jungle Kingdom, next in line for the throne, the Captain of the Great Kong Army.â
âOhâŠyeah, that sounds familiar. Well, thank you for coming to help! The brothers must trust you if they brought you along.âÂ
Acting as if heâd been physically struck in the face, DK turned to Mario. âCan you believe that? How couldnât he not know heâs in the presence of royalty?âÂ
âAre you being serious? DK, no one knows who you are. You havenât left your kingdom once before this because your dad decided isolation was a grand idea. I bet anything if we asked Koops if he wouldnât have the slightest idea who Peasley was.â Mario repliedÂ
âBut Iâm Donkey Kong.â
âWeâre not in your kingdom anymore, your highness.â The red-cladded hero could only shake his head as DK turned away in a huff. Thankful that they entered the village and this discussion topic could be saved for a later time.Â
Said village was relatively small, the group able to see the other end of the limits from where they entered. Only supporting a few houses with larger huts seemingly acting as gathering places. But it was an overall small and honestly sad state of conditions. If the numerous cracks in the earth werenât worrisome enough, those huts left unaffected appeared close to falling away on their own. Old, worn boards had enough gap in them to allow the warm, dry air to breeze through easily. Light was only provided by fires that were placed outside, casting the interiors in heavy shadows. Food looked hard and scrawny, clearly unable to grow in the dry dirt.Â
âGeez, if theyâre only asking for help now because of the cracks, these are sturdier people that I gave them credit for.â Wario whispered to Luigi, who nodded in agreement.Â
The group was led over to what could be described as the âvillage squareâ. Which was nothing more than the largest patch of land that didnât have huts and held the largest fire of the area. Koops running ahead to greet an elderly Koopa dressed in a worn cloak.Â
âGran, look, they came! They actually came!â The young Koopa called out, practically bouncing in place as he took the otherâs hands.Â
âI see thatâŠâ Gran Koopa replied, shakily turning to face the group. âIâll be honest, I truly believed Koops' plan was aâŠfoolish one. Iâve never been so happy to be wrong in my life.âÂ
âWeâre happy to help,â Mario replied with a smile, âI do wish you had reached out to us sooner. Not to degrade your conditions butâŠâ
âI canât believe youâre okay to live like this.â Waluigi finished.Â
Gran Koopa merely laughed, âWell, when youâve lived a certain way for all your life, anything else just seems like a hassle. Comfort in the known, if you will. But Koops wouldnât allow it to go on any longerâŠâ
âHow long h-have these tremors been h-happening?â Luigi asked.Â
âOnly a few months. We tried reaching out to Lord Bowser about this, believing he was planning something and could give us an explanation. But Kamek replied with a simple âfigure it out yourselfâ and left it at that.âÂ
âHave you tried to relocate?â Wario asked.Â
âLook around you child,â Gran Koopa waved her hand to the outer bounds of the village, âDid you see plentiful life here? Ones that were sustainable? No, this is a barren wasteland. The âgoodâ soil we were able to find has been doing what it can and weâre thankful for it. Leaving here would be a desperate search for even decent land that could hold us. But thatâs not something we can take a risk on.â
âWe hope you understand that weâre going to be extracting you from the kingdom entirely,â Mario said, âMeaning youâll be leaving everything behind.âÂ
âChild, I can assure you, we wonât be missing much. Truthfully, weâve been needing a good kick in the head reason to leave this placeâŠI just wish it hadn't been so long in the making. But, regardless, weâre prepared to leave behind what we need. Our families are with us, the old kingdom has nothing left for us.âÂ
âGreat, itâs decided, weâll leave. Can we get going now?â DK called out. Either uncaring or unaware of the group sending him an unimpressed look.Â
Gran Koopa merely laughed, âI appreciate your vigor, but now would not be the best time. Nighttime in the Dark Lands is impossible to travel through as of late. No, our best move would be to pack up tonight, sleep, then head out early in the morning.â
âThen weâll do just that,â Mario smiled, âHow can we help?â
âIf you wouldnât mind lending a hand in helping us pack up, that would be greatly appreciated.â
The group nodded with small noises of acknowledgement. Minus DK, who huffed and rolled his eyes. But the villagers didnât seem to pay it any mind, already departing from the area to do as planned.Â
Wario and Waluigi were collected by the adults of the village, helping make lists as to what needed to go with them and what needed to stay behind. Distributing everything as easily as possible to travel lightly.Â
Luigi has been recruited to keep the younger ones entertained. Either playing a game or, when it became too dark to really see past the ring of light, telling them stories until they fell asleep.Â
Mario and DK patrolled the area, the human providing a constant light source, with an excited Koops tagging along. The human more than happy to help out where possible, listening to the teen Koopaâs excited retellings of his life in the area, answering any questions about his Firebrand ability, and generally attempting to keep up a positive attitude. What didnât help was a certain apeâs sour disposition that only seemed to grow with each pass they took.Â
âOkay, whatâs up with you.â Mario whispered as Koops ran off to check in with the rest, âEither fix your face to make it seem like youâre happy to be here or have a whole new attitude by the time Koops gets back. Either way, you need to stop being a baby.â
âBut this is so boring,â DK hissed back, âFrom all the stories I was told about you lot, you were constantly fighting baddies. Fighting Bowser . Not babysitting or cowering when possible.â
âFirst of all, whoâs cowering?â
âSneaking around isnât cowering in your book, apparently.âÂ
With a huff, Mario shifted to stand in front of DK. Who came to a harsh halt with a raised brow.
âSneaking is done so we donât draw attention to ourselves, I thought you understood that with your knowledge of being the Captain. Avoiding a fight is the best strategy.âÂ
DK snorted and shook his head. âYeah, right, and who taught you that?â
âWario.âÂ
âOkay, whatever, maybe you need a new mentor. Someone whoâs actually fought-â
âYou havenât fought anyone!â Mario growled out, causing DK to take a step back in surprise. âIâve honestly had just about enough of you. You can be all high and mighty if you want. But you donât get to rag on our strategies and the way we fight when you actually havenât seen real combat. Youâre a brat!â
âThe Kong Army is the most superior-â
âIâm not talking about the Kong Army, Iâm talking about you! You, Donkey Kong, the Captain who hasnât been in a fight that wasnât a drill or part of training.âÂ
DK puffed his chest at that. âSo?â
âSo? So? If you want to stand there and belittle us about not having proper training, fine. But that means I get to come at you for not seeing anything beyond the comfort of your own home. Youâve been coddled and babied into really believing youâre the best, but youâre not. If that was true, you and your small army shouldnât have gone down as easily as they did in the Arena. If numbers and training are so great, then you should have won handily. But you didnât.â
âIâm starting to think you are just a joke ,â Mario snipped, âIâm wondering if your dad would have agreed to joining us no matter what if it meant just taking you away from him. To get you out of his hair for a while.âÂ
DK growled, âDonât bring my dad into this.â
âThen donât bring Wario into this. Or Waluigi, or anyone else! Weâre talking about you and your stupid view on everything. I donât know what was taught to you while you were growing up. But Iâve had to learn that avoidance is the best thing to do. Fighting is the last thing you want to worry about if you can avoid it all together. Fighting only draws attention to yourselfâŠand thatâs not something we can deal with right now.âÂ
Mario looked towards the village, where they could see the Koopas and the rest of their party running around. âWeâre not here to show off, or to try and prove that weâre the best. Weâre here to keep them safe. Theyâre depending on us to get them out of the situation. We canât do that if weâre running and fighting off opposers. We need to think about their level of protection, not ours.âÂ
â...Itâs still boring.â DK muttered out, but his bravado was clearly gone.
Mario took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. âYou can be bored, but donât let it show. Youâre acting like all of this is a huge inconvenience and thatâs going to bring morale down. Theyâre already frantic. Donât make it worse.â
â...Yeah, fineâŠokayâŠâÂ
âThank youâŠâÂ
DK rolled his shoulders as he quietly contemplated. â...Peach must have taught you a lot about this⊠Those were really good points you brought up.â
âItâs not Peach,â Mario replied, âI told you, Wario taught me everything.â
âYeah, I donât really see how? He doesnât seem like the negotiating type.âÂ
âOh, heâs not, heâs about as bullheaded as you sometimes. But heâs able to provide something you or Peach or even I canât provide.âÂ
DK raised a brow, âWhich is?â
âThe voice of the people.â Mario smiled back.
âHuhâŠfair⊠Good thing you have a brother like him.âÂ
âI- what? No, weâre not related!â Mario laughed weakly, âI know his favorite nickname for me is âMini-Meâ, but weâre not siblings.â
âYeah, I know that, but you guys act like brothers. Heâs likeâŠthe big brother to you. Like you are with Luigi.âÂ
âWell, because Luigi is my brother.âÂ
âYou do realize that you can be someoneâs family without having to be blood related to them, right?â DK questioned.Â
âWhat, like, a found family kind of situation?âÂ
âYeah, duh.â
Mario quickly shook his head, clearing his throat. âWeâre friends, but IâŠdonât know if we can actually count ourselves as family yet.â
âWhy?â
âItâsâŠcomplicated.âÂ
âOr youâre making it complicated.âÂ
âHow about we just-â
The ground beneath them violently shook. Mario less than gracefully colliding against DK, who was able to steady the both of them. From the darkness came screams of panic and fear. The duo on the outskirts were just able to make out frantically moving shadows as they attempted to avoid the growing cracks. Heavy sounds of crunches lead Mario to conclude that huts were either being destroyed or taken down to the depths below.Â
Just as soon as it started, it stopped, leaving everyone in momentarily stunned silence.Â
DK moved first. Letting out a defiant huff before fully straightening Mario out. âWeâre leaving, now.âÂ
âWhat- we canât!â
âThis doesn't feel like something we can wait around with. That sounded bad , like âwe might have just lost a few peopleâ bad. Gather everyone you can find back to the center and weâll talk.âÂ
Before Mario could argue, DK was racing off. Seemingly undeterred from the shadows that swallowed him.Â
With not much else to do, Mario followed. Taking a different side of the small village, silently thankful when he came across Luigi first. Who was trying to console the panicked children.
âT-That was bad Mario,â Luigi whispered, âI donât think this place is going to survive another quake.â
âI know. DKâs gathering everyone at the center again, I think he has a plan.âÂ
âDo we trust-â
âWeâre gonna have to Lu. Time and options arenât on our side right now.âÂ
âWe still need to gather the sprite.âÂ
âThen letâs hope DKâs idea is a good one.âÂ
Standing at the front of a worried crowd of Koopas, DK clapped his hands once to gain all attention. The still roaring fire casting a haloed illumination behind him. âAlright, listen up. We have a change of plans, because this is way worse that I originally thought. Which was already bad, but now itâs worse. While our main goal is to get you all out of here, we also need to make a request. Do you have any lore or stories that talk about a power hidden around these parts.â
There was a silent head shake to the question.Â
âAlright, let me ask differently. Are there any locations around here that youâve marked as a clear âno goâ because itâs dangerous. Or you believe thereâs something dangerous in there.âÂ
Koops raises his hand, âThereâs a cave system nearby! Thereâs supposed to be something hidden within it that weâre not supposed to go near. Thatâs what Lord Bower and Kamek always told us. Itâs not really folklore, justâŠstay away unless you want to lose your kneecaps kind of thing.âÂ
âTerrorâs one way to instill obedience.â Waluigi mumbled.Â
âWould someone be willing to lead us there?â DK asked.Â
Again, Koopsâ hands shot up. âI can! I know the fastest route!âÂ
âOkay, then weâll need to divide into two teams. Koops, youâll lead a small party to this off limits area. The rest of you will follow leads out of the Dark Lands and into the Mushroom Kingdom.âÂ
âBut, itâs dangerous to travel at night,â a villager called out from the back.Â
âI know itâs dangerous, and I know itâs scary. But waitingâŠwaiting isnât going to help,â said DK, âItâs dangerous to stay here, we canât take a risk with the unknown of when another tremor might happen. There is a way we can go through the desert safely, even with how dark it is. Weâll need to make as many torches as possible. Weâre going to need to save some for backups. But, weâll light what we can and then weâll form a chain.âÂ
âWaluigi,â the lanky brother jumped to attention, âcan you get us back to the border?âÂ
âAbsolutely.âÂ
âThen youâll lead the group out of here. Wario, youâll go with. Mario, Luigi, and myself will follow Koops to this âsecret areaâ to see if we can locate whatâs causing these tremors.âÂ
âWill you be able to find the way back?â Wario asked.Â
Koops stepped forward, determination burning in his eyes. âI can do it! Iâve studied enough maps to do so!âÂ
âAlright, there goes that worry.â
âGather your supplies and the torches!â DK called out, âQuick, I want to leave in 5 minutes!â
While the villagers scrambled to gather what was needed, DK pulled the rest, Koops included, in close. âAlright kid, where are we headed for this secret area?â
âItâs about 20 miles South West of here.âÂ
âSo weâll be able to stick with the group for a while before we need to break off?â
âYep!â
âWorks for me.âÂ
âHow are we doing this DK?â Mario asked.Â
âSingle line formation,â DK explained, âNormally something the Kong Army does to traverse over the heavier growth sections of the jungle. Keeps everyone together and moving in the same direction. Granted, that was with some major coverage to act as a sort of defense. Weâll be moving targets if we come across a night patrol.âÂ
âW-Weâre gonna have to take that risk.â Luigi said.Â
âUnfortunately, yeah. But we might get lucky. It sounds like anyone rarely goes out after dark. Maybe Bowser will think the same way and just have patrols near his castle and kingdom.â
âThat sounds like a lot of dumb luck,â said Waluigi.Â
âI think we have plenty of that,â Wario smirked while shaking his brotherâs shoulder.Â
âSpeaking of luck, shouldn't Luigi or myself stick with the group?â Mario voiced.Â
DK shook his head, âIf itâs just patrol to be worried about, we just need to get them down before they can report back to Bowser. I have a feeling if anywhere is super guarded, itâll be this mysterious cave. Thatâs where weâll need the fireâŠand electric power at.â
âYeah, but-â Mario fell slightly as he was pulled into a gentle headlock. Wario offering a confident wink and smile.Â
âDonât you fret Mini-Me, you just get that sprite out of that cave system and weâll be good to go.âÂ
â...Just donât do anything stupid.âÂ
âHey, look who youâre talking to. Stupid is my middle name.âÂ
Waluigi shook his head before turning to Luigi, âYouâre going to have to go underground.âÂ
Luigi nodded, âI-I know.âÂ
âYou going to be okay with that?â
âI mean, no, but the p-plan sounds solid. I donât want to complicate it.âÂ
âOkay, justâŠkeep your breathing exercises in mind, yeah?âÂ
Luigi gave another nod with a weak smile, âI wonâtâŠâÂ
DK, saying nothing, shook his head before saying, âAlright, we understand the plan? Then letâs get ready to move out, and fast.âÂ
_____________________________________
It was a silent somber feeling that washed over the group as they walked away from the crumbling village. The single file line allowed one final look at their once home before it disappeared into the darkness.Â
Lit torches were staggered among the group, held up enough for those in the back to follow along with. But not enough to cast that much light over the area. Waluigi, positioned at the front with map in hand, had a free arm crooked to allow Gran Koopa to grip onto it. Being the oldest from the village, she set the pace to insure no one was left behind. In the middle was Wario, doing his best to keep track of the children that clung to him.
Bringing up the rear was Mario, Luigi, & DK. The former holding up a small fireball as a source of light as the three kept an eye on the small flickers of light in front of them.Â
It was a slow process, even more so than when the group first entered into the kingdom. Not only was the pressing darkness a big issue, but with the number they were moving, they had become a larger target. Along with how unpredictable the land had now become, this was an all around uncomfortable situation.Â
âHey, kid,â DK whispered to Koops, doing his best to not break the silence, âWill you be able to tell when we need to break off from the group?â
Koops gave a single nod. Realized that action probably wasnât able to be seen, and quickly responded with, âYeah, thereâs a marker.âÂ
âWe didnât see a sign coming in.â
âNot a sign, a marker. Natural landmarks that make it easy to figure out where we are. Granted, itâs dark with limited illumination making it a bit challenge, but I should still be able to see it.âÂ
âC-Can I ask something?â Luigi cautiously entered the conversation.
Koops beamed, âOf course.â
âI can understand the d-darkness being an issue to travel through, but i-if weâre doing okay so far with the torches, w-what else was stopping u-us before?âÂ
âAh, well, there are a lot of things in the Dark Lands that arenât exactlyâŠwelcoming, especially as of late.âÂ
âYeah, we knew that.â Mario grumbled weakly.Â
âIâm not just talking about Lord Bowser, or his guards. This landâŠit seems like whatever Lord Bowser claims as part of his kingdom sort of dies andâŠis reborn.â
âIn a corrupt and twisted sense.â DK added on.Â
âYouâre not too far off. We canât tell whatâs causing it, if itâs Lord Bowserâs doing or Kamek has used some kind of magic, but things around here start to do some unnatural things. But, the bottom line to the question is, weâre not really sure what could be waiting for us out here because weâre not sure whatâs exactly out here anymore. It's unknown. Weâre not fighters, so we canât defend ourselves. Moving in the day without protection wouldnât be possible and we didnât want to become easy targets for whatever moves out here. Bottom line, you always have to assume youâre not alone and night time can make that danger so much worse.âÂ
âA-Are you saying we might be being h-hunted right now?â Luigi hissed out, eyes wide.Â
âYeah, thatâs probably the best term,â Koops smiled back, âIt seems like something new and dangerous appears every day in this land.â
DK and Mario exchanged nervous looks.
âAlright Mr. âWeâve Been Here Beforeâ, what kind of creature would we be looking at?â DK broached.Â
The red-cladded hero frowned, âI donât know. We werenât exactly here to take in the scenery and catalog the local wildlife. Kind of missed that step while rescuing people.âÂ
âIâm sure weâll be fine,â Koops quickly attempted to calm the duo down, âWeâve gotten pretty far without anything happening. Itâll all be-â
The group came to a collective, staggering halt with the ground beneath them started to violently shake. All holding up their torches to try and see beyond their current line of sight. A silently worry off the ground opening up further being the first issue to come to mind. And while the ground did begin to part waysâŠit wasnât in a way to show the gaping maws of the world below.Â
As the dirt shuffled and fell away, creatures of round, spiked orbs stacked on top of one another emerged from the dried ground. Multiple popping up as they appeared to surround the group. Who huddled closer together as more of these creatures excavated themselves out. If the multiple barbs that protruded from the bodies, all seeming to drip with some kind of green poison, wasnât enough of a fearful factor, the âfacesâ staring back caused their insides to freeze.Â
It was a twisted smile, showing off a mouth filled with nothing but the same barbs that covered their bodies. Same poison dripping out to just past their bottom lip before it dried and became a sticky substance. Eyes, completely black, soulless eyes, stared down at the stunned group below them. No one was able to tell if the creatureâs attention was fixated on one individual or if their eyes were traveling from one person to the next. All that could be determined was this creature did not mean them well.Â
There was a split second of collectively thinking âWhat the hell are we looking at?â before one of the dozen surrounding them shot forward. Mario having enough for thought and a fast enough reaction time to get the intended target out of the way. Looking back in surprise at the creature gracefully dove into the dried earth as if it was water. The same one quickly turned back around to attempt another strike.
A desperate call of âSCATTER!â caused the villagers to break formation. Panic screams and cries joining the sound of heavy forms crashing into the ground.Â
âWait, stop!â Mario called out, eyes attempting to follow all the scattered light. âShit- Luigi, DK, we need to round everyone up NOW!â
âYou donât need to tell me twice!â DK called out. Reaching out to grab the nearest boulder and throwing it with relative ease at the nearest target. He gave a victorious cry when said creature fell apart as soon as the boulder made contact. The numerous spheres toppling over and rolling a few feet away. âHa, easy! Weâll be done in noâŠtimeâŠâ
The apeâs bravado fell away as he watched, in stunned disbelief, as the very same culture seemed to easily pull itself together. Spheres stacking on top of each other one by one until they were whole again.
âHang on, thatâs cheating!â
âI donât think they care, bananas for brains!â Waluigi shouted back. Letting out a grunt as he swung his hammer, connecting with a creatureâs âtorsoâ and causing it to tumble away. âWe have to make do!âÂ
âHow!? We only get a few seconds before they put themselves back together!âÂ
âThen we need to think of a way to create a barrier between us and them!âÂ
Mario, still holding on to his recent rescue, dodged away as the creature from before came back around. The hero barely got out of the way as the creatureâs mouth attempted to clamp down on his leg. âWhat the heck are these things?â
âP-Pokey!â the villager squeaked out, âT-Theyâre normally not this threatening, but s-somethingâs wrong with them. T-Theyâre not s-supposed to look like that.âÂ
âDo you think someoneâs hurting them and theyâre angry?âÂ
âWe might h-have entered their n-nest but⊠I-I donât know. I-I can just tell that somethingâsâŠwrong.â
âRunning around like this isnât going to help. We need to get everyone back in formation. Gran Koopa!â
From behind Waluigi, a familiar wrinkled face appeared, âYes?â
âDo you think you can get everyone away from this area to the direction of the Mushroom Kingdom?âÂ
âYes!â
âThen youâre going to have to take the lead! Luigi, topple as many of these as you can!âÂ
âB-But theyâre getting back up!â Luigi argued back.Â
âIâm aware of that, we just need to make sure the group has an opening to get through! Try and spread your attacks, Luigi! Wario, Waluigi, DK! You take Koops and go find that secured place so we can gather what we need!âÂ
Wario frowned, âAre you sure-âÂ
âWe donât really have time to argue! We have the powers to scatter these things quickly, we donât need just muscle with this, we just need a clear way through. Plus, this might be pulling attention to ourselves, we canât stay here any longer. We need to divide if weâre still going to make this work! Take Koops and go, now!âÂ
Any following argument was quickly forgotten when Wario found himself being lifted off the ground and rather unceremoniously dropped onto DKâs back. The ape already running away from the area with Waluigi and Koops resting there.Â
âYou canât seriously just leave them there!â Wario called out.
âIâm following Marioâs lead,â DK argued back, âIâm not thrilled with it either, but heâs right. Theyâre able to spread their attacks to hit more than one of those things. We can only take down one at a time. Weâre basically useless back there. Letâs just find whatever is causing this disruption and meet up with them laterâŠâ
Wario let out a low growl, but said nothing more. Turning back to the battle ground that was slowly shrinking away. Only able to make out the moving lights that were the troches and Marioâs and Luigiâs power. Thankful to see the smaller orbs to be quickly moving away with the powers bringing up the rear.Â
âAt least theyâre getting out of there.â Waluigi quietly commented. Wario able to tell it was a weak attempt to make the group feel better in some way. But it did very little to truly calm anyone.Â
âHey, we canât focus on that,â DKâs voice called back, âKoops, Iâm still heading in the right direction, yeah?â
âY-Yeah, just keep going straight. We should see it soon.â The young Koopa replied back.Â
True to his words, a light started to grow, soon showing a large cave entrance that had numerous torches surrounding it. Thankfully, there didnât seem to be another soul in sight. It still became a tense moment when the group saw the numerous weapons scattered on the ground.
âSeems like someone was in a hurry to not be here any longer.â Waluigi commented. Stumbling slightly when DK came to a halt, but followed the other two as they climbed down. âI donât really want to take guesses as to why they left so suddenly.âÂ
âLetâs also not wait around to see if the reason comes back. Come on, inside, quick.â Grabbing one of the torches, Wario led the way in. Waluigi, who grabbed his own torch, and Koops followed close behind while DK brought up the rear.Â
What stood out first to the group was the fact that, despite the number of deep cracks forming in the kingdomâs foundation, the immediate area was unmarked. Appearing to be nothing more than a naturally forming but very deep cave. Warioâs torch allowing for enough light to view the area. All of it amounting to nothing extraordinary.Â
âI wonât lie, Iâm a little disappointed.â DK said.Â
âIâŠkind of am too,â Waluigi agreed, âAre we sure weâre in the right place?âÂ
Koops nodded, â100% sure!â
âI think the scattered weapons outside also back up the kidâs statement,â Wario added, âWe should be thankful this place isnât an absolute mess. Might make this easier.â
The group fell silent as the tunnel theyâd been traveling along suddenly opened up into a domed cavern. One that reached further than what Wario could show. The walls were smoothed out, painted over with images that had been saved from the outside elements allowing for clear view. In the center, placed on a tall pillar, was a familiar shape. A Sun Sprite. A clear victory that was short lived when a realization hit them that the sprite was covered in purple, vein like structures.Â
âEw, what are those?â DK asked.Â
Wario shook his head, âNo ideaâŠâ
âThatâs Kamekâs magic!â Koops called out, his voice echoing. âI recognize it!â
âHow?â
âItâs a draining spell, or something similar to it. He used it as an example on another villageâs crops to demonstrate what happens if we step out of line.âÂ
âAnd having your village shaken apart is what got you all to leave?â DK wasnât able to keep the surprise out of his voice.Â
âWellâŠI mean⊠Lord Bowser left us be, soâŠâ
âWow, youâre definitely heading towards a better life.âÂ
âAre theyâŠtrying to drain the spriteâs power? But itâs backfiring, causing their kingdom to break apart? Okay, worry about all of that later, how are we getting this thing out of here?â Wario voiced, inching closer to get a better look. âI have a feeling touching it or those vines isnât going to be a smart move.âÂ
âMaybe we could use one of the weapons outside to act as a counterbalance? We wedge it under, put a little wait on the other end, and pop!â Koops offered.
âGood enough of a plan as anything. DK, think you could go grab a few?âÂ
âGot it!âÂ
Wario watched as the prince ran off before he realized heâd misplaced his brother. Looking around, he found Waluigi studying the murals intensely. Torch raised high to take in as much as he could. Pulling Koops along, he didnât need to be left alone near those vines, Wario stood next to his brother.Â
âSoâŠwhatâs got your interest?â
âThe mural, at first, it mimics the one that I saw painted in the Dessert Kingdomâs castle. A few colors are off, but the placement of the locations, the sprites, all of it is a perfect match.âÂ
âOkay, that makes sense. If an ancient society all came together to hide these things, it would fit that they would plan out the same blueprint story. What else has your attention?â
âThe words.â
âWords?â
âRight here, look.â Leaning forward, Waluigi gently poked on the wall right to where he was looking.Â
Wario copied, squinting his eyes as he attempted to focus on the markings. âYeahâŠcan you read it?â
âNo, but doesnât it look familiar?â
âUmâŠâ
âLike on another mural weâve seen.â
âUhâŠâ
âLike one that Peach showed us?â
Warioâs ears perked up in understanding, eyes widening as he leaned back. An unspoken surprise passed between the brothers before Wario turned. âHey, Koops.â
âYes?â
âWhat is this?â
Confused, Koops walked closer. Eyes traveling to where Waluigi was pointed to. âOh, thatâsâŠhmmm⊠It looks familiar. I think itâs our old language.âÂ
âOur?â
âItâs an old Koopa language, way older than Gran I think.âÂ
âDo you have any idea what it says?â Waluigi asked.Â
Koops shook his head. âNope. The knowledge of that language was lost centuries ago. Probably around the time that this kingdom was on the rise of conquest.â
âHuh, maybe it was forgotten because it wasnât useful?â
âWell, whatever the reason, we need to write these down.â Wario huffed.Â
âOh, I can help!â Reaching into his knapsack, Koops quickly pulled out a notebook and a pencil. âWill this work?â
âPerfect,â Waluigi grabbed the items, âIâll write this down. You two help DK when he gets back.â
âWhat, donât feel like some heavy lifting?â Wario smirked.Â
âIâm helping out in my own way. Now shut it and let me focus. I donât want to mess any of this up.âÂ
Wario fell quiet when the sound of DKâs footfalls drew closer. The ape entered the cavern soon enough and dropped all that he brought in.
âAlright, we need to get this thing out now,â DK panted, âI think I saw light on the horizon and since weâre not in the direction of the Mushroom Kingdom, Iâm going to guess and say those arenât our people.â
âShit, then weâre moving fast.â Without a second thought, Wario grabbed a spear and marched back over the pillar. Handing the torch off to Koops, the eldest brother struck the spear where he could reach under the sprite. Wedging it in, Wario put his full weight onto the other end.Â
Nothing.
âDamn it, hand me another one.âÂ
DK did so, putting it as close to Warioâs and mimicking his actions. Doing his best to not break the spearâs handle.Â
There was a crack, thankfully from the vines and not from the wood.Â
âWe need one more.â DK said, already reaching back to acquire a third spear. He and Wairo positioned it in the available space and began to push down once more. The vines began to snap, one by one, until the sprite was free and practically flying across the room. âWhoa, watch it Waluigi!âÂ
The lanker brother looked up, gave a yelp upon realizing what was heading his way, and stumbled to the side in enough time to avoid being his. The sprite giving a muffled âthumpâ as it hits the loose dirt floor.Â
âWell, at least you got it out.â Waluigi muttered as he picked the stone up. Frowning at how light it was, in comparison to how heavy it looked. âHuhâŠhow weird.â
âOkay, we got it, now we need to go.â Wario quickly picked Koops up and grabbed Waluigiâs wrist. DK close behind as they made their way to the entrance.Â
Just as the ape had said, there was a growing light approaching the area. Wario had a wishful thought that it was just the sun, but knew that it was still a few hours away from rising. âShit, do you think they can see us?â
âLetâs not give the time to find out.â DK answered, pulled the trio onto his back once more. âYou got that thing secure back there?â
âYeah, just go.â Waluigi said nervously, his ears twitching as they picked up angry sounding voices.Â
âKoops, you just point me in the right direction, yeah?â
âY-Yes, got it!â Koops replied.Â
âThen hang on!âÂ
Without another word, DK took off. Tearing across the dry ground faster than before. Faster than the approaching group could match if muffled, angry cries were anything to go from. Koops lying on DKâs back, close enough to the apeâs ear to give clear direction. Wario and Waluigi looked back in stunned silence, mulling over what theyâd found.Â
_____________________________________
âThere, that should be everyone.â Luigi offered a small smile as he patted the freshly wrapped wound. The villager gave a thankful smile back before meeting up with their family.Â
Gran Koopa reached out to pat the younger twinâs shoulder. âThank you.â
âIâm just happy we only suffered minor scrapes after all of that. Those Pokeys are fast âŠa-and terrifying. Rest up for now, weâll head out as soon as we can.âÂ
As he was left alone, Luigi allowed his shoulders to drop as he looked back towards the Dark Lands. The group having escaped the creatures now rested on the Mushroom Kingdom land. Close enough to have a clear view of the Dark Lands and to keep an eye out for any movement.Â
Right on the unseen dividing line was Mario. Arms crossed as his eyes scanned the horizons, not looking away as Luigi joined him. âTheyâre taking too long.Â
âW-We donât know how far that cave was from where our path was. M-Maybe it was a greater distance than Koops originally guessed.â Luigi offered in comfort.Â
âMaybeâŠstill⊠I should go back-â
Luigi instantly reached out and gripped onto his brotherâs arm, âMario, you donât know where youâre going and no one is going to want to go back in. We just need to wait here. I have faith in them.â
âI do too,â Mario replied quickly, âBut I also know that Bowser and his soldiers arenât going to go easy on them just because theyâre alone. I justâŠdid I make the right call? Should I have gone instead of Waluigi?âÂ
âI think you made the right callâŠâ
â...Iâll agree when theyâre backâŠâ Mario let out a sigh before sitting down, legs crossed, leaning on a propped up hand. Luigi joined him, relaxing as he leaned against his brother, eyes closed.Â
â...Did you know that DK called Wario and I brother?â Mario laughed softly.
âWhatâs wrong with that?â Luigi mumbled weakly.Â
âI mean, nothing really. But we arenât soâŠit was weird.âÂ
Luigi shifted, eyes open again as he stared over the wide expanse. âArenât we?â
âWhat?â
âArenât we brothers? I meanâŠI kind of started seeing them that way.â
Mario blinked, âHave you? Since when?â
âI donât know, a while ago I guess.â
âWhy didnât you tell me?â
âItâs still kind of a new thought bouncing around my head. I havenât really had time to sit down and truly contemplate it. But initial feelings tell me it makes sense.âÂ
â...Does it?â
âYeah, doesnât it to you?â
âIâŠhavenât really thought about it.â
Luigi sat up with a small smirk. âOh, thatâs a lie.âÂ
âWhat?â
âIf you didnât see Wario as a brother, why did you go to him to talk about your crush with Peach?â
âIt just made sense.âÂ
âDid it?â
Mario snapped his mouth shut. Eyes shifting over to Luigiâs knowing smirk. â...How do you feel about it?â
âHow do you feel?â
âI see something!â
The moment passed when a villager called out. Pointing to the horizon in hopefulness, all knowing it was for the missing party members. And that Bowser hadnât just found them. Mario was spared the need to reply as he focused on the encroaching forms, Luigi following, both at the ready if it was something dangerous. Fear fell away as DKâs form was clearly seen first. The apeâs face scrunched up in complete concentration as he tore across the land.Â
As the traveling group crossed the border, DK practically collapsed. His form sliding to a halt at the feet of the twins, panting hard as he squeezed out a small, âMade itâŠâ
âGran Koopa!â Koops jumped from DKâs back, the younger Koopa practically launched himself at his grandmother. Who collected him into a tight hug. The rest of the villagers followed suit, with cries of how happy they were to see him.Â
Mario bent down to check on DK, âNeed a few?â
âHours? YesâŠâ
âOkay, we might need to call in a transport if you canât move soon.â
âFair⊠You goâŠtalk⊠Iâll beâŠhereâŠâ
Mario held back a snort when DK started to snore, a clear indication that the ape had passed out. Shaking his head, the older twin stood back up to joined the rest. Eyes going to the object resting in Waluigiâs hands. âSoâŠyou got it?â
âYeah,â Waluigi answered, âand with what we left, Bowser will probably know soon we were there.âÂ
âWhat do you mean?â
âPretty sure there was a scouting party coming to the area,â Wario answered, âWhoever was left to guard the place dropped their stuff in a hurry and no doubt the group that was arriving were coming to see what had happened. Scouted more than they bargained for.âÂ
âSo, heâll know before the dayâs over.â Mario sighed.Â
âA-At least there wasnât much engagement,â Luigi smiled weakly.Â
âShockingly, I would have preferred guards over those Pokie things, but whatever. At least we got out and got these. Iâm calling that a success in our book.â Mario grumbled weakly when a large hand ruffled the top of his head. Moving it just enough to see Wario beaming back at him.
âGood plan on your part, Mini-Me. Look at you thinking on your feet!â
Now that everything's calmed down slightly, Daisy explains why she's there. Mainly looking for the heroes' help in solving a problem that's coming from deep in one of her Kingdom's temples.
The group divides into two parts: One to solve the temple issue while the other tries to convince the Desert King to join forces against Bowser.
To everyone's surprise, it doesn't quite go according to plan.
Fandom: Super Mario & Releated Fandoms
Rating: Teen and UP Audiences
Relationship: Mario & Luigi & Wario & Waluigi
Additional Tags: Pretty Much Everyone's Here, Named OCs - Freeform, world building, lore building, sometimes in the most painful way, Treasure Hunting, another mural to worry about, Mentions of Blood, we have a lot of people opening up in this one, cursing, heavy cursing, like I haven't used this heavy of cursing for this story for quite a while.
Taking a slow, deep breath, Daisy gave a nod to encourage herself and started.Â
âOne of our oldest temples has started to crumble. Weâre unsure as to why, but there are some warning signs pointing to something powerful currently trapped inside. And that itâs trying to get out. Quickly. Causing quakes to happen more often. While weâre worried, we also donât have anyone who can go in to figure out whatâs going on. No oneâs ever been trained to ever traverse such dangerous areas, and thereâs a fearful thought that we donât have time to train them before something goes wrong.â
âMy father refuses to try and reach out for help, from any kingdom. But I know that my home is in danger yet Iâve been held back from trying to figure things out. Thatâs why Iâm here. My kingdom, my home, needs your help. If whatever is trapped inside is released, Iâm terrified of what could happen.â
The room was quiet after this. Peach sharing a worried look with Mario. Who gave a short nod back with a smile that caused the princess to relax.Â
âOf course we will help.â Peach offered, beaming as Daisyâs shoulders dropped in her own relief. âWeâll pack up and leave as soon as we can.â
âWait, wait, wait,â Wario waves his hands. Leaning on the table to stare the princess in yellow down. âIf youâre not training anyone, then what has your father been doing? And how dangerous are we talking about?â
Daisy frowned softly at the question, âIn order to figure out whatâs really going on, he would need to send some citizens in to start digging down to where we think this problem is located. So we donât really know how dangerous it is. As far as your first questionâŠbasically nothing? I mean, planning on figuring out ways to get in there. But, basically nothing.â
Slowly nodding, Wario eventually slammed his hand down onto the table. âIâll go get my stuff.â
âWhat?â The room collectively called out. The eldest brother let out a small groan before continuing. âNeed I remind you all that I have gone treasure hunting before.â
âYeah, a century ago.â Waluigi added.Â
Wario glared his eyes at his younger brother before continuing. âBottom line is that I have the skills and the knowledge to get the job done!â
âI meanâŠI did just come here for the heroes.â said Daisy, waving a hand over to where the twins sat.Â
Only for Luigi to whisper out, âI donât want to go back underground again.â
He shrank back slightly as all eyes turned to him.Â
âSo, Wario and I will go,â Mario quickly answered. âWith his skills and myâŠfire ability, weâll be fine. Figure out the issue and either report back or solve it ourselves.â
Letting out a huff, Waluigi leaned on his hand in clear boredom. âWhy do I feel like this is the blind leading the blind kind of situation.â
Peach clapped her hand as she stood up from her chair. âWeâll make the best out of this situation, shall we? While Wario and Mario handle the temple, Waluigi and Luigi will help me with rebuilding the relation between the two kingdoms. Simple solution.â
Daisy bit her bottom lip, âI donât know if a crowd arriving at the castle would be the best idea⊠I just came for these two.â
âIf you want the heroes, youâre dealing with all of us.â Wario argued back. To which the princess in yellow just pouted as a reply.Â
âHappy thatâs decided,â said Peach, âI would advise that we separate for now and prepare as we need to. Weâll leave tomorrow as early as possible.â
âNoon?â
There was a slightly silent scuffle as Wario was piled onto by the remaining three brothers in an attempt to keep him quiet.Â
Peach pointedly ignored this and continued with, â6am it is! The castle will be open for anyone if they want to sleep here tonight. To save on travel time. Make it as easy as possible.âÂ
âThank you, princess,â Mario replied with a smile. Which slipped away when he toppled over as Wario finally broke free.Â
Being the only ones who needed to leave, the brothers shuffled out of the castle and their designated homesteads. Wario and Waluigi were practically ready in no time. The younger more than used to packing part of his life away quickly. Suitcase in hand as he watched, brows raised in disbelief, as Wario just shoved whatever he could reach into a stained duffle bag. Slinging it over his shoulder once it was jammed full and giving a confidence filled wink to his brother. Who merely rolled his eyes.Â
âReally, youâre going like that?â
Wario snorted and shook his head, âOf course not! I have to get my tools also.â
âOh, right.â Waluigi shifted back to allow Wario out of his room before following, âYou sure youâre going to be okay? I wasn't joking when I said you havenât done this in a while.â
âEh, itâs like riding a green pipe! You never really forget how it goes.â
âOne, that saying is for a bicycle. Two, being swooped from one end to the other is not even close to treasure hunting. Let alone treasure hunting abandoned temples!âÂ
Placing his bag down, Wario gave a pointed look to his brother. âYouâre being overly weird⊠Feeling nervous? Or sick?âÂ
âWell, forgive me for realizing how bad of an idea this all was.â
âLook, this is just a part of what we do now. I guess. Daisy said no one was skilled in this sort of thing. Well, I have the knowledge and tools, while Mario is the hero.â
Waluigi gave a weak thumbs up. âWhat great points you make.â
âThe point Iâm trying to get to is that this will all be okay. Unless it literally crumbles while weâre inside it or we possibly run into someone else⊠But weâll be fine! Besides, you will have the hard part. Having to please daddy and mommy dearest.â
âMeh, itâs just using colorful words to sway people. Not really the main issue of this whole story.â
âWeâre just playing to our strengths. Try and keep calm, itâll all work out.â
âSureâŠcalm.â Waluigi gave a small smile when Wario offered a cry of triumph as he pulled out a dusty and very old looking satchel bag. One that had clearly not seen the light of day for a long time.Â
Calm was not what they walked into when arriving at the twinâs household. The first floor was left unscathed, but the upper floor looked as if a bomb went off. Mainly, a clothing bomb. Outfits and articles scattered everywhere, pouring out from the open doorways leading to the bedrooms. Wario and Waluigi took tentative steps moving forward as if waiting for something else to go flying out. Only to find the twins sitting on the floor at the end of Luigiâs bed. Both leaned against each other as they stared at the wall. Clearly showing some kind of defeat.Â
Polterpup, who had been resting at Luigiâs feet, perked up as the other brotherâs walked in. Letting out a happy bark as they trotted over to the other two.
âAlright then,â Waluigi muttered, âthis is interesting. What exactly did we walk into?â
âWe donât know how to pack.â Mario replied back.
â...What do you mean?â
âWeâve never packed before,â Luigi answered weakly, âWeâve never had a reason to.â
âNever moved. Never went on a vacation. What do we bring? What are essentials?â Mario finished.
Letting out a low groan, Waluigi practically slammed his belongings into Wario. Who doubled over for a moment while the tallest of the brothers said, âOkay. Wario, you wait downstairs. I have my work cut out for me, apparently.â
âI could help.â Wario frowned.
âAbsolutely not. Stay downstairs. Keep Polterpup entertained. You two, get up, we need to start packing. I would like to get back to the castle before nightfall.âÂ
_____________________________
The next day started early with a quick and sleepy breakfast while the carriages were packed up during that time. Mario bore the brunt of holding up the rest of the brothers as they slept, waiting on the sidelines for when they could finally board. Polterpup, seeming to burst with so much energy, was rushing around. Either weaving in between the empty spaces or just phased through everything. Trying to take it all in.
Eventually, after rolling Wario into their marked transport (literally), three carriages moved out from the Mushroom Kingdom before the sun even began to rise.Â
It was as they passed the kingdomâs border, the sky painted a pastel pink that Mario felt Luigi shift slightly. The older twin assumed the other was starting to wake up again. He didnât say anything as he just focused on the scenes passing the large window. Doing his best to ignore Wario and Waluigi snoring softly as they slept.Â
Luigi, on his part, gave a small groan as he began to wake. Sitting up to slowly work out his sore muscles while letting out a wide yawn. Resting across his lap was Polterpup. Who had apparently worn themselves out from that excited early morning. Undisturbed as their owner stretched. Eventually, Luigi slumped against the seat and looked over to Mario.Â
ââElloâŠâ Luigi gumbled softly.Â
âHey,â Mario reached over to ruffle Luigiâs hair, âextra sleep help?â
âLittle sore, but yeah.â There was a nervous twitch when Waluigi gave a heavy snore. âGeez, have you been listening to that this whole time?â
âAfraid so, and now you get to join me.â
âJoy.â The unwanted noise was quickly forgotten as Luigiâs attention went to the window. Mario more than happy to let the other leaned over him to get a better look, while Polterpup let out a huff. Who was now annoyed with the constant movement. Floating over to Waluigi to rest on his lap instead while the twins took in the sights.Â
The large rolling meadows of the Mushroom Kingdom were replaced with mountains and heavy forests. Creatures not seen by either of the brothers scuttled along the trees or flew above the foliage. The vibrant colors of their homes were replaced with warmer ones. Arrays of reds, oranges, and yellows out weighing the brown and tan, making the twins think of autumn.Â
âWe should move here.â Luigi teased.Â
Mario laughed softly, shuffling to lean against his brother, âThink they celebrate Halloween here?â
âOh goodness, I hope not. They have actual ghosts here. Could you imagine what else we would have to face down that would relate to Halloween monsters?â
âFunny how you mention ghosts but not the giant, fire-breathing turtle.â
âWell, then, donât remind me.â
They shared a chuckle at that.
âHow about we just talk Peach into a vacation here? A chance to explore more.â Mario continued.
âMaybe? Iâm sure she wouldnât be against it. But I would love to make sure we went somewhere we wouldnât face some kind of danger.â
âWith how this place is built? Good luck.â
âAwwâŠâ
âIf you had to pick, where would you want to go? Beach or mountains?â
âHotel.â
âThat wasnât even an option!â
âIâm selecting a luxury hotel and you canât convince me otherwise.â Luigi held back a screech as he pulled away from Mario, trying to avoid the fingers digging into his side.
There was a brief but silent scuffle as Luigi tried to keep Mario at bay. Both pausing when Waluigi let out a large snort before shifting to lay across Wario. The twin letting out small snorts at the action, deciding to settled down to allow the other brotherâs to sleep peacefully. Both content to just watch the strange world go by.
The autumn themed forest eventually gave way to dry, grassy plains, the rolling hills of golden sand. The carriages only able to traverse by remaining on the pathways of what appeared to be tightly compressed sand. The twins needing to lower the brims of their caps to the sun wouldnât blind them as they tried to take in all they could see.Â
Which wasnât much, as it was just a lot of sand. But having never seen a desert on Earth, this was still a new experience.Â
Waluigi began to wake at this point. Cracking his neck as he sat up, pushing away from Wario while holding Polterpup closer, quickly turning his attention to the twins. Letting out a snort seeing their squinting faces. âEnjoying yourselves?â
âDonât mock,â Mario said, âWeâre just curious.â
âSo, sightseeing trumps keeping your eyes from cooking inside your skull?â
âOkay wise guy, what genius idea do you have in mind?â
Reaching forward, Wario pulled the tinted shade down over the window. Snorting when the twins looked at said item in shock.
âOh,â Luigi said, â...To be fair, we didnât know about that.â
âSure, weâll go with that.â
Mario turned to sit back down properly, focused on Waluigi as the younger twin brought down the shade for the other window. âDo you think weâre close?â
âDonât know, itâs all just sand. No landmarks. Itâs all the same to me.â Waluigi casually commented back while running a hand along Polterpupâs back.
âHavenât you been to this kingdom before?â
âPfft, no, what gave you that idea? New Donk was the first time out of the Mushroom Kingdom for me. All I know about this place is that itâs stupid hot. So, I hope you like the heat.â
Luigi gave a small groan in defeat, but nothing more was said.
âSo, you havenât even met the king and queen from this place?â Mario continued.Â
With a small hum, Waluigi settled back into his seat a little more. âI mean, King Olivine visited the Mushroom Kingdom from time to time. Guess you could say Iâve seen him. But Iâve never met the queen. And even with Olivine, itâs always been from a distanceâŠâ
âYou dated Daisy, but never visited or met her parents?â Luigi frowned.
âDo you really think any of those royal bloods would be happy to hear that their only heir to the throne was dating a commoner? Even more so, dating a well known criminal?â Waluigi grumbled, âWe kept our relationship as best of a secret we could. Letters were easy to hide and cheaper than trying to find passage to and from here.â
âHas anyone in this carriage been to the Desert Kingdom before?â Mario asked.Â
âThink that through again and look at the two of us. What do you think?â
â...Good point.â
âWeâre all getting a first look at this kingdom. Thisâll be interesting.â
The carriage jostled slightly as the pavement beneath suddenly changed. Tightly packed sand changed to rather bumpy cobblestone, Polterpup slightly annoyed to be woken up again. Those who were awake leaned over to see all they could out of the window. Just catching a glimpse of wide doors before stepping onto the large castleâs entrance grounds. A large pool of water greeted them first. One that stretched back towards the towering structure of the castle itself. Occupants inside the carriage noticed small pathways of water breaking away from the larger source. All flowing past the castle and into a tightly packed town that laid past the royal structure.Â
The carriages continued their way in approaching the castle. Only stopping when they were right in front of the grand steps leading up.Â
â...Anyone notice how quiet it is?â Waluigi mumbled out.Â
âI was about to say the same thing.â Mario replied.
Turning away from the window, Luigi looked at the other two, âWhere are the guards?â
As if waiting for that cue, there was a sudden flood of cactus-like beings dressed in silver armor and carrying spears rushing towards the carriages. All becoming surrounded very quickly as said weapons were brandished towards them. Mario instantly pulled Luigi away from the window, the younger twin letting out a small yelp from the sudden change. Polterpupâs hackles raising as they let out a low growl, moving to the floor and focusing on the carriage door.
âThis is really not the welcoming I was expecting,â said Waluigi with a frown, âI mean, I wasnât waiting for a warm reception but- Would you wake up!â
As Waluigi shoved his brother off, Wario hit the wall of the carriage. Waking with a harsh snort and grunt. Looking around frantically as he searched for his âattackerâ. âWhat happened?â
âWeâre here.â Waluigi replied back.
âYou couldnât have woken me up normally!â
The argument was cut off when the carriage door was forcefully opened. With numerous calls of âGet out!â pointed at the brothers. Mario took the lead while having a hold of Luigiâs arm and keeping the younger twin behind him. Polterpup barked as they floated between the four brothers, doing their best to keep the guards away. The twins on edge as they were led towards the castleâs front steps. Wario and Waluigi follow at a more easy pace. Keeping an eye on everything, just in case, but trying not to get too worked up over it.
When they found Peach and Toadsworth being led further on, Luigi had to grab onto Marioâs arm to keep the other from rushing forward. Daisy soon joined them, not held at spear point, but still caged in from every side. Arms crossed with a look of clear disgust on her face.Â
âDaisy! Oh, my dear Daisy.â
Attention was pulled to the grand golden steps. Where a slim woman, seeming to sparkle and shine in the sunlight, quickly descended. Long golden hair seemed to merge with her flowing veil when both billowed from behind her. Even her tan skin appeared to merge into her dusty golden gown. Her clear green eyes stood out further from her complexion, which were directed at Daisy. She waved her hands as a silent command for the guards to step away. Allowing her to pull Daisy into a tight hug.
âMom,â Daisy let out a low groan, âstop. Youâre embarrassing me.â
âWell, pardon me for being concerned about my daughter who just left us in the middle of the night! What were you thinking? You donât even leave us a message?â
âI was on a rescue mission! Look! Look who I brought back.â Daisy pulled away to stand next to Peach. Who looked a little nervous when the desert Queen turned her focus.Â
âOhâŠis that Peach?â the queen breathed out, eyes wide.
Peach offered a low bow as she quietly said, âHello, Queen Monazite. Itâs beenâŠmany years.â
Toadsworth offered a small bow of his own, âMadam, itâs good to see you again.â
Letting out a small coo, Monazite lifted Peach to stand back up. âLook at you. Youâve grown into a wonderful young woman. What a horrible greeting this is! Put those weapons away, we have guests. Goodness, we know better than to act in such a way.â
All were able to relax as the spears were lowered. Monazite gave the guards a hardened glare before her face softened to greet her guests. âEven with how sudden this visit is, we happily welcome all of you. And I believe I see some new faces among the crowd.âÂ
The four brothers stood a little taller as the queen approached them, Polterpup hunkering down in front. Just in case. Guards parted the way quickly as their queen walked forward while Monazite offered each a warm smile.
âI welcome you all to the Desert Kingdom, and to the Sarasaland castle. Despite the rather rough opening, we are happy to have you here.â
âMom,â Daisy stepped in, âThis is Wario and Waluigi, old childhood friends.â
âI do believe those names are familiar. Your father may have had a few stories about two young rebels that interrupted some meetings. All in good fun, I would hope,â Monazite gave a small laugh, âWonderful to finally put a face to the names. And what of-â
The smile that held strong slipped away as her attention turned to the twins. Appearing to be in stunned silence before whispering out, âHumans.â
âThese are the heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the main reason why I justâŠleft. I figured they could help us! You know, with the recent issue weâve been having?â
The surprise fell away as Monazite fixed her daughter with a pointed frown. âDaisy-â
âThat temple is causing too much trouble and you know it! Dadâs being an ass for not asking for help and we canât just keep sending random people in! So, I decided to go get the help we need. I brought the heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom here to help us.â Daisy beamed as she placed her hands on her hips.Â
Monazite, however, did not seem to share this optimistic.
The queen turned to the small group once more, her smile a bit wary now. âWhile Iâm happy to have you here and that you would willingly arrive with the intention to help⊠Our king will have the final say in this. Which will be hard to do at this moment.â
âBecause heâs a stubborn ass.â Daisy mumbled.Â
âDonât say such things, Daisy.âÂ
âBut-â The retort fell silent when Monazite held up her hand.Â
âThey will not be allowed entrance unless the king grants it. Your father has the final say.â
âWeâll talk to him,â Peach said, âIâm sure if we state our caste, weâll be able to convince him.â
â...Very well, if you believe this. Please follow me.â
The guards followed close as Monazite led the way into the large castle. Unlike the solid walls with tall windows as found in the Mushroom Castle, this building was as open as they could be. No glass covering the wide arches to allow a breeze through, the windows decorated to distinguish against the doorways. Even with the openness, the interior was in shadows that paired well with the comforting breeze.Â
Monazite waved her hand to one of the large rooms, one that held numerous maps and papers. Both hanging on the walls and littering the long, narrow table that stretched from one end of the room to the other. Opposite from where the group entered was Kind Olivine, surrounded by bi-pedal mouse creatures wearing robes of yellow and red. Small spectacles resting on their pointed noises as they peered over as many pieces of parchment they could grab onto.
Olivineâs gruff and very stressed demeanor that had been focused on the table melted away when he saw Daisy. Gently pushing past the group of scholars to pull his daughter closer. âDaisy! My darling flower, where did you go? What were you thinking disappearing on us like this? Are you hurt?â
âDad, Iâm fine.â Daisyâs voice was muffled by the kingâs golden robes.
âIâm so happy to hear this⊠I suppose youâll also be fine with being confined to your room for at least a week for this action.â
That got Daisy to push away, looking absolutely indignant with what had just been said, âYou canât be serious!â
âI should be saying that to you. Do you even know the panic you put us into? I had my top men shift focus from the ruins to trying to figure out where you could have gone.â
Daisy looked a little uneasy at that. âYou havenât sent anyone else in, have you?â
âNoâŠbut the situation has grown worse. Iâm fearful of the weakened structure our excavating has done.â
At that, Peach stepped forward. Doing her best of royal control. âHow much worse?â
Olivine faltered once more, a soft whisper of âDahliaâ escaping him. Only to quickly push past that with a stern face and a sharp, âPrincess Peach, I was not aware you wereâŠâ
âClearly. Daisy arrived at my kingdom saying that you needed help. To which Iâve arrived with, um, our heroes.â She gestured a hand over to where Mario and Luigi stood.
Sharp eyes turned to the two humans, both faltering slightly under the cold gaze. The desert king seeming to fully take everything in. Instead of being impressed by the heroes or relieved that some kind of help had arrived, Olivine appeared furious.Â
âWhile the offer is appreciated, it wonât be needed. Thank you for bringing my daughter home. I will request that you return to your home at this time.â
âWhat- Dad!â Pulling away from her motherâs hold, Daisy blocked Olivineâs path as he made his way back to the group of advisors. Narrowing her eyes as she started him down. âIf the situation is becoming worse, then this already stupid plan is now painfully classified as a suicide mission. It was bad enough before! But now I really have to question if you really care about our people.â
Olivine puffed out his chest, clearly angry. âDaisy, I will not be talk to as-â
âToo bad! You pulled me out of Peachâs life before with a stupid reason of having me focus on our kingdom. The very one that youâre clearly tossing aside! For what reason? Pride? I think with how the world is going, it would be best to forget about all of that. Can you please start being a decent king for our people? Can you do that?â
Taking a deep breath, Olivine lowered his raised shoulders before addressing his father once more. âIâŠunderstand where your concerns arise from. However, with the target on the Mushroom Kingdom-â
Daisy let out a noise of disgust, rolling her eyes. âIâm calling on my status to allow the heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom to help us. They have my full permission to do what they need and go where they need to keep our kingdom safe.â
âVery well, if youâre so sure. Iâll allow you this overruling.â
âOh trust me, I donât need your âallowanceâ.â
With that, Daisy turned and made for the door. Making sure to grab Mario and Luigiâs wrists to pull them along. Peach, Wario, and Waluigi quickly followed after. Leaving Toadsworth in the room with a clearly angry Olivine and silently amused Monazite. The elder Toad tapped his cane to pull attention.Â
âIâm unsure where your head is at the moment, your highness. But I would advise you remove it from where itâs lodged.â With that, Toadsworth turned to Monazite. âI donât suppose you could find accommodations for us?â
âOf course, follow me.â
Olivine was left to feel gobsmacked, the room filled with nervous tension. The advisors flinching slightly as their king turned sharply to face them. Not a word shared as they shuffled the paperwork once more.
A few hallways away, the twins were still being dragged along by a clearly furious princess. Daisy seemed to not have a plan on where to go. Just stomping around, hissing and mumbling with heated words that the brothers couldnât really make out.Â
âDaisy, y-youâre going to pull o-our arms out.â Luigi whispered frantically as they stalked the hallways. Only to wince when Daisy practically threw their arms down. Both rubbing their shoulders once free.
âI canât believe him!â Daisy let out a noise of rage as she began to pace. âWhat a stupid, stupid man-â
âYou canât worry aboutâŠall of that right now. Youâre calling the shots at the moment, and it seems like weâre on borrowed time. We need to get to that temple. Now.â Mario said in a hopefully calm demeanor.Â
It did calm Daisy down enough to stop pacing. Looking past the twins as the rest of the party joined them. Luigi let out a sigh of relief as Polterpup pressed against his sore shoulder. The chill giving comfort as the heavy conversation began again.
âI canât believe you pulled something like that.â Peach hissed, looking more than a little worried.
Daisy waved her hand, âItâs been a long time coming, to be honest.â
âWell, itâs not going to make the conversation about re-establishing our kingdoms again easier.â
âPardon me for putting my foot down,â Daisy crossed her arms. âI hope you know we wouldnât be able to have this conversation if I hadn't done anything!â
âJoy. Now this already stressful situation is 10 times worse.â
âListen here you-â
âOkay,â Wario quickly stepped in. Actually holding onto Daisyâs arm to keep her from hitting Waluigi. âLetâs try and keep a cool head. We need a plan on how to handle each part.â
âDo you have the tools we need for this?â Marioâs question points to Wario.
âYep.â
Luigi held out a bag with a few golden bones to his brother. âJust in case you get separated from Polterpup.â
âYou sure?â
âYouâll need someone good with searching, and with going through walls.â
âThat is a good bonus.â Waluigi added.Â
âThen weâre about as prepared as we can be without actually being there,â Wario nodded, âWhat about the rest of you?â
âQueen Monazite may be our best first goal.â Peach stated with Luigi nodding.
Waluigi, however, looked unsure. âSheâs not very vocal.â
âMomâs not a fighter,â Daisy weakly agreed. âBut if we can get her on our side, we might have a better time convincing dad.â
âLet me try and talk with her. Maybe Iâll be able to find some even ground.â Luigi offered.
âDo you think a queen will open up to a new commoner?â Waluigi frowned.
âWould you like to talk with her?â
â...Not really. But Iâll be nearby for emotional support.â
Peach nodded with a smile, âSame.â
âCouldnât ask for more.â Luigi beamed.Â
âAnd while youâre dealing with that,â Daisy faced Mario and Wario with a wide smile, âIâll be with you two.â
âYouâre not going to-â Marioâs worry was paused when Daisy shook her head.
âIâll be waiting for you two outside. But I need to be there to grant you authority to enter these areas. Plue, itâll also be nice to have someone to greet you once you get out.â
Wario slowly nodded, âThatâŠsounds reasonable. I like that idea. Iâm expecting some good food when we get this problem fixed.â
âYou got it.â
Mario shook his head with a small laugh. Twitching slightly when Polterpup jumped onto his shoulder, a small chill fell over him. He looked over as Luigi drew closer.Â
âAre you sure youâre going to be okay?â Luigi whispered softly.
âOf course,â Mario pulled his brother close with a smile. âWeâll be back by nightfall, no doubt. You just focus on what you can while youâre here, yeah?â
âYeahâŠâ Luigi pulled Mario into a tight hug, who returned it. Both taking a few seconds to relax into the embrace before pulling away, their names being called.Â
Mario gave a small nod with a smile, turning to join Wario and Daisy. Polterpup happily resting on his shoulder. The younger twin remained rooted to the spot as he watched the other three disappear around the corner. Only turning away when Waluigi placed a hand on his shoulder.Â
âTheyâll be okay.â The taller brother said easily.
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Fandom: Super Mario & Releated Fandoms
Rating: General Audience
Relationship: Mario & Luigi (Nintendo), Wario & Waluigi (Nintendo), Wario, Waluigi, Mario, Luigi (Nintendo).
Additional Tags: Planning for the future, Trying to figure things out, Kind of a heavy start to a heavy season.
Peach felt a headache steadily growing as she stared at the two objects resting on the large, round table. If sheâd been unaware of what was placed before her, Peach would have worried why the air was so tense in the room at the moment. After all, one was just a letter placed in an envelope holding a strange looking logo. While the other was a deep gray stone carved into a sun, currently resting in an incubator sort of machine.Â
There was nothing about these objects that screamed âdangerâ, or âsomething to worry overâ.
Unfortunately, Peach didnât hold such blissful ignorance.Â
The incubator (there was really no other good term for it) would sound off a small beep every few seconds. A red light resting on top flashing softly each time said beep sounded. It had been doing such for a few minutes at this point. Those sitting around watched it closely, as if it would attempt to run away if they were looked away for a second.Â
In a sudden change, the machine gave off a sharp âding!â with the light giving off a vivid green. All eyes shifted over to E. Gadd, who was staring intently at the small screen divide held in his hand. All nervous as he read over the information scrolling by.Â
âWell?â Waluigi snapped out after having to wait another minute.Â
The professor merely waved his hand at the question, still reading over the screen. Which left Waluigi to huff in clear annoyance as he flopped back into his chair.Â
A few more minutes ticked by before E. Gadd properly faced the group.Â
He cleared his throat, adjusted his glasses, and said with a strong determined voice, âI have no idea what this is.â
âWhy did we call him again?â Wario whispered to Luigi, who looked back with an unimpressed face.
âBecause, if anyone can figure out what this thing is, it would be E. Gadd. He has all the tools to do so.â
Waluigi snorted, âOr so you assumed.â
Purposefully giving a harsh cough, Peach shot a warning glare to the lanky brother before addressing the elder human. âIs there anything that you can tell us?â
âWhatever this is, itâs powerful and thankfully resting dormant. At least for the moment. Or else weâd have a very big problem on our hands. You said Sarasaland castle had been experiencing quakes because of this thing. I could only imagine, fearfully mind you, what kind of destruction the castle would have faced if youâd not found this. Iâm going to assume those quakes have stopped since this thing has been removed from its dwelling.â
âCorrect.â
âInteresting⊠How interestingâŠâ With that, the professor fell quiet. Attention absorbed back into the screen once more.
â...Okay, we lost E. Gadd again,â Peach nervously laughed, âWhile he focuses on that a little longer, why donât we take a look at the letter again.â
âWeâre not getting any more out of it than we already have.â Waluigi spoke up.
âThat doesnât mean we can just push it aside. We must have missed something. Maybe a slip of a location, or a name thatâs not local. Maybe we can recognize someoneâs handwriting.â
âYouâre reaching there, princess.â
âHow much of what Skurvy said can we trust?â Mario asked Wario.
Said brother weakly shrugged his shoulder back. âFor as long as Iâve known him, Skurvyâs been an honest talker.â
Luigi raised a brow. âA pirate has been an honest person?â
âYeah, honest. Not good. He may be an ass, and a robber, and a bunch of other negative things. But he is honest. You knew what he was there and what he was going to do. Saved us a lot of trouble sometimes with that.â
âBut he said he knew nothing about me when we first met. Even down in the cavern he played it straight with that lie,â Mario argued, âHe only admitted to what he knew when we got out.â
âLetâs be a little forward here, two humans not only having ancient magic but also being able to control it is a hard thing to sell. More so when oneâs had an ability only the Koopa lineage has held and the other was lost to time and never seen for centuries. I think we tend to forget how unbelievable you two are. Even to a giant, lizard pirate.â
âOkay, so are we sticking in agreement with Skurvyâs story on how he got the letter?â Peach put forward. The group, minus E. Gadd, nodded in agreement. âCould we also say his last statement to Wario was believable as well?
All eyes, minus E. Gadd, turned to Wario.
âWell, I believe him,â Wario argued back, âIf he says something big is coming, weâre heading for a world of hurt. And weâre not going to know when itâs going to hit us.â
âBut by whom? Bowserâs would be the only one whoâd take the risk to cross territories.â
âSo far, anyway.â Mario replied.Â
âElaborate?â
âWhat if people have been laying low for awhile to either work in secrecy to build up enough power to strike, or because they didnât want to be the person who made the first big move.â
âWhy would villains concern themselves about being quiet? Or waiting? Theyâre villains, wouldn't they be more worried about causing destruction or stealing candy?â Wario asked.Â
âBut think about it, what happened last time someone overstepped their boundaries? A giant war and a banishment of a whole kingdom. Would you want to risk something after all of that?â Mario explained.Â
âIâŠfair.â
âBut why try something now?â Luigi asked.
Mario frowned softly at that, âNo idea.â
âWe really do have a new threat on our hands,â Peach gave a heavy sigh. âWould it really be too much to ask that only Bowser would be our biggest concern?â
âYes.â Was the quick reply back.Â
âOkay, well, weâll put that down for one of the things that we do know. Joy. It would be better if we at least knew something about them.â
âYou donât think itâs King Boo, d-do you?â Luigi whispered fearfully.
E. Gadd instantly popped his head up with a clear look of concern on his face. âDonât you worry, sonny. That Boo is still resting peacefully in the painting you put him in. Promise. We wonât be seeing him again.â
âThat makes me feel a little better.â
With a solid nod, the professor returned to his screen.
âWhat about the king that you and Scurvy were talking about?â Mario turned to Wario again. Which caused the older brother to laugh.
âK. Rool? That crazy king is as subtle as a flying mallet, I would have figured out if it was him. Plus, Skruvy wasnât thrilled to even talk about the king, let alone work for him again. Nah, I have a feeling weâre safe for another day from his wrath. âŠThank goodness.â
âWe have this wonderful logo,â Waluigi said, picking up the envelope to look said symbol over. âPretty good design, if you ask me.â
âDo you know what it is?â Peach asked.
âNope.â
âThen I donât care.â
âI would like to talk about the point that this person knows who we are.â Luigi brought up.
Wario leaned over to rest against the younger brother. âAre you really that surprised? Again, you two are rather famous at this point.â
âBut what about Skurvyâs comment?â
âWhat, that the whole thing was supposed to be a test for you and Mario to see how strong you really are? âŠYeah, Iâm not really thrilled about that either.â
âDo we think that this person is trying to find out how to counteract our powers?â Mario suggested.
Peach frowned softly. âI would hate to agree with such an ideaâŠâ
âWhat else would this weirdo be doing?â Waluigi said.Â
Wario nodded, âWeâll have to reach out to the BeanBean Kingdom. See if Gigi and Merri have anything else to teach you two.â
âWould that matter?â Luigi said weakly, âIt seems like weâre being constantly watched at this point.â
That brought the heavy tension back into the air.
âDo you think we have a spy here?â Peach whispered.Â
Waluigi frantically shook his head. âNo, no, we need more evidence before we make a claim like that. Iâm still going with the stance that those two are well known. Was this weirdo group maybe observing us in the desert? Sure. But I donât think theyâd need a spy for that. Letâs just have the idea that there are other people watching us.â
âOh, yeah, thatâs so much better.â Wario huffed.
âItâs better than thinking there are people here, betraying us.â
âWe do have some of Bowserâs citizens.â Mario softly offered.Â
Peach quickly countered that, âBecause they wanted to get away from his rule. If theyâre going toâŠbetray us for anyone, itâs Bowser. Not some new villain. And weâre sitting here saying itâs a new villain.â
âWhat if we go to this Rougeport that Skurvy was talking about?â suggested Mario, âMaybe we would find some information there?â
âExcept we donât know where this place is and weâd stick out like a sore thumb.â Wario argued.Â
âSo what? We just sit here and twiddle our thumbs while we wait for something to happen?âÂ
Wario faltered at that. âNo, Iâm just saying that⊠The idea makes sense. But we know nothing about this place or this person or how much control they have. We could be walking into their territory without realizing it. Basically delivering you two to their doorstep.â
Luigi turned to Peach. âWould Captain Toad know anything?â
âPossibly? If anything, I could make the request for him to travel there. See what he can find before we go ourselves.â
Waluigi let out a heavy sigh as he sank further into his chair. âSo after all of this, all we have is a possible location that we donât even know where it is. Great.â
âBut at least itâs something.â
âEureka!âÂ
All in the room jumped at the sudden outcry from E. Gadd. The professor beaming as he placed the device on the table. Making sure to push it as close to the center as he could so he could still reach it but the other could see the screen.
âProfessor, what did you find?â Luigi asked.Â
âI crossed referenced all of my notes and received a hit! Itâs from a rather old acquaintance who used to live in an area called Twilight Town. Very quiet there apparently, said Iâd feel right at home. But, not the point. I was told about a rather fascinating story. A legend, told from said associate, of a very powerful and terrifying being. One made of shadows.â
âHow the Hell can something be of shadows?â Waluigi asked.Â
âOh, itâs probably just semantics, to be honest. Make things seem scarier so you pay better attention. What Iâm trying to get at was the part of said story that claimed the only thing to drive the shadow away was, and I quote, âstrength as bright as the sunâ. Unquote. The catalyst of this power was an artifact that they only held a drawing of. Which I just so happened to have a picture of. Courtesy of my friend.â
With that, the group leaned forward more to see the screen better. There, clear as day, was a snapshot of a drawing, framed, and depicting a sketch of the same item that was currently being held in the incubator.Â
âSo, weâre talking about something thatâs going to, what, end the world?â Wario asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
âPossibly.â E. Gadd gave a shrug, âBut, your piece here clearly indicated that these are more than just stories. It could be a possibility that this mysterious being is attempting to find this âshadowâ and is making sure you two canât stop them. Or that you canât win. But jokes on them as we have a piece to the puzzle that will make us the victor! âŠPossibly.âÂ
Mairo and Luigi gave a nervous look to each other. Wario, on the other hand, clearly had had enough of this. Slamming his hands down on the table as he stood at the same time.
âOkay, well, sitting here is going to cause us to just talk in circles. Iâm sending a letter to the BeanBean Kingdom.âÂ
Waluigi stood this time, a little more calmly than his brother. âIâll find Captain Toad. See what he may know and what weâll need to do next to get the information we need.â
âWhat-â Marioâs question was halted when Wario shook his head.Â
âSee if you and the professor can find anything further about thisâŠshadow-thing. Weâll meet up later and see what weâve got.â
The four watched as the brothers walked off. Both clearly tense as they headed down the castle hallway.Â
Peach frowned softly at their retreating forms, but knew it would do no good to try and call them back. Instead, she intended to continue her conversation with the remaining three. Only to stop herself when she found E. Gadd stared at the brotherâs backs as they became smaller.Â
âIs everything alright, professor?â
E. Gadd hummed softly before shaking his head. âApologies, my dear. That lanky brotherâŠhe reminds me of someone. But I canât think of who at the moment⊠No matter, we have other things to worry over. I donât suppose youâll lead us to your library, princess?â
_____________________________
What an absolute mess.Â
How did it become so much worse?
This really wasnât worth it.
Youâre not seriously thinking about leaving again.
Was this whole ordeal even salvageable?Â
Was it worth it?
They could barely handle Bowser, a known threat.
Could they really handle this large unknown?
Look at you, thinking to run when things are getting tough.
This was more than just changing parts of his life.Â
This was a whole situation, an issue that affected so many people.
This was insane.
So what do you plan to do about it?
âWaluigi?â
Hearing his own name, Waluigi was snapped out of his thoughts. Giving Wario a small side glance towards him before looking forward once more. âWhat.â
âYou okay?â
âShockingly, no. This is not a good situation weâre finding ourselves in. Iâm kind of tired. We can barely keep Bowser back, now weâre being given an entire unknown. This all justâŠsucks.â
âYeah, itâs not great. But Iâm more asking if youâre okay.â
Waluigi frowned at that. âI just said no.â
He wasnât happy with the weird silence that followed this. Leading Waluigi to ask, âWhat do you want me to say?â
âIâm asking about you, I want to hear about you. Not what you think about the situation.â
âHow about this, Iâm pissed. Will that make you feel better?âÂ
Wario halted their progress, grabbing Waluigiâs arm so they faced each other. âNot really. Youâve been acting weird since we got back.â
âWhat are you- How do you expect me to react? Thrilled, happy, go-lucky? Iâm so confused with what you want from me.â
âIâd like for you to be honest.â
Throwing up his hands with a huff, Waluigi crossed them to cage himself in. âWeâre dealing with a big problem at the moment. We can talk about this later.â
âSo there is an issue.â
âWould you- Just, shut up! Iâm not going to deal with this right now!â
âThe last time we didnât âdeal with thisâ, you left! I would like to avoid that problem again.â
âGrambi above, Iâm not!â Waluigi faulted seeing and hearing how nervous his brother was. His insides squirming uncomfortably, Waluigi flipped the script. âIf weâre dragging up our past, how about you seeing your old âfriendâ. How are you feeling?â
Warioâs eyes married. âThatâs a bit low.â
âIs it? Because I donât want to deal with this and you keep pushing it. So Iâm going to push back.â
âIâm worried! Youâre just trying to push my buttons. But Iâll be happy to answer for you. Shockingly, it wasnât great! Because my past tried to kill me and Mario. I feel terrible. But he and Iâve already talked, so Iâm doing better than if I had just let it fester.â
âGlad you two cleared up that bad blood.â
âAs if there were any to begin with. Well, you got your answer.â
âI donât believe you.â The lanky brother taunted.Â
âWaluigi!â
âYouâre not getting anything from me.â
âWaluigi-â
âI willâŠtalk when I want to. And, I promise you, I will not get up and leave again.â
â...Can you give me something?â
â...The queen and I had a little discussion and it got me thinking about a few things. Things that Iâm notâŠoverly happy to think about. ButâŠIâm not leaving.â
But you were thinking about it.
Wario stared at Waluigi a few seconds more before giving a sharp nod. âAlright, fineâŠIâll wait.â
âGreat, glad I could ease the burden I somewhat laid upon your shoulders. How about we go about completing the jobs weâve given ourselves. I know youâll need more time to complete it before the end of the week.â
âOi, you smart ass!â Wario called out as his brother walked away. He remained rooted to the spot as his mind raced over the limited information provided to him. Eventually, after deciding this wasnât something he could solve, Wario turned to leave the castle. âFine. Be that wayâŠâ
Knowing Wario couldnât see him any longer, Waluigi shivered to somehow release the pent up nerves. Shaking his arms as he stalked further down the hall. He had to push these feelings down. He had to focus. He needs to have some kind of plan, some way forward before the day ends. Thankfully, Waluigi knew where to look for a certain adventurous Toad.
As thanks for the numerous artifacts and last minute rescues, Captain Toad had been granted use to one of the many rooms the castle had to offer. Said Toad instantly took one that was facing the east horizon, so he could make sure he was truly up before the sun rose.Â
He eventually claimed two rooms with the number of adventures he completed. One for his bedroom and another to hold his favorite relics. The latter of which is where Waluigi found him.
The lanky brother knocked on the door frame to make his presence known. âHey Captain, you got some time for me?â
Captain Toad let out a gleeful noise upon seeing Waluigi. Putting his book down before gesturing over to an empty chair. âOf course, come on in! What can I help you with?â
âWe need a little help with something. Have you ever heard of a place called Rougetown?â
âHmmâŠI havenât been there, but I have heard of it. If itâs where I think it is, itâs part of another large collection of settlements lying across the water.â
Waluigi blinked, clearly confused. âWhat do you mean?â
Captain Toad laughed slightly at that. âDid you think our slab of land was the only one?â
âI meanâŠno, but now I realize that sounds stupid.â
âDonât fret. Youâre not the first to think this away and you wonât be the last. Weâre just one of many plots of land that are surrounded by the ocean.â
Taking a few seconds to process this, Waluigi eventually got out, âH-How big are we?â
âRelatively large. Mainly thanks to the main kingdoms that we have. But Iâm sure there are some places on our planet that are much larger than our own⊠You okay, Waluigi? Youâre looking a littleâŠpale.â
âYeah, well, learning a lot of new unknowns can make one feelâŠunnerved.â
Captain Toad slowly nodded in sympathetic understanding. âOh, trust me, Iâve been hit by that feeling a few times in my life. How about we just focus on your location request, yeah?â
He didnât wait for a reply. Captain Toad was already pulling a drafting table over, settling it between them, where a large and uncompleted map lay across it. Pushing his worries down and curiosity back up, Waluigi inched closer. Running a hand along the thick parchment, Captain Toadâs hand brushed over the Mushroom Kingdom and continued West.
âIf what Iâve been told is correct, and Iâm also recalling properly, Rougetown is West of the Mushroom Kingdom. Itâs also a pretty decent boat ride away from here.â
âDo we have a guess as to how far?â
âThree days, possibly. Two and a half if you got a good breeze on your side. Even then, itâs really an unknown.â
âDo you think you could get there?â
Captain Toad paused at that, giving a contemplative hum. âPossibly? I would need a few good weeks to pinpoint a more precise location. A few more on top of that to get ready. Hope this wasnât a speedy mission.â
âYeah, was kind of hoping for it to be,â Waluigi groaned softly as he laid back in his chair, âSo, all together, weâre talkingâŠâ
âA few months, at least.â
âShit.â
âI know itâs not ideal. But this is something you donât want to rush. If this place is as dangerous as Iâve heard, Iâll need to move carefully. Moving too quickly could make this situation far worse. This is about the unknown threat from that last mission, isnât it?â
âUnfortunately.â
Giving a weak but hopefully reassuring smile, Captain Toad reached out to gently pat Waluigiâs leg. âIâll do what I can on my end, you hold down the fort here, yeah?â
Waluigi felt his stomach flip at the word âhereâ. Skin crawled uncomfortably as the weight of it all settled on him further. Knowing how heâd stupidly wished for more, yet now wanted so much less. How this situation seemed to spiral downwards and he had no idea on how to stop it.
âYeah⊠Iâll⊠Iâll stay here⊠I guess.â
_____________________________
âSir, do you need help with anything?â
Wario let out a low growl, the pen hovering just above the paper. Looking over to the Mailroom Toad, who just smiled back. Clearly uncaring about the scowl being sent their way.Â
âNo.â Was Warioâs sharp reply.Â
âYou sure? Youâve been here forâŠa while now.â
âIâm fine.â
âItâs not a bad thing to ask for help. Words are hard to get out if your mind is already scrambled. Iâd be happy to help where I can.â
âI think I know how to write a letter. But, thank you, for your unneeded concern.â Wario hissed out, eyes narrowed to slits and his shoulders raised. Even as he curled around the paper more, the Toad didnât leave.Â
Head perfectly tilted to show silent curiosity as Wario continued to struggle.Â
Letting out a low growl, Wario slammed the pen down as he turned to face the Mailroom Toad. âYou want to know what the issue is? Fine, I hope you have a few minutes.â
âWell, I mean I just-â
âWhat shall we talk about first, huh? Should it be something thatâs been hanging around my head for the longest? Like the fact that Waluigi reappeared in my life just as quickly as he had left and I now feel like I have to walk on eggshells. Because I have this sinking feeling that one wrong move will make him leave again. Which, given everything weâve faced so far, youâd like I wouldnât have to worry about that. But I know, I know, that something happened in the desert thatâs making him question everything and he wonât tell me what!â
âOr, if that's too âold topicâ for you, how about a âpast coming backâ twist. No one is unhappier than I am with seeing Skurvy. That old sailor should have stayed in my past, but I guess we donât always get what we want. It would have been bad enough if it had just been me who had to deal with him. But Mario as well? And itâs not even about the fact he was in danger. I meanâŠthereâs a small part of this whole thing thatâs an issue.â
âI just hate the fact that heâs going to look at me the way he did before. Or any of them! Is it stupid of me to hope that Iâm not going to be judged on what Iâve done in my past? Considering how I was being treated not even a year ago. Is it selfish to hope Iâm not marked as the unreliable one again? I get it, years of being an ass canât be washed away with a few months of doing some good. But itâs also not fair to have all of that just be forgotten because of someone elseâs actions. If anything, the fact I fought against Skurvy to keep up safe has to account for something! âŠRight? Or am I just fooling myself.â
âAnd if the situation couldnât get any worse, we now have a new threat hanging over our heads. Someone who knows an uncomfortable amount of information about us, yet we have zero idea as to who it could be. Adding to that, a new place and a new power that weâve never heard of⊠This whole thing is just becoming a nightmare. I feel like Iâm running in place, and all I do is make myself sink deeper into the mud.â
Mailroom Toad blinked a few times as Wario calmed down. Said Toad reached over to grab the paper and pen, giving a sheepish smile when Wario looked over to them. âIâŠwas just hoping to help you write your letter?â
An uncomfortably burning feeling flared up in Warioâs gut. Having to turn away in an attempt to find some solitude as he furiously scrubbed his face. Firmly positioning his cap back in place before he faced the Toad again. âRight, sorry. That wasâŠa lot, wasnât it.â
âI did say words are hard to use if your mind is alreadyâŠscrambled. I just didnât think it was that off.â
âWhat did you think I was struggling with?â
Mailroom Toad hummed softly before whispering out, âI thought you were trying to make a heartfelt confession to someone.â
â...Luigiâs been in here a few times, hasnât it.â
âYep! While thatâs clearly not whatâs eating you, that doesnât mean I canât help! So, what are we writing a letter for?â
Wario blinked as the Toad claimed the empty stool. Wiggling a bit to get comfortable before looking back towards Wario expectantly. On his part, the older brother gave a sigh and answered with, âWe need the BeanBean Kingdomâs help again. Namely with any new skills the brothers could learn.â
âOkay, a simple request. Was there anything else you wanted to add?â
â...Have a request for Prince Peasley to visit as well, even if thereâs nothing more they can teach. I have a feeling heâll need to be caught up on whatâs going on.â
âEasy enough to add toâŠand, done! Read it over, let me know if thereâs something I need to add or amend.âÂ
Wario took the completed letter to read it over. Giving a half-hearted shrug and passing it back over. âYeah, itâsâŠfine. Thanks.â
âOf course! Iâll rewrite this to make it a bit more cohesive, but thisâll be sent out before the end of the day.â
âRight, thanksâŠâ Letting out a small sigh, Wario made for the door. Pausing with the door partially open when he heard his name being called out by the Mailroom Toad. Turning back with a raised brow and a small, âYeah?â
âFor what itâs worth, Iâm not going to look at you differently. In the bad way, that you were worried about.âÂ
Wario blinked, a little taken aback. âI⊠Thank you, I suppose.â
âYouâre welcome!â And with that, Mailroom Toad shuffled off to behind the counter. Pulling out a new piece of paper and began rewriting the letter, fully focused on his task.Â
Feeling that there was nothing left to say, Wario left the shop silently. The door quietly closed as he headed back down the road towards the castle. Feeling slightly better about the situation.Â
Now that everything's calmed down slightly, Daisy explains why she's there. Mainly looking for the heroes' help in solving a problem that's coming from deep in one of her Kingdom's temples.
The group divides into two parts: One to solve the temple issue while the other tries to convince the Desert King to join forces against Bowser.
To everyone's surprise, it doesn't quite go according to plan.
Fandom: Super Mario & Releated Fandoms
Rating: Teen and UP Audiences
Relationship: Mario & Luigi & Wario & Waluigi
Additional Tags: Pretty Much Everyone's Here, Named OCs - Freeform, world building, lore building, sometimes in the most painful way, Treasure Hunting, another mural to worry about, Mentions of Blood, we have a lot of people opening up in this one, cursing, heavy cursing, like I haven't used this heavy of cursing for this story for quite a while.
Special shout-out to @cantankerouscanuck for dropping a lot of DK lore and world building on me. Much appreciated!
Now, who's ready for some Waluigi angst! It is time. XD
The group traveling to the crumbling temple was larger than Mario had expected. It hadnât just been him, Wario, Daisy, and Polterpup. There was a large entourage of bi-pedal mice, carrying supplies ranging from blankets and tents to cooking supplies to no doubt create the feast Wario was expecting. All distributed between three covered carriages that moved away from the large castle. All sitting in silence as they traveled along the golden sand.Â
Once arrived, Daisy set about making sure everything was set up. Shouting orders on what needs to go where with far rougher authority compared to Peach.Â
Mario and Wario, with Polterpup trotting behind, pulled away from the group to get a good look at the front entrance. Or, what remained of it. The once no doubt grand entrance was now blocked by a large pile of rubble. There was a small opening near the top. Large enough for the mice beings to fit through. For them, there would have to be some shifting, but they could get it to work.Â
Wario looked over when Mario let out a slow sigh, âYou doing okay over there?â
âYeah,â Mario answered quickly, âYeah, itâs just⊠Underground has some unpleasant memories.âÂ
âFair. But you have a good handle on your Firebrand now. I doubt weâll have an issue. I doubt youâll have an issue.â
âYeahâŠâ
Wario frowned softly, but wasnât able to push the issue as Daisy joined them.
âSo, you two ready?â the desert princess asked.Â
âYes.â Mario answered quickly.
âI have a few more questions, if thatâs okay.â Wario asked.
To which Daisy nods and replies with, âGo ahead.â
âWhat are we expected to see in there?â
âFrom what we can tell, the disturbance is coming from deep within the temple. And I mean deep . We never had any tunnels or pathways that went that far down before. Now, itâs become sort of a mining operation. Just trying to get out as much ground out and setting up a railing system to travel down quickly.â
âHas anyone in this kingdom mined before?â Mario asked.Â
âAh, no⊠But they did their best?â Daisy offered weakly.
Wario, however, didnât look that impressed. âNo wonder this has become such a nightmare for you. There are probably more death traps than anything else in that place.â
âYouâre still going to help though, right?â
âYeah, yeah, just wanted to know what weâre going to see inside there.â Wario shuffled the bag further onto his shoulder as he faced the entrance again. âAlright Mini-Me, letâs get in there and get this fixed.â
Mario gave a small, hopefully reassuring, smile to Daisy before following Wario. The desert princess watched on as the brothers shifted a few more rocks around, expanded the entrance, and climbed in. Polterpup only phased through once the other two made their way in. Daisy let out a tight breath when they disappeared.Â
âGood luck you twoâŠâ
The entrance to the cavern was a weird feeling of cold mixed with damp, Mario unable to place how that feeling was being created. Current area they were walking through was a long hallway with compressed stone walls holding carved images and words. Some areas cracked and crumbling away. Marioâs fire seemed to cast deeper shadows over it all. Polterpup led the way, allowing their body to illuminate more on what Warioâs held light and Marioâs fire couldnât. Â
All peering around in silence as they made their way further in. The hallway eventually opened up into a large, domed room. What was normally a place for congregation and prayer had been sloppily converted into a mining operation, as Daisy warned. The altar seemed to be the only place that had been left alone, with dozens of carved holes seeming to appear at random. All disappearing into the ground so far that Mario wasnât able to see the ending. Each holding their own set of railings that followed along the carved paths.Â
âWow, this is shitty work.â Wario commented as he gently tapped on the railing. Eyes traveling to each of the laid tracks that disappeared into the darkened areas.Â
âHow bad?â Mario looked back.Â
âEh, bad, not terrible? I mean, weâll survive if thatâs what youâre asking. Weâll just need to make sure we donât hit these or else weâre going to have a rocky time⊠I was just expecting a path down, not this. This is way more dangerous than I previously thought.âÂ
âHow many rails do you think they have laid down?â
âNo idea. A lot, from what Iâm seeing here. But if theyâre being really desperate, who knows how many theyâve actually laid down. Between these quakes and this quick job, I donât know how stable this place really is.âÂ
Both looked away hearing something squeak. Watching as Polterpup pushed a car forward. Pausing when they just reached the opening, sitting down to look back at the other two. Panting happily. With a shared nod, Mario and Wario joined at the cart. The fire wielder picked up the spectral pup before climbing in. Sitting near the front to allow Wario room to jump into after he pushed them forward.Â
Tossing the bag and a few more tools in, Wario let out a grunt as he pushed everything forward. Leaping in at the last second, settling down as the cart tilted downwards.Â
They followed along a carved out tunnel, flickering lights lining the walls. All of them flashing by, eventually smearing by as the cart picked up speed. Mario and Wario bending down into the cart as the wind rushed past them. Holding onto their respected hats to keep them from flying away.
The tunnel, far too soon, fell away, the tracks now seeming to hover open a large pit. Both risked leaning over to see if they could find the bottom. Only for everything to disappear into the darkness. If the depth of the pit wasnât enough of a worry, they'd received their answer with how many tracks had been laid down.Â
It was clear it wasnât just the temple entrance that had the tracks. It seemed any direction that could reach this area was utilized. From every direction the tracks appear, twisting and turning together as they all descend into the depths. Even tracks that went the same direction the group was traveling along didnât seem to be limited to where theyâd come from.Â
âThere really was no rhyme or reason to any of this!â Wario called out in disbelief as he looked around. âThey just went crazy with this.â
âIâd hate to ask, was this temple in operation before this?â Mario asked.
âI really hope not.â
âGuess we canât focus on that for now. Weâll just have to ride this until we reach the ending. âŠDo we have any ideas on how weâre going to stop this thing?â
âHow about we put a pin in that when we reach that problem.â Wario frowned. There was a sinking sensation in their stomachs as the cart started to dip down further. The tracks seemed to press closer together as they went along.
âThey really had no idea what they were looking for,â Mario said, worriedly. âWeâre not going to have that issueâŠare we?â
Wario gave an assured shake of his head. âNo way, we have better tools for the job. Trust me, this coaster of craziness weâll be the worse of our-â
Both tensed when Polterpup let out a low, warning growl. Focusing on the other entrances, teeth bared and their hackles raised.Â
âPolterpup?â Mario carefully rested a hand on the spectral pup. âWhatâs wrong? What do you-â
âAvast, ye landlubbers!â
The call echoed through the carved cavern that was followed by a number of other cries and cheers. As attention was turned behind them, the duo found at least twenty if not more other carts following after them. Traveling along rails that had not been from the temple entrance. Each cart filled with two or three bi-pedal lizard being. Mario mentally commented they looked like crocodiles. Yellow eyes narrowed on Wario and Marioâs cart, mouths filled with rows of sharp teeth were pulled back into a wide smile. Waving either guns or swords in hands. Bags of Bob-ombs just barely peeking out.Â
The clart closest to the duo was only carrying one creature, but was by far the largest out of them all. Body showed a number of scars that stood out against the leather tan skin. Eyes of vivid green seeming to shine out from the heavy shadow casted by the pirate hat he was wearing.
âWhat the-â
âAre you fucking kidding me!â Warioâs cry of disbelief drowned out Marioâs question. The other looked furious at the yellow lizard that was drawing closer. âWhat the hell are you doing here!?â
âIf it isnât me olâ treasure huntinâ partner!â the lizard replied with a laugh. âDid ye really think yeâd never see Kaptain Skurvy again?â
âIt was a desperate plea to Grambi, to be honest.â
âAh, ye wound me.â
âWait, you know him?â Mario asked.Â
Wario replied back with an annoyed growl. âUnfortunately.â
âNow, now, donât ye be sour,â Skurvy called out, almost alongside their cart. âYe seem to be doinâ well. Even got yerself a new, wee little partner. A weird lookinâ one, ta be honest.â
Mario pouted at that. âA little rude.â
He didnât fight back when Wario pulled him away. The older brother pulled out a familiar hammer, with a foot on the edge of the cart as he pointed it at the lizard. âWhat are you doing here Skurvy.â
âThat be Kaptain Skurvy to ye, traitor.â Was growled out.
âLike hell I would call you that. Now what do you want!â
âDo ye think ye little dessert princess is the only one interested by whatever be lying in this sinkinâ ship? We just be on a job. Ainât that right boys?â Skurvy waved a hand back to the rest of his crew, who replied back with a happy cheer.
âWhat the hell does your crazy king want with this kingdom?â Warioâs furry turned to genuine worry, causing Mario to panic further.Â
Skurvyâs jovial attitude suddenly switched off at the question. âBold of ye to assume who weâd be workinâ for.â
âWhat else am I supposed to say? Thatâs who you were working for before-â
âEnough of this!â The scaly captain pulls his own sword free. Pointing it into the air before drawing it down directly to Wario. âI ainât here to be takinâ trips down memory lane. Iâll offer the two-â
Polterpup barked.
âPardon, the three of ye one chance to walk away quietly. Or else my crew will have to deal with ye personally. What do ye say? Peaceful partinâ?â
Wario let out a laugh before swinging his hammer back. âWhen have you known me to back down, you salty dog?â
âSo be it. Knock them off!âÂ
Wario and Mario faulted when the rails suddenly rocked, the motion quickly followed by an explosion. Both turning back to find their path back crumbling away into the darkness. Those closest to the brothers preparing another Bob-ombs to be thrown over. One waiting to light while the other waited to hand an unlit one.Â
Mario was up on the ledge without a second thought. A deep red fireball in hand that was launched to the cart he could reach. Aiming specifically for the pile of the unlit explosives. There was a momentary cry of panic. First directed at the fireball being tossed their way then to the lit Bob-ombs. Said lizards jumping out from the cart before it exploded.Â
âYe didnât tell me ye new partner came with party tricks!â Skurvy called out, glaring at the larger brother. âWhat else ye hidinâ from me?â
âShove off you!â Wario called back. Pulling Mario back into the cart to allow himself room for a full swing. The head of the hammer launches a lit Bob-omb back to its sender. Another cart going down.Â
Letting out a growl, Skurvy leaned over the edge of his car. Foot over the lip while his sword was lowered to his hip. Clearly intended to jump into the brotherâs cart. Only to be stopped when a spectral pup seemingly popped out of nowhere. Skurvy letting out a cry of surprise as he attempted to swat Polterpup away.Â
âYe annoyinâ pest!ââ
âPolterpup!â Mario called out in worry.Â
The cart dangerously shifted once more, but no explosion followed this time. Instead, parts of the rails started to fall away. Not just from the brotherâs line, as all rails started to crumble. Those in the carts only able to watch in horror as their companions started to fall into the awaiting darkness.
âWhatâs going on?â Mario frantically asked.Â
âThe problem I said would happen if we damaged these railings!â Wario answered. âThese structures were never sound and theyâre not holding up to these attacks, weâre all going down!â
The stunned realization was pushed aside as their rails falling away started to catch up. Wario pulled Mario close and compressed them both into the cart as best he could. Their cart soon started to free fall down. The other was only able to watch as Polterpup looked on with worry. Skurvyâs cart followed along soon enough. The rest of the crew either cried out in worry as their captain fell away or screaming as they also headed towards the depths.Â
_____________________________
In one of the many provided guest rooms, Toadsworth, Peach and Waluigi were resting on a long, plush sofa. Peach sat up while the lanky brother flopped out until he took up most of the space. The princess sitting between Waluigi and her caretaker. With Toadsworth looking unhappy with how close he was to Waluigi. Even with Peach acting as a barrier.Â
All watched as Luigi nervously paced the length of the room, mumbling to himself as he stared at the ground. The younger twin eventually stopped in front of the other three. Clapping his hands together before properly facing them.Â
âSoâŠwhatâs the plan of attack?â Luigi asked with a nervous smile.
âYou were the one who pulled us in here. I thought you were the mastermind.â Waluigi answered.Â
âI was also hoping for some help.â
âMonazite will need to be the first person we talk to,â Peach started. âSheâs very caring and would certainly understand our mission. She may already be on our side. But itâll be good to know where she truly lies on all of this.â
Waluigi shifted to sit up a little more. âBut, sheâs also not our main concern here.â
âToadsworth, whatâs your insight as to why Olivine pulled away so long ago?â Luigi asked Peach.
The elder Toad shook his head. âItâs the simple story of King Olivine believing that King Matsutake was not using his power and time wisely. While I understand Olivineâs position, considering Bowserâs threat was growing faster than we expected, Queen Dahlia was growing ill during the same time. Our King was more worried and focused on his wife. Olivine did not take this well and claimed that Matsutake was focusing on the wrong thing. Leaving to be out of the âdamage zoneâ, if Iâm recalling the words correctly. Anything further than that, weâll need to talk to Daisy, if you wish to skirt around approaching Olivine for a few hours more.â
âOh, I very much doubt that,â Waluigi huffed. âDaddy dearest clearly hasnât been upfront with whatâs been going on.â
Luigi sighed weaky, âThen how do we break down the wall when we donât have the appropriate tools to do so?â
âGet more people to help out.â
The group couldnât help but jump when the bedroom door was knocked upon. Peach calling out âCome inâ, with said door opening and Dew poking her head in.
âPardon for the interruption,â Dew spoke softly. âBut Queen Monazite is asking for an audience.â
Peach stood, offering a smile. âOf course. We were actually about to ask your queen for the same. Would you be kind enough to-â
âA-Apologies princess. But the queen has specifically asked for Waluigi to join her. Alone.â
The atmosphere in the room shifted to a weird feeling. Luigi sharply turned, eyes wide, as he looked bewildered at the lanky brother. Toadsworthâs eyes narrowed on Waluigi while Peachâs face turned to an overly worried expression. All clearly confused by this request.Â
Even Waluigiâs eyes widened hearing his name, breaking away from his bored demeanor. Blinking a few times as it all settled into his brain before slowly standing. âAhâŠare you sure you didnât mishear? I mean, she could have mumbled something at the beginning before saying Luigiâs name. You know, one of the heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom?â
Dew gently shook her head. âNo, she asked for you. No mumbling occurred.â
â...Okay, wellâŠâ Waluigi straightened his cup. âI guess, lead the way.â
âWaluigi-â Luigi faltered when the other raised his hand.Â
âItâs fine, Iâll be fine. Lead the way, Dew.â
Without a look back, Waluigi left the guest room, following the bi-pedal mouse. Led away from those areas marked for guests and the citizens who asked for an audience, towards the rooms saved for the royals. Grand bedrooms, ballrooms, and dining areas, Waluigi did his best to not grumble under his breath. A bubble of bitterness expanded in his chest seeing how yet another portion of the 1% lived.Â
As they turned the corner to a more private area of the castle, the plain walls changed to bursts of colors. Nothing but swirls of hues that calmed Waluigiâs silent grips to the building.Â
âBeautiful, arenât they?â Dew beamned.Â
âDo they mean anything?â
The mouse shook her head, âNot that weâre aware of, especially out here anyway. The rooms that line these halls do hold murals, but weâre only able to guess what it all means. Those stories have been lost to the ages, unfortunately.â
Dew stopped before another archway. Turning to Waluigi and offering a bow. âQueen Monazite awaits you inside.â
âYeah, thanks.â Waluigi replied back quietly. Side stepping around the mouse to walk in.
It was a small tea room. Big enough to hold two rather comfortable looking chairs with a small table situated between them. Which held a tray with tea and some interesting and tasty looking treats. Monazite stood from the chair sheâd claimed to greet Waluigi, who was standing in the archway.
The lanky brother offered a short nod with a quiet, âYour highness.â
âHello, Waluigi, Iâm so glad you could join me. Would you care for a seat?â
âSuppose I willâŠâ Waluigi walked further into the room. A flash of vibrancy appeared from the corner of his eye. Looking back to find the entire wall filled with a mosaic mural.Â
What stood out first were seven yellow sprites that look like small sons. All placed around the archway and starting the wall being divided by the same number. Each section depicted a different area that Waluigi had never seen before. Framing all of it, decorating the edge of the wall, were tendrils of shadows that were encroaching in on the scenes. Uncomfortably familiar sparks of green appeared on occasion that mixed in with the shadows.Â
Waluigiâs brows furrowed in worry.
âAn interesting little piece, isnât it?â Monazite casually commented as she joined him.
âKind of creepyâŠand a little on the head with its depictions.â Waluigi reached out to run his hand over the sprite floating in the desert portion of said mural. âThis is the Desert Kingdom. Iâm pretty sure thatâs the Sarasaland castle in the background.â
âThat appears to be true.â
The brother looked over, âSo, what does it mean?â
Monazite let out a small sigh, âWeâre unsure. We can pull some information from what we can see. Itâs an understanding that our kingdom holds one of these yellow sprites. But weâre unsure where it is, what it does, or where else these sprites are located. Even the tendrils of shadows are a mystery to us.â
âJoyâŠâ Waluigi grumbled. Making a mental note of how there was another mural for them to worry over.Â
He twitched nervously when a hand was placed on his shoulder. Monazite offered a warm smile as she gently pulled Waluigi away.
âWhy donât we put this away for a moment. I asked for you to join me so that we could have a polite but private discussion.â
âOh, right, sureâŠâ Waluigi tentatively sat down in the unclaimed chair while Monazite sat down in her previously claimed seat.Â
The queen took a few minutes to pour a cup of tea for each of them. Filled with a deep red liquid, leaving a little bit of room left over for one. Said cup was handed over to Waluigi. With Monazite gesturing over the container of milk, honey, and sugar.Â
âI wasnât sure how you preferred your drink.â
âThank, um, this is fine.â Lifting the cup up tentatively from the saucer, Waluigi took a small sip. Eyes widening in pleasant surprise of the taste that washed over his tongue. A look he quickly formed back into a neutral one when he realized Monazite was watching him.
âItâs good.â
âThatâs wonderful to hear. Have as much as you want, I can always make more. No issues there.â
Waluigi raised a brow at that, âYouâŠmake it?â
âOf course, itâs a family recipe. A long standing tradition to share with new guests.â
The brother let out a low hum as he took another sip.
âYou donât seem to believe me.â The queen laughed softly.Â
âI just didnât think that those of royalties would stoop so low as to dirty their hands.â Waluigi bit his tongue when the words slipped out of his mouth. Focusing on his cup as he tried to sink into the chair.Â
Monazite slowly nodded as she nursed her own cup. âThat is understandable. After all, the rich do love to flaunt their possessions without much work on their end, donât they?â
There was another round of laughter from Monazite while Waluigi could only chuckle weakly. Gently dabbing a finger to the corner of her eye, the queen continued. âBut truly wealthy people know better than to rely on gold and jewels to be fulfilled. That feeling only arrives when you work for your worth in an honorable way. Getting your hands dirty just means youâve created physical proof of what youâve built.âÂ
Waluigi nodded slowly. âYeahâŠsure. Um, not to cut to the chase suddenly. But why did you request a meeting with me?â
âWell, I was hoping to have a private conversation with the person who broke my daughterâs heart.â
Hot tea through the nose was not a fun feeling.
Waluigi took the offered cloth thankfully as he tried to clear his throat by coughing out the remaining liquid. Quickly wiping the sprayed tea away from his face, covering his mouth with the same cloth. Allowing himself a moment to take a few deep breaths. Only lowering his hands when heâd controlled his breathing once more.
â...I donât know what you could be referring toâŠâ
âMmm, clearly.â Monazite said easily as she took her own sip.
Waluigi nervously pulled at the napkin, the silence stretching on until he blurted out, âHow did you know?â
âYou think Iâm unaware of what goes on in my daughterâs life?â
âIf you're so observant, why didnât you know where she went before?â
âI had a hunch as to where she went.â
âAnd what do you mean âbroke her heartâ?â
âWell, with the way she screamed in rage after you both broke up, I assumed you two had been dating. Iâm also assuming that you broke it off. Otherwise, Daisy would not have been that upset. A little bitter, sure, but not breaking things in her room upset. And would you believe me if I told you she was even further hurt upon hearing that you suddenly just disappeared in the middle of the night.âÂ
âTrust me, sheâs made me very aware of that.â Waluigi mumbleed weakly. Rubbing his arm where a large bruise was still forming.Â
âSo, what caused such a shift in your life?â
âWhat?â He looked up in surprise. Heâd been expecting harsh words, not a âsoul-searchingâ question.
Monazite placed her cup down to focus on Waluigi. âI will not sit here and say I understand your motives or what you were going through at the time to cause such a change. But to come to such a rash decision overnight. Leave everything behind without a word to anyone where you were going and whyâŠâÂ
âYou were clearly holding onto something that justâŠbroke that evening. Iâm also sure that youâve never shared your reasoning as to why, close connections make it hard to be honest. Meaning youâve been stewing on your own over all of this.â
âAnd what, youâre going to help me make all of this better?â Waluigi snapped.Â
The previous nerves were falling away, quickly being replaced with anger. The sudden change caused a rush that got Waluigi to stand up as his face burned. The queen made no move to defend or worry over this reaction. Staying still as her hands rested gently in her lap with a neutral look on her face. Remaining as such as Waluigi continued.Â
âYou have the comfort of judging me while sitting in your ivory tower. Iâm sorry I hurt Daisy, I am. But maybe I wasnât as emotionally stable to deal with all of that. Maybe I was embarrassed to think over how I was supposed to keep a princess interested in me. Maybe I woke up late that night in a cold sweat realizing how I had done nothing with my life and that was killing me.â
âMaybe Iâm pissed that I was poor and associated with being a troublemaker because our father was a fucking liar. That I had hoped and prayed that I would be able to stand above that as I grew older but was never given the chance. How Wario and I just wanted to fucking help so we could be seen in a better light. Only for that resulting in people not trusting us. And we were sick and tired of being belittled. Maybe thatâs why we started to act out, why not! Why not play the role everyone just expected us to be!â
âBut no, letâs just chalk it up to how we were raised! That has to be the problem, right? Being told grandeur lies that our father told, making us think that he was someone to look up to. All of that just amounts to him just leaving and having our mom die by a broken heart. Maybe thatâs just something that runs in the family, yeah? Hurting people and just leaving without a word. At least I came back!âÂ
âIs it bad that I wanted to go someplace where no one knew who I was? It is fucking wrong that I wanted to try to make a name for myself that didnât involve people glancing my way with raised brows and whispers? I wanted to make a new start, I wanted to be more than just my family name, I wanted to be more than my father. But I guess thatâs just too much to ask for, isnât it!â
Waluigiâs fast pacing stilled as he turned to glare Monazite down. Who still hadnât moved, watching it all with calmed features.
âYou know what, fuck you, letâs just turn this script around. What donât we judge your character, yeah? For someone trying to âcareâ about her daughter, you sure have been missing a lot from anything involving Daisy. Or even anything about your fucking kingdom! Never seen you once until I got here. Always saw the king. Stuck up king who crawls away when his feelings get a little bruised. Why donât you go pick him apart, huh? You married him, why donât you deal with that baggage to make him realize that maybe ignoring a friend wasnât the best idea while his wife was dying.âÂ
âWhy donât you use your fucking title of âqueenâ to actually do something!â
Breathing heavily, Waluigi felt his shoulders and ears slowly drop and it dawned on him what heâd just said. Flinching away when Monazite finally moved, the queen now stood up from her chair. The anger felt only a few seconds before now cooling into actual fear. Waluigi mentally berating himself for cursing and flinging accusations at the queen . This was not going to the plan they had. Then again, Peach or Luigi were supposed to have this talk. How were they supposed to recover the damage Waluigi had just made?
The frantic thoughts were silenced when arms were gently wrapped around him. Tencing, his own arms stuck straight at his sides as he felt slim fingers gently stroke through his hair that they could reach.Â
âMy people are quite literally part of the desert,â Monazite spoke softly. âMy form and self only remain when Iâm able to connect with the very sand that I came from. Leaving the desert could cause my demise. This is why Iâve never left my home. I do wish I could travel, but Iâm fearful that itâs not possible.â
âAs for my silence, my words are spoken by my husband. Iâm here to offer him support and my view on situations. Do you think Iâve not berated him for how he easily left his friendâs side? Especially at such a horrible time. I know my husband hurts himself for the actions heâd done during that time. He hides his shame by staying here. Tucking himself away so no one can see him. Until he can remove himself from his indignity, Olivine will suffer in silence. Nothing I say will change that.âÂ
â...Itâs just stupid fucking egos, yeah?â Waluigi mumbled weakly, slowly melting into the hold, his throat becoming tight.Â
âI suppose so⊠But I do hope you lot will put my husband in his place. Grambi knows he needs someone besides myself to show him what this world is heading towardsâŠâ Monazite gently pulled Waluigi back. Tilting his chin up so they could look at each other properly. The queen silently noted, with wide eyes that held such exhaustion and ears drooped down, how young Waluigi looked at this moment.Â
Not a bitter adult, but now a lost child.
âItâs unfair how the children have to suffer the mistakes of their parents. Such a weight should not be placed on their shouldersâŠbut who else could tell adults how stupid they truly are.â
Waluigi let out a weak huff, doing his best to keep himself collected. Unhappy that his vision became blurring, deep breathing returned as he tried to look away. Jaw clenched as a final attempt to hold it all in fell away as a hand gently cupped his cheek.Â
âOtherâs actions have such a way to harm without knowing, donât they?â
The only reply was a choked sob that Waluigi attempted to cover it up, a hand reaching up to rub under his nose. More than happy to sink back into the motherly warmth that heâd not felt in years. His own arms reached up to wrap around the queen and he buried into her dress. Monazite hummed softly as she placed a hand on the back of the otherâs head, her other arm wrapping around Waluigi tightly.
Toadsworth stood just outside of the archway in the chilled hallway. Brow furrowed in thoughts and worry. Eventually turning away and back down the hall towards the guest bedrooms.Â
The BeanBean Kingdom, one that has been in self-exile for centuries, has finally broken their silence. Arriving to the Mushroom Kingdom with the plan to help their heroes learn how to use their powers.
Training, unfortunately, was just one hurtle to jump over.
Fandom: Super Mario & Releated Fandoms, Super Mario RPG
Rating: Teen and UP Audiences
Relationship: Luigi/Prince Peasley, Mario/Princess Peach, Mario & Luigi & Wario & Waluigi
Additional Tags: Needed Training, The Main Villain Makes An Appearance, Growing Relationships, Character Lore?, In My Stories?, It's More Likely Than You Think.
Created by weevmo (twitter & tumblr)
âTo the Current Ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom,
Fair Princess Peach.
I, Queen Bean, current ruler of the BeanBean Kingdom, wish to reach out to establish a hopefully peaceful connection. To prove my well meaning, Iâm hopeful my Kingdom will be able to help you.Â
Mainly with your heroes.Â
Words among the leaves and breeze hold whispers that your heroes are capable of magic. I have citizens who hold the same powers, not as powerful as your heroes, but skillful enough to extend their wisdom.Â
They will be arriving to your kingdom a week after this letter arrives. Accompanying them will be my son and future heir to the BeanBean Kingdom, Prince Peasley. They wish to remain with you until they feel that your heroes are well trained.Â
I do hope this is the beginning of a wonderful and fruitful partnership between our two lands.Â
To Your Wellness,
Regal Queen Beanâ
The Toad that had been reading from the rolled parchment let out a shaky breath as they finished. Shivering as they allowed the pent up nervousness to be released. Wide eyes going to Princess Peach, who was tense upon her throne.Â
The entire hall felt close to a nervous breakdown.Â
Mario and Luigi being the only exception to this uncomfortable atmosphere. Worried eyes darting around the room, attempting to find an answer before landing on each other. Sharing a shrug of confusion.Â
Peach, on her part, let out a slow breath before standing and offering a smile to the nervous room. âWell, this is wonderful news! Weâll be playing host to such a powerful kingdom. This is what we need in order to put up a strong defense against Bowser. Letâs prepare for them to arrive.â
As Peach continued to delegate tasks, Mario and Luigi were gently pulled towards the hallway. The other pair of brothers looked grim as they led. Toadsworth gestured them all in before closing the door, waiting nervously.Â
âIsâŠanyone going to explain whatâs going on?â Mario eventually voiced.
Toadsworth weakly waved his hand while mumbling, âWe need to wait for the princess before we discuss this.â
Peach arrived a few moments later. Her warm smile quickly disappeared when the door closed once more. âOh goodness⊠Is this really happening?â
âApparently,â Wario barely whispered.
âBut isnât this what we wanted?â Toadsworth voiced.
âYes,â Peach gave a small whine, âBut I assumed it would be the Jungle or Desert Kingdom first. This plan didnât start with the BeanBean Kingdom.â
âWould someone be so kind as to explain to us what weâre talking about?â Mario cautiously raised his voice.Â
âOh, of course, I apologize,â Peach said softly, âWeâve talked to you about the war that defeated the last Koopa ruler. But weâve never gone into details of the kingdoms that helped with that defeat.â
âIs the BeanBean Kingdom some place to worry about?âÂ
âWell, yes, they are rather powerful.â
âOr they were,â Wario added, âUntil it was destroyed.â
Peach quickly shook her head, âThey could still have the BeanStar.â
âDonât you think if they did, they would use it to stop all of this?â
âIf the books are as accurate as they are, then you know the use of its ability before nearly destroyed everything. I would be afraid to use it!â
âSo, would that really make them that powerful?â
âGuys!â Mario called out, âStill very confused.â
âRight, right, sorry,â Peach let out another sign before continuing, âWeâve told you about the origins of the war with the Koopa Kingdom. It was quite literally them versus every kingdom who had an ability to fight back. One being the BeanBean Kingdom. They hold a very powerful artifact called the BeanStar, an item that can grant the holder any wish they want.â
âIâm going to assume it was used during this war. What happened?â
âItâs unsure of what was asked of it,â Wario continued, âBut the BeanStar more or lessâŠit blew up. Knocking out a good chunk of the Koopa Army with it. But the BeanBean Kingdom was hit hard as well. They slunk back to their borders and put up powerful barriers to keep everyone away after that battle.â
Luigi frowned, âSoâŠno oneâs conversed with themâŠfor years?â
âTry centuries,â said Toadsworth, âWe have no idea what kind of monarch weâre dealing with now.â
âWe could be in luck,â Mario argued, âTheyâre sending someone here with the intent to help us. If anything, we need someone who knows about our abilities. Training lately has becomeâŠâ
âStagnant,â Luigi concluded.
âIt doesnât help that all weâve focused on is âsuppressingâ instead of using.â
âBut we donât know what their motives are,â Toadsworth said quickly, âWhile jumping to conclusions isnât beneficial towards the situation, there may be other motives involved here. Why would now be the time to reach out?â
âBecauseâŠof us?â Mario said while pointing towards himself and Luigi.
âPossibly hoping to take our means of protection for themselves.â
âWe get that you're paranoid, old man,â Waluigi stepped in, âBut youâre not making the situation better. If theyâre willing to help, then we need to take it. Especially if this means we have somewhat of an advantage over Bowser.â
âWeâll just have to focus on being gracious hosts. Welcome them and try to make that much needed connection. We need them on our side.â Peach concluded.
Toadsworth turned to Mario and Luigi, âYou two are going to have to represent our Kingdom as you are the heroes of this land.â
WellâŠwasnât that just terrifying to hear.Â
The week went by faster than anyone expected or enjoyed. Toadsworth being the physical reminder of how tense everyone was. Starting every day with double checking on every factor he could think of before running through his caution list. Which was really just a list of his creations that covered the worst case situations they could face.Â
The day before, Peach offered (more like begged) that the brothers stay in the castle.Â
âThat way youâre just here. No worries aboutâŠtraffic and what not.â She explained with a wobbly smile.Â
It was a weak reason, but they understood the request.Â
Even with how comfortable the bed was, Mario couldnât sleep. Resting on his back while staring up at the dark canopy. He couldnât hear Luigiâs snoring.Â
â...You worried too?â Mario whispered into the darkness.
â...Yeah. It was scary enough when we were just heroes. Now weâre representing the kingdom? For another kingdom thatâs been secretive for so long? And weâre being trained by people we know nothing of with powers we can barely use? ItâsâŠItâs a lot.âÂ
âYeahâŠit isâŠâ
Cautiously reaching out, Mario gently grabbed onto Luigiâs wrist. Pulling his brother closer until Luigi was tucked under the older twinâs chin. The younger using Marioâs chest as a pillow. Arms wrapped around the other with Mario gently combing his fingers through Luigiâs hair.Â
âWeâll be okay,â Mario said softly, âWe stick together and itâll all turn out fine. A new adventure, right?â
â...That meaning is so different from when we were in Brooklyn.â
âYeah, it does. But I mean it. Weâll be fine.â
Luigi didnât verbally reply. Instead trying to shuffle closer, tightening his grip around his brother.
â...Letâs try and get some sleep.â
They were both exhausted when morning arrived. Slowly shuffling out of bed and getting dressed, Mario tried to offer Luigi a comforting smile. But his nerves were seeping through and the comfort didnât appear.Â
Wario and Waluigi looked just as exhausted as the twins felt. However, they were far better put together. While Mario and Luigi wore their famous overalls with coordinating red and green shirts and hats. The other brothers were wearingâŠwellâŠ
âAre you in a suit?â Mario asked with a smile growing. This question aimed directly at Wario.
âUnfortunately.â
âYour hair l-looks nice.â Luigi attempted to give some positives to the clearly uncomfortable brother. The normally tangled locks that were hidden by a yellow cap were now brushed and slicked back.Â
Waluigi, who looked far more comfortable, placed a hand on his brotherâs shoulder. âItâs just for a few hours. Youâll be fine.â
âIâm going to suffocate.â Was the sharp reply back.
Breakfast was a quiet affair. No matter how chipper Peach attempted to be, it was clear she was as stressed, if not more, as everyone else was. So none of her words uplifted their terrified spirits.Â
Once the plates were taken, the large group walked outside to the large stairs that lead up to the castle. Toadsworth rushed around, instructing as to where everyone needed to stand. The guard lining everywhere, Peach and Toadsworth at the lower set of the stairs to properly greet the visitors. The brothers were further back. Lined up so that Wario and Waluigi would be introduced first as the current mentors while Mario and Luigi would be saved for last.Â
The minutes felt like hours as they waited. Mario swears his heart was beating so loudly that everyone could hear it.
Soon the sound of approaching footsteps filled the air. The first to crest the hill was a few rows of soldiers, three to each. Dressed in silver armor, a green smiling face carved into the chest plate. Carrying spears and large shields. Following the first section of soldiers was a large carriage. Vivid green and bean shaped on golden wheels with similarly colored accents. Pulling along by (as what could only be described as) flying, bean-link creatures.Â
It wasâŠstrange.
The carriage, flanked from the front and back by the same looking beanish soldiers, stopped before the stairs. Right before Peach and Toadsworth. One soldier broke away from the ranks to open the opulent golden door.
First to emerge were two rather translucent beings. One red, one green, dressed similarity. Or rather held a similar appearance. It was unclear if they were dressed or if it was just âthickerâ skin that was a different color than their pale blue skin. Their hair appeared to be that of the Earthâs version of a jellyfish. They gave a small bow to Peach before stepping to the side.
The final traveler stepped out at this time. Vivid green skin complemented well with the fine, golden hair that framed his face. Warm brown eyes crinkled at the corners due to his smile. Fine garments of white and red with accents of gold draped over his form. A stylish rapier resting casually at his hip.Â
Peach stepped forward as the new trio reached the foot of the stairway. Offering a small curtsy before announcing, âWelcome, Prince Peasley of the BeanBean Kingdom. Itâs wonderful to see you here, I hope your journey went well.â
âVery much so,â Prince Peasley responded with a clear voice, "Thank you for the warm welcome, Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom. Allow me the honor of introducing Merri and Gigi, our own users of Firebrand and Thunderhand abilities.â
âWelcome to you both as well.â
Mario was pulled out of the conversation when Wario tapped his arm. âFix your face, itâs scrunched up.â
âIs heâŠa bean?â Mario whispered back.
âThe prince? Yeah, kind of in the name of the kingdom he hails from.â
âPeach isnât a mushroom.â
âBut the Toads are. The king was.â
âOh⊠Hey Lu, what do you-â Mario faltered when, looking at his brother, he found Luigi with wide eyes. Chest puffed up with shoulders raised as if to make himself seem taller. Cheeks slowly growing a deep shade of red. Eyes practically shining.
Marioâs eyes darted between Luigi and the guests, taking a few moments to understand the situation. Getting his ultimate answer when the prince casually flipped his hair back with a warm laugh and Luigi letting out a choked gasp.Â
It was Warioâs turn to have his arm hit.
âWhat.â He breathed out through the side of his mouth.
âLook! Look at Luigi!â Mario frantically whispered, sounding absolutely thrilled.Â
Curious, Wario leaned over to get a better look at Luigi. Finding the younger twin absolutely love struck, eyes still on Peasley. Realization dawned on Warioâs quickly and a wide smile stretched across his face.Â
He was less subtle with getting Waluigiâs attention. Enough so that Toadsworth flashed a warning glare at the duo before facing forward again.
âWhat?â Waluigi hissed out.
Wario just jerked his head towards Luigi. The other brotherâs attention darted over to the younger twin.Â
A smirk slowly formed on his face.
Unaware of what was transpiring, Luigi's attention was solely focused on Peasley. The moment the prince had stepped out, the younger twin felt his heart start to race. Electricity surging through him as a blush dusted over his cheeks. The only thought bouncing around the humanâs brain was âHeâs beautifulâ.Â
The cloud of fascination fell away hearing a few chuckles and small noises of excitement from his side. Luigi turning to find Mario and the other brothers staring right back at him. Each in a varying degree of excitement and knowing smugness.
A new type of terror settled in Luigiâs stomach.
âMario-â
âYou like him!â Mario gleefully whispered.
âDonât, please donât-â
âWhatâs your first move going to be?â Wario leaned over, using Mario as a place to rest his arm, who didnât seem to mind. âI know a few good ones if youâre stuck.â
âHe hasnât even talked to us yet-â
âIâm taunting you relentlessly about this until you ask him out.â Waluigi stated smugly.Â
Luigi frantically gripped onto the sides of his hat. âPlease donât do this. Itâs nothing, really, itâs just-â
âAnd here we have the main four youâll be working with.â Peachâs voice cut through the whispering argument. Louder than normal, no doubt to inform that brothers they were finally approaching.Â
They quickly stood back in their original lineup. Luigi now shaking nervously as Peach introduced the other brotherâs first.Â
âWario and Waluigi have been our heroes' acting mentors.âÂ
âWonderful to meet you both,â Peasley beamed as he shook their hands, âIâm to assume youâre both well versed in fighting formations.â
âNot at all.â Wario replied.Â
âOh, well, what about battle strategies?â
âNone.â Waluigi answered this time.
â...SoâŠhow were you two selected for this role then?â
âOpportunity.â
âHarassment.â
Toadsworth buried his face in his hand. Merri rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed, as Gigi gave a quick but covered snort.Â
âWellâŠeither way, Iâm sure weâll have much to share with each other.â Peasley said with a smile. Which faltered hearing Merri and Gigi giggling softly. They fell quiet when their prince flashed them a warning frown.
âWonderfully said,â Peach quickly interjected and pulled the prince away, âHere are our heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom.â
Peasleyâs attention was drawn to Mario fist. Who tilted his hat before shaking hands with the prince. âMario, at your service. Thank you for arriving to help us.â
âWonderful to meet you. YouâreâŠhuman, are you not?â
âVery much so.â
âHow interesting. And you are the holder of theâŠâ
âFirebrand.â
âExcellent! I canât wait to see your strength in action.â
âWell, if strength is what youâre interested in, then youâre going to be super impressed by what my brother can do.â Taking over the introductions, Mario wrapped his arm around Luigiâs shoulders to pull him closer.
Peasleyâs regal appearance fell once more as his attention turned towards Luigi. Not of disappointment, but one ofâŠinterest. Eyes widening as they take in the sheepishly smiling hero in green. His own mouth parting slightly as a light dusting of blue appeared on his cheeks.
The stunned stupor he was in was broken when Merri gently placed a hand on his shoulder with a whisper of, âSire?â
âOh, u-um, yes, wonderful to meet you as well.â Peasley attempted to recover quickly. Smile returned, but not as strong as it had been before. âUh, if I may askâŠis it true that you were able to capture a Boo?â
Before Luigi could answer, Wario entered the conversation. âA Boo? A Boo? Just one? How about a whole army captured along with their big creepy king. Thatâs what Luigi did.â
The younger brother laughed nervously as his shoulder was shaken vigorously, âHeh, ah, wellâŠâ
âHe was also able to fend off a pod of Blue Piranha Plants,â Waluigi added, âUsing nothing but his Thunderhand and a hammer.â
âBlue variety? Goodness, those are extremely dangerous. We avoid them the best we can back in my kingdom.â Peasley said, sounding very impressed.
Luigi continued to laugh weakly, âUhâŠI suppose so.â
âWell, I am very excited to work alongside such powerful heroes.â
The green dressed twin twitched nervously as the prince presented his hand to be shaken once more. Relaxing slightly, Luigi reached out to gently take it in his own. Only for a large bolt of electricity arched from one hand to the other. Causing both of them to let out painful cries and parting quickly.
Luigiâs wide eyes filled with fear focused on Peasley. Who seemed surprised as the sisters and a very frantic Toadsworth worried over the princeâs hand.
â...Well, what a shocking introduction that was,â Waluigiâs smirk was quickly wiped away when Wario elbowed him hard in the gut. The taller brother letting out a pained wheeze.Â
_____________________________
âLuigi, please donât suffocate yourself.â Mario sighed softly as he listened to his brother let out a long whine.
Said brother was stretched fully across one of the many cushioned couches placed in the library. Face smushed into the remaining pillow that had not been thrown off in his self pity state. âJust let me die here. I donât want to go on.â
âSo you embarrassed yourself in front of new royalties that weâre trying to impress to make a strong connection with so we can create a powerful army against Bowser and one that youâre clearly interested in as such that caused your powers to flare up and hurt them. Big deal. It could be worse.â Warioâs smile slipped when Mario and Luigi glared at him.
Waluigi, who was casually leaning on the nearest bookshelf, let out a heavy sigh before saying, âI think what my thick skulled brotherâs trying to inform you is that you donât have to be worried. Prince Peasley knows of your ability, so he shouldn't be too surprised. Besides, he seemed smitten by you.â
âYeah, before my powers did me dirty.â Luigi groaned softly. Face going back to be buried in his pillow.Â
âYou didnât really give him a chance to really say anything to you.â
âMore like Toadsworth pulled the royals away before you could even look his way again.â Wario huffed.Â
âI think I damaged whatever thin bridge of a connection had started to be built.â Came the muffled groan of Luigi.
Mario heavily sighed at that. Sliding off the arm of the couch to pull his brother to sit up. âAlright, enough of this. Youâre just embarrassed, it happens, weâre going to move on from it. We have a job to do.â
Luigiâs brow furrowed, eyes lowering to the floor. â...Maybe I just avoided a huge mistake anyway.â
âDonât think like that.â The red dressed hero immediately dropped his voice to a whisper.Â
âYou know itâs true.â
âItâs not.â
Wario and Waluigi side eyes each other. Exchanging worried looks knowing they were clearly missing something. Before Waluigi could silently tell his brother to keep his mouth shut, Wario blurted out,
âWhat are you two talking about?â
Luigi nervously looked over, clearly unsure of what to say. Only for another noise to pull their focus. A few furiously excited barks sounded down the hall before disappearing.Â
âWas that Polterpup?â Waluigi asked.
The younger twin stood quickly, the self-defeating look replaced with one of concern. âOh no, I havenât worked with Polterpup on greeting guests! They were supposed to stay home. Oh, this isnât good.â
Luigi was out of the library before anyone else could comment.Â
Wario turned to Mario to ask, âAre you going to explain all of that?â
Giving a gentle shake of his head, Mario replied with, âYouâll have to ask Luigi.â
_____________________________
Cautious footsteps gently padded against the carpeted floor. Luigi slowly made his way down the long hallways. Trying to keep his cool while straining his ears to listen out for a familiar bark.
âCome on Polterpup, where are you?â he whispered fearfully, âI donât think our guests will be appreciative of a ghost dog just running around.â
Luigi let out a small sigh, âIf they werenât thinking about pulling out before, Iâm sure they will if they see you. What a nightmare this is becomingâŠâ
There were a few eager yips coming from around the next corner. Luigi instantly recognized the sound as Polterpupâs playful back. Given a split second to hope that the spectral pup had found some of the Toad guards and not-
âYouâre very friendly, arenât you?â
Luigi halted just before turning the corner. His entire form tensing up hearing the new yet familiar voice of Peasley.
âOf course,â the human whined softly, âOf course he would find Polterpup. Why canât I catch a break?â
He cautiously peeked around the corner. Finding Polterpup happily laying on their back, resting at the princeâs feet. Peasley smiling softly as he ran his hand over the exposed belly. Laughing at Polterpupâs excitement.
Luigi noted that said hand was wrapped in medical dressings.
Pulling back, Luigi let out a slow sigh. âOkay, heâs not panicking. Thatâs goodâŠright? How do I approach this? What will he think if he knows Polterpupâs my pet? Wow, the human canât use his abilities and has a ghost dog thatâs barely trained. Ugh, Iâll have to face that reality eventually.â
âMaybe it will be better received with Peach around? If Polterpupâs brought to her, she could soften the blow ofâŠeverything. Maybe. Is it really that bad? I should-â
Luigi was broken from his musings when Polterpup phased through the floor. Jumping at the spectral pup barking happily upon finding their owner. Who immediately picked Polterpup up.
âPolterpup, what are you doing? I told you to stay home!â
âDonât be too upset. They were just eager to make a new friend.â There was another twitch of surprise as Peasley stepped around the corner. Offering a warm smile to the panicked human.
âP-Prince Peasley, I-I was, um,â Luigi wrapped his arms tighter around Polterpup, âH-How are you feeling?â
âJust fine, nothing to worry about. Iâll be right as rain in no time.â
âOh, well, t-thatâs wonderful to hear. Do you need help getting to the Grand Hall? O-Or Iâm sure Toadsworth is offering his castle tour. We c-could find them and-â
âWell,â Peasley looked sheepish suddenly, âIâm actuallyâŠtrying to find the gardens.â
Luigi blinked, âOh...IâŠcouldâŠtake you there?â
âWould you? I would be absolutely grateful for your help.â
âS-Sure, no problem. JustâŠfollow me.â
Polterpup wiggled out of Luigiâs hold. Happily taking the lead as the trio made their way through the wide halls.Â
âSo, Polterpup is your pet?â Peasley asked.
âUm, y-yeah. Howâd you know?â
âI heard your comment about him needing to stay home.â
âOhâŠâ
âAs well as your furious comments to yourself about allowing Princess Peach to inform me. A rather interesting plan.â
Whatever higher powered being was believed in here, please strike him down.
Luigi did his best not to stumble over his feet in embarrassment upon learning how much Peasley had heard. âU-Uh, so-sorry, I didnât m-mean-â
âYouâre fine. I understand your trepidation,â Peasley quickly appeased, âThereâs a lot riding on this visit.â
âSuppose so⊠Oh, I-I need to thank you and your kingdom for your willingness to help.â
âNo thanks are necessary. If it means helping you and your brother, as well as the Mushroom Kingdom, then we are more than happy to be here.â
There was a pause in the conversation as Luigi opened the double glass doors that lead to their destination. Peasley unable to hold back a gasp of excitement when he saw the gardens stretched before them. Clearly enamored by the numerous colors and flowers gently swaying in the gentle breeze.
Created by weevmo (twitter & tumblr)
âThis is wonderful.â Peasley whispered, leaning over the stone banner as much as he could to take it all in.Â
Luigi smiled softly. Heart and stomach doing interesting twists and flips as he cautiously stood next to the prince.Â
âYou, um, you like plants?â
âA bit more than âlikeâ, to be honest. My entire kingdom is based around agriculture. We grow as many kinds of fruit and vegetation that you can think of. I, however, have further fascination with flowers.âÂ
âReally?â
âMhm, I have my own garden filled with roses. Iâve been taking care of them since my fatherâs passing.â
âO-Oh, Iâm so sorry, I-I didnât-â Luigi felt like he almost swallowed his tongue when he stopped talking so quickly hearing Peasley let out a gentle laugh.Â
âPlease, donât worry, you couldnât have known. HeâsâŠbeen gone for a while.â
âStillâŠIâm sorry for your loss.â
â...Thank you.â
Luigi smiled weakly, eventually clearing his throat and asking, âWould you like to take a closer look?â
âMmmâŠno, I believe I should wait for the princess first before doing so. Iâm fine up hereâŠâÂ
He wasnât sure if he was imagining things, but Luigi could have sworn there was more that Peasley wanted to say. But nothing else was. Instead, the quiet was comforting as they watched as Polterpup happily chased after a few birds among the foliage.Â
âMay I ask you something?â Peasley eventually asked, head tilted closer to Luigi with his eyes still trained on the gardens.
âUmâŠs-sure?â
âWell, I guess itâs more of a clarification?âÂ
Luigi couldnât help but laugh softly at Peasleyâs smile. âSure, what can I clarify for you?â
âI guessâŠI feel so weird asking this. But can you tell me what happened? When the Boos attacked here.â
âOhâŠsure.â
âI mean, only if you feel that you want to,â Peasley quickly attempted to backtrack, âI didnât mean anything, I was just curious so-â
âNo, youâre okay, I understand! I-Iâve been told this isnât a really normal occurrence for thisâŠplace. Uh, itâs just, where do you want me to start? Thereâs a lot to go through.âÂ
âAny point, really, I donât mind.â Peasley leaned on his hand, brown eyes now shining as their focus stayed on Luigi.Â
SoâŠLuigi talked. Starting with the first time that Mario met the Boos and what that meant. Both with the bite and gaining a mentor with Wario. How Wario and Luigi met, Waluigiâs grand entrance, and how the other pair of brotherâs started watching over the twins.
First time they used their abilities.
When E. Gadd entered into their lives.Â
How King Boo had captured Mario and turned the Mushroom Castle into a terrifying maze.
When Luigi used the Poltergust the first time.Â
How Luigi learned that his ability was able to keep him safe.Â
How King Boo called him out for a final showdown.
And finally how Luigi was able to trap King Boo.
âI justâŠuse the Thunderhand to power up the Poltergust and the picture frame andâŠâ Luigi rolled his hands around the other before giving a small shrug, âKing Boo was sucked in and trapped in the picture frame. Still thereâŠunless something happened to E. Gadd. I should probably call him. Uh, anyway, thatâs pretty much what happened.â
He looked over to see if Peasley was still even awake at this point. Only to find the prince staring at him in absolute fascination. âUm, Prince Peasley?â
âOh, sorry, I was just so enthralled,â Peasley laughed softly, âI had heard stories from others before arriving here. Honestly, it was nothing more than rumors. I- Weâve been fascinated with what you and your brother have been able to accomplish. With the latest being that of your triumph over King Boo. Hearing you talk about it, talk about everything, itâs soâŠinspiring.â
âUh, really? Iâm sure as a prince youâve seen a few things.â Luigi replied weakly.Â
Peasleyâs smile turned to one of embarrassment. But he was unable to respond when another voice called out the princeâs name.
âPrince Peasley, there you are!â
Luigi tensed when Merri and Gigi came rushing out of the double doors. Toadsworth quickly followed behind with Peach casually bringing up the rear.Â
âWhat are you doing out here? We were so worried when we couldnât find you in the medical wing.â Merri and Gigi spoke at the same time. Each pulling the princeâs wrapped hand up gently.Â
âIâm sorry, that wasnât my intention,â Peasley attempted to calm them, âI was just-â
âMaster Luigi, why would you bring our guest out in the open!â Toadsworth huffed as he stepped forward. Luigiâs already raised shoulders climbed further, ears turning a deep red.Â
Peasley quickly responded with, âI was attempting to find the gardens when I left the medical wing. I asked for Luigiâs help when we came across each other in the hallway. Please donât be upset with him.â
This caused Toadsworth to falter, a little flustered by the confession. Peach taking the chance to step into the conversation.Â
âWe were just concerned by your absence,â Peach said, âWeâre happy to know Luigi was able to keep you company for the time.â
Luigi felt the heat move from his ears to his cheeks as Peasley offered a smile to the human, replying with, âAs am I.â
The group flinched as Polterpup appeared once more. Peasley laughing as the new arrival gave a small whine as if upset they had not also received praise.Â
âYou were wonderful as well.â
âNow that the worries have been had, shall we get you all settled in properly?â Toadsworth gently gestured for the group to head back inside.
Peach remained back, mainly to wait for Peasley. Only to be quietly surprised as she watched said prince gently claim one of Luigiâs hands. Bowing his head to have the back of it to gently touch the princeâs forehead.Â
âThank you for staying with me. I look forward to hearing more stories and seeing your strength tomorrow.â
âI-uh- O-Of course.â Luigi replied weakly with a small smile.
Peasley released the humanâs hand with a warm smile, turning to join Peach. Who was pointedly looking away as if not aware of the moment.Â
However, as the doors closed behind the royalty, Peach narrowed her attention on the visiting prince. Peasley looked very pleased but flustered as well. As if not believing in his own forwardness. A content smile lay across his face.Â
Quickly looking back, Peach found that Luigi had not moved. Staring at his hand in fascination. Unaware of Polterpup pawing at their humanâs leg.Â
It took everything for Peach to not let out a squeal of joy.
_____________________________
The next day began with the three brothers practically dragging Wario out of his bed. Who was complaining about having to, once again, wear another stupid, stuffy outfit.
âItâs about being presentable,â Waluigi argued back.Â
âWeâre going to be training!â Wario gruffly argued back.
âNot us! Weâre going to be on the sidelines with Peach and the rest!â
âThis is torture!â
âGet up you giant baby!â
It took about an hour for the four of them to arrive for breakfast. Toadsworth was not impressed by their tardiness. Their guests, however, seemed unbothered by it. Peasley actually pulled Luigi into a quiet conversation the moment the human sat down. Who was a little sheepish at first but opened up the further their conversation went on.
Waluigi, on his part, turned to the jellyfish sisters. âDonât suppose youâd be up to telling us what this training day is going to start with?âÂ
âItâs the same training we were given,â Merri answered, âWe mainly want to see what theyâre currently capable of doing, as well to make sure they can easily call upon their abilities. Weâre not going to go too crazy at this time.â
âOkayâŠbut what exactly does thatâŠmean?â
âItâs rather hard to explain it to a non-holder. The most we can suggest is to just watch.â Gigi replied with a soft giggle.
âAlrightâŠâ
After all had their fill, the large group that also consisted of BeanBean soldiers and Toad guards made their way to the outside training grounds. Peach, Toadswroth, and Peasley taking seats under a large umbrella type mushroom. Wario and Waluigi situated nearby with the older gently tugging at the button-up collar. Merri and Gigi lead the way to the center to the flattened ground with the twins following close behind.Â
âGiven how reportedly strong your powers are, we decided that outside training would be best to start,â said Merri, âWe would like to begin this by stating that, while we are not trained fighters, we are gifted in using these abilities.â
Gigi continued with, âWe are well versed in the knowledge of both abilities. Our current goal for you both is to have complete control of your abilities. So you may use them to their full potential. Whether thatâs for everyday occurrences or for fighting.â
âThese powers are meant to be an extension of you and should be treated as such.â
At this, Merri moved closer to Mario. Gently lifting the heroâs arm up. She gently had her right hand travel from the crook of Mairoâs elbow up to his wrist, increasing the pressure at that point. Mario couldnât hold back the wince feeling the tight pressure. A deep burning felt in his chest, a familiar one.
The intense massage ended when Merriâs hand moved the pressure to Marioâs palm. Both flinched back, Merri more than Mario, when the very same hand erupted into flames. The largest stream of flames the majority of that crowd had even seen before. A few even let out âOohsâ and âAwwsâ at the sight.Â
âVery, very impressive!â Merri gleefully stated, âIâve not seen such power held in many before. Granted, I only know of three holders in recent years. But the point still stands that this is amazing!â
Mario remained quiet as Merri moved to his other hand. Listening with interest as she said, âIâm aware that youâve used Fire Flowers before. While the Firebrand seems similar, itâs also very different. First obvious being it never runs out. As long as your fire burns, the Firebrand will remain with you.â
âIf handled uncaringly, Firebrand can cause a lot of damage. Fire is wild if left unkempt, destroying whatever it can reach. You need to keep your focus. Youâll be able to change its directions, create shapes and forms.â
âLike fireballs?â Mario asked.Â
Merri laughed softly and nodded, âVery much so, but even more than that. My focus for you is giving you allowance to control the fire in any form. Whether itâs still in your hands or cut away from you.âÂ
âYou are another story,â Gigi said to Luigi, âThunderhand is also about control. However, you have a vastly different concern. The energy you release acts like that of lightning. It bounces, arches, and dances in every way it can. Holding it close will do you no good. But releasing it will result in a burst of rampant energy that will destroy everything in its path.â
âIn order to get past this, you have to learn how to use yourself as a conduit. While not every bolt will follow, you will have the maneuver needed in at least somewhat of a direction. BecauseâŠâ
Just as Merri did, Gigi applied a generous amount of pressure to Luigiâs palm. If Marioâs fire was a show, Luigiâs energy was a spectacle. The area even seemed to darken as the burst illuminated the area.Â
Gigi let out a cheerful cry of glee, hands clapping. âOh, amazing! Absolutely amazing! Your strength seems to hold no limit. Truly a hidden gem.â
Luigi didnât reply. Eyes still up at the sky where the bolt had hit its peak, swallowing weakly.
âNow, if weâre going to begin, we need to start fresh. Fully fresh,â Marri and Gigi met back up to stand directly in front of the twins, âYou both need to remove your gloves.âÂ
That caused a good portion of the audience to tense.
âWait, what?â Mario asked weakly.
âWe need you to remove your gloves.â
âI-Is that really the smartest choice?â Luigi spoke next, âI-Itâs kind of the reason we haveâŠcontrol over these powers.â
âDid you not defeat King Boo by removing your gloves?â Gigi commented.
âS-Sure, but I s-still had to worry of hurting someone or d-damaging something.â
âUnderstand, this is not to make you uncomfortable,â Merri quickly took over, âYou need to get used to how the full extent of that power feels flowing through you. Weâre just testing for now. The moment it becomes too much, the gloves can go back on.â
From the corner of his eye, Mario saw Wario waving his arms in the air to get his attention. The older brother, quietly, but with very wide and obvious movements, pointedly gave his âcommentâ. Gesturing to Luigi, then Mario, then grasping onto Waluigiâs hand. Who was very unhappy about being roped into WarioâsâŠwhatever this was.Â
Even with the slight confusion at the beginning, Mario eventually understood. Giving a sharp nod.Â
If all else fails, Mario and Luigi could cancel each otherâs powers out.
âOkay,â said Mario, âLetâs try it.â
âJust be mindful, this is just a test.â Merri attempted to comfort, âWeâll pull back the moment it becomes too much.â
The twinâs both nervously removed the gloves. Both letting out surprised gasps as their powers fully hit them. It had been awhile since theyâd felt this. Mario tried to keep himself level as a few flames escaped from his mouth. Luigi unable to hold back his shaking as he felt the energy travel up and down his spine.
âGoodnessâŠâ Gigi gasped softly.
âThis is much more than what we were expecting.â Merri agreed.Â
âW-What-â Mario coughed softly at the smoke he tasted on his tongue, âWhat do we need to do now?â
âClose your eyes and slow your breathing. You need to find your core, your center, where your power is being stored.â
They did as instructed. Both falling into a contented and calm focus. It was honestly a little awkward at first. As they had no idea what they were supposed to be looking or feeling for. The back of their minds holding a small reminder that they probably looked like idiots just standing there.Â
But they did eventually fall into a comfortable rhythm, slowly feeling something heavy resting between their chest and stomach. A steady pulse, not a heartbeat, but something that beats in tandem with it.
âFound it,â They responded at the same time, eyes still closed.
Wario and Waluigi mentally noticed they sounded as if they were in a trance.
âDescribe it to us.â Gigi whispered her request.
âA beatâŠa pulse?â Luigi replied.
âIt sounds like another heartbeat.â Mario stated.
âExcellent,â said Merri, âNow, Gig and I are going to step forward to help. Keep your breathing steady. Keep your focus.â
Neither flinched as Merri and Gigi moved their hands. Having them cup together just below their sternum. Keeping their own hands pressed underneath the brotherâs.
âAlright, weâre going to help you on this next part,â said Gigi, âYouâre going to slowly call upon your power until your hands hold a small portion of it.âÂ
âWeâre going to help you draw it out. To keep in control and so you know what it feels like.â Merri concluded.
âOkay,â the twins calmly replied.Â
It was the first time, for a while, that the twinâs neutral faces shifted. Flinching in slight pain before brows furrowed in concentration as their powers were slowly pulled out. Marioâs turning into the familiar form of a fireball. Except it was a vivid red instead of the well known orange. For Luigi, Waluigi mumbled out, âPlasma ball? Interesting.â The sphere of energy held small arches of electricity bouncing around it. If it was held instead of floating, it no doubt would have weighed a ton.Â
The growth of both continued until the power formed to the size of a small ball. At that point, Merri and Gigi pulled away. Mario and Luigi finally opened their eyes. Just barely stopping themselves from falling onto their faces.
The orbs fluctuated slightly before calming once more.
âSo, how are you two feeling?â Gigi asked.Â
âA little strangeâŠbut okay.â Mario calmly replied.Â
âItâs not asâŠintense as before,â Luigi added, âI think this is the most collected Iâve felt with this before.â
âThatâs wonderful to hear! I will admit, your ability looks far different that what I expected,â This comment was directed towards Mario.
âUh, yeah, I figured. Itâs not like a Fire Flower.â Mario nervously chuckled, eyes on the fire he was holding.
âWell, Iâm more comparing it to Bowserâs fire.â
âWait, what?â
Merri, possibly unaware of the stressful situation, casually continued on with, âOh, did no one tell you this? Perhaps it wasnât known in this kingdom. The Firebrand ability comes from the Koopa lineage. Lord Bowser is the other being who holds this ability, and with strength equal to yours. Granted, he expels it through his mouth while yours is controlled by your hands. But, still, the similarities in strength is interesting.â
âIâŠwhat?â
Now Merri heard the trepidation in the heroâs voice. âDidâŠno one tell you of this?â
âNo!â The three around Mario jumped back as the fireball erupted. Now engulfing both arms.Â
As if responding in kind to Marioâs panic, Luigiâs own ability snapped. The orb of energy gave out a small pop before charging out. Merri and Gigi darting further away at the ground starting to crack and fracture, the energy breaking it apart.Â
Wario and Waluigi quickly pulled Peach, Peasley, and Toadsworth back. The rest of the audience scrambled as the cracks crawled further out.Â
It happened in a span of a few seconds. The dust settled to reveal the twins in a newly formed crater. Luigi having his arms wrapped around Mario in a death grip. Small bolt of energy arching around Luigiâs form. Smoke pouring out of Marioâs mouth.Â
Taking a deep breath, Luigi quietly said, âM-Mario?â
Whatever stupor the red dressed hero was in broke hearing his name. Mario pulled away with a sharp jerk. Doing his best to squash the broken feeling stirring in his stomach at Luigiâs fearful look. Instead, he tugged his gloves back on as he stumbled out of the crater.Â
Upon reaching the top, Mario lifted his head. Eyes scanning to find his quickest escape route. Feeling another part of his soul breaking upon seeing the Toads flinching away.Â
His breathing became ragged.Â
Unable to stop the smoke billowing out of his mouth.
He reached his lowest point when he saw Peach. Who was being held back by a worried looking Wario. The princessâ eyes wide and filled withâŠfear?
He couldnât stay there any longer.Â
Mario pulled his cap down and rushed out of the training area. Disappearing into the castle proper as Luigi finally climbed his way out. Watching until Mario was gone and then it was his turn to take in the fearful audience. Crossing his arms to hide his hands away, Luigi slowly backed away. Very aware of the eyes following him. Unable to look anywhere but ahead of him, in fear of seeing how everyone was looking at him.Â
How Peasley was looking at him.
Was he impressed with the uncontrollable power now?
While he didnât run, Luigi left as quickly as his shaky legs would carry him. Hiding himself away in the surrounding garden.Â
âGo look after Mario, we got this handled,â Wario whispered to Peach.Â
Peach gave a short nod and left. Head held high as she passed her citizens and followed Marioâs footsteps.Â
Peasley stumbled slightly as he was nudged towards the gardens. Turning back with a raised brow to Waluigi in quiet confusion.Â
âYouâre not going to believe me now. But your words are going to hold better meaning than from any of us.â The tallest brother explained.Â
â...Very well.â Peasley said calmly. Straightening himself out before rushing towards the gardens.Â
âYou two!â Wario called out. Pointing at Merri and Gigi. Who bristled at being addressed so harshly. âWe four need to have a bit of a talk. Now.â
Merri sniffed, but nodded slowly. âVery well.â
âSomeoneâŠtry and clean this up?â Waluigi weakly suggested. Gesturing to the damaged area as they moved away.
_____________________________
Bubbling lava always held a calming effect for him. Even if it was more often seen as a river of destruction, thatâs what he liked about it. Something slow moving that people took little notice of. Until it started a fire, or burned down a forest, or cooked something alive. Then they started paying attention and began cursing for not doing so sooner.Â
How they just assumed they were safeâŠ
âLord Bowser?âÂ
Fiery red eyes snapped open. Taking in the magma and lava covered land below momentarily before the hulking Koopa form turned away from the arched opening. Turning to find Kamek standing behind the King, holding his wand tightly in his hands.Â
âOur spies have returned with a rather interesting report.â said Kamek, answering Bowserâs unsaid question.Â
âInteresting, you say? Do tell.â Bowser said, turning his full attention to his right hand Koopa.Â
âRepresentatives of the BeanBean Kingdom have arrived to the Mushroom Kingdom.â
âThe self-exiled kingdom? Theyâve finally broken their silence, something big must be happening if theyâve chosen now to poke their heads out of the ground.â
âIndeed something is,â Kamek continued with a smirk, âIt appears those human heroes have acquired someâŠspecial abilities.â
Bowser frowned at that, âIâm aware of their connections to the Power-Ups.â
âNot Power-Up related. An ancient power. One that I have not seen before, only read about. Another that, well, hits rather close to home.â
âEnough of your riddles, warlock, explain.â
âThe coward holds the Thunderhand. A rather destructive ability locked in such a weakling.â
âAnd what of Mario.â Bowser growled.
âFirebrand, my Lord.â
There was a pause.
Then Bowser began to laugh. One that built up until it began to echo loudly in the grand hall.
âWell, what a wonderful surprise! I suppose it would be ill will of me if I didnât offer my own help. Why donât we pay the Mushroom Kingdom a long, overdue visit? It would do us all some good, I believe.âÂ