Super Paper Mario: Mission - Power Orb

[Black hat]

Hello, everyone. Here is a story I'm writing about another one of Mario's adventures. I hope you enjoy reading it! Comments are also greatly appreciated.


Hello. Sit back, relax, and pull up a chair, because today, I’m going to tell you the story of the Power Orbs.
Long ago, there was an ancient civilization on a small, secluded island. This island was protected and guarded by the Mystics, 12 sisters who each possessed an extraordinary power. The King and Queen of the Mystics watched over the peaceful island and protected the 12 sisters from any harm.
Even though things seemed in perfect tranquility, not all was peaceful on the small island. An evil presence overhung in the atmosphere of the island.
Cattiva, an ancient evil demoness said to be created from the collective vices of the world, had always tried but failed to destroy the Mystics, as well as the King and Queen. Once the Mystics were destroyed, Cattiva would be free to claim their place as bringer of balance and first the island, then the world, would succumb to her rule.
With powerful spellcasting abilities, Cattiva was a force to be reckoned with. Despite this, the King and Queen would always triumph over her evil powers.

Years later…
The Queen was about to give birth to a daughter. The King had made sure everything was perfect for this day.
Cattiva had also heard plans of this.
Cattiva had deduced that since the Mystics’ guards were probably down, she would take the opportunity of the birth to take them by surprise.
Shortly after the birth, the daughter was wrapped up in a heavenly-soft sheet, and was held in the Queen’s arms. The King was overjoyed with his little bundle of joy. Everything was peaceful.
…For a while.
In a fell swoop, Cattiva launched an assault on the Temple of the Mystics. Sheer pandemonium ensued as the King and the Mystics struggled to deter Cattiva as the Queen tried to comfort the baby.
The King and the Mystics were slowly but surely overpowering Cattiva, to the point which Cattiva was near death. In a desperate bid to not die, Cattiva split into eight separate entities. All eight entities then tried to rush the Queen in an attempt to kill the baby.
In the blink of an eye, the Queen raised one arm and cast a spell over the eight beings, concealing them in orbs until the end of time. The King then used his powers to teleport the orbs and scatter them throughout the world.
After all this had happened, the King and Queen had noticed their daughter stirring uncomfortably in the Queen’s arms, as if she had been aware of Cattiva’s presence.
The King and Queen knew that she could never hope to be safe in the Temple of the Mystics with them at such a young age. Even with Cattiva sealed away, there were still other enemies of the Mystics. There was also the chance of Cattiva being resurrected.
The King and Queen knew what was best for her. They knew what they had to do. They gave one last teary look at their baby. The Queen then used her magic to turn her into a small gem, and the King used his magic to teleport her to somewhere far across the ocean, where, hopefully, she’d be safe.
In order to always protect her, the 12 Mystics donated a fraction of their power to the baby in the form of 12 small colorful stones. They then scattered the stones throughout the world, so if the baby were to find them, they would help her.
Thousands and thousands of years have past since then…

“Excuse me, kind sir!”
“Who… me?”
“Yes, kind sir! I noticed you have you eye on quite a few assortments here!”
“I’m just perusing through your wares. I need a new crystal ball, since my old one has been acting up.”
“Ah, but who needs a crystal ball when you could have… this!”
“What… what a beautiful necklace!”
“Yes, I know, isn’t it? It was made by a jewel on a faraway shore!”
“It shimmers so elegantly…”
“Well, it’s rumored to have untapped magical properties!”
“Really? How so?”
“I’m not quite sure, but I’ve read that it would protect its owner to the death if given the right stimulus.”
“Well, then… I guess something like this could be useful to me! How much?”
“You seem like a reasonable man, so… 500 coins.”
“…Okay… here you go…”
“Thank you, kind sir! You are most wise.”
“Yes, but, uh… you wouldn’t happen to have that crystal ball I’m looking for, would you?”


“Psst… Psst… Psst!”
“Whuh? Who’s there?”
“It’s me. You remember me, don’t’cha?”
“…You…”
“That’s right. Me.”
“How… how did you get down here?”
“Shh, shh, shh… everything’s fine…”
“Don’t be coy with me!”
“Relax, Cooly! Everything’s--”
“WHAT did you call me?”
“Is there something wrong? Do I anger you?”
“Just cut to the chase. Why are you down here bothering me?”
“I’ve come to extend you an offer.”
“Shoot.”
“What say you and all your little buddies go free to roam the planet again?”
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch. Just because…”
“I know you! There IS a catch! Tell me or ELSE!”
“Just… trust me. So… what’dya say?”
“Do it. Open this place up…. If you even can…”
“You doubt me?”
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“Well you SHALL see it, alright! I’m off!”

Super Paper Mario: Mission – Power Orb

[Black hat]

Mario and Luigi were sitting peacefully at their coffee table, drinking Koopa Tea. It had been a particularly perfect day that day; the Sun was up and shining, the birds were singing their harmonic songs, and there was no sign of a threat to the Mushroom Kingdom.
“Wow, bro,” said Luigi. “It’s sure is a peaceful day.”
Mario then nodded as Luigi scratched his chin and took a sip of his tea.
“Yep… reeeeeeally peaceful,” said Luigi. Luigi then sighed as he rested his elbow on the table and placed his cheek in his hand.
“So peaceful, it’s almost bo--”
“Hold on now, Luigi!” interrupted Mario, sitting up. “Remember last time you said that? Something DID happen!”
“Oh, yeah! That guy… that, uh… bad guy attacked!” said Luigi. “He kidnapped me, Princess Peach, and Bowser! …But, uh… I still can’t remember… whatever happened back when we confronted that guy? Y’know, that small guy?”
“You can’t remember?” asked Mario. “There had been a--”
Mario then looked warily at the fourth wall.
“I… uhh… can’t tell you…” said Mario.
“Well, why not bro?” asked Luigi.
“Spoilers…”
“Spoilers?! What in the heck are spoilers?”
“…Well, I’m sure that if our lives are being typed up on some computer somewhere and being read by someone, those beings’ll know what spoilers are.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t know… I just thought it sounded cool…”
Mario took another sip of his tea as he and Luigi heard a loud knock on the door.
“Mail call!” a voice rang out from the other side.
“Hold on, bro, I’ll get it,” said Luigi, getting out of his chair to answer the door. Luigi then closed the door and returned to the coffee table with a letter in his hand.
“Hmm… we got a letter,” said Luigi. “Wonder who it’s from…”
“What’re you waiting for? Read it, already!” said Mario. Luigi slowly opened the envelope and shook it upside-down, grabbing the letter as it fell out.
“What’s it say?” asked Mario.
“I don’t know, but… it doesn’t look too good…” replied Luigi. “It’s written in some kind of smeared red liquid, like someone was in a rush to get this sent to us. Well, anyway: ahem…”

“Dear Mario and Luigi:

HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLP!! Please help me!! This is too much for me to handle!! I’m being overpowered!! I really need some assistance!! It’s an EMERGENCY!!

I’ll be at my castle. Please come post haste.

Princess Peach”

“Mama Mia, bro!” shouted Luigi. “Looks like Princess Peach needs our help again!”
“Looks like you got your wish, too, Luigi!” chuckled Mario. Mario and Luigi then quickly got up from the coffee table and slipped on their work boots and gloves.
“Let’s go!” shouted Mario as he and Luigi ran out the door.

[Black hat]

Mario and Luigi hopped down the pipe to Toad Town and quickly ran in the direction of Peach’s castle. It didn’t take long for them to reach the castle’s large, fancy front door.
They quickly bolted through the doors to see Toadsworth, rather oddly patiently waiting for them in the middle of the room.
“Well, you seem calm, Toadsworth,” said Luigi.
“Well, it’s best to keep your wits about you in a... ahem… ‘dangerous’ position, I suppose…” answered Toadsworth.
“Wait… then why is it that when the princess is kidnapped, you run around in circles and scream a lot? …Well, I guess that’s not important now; where’s the princess?” asked Mario.
“I shall lead you to her. Follow me, if you would,” said Toadsworth. Toadsworth then began to lead Mario and Luigi further and further up through the castle.
Near the area with the large windows, Toadsworth walked over to a small brown door previously unnoticed by the Mario Bros. He used a key to open the door and led the Mario Bros through it.
Through the door, it was completely pitch-black.
“Hey! Where’s the lights in here?” asked Luigi.
“Excuse me for a moment, if you would, Masters Mario and Luigi,” said Toadsworth. Mario and Luigi waited near the door as Toadsworth’s footsteps could be heard echoing throughout the room.
A click was then heard, and then a small light suspended from the tall ceiling flashed on and illuminated the room.
Mario and Luigi looked around, and saw than they were in a skinny room with a tall, rickety, wooden staircase in front of them.
“Masters Mario and Luigi,” called out Toadsworth. “Please traverse the steps, if you would.”
Mario and Luigi slowly walked up the old wooden steps, confused about where Toadsworth had been leading them.
At the top of the steps, Toadsworth used a key to open another door. He then pushed it open as the Mario Bros. cautiously stepped inside the large room on the other side.
Mario and Luigi looked around and saw that the room was piled high with old, dusty boxes. There was dust on the wooden floor and cobwebs on the ceiling.
After scanning the room, Mario saw Princess Peach, waiting in a corner for the Mario Bros.
“Mario! Luigi! I knew you’d come! Thank you so much!” rejoiced Peach, running eagerly toward the Mario Bros.
“Peach! You’re okay!” said Mario, thankfully. “Boy, am I relieved! …Wait… you’re… okay?”
“What did you need us to help you with?” asked Luigi.
“Okay, here’s the thing…” said Peach. “I was going through our attic—that’s this place—when I noticed how much junk we have up here!”
“So… you want us to…?”
“Could you help me clean up the attic?” asked Peach. “Please, oh please? I knew I’d never get it done myself, so I wrote to you and told Toadsworth to ask Parakarry to deliver it immediately! I was in such a rush to get the letter out that I used one of my smudgy red pens to write it!”
“Well… we’re here now, so... a couple chores can’t hurt…” said Mario.
“Perfect! Thank you, Mario Bros.!” said Peach. Peach then kissed Mario and Luigi lightly on their noses.
“Well… let’s get started, shall we?” said Mario as he began unstacking boxes.

Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toadsworth were hard at work cleaning up the attic. Mario and Luigi would get the boxes down, and Peach and Toadsworth would decide if they’d keep whatever was in them.
Mario pulled a large box from under a stack of three large boxes near the back of the attic, only to have the boxes trap him in a corner of the room.
“Mario! Are you okay?” called out Peach. “Where are you?”
“I don’t know! I was just pulling out a box and all of a sudden they all caved in on me!” called out Mario.
“Hold on, bro!” said Luigi. “I’m coming!”
Luigi then ran over to the boxes and tried to free Mario, but the boxes were too heavy to lift.
“It’s… too… much for me…” said Luigi, panting. “Wait! I got an idea!”
“Let me here it!” called out Mario.
“Bro! Do you still have those crazy flipping powers?” asked Luigi.
“I… think so!” replied Mario. Mario could tell what Luigi’s plan was. He promptly tried flipping into 3-D and was able to find an opening out of the box tomb.
“Whew! Glad I got outta that!” sighed Mario.

The Mario Bros. Peach and Toadsworth were almost through cleaning the attic. The things Peach decided to keep were kept in the attic and the things she didn’t want were taken downstairs by the Mario Bros. to get thrown out later.
Mario and Luigi were on their last box. After sliding the box across the floor, Luigi opened it and looked inside. There weren’t many things of interest, but Luigi did notice something in particular: a small, decorative ball that looked to be made of marble or chrome or some other smooth material.
“Wow! Look at this!” said Luigi, picking up the ball.
“Huh? When did I get that old thing?” said Peach. “I don’t remember buying it…”
“Well, I think it’s neat!” said Luigi. “It’s a shame, too! It’s so dusty; you can hardly see what color it is! I’ll just give it an ol’ polish.”
Luigi then used the end of his sleeve to polish off the ball. Surprisingly, once polished, it glistened as if it were never stored away.
“Neat! My favorite color!” said Luigi. “Hey, Peach, if you don’t want this, can I--”

Suddenly, the ball rolled unprovoked out of Luigi’s hand and into the middle of the room. An eerie vibe then filled the room.
“Hold, on,” started Mario. “Did that thing just roll by… itself?”
“Mario… I don’t like this…” said Peach, holding Mario’s arm.
By now, everything had been silent, and everyone’s eyes were on the ball. The ball then began to shake violently.
“W-what’s it doing now?” said Luigi with a hint of fear in his voice.
In the blink of an eye, the ball started emitting a heavy purple fog. Everyone then started going into a frenzied panic.
“Mario! What’s going on?!” said Peach, holding even tighter on Mario’s arm.
“Don’t worry, princess,” said Mario. “If anything happens, Luigi and I can handle it! Right, Luigi?”
Mario then looked over to Luigi, who was running back in forth with his eyes closed.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! GET ME OUTTA HERE!!!” screamed Luigi.
“Luigi, calm down!” said Mario. “Everything’ll be fine. Let’s just sit tight until this fog clears.”
Luigi nodded and tried his best to put on a front of bravery. Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toadsworth were huddled up against the wall near the door, staring into the dark, ominous fog before them.
After a few tense seconds, the ominous fog had completely disappeared. It seemed to have dispersed into thin air, despite there being no windows in the attic.
“…Is it gone?” asked Luigi quietly.
“That’s not all that’s gone! Look!” said Peach, pointing to the middle of the room. The ball was no longer there. Also, Peach had noticed that the previously closed door was now open.
“W-what’s going on, here?” said Luigi. “Was that one of those prank balls that spray that gas when popped?”
“Well, if that’s the case, where is it now?” said Mario.
The whole room was then silent for a tense moment. Even though no one said anything, they knew they were all thinking the same thing: where had the ball gone?
“Well,” spoke up Mario, breaking the silence, “It doesn’t matter, I suppose. As long as we’re not in any immediate danger, there’s nothing to worry about.”
Everyone nodded and agreed. Whatever just happened, they were sure it would just blow over.

“Well… thanks for helping me clean the attic,” said Peach, still slightly uneasy about the whole event.
“No problem!” said Mario. “If you ever need anything else done, give us a call!”
“Yeah, but make sure it doesn’t involve any haunted balls and spooky gas…” said Luigi. Mario and Luigi then left the attic and made their way out the castle.

[Black hat]

Mario and Luigi were sitting at their coffee table, discussing Mario’s latest adventure. It had been a whole month since the whole “ghost ball” incident, and it was long forgotten by everyone.
“So, bro, go on,” said Luigi. “You were saying about your adventure in space…”
“Oh, yeah, right!” said Mario, sitting up. “Well, anyway, there I was, floating in the middle of space, having collected just enough Stars to face the final boss. So I go to the final boss’s stage, and, get this: it’s none other than--”
Mario then paused and glanced at the fourth wall again.
“Aw, come on, bro!” moaned Luigi. “Not spoilers again! Tell you what: how ‘bout you whisper it to me?”
Mario nodded and stepped up close to Luigi. He then cupped his hands around Luigi’s ear.
“WHOA! THAT was the final boss?!” said Luigi in awe. “That sounds AWESOME! I wish I’d’a been there…”
“Well, just don’t tell anyone until the game comes out,” said Mario, sitting back in his chair.
“Can I… e-mail it to someone?”
“No one, Luigi!”
“How about--”
“NO ONE, LUIGI!”
“Fine…” sighed Luigi. “Why’d ya tell me if I can’t tell anyone?”
“Mail call!” the familiar voice of Parakarry rang out from behind the door. Luigi quickly bolted for the door.
“Hey there, Parakarry!” greeted Luigi. “Beautiful day, we’re havin’, isn’t it? By the way, did you know, the final boss Mario fights in his latest game is--”
“I’LL… take care of this, Luigi…” said Mario, quickly shoving Luigi out of the doorway as he received the letter from Parakarry. He then closed the door and sat back down at the coffee table with a pouting Luigi.
“Hmm…” said Mario, noticing the elegant stationery the letter was mailed in. “Seems fancy… but it doesn’t seem like Princess Peach’s envelopes. In fact… it’s from someone named… Princess Emmy…”
Mario then opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. He then unfolded it and began to read it aloud:

“Dear Mario,

Hello. You do not know me, but I am a princess in a neighboring land. I am writing on behalf of the good people of my kingdom.

Recently, a mysterious portal has plagued the castle grounds. It appears to be linked to another dimension, perhaps one of endless descent.

This portal is very minor currently, but, I fear, as it grows, it might plague your kingdom as well.

Please discuss matters further at my castle. It is located down the new road on Pleasant Path.

Princess Emmy”

“A portal to another dimension?” said Luigi in disbelief. “Didn’t we just fix one of those?”
“I don’t know… but if this is anything like that last ‘evil portal’, it’ll be a cinch for us to fix!” said Mario.
“Wait… us?” asked Luigi. “That letter was addressed to you.”
“C’mon, Luigi!” said Mario. “Don’t you wanna have some fun on an adventure? Y’know, mix it up a little, fight some baddies, that kind of thing?”
“No thanks,” said Luigi. “I think I’ll stay here and play Game Boy SP while you’re gone. You’ll be back by the time I finish all my games.”
Mario then sighed and put his hand on his forehead.
“Okay, Luigi…” he started. “If you go… I’ll let you tell one person who the final boss of my new adventure was.”
“Well, up and at ‘em! We got an adventure to go on!” said Luigi, hopping into his work boots and rushing out the door.
“Wait for me!” said Mario as he quickly ran out after Luigi.

[Black hat]

Mario and Luigi ran out of Toad Town and onto Pleasant Path. Around the area after the bridge, they had noticed that the path now split in two.
“I’ve never noticed this path here before…” said Mario. “Must’ve been made recently.”
Mario and Luigi didn’t give it a second thought. They continued down on the newer road.

After walking down the path a while, Mario and Luigi began to notice a slight change in scenery: The trees around them were thicker, and the atmosphere was a lot quieter.
“What castle was that princess talking about, bro?” asked Luigi. “It’s like this path could go on for miles!”
“Wait… I think I see something in the distance…” said Mario. He then ran forward toward a large clearing, followed shortly by Luigi. Mario and Luigi both stared up at the large, elegant castle in the center. The castle looked slightly smaller than Peach’s castle, and was colored beige with green towers.

The thing Mario and Luigi noticed most about the clearing was the small hole on the ground right in front of the castle. The hole was bluish-black, and had clouds of blue mist slowly spewing from it.
“What is THAT thing?!” said Luigi in horror as he walked up closer to the hole in the ground. He then looked down it and got an eerie chill.
Suddenly, Luigi felt as if something were attracting him into the hole. He looked down at the hole and saw it as if it were trying to suck him in.
“AAHH!!” screamed Luigi as he quickly darted away from the hole and back to Mario. “Let’s get outta here!”
“What’s happened to you, Luigi?” asked Mario.
“I could’ve sworn that hole was trying to pull me down under it!” said Luigi. “Forget all this, I’m going back home!”
Luigi was ready to run back home when his eye focused on someone standing at the door of the castle.
“Hey… who’s that girl?” asked Luigi, pointing to the girl near the castle door.
“That must be Princess Emmy. She’ll tell us what all this “portal” business is about…” said Mario.
Mario and Luigi walked past the hole and to the castle doors, where Princess Emmy had been waiting for them.

“Mario! So glad you came!” Princess Emmy greeted warmly.
“I, uh… presume you’re Princess Emmy?” asked Mario, admiring Emmy’s elegant dress. It was a green dress not unlike Peach’s, except it was highlighted with white lace at the bottom, and was studded with green sequins. Emmy had also been wearing small white gloves and a blue tiara with a small blue gem in the middle.
“Yup, that’s me! Pleased to meet you!” responded Emmy. Emmy then looked over to Luigi.
“And who might you be? Another gentleman, here to answer my request, perhaps?” she asked. “Do tell me your name!”
“Aw, naw… I’m too nervous…” said Luigi, bashfully. “Around a pretty lady like you? Ol’ Luigi would just make a fool of himself!”
“So, uhh… about this portal…” said Mario, looking back at the hole.
“Oh, yes. Please do come in so we can discuss it further,” said Princess Emmy, opening the doors for Mario and Luigi. The three then stepped through the large castle doors.

[Black hat]

Mario and Luigi stepped inside the spacious castle and observed the eye-catching interior. The walls were beige and had green drapes running down them. The floor was coated in blue tile that reflected the light from the chandeliers on the high ceiling.
“Mario, Luigi, come with me. We’ll talk in my private quarters…” said Princess Emmy, walking up a flight of steps toward a door in the back room. The Mario bros. then followed.
While walking, Mario and Luigi noticed that there was no one else in the halls of the castle, making the atmosphere quiet yet casual.
“So, uh… Emmy…” asked Mario. “There’s no one else here?”
“Hm? No, I live by myself,” replied Emmy. “It can get lonely, but, I have friends I hang out with now and then. The quiet atmosphere is actually quite peaceful.”

After walking through a series of doors and corridors, Princess Emmy had finally led the Mario Bros. to her large, elegant bedroom. It had soft, blue carpeting, pink walls, several marble dressers, an elegant glass chandelier, a small, white tea table with teacups, a teapot, and three seats surrounding it, and a walk-in closet against the back wall. The most noticeable feature of her royal room, however, was the large, plush green bed in the center. The bed was draped in a fuzzy green quilt and had a sleek wooden backboard and soft, blue pillows.
“Wow! This place is pretty nice!” commented Luigi. “You sure know how to live!”
“Thank you, Luigi!” said Emmy, walking up to the bed. “It does look nice in here, doesn’t it?”
“Now, about the matter at hand…” reminded Mario.
“Oh, right,” said Emmy, taking a seat on the bed. “Mario, Luigi, please pull up a chair.”

The Mario Bros. did accordingly and got two chairs from the tea table and carried over to near Emmy. They then sat down as she began to fill them in.
“Okay… about this hole…” started Emmy. “First of all, did either of you recently find some kind of… magical sphere of some kind?”
“Wait… yeah, we did!” answered Luigi. “It let out this really spooky mist!”
“Hmm… that explains it…” said Emmy.
“Explains what?” asked Mario.
“Long ago…” began Emmy, “there were eight spheres just like the ones you encountered, called Power Orbs. These spheres… used their strong containing powers to lock up eight different parts of an evil witch from thousands of years ago.”
“So… you’re saying… we may have unlocked the witch…?”
“Not necessarily. I think you may have unleashed… someone else...”
Mario and Luigi gasped in shock.
“What do you mean, ‘someone else’?” asked Mario.
“There was a ninth orb that was also supposedly sealed away an evil being,” said Emmy. “This being probably possessed the ability to open that portal.”
“There’s MORE people behind this?!” said Luigi, exasperatedly. “Who was this guy?”
“I’m not exactly sure who he is or where he comes from,” started Emmy, “but I do know he was sealed in an orb not unlike the orb you found earlier. He has strong magical powers, and I think he is the one who opened the portal.”
“Well, how do we stop him?” asked Mario.
“I’m not sure… but I think I have a theory…” Emmy started. “Do you remember the Power orbs I told you about before?”
“The ones that contain the evil witch from thousands of years ago?” asked Luigi.
Emmy nodded and continued. “Well, if their powers of containment are strong enough, they might be able to seal the portal closed…”
“So that would mean we’d have to collect these Power Orbs to close it? Wouldn’t that awaken the witch?”
“Not if we don’t collect them all…” said Emmy. “We only need the power of seven orbs to close the portal.”
“Speaking of the portal… where exactly does it lead to?”
“Well, that… I’m not exactly sure…” answered Emmy. “I’ll do as much research on this as I can. All I really know about it is that it keeps getting bigger and bigger… anything could happen when it reaches its maximum size!”
“Well, we better get going with finding these orb thingies!” said Mario, getting up out of his chair.
“Hold on, Mario…” said Luigi. “How will we find all these things?”
“Hmm… we’ll just have to find out a way…”

After discussing the matter of obtaining the Power Orbs over tea, Emmy leaded the Mario Bros. through her castle and back to the front doors.
“Thank you for helping me, Mario Bros.,” said Emmy, seeing the Mario Bros. off as they walked out the door.
“Well, Luigi,” said Mario, “looks like yet another adventure begins!” Luigi nodded as the two began walking back to Toad Town.

[Black hat]

Mario and Luigi were on their way back home to prepare for the adventure. While walking, they glimpsed at the large blue doors that led to Peach’s castle.
“Hey, bro, let’s go tell the princess about all this before we leave,” suggested Mario.
“Eh, why not? Maybe she’ll wanna tag along again!” said Luigi. The Mario Bros. then walked through the blue doors and up to Peach’s castle.

Upon entry into Peach’s castle, The Mario Bros. walked up through the castle to Peach’s private chambers. There, they saw Toadsworth, who was standing patiently near the door.
“Hey, Toadsworth,” said Mario. “Do you know where Peach is?”
“Terribly sorry, Masters Mario and Luigi,” started Toadsworth, “but the princess has stepped out momentarily to acquire some items from the shop. She should be back shortly.”
“Oh, that’s fine, we’ll just wait for her…” said Luigi, taking a seat on one of the cushions in the hall. Mario sat on another cushion as the two awaited the princess’ return.

Not before long, Luigi started to hear a faint noise coming from outside.
“Hey, does anyone else hear that…?” he asked.
“Hear what?”
“I dunno… sounds like… some kind of… helicopter…”
“Helicopter?”
Mario, Luigi, and Toadsworth walked up to the large window on the side of the hall. There, they saw several small vehicles with spinning propeller blades headed for the castle.
“What are those?” said Luigi.
“I don’t know, but it looks they’re headed for this castle!” said Mario.
The sound of helicopter blades was louder than ever now. Mario saw that the armada of vehicles was about to collide with the very window they were all pressed up against!
“Everybody duck and cover!” shouted Mario. He, Luigi, and Toadsworth quickly ran away from the window and crouched under the cushions.

A loud “crash!” was heard. Mario looked up to the window and saw that a Bob-omb had been thrown through it. Feeling relieved, he got up from under the cushion to defuse it.
Before Mario could get to it, the Bob-omb exploded spontaneously, creating a thick cloud of smoke which was difficult to see through.
Suddenly, loud crashes were heard through the other windows in the hall. The mysterious armada had invaded and stormed the castle!
Mario could feel himself being grabbed by a rather strong creature. He quickly turned around and was able to make out through the thick smoke, the face of… a Hammer Bro?
The smoke from the Bob-omb had cleared. Mario could now see that the castle had been attacked by the Koopa Troop’s airship fleet. He saw all the busted windows, leaving glass powdered into the fine carpet. He also saw multiple semi-circular grey vehicles with propellers on their undersides, all bearing a familiar face on them.
“Seize the brothers!” a voice shouted through all the commotion. Mario could see a gang of Koopatrolls and Hammer Bros. surrounding him. He quickly backflipped out of the crowd and stomped on the Hammer Bros. As Mario tried stomping on the Koopatrolls, he was impeded by their sharp armor.
“I’m coming, bro!” shouted Luigi, darting from under the cushion and to Mario’s aid. Luigi foolishly tried stomping on the Koopatroll, causing him to hurt his foot.
“Now’s your chance! Seize them!”
A gang of Magikoopas appeared around Mario and Luigi and used their magic to make ropes materialize around the brothers. The Koopatrolls then threw Bob-ombs around the room, flushing Toadsworth out from under a cushion. The Magikoopas quickly tied him up.
“You think I can’t get outta this?!” shouted Mario, starting to stretch and tear the rope. To prevent the Mario Bros. from wriggling out of their binds, the Hammer Bros. landed several hammers to their heads, knocking them out.
“All has been completed, Your Surliness!” shouted a Hammer Bro. “The brothers have been captured and incapacitated!”
“Great! Make a path, it’s time for my entry!” shouted a voice from outside the window. The Hammer Bros., Koopatrolls and Magikoopas then made two single-file lines beside the window.
A long, steel bridge-like platform then extended into the castle through the broken window. Another cloud of thick, grey smoke then erupted as the sound of loud, thumping steps could be heard stomping across the platform.

Suddenly, a large beast emerged through all of the smoke. He had large, sharp horns, claws, and teeth. He had fire-red hair and a spiked green shell.
“Bowser!” shouted Toadsworth, instantly recognizing the beast.
“BWAHAHAHAHAH!!” bellowed Bowser heartily as he walked through the room toward the tied-up Mario Bros., who were still dazed.
“Well, if it isn’t my old friends, the Mario Bros.!” laughed Bowser. “Glad we could finally… tie the knot!”
Bowser then laughed evilly some more as he and his army of Koopatrolls, Magikoopas, and Hammer Bros. walked over to the tied-up Toadsworth.
“Now… Where’s Princess Peach?” demanded Bowser. The Koopatrolls, Hammer Bros., and Magikoopas then pointed their weapons at Toadsworth in a threatening manner.
“I’m s-sorry to inform you gentlemen this, but…” started Toadsworth, “…she’s NOT HERE!”
“Don’t you lie to me, marshmallow!” screamed Bowser, struck with rage. “Make with the Princess Peach! NOW!!”
Mario and Luigi slowly started to come to their senses, and realized what was going on.
“I assure you, she isn’t here!” said Toadsworth. “She stepped out to the shop!”
“What… for real?” asked Bowser.
“Actually, yeah,” answered Mario, from across the room.
There was then a long, awkward silence, then Bowser got a look of utter disbelief on his face.
“WHAT?!” he shouted, his jaw dropping. “I can’t BELIEVE this! That was, like, my best dynamic entry EVER and she isn’t even around to see it! I rehearsed this FOREVER! This stinks!!” Bowser then began to angrily stomp his foot on the floor.
“Um… what do we do now, Your Disappointedness?” asked a Hammer Bro. “The Koopa Troop is standing by for your instruction.”
Bowser then sighed, put his hand to his forehead, then came up with an idea.
“Alright, we practiced too hard to let this go to waste,” said Bowser. “Here’s what we’re gonna do: let’s wrap this whole thing up. Board your Koopa Cars, untie the Mario Bros., fix the windows… all that stuff. It’ll be like we were never here. We’ll just try it again when Princess Peach gets back.”
With that, the Koopa Troop got right to work undoing the mess they made: they untied the Mario Bros. and Toadsworth, then piloted their Koopa Cars out of the castle window. Afterward, the Magikoopas used their magic to restore the windows to their original state.
“LET US KNOW WHEN PRINCESS PEACH GETS THERE!!” yelled Bowser, waiting patiently outside the window.
“Ugh… FINE!!” replied Mario.
“WHAT?!”
“I SAID, ‘FINE!’”
“IT’S ABOUT NOON! WHY?!”
“OH, NEVERMIND!”
“…WHAT?!”