NSFCD

(http://aycu04.webshots.com/image/31123/2004373162446400790_rs.jpg)



Introduction

One day, I decided to revive the series.  With some help from NINTENDOMASTERGC, and some determination, I wrote the chapters over.  This time, they are much better.  Enjoy 

Note: The fanfics in the series (besides the first two) are designed to be about 30 chapters long.  The later ones may have more chapters, it depends on how the story develops.

Fanfic Summaries:

Since the first three weren't so good, I'll be remastering them after I finish this one.  The original, poor ones will not be posted at all.  So here are summaries instead.  Don't worry, this one is almost over.

Super Mario Bros. 1: Legend of the Evil Demon- This one is important for you to understand for reasons that I will not yet reveal.  Bowser and King Boo have a scheme to summon a demon that was sealed away in the Shadow Shrine, using the power of the Shadow Keys.  They let the Mario Bros. do all of their work for them, by kidnapping Peach and telling them they had to find the keys in order for them to not kill the princess.  They obtain all of the keys, but as they are at the front of the Shadow Shrine, Mario is able to defeat the duo and avoid the summoning of the demon.

Super Mario Bros. 2: Sunshine Adventure- Nothing here is really that important except the fact that Bowser is working on a new invention.  Basically Mario returns to Isle Delfino and is framed once again by Bowser and Jr.  But Mario proves his innocence and defeats Bowser.  Bowser exits and claims he will be working on a new invention.

Super Mario Bros. 3: The Ultimate Killer- If only I was a better writer at the time out wrote this one.  All you have to know is mysterious characters have made a metal copy of Mario.  He goes around worlds, conquering them.  Mario faces him many times, and in the final battle he wins, but at the cost of his own life.


Character Bios


(http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/characters/images/mario/mario.jpg)

What can I say?  You know who he is!  There is once again trouble in the Mushroom Kingdom, and it's up to Mario to stop it.  He now has the Iceball abiltiy, which closely rivals the Fireball ability, except with ice.  He now has enhanced speed and power, but his true limitations are unknown.  As far as personality goes, Mario's good to go!  When he first entered the Mushroom Kingdom, he didn't care deeply about it or even suspect himself to be it's true hero.  Now, his personality has undergone a huge change.  He truly cares for his new friends, and he'll do anything to protect his kingdom.  To an extent, Mario always wants a fair fight.  He is hesitant to kill his foes.


(http://www.leweyg.com/Luigi.jpg)

Luigi is Mario's younger brother.  Mario died only four month's ago, so Luigi is still recovering.  Luigi deeply respects his brother, and is often reminded of him.  Luigi can be a bit cowardly sometimes, but deep down he is very courageous and heroic.  It really starts to show now that Luigi knows his bro will be coming home soon.  His mentor is the Master, who hopes to give Luigi the power and support to be one of the Mushroom Kingdom's most famous heroes.


(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa206/link2370/master.png)

The Master is Luigi's trainer.  He pushes Luigi hard so he could become like Mario.  The Master's dream was to be Mario's trainer, but Mario's death caused Luigi to be the next best thing.  Because of his shattered dreams, he pushes Luigi extra hard.  The Master is tough, and powerful; although not even Luigi has seen him in battle.  The Master is apparently holding back deep secrets that no one knows.


(http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j69/FFConnection/Peach.jpg)

Peach is the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom.  Time and time again she has been kidnapped by Bowser.  She had a special relationship with Mario before he died.  Princess Peach is sincere and caring.  She allowed E. Gadd to stay at her castle to do research on Chaos.  Now that Chaos has been eliminated, Peach face's a bigger threat: a kidnapper!


(http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/5/56/250px-Wario.jpg)

Wario is a hefty man who holds a grudge against Mario.  Wario is extremely greedy; if he had to chose between his life or cash he would be a dead man.  Despite his weight, Wario is very strong and can give quite a punch.  He worked for E. Gadd to help stop Chaos, but he was only doing it for the money.


(http://www.mariomayhem.com/reference/character_bios/waluigi1.jpg)

Waluigi is almost the complete opposite of his plump brother, Wario.  Waluigi is tall and skinny, and looks very sinister.  Waluigi loves to cause mischief, although he was forced to work with Wario and Link to do something good.  Wario and Waluigi only have one thing in common; strength.  But Waluigi doesn't punch; he kicks.


(http://www.smashbros.com/en_uk/characters/images/bowser/bowser.jpg)

Mario's rival, Bowser has created a new invention that requires Mario.  He learns that Mario is dead, so he saves his trusty machine for later.  He is going to help Chaos.  Bowser is very evil, although he is also very ignorant.  He bosses Kammy around and takes all the credit.  He is one of the biggest threats to the Mushroom Kingdom.


(http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/2/2b/200px-Kammy_Koopa.jpg)

She is the true inventor of "Bowser's" machine.  She does not say anything, because Bowser could ruin her life, let alone take it.  Kammy usually sits in Bowser's Castle while Bowser tries to kidnap Peach or do some other evil deed.  She is Kamek's daughter; who was Baby Mario and Baby Luigi's worst enemies.  Kamek is very intelligent, and is loyal to Bowser.

________________________________________

Retired Characters

This is where all of the older characters go.  They will either be dead or no longer appearing in the fic:


(http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/characters/images/link/link.jpg)

Link is the legendary Hero of Time and possesses the Master Sword, the blade of evil's bane.  His sworn enemy is Ganon, but has he finally been defeated for good?  He was earlier allies with Mario, but because of his death they are no longer able to see each other.  Link is adventurous and usually has someone to guide him on his adventure.  This time, all he has is E. Gadd.


(http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/b/b2/180px-Gadd.JPG)

He is a former ghost hunter who spends his time inventing things.  He has come to Peach's Castle to announce that the Mushroom Kingdom is in grave danger.  He investigates to find that Mario, the deceased hero, is the only one who can stand up to this fiend, Chaos.  E. Gadd is a kind, wrinkly old man who is inventive and resourceful.  He is respected by Luigi, Peach, and several other Mushroom Kingdom residents.


(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/da/Chara_chaos.gif)

Chaos appeared at Bowser's Castle one day.  He has a strange hunger for Shadow Keys and can't talk very well.  He can only say short sentences.  He talks in a hissing tone of voice.  He is very powerful; he defeated Luigi without much effort.  Not very much has been deduced about Chaos, although it is known he is searchng for all of the Shadow Keys, which are now Cyber Stars.


This is Chaos when he has absorbed one Shadow Key, now being referred to as Cyber Stars.  He is slightly bigger and has bones running down his right arm.  With increased power, Chaos 1 is a slight threat, but if he gets all seven, the results could be colossal.


Chaos is much stronger after absorbing two Cyber Stars.  He is taller and more muscular.  The bones that were in Chaos 1's right arm now run along both of Chaos 2's arms.  His head has moved forward, giving him a more unpleasant appearance, the horns on his head have also changed position to make him look like a hammerhead.  By now, Chaos's speech is as good as an ordinary person's.   


Chaos has changed considerably after absorbing four Cyber Stars. He is now a huge shark-like creature with razor like fins.  He still has the same color scheme, but his shape has changed.  With his new power, he is becoming more powerful by the minute.  His lust for the remaining Cyber Stars grows even more.  Can't anyone stop him?


This is Chaos's semi-super form.  He needs the last Cyber Star, and then it'll all be over.  Now that Chaos isn't even close to looking humanoid, one can only wonder what his perfect form will look like.  Of course, our heroes sure don't want to find out.  Waluigi has the last Cyber Star, and Chaos is planning on stealing it.  Can our heroes keep Chaos at bay until Mario returns?  *dramatic music plays*


(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ad/Perfectchaos.jpg)

This is it.  This is Chaos, the true god of destruction.  This is what he looked like when he was first created.  Yes, that is a spoiler.  He is an enormous, snake-like creature with a mouth that extends beyond his two piercing green eyes.  At his base is a vortex; its origin is unknown.  The only thing it does is spew out water, and if something gets trapped in it, there's no way it can escape.
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Other

This is for things that don't fit into the other categories:


(http://aycu14.webshots.com/image/27013/2003220991726992454_rs.jpg)

A complete map of the kingdom's most common areas.

Prologue: A New Threat



Things in the Mushroom Kingdom had finally started to calm down.  Ever since Metal Mario had arrived, everyone was in a state of shock.  Mario?s horrific copy had almost infinite power.  He put the fate of the world in jeopardy, so Mario confronted him in one decisive battle. 


Mario triumphed over his metal copy, thus saving the entire world.  But at the cost of his own life.  Every single person that died because of Metal Mario?s wrath was brought back to life.  The only one that remained dead was the very hero who vanquished the metal assassin.


Now, four months later, everything was falling back into place.  Peach?s Castle had been crushed, and they Royal Family finally found the equipment to reconstruct it.  As soon as its completion, Mario?s corpse was buried in a special altar at the Graveyard. 


With peace once again roaming the land, one was still not content.  It was Luigi, the brother of the renowned Mario.  He had an unimaginably tough time training at the dojo.  The Master?s students were easily defeated, but the Master himself was a challenge.   


?Come on, no slouching!? barked the Master, Luigi?s mentor.  ?You?re way too slow!  How do you expect to protect the Mushroom Kingdom if you can?t even run forty-nine miles?!?


?But most people can barely run ten!? whined Luigi.  All of Luigi?s clothes were a shade or two darker, due to Luigi?s constant sweating.  Luigi completed his run with a burst of speed that left him exhausted.  ?So, did I make it in time??


The Master gave Luigi a disappointed look.  ?Barely.  I know your brother could?ve finished in half the time.  Well, you?ve been running for a while.  Guess what??


?What?? Luigi inquired.


?Drop and give me twenty!!? demanded the Master.  Luigi immediately obeyed and dropped down to the floor.  His face beaded with sweat after nine.  Luigi collapsed on the floor, sweating even more profusely.


?Now I want ten chin ups!? barked the Master.  ?And when you?re done, run another mile!!?  Luigi complied and hustled to the bar that stood next to the dozens of other exercising equipment.  Each of them had been used by Luigi.


?Nine dreadful hours.? Luigi thought to himself.  ?I have to get out of here somehow.?  He grabbed the bar and began to slowly pull himself up.  The Master knew how much trouble Luigi had with chin ups.  Without showing any signs of emotion, the Master nodded.


The bar met Luigi?s hat.  Luigi smiled; he was doing it!  Just a bit more?  The bar touched his bruised nose (he accidentally hit it in the push up position), and then his lips.  He was only moments away from doing one chin up.


THUD 


?Why couldn?t you be more like your brother?!? bellowed the Master, shaking his round head in disbelief.  Luigi listened to his elderly trainer rant about how weak and scrawny he was. 


?If you don?t shape up we?ll all end up just like your brother!  What do you think would happen if some threat like Metal Mario were to return?  All we would have is you?!  We?d be doomed!  I?D have a better chance of defending the kingdom than you.  And I?m twice your age.  In fact, I?m twice Mario?s age!


Luigi wiped a tear from his eye.  This did not escape the Master?s eagle eyes.  ?Are you crying!?!?? roared the Master. 


?No!? responded Luigi, ?Umm? sweat is dripping down from my hat? yeah.?


?You?re clearly weeping over your brother.? persisted the Master, beginning to calm down.  ?Just go home and rest.  I don?t want any more of this nonsense when we meet again in two days!?


?Don?t worry, I?ll improve.  I will become stronger, and one day? I?ll be able to replace Mario.?


?Well? all I can say is I hope so.  Make sure next time we don?t have the same problem.  Now go!?

---

?Kammy; is my device ready yet?? questioned Bowser, his metal fingernails gleaming in the torchlight.


?Yes, but it?s my device.? muttered Kammy.  She gestured toward a mechanical chamber in the corner of the room.  ?However, we need Mario in order for this to work.?  She pulled a crystal ball from her pocket.  A picture of Mario appeared inside it.  ?Mario?s been dead for four months.? 


Kammy pocketed the small crystal.  ?WHAT?!? roared Bowser.  ?Exactly how will our invention work without him??


?It won?t.?


?Well then,? chuckled Bowser, ?We?ll just have to lure him back here.?  Suddenly, a blue liquid came under the door and made its way to Bowser.  ?A MONSTER!!?  Bowser jumped up into the air.


?It?s not a monster!? laughed Kammy.  ?It?s obviously a puddle of rain that made its way inside your castle, sir.?  Kammy looked out the window.  ??But, it?s not? raining??  It became solid again and resembled the figure of some sort of monster.  Bowser was right; this was a monster, especially on the inside.


This creature was pure, unrestrained evil.  Just where it came from was unknown, but Bowser hit the nail right on the head.  This fiend was a true monster.  It trapped Bowser inside itself, and then it did the same to Kammy.  Then, with a loud hiss, it shot them out of its chest, sending them flying from the castle.


After the two?s evacuation, it searched throughout the castle until it found what it was looking for; a strange glowing star.

Chapter 1: A ?Chaotic? Threat



Luigi was pale, and his blood ran cold.  He heard a faint whisper echoing throughout his house.  It beckoned him to enter the basement.  ?Luigi, come to the basement.  There is no escape for you.  You must enter the basement immediately!?


?Calm down Luigi, everything will be okay.? Luigi said comfortingly to himself.  ?All I have to do is make my way down the stairs.?  Luigi crept out of his bedroom and slowly picked his way down the wooden steps to the house?s main area. 


?Hurry!?


Luigi searched the floor for a secret panel.  ?There it is!? Luigi yelled triumphantly.  With a cry, he pounded the floor panel.  It flipped over, causing Luigi to fall into a secret room in the basement.  ?Hey, the floor is all wet.? observed Luigi.  The puddle became a solid figure.


It was a blue, monstrous looking being.  It had evil, gleaming green eyes.  A brain was placed above his eyes.  ?I am Chaos, Ruler of Darkness!? it hissed.  ?You will experience my transformation, as I eliminate the one who helped prevent my summoning!?


?What are you talking about?? asked Luigi.  ?And what?s that??


Luigi gestured toward the strange, star shaped object in Chaos?s hands.  ?This?? inquired Chaos.  ?Oh, nothing really.  It?s just a Cyber Star.  Every time I absorb one of them, I transform.  Watch this!?


Luigi watched in horror as Chaos devoured the Cyber Star.  Chaos was even more gruesome than before.  Not much had changed; he only had one star.  He was slightly bigger, and had bones running down his right arm.  ?Like it?  Here, why don?t you see how tough I can be with my new powers??


Chaos 1 was born!  And with his new powers, he had no doubt he could kill Luigi.  Quickly he darted over to Luigi.  Luigi, scared half to death, slid between Chaos?s legs.  He punched Chaos, but his hand went right through Chaos; due to the fact that Chaos was made of some sort of liquid.


Chaos whirled around and bashed Luigi on the head with his more powerful arm; the right one.  Luigi was completely knocked out, and he fell to the ground lifelessly.  ?Excellent?? Chaos hissed, ?Now I?ll take him to Bowser?s Castle; I mean MY Castle.



?What do you mean Luigi isn?t at home?!? Peach questioned.  ?Where else could he be??  Peach was sitting on her thrown, worried as ever.  She had just received news that Luigi had disappeared.


?W-well?? a Toad stammered.  ?We went to his house to invite him to your castle, but he wasn?t home.  And then-?the Toad swallowed hard, ?We saw him being carried away by a blue monster.?


?We will alert E. Gadd; he might know about the monster.  Did you see the monster go anywhere near Bowser?s Castle??


?Yes, he went north toward Vista Hill.  You think Bowser could?ve??


?It doesn?t matter much.? responded Peach, ?If only Mario were here.  He?d know what to do??  E. Gadd came bustling through the door.  He scurried over to a chair and sat down.  He was huffing and puffing as if he ran a marathon. 


?You?ll never believe what I saw?? E. Gadd said, astounded.


?Yes, we probably will.? muttered Peach.


?I saw a blue, liquid-like monster carrying Luigi toward Vista Hill.? explained E. Gadd.  ?Well, I guess that?s why you called for me.  Anyway, you?re most likely wondering what that monster is.  I grabbed this book as I left my lab to come here.  It?s about Chaos, the Ancient Demon.  The monster we all encountered was none other than Chaos himself.  Let me read this page:


Chaos, a vicious monster that plagued the past world.  Luckily, he was able to be sealed away in the Shadow Shrine.  Only the power of the Shadow Keys could unlock Chaos?s deep power; thus enabling him to escape from the tomb.  Shall this demon haunt your land, only the true hero from another world can put the evil spirit to rest.


?Now, this page states we need the ?hero from another world? to stop Chaos.  This is referring to Mario, the hero from Brooklyn, which resides on the planet Earth.  Of course, Mario is dead, but is it possible that we could revive him??

Chapter 2: Split Up



?Are you being serious?? asked a Toad.  ?I mean, coming back from the dead?  Not that I wouldn?t want him to come back, it?s just??


?It may sound crazy, but it is one of two chances we have at survival.? continued E. Gadd.  ?I must finish my explanation until further discussion can be made.  Now, why is Chaos collecting Cyber Stars, and where did these stars come from??


?Wait a minute? how do you know they?re called Cyber Stars?? Peach asked.


?Because, I?ve been studying this one for a while.?  E. Gadd pulled a Cyber Star from his pocket.  ?Back to my explanation.  Why is Chaos collecting Cyber Stars?  My book explains that very nicely:  Only the power of the Shadow Keys could unlock Chaos?s deep power; thus enabling him to escape from the tomb.  Shadow Keys are Cyber Stars!?


?But how?!? Peach questioned.


?I must tell you the story of how everything happened.? E. Gadd answered.  ?When Mario stopped Bowser and King Boo from summoning Chaos, the Shadow Keys were brought close enough to the shrine so that Chaos was able to get some power.  While you guys were at Isle Delfino, Chaos broke free of the shrine.  The reaction of Chaos bursting out of the Shadow Shrine caused the Shadow Keys to morph into Cyber Stars.  The stars then warped to different positions to hide.?


?So Mario could?ve stopped Chaos if we were in the Mushroom Kingdom at the time?? Peach inquired.


?If he could find him.? replied E. Gadd.  ?As soon as he broke free he went into hiding, until he built up enough strength to face someone strong like Luigi.  Now, we have two options to counter Chaos.  First, we could try to find a way to resurrect Mario, if there?s even a way to do it.  Or, we could try to collect the stars so Chaos can?t get them.  I suggest a combination of the two methods.?


?But who could resurrect Mario??


?I have three people selected for the job who should be here any moment.  Link, Wario, and Waluigi.?

---

 


?So, I guess we?re working together.? sighed Link.


?I guess so.  Won?t this be fun?? Waluigi snickered.


?I hate work.? Wario grumbled.  Link was disappointed with his new companions; they seemed more like thieves than heroes.  Was E. Gadd serious when he said that the three of them were his only hope?  ?Shouldn?t we find E. Gadd?  He?s paying us, you know!?


?The world is in danger, and you?re thinking about money?!? shouted Link.  ?Let?s hurry up; it?s getting dark.?  Link looked up in to the cloudy, grey sky.  Squinting his eyes, he noticed something.  ?But I woke up about five hours ago.  It shouldn?t be getting dark yet.  A storm must be brewing.?


?Wow, look at that!? exclaimed Wario, noticing a glowing object sticking out of the ground.  ?It looks valuable; I say we take it and sell it for money!?  Just as Link was about to comment on Wario?s greed, a blue figure jumped in front of it.


?This is mine!? snapped Chaos, protecting his star shaped power up.  ?Back off!?


?HEY!? Wario bawled, ?That?s MINE!?  The two glared angrily at each other with their fists raised.  Waluigi and Link joined the starring contest.  Waluigi wanted the star for himself, and Link knew if a monster wanted the star, it couldn?t be good.


Quickly, Wario hobbled over to Chaos and gave him the hardest knuckle-sandwich he could.  Wario?s fist passed right through Chaos?s liquid skin.  Chaos swung his arm at the puzzled Wario and hit him in the stomach.  Wario was knocked backward in front of Waluigi.


Waluigi rushed over to Chaos and kicked him with his hard boots.  The same thing as Wario?s fist; it went right through.  ?Let me try.? Link said with confidence.  He got out his Gale Boomerang and swung it right at Chaos.


The boomerang hit Chaos?s chest forcefully; the power of the wind that was granted to the boomerang sent a blue liquid flying all over the place.  All was quiet, and the battle seemed to be over.  Link helped his allies up, and they took the time to admire each other?s strengths.  Suddenly, the liquid drops scattered around the ground rose and began to spin around the three victors.


Its speed increased, causing an enormous gust of wind to surround them, forming a tornado.  ?What?s going on?!? the three shrieked as they were carried away by the storm.  The tiny drops merged and formed Chaos once again.


?I am victorious!?

Chapter 3: Link?s Gambit



Everything around the fallen hero was murky and damp.  A strong rainstorm had formed in his sleep.  Lightning flashed and drops poured on Link?s lifeless body.  Several hours passed he still did not awaken.  Until about half past midnight.  Link sat up and scanned his surroundings. 


His body sank into the spongy mud.  The world around him was pitch black.  ?Ughh?? mumbled Link.  ?I?ll get out my lantern.?  Link took out his red lamp lit with a burning fire.  ?Wait; if it?s raining-?the light in his lamp burnt out.  ?Dang??


Link trudged on the soggy path that led to what seemed to be a graveyard.  Link could here his feet sag into the ground.  Squish-squash, squish-squash.  The graveyard was a pretty big place, but the first thing Link noticed was an altar to admire the Mushroom Kingdom?s fallen hero, Mario.


Link took a few minutes to respect the most courageous man in the universe.  After he was done, in the tip of his eye he saw a flash of light.  Link whizzed around to see a crypt explode because it was struck by thunder.  The smoke cleared and Link peered at the remains.  A vortex appeared where the grave was and literally sucked him in.



Link woke up in a strange room.  It was dark; the only light in the room was the two torches at the end of the room.  When he stood up, he turned around and saw nothing but a stone wall.  In fact, he was surrounded by four stone walls.  Near the two torches was a hole in the wall, large enough for Link to get through.  ?What is this place?? Link asked himself.


He walked toward the opening.  As he passed through it, Link was shocked to see a large fortress in the midst of the night.  At least he was outside!  Link staggered backwards in astonishment and tripped over a circular pedestal protruding from the floor.  Link wiped some dust off of his tunic and got back up, only to be startled by a voice.


?Link.  You have appeared in this strange world to retrieve the sacred Spherical Sapphire.  When you obtain it, only then can you return to your world.  These are the sacred grounds of Ladithia.  Even though this is a blessed world hidden among the shadows, it is still crawling with fiends.  Return to this pedestal with the sapphire to revisit your former location.?


The voice died out? Link had caught most of what the voice said, and although he didn?t feel up to storming the fortress and getting the sapphire, it was pretty much his only option.  ?I guess I should get this over with.? Link sighed.  Raising his sword and shield, he ran directly into the front entrance of the fortress.


?Wow, looks like there aren?t any enemies on this floor!? exclaimed Link.  He slowed down and looked for some sort of stairway.  Immediately, an earsplitting alarm went off.  Link shielded his ears from the thunderous noise and closed his eyes.


When Link opened his eyes, he was standing outside the fort as if he never entered it.  ?What?s going on here?? asked Link.  As he marched back inside he saw hundreds- no, thousands of monsters coming down the stairs that were hidden from view by curtains.  They all saw Link, and without a word, they began to chase Link out of the castle.


Link knew he couldn?t handle all of them, but he had to try.  He took out the first row with his Master Sword but the other ones piled on top of him.  Link could not even be seen as he was dog piled by the vicious monsters.  A burst of flames was sent out, and all of the fiends on Link were burnt to a crisp.


?Heh?? Link chuckled, ?Din?s Fire really comes in handy.  But what about Farore?s Wind??  Link used Farore?s Wind to create a warp spot.  Then, he dashed to a dead end inside the room.  All of the bloodthirsty thugs surrounded Link.  Link prepared to fire an arrow bomb, but he warped behind the mob and pounded them hard with it.


?They just keep coming.? moaned Link.  He threw his Gale Boomerang into the crowd, sending at least one hundred of them flying upward.  Link took out his ball and chain.  He used that to kill all the air born enemies.  There was still a decent amount of them left, and Link was exhausted.


?Time to bust out some of my special skills!? announced Link.  As the crowd got close enough to Link, Link began to charge his sword.  Link released the energy by performing a Jump Strike, which took out a multitude of the crowd.  Only about forty of them remained.


?Great Spin!!? cried Link as he spun his sword around in a red blaze of force, finishing off his enemies for good.  ?Phew, looks like I won.?  Link sighed and wiped sweat off of his forehead.  He had just won one of the toughest battles of his life.  Link?s triumph was rudely interrupted by an Iron Knuckle.  ?At least it?s something I?ve seen before.?


The Iron Knuckle slowly walked toward Link.  It was slow due to its heavy armor.  When Link was only a few inches away from it, Link felt air rush past him as the Iron Knuckle raised its axe.  Reacting quickly, Link rolled around it and performed a Back Slice.  Some of its armor was removed, giving it more mobility.


?What a pest.? Link grumbled.  The Iron Knuckle swung its axe around to where Link was standing.  Link ducked as he was almost sliced in two.  He crawled through the confused Iron Knuckle?s legs and got behind it once again.  Link jumped into the air and jabbed his sword into its helmet.  The sword pierced the Iron Knuckle?s helmet and carved its way through the knuckle head?s skull.

Chapter 4: A Terrible Foreshadowing



The hefty man soared threw the air shrieking quite loudly.  Wario had been shot sky high from Chaos?s Tornado Attack.  After a few minutes, he began to lose altitude.  Slowly, he began to sink downward until gravity pulled Wario down with immense force.  Upon impact with the ground, Wario would?ve been hurt severely.  However, his fall was broken by a large castle.


Minutes after Wario?s abrupt landing, the roof collapsed, causing him to plop down right inside the kitchen, where Peach and E. Gadd were conversing and drinking tea.  ?Oh my!? exclaimed Peach.


?No, don?t worry.  It?s only one of the paid heroes I?ve hired.? E. Gadd explained.  He said ?paid? with great expression to catch Wario?s attention.  Sure enough, Wario had to say something.


?So when do I get the money?? asked Wario. 

     
?As soon as you become useful.  We need our other heroes before I can explain what we need to do.  Right now, I need you to tell me why the others aren?t here.?


?You see,? began Wario, ?We were attacked by a blue monster.  Somehow, a big tornado appeared and us three were sucked in.?  The only reply was two concerned expressions.

---

Link underestimated the height of the stairs.  He had been walking up the stairs for almost twenty minutes, and now he was beginning to get ticked off.  ?Who knew running up stairs could give you such a workout?? sighed Link as he wiped sweat from his damp forehead.  At last, he reached the top.  Link was standing on a red carpet with huge double doors in front of him.


Link tried to push them open, but they didn?t budge.  He tried again, this time much harder.  ?I?ve solved dozens of puzzles, and this is by far the easiest.  I can?t believe it took me this long to figure it out.? Link chuckled. Link gripped one of the iron handles on the door and pulled it.  The door whizzed open.




Link was now in a murky chamber.  As he walked along the red carpet he came to a few small steps.  Cautiously walking up each one, Link saw a window, a destroyed pedestal, and a shiny object rolling on the floor.  Link looked out the window; he saw nothing but a dark abyss.


He picked up the shiny object and observed it carefully.  ?Is this the Spherical Sapphire?? Link wondered aloud.  As he began to exit the room, the Spherical Sapphire began to glow feverishly.  Link turned around and saw that the window was doing the same.  The window flashed several times and then obscured all view of the outside area.  ?So now it?s not a window anymore??


Link saw his reflection in the window, along with everything else that was among the window?s eyes.  ?It?s a? mirror?? Link conjectured.  Suddenly, Link felt a sharp pain in his head.  ?What?s wrong?!? shouted Link, who was in unimaginable agony.  He closed his eyes, and visions of Metal Mario flashed into his mind.  He remembered him swearing for revenge, and then?  ?Aagh!!? screamed Link.  ?I don?t know why, but I think Peach is in danger!  I have to get to her castle, quickly!?


Link grasped the Spherical Sapphire in his hand and rushed out of the chamber.  Link was running madly down the stairs.  Link was never this tense, but something was inexplicably bothering him.  He reached the bottom in minutes and made a run for the exit.  Trying his best to ignore the thousands of corpses lying around the room, Link darted toward the door that led him into the fortress.


Link made his way into the grotto that he arrived in and stood on the pedestal.  It blazed with light as Link was warped out of the strange world of Ladithia.  ?Link, you must take the Spherical Sapphire.  It is meant for you, and you must use it to save the one in danger.? explained the same voice that Link heard when he entered the land. 

---

Link awoke in the fields of the Mushroom Kingdom.  Link sprinted madly across the grasslands that lead to Toad Town.  Without making a stop, Link barged past a guard, turned around, and apologized.  ?Sorry, but I?m worried about the princess?s safety.? Link elucidated.  ?Has anyone illegally entered this castle??


?Well, no one but you? almost.? the guard joked. 


?Can I go in?  I was hired by E. Gadd.?


?Sure, he?s right inside here.?


Link went inside the castle, terribly worried.  Everything was dark; it was quite late.  ?I have to find Peach.? Link thought.  Without another step, Link felt an agonizing sting inside his head.  He fell to the ground and blacked out.

Chapter 5: The New Employee



?Link, are you okay??  asked Peach, her eyes pervaded with worry.  She put her gentle hand on Link?s head to see if he had a fever.


?Where am I?? Link mumbled groggily.  He was still half asleep.  ?Where?s Metal Mario??  Peach?s hands went over her mouth to mask her loud scream, and Wario clenched his fists tightly.


?Mario destroyed him once and for all.  There is no way such a fiend could return.  You came in and then fell flat on the ground.  You?re probably not feeling yourself after you hit your head on the floor.?


?So, that?s what happened.? Link wondered to himself.  He was overflowing with questions, but he figured he might as well just rest for awhile.  As Link was finally starting to wake up to the world around him, he realized that he was in Peach?s Castle.  He tried to sit up, but found that it was harder than he thought it would be.  He couldn?t move his legs at all, as if they were made of stone.


Even in his condition, Link was able to make out were he was.  He was sunken in the cushy structure of the castle?s guest room.  A detail that struck Link as a bit odd was that the room had no windows.  He did not know much about Peach, but in their past encounter Link had learned that she was not the type of person who likes to live in a cave.  Nevertheless, there was no time to ask a stupid question like that.


?Oh, and an hour before you came, we had a special guest arrive.? Peach announced to Link in a tantalizing voice.  ?His name is Met A.  I don?t know what kind of name Met is, but he does mean well.  He is my newest employee, and if you need anything, I?m sure he?ll get it for you.  Just rest while we wait for Waluigi, those two will have to carry out E. Gadd?s request on their own.?


A Toad walked in, but instead of wearing a mushroom cap, he was wearing a glowing cap.  ?Is this the Link that was injured here?? inquired Met sympathetically.  ?You poor thing.  If you need anything just give me a buzz.?  Met winked and gestured for Peach and Wario to leave.  ?What would you like for dinner?  You must be starving!?


?Nothing, thank you.? Link replied briskly.  ?All I need is a nap.?


?You got it!? obeyed Met.  With a tip of his hat, he left Link alone to sleep.  ?Sweet dreams.?



?No.?


?Yes.?


?No.?


?Yes.?


?No!?


?Yes!?


?I already told you, I?m not leaving until I get that bag of coins!? argued Waluigi.


?You want THIS bag of coins for THAT dried up mushroom?!? screeched Herb.  ?I am the owner of this shop, and I?m telling you that I don?t trade coins for items!  Especially not dried up ones!!!!? 


Herb and Waluigi were making quite a scene by fighting over a negotiation Waluigi wanted to make, and in the Toad Town Item Shop no less.  Waluigi was no fool, he picked up a dried up mushroom in his travels, and now he wanted to trade it for a bag of coins.  What a cheapskate!


?Get out of my store before I call the cops!!? Herb bawled.  He began to formulate a plan to get the dealer out of his shop.  ?I?ve got it!  If he wants something in exchange for that dried up thing, then I know just what to give him!?  Herb slid his hand into a drawer and pulled out a dark, purple mushroom.  ?Hmm? Wait a minute!  Can I see that Dried Shroom for a minute??  Waluigi handed him the ?shroom.


?Wow, this is a? um? special mushroom.  Instead of a bag of coins, how about this rare, genuine Purple Mushroom?  It gives you a? power boost in battles.  Take it and go!? commanded Herb.  Satisfied, Waluigi pocketed the mushroom and headed for Peach?s Castle.  Herb was successful.  ?I could send this Dried Shroom to the item shop in Dry Dry Outpost; I think they carry those there.?



?I?m here!  What did you want me for?? Waluigi growled as he entered Peach?s Castle.  He searched throughout the castle until he too felt an agonizing sting in his head.


Link awakened with a cry as he heard a loud noise coming from somewhere in his room.  He felt a lot better, so he got up and looked around.  As he approached the door that lead outside, he was interrupted by a flash of light.  ?What are you doing out of bed?!? Met barked. 


?Met?  What are you doing?!? challenged Link.


?Heh, what do you think?  I?m exterminating all of you!!? bellowed Met.  He took a chain out of his pocket and placed it around his neck.  ?This is the Chain of Misery!  Try it out!?  On the chain were three disks.  The one in the middle was dark grey, and the two on the side were gold.  Met aimed the rightmost disk at Link and fired a green beam.  Link shrunk to the size of an ant.


Met switched to the left disk and fired a red beam at Link.  He became normal sized.  ?Do you know what the middle one does?  Let me show you!? chuckled Met.


?Met, no!? cried Link.  ?Why?  Why are you doing this?!?


?Met?  Oh, you haven?t figured it out yet?  The ?A? is short for Al; Met + Al = Metal = Metal Mario!  Met flipped his hat over and Link?s worst fears became a reality. 


?It?s? It?s you?? Link shivered.  Both he and the rest of the Kingdom were doomed.  Metal Mario aimed the middle disk on his chain at Link.  Cackling wildly, Metal Mario fired a grey beam at Link.  ?What?s happening to me?!?


Link found that his own question was answered as he legs slowly turned to stone.  It worked its way up to his thighs.  In just moments, Link would be a statue.  He hopped over to the chortling Metal Mario and grabbed his chain. 


?Let go!?


Link ripped the right disk off of the chain just before his left arm and body were stone stiff.  The disk in his free hand, Link shot a beam at Metal Mario, shrinking him to the size of a bug.  Link heard his metal foe screaming as he struggled to find the other large disk that would return him to normal.  Thinking quickly, Link tossed the 'shrink disk' out of the window.  Moments later, he was a statue.

Chapter 6: The Challenge



?W- Where am I?? Mario wondered aloud, scratching his head.  He was filled with curiosity; what could have happened?  ?I thought I died after I killed Metal Mario.?  Mario got up and finally took the time to look around him.  There were several palm trees protruding from the ground, a bunch of buildings, and Piantas.  He had been sitting on cold cement, so he took a minute to stretch.


?You?re on Isle Delfino.?  A strange, deep voice stated, as if Mario did not know.  Mario jumped; he wasn?t sure what scared him more.  The figure that he was looking at or the voice that had startled him.  ?Do not be afraid.  I am Skulleon, warrior of the dead.?


Mario?s eyebrows narrowed, and he skeptically held out his hand.  ?I?m Mario.? was his muffled reply.  ?I am pleased to meet you.?  Mario and Skulleon respectively shook each other?s hands.  ?Do you mind explaining what?s going on?  Or why no one has noticed us??


?Not at all.?  Skulleon?s bony face curled into a smile.  What a stature!  Skulleon was a tall, widespread skeleton who looked prepared for battle.  He had blue armor, a red sword, and a blue shield.  The shield, however, was also edged in red.  Skulleon had red, beady eyes, making him look a bit eerie. 


?You are the famous Mario, correct?  You gave your life to defeat Metal Mario, a cold hearted assassin.  Very noble of you, if you ask me.?  Skulleon stood up straight and cleared his throat.  ?You must be very confused; one day waking up after being dead for four months.  But you aren?t alive!  You are using a temporary body!


You cannot have your old body back until you pass some tests.  When you have done everything required and passed the trials, you will return to the world of light.  No one can see you because you are not alive.  Why are you in a temporary body, you ask?  Because the world needs you!  The world is not yet rid of evil, and it won?t be until you defeat your past enemies.?


?Past enemies?? parroted Mario.


?Yes.? Skulleon responded briskly.  ?Metal Mario is back.  And although you have never met him, the demon Bowser tried to resurrect is alive too.  But not at full power.  You see, he must collect all seven Cyber Stars to be at full power.  Now, for your first task, you must find and defeat me.  You only receive the following clues:

1.   To find me, you must take the Mystic Triangle to Rico Sewers.
2.   Getting the triangle won?t be easy.  You must face one of your ?friends? to get it.
3.   NO WARPS!  You must travel across Isle Delfino by foot.
4.   You will get to use FLUDD on your excursion. 


?I await your arrival.?


?Wait!? shouted Mario.  He still had questions.  But before he could do anything, Skulleon has disappeared in a black puff of smoke.  He sighed.  There wasn?t much to do except for what Skulleon told him to do.  ?I guess I have no choice.  First, I should gather some info on the Mystic Triangle and Rico Sewers.?


Mario dived into the water and began to swim toward his destination, Rico Harbor.  On the way there, he found a small island where he could rest and snack on some fruit.  After his meal was over, Mario continued his journey.  Ten minutes seemed like hours to Mario.  Usually, he could swim for hours without falter, but this body was not the most functional one.


Finally, land!  Mario climbed onto the rock hard cement and almost kissed the ground in delight.  ?I never knew there were sewers here.? Mario commented as he dropped into one of the gutter holes. 


?Yuck!? exclaimed Mario as he saw the pigsty of a sewer.  A grotesque green liquid about four inches high covered the entire floor.  Old, rusty, and rotten pipes were all over the place.  There were leaks in almost every one of them.


?I?m not here for my job as a plumber.? Mario muttered.  ?I just need to see what I would need that triangle for.?  As Mario grumbled to himself, he found the answer to his question.  There was a pedestal with a triangle shaped hole in it.  In front of it was a metal door, sealed and bolted shut.


Mario whirled around and began to retrace his steps.  But then he stopped dead in his tracks.  The liquid had risen about seven inches.  Was it just Mario?s imagination?  No, of course not!  Mario continued to argue with himself about the falsehood of his entire escapade.  Just then, the water rose another foot.  Then two more.  Mario was under water in just a few seconds. 


The water carried Mario on a powerful rip tide.  He could not escape, no matter how hard he tried.  Eventually, Mario ran out of breath.  He blacked out due to his lack of oxygen.

---

Mario awoke on the dock in Delfino Plaza.  Everyone had a concerned expression on their face.  Mario traced their worried look to the water.  It was red!  ?Lava?? Mario pondered.  ?I wonder??  Mario went to the fountain to pick up a fruit.  He tossed it into the ?water? to see it burn to a crisp.


?So it is lava?? Mario confirmed.  The entire ocean was replaced with lava.  ?NOW how will I get to Rico Sewers??  Mario paused.  ?And where is the-? Mario looked at the Shine Gate.  There was no giant Shine Sprite.  It was a triangle.

Chapter 7: The Mission



Link was surrounded by flames.  The flames had not yet touched him, but they were closing in on him.  He took out his bow and froze the flames with an Ice Arrow.  As he finally felt safe, a figure crashed through the ice.  A metallic figure.

?Metal Mario!? Link shouted.  ?Why must you keep tormenting me?!?

?Tsk.? was Metal Mario?s brisk answer.  His hands became daggers as he slowly crept toward Link.  Link took a step back, filled with terror.  The daggers went up, and Link shuddered.  With a jerk of his arm, Metal Mario?s blades forcefully jabbed Link.

?AAGH!!? Link awoke with a cry.  ?Don?t tell me I?m still dreaming.?  Link was once again in bed, and Peach was there to greet him.  She smiled.

?No.  I assure you this is not a dream.? Peach replied warmly.  ?Are you feeling okay??

?I feel fine.  But what happened??  Link raised an eyebrow in suspicion. 

?Waluigi found you after that horrible monster created that tornado.  You fainted in midair, and when Waluigi found you, he took you back to the castle.  Then, he went to the store to try to sell something.  And now he?s here.?

Link began to argue with himself feverishly.  ?If that was all a dream, then I never left this world.  I never found the Spherical Sapphire.  The only thing that did happen was the fight with Chaos.?

?Hello?  Is anybody in there?!? Peach waved her hand in front of Link?s face.

?Oh, sorry.? Link apologized in a mechanical voice.  He was in Peach?s Castle, but his mind was elsewhere.  Was it a coincidence that he dreamed about Metal Mario?  Thousands of different thoughts ricocheted through Link?s head.  ?Where?s E. Gadd??

?Did I hear my name?!? Professor E. Gadd exclaimed cheerfully.  ?You?re feeling better!  Great!  Are you ready to go on your ?mission???

?Yes.?

E. Gadd smiled.  ?Good.  Follow me, and I will explain everything.? Link got out of bed.  He felt fine; the only thing bothering him was his dream.  Was it a dream, a foreshadowing, or? a curse?  E. Gadd led him to a small room with a table in the center.  Five chairs circled the round table, which reminded him of the sphere he found in his dream.

Peach, E. Gadd, Wario, Waluigi, and Link all slumped down into their chairs.  ?Can I get anyone a cup of coffee?? Peach offered. 

?May I have some?? E. Gadd asked in a raspy voice.  ?I'm losing my voice.?

?I?ll be right back.?  Peach left the room. 

?Okay, boys-? E. Gadd began.  His throat became sore.  This time, he whispered.  ?Okay, boys; Mario is dead.  We all know that, correct??  Everyone in the room nodded.  ?Good.  You encountered a blue monster on the way here.  His name is Chaos, and he plans to rule the world.  That is, unless we stop him.?

?Next time I see him I?ll give that punk a fat lip!? Wario growled.

?Yeah, the same way you roughed him up last time.? Waluigi chuckled.

?I see I?m not the only one here with a wry sense of humor.? E. Gadd snickered sardonically.  ?But back to the topic.  Chaos has a thirst for power, and he will have all the power in the world if he gets his hands on all seven Cyber Stars.?

Link raised his hand as if he was at school.  ?What are these Cyber Stars??

?They were originally keys that would release the demon from his resting place.  But he arose without them, so he lacked pure strength.  And the only way to get pure strength is to find the keys.  But as he was released from his prison, the pressure caused the keys to change into star shaped objects.?  He paused.  As he was about to continue his story, Peach came in with a cup of coffee on a tray.

?Sorry to interrupt, but I brought the coffee.? Peach apologized.  ?I hope this story you?re telling isn?t boring.?

E. Gadd sipped down his coffee and proceeded with his story.  ?Thank you.  We need to act!  Most of all, though, we need Mario.  There might be a way to bring him back.  But first we need to know if he?s alive or not.  That?s why you three must pay of visit to the Palace of Memories.  If we can get a hold of Mario?s memories, we can find out whether his memories are over or if he continues to live.?

?But he was buried!? Wario argued.  ?He couldn?t be alive!?

?I know that!? E. Gadd snapped.  ?But his spirit may have been transferred to another body.  Or he could?ve been granted another one.  Does everyone understand?? Link, Wario, and Waluigi nodded.  ?The Palace of Memories is in the northern outskirts of the Mushringdom.  This area is extremely cold and is filled with glaciers.?

?SO!  I get paid to go to some freezing cold area miles away from here to go inside a palace and find my nemesis?s memories?!? Wario ranted.  ?Remember, I?m only doing this for cash!  Don?t think for a second that I care about Mario!?

?Okay, then I?ll give you a few hours to relax and then we?ll see you three off.?

Chapter 8: Lost and Found



Luigi had been unconscious for days.  His body remained sedentary in a jail cell for a few days.  He had shown no sign of living, until he finally awoke.  Luigi tried to sit up, but found that he could not.  He weakly turned his head to one side; grimacing because of the cold cement part of his face was resting on.


Luigi?s eyes bounced around the room, scanning for the basic outlook of his surroundings.  He shifted his head to the other side and did the same thing.  Finally, he silently concluded that he was in a jail cell.


He opened his mouth to speak, until he heard an unforgettable sound- the squishing noises that Chaos makes when he walks.  He remembered it from their last encounter.  Luigi began to think frantically.  What if Chaos sees me alive?  Will he kill me?  As the sound grew closer, he closed his eyes and pretended to be dead. 


?Fool,? Chaos grumbled, ?I know you?re awake.  I poisoned you right after I locked you away.  I knew it would wear off today, so stop faking!?  Luigi?s eyes snapped open.  They were wide with fear as Chaos stared at Luigi.  Chaos was filled with anger and hatred.  ?You will rot in this cell!  As soon as I find all of the Cyber Stars, the world will be mine.?


Luigi couldn?t contain his anger.  Although he couldn?t even move and his bones ached, he was still irate at Chaos.  ?You?ll never get all of the Cyber Stars!  If I don?t stop you, someone will!?


?And who might that be?? Chaos inquired with a wide grin on his face.  Surely you aren?t suggesting that your brother will come to save you all?!?  Luigi turned away as tears ran down his cheeks.  Chaos began to roar with laughter.  It wasn?t just any laugh.  It was a cackle of pure evil, the kind that sent chills down Luigi?s spine.


?Will- Will you at least feed me?? he pleaded weakly. 


Instead of responding, Chaos turned away from him and left.  ?You two!  Get in hear and give the boy a glass of water.  That is the only drink he?ll have for the rest of his life,? he commanded.


Moments later, Bowser and Kammy came into Luigi?s view.  Even Bowser, the mighty King of the Koopas, looked haggard.  Almost mechanically, Bowser put the glass on the floor of Luigi?s cell.  Luigi struggled to pick it up, and guzzled the entire glass.  He felt some of his strength return to him, but nowhere near enough to face Chaos.


?Now get back in your cell,? demanded Chaos.  The two lifeless servants stepped into their cell, located next to Luigi?s.  Knowing that he had engraved fear into Luigi?s heart, Chaos left.  His footsteps echoed through the long hallway.  Luigi listened to them as they slowly died away.

---

Mario?s mind was racing.  It was amazing!  Each of the Mario Brothers were thinking hard to solve the challenge before them.  For Luigi, it was escaping Chaos.  For Mario, it was finding Skulleon. 


Mario stared at the Shine Gate, pondering what had happened.  Suddenly, his thoughts were broken by an unusual sight.  A shadowy figure had grabbed the triangle.  It shrunk to the size of candy as the stranger pocketed it.  Then, he hopped off the gate and entered Corona Mountain.


?What just happened?? Mario thought aloud, scratching his head.  ?If that?s the triangle I?m looking for, then I better go get it!? 


He cautiously jumped onto a net hanging off of the hill beside the Shine Gate.  He climbed it and was now on the hill itself.  Even the small pond that was there was lava!  Mario cautiously avoided it and started climbing the hill.  Rocks were plentiful, making his climb easier.


At last, he reached the top and shouted in triumph.  ?I made it!?  Mario knew he had no time to rest, ever though his legs felt like they were on fire.  He was sure in for a surprise when he entered Corona Mountain.


It?s? empty?  No lava? Mario wondered.  On the other side of the room, Mario saw the foreigner jumping to the top of the mountain.  There were solid clouds that he was using as platforms.  Mario darted after him, determined to catch him. 


As he ran through the entire landscape, he began to feel grateful that the lava was gone.  When he reached the end, he began to jump from cloud to cloud, slowly making his way to the top.



The ominous figure chuckled as he observed the gleam of the Mystic Triangle.  But then he saw Mario burst into the battlefield.  It was a giant upside-down dome that was floating above Corona Mountain.  It was fire proof and made of metal, so that fierce battles could be held.


Mario got his first up-close look at the stranger.  He looked just like Luigi, or his shadow anyway.  This creature was a shadow of Luigi.  ?So that?s what he meant by ?friend?.? Mario grumbled. 


?So, you?ve finally caught me, eh?  I am one of Skulleon?s creations, designed to test you!? Shadow Luigi cackled. 


?Luigi!  I mean? Shadow?  Shadow Luigi?? Mario asked, wanting to address him by a reasonable name.


?There?s no other Luigi around here, so just call me Luigi,? replied Luigi.  ?Let?s get this battle underway; winner takes all.  However, let me warn you.  You?ll need to think to beat me.? 


He took a remote out of his pocket and pressed a button.  The center of the battle dome filled with lava.  The perimeter of the dome was apparently used for battling.  It seemed very dangerous; an epic battle was about to take place.

Chapter 9: A Job Well Done



Chaos sat on his throne, previously owned by Bowser.  He was sitting just like a king, waiting for his servants to do all the work. 


?Bowser!  Kammy!? He roared, his voice echoing through the castle.  In less than a minute, Kammy and Bowser had stomped into the room. 


?Yes, your grumpiness?? Kammy asked sarcastically. 


?HEY!? Bower thundered, ?You can only call me that!?


?Enough, both of you need to stop quarreling!? Chaos shouted.  ?I?ve been terribly busy for the past hour, mapping out the location of the last few Cyber Stars.  While I was doing that, you were searching for Cyber Stars, correct??  He paused, expecting a guilty look from one of the two slaves.  ?It must have been tough, but I?m sure you found at least one.?   


?Actually,? Kammy replied, ?we did very well.  You let us out of our cells yesterday, which was very kind of you.  We split up and each found a Cyber Star.?


?That means that I have two more Cyber Stars in my collection?  WONDERFUL!? Chaos congratulated them.  ?Return to your cells while I look for the last three that I mapped out.? 


They both complied and left the throne room.  Chaos turned his attention to the Cyber Stars they left behind.  ?Yes,? he giggled as he lost a strand of sanity, ?it won?t be long before I am complete.  Mwuahahahaha!? 


He absorbed the two stars and changed once again; this time, for no one to see.  He still had the same color scheme, but his shape changed.  He was now a huge shark-like creature with razor like fins. 




http://www.freewebs.com/link2370/DavidE-MMX6-XvsZero.mid

?I?ll grind you to dust!? Luigi cried eagerly as he darted toward Mario.  Seeing his shadow brother made him take a few steps back.  It was hard to fight his brother, even if he was a shadow.  Mario stood still, gritting his teeth.  He felt a fist strike him hard as he fell to the ground.


That was it.  Mario slid through Luigi?s legs and stood up.  Luigi whirled around just as Mario delivered a knuckle-sandwich to his face.  The fight truly began at this point.  Both threw wild punches at each other, blocking opposing hits as they fought.  Luigi kicked at Mario, but he grabbed his foot and hurled him behind.


Luigi got up and outstretched his arm.  A wave of dark Fireballs launched at Mario as he weaved through them.  Mario shot some Fireballs of his own, evening the score.  Flames shot back and forth the stadium as the two brawled. 


Abruptly, the mini-war ceased.  Mario was huffing and puffing loudly, trying to catch his breath.  His opponent was not nearly as fatigued.  He just stood there, glaring at Mario.


?If I was using my body, this would be a snap.? Mario sighed.


?I?m a shadow; I never get tired,? Luigi added, ?but you need to rely on other things besides strength and stamina.?


?What does that mean?!?!? Mario screeched.  He put his hands over his mouth, realizing how loud he just was.


?Just calm down!? Luigi shot back.  ?If you plan on saving the Mushroom Kingdom, you have to rely on all of your abilities.  You?re a hero!?


?I?m no hero!? Mario bellowed in disagreement.  ?Coming to the Mushroom Kingdom was just a mistake!  One day, in the sewers, my brother and I found a pipe to the Mushroom Kingdom.  We?ve been there ever since!  Then Bowser came along, and everyone wanted us to save them!  We didn?t have a choice.  After that, Metal Mario appeared.  I died fighting him!?


?Look at yourself,? Luigi persisted, ?You are a hero.  You didn?t die for another world; you died for your home!  You are destined to be the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom.  You always have been!?


?What do you mean??


?The stork was carrying you and your brother to safety when you were infants.  But Prince Bowser saw the future and tried to kill you.  They got your brother, and you traveled across the land on a Yoshi to save them.  If that?s not a hero, then what is?!?
   

?Why are you telling me this?? Mario inquired. 


?Uh? Look!? Luigi pointed behind Mario.  He looked away, falling for the classic trick.  Luigi vanished in a black puff of smoke, leaving the Mystic Triangle.


?That was convenient.? He chuckled as he picked the triangle up and headed for Rico Sewers.  "Why would he just leave?  Hmm...  A true hero..."

Chapter 10: Skulleon; Meeting II


By the time he got to Rico Sewers, a day had passed.  Inside of Corona Mountain was too hot, due to the lava reappearing, so he had to hike down.  Then he had to rest, and swim to Rico Harbor.  With a weaker body, no less.

________________________________________

?This better work?? mumbled Mario as he placed Mystic Triangle in the hole it fit into.  The metal door in front of it mysteriously opened.  Mario cautiously stepped inside to see a tall figure.  It was none other than Skulleon.

?Not a hero.? he snickered.  ?You just traveled across an island for your kingdom.?

?You were Shadow Luigi?? Mario inquired.

?It was all to teach you a lesson.  It was also to test you.? he revealed.  ?And you pass,? he added with a smile.

?Can I have my body back??

?Yes.  But the next phase is to see how you can work with your friends, even though you aren?t near them.  Your body requires its memory, personality, and soul.  Without those, you?ll be a zombie, almost like me.? 

The two laughed at the joke.  ?I can grant you your personality, and you simply enter your body to give it your soul.  But to get your memories??

Mario butted in.  ?But I remember everything!?

?Your body doesn?t.  Even worse, someone from the real world needs to visit the Palace of Memories.  I?ll allow you to contact one person so I can instruct them.  Who will it be??

?Could you tell me the location of Link from Hyrule?? Mario asked.

?Actually, he?s with two others heading toward Glacier Field.  That?s near the Palace of Memories.  I?ll contact him.  Explain everything, and then let me tell him what to do.?

?Link?  Hello?  It?s Mario.?

?Mario?  Am I hearing things??

?No, I have been working hard with someone named Skulleon.  Soon I can come back to life.  However, I need you to help.  Skulleon will explain everything.?

?Link, I have some very important instructions.?

?Shoot.?

?When you reach the Memory Room, there will be statues of different people.  Golden statues are of alive people, black ones are of deceased people.  Find Mario?s immediately!  You will notice a red button on all of the black statues.  That activates the person?s memories.  Press the button on Mario?s statue!?

?Got it!?
 
Although Link seemed to believe the voice he was hearing, he truly wondered whether he was going insane.  First those dreams, and now this.  Is it a mere coincidence that I was already on my way to the Palace of Memories?  What's happening to me?  What will happen to the world?

Chapter 11: The Forsaken Palace



?What?!? roared Wario, ?You expect us to believe that?!  Bwahahaha!?  Wario broke out in laughter. 


Waluigi shrugged.  ?It does seem unlikely??


Link clenched his fists and looked Wario in the eye.  ?I?m not crazy.  If you don?t believe me, that?s your problem.?  Link heaved a great sigh.  ?It?s not your job to believe me.  It?s your job to get Mario?s memories.  That?s everyone?s job.  So let?s just do our job.?


The conversation ended there.  The three walked through the huge field of glaciers.  Wario and Waluigi were still soaking Link?s words in, when then nearly fell in a huge lake of ice cold water.


?Guys, watch out!? Link shouted.


?Oh!? Waluigi jumped up.


?Huh?  Free cash?!? Wario blinked.  ?Eh, I guess we got lost in thought.?


?How could you get lost in though?? Waluigi snickered.


?Shuddup!  I?ll give you a fat lip to go with that skinny body of yours!?


?Guys, stop quarrelling!? Link scolded.  ?The point is, there?s something wrong here!  That lake, something about it makes me nervous.  Something is down there!  Can either of you swim well??


?Heh, I bet Wario could just sink to the bottom,? Waluigi scoffed. 


As Wario was just about to beat on him, Link intervened.  ?I think he?s on to something!  Waluigi, you hold on to Wario as he sinks.  I should be able to swim to the bottom on my own.?


?If he didn?t have all of those big gadgets, I?d show him?? Wario grumbled. 


He jumped into the water, followed by Waluigi.  They both sank to the bottom.  Link took a few steps back, and then gracefully dived into the lake.  When they all made it down, they were shocked at what they saw.  Before them was an awesome palace made of marble.


?It?s? amazing,? Wario said, staring at the palace. 


They all marveled at the citadel, taking in its incredible features.  The double doors that lead inside were closed behind strong iron bars.  A rusted copper bridge expanded across a wide gap.  Clearly, the castle wasn?t always submerged.  High, near the top, was a small indent with a diamond shaped crystal in it.  A red triangle that was painted next to it seemed to point to it.





?We need to escape? now.? Luigi murmured across to Bowser and Kammy.


?It?s near impossible; Chaos has turned my guards against me.? Bowser replied sadly.


?I do have one idea,? Kammy interrupted, ?but it would only work if you had some type of mirror.?


?I have something!? exclaimed Luigi.  ?Chaos made a mess when he attacked me.  He shattered glass everywhere, and a piece got stuck on my overalls.?  Luigi gently removed it.  ?Now what??


?First,? Kammy began, ?you?ll need to get this hallway?s guard to come here.  He should be coming by in a minute.  Use glass to reflect some light from the window into his eyes.  While he?s blinded, I?ll pickpocket his keys.? 


The room grew silent as a Koopa armed with a long blade began to walk past them.


?Excuse me, can I ask you something?? Luigi inquired politely.    The Koopa stopped and leaned over to listen.  Luigi held out the glass, reflecting light in the guard?s eyes.  ?Umm?  I found a piece of glass.  Could you get rid of it??  The Koopa was still blinded.  Luigi saw a bony hand reach out from the cell next to him and grab the keys.


Without saying a word, the Koopa took the glass and marched away.  ?No wonder Mario always thwarts my army.  Because they?re all ignorant!? Bowser chortled. 


Just like their leader, Kammy thought.  ?Bowser, let?s regain our throne!  Luigi, are you coming??


?Nah, I have a bone to pick with Chaos.?





?Stand back.? Link warned.  He stood on the markings on the ground.  Three different colored circles.  He took out his bow and shot an arrow that pierced the crystal near the top of the palace.  The iron bars slowly rose.


?Let?s go inside.? Link commanded firmly.


?There?s no turning back from here.? Wario added.  ?Maybe I?ll find something in there that I could sell.?


The three cautiously stepped inside.

Chapter 12: Memory Hazards



"This place is even cooler from the inside!" Wario exclaimed.



"Remember," Link scolded, "we're not here to sight-see.  We're looking for Mario's memories."



"Yeah, whatever, 'Mr. Serious'," Wario grumbled.



"I don't want to sound bossy or anything," apologized Link, "but this is serious work."



"Hey!" Waluigi called out, "Look down here!"  He was on a small bridge that lead to a small door. 



Seeing that the main door at the top of the nearby staircase was locked, Link went over to take a look.  "What is it?"



"See for yourself," replied Waluigi.



Link looked down to see a black pit.  In the center of the pit was an oddly placed treasure chest filled with gold.  "Treasure?"



Wario whirled around and his eyes widened.  He darted over to the bridge looking as insane as ever.  "TREASURE?!  GIMME!!  I SAW IT FIRST!!" he blurted out.  Just then, the bridge gave out and began to collapse.



Waluigi and Link were quick enough to get off on opposite sides before the bridge fell into the seemingly endless abyss.  Unfortunately, Wario wasn't so lucky. 



"Look what you did, you greedy tub of lard!!" Waluigi snapped.  The treasure chest faded away as Wario plunged into the darkness.  The chest filled with gold was merely an illusion to trap gullible and greedy intruders.



"Link, go that way and scavenge the place for a key.  I'll stick around here and look around, seeing that I can't go anywhere else." Waluigi commanded firmly.



"Sounds like a plan!" Link called back.  Even though I'm getting stuck with all the work.



With that, Waluigi began looking around.  This place was like a land fill, except with valuables instead of garbage.  Golden plates the size of tires were stacked along the walls.  Pots and pans filled with jewels pervaded the floor.  Some of them had opened and left a small pile of jewels next to them.  In a corner with a pile of rubies, emeralds, crystals, and gems was a Cyber Star.  Only Waluigi didn't know that it was.



"This looks valuable.  I suppose no one would mind if I just... took it," he said casually.


________________________________________


In front of Link was a narrow, icy path.  "Anyone would know not to try and cross," Link sighed, "but I don't have a choice."  On the other side of the room was a small chest.



He began to inch his way forward.  CRACK.  The ice was slowly chipping away.  Link was sweating profusely because of the suspense, even though it freezing cold in the room.   He lost his balance and slipped off. 



He wasn't down for the count yet.  The slip had sent him a few inches into the air, which was enough to allow Link to grab onto the path before falling to his doom.  "That was nerve-breaking," Link sated as he held onto the icy ledge.



He hoisted himself up and continued his 'journey' across.  At last, he made it.  "Phew, that was close."  He opened the chest to find a small key.


________________________________________


"What's taking him so long?" murmured Waluigi.



"I'm here," affirmed Link.



"Present," Wario mumbled as he climbed out of the pit.  It turned out that he had grabbed onto a rock while falling and began to climb back up.



Link used his Hookshot to get across the gap and reunite with the group.  They walked up the stairs and used the key to open the door.



"Whoa..."  the three whispered in unison as they stepped into the next room.  Statues were lined up across the room.  There must've been zillions of them!



"Good think that they're organized in alphabetical order, or we'll never find Mario's statue."  Waluigi chuckled.  After some good searching, they found the statue of Mario.  Wario was slower than the other two and was a few rows back.  He saw a statue that looked like Mario, even though it was Metal Mario.  Wario couldn't tell the difference and pressed the button.



"Guys!  C'mere!  I found it!"  Wario shouted.  The two went to look.



"Wario, that's Metal Mario.  We found Mario's statue already." Link informed him.  "You didn't press the button, did you?!"



"Umm... err..." Wario stammered, "No.  I waited for you two to come... yeah."



They all went back to Mario's statue and reactivated his memories.  They viewed some of the more recent memories, such as when Mario met Skulleon.



"So it was true..."


________________________________________


"Mario, your memories have been restored!" exclaimed Skulleon.



"Does that mean I get my body back?" Mario inquired.



"Yes."  Skulleon flashed his bony smile.



"Hurry, let me go take care of Chaos!"  Mario yelled with urgency.



"No, follow me.  If you go now, Chaos will crush you.  Just come with me; I have something to show you."

Chapter 13: Seaside Confrontation



"Yes!" Chaos shouted with glee, "I have six out of the seven Cyber Stars!"



Chaos was on the shore of Koopa Troopa Beach inside a large hole he had dug to find the star.  Chaos 6's transformation was not even vaguely humanoid.  He appeared to be a scorpion-like creature at the height of twenty five feet tall.  His head was similar to that of a bullgdog's, with a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.  He had about eight glowing green eyes dotted on his face like freckles.  His tail was tipped with a pendulum-type blade.



"My map says that the last one should be in the Palace of Memories."  Chaos lifted himself off of the ground and began to head north.  But after taking a few steps, he stopped dead in his tracks.



"Wait... The Palace of Memories is quite a distance from here, and yet I can sense the Cyber Star nearby.  I smell rats!"


________________________________________


"Wow, what a plot twist," E. Gadd snickered as Link finished explaining their story.



"I take it we'll be seeing Mario soon?" Peach inquired.  "It's been an awfully long time since I've seen him."



"Who cares?!" Wario snapped, "Just gimme' my cash so I can scram!"



"What's the rush?  I know you just want the money to buy an onion-peeler," Waluigi taunted.



"Hey, I'm too lazy to peel my own onions!" Wario shot back.



"Cool it you two," E. Gadd scolded, "here's your 'cash'."  He handed Wario and Waluigi each a bag of gold coins.  "And Link, I didn't forget you..."



"No prob, Elvin," Link replied, "I could never accept your money.  Besides, coins aren't worth anything in Hyrule anyway."



"HELP!!"



The shout came from the front door.  Peach went to the door to open it, when Luigi burst through himself.



"Phew, thank god I found you guys.  I just escaped from Bowser's Castle.  Or should I say, Chaos's Castle."



"Luigi!  You're okay!  I knew you would be!" E. Gadd scurried over to him and shook his hand.



"It's good to see you okay," Like added with a friendly smile.



"Well, Link, I guess it's time for you to go," stated E. Gadd.  He pulled a remote from his pocket and aimed it at Link.



"Goodbye, everyone!"



E. Gadd fired a beam from the remote.  It hit Link, causing him to materialize and fade away.  "That's my Portable Teleportation Remote 5000," E. Gadd boasted.



"Show off..." Wario murmured as he exited the castle.



"Oh well..." Peach sighed as Waluigi turned to leave.



Suddenly, as E. Gadd turned on the radio, an emergency announcement was made.  "This is Kylie Koopa with an emergency broadcast.  Koopa Troopa Village and Koopa Troopa Beach are being demolished by a giant blue monster.  Luigi, where are you?!"



"Guys, wait!" E. Gadd shouted.  "The city's in trouble!  Umm... We need the 'world famous' Wario Bros.!"



Wario dashed back inside.  "FAMOUS?!  I'M COMIN'!!!  MY FANS NEED ME!!"



"Oh brother..." Waluigi grumbled as he chased after him.



"I'm going too," affirmed Luigi.


________________________________________



Before Mario stood an enormous castle made of pure crystal.  "What is this place..." Mario whispered.



"This is the Ice Palace, where you will learn the Iceball technique.  It's smaller on the inside," Skulleon chuckled.



"That's awesome," breathed Mario.  The two stepped inside.  There was a small room with crystal clear walls.  Six marble steps lead to a pedestal with a fluffy red pillow on top.  Resting on the pillow was a small, light blue orb.



"Go on," Skulleon urged him.



Mario slowly walked toward it, marveling at its beauty.  "Touch it," Skulleon commanded.  Skeptically, Mario laid his right palm on the orb.  An icy sting was sent through his body.


________________________________________

"So, you're the punk that's messing up the town, eh?" Wario cracked his knuckles and tightened his overalls.  "This won't take long.  I'll just give my fans a good show and then leave."

"You're a chubby one," Chaos cackled.  "Just get lost before you get hurt.  Wait; you're serious, aren't you?"

Just then, Waluigi arrived on the scene.  "Ugh.  How much trouble did you get yourself into this time?"

"Hm?  ...Fork it over... now!" Chaos demanded.

"Fork what over?"

"Don't play dumb.  You're giving off strong energy reading identical to that of a Cyber Star's."

Wario stepped forward.  "That's enough blabbing for now.  I'm gonna shut yer trap!"

Luigi came just in time to see Wario charging toward Chaos, who effortlessly grabbed Wario's fist and tossed him aside.  Wario hit the ground hard and left a huge crater.  Sand shot into the air and blew around the area.

"Hmm... Now I remember you two.  You challenged me all that time ago and got swept away.  And you," Chaos pointed a long tentacle at Luigi, "have escaped from my castle.  It doesn't matter.  Soon, I'll get the last Cyber Star and then I'll destroy everything.  Mwuahahahahahahaha!!"

"Waluigi, whatever you do, don't let him have that star!"

Chapter 14: Perfect Chaos



"Mario, believe it or not, you now have amazing ice powers."  Skulleon took a deep breath.  "It's already happening."



"What's happening?" Mario parroted.



"Just look at you," replied Skulleon, "you're the hero you were months ago.  You challenged Metal Mario, putting your life at risk.  And now, you're doing it yet again.  You can no longer deny the position of a hero."



"Thanks, Skulleon.  It means a lot to me."



"No need to thank me; I'm only doing my job.  Your ice powers; they're just what you need to beat Chaos.  When you feel deep emotions for your friends, the true potential of your powers will awaken.  Emotions such as love for them, fear of them dieing, and courage to help them.  Remember my words: Be calm, be courageous, and never be afraid to do what's right."


________________________________________


http://www.freewebs.com/link2370/magmoor.mid


"As much as I enjoy watching you three tremble in fear, I was hoping we can finish this battle today!" Chaos snapped impatiently.



Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi were shaking in their boots.  Chaos had tossed Wario aside without showing any sign of effort.  What would happen when Chaos was actually trying to beat them.  Suddenly, it occurred to Luigi that Chaos might not be so tough if his opponents were behind him.  It sure looked tough for him to turn around that quickly.  Feeling a bit more brave, Luigi tossed a Fireball at Chaos. 



"Are you crazy?!  He's gonna' kill us now!" Wario shouted.



"Follow me!" Luigi called back, running toward Chaos's back side.



Hmm... I think I'll kill the fat one first.  He'll never expect it!, Chaos thought to himself. 



Luigi passed under Chaos to his back, followed by Luigi.  Wario waddled as fast as he could, but as soon as he got under Chaos, he slammed down on Wario, crushing him.



"Don't worry, he's not dead yet!  I'm sure he'll still be good for a plumber pancake!"  Chaos cackled as he swiftly turned around.  "What's a matter, your plan didn't work out too well?  It's okay, everyone has to die some time.  Just like your ignorant brother!"



"For your information, my brother's on his way back right now!"  Luigi shot back.



"Yeah, sure, and I'm going over to the Easter Bunny's house later for tea!  Ahahahahahahahahahaha!"



"Grr...  I have to shut him up!  He's driving me crazy!  And his jokes are terrible!" Waluigi roared. 



"I have an idea," Luigi whispered while Chaos was still laughing, "just give me the Cyber Star.  And then...  Got it?"  Waluigi nodded.



"Okay, skinny dude, hand it over," Chaos demanded.



"Sure," Waluigi complied, "here you go!!"  Waluigi shot a large, purple Fireball at Chaos.  It hit his middle eye, and the impact of the Fireball caused a shockwave that hit his other eyes.



"Curse you!  I can't see!  But as soon as I can, I'll make sure I kill you!!"



"Darn it!" Waluigi cursed.  "That was my strongest Fireball."



Luigi sprinted away while Waluigi hid behind a tall palm tree.  He waited in suspense for a few minutes and decided that he would risk a glance.  But before he got the chance the top of the palm tree was sliced into pieces, and Waluigi saw Chaos floating above him.  A strong tentacle grabbed him and tossed him forcefully into the ground.



"Now, for the last time, give me the Cyber Star!" Chaos commanded.



"I w- would..." Waluigi answered, on the ground in agony, "But I don't h- have it."



"So, you gave it to the green one and he ran away.  I'll be sure to find him."



"I'm right here!" Luigi screeched.  "I'm tired of running.  If you want the Cyber Star, you- ack!"



Luigi's 'speech' was put to a halt by Chaos.  A strong tentacle wrapped around Luigi's throat.  "That wasn't very nice.  You didn't let me have the last Cyber Star, so you forced me to take it from you."



Luigi fell to the ground, still unable to breathe.  Chaos's grip on Luigi's throat tightened.  "Since I'm feeling kind, I'll let you live.  But only so I can kill you in my perfect form!"



Chaos released Luigi and surrounded himself by the seven Cyber Stars.  He absorbed them all at once and began to grow, and grow, and grow.  Soon, he was taller than any of the buildings in Koopa Village.  He was now the same god of destruction that he was created as.  He was an enormous, snake-like creature with a mouth that extended far beyond its two piercing green eyes.  At the base of its body was a dark vortex.  Water was rapidly flowing out of it, covering the ground of the entire kingdom with a foot of water.  Perfect Chaos was born.

Chapter 15: Just Made It





"Whoa, that's strange!" a green man in a cape exclaimed.  He was staring at his computer monitor, looking very puzzled.



"What is it?" inquired a robotic voice.



"I just picked up readings from Metal Mario.  There is also a high energy reading in the Mushroom Kingdom.  I think it could be... Chaos," the green one replied.



"What are you two babbling about?!" a voice thundered from afar.  Seconds later, a tall, robed man stepped in.  The darkness of the room hid most of the features on his face, and the robe covered his entire body.



"Well... Metal Mario and Chaos are alive."



"Hmm... Maybe that 'hero' didn't defeat Metal Mario after all.  And Chaos has escaped from his resting place..." His face curled into a wide smile.  "We could use this to our advantage.  Soon, our 'hero' problem will no longer exist!"


________________________________________


"Well Mario, so long!"



"Bye!  Wish me luck!" Mario called back to Skulleon.



"Wait.  Before I bring you back to your world, I need to warn you.  If you ever get near a man named 'Lord Shade', stay away from him at all costs.  His power is greater than anyone elses.  None who rivaled against him have ever succeeded.  Luckily, I think he's decided to leave us all alone.  After Chaos is beaten, all of your troubles should be over."



"I'll keep that in mind.  Whenever you're ready, take me back to the Mushroom Kingdom."



Abruptly, Skulleon shot a green blast at Mario.  He materialized and slowly drifted away.


________________________________________


Finally, Luigi could breathe again.  He was back on his feet in no time, only to see Chaos in his perfect form destroying Koopa Village.



"Leave these people alone!"  Luigi commanded.



"You're in no position to be giving me orders, little man.  Before I kill you, I think I'll have some fun with you!"



Chaos shot four whirlwinds from his base.  They went straight for Luigi, who dived out of the way.   Chaos fired another one, which took Luigi by surprise.  It shot him upward toward Chaos's mouth.  A huge energy beam fired out of it, sending Luigi flying into the wet ground.



"I- I can't beat him.  We're doomed..."  Luigi lay lifelessly on the ground.  Water rushed past him and brushed through his hair.  His clothes were soaking wet at this point.



Just then, Mario materialized right next to his brother.  "You okay, bro?" Mario asked softly, kneeling down next to Luigi.



"M- Mario?  It's a miracle..." Luigi said hoarsely.  "Bro, he hurt Wario and Waluigi severely.  You need to stop Chaos.  P- Please..."



"Just relax.  Everything's gonna' be okay.  I'm here now, and it's my turn to fight Chaos."  Mario stood up again and turned to Chaos.  "You!  Are you responsible for this?!"



"Is that... Mario?" Chaos wondered aloud.  "Oh yeah, I did all this.  Your brother insisted that you would be here, right before I almost choked him to death.  Of course, I wanted to kill him in my perfect form.  I get to kill you too?  What a treat!"



"Grr... I've had enough of you!  You talk too much," Mario snapped.  "You brag about everything you do, even though you're nothing more than a weakling.  Someone who hurts other people for personal gain."



"Why you!  I'll kill you for that!"



"Of course you will.  You kill everyone you don't like!  That's all about to change!  I'm one opponent you'll never beat!"



Chaos angrily fired clusters of yellow and pink energy blasts at Mario.  Mario froze them all with a giant Iceball and deflected them.  Furious, Chaos summoned a colossal whirlpool and sent it right at Mario!  But instead of getting out of the way, Mario put his hands out.  The whirlpool hit Mario dead on, and he seemed to disappear inside of it.  Just as Chaos thought he had won, the whirlpool froze and shattered into tiny fragments.  Mario stood there, smirking.




"This battle's over.  I won," Mario stated.  "Go back inside the Shadow Shrine where you belong."




"Never!!"



"Fine.  I'll finish this myself."  Mario charged an Iceball in his right palm.  He darted toward Chaos and gave him his strongest Ice Punch.  Chaos shrieked in terror as he froze and then broke apart into mere icicles.  Mario's attack wiped out most of his energy, causing him to doze off shortly after his victory. 




Bowser and Kammy came running down the ruined village.  Hurriedly, they grabbed Mario and left.

Chapter 16: Possessed By Darkness



Luigi, Peach, and E. Gadd were all sitting at a round table, sipping hot cocoa.  After Chaos was destroyed, a rescue team had found Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi.  The Wario Bros. were rushed to a hospital, while Luigi's injuries were not serious enough for hospitalization.  Instead, he returned to Peach's Castle to tell the tale of how Chaos was beaten.



"Hmm... Are you quite sure?" E. Gadd asked with a puzzled look on his face.



"Positive," Luigi affirmed. 



Peach could tell by the look on Luigi's face that Mario wasn't okay.  "For some reason, I'm having trouble believing you," Peach sighed.  "If Mario beat Chaos, then were is he now?  The entire rescue team is out there, and they still haven't found him.  Are you absolutely sure that Mario beat him?"



Luigi nodded.



"Well, I don't see any reason for him to lie," E. Gadd stated.  "I'm sure the rescue team isn't looking for a dead man.  But if Mario is alive, then we need to find him.  The water level outside is still about of foot high, which is enough to drown in if your unconscious."


________________________________________



Mario was lying on an examination table.  The ordinary kind that you'd see at in a doctor's office.  His arms and legs were strapped down, and special 'element proof' gloves replaced his normal ones.  Mario sat up as best as he could and groggily scanned his surroundings. 



He was in a small, square room with tools everywhere.  They were hanging on the walls, and resting on the floor in large heaps.  There were scalpels of all sizes, wrenches, and the kind of gloves that Mario had on.  He grimaced at the thought of his captor using them.  That was when he realized that he couldn't escape.



He threw himself into a panic.  Mario desperately tried to shake himself free.  He attempted to free himself with a Fireball, but it was no use.  He was trapped.



"Hello, my incompetent nemesis," Bowser greeted him with an unfriendly smile as he walked in.  "Wonderin' where you are, aren't you?"



Kammy entered right behind him, and smirked wickedly at Mario.  "We have a wonderful surprise for you today!" she exclaimed.  "You'll love it!"



"Let me go!"  Mario spat.  "You know I could easily beat you!"



Bowser picked up a scalpel from the ground and held it close to Mario's throat.  "I could kill you, but what I have for you to experience is much, much worse," he said through his sharp teeth. 



Kammy pointed to a small chamber in the corner that Mario had not noticed before.  Slowly, she wheeled him into it.  Mario was struggling to resist the entire time, but his efforts finally gave out.  The chamber was a tall, purple machine with a glass slider door. 



Kammy closed Mario in and pressed a few buttons.  A red haze filled the innards of the machine, and Mario was forced to inhale them.  After the haze died out, Kammy took Mario out.  He was completely cataleptic.



"Let's get him back to his house before he wakes up.  He'll think this was all a bad dream."

Chapter 17: The Prime Suspect is...



Lightning flashed.  Thunder crackled.  Mario sat up straight and let out a cry that weaved throughout the Mario Bros.' house.  Upstairs, Luigi nearly fell out of his bed.



"What was that?!" he bellowed in fright.  "That almost sounded like..."  Immediately he slipped out of bed, snatched a flashlight from the top of his dresser, and turned on with a click.   



He slowly opened his door.  Crrrrrrrreak.  Luigi shrieked and stumbled backward, falling onto his bed.  Hesitantly, he pointed the flashlight toward the open door, cutting through the impending darkness.  He got back up and crept over toward the exit of his own room.



You can do this Luigi, he thought, don't be a coward.  He turned a corner toward the staircase that lead to Mario's room.  As soon as he started his way down, he slipped and tumbled the rest of the way.  During his fall he had dropped his flashlight, which had shattered.  Darkness slammed in front of Luigi's face like a brick wall.



Don't worry about it.  You're already next to the door that leads to Mario's room.  Luigi got back up and staggered toward the door he knew so well.  After he bumped into a wooden door, he groped for the door knob.  At last, he found it.  He turned it and pushed the door open.  There, in the middle of his room, was Mario.


________________________________________


Peach's Castle was completely blocked off by yellow tape.  Several messages that said 'Halt, crime investigation is taking place here ' and 'Do not cross under penalty of law' were printed on the tape. 



"What do you think it means, bro?" Luigi asked, puzzled.



"I don't know, but I hope Peach is okay," Mario replied glumly.



"I'm fine," Peach responded, coming from seemingly nowhere, "but I'm afraid Toadsworth isn't."



"What do you mean?!" Mario thundered, although he already had an idea of what the response would be.



"Last night, there was an intruder.  He wanted to kidnap me, but Toadsworth kept him out of my bedroom.  He called the Mushroom Guards just before he was murdered, but by the time they got to the scene, the perpetrator escaped."



"I'm sorry.  I should've been there to stop him!" Mario screamed.



Luigi put a hand on Mario's shoulder.  "Don't worry; I'm sure we'll find the culprit."



"I hope so," Peach stated hopefully, "we should search for evidence."


________________________________________


No matter how hard they tried, nothing could be found.  The criminal must've been slick.  After looking for fingerprints, footprints, blood, and weapons, the three were worn out.  They decided to go around Toad Town asking for information. 



"I think I'm getting heat stroke," Mario complained.  "Can I go back to our house and get some rest?"



"Sure bro, Peach and I will finish asking people for info."



With that, Mario walked back toward his comfy home.



"It sure is weird how you said you found Mario in his bed in the middle of the night," Peach proclaimed.



"Yeah, I heard him scream in the middle of the night.  I went down to investigate and found him.  I asked him how he got back, and he claimed that he didn't know.  It sure is a mystery."



Peach glanced around, looking for anyone they hadn't already talked to.  That's when she saw a tall, thin Toad wearing a black pants and a grey vest running directly at her.  "Luigi!  Look!"



He immediately noticed the strange Toad and got between him and Peach.  Luigi shot a Fireball at the criminal, but he leaped high into the air, dodging it.  While airborne the Toad tackled Luigi to the ground.  They rolled around in the dirt for a minute until Luigi emerged victorious.  He put his foot on top of the Toad's body so he couldn't escape.  Peach called for help.



"What's the problem, Peach?" an officer asked.



"This man darted straight toward me.  Luckily, Luigi defeated him before he could harm me."



"I also have reason to believe that this is the intruder that broke into Peach's Castle last night and killed Toadsworth," Luigi added.



"I'll take him to the station and have him checked out.  Have a nice day, your highness."

Chapter 18: A Dreadful Discovery


"Stop squirming!  Cut it out!" the guard snapped.  He dragged the handcuffed convict into the police station.

"Let me go!!" the Toad shouted, ignoring the guard's command.

With the help of his comrades, the Mushroom Sentry strapped the criminal to an uncomfortable, metal chair.  The chief stepped in, casually walked to his desk, and sat down.  He folded his hands on his desk and waited.

"Chief, sir, this rugged looking Toad attacked the princess."

"Ah," he replied, "were you the one who murdered Toadsworth?"

No reply.

"And are you, perhaps, working for Bowser?!" the chief inquired, his face beginning to turn red.

"Why would I be working for Bowser?  I'm just a calm, laid back, peace-loving Toad!"

"Yes, well, we'll see about that.  After we run some tests, we'll find out if you are responsible for invading Mushroom Castle or not."

________________________________________

"Bye Peach!  I have to check on Mario to see if he's okay!" Luigi called out as he dashed back toward his house.

Toad Town wasn't particularly crowded that day.  It seemed hard to find anyone to talk to, and if you did, they would hurriedly run off to their home.  Everyone was afraid of the crook that entered Mushroom Castle.  Even if he was in jail, he could escape and try to kidnap Peach again.  At last, Luigi reached to green, rusty pipe that lead to his home.

"Mario!" he called as he emerged from the pipe.  "Mario?!  Are you okay?!"  Luigi noticed that the front door was ajar.  He crept up the steps and peered through the opening.  Mario was talking on the phone.

"I'm sorry!  No, no one has figured it out yet.  No!  That fool called for help!  I couldn't just- What?  Okay.  Bye!"

Luigi gasped.  He didn't know what to do.  Silently, he fabricated a plan.  Luigi stood up straight, casually opened the door, and spoke in a relaxed tone, "So, who were you on the phone with?"

"Oh, no one really," Mario replied sheepishly.

"So, who didn't figure what out yet?" Luigi inquired.

"Umm... The police!  They didn't figure out who committed the crime yet!"

Luigi sighed.  "What fool called for help?"

Mario crossed his arms impatiently.  "Well, Peach did.  I wouldn't have called for help; I would've helped you myself.  You could've been killed!  What was she thinking?!"

"Okay, just asking.  I didn't want to sound like a cop or anything."

"It's fine.  You have a reason to ask those questions.  You are my brother, after all."

Luigi went to bed early that night.  He needed some rest.  Could Mario be the culprit?  Nah, I believe him.  He's saved the kingdom too many times to betray us.  And he explained the phone call to me.  I shouldn't suspect my own brother to be a killer.

________________________________________

The next morning, Mario and Luigi got up around 9:00 AM.  They sat at the kitchen table, drank some coffee, and watched the news.

"Just last night, a second crime has happened at Peach's sacred castle.  This time, the perpetrator got a hold of Peach, and almost took her away.  However, Peach was able to free herself and call for help.  The convict has gotten away yet again."

"Wow, some news report, huh bro?" Luigi stated.  "Do you think that criminal I caught the other day was related to this crime?"

"Hmm... I'd say-" Mario was cut off by the telephone.  He took it off the hook and answered it.  "Bowser?  What, oh, this is the guard Luigi saw yesterday?  What?!  The crook you caught has nothing to do with either of the crimes at Mushroom Castle?!  Yeah...  Bye."

Luigi nearly fell out of his seat.  "We have a serious mystery on our hands, and we need to solve it before it's too late."

Chapter 19: Peach and Mario are Missing



"What do we do now?" Luigi inquired, looking very frightened.  "I thought that the Toad was the culprit for sure."



"I don't know..." Mario replied dreamily.  He sat back on the couch and stared at the ceiling.



KNOCK! KNOCK! 



"Who could that be?"



Luigi jogged over to the front door and opened it.  To his surprise, the unexpected guest was Peach.



"What are you doing here?"



"I came to stay here for the day.  It's way too dangerous at Mushroom Castle."



"While you're here," Mario intervened, "why don't you tell us what you can about the perpetrator.  After all, he nearly kidnapped you." 



Peach took a seat on the couch and shut her eyes.  She was deep in thought, trying to recall the life threatening events that had taken place.  "I remember seeing... The color red.  Maybe the red dot on a Toad's hat?  I also noticed that convict was taller than the average Toad, but not like a toothpick either."



"That's not very nice-" Mario bit his lip.  "Well... Never mind that.  I guess if he tried to kidnap you, we could at least make fun of him."



Nothing particularly interesting happened after that.  The three spent the rest of the day watching tv and playing board games.  Around 5:00 PM, Mario stood up and claimed that he would go to Mushroom Castle and see if anything strange would happen.



"I hope he doesn't get hurt," Peach whispered.


________________________________________


Mario trotted along the path through Toad Town all the way to the Mushroom Gates.  A tall guard in metal armor blocked his way.



"Hey, can I go in?  I want to see if I can find any evidence."



"No.  I'm afraid you can't," the guard replied firmly.



"Oh... But I was going to see if the criminal shows up so I can catch him."



"Very well then.  But if something suspicious happens, you will be the number one suspect."  The sentry stepped aside to let Mario in.



Mario dashed inside and up the red carpeted stairs.  He made several twists and turns, but he finally got to Peach's room.  The entire castle was deserted.  Peach wasn't there, so all of the Toads that stayed inside went home.  So no one noticed Mario come in.  No one noticed Bowser standing in the middle of Peach's room.  No one except for Mario.


________________________________________


Luigi slept with ease that night.  It was because Peach had relocated, which meant that the kidnapper would have trouble finding her.  She would be safe.  That's what he thought, anyway, until he got up.  Luigi's rushed frantically around the house, looking for Peach.



"Peach!  Peach?!  Where are you?!" he called.  At last, he noticed that Mario was gone as well.  Luigi snatched the phone and dialed 9-1-1.  "Help!  This is Luigi.  Mario and Peach have gone missing!!"

Chapter 20: Could it Be?



"Now, explain everything again," the Police Toad commanded in a gruff voice.  "Clearly this time, please."



Luigi shuddered.  "I hate trying to recall events of a crime, but I have no choice.  Yesterday, Mario left the house and claimed that he would visit Peach's Castle.  He wanted to find evidence."



"What time?"



Luigi shut his eyes tightly.  Yesterday flashed through his head like a storyboard.  "Around five o' clock."



"Did you see Mario since that time?"



"No."



The Toad thought for a moment.  "What about Peach?  When was the last time you saw her?"



"Right before I went to sleep," Luigi replied crisply, "which was at about ten o' clock.  At that time, Peach was still up.  She was watching something on TV.  I remember getting up around eleven to go to the bathroom, and I didn't notice her anywhere.  But since I was tired, I didn't pay attention to the fact that she was gone."



"Ah, so the criminal had to act between five and eleven o' clock.  Thanks for the info; I'm sure the chief will be able to narrow things down."


________________________________________


The chief Toad sat at his desk.  He was stroking his chin with one hand, and tapping on the desk's wooden surface with the other.



"Chief, sir, I have some information regarding the 'big' crime."



"Let's here it," the chief replied impatiently.



"Well... Mario and Peach were kidnapped separately between five and eleven PM yesterday.  One went missing at Mushroom Castle, the other at the Mario Bros. house."



The chief sat up and glanced around the room nervously.  He spoke in a hushed tone.  "Which one went missing at Mushroom Castle?"


"Mario."



The chief swallowed hard.  "We noticed that Bowser's large footprints were engraved in the castle's wooden floor.  Due to additional info, we discovered that Bowser must have entered the castle just before five o' clock."



"You mean it was Bowser the whole time?!"



"No, I'm afraid not."


________________________________________


"Where am I?!" Peach screamed.  She looked around and instantaneously knew where she was.  She knew this place all too well.  Peach was in Bowser's Keep, locked up tightly.



"Ah, you're finally awake.  How you slept through your kidnapping, I don't know," Bowser chuckled.



"Well I don't know how you fit your fat figure into the Mario Bros. house!" Peach snapped back.



Bowser roared in anger.  "Grr... You'll learn soon enough not to insult me," he said through clenched teeth, "and besides, I didn't kidnap you.  My new assistant did.  Come out!"



A familiar figure joined Bowser next to Peach's cell door.  She saw the color red.  And he was taller than the average Toad, but not like a toothpick either.

Chapter 21: One Year



Peach was stunned.  Shocked.  Not once did she suspect Mario.  But there he was, grinning at her.  "Mario!  How could you?  We trusted you!"

"Well that was the biggest mistake you ever made!" Mario snapped.

Peach jumped to her feet and pointed at Mario.  She stared long and hard at him.  In a low voice, she said, "Mario, you will pay for this.  I will not be made a fool of.  Mark my words, you will go to prison!"

Mario simply chuckled as he walked away with Bowser.  Peach glanced around her cell.  I have to get out of here.  But how?

Suddenly, the answer hit her.  "Luigi!  If he's not allies with Bowser too, then we just might have a chance.  But it's a very slim one," she moaned.

________________________________________

"I'm going," Luigi repeated firmly. 

"You mustn't!  It's far too dangerous!" Peach's secondary attendant shouted.  He was a small, wiry Toad with a teal dot on his hat. 

"Robert!  How many times do I have to tell you?!  I'm going to Bowser's Castle to rescue Peach and Mario!"

"No!  Now that Toadsworth is dead, I'm in charge when Peach isn't around.  And I command you to stay," Robert T. growled. 

"That won't work," Luigi muttered, "I have much more important things to do than wait.  Sure, I may be a coward, but when it comes to my friends I have to do something."  He stomped away, leaving Robert speechless.

________________________________________

"Uhh... Bowser, sir, would you hurt me if I told you we were under attack?" a shy Koopa asked sheepishly. 

"It depends..." Bowser murmured nonchalantly.

"Um, well, the castle's security has been breached.  By Luigi..."

"Darn it!" Bowser roared.  "If it's not Mario, it's Luigi?!  Do I ever get any fun?!"  He shot out a column of flames that burnt the Koopa to a crisp.  "I'll take care of this 'intruder' myself!"

________________________________________


Luigi crept across the stone floor toward a large door.  Suddenly, a group of ten Koopas rushed out of the door and at Luigi.  He charged at them and jumped into the air.  He landed on one and used the momentum to bounce backward.  Luigi shot a Fireball and knocked of six of them.  Finally, he leaped forward to grab the first Koopa's shell and tossed it at the remaining enemies.

"Bowser really needs some stronger warriors," Luigi sneered.

"But instead of fighting a bunch of wimps, why don't you fight the champ himself?!" Bowser chortled as he fell from the ceiling.

"Bowser?  You're behind all of this, aren't you?!" Luigi challenged.

"Hmm... I'm behind part of this.  But there's more to the mystery than meets the eye!" Bowser cackled.  "See if your peanut brain can figure it out!"

"Stop mocking me!!" Luigi cried as he jumped high in the air.

What's he doing? Bowser wondered.  Luigi grabbed onto a chandelier.  "That won't save you from me!!"

Bowser hopped up to Luigi's height and sliced at the chain to the chandelier.  But Luigi had already got off and landed on the ground.  Bowser dropped down to greet him.  "I'll admit," Bowser sighed, "you're fast.  But you can't win!"

"Oh really?" Luigi snickered.  "But I already have."

"Hm?"

The chandelier plummeted toward Bowser's head at an enormous speed.  Just as Bowser was about to get the bruise of a lifetime, he lifted his arm up and caught it!

"Oh, you mean that?  You thought I was that stupid?"

"I guess so," Luigi admitted.  "But it's still my duty to win.  I won't stop until my brother and Peach are safe!"

Luigi shot six green Fireballs at Bowser.  Nimbly, Bowser jumped into the air to avoid them.

"Hey Bowser!  I've got a present for you!  This is the attack my bro used to beat Metal Mario!!"  Luigi jerked his hands forward and shot an enormous green Fire Wave.  It was an attack known as the Ultra Fireball.  Bowser was sent flying from the castle.

"Phew, I did it," Luigi breathed.

Watching the whole thing from behind the door was Mario.  "Hmph.  So he beat Bowser?  How pitiful.  I had better wipe Peach's memory and get outta' here.  I don't want to leave any evidence."  He made a dash for Peach's cell.  She had fallen asleep.

"Good.  This is a little trick Bowser taught me."  Mario put his hand on Peach's forehead.  Small, purple waves emitted from her head.  After ten seconds, Mario pulled his hand off.

"Mario?!  Peach?!"

Quickly, Mario blasted a hole in the wall, grabbed Peach and made a dash for Mushroom Castle.

________________________________________

He was so close!  He had made it to the back entrance of Mushroom Castle.  But just as he ran inside, more than thirty Mushroom Guards were waiting for him.

"Mario, you are hereby accused of kidnapping Peach.  You are to show up in court one year from now.  In the meantime, you are to stay in prison."

Chapter 22: Confession


One year.  All it took was one year for everyone?s infatuation with Mario to vanish.  He never left his tight, unwelcoming cell.  And no one came to it, either.  He spent one year all alone in prison, with barely anything to eat.  Whatever he was given was his meal for a whole week.

During this year, other things had changed.  Luigi continued his training sessions with the Master, and everything went on as if Mario was dead.  Also, Waluigi and Wario had officially healed.  They could walk, jump, run, and do just about anything they could do before.  Wario didn?t know if he was overjoyed or just plain angry when Luigi told him he was in jail.

?Hey, Mario!  Today?s your big day!? the stoic guard shouted.  ?See if you can muster enough energy to get up.  Take your time.?

Mario had laid on the floor last night, trying to figure out a way to avoid being found guilty.  But they all lead to a dead end, and eventually he had just fallen asleep on the ground. 

?C?mon, you can do it.?

Mario?s eyes opened and, for the three hundred fifty-sixth time, met the gray prison ceiling.  ?Ugh? Today? I go to court?? Mario murmured.  He rolled over and struggled to his hands and knees.

?There, just a little more.?

Mario used all of the strength he had to push himself up to his feet.  For a few minutes, he stretched and jumped.  Soon he could move freely again.

?Thatta? boy, Mario.  Now let?s get you to the court room.



?Court is now in session,? the judge avowed.  ?Mario, do you have an opening statement??

?Yes, your honor.  I am, without a doubt, innocent.  I?m sure all of my friends in this kingdom will stick up for me.   That is all.?  Mario glanced around the room.  The jury of Toads all looked back at him with a hateful look.

?Chief T., it is my understanding that you are going against Mario.  Do you have an opening statement?? the judge inquired.

?Correct.  I am here to prove that, even though she does not remember, Peach has been mistreated by Mario.?

Because Mario had wiped Peach?s memory, she could not recall any of the times someone had broken into her castle, nor the point in time that she was kidnapped by Mario.

?Very well then; only time will tell.  We will start with Chief T., since he is the most confident.?

?Thank you, your honor,? he replied.  ?I call Mario to the stands.?

Mario skeptically got up and walked to the stands.  He swore to tell the truth. 

?Mario, explain yourself.  What went on when you were scheming with Bowser?  Were you the only one that had broken in to the castle??

Mario had promised himself that he would never reveal any of this information earlier.  However, something came over him.  It felt good.  It was like a ray of warmth on a cold winter night.

?I will.?  Several gasps were heard from the jury.  ?It all started on that one night.  I couldn?t remember anything that happened between the moment I beat Chaos and then.  It was very late, and I had the strangest urge to do something evil.

?Unaware of what I had to do, I got up and walked toward Mushroom Castle.  I didn?t know what I was going to do or why.  But then, it all hit me.  I needed to kidnap Peach.  Maybe I would know what to do after that.  Of course, I never got to Peach that night.

?Just before her room was Toadsworth.  He realized my intentions and called for help.  Thinking I could still succeed, I killed him and almost entered Peach?s room.  Until I heard the guards coming.  I had no choice but to leave.  And I?m sure everyone knows what happened after that.?

?You? confessed?? Chief T. asked, dumbfounded.

?Well, this means that Princess Peach makes the decision of Mario?s sentence.  What shall it be??

?So it was all true!!? she exclaimed.  ?Mario, you messed with the wrong kingdom.  Although it was nice while it lasted, I sentence you to? death.

Chapter 23: Awakening



Death?  Were those Peach?s true words?  It couldn?t be!  Mario?s heart sank.  Even Peach wanted him dead.



?Very well then,? the judge responded.  ?It was Peach?s wish.  And the rules of the Mushroom Kingdom state that any traitors sentenced to death must expire a certain way.  Mario? You will be thrown into the Pit of Despair.?



What did I just do?!  I confessed!  This is terrible!  I?m through.  I might as well just go without a fight.  Mario glumly got down from the stand and followed one of the guards.



Anyone who wanted to see also followed, which was basically everyone.  Even Peach wanted to see the one she once loved one last time.





They were lead through the castle to a door that was in the center of the castle.  Not even Mario had been through the door.  The guard opened it and they came to another part of the castle courtyard.  The only difference was that there was a metal cap on part of the ground.



?Mario, I?m giving you this chance to say goodbye to your loved ones.  Even though they may not love you back.?


Mario nodded and walked over to his brother.  ?Luigi, I know I am like a traitor to you, but please, listen.  Guard this kingdom with your life as I once did.  Become as strong as me, no, stronger than me.?



?Sniff, okay bro.  No matter what, you?ll always be my brother.  Let?s shake on it.?



The two shook hands.  It was such a touching scene, even the guard shed a tear.  Mario felt he should not push his luck with Peach.  He shamefully walked to the guard.



?Mario, even you deserve a fair warning.  The fall will not kill you, but the beast that lives down there will.  If you want to know, his name is Dragoon.  When you?re ready??



?I?m ready,? Mario sniffled.



The guard removed the metal cap from the ground, revealing a large hole.  Mario?s arms were tied to his back.  He looked over his shoulders and saw everything once dear to him.  Everyone burst into tears as the sentry pushed Mario down into the gap.





Down, down, and down?  Mario plummeted to his demise.  After what seemed like an eternity, he hit the ground hard. 



?Ahh? It?s been so long since Peach has fed me.  You look scrumptious!?



?So, you?re Dragoon?? Mario asked hesitantly.



?Yes, I suppose that is what the humans call me.  They treat me like a pet, but if I got loose, I could annihilate them all!? it replied.  ?Enough of that; it?s dinner time!?



Mario just sat on the ground like a helpless child.  He got his first good look at Dragoon.  It was a red, slimy dragon protruding from the ground.  Mario wondered if the slime was blood or lava.  It had piercing black eyes that seemed to surround its prey.



?I guess it?s over.  What is the point of living?  Everyone hates me??




?What are you talking about?!? a familiar voice roared.  ?You?re Mario, the hero of this world!  Don?t let anyone tell you otherwise!?



?Skulleon?!?  Mario shouted, scanning the darkness.



?I?m with you in spirit.  Don?t lose!  Beat this thing to another dimension!  You?ve simply lost your confidence.  If it makes you feel better, Bowser was controlling you!?



?Yeah it does!  Time to win!? Mario bellowed.  He burnt the ropes tying him up and got ready to fight.



?What does a wimp like you know about fighting?!? Dragoon taunted.  His jaws opened.



?Dragoon, you seem hungry.  Then EAT THIS!!? Mario shot a Super Iceball into Dragoon?s mouth, freezing it.  Then, he dashed up to it and punched it to a small pile of icicles.



?Skulleon, I mastered the Super Iceball!?



?I?m so proud!  Now get up there and tell them you are innocent!? Skulleon yelled with pride. 



Mario charged an Ultra Fireball and shot it at the ground.  It shot him back up the hole at amazing speeds.

---

?I can?t believe he?s gone!? Luigi cried.  Everyone turned to leave when Mario burst from the hole triumphantly.



?Hey guys!?



One word seemed to echo through the kingdom:

HUH?

The new chapter is done and will be up in a sec  ;)

Chapter 24: Pure of Heart





?Mario?!  H-  No one?s ever gotten out of there before!? the guard exclaimed, amazed.



Mario got up and brushed some dust off his shirt.  ?No one ordinary, right?  I?m not just anyone, I?m Super Mario!? he bellowed with pride.

---

?What?!  How can he be showing free will?!? Bowser roared.  ?That gas filled his heart with evil!  There?s no way!?



?Sir? I-? Kammy stammered sheepishly.



?Am going to work for several hours to fix this mess!? Bowser finished.  ?Just as soon as we climb back up Vista Hill.

---

Mario let out a scream that echoed through the kingdom.  It was a combination of a triumphant yell and a stressed one.  Everyone across the world heard it.  They had a feeling.  Mario is innocent after all.



It felt good.  Mario let out all of the darkness in his heart.  And out it came, with a jolt of pride and glory.  Once again, the kingdom had its safe feeling.  The one they used to have when Mario was good.



It had been one year.  One whole year since someone believed in Mario.  He turned to face the group of people before him.



?Mario- What happened to you?? Peach asked in a choked voice.



?I don?t know.  I feel like I?ve been controlled this whole time,? Mario replied.



Just then, everyone except for Mario screamed.  A black mist rose from Mario?s body.  It formed into a cloud of dark purple mist and slowly drifted north.



The guard stomped his foot.  ?That was controlling you!  And it?s heading up toward Bowser?s Keep.?



Chief T. butted in.  ?Case closed.  Mario?s innocent, and Bowser is guilty? again.?



?Well, don?t I get a hug or something?? Mario inquired sarcastically.  He was finally his old self again.

---

It was all over the news.  It was in all of the papers.  ?National Hero was Innocent the Whole Time!? was the main headline.  The change had reversed as quickly as it started.  Everyone believed in him again.



Back at the Mario Brothers? house, the two were conversing over what had happened.



?So, you can freeze things now?? Luigi questioned, astonished.  His eyes boggled when Mario said yes for the fifth time.



Mario nodded.  ?Yeah, Skulleon taught me how.  You remember; that bony guy??



?Hey!?



?Who said that?!?  Mario jumped from his seat. 



?It?s Skulleon.  I guess you?re not used to me speaking to you mentally.  I have something to tell you!  I can foretell that something eerie is going on.  Be careful!?



?All right!? Mario affirmed.  He turned to Luigi.  ?That was just him.  Apparently he?s nervous about something.?

---

Meanwhile, in the depths of Vista Hill, trouble was brewing.  The cloud had landed, and it seemed to say, This place is perfect.  Slowly, it began to form into the shape of a human.



?Ah, finally I can take the shape of a person!  I cannot live inside of Mario anymore, but I?ve gathered enough DNA to become his dark clone.  With my incredible power and identical looks, nothing can stop me from beating him!?



He reformed to the shape of Mario, except he was absolutely dark purple.  His skin, his clothes, and his features were all purple.  You could not tell where his mouth was unless he talked.  It was hard to tell when he blinked.  No one could tell when he breathed.



?Don?t try it,? a metallic voice came from nowhere.  ?I have a bone to pick with Mario myself.  Let?s team up.?



?You?re out of your mind.  I don?t need your help!?



?Hm?  Last time I checked I was responsible for Mario?s death.?



?Really?  Then why not.  The more the merrier!?



?Great.  What should I call you??



?Nightmare sounds like a good name for me.  And what about you??

Chapter 25: Under Attack



From that point on, the two agreed to cooperate and ultimately destroy Mario.  What a combination they were!  No one knew it quite yet, but things were about to get hectic.

---

One week after Mario was found ?innocent??



?Finally, I think it?s finally safe to say it?s all over,? Luigi sighed.  He looked at his brother from across the table, who had been devouring his breakfast like he hadn?t eaten in ages.



Mario swallowed a mouthful of spaghetti.  ?Yeah, Bowser?s plan was a flop.  Chaos is gone, and I?m back to normal.  Everything should be as it was right before Metal Mario came into the picture.?  He turned to his plate.  ?Now all that I have to ?beat? is my dinner!?



Luigi sat back and let out a good laugh.  ?It?s great to have you back,? he chuckled.  ?So, I take it you still like my cooking??



Instead of responding, Mario crammed his last meatball down his throat.



?I?ll take that as a yes!? Luigi declared.  ?Alright bro; let?s get to bed.?



They both got out of their seats and turned toward the stairs leading to the bedroom.  Luigi started up, while Mario stayed behind.  He cocked his head to one side, as if he had just heard someone calling his name.



?What is it??  Luigi turned around and got ready to panic.



Mario?s face was earnest.  ?I don?t know.  But there?s something outside.?



Now Luigi panicked.  He dashed over to the window and looked out.  ?Hey!  Whoever is out there better leave!?



Mario glared at his brother.  ?Luigi!  Be quiet!  Do you want him to know we?re aware of him??



Luigi scurried away from the window.  ?Sorry,? he replied sheepishly.



Mario gave him a sympathetic look.  ?It?s okay.  Here?s the plan: I?ll go out the back, and you go out the front.  I?ll take the back because no good robber tries the front door.  We walk clockwise around the house.  When I get to the front, I go in, when you get to the back, you go in.  Whoever sees someone has to shout so the other can help him.  Got it??



Luigi nodded.  They both exited through their specified paths.  Mario was now in the backyard he knew so well, and yet he felt completely lost.



?Hey, I can light things up with some fire!? he concluded.  With that, he made a small Fireball in his hand and used it as a lantern.



Meanwhile, Luigi had not quite figured this out yet.  He ran from bush to bush, spinning around so he would not miss anything.  ?This is so scary.  Why do we have to split up??



Something hit him in the head.  He fell to the ground, out cold.  Mario heard the blow and rushed to his brother?s aid.  ?Luigi??



An Iceball shot out from nowhere and hit his leg, freezing it to the ground.  Mario whirled around.  ?What?  I didn?t do that!? 



He saw a figure land in front of him and throw a punch.  Mario blocked it and threw a few of his own combos.  To his great surprise, they were all blocked.  He heard a faint chuckle and then nothing.



?What just happened?  No one has ever blocked that combo before!  His fighting style; it was almost a duplicate of mine.  Who was that??



Mario picked up his brother and carried him inside. 

---

Briiiiiing!  Brrrrring!



Mario sat up.  He got out of bed and snatched the phone.  ?Hello??



It was Peach.  ?Mario?  Please come to Mushroom Castle at once.  And bring Luigi!?



?Okay, bye.?  Mario rolled his eyes.  ?I wanted to sleep in.  Oh well, it does sound important.

---

?Mario, Luigi, you?re here!? Peach yelled with joy.  ?Now I feel safe.?



Mario spoke up.  ?Safe from what??



?Them.  They appeared this morning.  They are going around, attacking people in the Mushroom Kingdom.  All they are bringing is destruction.?



Luigi was shocked.  ?Really?  We were just attacked last night!?



?Yeah, and whoever was responsible fought pretty darn well!? Mario added.



Peach looked worried.  ?Let?s think this over.  What can we do??

Chapter 26: Mario's Decision


?So, exactly who are ?they? anyway?? Mario asked.  ?I mean, we need something to go by.?



Peach shrugged.  ?No one has really lived to pass on what they know.  All I know is that two people rumored to look like you are causing massive destruction.?



Mario smashed his fist on the ground.  ?Darn!  We can?t just sit around and do nothing!?



Luigi put a hand on Mario?s shoulder.  ?That?s not what we?re doing.  We need to think of a plan before we challenge them.?



?Yes, Luigi is right.  It seems like we?re doing nothing, but this is all we can do at the moment,? Peach added sympathetically.



Mario heaved a great sigh.  ?Okay then, where are they now??



?Well, I?ve heard that they are in Goomba Village moving toward Goomba Bay,? Peach replied.



Mario gave them a look of satisfaction.  ?Good.  I?ll be back in a few hours and they will no longer be a problem.?



He walked toward the exit, but Luigi stopped him.  ?You can?t just leave!?



Mario pushed his brother aside.  ?I?m going to pay the Master a visit.?  With that, Mario continued out the door into Toad Town.



?Mario!  Wait!  I?m coming too!? Luigi called out to him.



?No, Luigi!  We don?t want to lose you too!? Peach shrieked.  ?Besides, I?m sure Mario has a plan.?



Luigi gazed outside, lost in thought.  ?I hope so,? he said dreamily.

---

?No!  Swift T., you cannot become a warrior as strong as me like that!? the Master roared with frustration.



KNOCK KNOCK



?Who is it??  He answered the door and saw Mario standing before him.



?Hey, sorry to burst in like this,? Mario apologized.  ?I was wondering if you could answer a question.?



The Master walked over to Mario and studied the look on his face.  ?Mario, you are not on the battlefield at a time like this?  I had thought those tyrants had beaten you as well.  I was just training Swift here to help me face them.  Ask me anything.?



?Well? I was wondering if you could?uhh?? Mario stammered.  ?Could you tell me if I am strong enough to win?  Seeing as you can see things like that.?



?Hmm?  Let?s see?? the Master murmured.  ?Close your eyes.?



Mario shut his eyes tightly. 



?No,? he reprimanded in a stern voice, ?not like that.  Let it all go.  Close your eyes softly and yet make sure you cannot see.?



Mario obeyed.



?Ah, yes? If you concentrate your true power, you can save the day.?



?You mean I can win?!  Yes!  This time the odds aren?t stacked against me.  I have a better chance now!?  Mario dashed out and headed for Goomba Village.



?Knowing our karma, it would take a miracle to make it out of this mess alive.? the Master moaned.

---

Mario walked down the ruined path of Goomba Village.  There was destruction everywhere, and there were several buildings either on fire or run to the ground.



?Who could?ve done this??

Chapter 27: Duel With the Darkness



Mario heard footsteps behind him and whirled around.  Standing before him was Nightmare himself.



?W- Who are you?  You look just like-?



?Ah, yes, I suppose I would look very much like you.  Allow me to explain.  First you will listen, and then you will die:



?About one year ago, you were kidnapped by Bowser.  In his keep, you were injected with dark matter, an ominous force that shouldn?t be trifled with.  You?d think that it put you under Bowser?s control, but I was the one who influenced all of your actions.



?However, I did more than just control you.  While in your body, I collected some of your DNA.  After inhabiting your body for an entire year, I have taken on your shape.  Make no mistake; with your DNA and my strength, I?m invincible!?



Mario shook his fist at Nightmare.  ?No way!  I?ll make sure to put an end to your destruction!?



Nightmare ignored Mario?s declaration and continued.  ?I haven?t quite introduced myself yet, have I?  I am Nightmare, Warrior of Shade!?



?Who?? Mario parroted dumbly.  Where have I heard that name before?



?As promised, I will now kill you.  Don?t worry; it won?t hurt that badly!?






Nightmare dashed over to Mario and threw a punch.  Mario blocked it and flipped right over Nightmare and shot a Fireball at him.  The dark warrior was one step ahead and had warped away.



?He?s fast,? Mario whispered as he scanned his surroundings.  ?Got you!?  He shot three quick Iceballs at a dilapidated building where he had seen movement.  ?Darn!  I missed!  Where is he now??



?Hey Mario, look behind you!?



Mario turned around and was amazed to see Nightmare standing before him.  Why couldn?t I follow him?  Maybe I need to use more of my power.  But I have to be careful, or I might hurt someone.



?There?s no way you?ll beat me if you can?t even see me.  I?m ending this.? 



Nightmare appeared behind Mario and delivered a painful kick to Mario?s side.  He fell to the ground in agony, hoping for relief.  He clutched his side, grimacing at the pain.



?Did I do that?  Oh, I?m sorry.  Maybe this will make up for it,? Nightmare chuckled. 



He picked up Mario by his ankle and tossed him into a nearby building.  ?Wow, I won already?  The great Mario has been defeated??



?Not quite!? Mario cried triumphantly as he emerged from the ruins.  ?I guess you?re not as tough as you thought!?



?Learn your place, fool!?  Nightmare appeared behind Mario and slammed his fists on his head.  Mario quickly grabbed his arms and pulled Nightmare toward him.  Then he stuck his knee out, ramming it into Nightmare?s chest.



Mario took a few steps back and caught his breath.  ?Not bad for someone with my DNA.?



Nightmare got up and brushed some dust off of his shirt.  ?I underestimated you.  That?s a mistake I won?t make twice.?  He shot a few Iceballs into the air.  Once they reached a particular spot, they stopped in their place.



?What are those, decorations?? Mario remarked sardonically. 



?You?ll see.?



Nightmare vanished and reappeared in front of Mario, who jumped into the air and prepared an Ultra Fireball.  Instantaneously, one of the Iceballs shot at Mario and froze him.



?Like it?  I call it the Homing Iceball Technique.  Get too close and they?ll home right onto you and freeze you.  Now to finish the job.?



Nightmare charged a Fireball in his hand.  ?I?m going to melt you to a mere puddle!?  He fired it.



?No you won?t!!? Mario declared as he broke free of his icy grasp and deflected the Fireball.  Flames sparked off of him like crazy as they twinkled in the daylight.  If I use more of my power, I?ll destroy this village for sure.  Maybe if I convert my Ice Power into energy I can win without blowing everything up.



?Sorry to break up your thoughts, but I have other things to do today!?  Nightmare scolded.  ?I?m sure you can increase your strength, but I won?t give you the time you need!?



Nightmare whizzed a Fireball at Mario.  ?I?ve got it!  I have to reverse his little technique!? Mario concluded as he deflected the Fireball.  Nightmare jumped out of the way, but got too close to an Iceball and was frozen.



?Hah!  I guess I outsmarted you!? Mario snickered.  He sprinted over to Nightmare to finish him off.  Just as he got close, Nightmare broke free and backhanded Mario to the ground.



?Think you can beat me with my own technique?  Hah!?  Nightmare kneeled down and unleashed a deadly series of painful punches.  After a few minutes, Mario was covered in bumps, bruises, and wounds.  ?Now I guess I?ll just get rid of you for good.?



He picked up Mario and tossed him into Goomba Bay.  ?Let?s see you get out of this!?


Deep under water, Mario?s body sank.  Down, down.  Drowning, drowning.

Chapter 28: The Ultimate Duo






?Mwuhahaha!  How can anyone stand up to my power?? Nightmare roared out in laughter.  ?That was your last hope!  The savior of the kingdom!?



?You? killed him?? spoke a voice nearby. 



?Hm??



?You killed my brother!!?  Luigi cried out as he ran toward Nightmare in frustration. 



?Yes, I suppose I did.  What are you going to do about it??



Luigi punched Nightmare directly in the face, knocking him back a few steps.  With another yell of frustration, Luigi threw about twenty more punches that each hit Nightmare dead on.  ?DIE!?



Luigi rapidly tossed Fireballs at him, causing a huge tower of smoke to erupt from the ground.  But when the dust settled, Nightmare was standing before him, unharmed.



?I have to give you credit; you actually hurt me.  No matter, for I am aware that humans bruise much easier.?



Luigi staggered backward in fear.  He tripped up and fell back.  Nightmare slowly walked toward him.



?Leave him out of this!!?  Mario bellowed as he emerged from the bay without a scratch.  ?Luigi, get out of here.  It?s too dangerous for you to be here.?



?Uh-huh.?  Luigi quickly hid behind an old building.



It was Nightmare?s turn to be scared.  ?H- How are you not hurt?  I saw you!  You had bruises all over and were about to drown!?



?You missed a bit of important information.  That bay was consisted of salt water, right?  Well I noticed this just as you were throwing me in.  All I had to do was hold my breath before I went under.?



?Then how did you heal yourself?!?



Mario threw his head back and laughed.  ?You aren?t too bright, are you?  Salt water heals wounds; everyone knows that!  Looks like you didn?t do your homework, eh??



Nightmare?s face turned red with rage.  ?You insolent little-?



?Wait, there?s more!  I?ve been holding back, but not anymore.  Now that I?m fully healed, beating you should be a snap!?



Mario appeared in front of Nightmare and kicked him in the stomach.  He fell to his knees, clutching his chest.  Mario grabbed him by the shirt and punched him, sending him flying into a nearby house.



?See?  I told you that you couldn?t win.?



?Well, then, it seems the party?s already begun,? declared a voice from nowhere.  ?Mario, we meet again.?



Metal Mario landed next to Nightmare.  ?You imbecile!  You were beaten too easily!  Let?s team up and destroy this pest.?



?Metal Mario?  What happened?  How did you-? Mario was cut off by his counterpart?s voice.



?It was your fat idiotic rival!  Do you remember the Palace of Memories?  Wario reactivated my memories before he found out that he activated the wrong person.  So then he rejoined Link and Waluigi and they triggered your memories.?



?That idiot!? Mario cursed.



?Yes, now do you see your true fate?  You were able to bend the rules of life once, but I doubt you?ll be able to do it again!?



Metal Mario tossed a wall of Silver Fireballs at Mario, who quickly dove out of the way.  Before he could react, Nightmare stood in front of him and delivered a couple blows to Mario.  Metal Mario joined in as the two ganged up on him.



Just then, Mario froze his metal counterpart with and Iceball and backhanded Nightmare away from him.  Metal Mario broke free of the ice, and Mario closed in on him.  As they engaged in close combat, Nightmare prepared a surprise of his own.



While Nightmare was preparing for the ultimate ambush, the other two went ballistic on each other.  The battlefield was prone to Fireballs, Iceballs, and large tremors. 



In the midst of all this, Metal Mario spoke up.  ?Mario, I?ll admit you?ve gotten stronger, but you?re still far too gullible!?  He jumped as far back as he could.  As Mario watched in awe, Nightmare shot an Ultra Fireball of dark proportions at him.



?No!? Mario screeched defiantly as he was nailed by the blast.  He lay on the ground, badly beaten.  He was out of energy, but if he had two minutes, he just might?ve been able to recover.



?Well, what do we have here?  A fallen warrior; how sad!? Metal Mario and Nightmare said in unison.  ?Let?s finish him off already.?



Luigi stood trembling in his hiding place.  Should he help or not?  If he tried, he would certainly die.  Just as he was about to make a decision, something awful happened.

Chapter 29: Desperation



?I?ll end this,? Nightmare claimed as he held an energy ball over Mario?s head.



I have to help him!  Luigi thought.  He began to rush onto the scene when he heard Metal Mario scream.



?No!  I get to kill him!!?



Nightmare paused.  ?Why??



?I have led this entire operation, so I get to kill him!?



With a great sigh, Nightmare stepped back.  ?Fine.?



As Mario watched in horror, Metal Mario created a Metal Fireball.  ?Join us, Mario.  Picture it, the three terrors of the world!  It would be great!?



Mario gathered up some of his strength and shook his head defiantly.



?Fine!  Have it your way!?



There was a blinding flash of light.  Everyone shielded their eyes as their vision blurred.  When Luigi could see again, he saw Nightmare on the ground.  He was slowly being encased in metal like his ?ally?.




?H- How could you?? Nightmare asked as he became a metal warrior.



?I had a great idea!  If I used a Metal Fireball to turn you to metal, then I?d be able to absorb you!?



Metal Mario liquefied and surrounded Nightmare, who became a liquid as well.  The metallic goop combined to form a single puddle.  That puddle morphed into a giant version of Metal Mario.



?He?s huge!? Mario gasped.  He struggled to his feet.



?Hah!  You think you can beat me?!  I?m invincible!?



Luigi dashed next to Mario to help.  ?With us working together, we might be able to win!?



The metal titan kicked Mario up into the air and grabbed him.  He slammed him into the ground, creating a huge crater.  Luigi charged at Metal Mario, who scooped him up and tossed him into a nearby building.



?No one can stop me now!?



?Hey you!  You can?t just toss our rivals around like that!!? Wario bellowed.



Waluigi shook his fist at the giant.  ?You metal moron!  Go stomp yer big feet on some other town!?



?Ah, Wario.  The one responsible for bringing me here.  Now I get to thank you personally!?



Metal Mario punched at Wario who quickly rolled out of the way.  The metal monster ripped his fist out of the ground and slapped Wario, who flew across the ruined town.



?Wario!!?  Waluigi grabbed onto Metal Mario?s hand and climbed up his long arm.  Metal Mario merely brushed him off.



?You monster!  Stop this right now!? Mario commanded from a pile of rubble.



He jumped into action and went straight for Metal Mario. 



?What?!  You?re telling me what to do?!  Ah ha ha!? Metal Mario roared out in laughter.



He grabbed Mario and held him up high.  ?I?ll grind your bones to dust!?  He wasn?t kidding.  Metal Mario was crushing Mario with his strong hands.



?AHH!!!? Mario cried out in agony.



?You know what, I actually feel sorry for you!  So I?ll end this now and eat you alive!?



What could anyone else do?  Waluigi and Wario were easily swept aside.  Luigi had been tossed away like garbage.  And Mario was about to be eaten by Metal Mario.  It was all over.

Chapter 30: The Power Within





With that, Metal Mario gulped down Mario in one bite.  Mario slipped down mind-boggling amounts of different pipes.  Back and forth he went, like a ball in a vending machine.  At last, he fell into a cramped metal room.



?Ah ha ha!  You?ll never escape!  You will be forced to sit there as I destroy your friends, just as you destroyed my reputation!?



Luigi forced himself into a sitting position.  ?No, it can?t end this way.  I won?t let it!?



He struggled to his feet and created a Fireball in his hand.  ?Hey metal-head!  Eat this!?



He tossed the Fireball, striking Metal Mario dead on.   He whirled around to face Luigi.  ?How dare you strike me!  I am your master!?  He stomped toward Luigi.



?You may be strong, but you are not my master!? Luigi retorted, feeling anger welling up inside him.



Metal Mario kneeled and swatted Luigi into a pile of rubble.  ?No one can comprehend my power!? he roared.



?You fat ball of junk!  I?m sendin? you to the junkyard!!?  Waluigi bit his lip as the tyrant turned around.



?Excuse me?!? Metal Mario cried out in anger.  ?No one insults me and lives to tell the tale!?  He kicked Waluigi like a football.



Wario emerged from behind a large deformed building.  ?You?ll pay for that!  I?m gonna send you to the trash heap!?



?Oh really?  I?d like to see you try!?



Wario yelped as Metal Mario slapped him across the ruined village.

---

?Mario!  Get up!  Your friends are dying out there!?



?Huh?? Mario staggered to his feet.  ?Where am I?? 



He was standing in the middle of nowhere.  A wall of whiteness spread out in front of him.  Before him stood Skulleon.



?Mario, the time has come.  You must use your skills to defeat Metal Mario and end this for good!?



Mario veered forward.  He was desperately struggling to keep his balance.  ?But how?  He?s injured me so badly.  I don?t think I can fight.?



?You must Mario!  Do it for your friends.  Do it for your kingdom.  Do it for the world.?

---

?What now??  Mario was sitting on a metallic floor.  ?Whoa, that was some dream.  No, it was more than a dream.  It was reality.?



He pulled himself up and limped across the room.  ?I can?t do this.  Not now.  I need to borrow? some of their strength.  Skulleon taught me this little trick before I left.  If they possess some kind of element, I can draw power from them to fuel my own strength.  Since they all can use the element of fire, it should work.  I just need their permission...?

---

Luigi shuffled a few feet toward Metal Mario and collapsed altogether.  ?No? We can?t fight anymore.  I?m sorry bro.?



No.  It?s not over yet.  Luigi, I need you to create a Fireball.  I think I can use it to increase my own strength.  Put everything you have into that Fireball!  It?s our only hope.



?How??



Just relax and keep the Fireball in your hand.  As long as you're willing to, it will pass on its energy to me.  This is an old trick that Skulleon taught me.



"I will.  Metal Mario?s gonna get what?s coming to him.?



?I hate being beaten up by that oversized toaster,? Wario muttered.  ?But I can barely move.?



Wario, you have to lend me your power by creating a Fireball.  If you do, I?ll be able to beat Metal Mario.



?No way!  I?ll beat him myself? As soon as I can get up, anyway.?



Waluigi felt pain all over.  It was almost as bad as the injuries Chaos had given him.  ?He treats us like toys.  I can?t take it.?



Waluigi, you have to let me borrow your strength by creating your strongest Fireball.  With it, I?ll send Metal Mario back to the factory!



?As much as I don?t like it, I guess I have no other choice.?

---

?Phew, I collected quite a bit of elemental energy from them.  I hope it was enough,? Mario sighed. 



He stood up and attacked one of the walls.  Nothing happened.  He tried again.  Nothing.

---

Wario!  Hurry up with that Fireball!



?Never!?



I?ll give you twenty gold coins if you do!



?I?LL DO IT!!!?

---

Mario attacked one of the walls head on.  He broke through Metal Mario?s chest and landed right outside.




?Y- You blasted through my chest?!? Metal Mario cried out in rage.  ?DIE!?



He blasted a huge Silver Fireball right at Mario.  It appeared to hit Mario directly.  The blast went off like a time bomb.  When it was safe to look, Metal Mario scanned his surroundings.  ?Got him.?



?Not quite!?  Mario stood unharmed atop a pile of rubble.  Instantly, he was in front of Metal Mario and knocking him senseless.



?How did you get this strong?? Metal Mario asked, quaking in fear.



?I had a little extra help, that?s all,? Mario replied briskly.  ?Now, I have a job to finish!  It?s over!?



Metal Mario seemed to turn red with rage.  ?Only I decide when this battle is over!!  No more mercy; I?m going to destroy this entire kingdom!?



Metal Mario drifted up skyward.  He lifted his hands to the heavens, and a giant silver ball of energy formed.  ?This is the end!?  He tossed the ball.



?Mario!  You can?t stop that!? Skulleon roared from nowhere.



?I have to try,? he said dryly. 



Mario created an attack of his own: the Ultra Iceball.  He shot it at the ball that would bring the kingdom to its demise.  It was more of an Ice Wave because it wasn?t in the shape of a ball.  Mario was converting it into a wave to reverse the ball?s direction.



It had no effect.  ?Darn!  What do I do now??  The ball drew closer to hitting land.  ?I?ve got it!?



In one hand, Mario created another Ultra Iceball.  In the other, he made an Ultra Fireball.  With one last hope, he launched them at the Silver Ball of Doom, which was only a few feet from his face.



?Hah!  You can?t win with those silly attacks!?



The Fireball and Iceball merged to become a larger, purple sphere of pure energy.  It swallowed up Metal Mario?s blast and hit him directly.  ?My lord will destroy you one day!  Long live the-? Metal Mario was cut off as he slowly deformed and faded away into oblivion.

---

?Mario!  You did it!? Luigi yelled as he ran to his fallen brother. 



?I guess I did.  Metal Mario is gone for good, and there?s no way he?s coming back,? Mario replied dreamily.



?Bro, do you know what this means?  No more framing, and no more adversaries.  It looks like we can finally live in peace.?



Skulleon descended from the sky.  ?Mario!  You were amazing!  You completely annihilated him!  Not only that, but you mastered the Ultra Iceball.?  He gave Mario a smile of approval.



Mario glanced up at the sky.  ?I don?t know?  Something?s not right??



?Like what??



?I?m not sure, but I feel like something terrible is going to happen.?



?Don?t say that; it?ll all be fine.  Now let?s go help out Wario and Waluigi.  I?m sure they?ll be happy to know that we?ve won,? Luigi responded, his face beaming.  ?So, it looks like Bowser?s ?big bad invention? wasn?t so bad after all.?



?Yeah, but it was the worst possible time Bowser could?ve attacked.  Oh well; that?s our luck!  At least we can finally live together again.  Good job, bro,? Mario sighed before collapsing from exhaustion.



It was a good feeling; a feeling that you get when good things are to come.  But all good things come to an end.  And this time, it may just end permanently?