CHAPTER III

Luigi was left speechless. He almost felt guilty for being happy.

"She-a loves you, but as a friend?"

"Best friend to be precise, but..." Mario shrugged. "Yeah, that's-a about it."

"But..." Incomprehension was worn by his face. "I don't-a understand; you guys spend so much time together. And you seem to always get along so well. It seemed clear as the blue sky that you two were meant to be together; the entire Mushroom Kingdom believed it!"

"Peach doesn't seem to think so," he said. "After that declaration, I thought it would be useless to confess to her."

"I'm starting to feel guilty for scoring big with Daisy..."

"Hey, don't be like Luigi!" he said bumping gently this shoulder with his fist. "Don't be like that! I'm so happy that you and Daisy hit it off!"

"But still, Mario—"

"I'll be fine!" He cut his brother's self-guilt. This one, for this old brother's sake, lifted a smile. A sadden one, but still a smile to cheer his spirit up. "I always am! They do call me Super Mario, right?"

Luigi chuckled a laugh. "Well, if that can make you feel better bro, I think that's her lost. You're a good man, Mario. You were the one who gave me good advice on dating."

"Well, if you want to thank me, you can name one of your future children after me."

"Don't push it, bro!" they both shared a laugh on this remark. "And look on the bright side, you're pretty much available on the market. Maybe you can hit it off with Pauline, the mayor of New Donk City. You helped her out last time, right?"

He hummed onto the idea of being with her on a romantic level as he snapped his fingers. "You know, that's not a bad idea! She and I really got along well, so why not? I'll ask her out then! Thanks Luigi!"

"No problem!" he answered. "I could give you some pointers if you like."

"Ah, shut up!" Mario and Luigi laughed and enjoyed the rest of their supper. It seemed at first that Master Mario's saddened mood halted here.

He and his brother spent the rest of the evening together in brotherly love; from playing these mind-numbing video games to watching movies of super-heroic characters.

As night fell on our kingdom and lulled us all to sleep, Mario's mind was busy. He laid his eyes open staring at his room's blank ceiling. The princess's words still troubled his mind. He understood and respected her choice; it was not as if they were destined to be together. As he let out a large sigh, he could not let this inner matter to rest, yet do anything about it.

He had loved Princess Peach for a long time. Of course, saving her after every kidnapping from Princess Bowsette was not to gain her heart, but for duty and the goodness of helping someone in need. His heart could not help but feel the sting of being fooled. He was so certain that she felt the same towards him. And so did I; it was not every day that you meet a man willing to travels many kingdoms to come to your rescue.

He rose from his bed. His clothing were neatly folders on his dresser; along with a picture of him with the princess; a sunny day at the beach organised by both Princess Peach and Princess Daisy. In the framed memory, they were sitting together as she was lacing her arms around his neck from behind. Their cheeks were pressed against each other. Such a lovely memory.

He smiled as he took the picture in his right hand. Looking at it, nobody would dare believe they would not share happiness together as lovers. Life could be cruel, even to the brave and worthy. As he laid the picture down, he put his usual attire and left his room, then his home. He needed the midnight walk for him and his restless thoughts.

A beautiful moon shined onto the quiet streets of the Mushroom Kingdom. Light posts enchanted the town beautifully and a very few shops still serviced occasional customers that had a late-night hunger. A few residents shared the road and saluted their proud defender. Mario waved back politely.

The road led him to the town's central fountain. From many people's perspective, it was the loveliest place in town. The fountain was composed of three different stages, with stars carrying water-spewing jugs. At its top, a star-shaped lamp glowed warmly.

Mario sat at one of the benches circling around the fountain. Ironically, the princess's castle was displayed right in his line of sight, along with the stain glass depicting her figure. He sighed again like an instant reflex. The cruel disappointment that he endured was not ready to leave his mind. I did not believe that dating someone else than a heart's desire would fix such a complication; he would not walk the town in late hours otherwise.

"Mario?" a friendly voice called. "What are you doing there?"

Mario turned around to meet his friend Toad. "Oh, Toad. How are you?"

"I can't sleep," he said yawning while taking a seat next to his long-time friend, "so a little walk for me. And you?"

"About the same..."

"Are you really sure?" Toad asked with curiosity. "Let me guess; trouble in paradise with you and the princess?"

Mario was taken aback by Toad's insight. "That noticeable?"

Toad responded in nodding. "What happened?"

"I..." the mood that he had at the moment would not allow him to open his heart, even to a good friend as Toad.

"Come on, Mario," Toad closed the gap between him and his friend in a comforting act.

Yet such act was not meant to be kind.

A dragon's tail erupted from Toad's back. Instant shock took over Master Mario. He tried to evade the vicious attack, but it was too late. The tail wrapped around him as a powerful snake ready to gobble its prey. A feminine, yet muscled arm with a black and spiked wristband and forearm band tore from Toad's and restrained Mario's lower face with its hand to shut any attempt to raise his voice in that latenight hour. Toad's eyes turned to larger ones, blue with slit pupils. Roars of fangs appeared from the mouth. His body became larger and bigger, but more defined with feminine features wrapped around a black and elegant dress. His head rained long, and spiky golden hair topped by her own royal crown. The impersonator had dreadful hate and evil in her face and Mario was at her mercy.

"You can tell me anything!" Princess Bowsette whispered close to Mario's held face.

**

"Mama Mia... My head..."

Master Mario woke up. He opened his eyes slowly to let them adjust to the light. His head felt like it was being shaken by the ocean's waves. His sight was wobbly and so was his balance when standing up. He held a metal bar to finally get a steady stand on his footing.

His eyes and head cleared of confusion, he looked at his surroundings. He wasn't in the Mushroom Kingdom anymore.

The walls were crimson as wine and garnished with portraits of a sworn enemy, and the floor was darkly gray and sturdy as metal and covered with red tapestry. Magical torches lit the room along with a blazing fireplace. Some Chain Chomps were attached surrounding a throne with spikes all around its edges. On it sat Princess Bowsette. Her face dressed a victorious and dominant emotion. At her right was the sorcerer Kamek, smiling with vile schemes behind his crooked smile.

"Well, hello Mario!" she said. "Had a nice nap?"

"Bowsette!" Mario held firmly the bars of the cage holding him prisoner. "Great! Just-a what I needed!"

"Your plan worked, your Highness!" Kamek smirked. "Why kidnap the Princess just so she can be rescued, when we can kidnap her strongest line of defense!"

The two evil doers erupted in a great laugh. While trapped inside a metal cage, Master Mario's eyes weren't ones to have given up just yet. He gazed boldly at them. But quickly after, he started joining in their laughter. Bowsette and Kamek rose a questioning eyebrow to such behaviour. Mario, laughing among them? Such action was not possible to happen in any lifetime. While Kamek starred at the laughing plumber, Bowsette was irritated by Mario's sudden action.

"Has he gone mad?" Kamek questioned.

"What the hell is so funny to you?" she asked.

"Oh!" he wiped a tear from his left eye. "You're done? I hadn't noticed. It's always the same with you, Bowsette. Kidnapping, and being defeated at the end. Don't you have other things to do and to live for?"

"Laugh all you can," Bowsette said, "but with you being locked behind bars, we will be launching a big offensive on the Mushroom Kingdom. With no one to defend your girlfriend's kingdom, she'll have no choice but to capitulate, take my offer and accept surrender for her people's survival."

"Ha!" Mario let go from his voice. "Me, the first line of defense? Clearly you underestimate Luigi."

"This wimp?" Bowsette was humoured by Master Luigi's mention. "As if! This guy's afraid of his own shadow!"

"That same wimp managed to vanquish King Boo and a haunted mansion by himself, and saving me along," he replied proudly. "And, by-a the way, may I remind you that he foiled your plans to melt the polar ice caps. That was rather impressive."

She remembered this crushing defeat dearly as her black nails dug into her throne's armrests. Luigi had saved Brooklyn, the brothers's hometown, and their entire world by stopping Bowsette from melting both the artic and antarctic regions. It was a feat that demanded great courage from the green one; and he accomplished it with flying success. Mario may had been the most recognized brother of the two, but Luigi, too, had his own path of greatness written behind him.

"Kamek! Make sure our preparations for our next attack is going according to plan! I'm going to have fun with Mario in the meantime!"

"At once, your Highness!" The wizard instantly disappeared in a magical smoke of blue, yellow and red.

The Koopa princess rose and walked towards the cage holding the plumber. She leaned against the bars and crossed sight with Mario. This one held her gaze with no fear in his eyes.

"Keep looking all though and strong," she said, "but your dear girlfriend won't be counting on you to save her and her precious kingdom. She should have been better off marrying me instead of choosing you."

The word girlfriend stung Mario's heart. He knew he wanted to call her as such, but this was something that would not happen anytime soon to his regret. Some disappointment seeped from his gloomy eyes.

"So Kamek was right; there is some trouble in paradise between the two of you. What's the matter? She's fed up of you?"

"That's rich coming from someone like you," he smirked.

"Say that again?" Fury starting to grow from her voice.

"You'll fail, Bowsette, and always will. I've defeated you time and time again; Luigi, Toad and Yoshi did as well. As a matter of fact, that time you've kidnapped and took us to Vibe Island, it was Princess Peach, of all people, who defeated you! You really think that kidnapping me will change anything? Per favore! You're just too predictable nowadays!"

"What did you SAY?" Bowsette's eyes turned to blood and small flames started sparking from her hands.

"Just the truth," Mario said nonchalantly. "That's your legacy, Bowsette; to lose. Ever since the beginning of our battles, never once you've managed to win against us. Not a single time! Why? Because you lack what I have; friends, family, people that genuinely care for you to the death. I could die here and now, and people would remember me forever and my legacy would remain until the end of time. And you? What will people commemorate you for? For always losing? Your own subjects and army fear you more than they respect you, hence why they listen to your orders. You think they'll be sad when your time comes? If I was a Koopa, I know I'd be happy as hell to never have to work under your rule ever again.

"Your father, King Bowser; now he was a brutal beast, along with your eight other siblings. And even they couldn't conquer Mushroom Kingdom, much less anywhere else by the efforts of the former Mushroom king. I don't know if it is a curse or rotten luck, but as they say; like father, like daughter."

That last line triggered something in the Koopa princess. Fury burst out of her like never seen before, like a sensible cord not meant to be touched had been touched to cause an emotional and maddening symphony.

She ripped the cage's bars like they were made of paper and furiously grabbed our dear Mario by his collar. The Chain Chomps became fearful of Bowsette's rageful attitude. Mario was thrown to the wall behind the throne with so much power that bricks cracked at the impact. He slid down in pain but was not left a moment of reprieve as Bowsette grabbed him once more to pin him against the cracked wall and chocked him. Mario tried to break away from her monstrous strength but failed.

"You little miserable worm!" she said at his face. "I AM NOTHING LIKE THIS BASTARD OF A FATHER!! NOTHING, YOU HEAR ME?"

As he struggled to fight her anger, Mario noticed something from her bloody eyes; something that he never expected to see from someone as her.

Tears. She was crying.

Bowsette threw Mario again straight into his cage. He grunted in pain as his body felt battered from her assault. She stomped towards it while grabbing the two bars she had destroyed. She breathed intense fire from her throat onto these pieces and closed the cage with hot iron. The glowing metal sizzled and fused with the intact ones and made the cage impassable again. She could have killed our hero, but restrained herself from doing so. Perhaps she wanted him to suffer more than a quick, instant and painless death.

Breathing hard from being choked, Mario was still in shock of what he had just seen. Not of her superhuman might, but of the surprising reaction to his words that left the evil princess to tears. A mixture of anger and pain was left on her face along with watery traces of her now-gone tears. And all of this caused by the mention of her late father, previous ruler of the Koopa Kingdom, King Bowser.

She wiped the remains of wetness from her eyes and cheeks, yet she looked like new tears would come out despite her enraged expression. She stormed through a door to the far left of the fireplace and slammed it.

"What was that all about? Mario asked curiously as he massaged his neck and back from the pain.