Chapter 5: The Master Plan (Part 3)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mario series. All credit belongs to Nintendo along with all of its original creators and designers.

Just east of Toad Town stood a small village populated mostly by Koopa Troopas. Unlike their warlike cousins living under the rule of their species' tyrannical king, the locals were peaceful and good-natured folks. The settlement only consisted of a handful of brick houses, each topped with a decorative Koopa Shell shaped roof. Founded by immigrant turtles who never considered themselves to be subjects of the Royal Family, newcomers were welcomed with open arms, and as a result, it had also become home to a group of friendly Bob-ombs.

The village hero was Kooper, a young blue-shelled turtle wearing red wristbands and an matching ascot. He had once journeyed with the famous Mario before departing home to become an archaeologist alongside his childhood hero, Kolorado. It was only recently that the local celebrity had returned home, and it had taken some time before he was able to settle back into the sleepy lifestyle that once seemed to commonplace.

Today, the adventurous Koopa was hosting a small gathering in his front yard. A number of chairs were strewn about the lawn, and portable tables loaded with snacks and popular foods and drinks from all over the world; Shroom Steaks, Chuckola Cola, Strawberry Cakes, Yoshi Cookies, Lemonade, Super Soda, and countless others gourmet snacks. Neighbors and friends had gathered for the event, including several old traveling companions whom he had not seen in a few years.

"Great party!" Goombario waddled up to his friend.

The young Goomba had been named after Mario of all people, but until it happened he had never once dreamed he would have gone on an adventure with the big hero. Back then he had been a tiny button with blunt fangs, but was now the height of an average Goomba. His lighter coloring and trademark blue baseball cap differentiated him from the countless others of his species.

"Good to see you, buddy!" Kooper replied, the two performing a friendly body slam.

"So, how's Professor Kolorado been doing? He still running headfirst into dangerous places?"

The blue-shelled turtle remembered the time his mentor had tried to fight a giant Piranha Plant, only to get burned by its fire. "He's stubborn as ever, but still just as crazy... Wish I had half of the old man's energy!"

"Hey guys, what's new?" a third voice called out from behind.

A pair of Lakitus floated by on their clouds, both holding hands while openly displaying their romantic relationship. Lakilester was a green-shelled male with a pair of purple-rimmed sunglasses and a spiky tuft of green hair, his girlfriend Lakilulu rode a pink cloud and kept her red hair tied in a simple ponytail.

The young Goomba hopped in surprise. "Wow, I haven't seen you guys in ages! Glad to see you're still together!"

Lakilulu placed both hands on her hips, her cheeks puffing out. "Are you suggesting our relationship was short term?"

"Nah, you guys are adorable." he smiled, causing the others to do the same.

"Are any of the others showing up for this get together?" Lakilester glanced around, scanning the crowd of neighboring Koopas for familiar faces.

Kooper shrugged. "Parakarry said he'll try to make it if he finishes his deliveries early. You know him, the guy's a genuine workaholic."

Goombario shook his head, though he remained cheerful. "I'm sure he'll be here soon, and even if he isn't, we still get to see him everyday. He is the mailman, ya know?"

"The Postmaster works him ragged, but he never complains. That could explain where his never-ending stamina comes from." The male Lakitu snickered. "Being able to carry Mario even a short distance is pretty impressive for a Paratroopa."

"He only managed to cross small gaps. You ferried Mario over the lava in Bowser's Castle without any problems at all." their Goomba friend replied.

" My cloud can carry upwards of a thousand pounds without any trouble. I just let him hitch a ride on it, but I probably couldn't have lifted him without it."

"Really? I didn't know that! You learn something new, everyday." Kooper reached for a plate of snacks, offering them to his former traveling companions. "So, you guys hungry or what?"

Goombario leatg into the air as the blue Koopa tossed a Yoshi Cookie into his mouth. "Pretty awesome spread you got here! Never would've taken you for a good cook."

"Nah, Tayce T. did all the real work. I brought recipes from all around the world for her to try, and she offered to cater my party as thanks."

"Sounds like you put some effort into this neat little shindig." A red-shelled Koopa Troopa rudely shoved his way through the group. "Too bad we're gonna have to ruin it."

"Rude, much! Who invited this jerk, anyway?" Lakilulu replied cynically.

Seeing the strange Koopa's arrogant look, Lakilester hovered protectively in front of his girlfriend. "Cool down, man. No need to be so nasty."

"Cool down!? We invented cool!" the red-shelled male aimed a punch at the flying turtle, his strike rebounding off of a super hard shell.

Kooper remerged from his protective armor, looking angry, "Back off, man!" upon getting a closer look at the uninvited guest, he felt a rush of anger. "What are you creeps doing here!?"

The menace wrapped a red ninja mask around his eyes and struck a pose with his finger pointing in the air, three more Koopa Troopas jumping out of the crowd to join him. They were nearly identical to the first, with each a different color shell and mask. Green, black, and yellow imitated their red leader in his comical posturing.

"We're the coolest of the cool!" they screamed in unison, causing several people to run away.

The four brothers once lived peacefully as citizens of Koopa Village, practicing their fighting skills and training to become ninjas. One day they were recruited by Bowser, who took a liking to their antics, and appointed the quartet as members of his elite troop. They then left the village and enslaved the local Bob-omb population, only returning home to harass the locals and cause trouble for everyone.

"The Koopa Brothers are back! Run away!" a random Koopa Troopa screamed.

A green colored Bob-omb panicked. "The village is under attack!"

The locals began flooding into their houses and locking their doors and windows. Red Ninjakoopa and his three brothers were well-known in their former hometown, and their delinquent activities had resulted in them being both feared and despised by everyone else. A few Toads that had been visiting the village quickly fled towards the gates and disappeared into the forest, leaving the four friends alone with the invaders.

Lakilulu peeked out from behind her boyfriend with a frown. "Who are these clowns?"

"Just some rotten thugs who used to live in town." Kooper cast the unwanted guests an annoyed expression. "They work for the Koopa King, Bowser."

"That we do!" Green Ninjakoopa declared proudly, earning a cheer from his brothers. "We ditched this boring place years ago to make something out of ourselves."

The yellow-shelled brother smirked. "And now you punks will wish you'd done the same."

"I actually used to be a member of the Koopa Troop, myself." Lakilester folded his arms and shook his head. "I always felt useless, so I decided to join the bad guys. Then I realized just how crummy it was to be someone else's attack dog."

"Sounds like you guys are too dumb to figure out you're being used." Goombario added.

Lakilulu pointed her thumbs down and stuck out her tongue. "Buzz off, losers!"

"You're the losers!" Black Ninjakoopa screamed, the others scrambling into position.

"Let's show 'em who's boss!" their leader leapt atop the tower his brothers had made by stacking on top of each other. "Super Ultra Mighty Teamwork Attack!"

"Run!" Goombario screamed unnecessarily, his friends taking off in different directions.

The Koopa Bros. began rotating their shells at maximum speed, somehow keeping their tower formation intact as they spun in circles, bouncing off of buildings and mowing down anything that happened to be in their path. Their speed and unpredictability forced the heroes on the defensive, with Kooper ducking behind a tree while Goombario bounced back and forth, barely avoiding the spinning juggernaut.

Their red leader emerged from his shell, riding atop the pillar formed by the others with surprising skill. "Had enough, wimps!"

"I don't remember these guys being this fast, before!?" Kooper looked up in disbelief.

"We've learned some new tricks since the last time. This was just a small appetizer. Just wait until we get to the main course!" he punched the air like a boxer. "Let's pummel the small one first, boys! Then we'll finish them off with our awesome new technique."

Red Ninjakoopa withdrew back into his shell, the four man tower spinning rapidly towards Goombario. He ducked underneath a picnic table and kept running, wincing as he saw the object flying through the air in pieces. Even without Kooper pointing it out, it was obvious that their old enemies had become both faster and stronger. It also didn't help that the rest of them had been living peacefully while the bad guys had apparently spent that time honing their fighting skills.

"Sheesh, why do Goombas always have to be the first to get crushed!?"

"I gotcha!" Lakilester grabbed the fleeing Goomba from behind and levitated into the air to escape the rampage.

"Thanks a ton, dude! For a second there I thought I was gonna be mulched into someone's salad."

"Take this!" Kooper withdrew and catapulted himself into the spinning brothers, only to be sent flying high into the air.

"My turn!" Lakilulu caught him with some effort. She realized a moment later, that she was dangling the poor Koopa upside down. The blue-shelled turtle's eyes were spinning, and he wore a dazed expression. "You're looking a little sick."

He shook his head to clear it, carefully climbing into position on her cloud. "Looks like I'm a little rusty when it comes time to fighting."

"I remember Mario broke their formation with a hammer strike." Goombario looked down at the damaged houses from Lakilester's cloud, noticing several trees had been stripped of their bark by the spinning tower. " I'm not sure even that would work anymore."

"I hit them pretty hard, and they didn't even flinch." Kooper echoed the sentiment.

The male Lakitu buckled as his friend leaned forward. "We can't just float here... At this rate, they'll trash the entire village."

"We got 'em right where we want 'em. Let's show these losers our super cool finishing move!" Red Ninjakoopa screamed, interrupting the conversation occurring above.

The Koopa Bros. increased their spinning speed and began tossing boomerangs, the projectiles scattering in all directions like a storm of leaves. Unprepared for this new attack, the two Lakitus recoiled in pain as they were caught in the flurry, accidentally dropping their friends while trying to shield themselves from the onslaught. Rolling across the ground, Goombario flipped back onto his feet and leapt into a garbage can, Kooper withdrawing into his shell. The four Koopa Bros, prepared to resume their previous attack, but an explosion at the base of the tower sent them flying in different directions.

Kooper emerged again, looking confused. "What was that!?"

"Over there!" Lakilester shouted, drawing attention to a pink Bob-omb standing where their enemies had been only a second ago.

Goombario poked his head out of his hiding spot and practically leapt for joy as he ran towards their old friend. "Bombette! You made it to the party after all."

"It's a good thing I did, too." the oddly-colored explosive glanced over at one of the Koopa Bros. who was laying in a bush. "I wouldn't have come if I knew those jerks were back in town."

Being a former prisoner of the Koopa Brothers, it was obvious why she didn't like them. When Mario passed through the area to defeat the obnoxious delinquents, Bombette had been fast to join in his efforts. Not only was she a decent fighter, her innate ability to explode also allowed them to break through crumbling walls and aging buildings with the greatest of ease, an ability they put to use many times while traveling together.

"We're not finished yet!" Red Ninjakoopa shouted, his teammates assembling behind him.

"No one humiliates the Koopa Bros. and gets away with it!" the green-shelled brother crouched down on all fours, allowing the others to reform the tower on his back.

"Gimme a break!" Bombette charged straight in and exploded again, sending her hated enemies scattering a second time. "They're only tough as a team... Now's your chance!"

The other heroes exchanged knowing looks before splitting up, each picking one of the four brothers to fight. Kooper barreled into the red leader, using his shell to block a retaliatory punch before spinning around and knocking him out with a stiff headbutt. Black Ninjakoopa found himself running as Lakilester gave chase, pelting his target with Spiny Eggs.

Goombario easy dodged the green-shelled Koopa's feeble attacks with his superior agility before repeatedly head-tonking the menace. Bombette tackled Yellow Ninjakoopa with a body slam before exploding in his face. The fight continued for only a minute or two before the Koopa Bros. fled the scene, practically tripping over each other as they crashed through the village's western gate, not even bothering to open it.

The pink-colored Bob-omb waddled over to the path and watched them flee. "Looks like we still got it!" she added with a note of satisfaction.

"It's not like those goons could've taken us." Goombario boldly agreed.

Lakilulu floated over to her boyfriend. "Oh my, you aren't hurt, are you?"

"Nah, I'll be all right." The male Lakitu rubbed his arm before seeing a similar bruise on her. "I should be the one asking if you're okay. You never should've been in that scrap."

"Oh no, I'm perfectly all right." she protested, silently appreciating his doting nature.

She had always done her best to help him, even joining Huff 'n Puff's personal staff when her boyfriend briefly aligned himself with the Koopa Troop. Despite having confidence issues, Lakilester had always been a good guy at heart. Naturally she was unsurprised, and secretly happy, when he willingly left the bad guys to travel with Mario. Even so, she never would've thought that after all this time, her beloved would grow into such a brave hero.

The villagers began poking their heads out of their houses, only to retreat as they heard the sound of an approaching aircraft. The five friends glanced up to see one of the Koopa Troop's Airships rapidly approaching while firing off Bullet Bills at the peaceful settlement. Kooper flinched as an incoming Banzai Bill smashed his house into a pile of rubble, though at this point he was more concerned about the well-being of the others.

"Everyone, you need to get out of here!" he shouted over the explosions.

Many Koopas quickly emerged from their houses and began running around in a panicked frenzy, some having the sense to flee the scene entirely, while others began rounding up their possessions. Nearby, the village elder emerged from his home. Wrinkled and frail, Koopa Koot was easily the oldest person in town. He coughed, using his wooden walking stick to remain standing.

"Get the old-timer out of here safely!" Lakilester called to his girlfriend.

She floated over to the elder and wrapped her arms around his waist, ignoring his protests. "What about the rest of you guys?" she called back to them.

Kooper glanced between his friends before answering. "We'll be right behind you."

Once she had gone, Goombario exchanged a worried look with the others. "What'll we do, now?"

Lakilester hesitated for a moment before finding his courage. "I can fly up there and run some interference while you guys get out of here."

"We're not letting you do this alone!" Kooper answered firmly, earning a strong nod from the others. "You guys should get out of here. This is my home, and I won't let them destroy it!"

"It's my home, too. No way I'm letting you have all the fun." Bombette replied.

The young Goomba smiled. "You won't ditch me that easily, pal. We're friends for life, and friends for real!"

"Mario wouldn't just run away... He'd fight!" the Lakitu straightened his sunglasses.

A large round shape suddenly came crashing down from above, smashing a house to debris as it landed nearby. When the dust had cleared, the newcomer revealed stepped out into the open, revealing his mighty form. Towering over Mario's friends, the Bob-omb King looked like a much larger version of a regular Bob-omb, though he had no key in his back. A thick white mustache covered the majority of his face, and he wore a golden crown embedded with rubies. He also had arms and mitten-like white hands, qualities uncommon for most of his race.

"I claim this meager town in the name of his majesty!" the explosive monarch declared, planting a Koopa Troop flag into the ground at his feet.

"Who're you supposed to be?" Kooper compared the giant's size to his pink friend.

Bombette groaned, recognizing the mustached menace as the reason her people were believed to be evil. "He's just a really big blowhard who makes all Bob-ombs look bad."

"I am the Lord of Blasting Matter, the king of kabooms the world over! His majesty has tasked my royal self with crushing a meddlesome hero named Kooper and wiping this poor excuse for a village off of the map."

"You can pick a fight with me, but why destroy my home!? That doesn't make any sense."

"It makes perfect sense! The population of this village is comprised of Koopa Troopas who openly refuse to acknowledge their true king. Tis a great insult to King Bowser, and one which he feels must be immediately corrected."

Goombario bravely took a step towards the much larger creature. "We'll stop you!"

"You will try!" King Bob-omb thundered, his eyes narrowing angrily.

As if summoned his words, several black Bob-ombs began descending from above, each floating downwards from the nearby airship on parachutes. In less than a minute, the unfortunate heroes were completely surrounded by the menacing explosives. A handful of large Blue Chuckyas had also joined the evil hoard, surrounding their leader on all sides.

"You peons are clearly outnumbered and outflanked. I give you this one chance to surrender peacefully, or we will have no choice but to blast you away."

The blue-shelled hero clenched his fists. "The Koopa Bros. and those Banzai Bills reduced most of my friends' homes to rubble. There's practically nothing left for you destroy."

"Except us!" Goombario blurted out, suddenly looking horrified as the surrounding minions began closing in. "Never mind! I take it back!"

"You're smart for a Goomba." the enemy commander gestured forward with his arm, prompting his troops to attack.

Lakilester jumped in fright as the nearest Bob-ombs lit their fuses and dove at him, their explosions quickly countered by Bombette's own. "Didn't know you could do that!"

"It's a trick only my species can learn." she body slammed the other Bob-ombs before calling out to her friends. "Ignore their numbers and focus only on the ones close enough to attack. If there's one way to stop a Bob-omb, it's to extinguish our fuses!"

"I can do that easy." Goombario charged into a group of enemies.

Propelling himself into the air, the young Goomba bouncing on the heads of their enemies to stop them from exploding, jumping from one to the next without even touching the ground. The bewildered Bob-ombs attempted to relight themselves only to be bowled over by raining Spiny Eggs thrown by Lakilester, who gave his friends a thumbs-up before resuming his attack. Kooper retreated into his shell and began ricocheting off of objects to increase his speed, smashing through the explosive army.

"Imbeciles... Stop them!" the King shouted, ordering his remaining troops into battle.

Obeying their leader, many large Chuckyas entered the fray to assist their fellow Bob-ombs, the first grabbing hold of Kooper and tossing him away with ease. Goombario attempted to headtonk the large blue creatures, but was caught mid-jump and slammed into the wall of an abandoned building. Bombette cursed inwardly as she was seized from behind by a third Chuckya, envying the giant blue Bob-ombs for having arms. She struggled to break free of its grip, the behemoth only releasing her when she exploded in its face.

A dazed Goombario stumbled around before shaking his head to clear, "You guys got any more bright ideas for dealing with these goons."

"Not sure..." Lakilester swerved as his opponent began throwing his own Spiny projectiles back.

"I'm seeing how these creeps got their names." Kooper stood back up, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

One of the Chuckyas began closing in on them, but was lifted up and thrown aside by a familiar Paratroopa. He had a light blue shell and brown boots, a rather unusual choice since most Troopas tended to wear shoes that matched their own color. Carrying a tan bag, he also wore a flight mask and goggles.

"Parakarry! I thought you were too busy to come to the party!?"

"Glad you came... Though I doubt this is what you were expecting." Goombario exhaled.

The flying Koopa landed beside his friends, who were currently being forced back by the advancing enemies. "I was on my way here when I noticed you guys were having some trouble. A fella's never too busy to help his friends!"

"Awesome, man! Looks like you found their weakness." Lakilester glanced over at the defeated Chuckya and shrugged. "Apparently these guys love throwing people around, but can't handle a taste of their own medicine.

"Not to mention they don't take well to the booms of other Bob-ombs." Bombette added, purposely jumping into the air towards her floating friend. "Toss me at one of the big guys!"

Lakilester obeyed her request, lobbing the pink-colored Bob-omb into the crowd of enemies, her own explosion sending several others flying whilst toppling the nearest Chuckya. Parakarry flew around at alarming speeds, confusing several more of the larger enemies before performing a powerful dive, allowing Kooper to bowl them over with his spinning shell attack. Several regular Bob-ombs began closing in to attack, but were quickly knocked out by Lakilester's raining Spiny eggs without the protection of their larger cousins.

"Impressive flying, Mr. Mailman!" Goombario practically jumped for joy. "I didn't know a Paratroopa was capable of flying like that!"

"I gotta be fast to deliver mail all over the kingdom on a daily basis." the postal worker, replied as he toppled another Chuckya.

"We've got 'em on the run!" Kooper cheered, as he noticed the enemy ranks thinning, several troops becoming hesitant to jump into the fray while others were running back towards their leader.

Bombette turned to the self-proclaimed ruler of her species. "Looks like we're the ones who should be asking you to surrender."

"Insolent she-bomb. You and those misfits have not won yet! Your meager resistance only delays the inevitable." King Bob-omb pounded the ground with all of his weight, signaling the appearance of reinforcements.

Several more Bob-ombs began parachuting down from above, but instead of immediately attacking, they joined the large mob that had already gathered around their leader. Another creature floated down moments later, the stranger newcomer an anthropomorphic gray mouse wearing dark stylish sunglasses, pink gloves, and matching sneakers.

"Bout time, I was gettin' bored up there." Mouser nudged the king. "So, time for us to start the grand finale?"

"Indeed... One more push, soldiers!" the Bob-omb King ordered, causing all of his troops to light their fuses simultaneously.

"Here, have some bombs!" The rodent laughed before repeatedly lobbing the living explosives like a maniac.

The royal bomb confidently stroked his mustache before thrusting both fists into the air. "For the glory of King Bowser!"

Seeing their leader's gesture, the four remaining Chuckyas moved into position and joined Mouser's attack, using their arms to hurl the smaller Bob-ombs like living baseballs. Lakilester and Parakarry immediately took to the air while the remaining three heroes ducked into a house that remained intact, cowering as clouds of smoke from the explosions rendered them practically blind. The flyers dodged several explosions before joining the others inside the makeshift shelter.

Goombario coughed, unable to cover his mouth due to lacking hands. "C'mon Bombette! You gotta have some idea of how we can stop these jerks."

"Just because I'm a Bob-omb, doesn't mean I know how to stop an inexhaustible army from blowing us to smithereens!"

"I can only carry one of you at a time..." Parakarry considered their options. "There's no way we'll all get out of this without getting blasted halfway to Metro Kingdom."

"You guys can escape... Get out of here!" Kooper screamed.

Lakilester shivered as the door was blasted off its hinges before turning to the mailman. "My cloud isn't the best for speed! You're faster than me. Maybe you can get out and call for help."

The flying postal worker shook his head vehemently. "I won't leave you guys here!"

King Bob-omb watched the damaged house crumble piece by piece before pulling out a walkie-talkie. "They're all trapped in once place... Do it now!"

Unbeknownst to the cowering heroes, the crew of the airship had actually positioned the craft directly over their fall-in shelter. Beneath deck, several Koopa Troopas carried a gigantic purple Bob-omb into position. Known as a Bob-ulk, the giant explosive was widely known as the largest type of Bob-omb, their size rivaling and in some cases, surpassing that of their own gigantic king. The laboring turtles dropped the behemoth onto a trap door, a pair of Fire Bros. lighting its fuse while a third pulled the release lever.

The hull of the ship split open, dropping the living weapon into the village below, its mighty explosion blasting the crumbling house to ruins and expelling those hiding within, leaving them laying charred on the ground. Kooper coughed up a mouthful of smog before tumbling forward, catching the sight of his unconscious friends before joining them on the ground.

"To think those nameless peons forced me to use my last resort."

"If the Koopa Bros. hadn't been so useless, we could've just sat back and watched the show." Mouser grinned evilly. "Though, I'm not complaining! It's been a while since I've had the chance to cut loose and blow stuff up!"

"Tis a fine battle, nonetheless... Rejoice with me my soldiers, for today, we have struck a blow in the name of his majesty!" King Bob-omb declared proudly, his remaining troops jumping up and down in celebration.

-Meanwhile- Bowser's Kingdom

"Gwahahahaha! Those stupid do-gooders made it even easier for us by gathering together in one place." Bowser shoved a clawful of popcorn into his giant maw, before laughing again. "At this rate, this'll be over by nightfall."

"Far easier than I anticipated." Ludwig von Koopa looked positively delighted before turning to his helper. "Since several people were captured, we will need to divert the troops whose targets were taken just now."

Captain Goomba waddled over to a pair of armored Koopatrols serving as dispatchers. "Contact the units advancing on Goomba Village and Flower Fields and tell them to return immediately." the two saluted before dashing from the room.

So far the plan had been wildly successful beyond their expectations. The large number of villains bolstering the strength of their army had already secured the capture of several of the world's most famous heroes, and so far the operation had been going smoothly. A few miscalculations had caused some trouble with Wario and the Yoshis, but Bowser had known that certain individuals would be tougher to catch and insured that his lieutenants dispatched larger numbers.

The Koopa King slapped his knee, looking happier than he had been in months. "This is going great! Even an entire island of Mario's pet dinosaurs weren't strong enough to stop us!"

"Of course, Lord Bowser." the flag-bearing Goomba smiled proudly. "I told ya we wouldn't let you down!"

"You'd better not!" he barked, before turning to the series of monitors for validation. "Huh, it looks like Toad Town and Donkey Kong Island haven't been secured yet." he spit up a fireball in annoyance. "What's going on down there!?"

The oldest Koopaling analyzed the incoming data on one screen. "It would appears King K. Rool and King Boo have yet to defeat the Mario Bros."

Bowser leaned forward anxiously. "What about the princess?"

"No word on that, either." Ludwig flinched slightly under his master's glare before elaborating. "According to the surveillance camera feed, the Kremlings have seized Mushroom Castle and are currently searching for Peach."

"The ghost army is also pillaging the town, which should serve as a fine distraction for our heroic nemeses. I'd say it's only a matter of time."

Their leader slumped his shoulders and growled impatiently. "Fine... What about our attack on that monkey island? Junior said he'd be back by now!"

Captain Goomba swallowed nervously. "Well, last time we checked Donkey Kong had defeated the Draggadons!"

"What!? Those fire breathing simpletons should've reduced that puny primate to a crisp!" the Koopa King pounded the arm of his throne, his minions not knowing how to respond to their master's annoyance. He pondered the situation for a moment before frowning. "Ugh, looks like we'll have to send reinforcements after all."

Ludwig nodded in agreement. "Very well... I'll dispatch a new squadron to the DK Isles immediately."

"Don't bother!" Bowser waved off the plan with an evil smirk. "I have something much better in mind."

-Meanwhile- Donkey Kong Island

Bowser Jr. danced back and forth on his airship, taking a moment to laugh at his two captives. Bound to the central mast of the vessel were Diddy and Funky, the unfortunate apes having been captured shortly after Donkey Kong left to assist their friends.

"I can't believe dis guy destroyed my super awesome ride..." Funky Kong hung his head low, silently mourning his custom-made jet fighter.

The Koopa Prince had used several Bulls-Eye Bills as a distraction before shooting off a flurry of Bombshell Bills into the air, the super-fast projectiles punching holes into Funky's plane while the dragonic Dogadon blasted Diddy out of the sky wit his fiery breath. While the Kongs were smart enough to wear parachutes, they were then ensnared by Cookatiel's mighty talons and immediately turned them over to Bowser Jr. Chained and shackled by their arms and hanging from the main mast, they were now undergoing torture of the worst kind.

"Ahahahahaha! Stop it! S-STOP! I can't take it anymore!" the smaller ape thrashed around violently. "Y-y-you're a monster!"

Bowser Jr. held a long pole with an Ostro feather tied to the end, and had been using it to tickle their feet for the last ten minutes. "Hehehehehe, this is lots more fun than I thought it would be." he jeered, ignoring the pleas of his victims.

The surfer was silently relieved he had chosen Diddy instead, though still upset, "Super messed up, little dude! What do ya hope to get from pickin' on us?"

Diddy exhaled as the tickling stopped, taking a moment to catch his breath. "What's the big idea, anyway? It's bad enough you set our home on fire, but now you're holding us hostage!? We barely even know you!"

"My dad made an alliance with some B-List villains, and dealing with you flea-bitten apes was part of the deal. I was told to burn this place the ground and round up the locals."

Funky exchanged a confused look with his fellow prisoner. "Wait a second! You guys are doin' someone else's dirty work?"

Bowser Jr. smiled mischievously, revealing his one fang. "Yup, so don't go blaming me for everything that's happened to your stupid island. Some overweight Kremling and an ugly walrus were the ones who came up with the idea."

The smaller Kong thought for a moment before putting the pieces together, his eyes practically bulging out of his head. "It must've been King K. Rool and Frederik!"

"Sounds about right, though I don't bother rememberin' the names of morons. Speaking of which, what did you two call yourselves, again?"

Diddy scowled. "You're calling us idiots! If you and your dad are so smart, why haven't you ever beaten Mario!?"

"Shut up! Mario's a dumb bully who doesn't play fair!" Bowser Jr. scowled before resuming his previous torture.

The small ape struggled against his bindings, though all it did was cause him to dangle back and forth, while the iron shackles began chafing his wrists. "Ouch, these stupid things!" he glared defiantly at his tormentor. "When our friends rescue us, you jerks are gonna wish you never picked a fight with the Kong Family!"

Bowser Jr. ignored the struggling apes as he headed for the helm, preparing to guide the ship to the opposite side of the island. The other villains had warned him that the apes were not to be underestimated, and he didn't intend to upset the alliance when his father had worked to hard to bring the world's bad guys together. As he prepared to spin the wheel, a Red Magikoopa riding a broomstick boarded the craft, his demeanor frantic.

"What now!?" Junior grumbled, ignoring the panicked expression on his subordinate.

"We've got a problem, young master! Donkey Kong and his friends managed to defeat those Draggadons we sent to the southern shores!"

Diddy smiled confidently. "See, you losers! There's no way my pals would let some overgrown lizards trash our home."

"Be careful... I don't think it's a good idea; bein' rude to da guy that's holdin' us prisoner." the surfer ape shook his head.

"Quiet you!" the evil prince snapped, his annoyance quickly melting away. "Oh, you fellas don't need to worry. I've already got plans for your friends..."

"Young master?" the Red Magikoopa looked suddenly confused.

"What a bunch of dummies! You didn't seriously think we wouldn't have a backup plan." Bowser Jr. called out to the insectoid dragon hovering in formation beside his airship. "Hey stupid! Get your butt to the island's main harbor. Backup should be there soon to help!"

Dogadon blew smoke out of his nostrils, looking both annoyed and insulted. "Forget them! I'd rather roast those pea-brained apes all by myself."

The young Koopa glared daggers into him. "Just get moving!"

Exhaling a large cloud of smoke at his so-called commander, the dragon flew off into the distance. He was none too pleased with having to take orders from a child, but King K. Rool had made it clear that they were to cooperate until further notice. In addition, Dogadon knew the demented Kremling King would probably blame him should this plan fail, and had grown to fear the horrific forms of punishment that came with it. Last time he was chained down and tormented by Gnawties for a week. It had gotten so bad, that the mighty dragon had even developed an irrational fear of beavers.

Dogadon slowed upon reaching the harbor, taking a moment to survey the surrounding in search of his targets. With the forest still on fire, it would've been dangerous from the Kongs to hide within, meaning that they had to be somewhere on the beach. He easily found the unconscious Draggadons laying motionless in the sand, but there was no sign of whoever had defeated them.

The dragon grunted irritably after another minute of searching, angrily spewing fire at the jungle out of sheer frustration! "Cowardly primates... Where are you hiding!"

"Buy some glasses, you oversized cockroach!" an angry voice screamed out.

The wasp-like dragon looked up at the cliff behind him to find several of the Kongs gathered. Standing in front was the elderly Cranky Kong, who had just insulted him. The wizened ape wore a grouchy look while absentmindedly tapping his foot on the ground. DK, Tiny, Dixie, Lanky, and Candy Kong could be seen tinkering with a large catapult behind him.

The old curmudgeon tapped his walking stick on the ground. "FIRE!"

"You got it!" Donkey Kong pulled a large lever, sending a large number of TNT barrels flying from the device.

Dogadon opened his mouth in shock as the explosives collided with his body, the fiery onslaught blasting him from the sky like he had done to Diddy only minutes before. Landing on the beach, he could only watch as the Kongs tossed several more projectiles over the cliff, leaving the singed dragon laying motionless in an ever-growing crater.

"Stay there and suffer for a while, will ya?" Cranky glanced over the cliff, shaking his fist, before facing his fellow Kongs. "Quick and easy... That's how we did it back in my day!"

DK let out a cheerful laugh. "It was a pretty good idea, building a catapult here in case of an invasion... Wonder why I didn't think of using it?"

"Because you rarely think, period!" the old man thumped his son's head before facing the others. "It was my idea for you whippersnappers to prepare for the next invasion. Especially considering I had to get off my butt and help out when the Snowmads froze our island."

Tiny placed both hands on her hips. "Oh please, it was probably the most excitement you've experienced in years!"

"A man my age is supposed to be retired... NOT busting his hip to fix everyone else's problems."

"Lighten up, old-timer. Most of us were on vacation at the time." Lanky replied.

"That's beside the point!" The old man poked the end of his walking stick into the orangutan's foot, causing him to leap in pain. "Feh! I still say you youngsters spend way too much time goofing around to get anything productive done."

Dixie frowned at the old chieftain's complaints. "You're just lucky we had some ammo laying around, or this weapon of yours would've been useless."

"Who do ya think stockpiled the ammunition? It certainly wasn't my good-for-nothing son!"

Donkey Kong took the insult in stride, having long grown used to it. "At least we managed to stop the dragons, and we did most of it without using this thing." He casually flicked the hastily built catapult. "I'd say this was a success."

Cranky pointed accusingly into his face. "Oh yeah... Then why don't one of you self-proclaimed geniuses tell me where Diddy and Funky are right now?" The others shared equally confounded looks before practically jumping out of their fur. "Ya see what I mean?"

Dixie tried to see the aerial battle over the burning forest, but was unable to. "Oh my gosh, are they okay? You were with them earlier, right DK!?"

"Well, yeah I was." he sounded almost guilty. "They told me to head down to the beach and see if everyone managed to get out safely. That's the last time I saw 'em. Diddy said he could handle the situation without my help."

"They probably would've joined us by now if things went well. Something must've happened to them!" Tiny replied anxiously.

"No duh!" Cranky barked dismissively, stroking his beard. "The way I see it, those goons must've screwed up and let themselves get caught. Even worse, they're on the other side of the island, and we have no means of reaching them without Funky's plane."

"Well we can't just give up!" Dixie retorted, earning looks of agreement from the others. She looked around at her friends. "C'mon guys, there's gotta be something we can do."

A light bulb seemed to go off inside Donkey Kong's head. "I got it! Funky was working on some kind of experimental aircraft the other day. Maybe we could get the thing working."

"Oh no! I'm not riding in that hunk of junk!" Candy spoke up, surprising the others. "The thing didn't even have the wings attached yet, and he was still messing with the engine."

Lanky shrugged. "We could try to finish it ourselves."

"That would take too much time." Dixie pointed out. "Plus, we don't even know what really happened to the others."

"WAIT!" Tiny screamed to get their attention before gesturing across the beach. "What about the Airship those bad guys used to get here."

A murmur of interest swept through the group before Donkey Kong answered. "Um, how are we gonna get all the way up over there. This cliff is pretty high, but none of us can jump far enough to reach that flying crate."

Cranky scratched his chin, his gaze shifting from DK to the catapult, and then back again. A clever grin then formed on his wrinkled face. "I think I know the perfect way for us to do this..."

"You do!?" he smiled, before noticing the direction his father was looking Moments later he found himself sitting on the launch pad of the catapult. "Oh no! Why does it have to be me?"

"We need someone who can single-handedly capture the ship, and you happen to be the strongest of us all." Tiny reluctantly agreed with the old man's plan.

Candy rolled her sizeable hips around seductively. "A big, strong, hero like you wouldn't force a woman to take the risk, would ya?"

"I don't think we have any better choice, do we?" Lanky added. He wrapped his long arms around the lever as the girls helped adjust the angle of the device. "If there's anyone who can do this, it's you!"

"I guess that makes sense." Donkey Kong saw no reason to argue, though something was still nagging him. "Uh, Cranky... Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Not a clue!" the old codger exclaimed before swinging his arm forward, prompting the others to fire the catapult.

Flying through the air with his arms flailing around, the Kong's champion made a crash landing on the airship's main deck. He opened his eyes with a bewildered look upon realizing his butt hadn't been shattered into a million pieces. Standing up, he found the ground beneath his feet was surprisingly soft, only for his thoughts to be interrupted by a loud groan. Realizing he was standing on someone else, he slid off the large creature's back and onto the deck where he was greeted by a large number of angry-looking Goombas.

"Sorry dudes... My bad." DK held up both hands defensively.

A green-shoed red Paratroopa wearing a bucket on his head landed in front of the angry mob. "You'll be even more sorry once you face the Elite Trio!"

Standing behind the flyer were a single Goomba wearing blue pajamas and a green-robed Shy Guy carrying a magic wand. They advanced forward leading the numerous troops, causing Donkey Kong to step back and accidentally bump into the giant thing he had landed on only seconds ago. Standing many times the gorilla's height was a crown-bearing Goomba sporting a thick white mustache and a furious grimace.

"So you are the infamous Donkey Kong... A true displeasure to meet you!" Goomboss shouted even though he was mere inches away, sending spit into the ape's face.

"Say it, don't spray it." he waved his hand in disgust, the behemoth's eyes narrowing at the insult.

Leaping into the air, the mighty Goomba King tried to flatten the ape, but his target retaliated by meeting him in mid-air and landing a powerful punch in the giant mushroom's face, sending him flying over the side of the airship and into the waters along the coast of Donkey Kong Island. Several of his fellow minions ran over to the edge and stared in disbelief, their unwanted guest using the distraction to send several more of his enemies spiraling into the ocean.

"He got the Goomba King!" Private Goomp screamed, prompting the others of his species to charge at the ape.

"Nothing personal, but I need this ship." the large ape performed a ground pound, the backlash sending his attackers scattering. "You guys are in way over your heads. Maybe we could settle this peacefully? That way I don't gotta pound your faces in."

"Beating this meathead's a one-way trip to promotion city!" Sergeant Guy screamed, firing off a series of magical blasts from his scepter.

DK feinted sideways to avoid the assault. "Guess you're not giving me much of a choice."

Donkey Kong grabbed Private Goom and used him as a shield before throwing him at the green Shy Guy, who buckled under the weight and fell over. Corporal Paraplonk flew around in circles before dive bombing their shared foe who retaliated by generating a shockwave with a clap, causing the aerial trooper to retreat into his shell. DK casually tossed the withdrawn turtle over his shoulder. His comrades were just about to stand back up when they were bowled over by Paraplonk's flying shell, the trio plummeting over the side like Goomboss had done.

Shuffled past the unconscious enemies, the triumphant Kong grabbed onto the helm and steered the rickety craft over to the cliff where his friends were waiting, dropping a rope ladder over the side and allowing them to board. Once the others had joined him on deck, they took a minute to observe their surroundings, the group's lone orangutan ducking below deck.

"We ain't here to go sightseeing!" Cranky barked at the others before joining his son at the helm. He prodded an unconscious Goomba with his stick before scowling. "What took you so long to get back here, anyway? These rotten chestnuts too much for ya?"

"I'd like to see you do better, old-man."

"I could've if I were even ten years younger. Anyways... It would've been better if you had brought this thing a little lower so we didn't have to scurry up a rope."

"How am I supposed to know how this pile of junk works!? This was your plan, wasn't it?"

"Maybe we should have come up with a better idea." Dixie interjected, earning a frown from the two alpha males.

Cranky shuffled over to the others. "I didn't see you people come up with anything better." he sighed. "Anyways, we don't have time for this nonsense... I thought up the plan, now you kids figure out how to work this thing so we can save the others!"

Tiny walked by with a Goomba under each arm. "What do we do with these guys?"

Lanky emerged from the lower cabin. "I saw some cages down there. We should probably lock 'em up."

As the Kongs prepared their next move, they were unaware that a single yellow-robed Magikoopa had been keeping tabs on the situation from a distance. Using his broomstick, he quickly flew off to deliver an update to his superiors.

-Meanwhile- Timber's Island

On the other end of the DK Archipelago sat a another large island consisting of several varied landscapes and climates. To an outsider it would've appeared an amalgam of forest, wasteland, artic, and a medieval town. Living here were some of the rarest species in the Mushroom World, including several sapient animals seen nowhere else. It was home to several of Diddy Kong's friends, specifically a small anthropomorphic tiger for which the island was named.

It was here that the duo and several friends had defeated the evil Wizpig, using their mastery of vehicles and a number of gadgets to outrace and outmaneuver the gigantic alien conqueror. Life had continued peacefully for many years following the tyrant's defeat, but in a matter of hours, the terror from this tumultuous times had returned in force, and it had brought worse along for the ride.

Following Bowser's scheme, the diabolical swine had returned in order to exact his revenge, and his spaceship could be seen hovering ominously over the island. Without the pretense of racing, Wizpig and his allies had swarmed the island, and were capturing everyone they could find without mercy, the poor locals now sitting inside pressurized tubes aboard the villain's interplanetary cruiser. Timber was among the captured, along with a gray badger named Bumper, and his rooster friend Drumstick, the latter of which was wearing a pair of overalls.

"Let me out of here!" Timber beat his hands against the transparent walls.

Several X-Nauts were standing guard, though only one bothered to answer. Sir Grodus stepped through the door leading into the prison hold, his staff held aloft. "Escape is futile, so don't bother trying."

"I'll peck my way out of this thing!" Drumstick hammered the glass with his beak before recoiling, his eyes spinning as the impact reverberated inside of his head. "Remind me never to do that again..."

"No one said you should had to begin with." Bumper replied simplistically.

"GAAACK ACK ACK ACK ACK!" Sir Grodus let out an odd laugh. "Insolent beasts, these capture pods were developed by the finest scientists in my employ. Such mediocre strength had a 0% chance of shattering them."

The young tiger directed his attention to the enemy leader. "Why are you creeps helping Wizpig? The people of this island haven't done anything to you!"

"Naive boy, I honestly couldn't care less about that hog, or the state of your insignificant home. We have big plans for this world, and once you tiresome do-gooders are taken care of, no one will ever stand in our way again!"

Timber felt sick to his stomach, though his thoughts returned to the Kongs living several miles east. "Someone will stop you! My friends will..."

"Those miserable baboons on Donkey Kong Island have some troubles of their own right now. Soon they will be joining you and countless others who were injudicious enough to have crossed us."

Bumper looked confused. "Wait a second... Who's this 'us' you keep talking about?"

The alien leader responded by shooting a blast of electricity from his staff, the energy passing through the glass and zapping his target. The badger's body shook violently before he passed out, sloping limply against the side of his prison tube.

"You hurt my friend!" the young tiger began angrily pounding the walls again, only to receive the same treatment as his companion. The rooster quickly fell silent, not wanting to be made an example of like the others.

Sir Grodus turned and began heading for the exit. "Coming here was a waste of time!"

A black clad Elite X-Naut followed closely behind. "Didn't you say we had to cooperate with Bowser's plot."

"I never expected he would squander our talents on such a pointless mission."

"Excuse me, sir..." the soldier replied, looking slightly uncertain.

"After all this time, we were finally able to rebuild my body. Instead of pursuing that accursed Mario and his princess, we've been tasked with assisting an ugly swine take his revenge on an island of talking animals." Grodus tapped his scepter on the ground before noticing someone was missing. "Where is Lord Crump?"

"He's still patrolling the island, looking for the remaining people on the list." the Elite X-Naut answered.

"I should've expected as much..." he grumbled to no one in particular.

On the island below, several X-Nauts were combing every inch of the island they could find. Sitting on a newly erected throne in the center of the island, Wizpig oversaw the operations personally after ensnaring the guardians of each region. A quartet of animals consisting of a Triceratops, Walrus, Octopus, and Dragon were trapped in cages at the foot of his throne. During his previous visit, the conqueror had hypnotized them into serving him, though with the resources provided by his new allies, it was not necessary.

"This is what ya get for being useless to me the last time, right boys!?" The swine cackled. "Not like I need ya... The measly worms barely put up a struggle without their fancy machines."

Trapped inside a strange barrier behind the throne was an anthropomorphic blue elephant genie whose job it was to watch over the island. Taj was a benevolent guardian who had been deposed by Wizpig once before, and now it had happened again. Several metallic X-Yux floated around the prisoner, projecting a barrier. The X-shaped robots were created by the X-Nauts and normally used to create defensive barriers, but when several gathered together and reversed their functions, they could create an nigh-impenetrable containment field.

"How's it hangin', blue boy?" the alien tyrant greeted, his evil grin widening.

Still injured from his brief battle with Wizpig, the elephant took a moment to sit up. "It would be much better if you hadn't come back here."

"This is what you worms get for spoiling my fun." Wizpig's jovial expression changed to one of pure malice. "Do you morons have any idea how long I was stranded in space after my rocket crashed into that asteroid!? It was absolute torture!"

"You lost the race to my friends fair and square. It was your own fault for losing control of that poorly built craft." Taj stated defiantly.

The pig sorcerer raised his hand, causing lightning to shoot down from the sky. A surge of electricity shot through the genie's body. "Like it, huh? Those weirdoes I brought along developed a one-way barrier so I can have my fun without risking an escape. Who'd a thunk they'd be so useful?"

"Arrogant as ever, I see... Your overconfidence will be your defeat, just like before."

"Aw, shut up!" the alien raised a leg to stomp the prisoner, only stopping when he heard a familiar sound coming from the nearby trees.

The footfalls grew louder until Lord Crump emerged from the jungle, the dark-clad X-Naut riding inside of his trademark mecha. The Magnus von Grapple 2.0 was a very powerful piece of technology, equipped with projectile weapons, rocket fists, jet boosters for flying, and its sheer size made it a formidable foe even for the likes of Mario. The torso was shaped like a black box with a large yellow X emblazoned across and a blue number 2 stamped on the front.

"About time you came back... Did ya find the others!?"

Crump opened the dome atop his mecha to speak. "They tried attacking me with some poorly built contraptions, but I managed catch them without further trouble."

The robot dumped the contents of a sack in front of the pig's throne revealing two more of the locals. The first was Pipsy, a small anthropomorphic tan mouse wearing a red bow with white polka dots. Her fellow prisoner was named T.T. or a large living stopwatch with white hands and feet, the blue minute arrow on his face slightly resembling a mustache.

"Well, if isn't the little worms!" Wizpig pounded the ground with his foot, causing them to jump up and flee before being snatched up in the hog villain's giant hand. "With you guys, I've got the full set!"

"You captured the others!?" Pipsy squeaked in surprise.

"Look around!" The swine showed his two new prisoners the others in cages. He squeezed her harder before moving his face closer. "That annoying tiger's already been sent to the brig along with the chicken and badger. With you two caught, that's everyone on my list!"

She opened her mouth to say something else, only to be dropped at the monster's feet. "Run away!" T.T. shouted.

"I don't think so!" Crump whistled loudly, causing several dozen X-Nauts to emerge from nowhere and attack. The mob piled on top of the prisoners, binding and gagging them in less than a minute. "Take them back to the ship, and put them with the others!"

"Yes sir!" the X-Nauts shouted together before carrying away the duo like ants dragging food back to the colony.

Wizpig watched them go and laughed maniacally, the portly X-Naut boss joining in moments later. The capture of Timber's Island had been much easier than they had thought. While he had not managed to capture the Kongs, their was already another unit seizing the main island. As the alien conqueror sat back down on his mammoth-sized throne, the communicator inside the Magnus von Grapple 2.0 went off, prompting its pilot to scamper back to the cockpit. Lord Crump recognized the code and pressing a button, using the robot's technology to project a hologram of the screen, causing Bowser's face to appear before them.

The Koopa King growled impatiently. "You goons done yet, or what?"

"Oh, it's you..." the alien replied nonchalantly. "Not a single one escaped! The worms on our little list are being sent over as we speak."

"Sir Grodus is personally handling the situation. Once we've secured the rest of the island, it should only be a matter of time before our return." The X-Naut pilot replied.

Bowser groaned. "Whatever... Just hurry up and finish! I got another job for you lowlifes that's a million times more important."

Lord Crump leaned in expectantly. "Ah yes! There must be a reason why you contacted us?"

"Those filthy apes on Donkey Kong Island are getting to be a real pain in my tail. If your already done, provide some backup."

"Well why didn't ya just say so? I've been wanting to pulverize those monkeys from the beginning." Wizpig screamed wildly, his eyes bulging with excitement. His insane leer settled on the hologram. "Guess they proved a little too much for yer boys, eh Bowsie?"

"You wanna find out how bacon feels!?" the demon turtle clenched his fist angrily, only to be hung up on.

The X-Naut pilot exhaled before looking back at his collaborator. "Shall we do what he says?"

"I woulda done it, even if he hadn't asked!?" the alien pig responded, his gigantic form levitating into the air moments later. "This'll be fun!"

"You're planning on going alone?" he questioned,

"Tell your boss he's in charge of securing the remaining prisoners. Don't both waiting for me to come back... This won't take long!" With that, Wizpig shot into the air and flew off into the distance.

-Meanwhile- Evershade Valley

The Gloomy Manor was a simple haunted house, hardly different than the dozens of others around the world. Owned by famed ghost researcher Professor E. Gadd, he used the mansion as a base for studying the local spirits. He had briefly lost the building when King Boo shattered the Dark Moon, but thanks to Luigi's help, the pieces of the celestial body were secured, and the ghosts driven crazy by its absence returned to their peaceful selves.

Located in the west wing of the old building was a large room with a tile floor, littered with mysterious machines, several monitors covering the walls. The elderly scientist used it as his personal laboratory. A number of simple ghosts known as Greenies were providing some much-needed assistance, jotting down notes while they monitored the experiments going on inside the mansion.

Today the professor had also received a visit from several Boos, among which was a green-colored female wearing red ribbons. Conducting herself with an air of regality, she was much different than the more dangerous specters he normally encountered. She was accompanied by and elderly Boo with a gray mustache and a monocle, who appeared to be her butler of sorts.

"It's truly a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bow." E. Gadd held out a hand welcomingly, though his gesture remained unreciprocated.

She surveyed the room with a noticeable frown. "Hmmm... So you're that crazy lab coat who travels the world hunting our kind."

"My lady, where are your manners!?" the old attendant scorned.

"But of course... I should be thrilled to make the acquaintance of the man who appears in our children's nightmares."

Feeling an uncomfortable silence, the scientist bowed his head in respect. "My sincerest apologies for your discomfort, madam. Though, you are no doubt aware of the animosity that has existed between the local races and ghosts for many years."

Lady Bow nodded grudgingly. "I am perfectly informed of the issue, thanks to the actions of our so-called leader. His cruelty continues to give a bad name to all spirits, not just Boos."

"Indeed! We heard from a mutual acquaintance that your greatest wish is to study the Boo species without worrying about such things, and believed it an excellent opportunity to help smooth relations between the living and the dead."

His mistress shook her head stubbornly. "I wouldn't be here if Mario hadn't suggested it."

The elderly Boo cleared his throat. "Good Madam, surely you would not wish to insult."

"It's quite alright. Compared to my usual experiences with ghosts, a little bit of verbal animosity is nothing." E. Gadd gestured for his Greenie workers to leave, the gaggle phasing through the back wall and floor. "Naturally I've studied ghost physiology in the past, but today, I was hoping to learn more about the culture of your species."

"Well I suppose those you've captured wouldn't be eager to talk about such trivialities." Bow began, her tone lightening a bit. "Of course, since a friend asked me for this favor, I'm intend to keep my word."

The professor pulled out a notepad and pen. "Excellent! I see no reason to remain here for the moment. Perhaps you spooktacular specters would like to step into the parlor for some tea?"

"It will be your pleasure..." she agreed with a satisfied smile.

E. Gadd led his guests through the side door and into the main foyer before ascending the central staircase leading to the second floor. Walking through the Master Hallway, they took the south door, which lead them to a cozy room lit by a small chandelier. A plush carpet covered the floor, upon which sat a series of tastefully upholstered chairs and a wooden table. A grandfather clock and an old phonograph created a rustic atmosphere, and many old portraits decorated the walls.

He sat down and rang a small bell, causing a single Greenie to materialize with a tray of tea and biscuits, which were immediately distributed among the group. Two more green ghosts set to work lighting the fireplace on the opposite wall before disappearing, leaving the professor alone with his guests once more.

Lady Bow held out her teacup, allowing him to fill it. She drank slowly before letting out a simple hum, signifying she approved of its flavor. "A decent combination of leaves, though I've tasted better."

"I'm glad you like it." he answered courteously, ignoring the backhanded compliment. "So tell me, are you really the princess of the ghost world?"

"Indeed, I am. Though please do not associate my clan with those savages of the main branch."

"The main branch?" the professor repeated, raising an eyebrow with fascination.

"It is as you say. The Boo species is commonly associated with misfortune and chaos. I'm certain Bootler could explain it better than I."

"I trust that would be you?" he turned to the other ghost, who bowed politely in acknowledgment.

"At your service." the elderly spirit introduced himself. "As you are no doubt aware, many ghosts of our kind are known for their blasphemous and mean-spirited fun. While Boos are naturally mischievous in nature, it does not mean that all of us seek to harm others. and all should not be judged by the actions of a few."

"Not everyone has the same outlook... I suppose that applies to ghost like it does everyone else." The researcher scribbled down some notes. "So, what were saying about different branches of a clan?"

Bootler stroked his mustache. "Long ago, there was a disagreement between among Boos. While many of our kind desired to spread misery, others sought to live peacefully among the other races. This resulted in a great divide, and when no compromise could be found, each side picked a different member of the royal family as their leader. Shortly thereafter, the clan split apart into different factions."

E. Gadd began writing furiously before shouting. "Ooyama! That certainly explains a lot."

"Having served the royal family for so long, I was among those who witnessed the schism, personally." The old attendant lowered his gaze as he remembered the details, taking a moment to wipe his monocle before continuing. "Lady Bow's mother took charge of the peaceful branch, and her people settled in Forever Forest and Gusty Gulch on the outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom."

"And the others?" the scientist pressed, leaning forward like a child waiting for desert.

Lady Bow scowled before her butler could answer. "The majority of the clan crowned my jerk uncle as the new king before they set out to terrorize the world. Several members of the chaotic faction even joined Bowser's Army."

"Unbelievable! Does that mean King Boo is your uncle!?"

The female ghost looked as if she were suppressing the urge to slap him, though her expression coupled with the silence that followed was more than enough confirmation. Now it all made sense why the species was usually associated with mischievous and downright evil behavior. Since learning from Mario that there were several living peacefully on the outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom, he had been raring to conduct research on these docile specimens. Now that he could, things were quickly spiraling in a new and interesting direction.

Bootler gently nudged his young charge before reluctantly affirming the scientist's claim with a nod. "My lady prefers not to speak of it."

"Who would!?" she snapped, causing him to shrink back. "We may be ghosts, but that tyrant is a real monster! I'm not proud to be related to someone who takes joy out of terrorizing innocent people. Even worse is that most of my people agree with his methods!"

She exhaled with an anguished scowl, though upon regaining her poise, she looked as if a very burden had been lifted. Professor E. Gadd scribbled on in silence, but said immediately for fear of upsetting his guest. Even after spending long periods of time researching ghosts in seclusion, he remained sharp as ever to the emotions of others. Whether they were good or bad, ghosts were still people.

"I apologize..." her regal exterior gave way for a second, though she quickly hid her face behind a golden fan.

"Her excellency has long despised the king's cruelty." her attendant explained sorrowfully.

Lady Bow fanned herself as if sweeping away the thought. "That wretched monster's actions are a stain on my family's name."

E. Gadd waved his hand dismissively. "Until tonight I wasn't sure if Boos were naturally bad or predisposed to it. Now I understand that they're no different than anyone else. On top of that, King Boo is apparently the one responsible for giving the entire species a bad reputation."

"Now if only the rest of the world would notice that." She frowned. "I've heard Boos live regular lives in some places, but more often than not the people see us and run away."

"In any case, what a marvelous discovery!" the professor clapped enthusiastically, stopping when he noticed her discomfort. "Please understand I didn't mean to be insensitive."

She gave him a clever smirk. "If your research helps other people learn more about us, than I'm happy to be a part of it!"

"Right then! Shall we continue?" he raised his pen to paper, only to be disturbed by a violent rumbling beneath. "What in tarnation was that!?"

Professor E. Gadd walked over to the nearest window, taking a moment to straighten his glasses before peeking out. Five dull green tanks were rolling across the lawn towards the Gloomy Manor, mole-like Rocky Wrenches popping out of hatches to survey the surroundings while a series of Spikes stationed atop the vehicles bombarded the house with iron balls. The latter species possessed a strange ability to regurgitate dangerous weapons at will, making them useful for prolonged battles.

"Looks like we've got some company." Bow glanced out the window. "I don't know about you, but we're getting out before they bring this house down."

"And you should as well." Bootler warned, casting a worried look at the now trembling scientist. He floated over, gently tapping the man on the shoulder. "Nothing to fear, old boy. We can help you escape if you just grab hold of my hand."

The ghost researcher shuffled across the room and began pushing on the grandfather clock, only to receive odd looks from the visitors. "C'mon, help me move this!"

"Why!?" the female Boo arched an eyebrow suspiciously.

Her manservant quickly helped the professor, the old-timers revealing a metallic control panel on the wall. Their host quickly punched in a complex series of numbers into the device, causing a large barrier to appear around the building. His guests exchanged confused glances before flying over to the window, watching in awe as the spiked balls and Bullet Bills bounced harmlessly off of the protective sphere.

Lady Bow blinked confusedly before turning back around. "What a bizarre old coot, you are...To think you were actually prepared for something like this!"

"Had a run-in with some evil Boos led by your uncle. Had to leave the mansion and hide in my bunker for a few days." The scientist replied with a confident smile. "I decided to equip this house with the same defense system, so it wouldn't happen again!"

"Are we safe?" Bootler questioned.

"So long as the barrier holds up... But since the enemies aren't ghosts, I don't know how long it'll last. I'll use the secret tunnel in the basement to escape, and it's probably safer if you two come along for the ride."

The noble Boo consulted with her butler for a moment before agreeing. "Lead the way..."

Professor E. Gadd led them down several flights of stairs into the basement of the Gloomy Manor where Luigi had fought the Grouchy Possessor, but beyond the creature's former resting place was an empty wall that opened to reveal a newly-built doorway. The trio entered the passage beyond, the scientist using a flashlight while his ghost companions did not require light to navigate the darkness. He tripped a hidden switch as they passed on through, sealing the entry shut behind him.

"Kinda creepy, even for a haunted house." Bow commented, noting a particularly large spider crawling on the ceiling.

Her longtime servant quietly appreciated the flickering shadows and cobwebs. "I for one think it would be an excellent idea to introduce spiders to Boo's Mansion. They certainly help darken up the place."

The professor stroked his chin pensively. "Seems like you ghosts have a certain love of the grim and the gaunt... Is that why the undead prefer older dwellings and dark places?"

"But of course." the Boo Princess replied. "Most spirits prefer an old world charm, and don't feel the need to have everything brand new. We find peace amidst the dark and the quiet."

"I daresay, the number of arachnids here is almost unnatural." Bootler commented, earning a chuckle from their host.

"The Gloomy Manor's basement is home to a spider queen who births countless children with each passing generation. I've been meaning to call an exterminator, but there's not too many people willing to work in a ghost-infested valley. One of the many troubles of being a ghost researcher is finding help when ya need it."

"It looks like the ghosts here do plenty to assist you." she reasoned.

"Those Greenies have been a blessing to this old man's studies. Evershade Valley is one of the few haunted locales where the majority of the ghosts are friendly towards outsiders, but that doesn't stop people from being afraid of visiting."

The elderly ghost made a frightening face, causing their host to jump slightly. "Well, scaring is what we ghosts do best."

"Oho, that's certainly true!" E. Gadd rubbed his chest to calm himself before accidentally hitting a door. "Well, it looks like we made it to the exit. Once we get out, you two can skedaddle back to wherever ya came from."

"What will you do?" Lady Bow questioned.

"I've got a custom-built craft that can travel faster than the average ghost can fly. It'll be perfect for making a quick getaway."

The two ghosts helped push open the door, the tunnel exit leading them into an open field a short distance away from the Gloomy manor. From here they could see the Koopa Troop tanks firing away at the barrier, the explosions only slightly muffled by distance.

"Phew, now all I gotta do is call my ride." The professor pulled out a remote control and pressed the button.

After his first encounter with Luigi, the researcher had created a number of successors to the Poltergust 3000, both of which were specially designed to act as both transportation in addition to ghost catching equipment. They were specifically named the Poltergust 3001 and Poltergust 4000. While the latter was designed as a land vehicle and used by Luigi as a kart for the big races, E. Gadd had given the 3001 model the ability to fly.

"There she is... My ride out of here!" he leapt up and down, pointing towards the sky.

The gigantic vacuum cleaner was bright red like the other models, but significantly larger and more powerful. The addition of rocket boosters and retractable wings afforded it the ability to soar through the air with the greatest pf ease. As the object flew closer, he noticed an unfamiliar silhouette sitting atop it, the moonlight revealing the shapely figure of a human woman clad in a purple top and pants.

"Who's that!?" Bow questioned, earning puzzled look from the scientist.

"Galloping ghouls! Who are you?" Professor E. Gadd noticed as she drew closer that the stranger was quite attractive, though he quickly pretended not to notice. "What're ya doing with my invention, lady!?"

"You can call me Syrup. I'm the captain of the good ship, Sweet Stuff..." She swayed her hips alluringly while dismounting the Poltergust 3001. "If you know what I mean?"

The ghost researcher took a step towards her. "Lookie here. I don't know how you managed to steal my machine, but it's pretty dangerous if you don't know how it works."

"Oh, I think I know how it works..." Captain Syrup pulled a lever on the side, a loud whirring filling their ears.

"Lady Bow, get down!" Bootler pushed his young charge away, the vacuum sucking him up like a plastic bag.

Professor E. Gadd jumped in the way of vacuum's suction, thrusting out both of his arms protectively. "Best flee while ya can, Ms. Bow... Don't let this be for nothing!" he screamed to the ghost princess, who hesitated for a moment before taking off into the skies.

Captain Syrup switched the machine into reverse, sending the old scientist spiraling backwards into a tree. He groaned weakly, only to be ambushed by a quartet of anthropomorphic ducks wearing sunglasses and pirate bandanas. The flightless birds leapt around like Hammer Bros. before throwing a net over the professor, who could only struggle weakly against the ropes. The Dangerous Ducks were her own elite troops, and she usually placed them in charge of guarding her treasures.

"You're with them, aren't ya?" he looked over at the enemies attacking his house before facing his captor. She bent over, playfully pinching his cheek.

"It doesn't really matter, does it? I came here to capture you and those ghosts." the female pirate mounted her stolen ride.

Trying to buy time, he quickly grabbed the topic and ran with it. "How'd you figure out how to use that, anyway? I didn't make my inventions with the intention that any schmuck could just waltz into my lab and take 'em for a joyride."

"You'll find I'm a pretty skilled inventor myself." The captain smiled in amusement.

Truthfully, she was rather skilled with technology compared to most fun-of-the-mill buccaneers. The female pirate had worked long and hard to distinguish herself among the countless other thieves and treasure-hunters around the world. She had constructed quite a few of her own inventions over the years, several of which were broken in fights with Wario. Among which were a large robotic henchmen, a powerful exoskeleton equipped with projectile weapons, and a personal hovercraft. This was all in addition to designing and constructing her own ships, and even several castles.

"You'll find I'm quite a bit more capable than this pretty face would suggest."

E. Gadd smiled. "Oh really, cause the other person you were supposed to catch is probably miles away from here by now!"

"What!?" Captain Syrup shot into the air atop the flying vacuum, glancing across the horizon and back towards the mansion before pounding her fists against the machine. "BOBO!" she hollered.

Her giant pet bird flying over to meet her. "You screamed, captain?"

Captain Syrup held up a picture of a certain ghost princess. "Find the Boo in this picture and bring her to me immediately!" She ordered, the bird grabbing hold of the poster with his talon.

"That will not be necessary, mistress..." a third voice rang out.

A round horned ghost with a wispy pointed tail and human-like arms appeared from the darkness. His half-moon shaped eyes and jack-o-lantern like mouth were alive with glee, and protruding from his stomach was a wallet emblazoned with the Black Sugar Gang's jolly roger, openly displaying his loyalty to Captain Syrup's notorious pirate crew. The wallet protruding from his stomach began wriggling around violently, as if someone were trapped within.

"And here I thought you were only good at nabbing treasure." the beautiful woman smiled like a feral cat, earning an evil cackle from her spirit henchmen. "I knew bringing you along would be useful, Zenisuki."

Bobo clicked his beak hastily. "Well done... Looks like you managed to save us the trouble of tracking her down."

The evil specter flinched as if he had been punched from within. "Argh! This little pest is giving me some serious indigestion. Mind relieving me of the burden, Mistress?"

Syrup activated the ghost-catching device as her ghost minion pried open the wallet clip and expelled Bow, the Boo Princess letting out a slur of insults as she was pulled into the device. "I'll make certain you receive a larger share from our next caper."

Zenisuki rubbed his stomach like a ravenous glutton. "I can hardly wait."

The female captain took out a communicator. "Attention all Evershade Valley units. This is Captain Syrup! The targets have been neutralized... All forces return to Bowser's Kingdom immediately."

Note to Readers: Everyone who reviewed... This chapter is my special gift to you! Writing long chapters is difficult, but knowing that people care enough to comment is one of the very best rewards a writer can receive.

This is especially true for me, since I write long stories and get paid absolutely nothing. Keep the comments coming, and I'll keep writing!

Character Reference Guide

Now for those who may be unfamiliar with certain characters, especially from Wario and Donkey Kong series games, I'll drop some notes. Pictures are easy to find using Google Search. For full details check out Super Mario Wiki.

- Kooper: One of Mario's allies from Paper Mario, he's a Koopa Troopa who wants to be an archaeologist. His childhood hero is the famed Kolorado, who he eventually decides to travel with following the end of the game.

- Goombario: Goomba who became Mario's first ally in Paper Mario. He was named after Mario and specializes in providing information. His attacks involve jumping and headbutting his enemies repeatedly.

- Lakilester: Lakitu and former member of the Koopa Troop serving Huff 'n Puff. He joins Mario in Paper Mario. His girlfriend is Lakilulu.

- Parakarry: Paratroopa Postman in charge of delivery mail in Mario's neighborhood, he appears as a partner in Paper Mario and specializes in aerial attacks. He reappears briefly in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.

- Lady Bow: Her Boo clan lives in peace within the borders of the Mushroom Kingdom. Appearing in Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, she has a slightly snooty personality and a clever wit. She attacks by slapping enemies, and her servant Bootler appears with her in both games.

- Cranky Kong: The original Donkey Kong who kidnapped Pauline in the arcade games, he is the father of the current Donkey Kong. He is the village chieftain and patriarch of the Kong Family, though has not reunited with Mario since in years. He first appeared under the name "Cranky" in Donkey Kong Country.

- Wizpig: Diddy Kong's nemesis from Diddy Kong Racing. He is a disturbed lunatic who once destroyed his home planet and turned it into an amusement park. He is a giant behemoth with powerful magic and formidable strength.

- Timber: Young Tiger who is friends with Diddy, he lives in peace on Timber's Island. When Wizpig attacked in Diddy Kong Racing, Timber called his Kong friends for help.

- Drumstick: Rooster wearing overalls who appeared in Diddy Kong Racing as one of the playable heroes.

- Taj the Genie: Elephant Genie who watches over Timber's Island. In Diddy Kong Racing, he was deposed by Wizpig.

- Pipsy: Female mouse who appeared in Diddy Kong Racing as one of the playable heroes.

- Bumper: Gray badger who appeared in Diddy Kong Racing as one of the playable heroes.

- Sir Grodus: Major antagonist from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. He is the leader of the Secret Society of X-Nauts, an extraterrestrial syndicate who captured Peach and sought to use her as a vessel to revive the evil Shadow Queen. Upon her return, he tries to command the ancient demon, only for her to destroy his body, leaving his still-living head behind.

- Lord Crump: Second-in-command to Grodus, he appeared as a recurring villain in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. He commands large groups of X-Nauts and usually fights by piloting a series of mechas known by the moniker, Magnus von Grapple.

- Captain Syrup: So far, the only recurring villain of the Wario series. She is a beautiful human pirate who is the ruler of Kitchen Island, and leader of the Black Sugar Gang. Wario pillaged her island in Wario Land: Super Mario Land, prompting her to steal back her treasure in Wario Land II, though he takes it back and manages to steal even more of her treasure in the process. She later helps him against an evil pirate named the Shake King in Wario Land: Shake It! only to nab the treasure once Wario does the dirty work.

- Zenisuki: Member of the Black Sugar Gang appearing Wario Land: Super Mario Land, he is a nasty thieving ghost. Was thrashed by Wario while trying to stop the greedy antihero from looting Captain Syrup's island.

- Bobo: Giant bird who guards Captain Syrup's pirate ship, he was defeated by Wario in Wario Land: Super Mario Land and again in Wario Land II.