Chapter Five- A Power Harnessed
Bowser strolled the castle's empty halls, glancing proudly at the magical paintings he and his minions had set up in strategic locations. He enjoyed his new fortress. It was like a private museum, and its vast emptiness evoked feelings of barrenness and isolation, which made the great Koopa king feel very nostalgic. But most important of all, the magic portals granted him a convenience that most military minds only dreamed of. At a whim, he could walk from his fortress in the Artic to a battlefield in the south, as well as transfer much needed reinforcements with little delay. He felt like the war was already over; in fact, he was trying to resist the urge to break out the fireflower cigar he had saved for the imminent victory. He entered the room with the great mirror, examined himself and stroked the red hairs on his head, then looked at the cigar. With a huff, a flame leapt from his mouth and lit the end of the cigar. The war was over, he reasoned. What was left now was a simple reconstruction campaign. It was all clean up.
With a puff of his cigar and a gaze into the mirror that sank past his reflection, Bowser recalled the sweet moment when he encountered Luigi and Yoshi, briefly, before they were imprisoned. They had been suspended in the air in a rather ridiculous manner, while Bowser gazed up at them, laughing from the depths of his abdomen.
"Well, if it isn't Luigi, and his fat, little pack-animal!" boasted Bowser. "You know, I got this castle very easily. You hardly put up a fight! That's a shame. I'm almost disappointed. I'm sure the Princess would be, too, if she weren't imprisoned in a sort of netherworld."
"Mario will come," Luigi said defiantly. Yoshi looked at him, but appeared to be too frightened to say anything.
"I don't doubt that," responded Bowser, "but you see, I have the Power Stars now. And with all that power put to use, the castle is now a labyrinth of sealed doors and illusionary traps. I can't wait to see Mario frantically try to catch up with me. Sure, Mario will come. But don't count on him getting past this."
Bowser held up a single Power Star. It was light enough for him to balance it by a single tip on his finger. Luigi stared at the bright relic for a long time, as if unsure whether to trust his eyes. Then he turned his head away and closed his eyes. The Stars were lost. The Princess, it seemed, had been captured for nothing.
"I'm sure you'd like to know what's next," said Bowser, after putting the Star away. "And I can tell you, at the very least. What happens next is the complete destruction of the Mushroom Kingdom. I will attack it from every possible end, and it will all come from this castle. Unfortunately, you will not be able to see that happen. I have arranged very appropriate prisons for you both, and you will remain there until I feel like letting you out. So long!"
Bowser had an escort of troops lead each of them into certain doors, where they would each eventually be taken to a magic portal. He watched them go with a grin.
With a new boost in morale, Bowser and his troops made quick runs through each of the portals. In each location, he gave a handful of Stars to the one in command and trusted them to put the Stars in secure places. He remembered Hazy Maze Cave the best. When the Snifit foreman received six very bright Power Stars, his joyous expression could be seen even with the gas mask.
"Those are not yours," Bowser said sternly. "You must find safe places for them. If you even think about embezzling those precious Stars, I will make sure that you suffer every worldly anguish before you are killed."
"Don't worry about these," the foreman said with a giggle. "In a place like this, you'd have no problem finding a good hiding spot!"
He next traveled to the Dire, Dire Docks, which branched off from a lake that no one else in the world even knew existed. It was then he learned that the submarine Chieftain was already patrolling the seas. He was glad, albeit slightly disappointed at not being able to see the submarine fully functional. He dropped off a handful of Stars and departed to the next location.
Most of the rest of the Stars he delivered from aboard his flying ship. Dubbed Chieftain II, it was twice as long as a normal flying ship, and thrice as equipped. The Paragoomba named Mercury showed him around the ship, boasting about its many unprecedented features. Bowser followed along with bemused interest. He was most concerned with the fascinating view he had of the countryside, which he vowed would soon be his. Along with the mountains, in which he had several military bases, the entire kingdom's terrain would surely be his.
He recalled all this in the mirror room, smoking his pipe and enjoying those recent memories as one enjoys a book. When the memory reel was finished, he smiled at his reflection. He looked down at his cigar and discovered that he had burned away the entire length. With a shrug, he popped the cigar butt in his mouth and swallowed it whole, sighing with relief as it warmed his innards.
The door to the mirror room burst open, and a tiny Koopa troopa scurried inside. It jumped in place and waved its arms, frantically begging for Bowser's attention as if it didn't already have it. "King Bowser! King Bowser!" the little Koopa squeaked. "Something has happened! Something… very, very… goodness! Have you burned someone alive in here?"
Bowser looked at the pile of ashes at his feet. He blew it into the messenger's face, then folded his arms and tapped his foot. "What do you want?" he growled.
The little Koopa coughed and wiped the soot out of its eyes. "Well, err, Mario has penetrated the castle, my lord. And he…"
"I know Mario's in the castle," Bowser snapped. "Did you come to insult my intelligence?"
"Um, no," stammered the Koopa. "He's penetrated the castle, and… uh, recovered a Power Star."
Bowser's eyes narrowed to slits. He furrowed his fiery red eyebrows. He opened his jaws slightly, just enough to allow one razor-sharp tooth to slip out. The Koopa stared up at him with fearful eyes; its knees banged together. Then with a shriek, it retreated into its shell.
Bowser ignored the Koopa. He stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. The Koopa peeked out of its shell, glancing from side to side to see if the giant Koopa was still there. All of a sudden, it caught sight of its reflection in the mirror, and with a gasp, it scurried out the door.
Luigi walked at the tip of a Koopa's spear, a prisoner in the place that had been his sanctuary for so many years. The red Koopa troopa poked and jabbed, eager to incite rage in Luigi so it could get some actual combat experience. But Luigi simply ignored it.
"Bowser's gonna be king of the Mushroom Kingdom, you know," the Koopa blurted suddenly, as they came into the hall to the courtyard. "And when that happens, you're gonna be shining my shell."
"I hope that does happen. Then I'll be able to see myself in your shell as I come down on it," Luigi retorted.
The Koopa only snickered. It kicked open the door to the courtyard and pushed Luigi outside.
"What are we doing here?" Luigi asked, blinking at the sun.
"It's a surprise." The Koopa snickered some more and gave Luigi another jab.
Luigi turned his gaze toward the fountain in the center of the courtyard. This was the secret entrance to the shelter below, this simple sculpture of a Star. Below the Star, there was a plaque. Its words were entirely unintelligible, and could only be understood by those who knew what it said. Oddly enough, it was these words, spoken verbally, that were the magic words to open the entrance.
He remembered the day he and Mario had finished building the fountain. It was a beautiful day, and Peach had come into the courtyard with her light summer dress and pink umbrella. She looked at the Mario brothers, covered in sweat and grime, and laughed. It was not an insulting laugh, and the Mario brothers did not take it as such. Peach always marveled at how different they were from her. Their down and dirty manners were what made her love them so very much.
"Your fountain is finished, Princess." Mario said. He removed his cap, wiped his brow with his sleeve, and pulled the cap over his eyes.
Peach looked at the shining new sculpture, a large Star with bold tips. Her eyes trailed down to the wide basin, which the plumbers had filled with water from the castle. "Does it work?" she wondered.
"Does it work?" Luigi exclaimed. "Princess, remember: we are plumbers first, construction workers second! Of course it works! Hey, Mario, turn it on, will ya?"
Mario shook his head as he kneeled down and removed a tile from the side of the base. "Yeesh," he grumbled. "With an order like that, you'd think he was the dominant brother. Oh, well. Here we go!"
Mario dipped his hand into the hole and twisted a switch. Some hidden mechanism was put into place, the complexities of which Peach had no understanding. All she knew was that it worked; a swishing sound came from the depths of the fountain as water rushed to the top, dispersing into a cascade of falling drops. The liquid continued to rise. The fountain's flow, a blue geyser sparkling in the sunlight, had been established.
"Oh, it's lovely," gasped the Princess. "It makes the courtyard really worthwhile. You can hardly tell now that this castle used to belong to Bowser."
The Mario brothers did not take the reference to Bowser lightly. "Princess," Mario said, "I'm glad you like the fountain, but it has much more significance that just decoration."
Peach didn't seem to be listening. She had walked to the side of the fountain, and was staring up at the gray Star's spraying tip. She looked down into the basin, into her rippling reflection. She removed a glove and dipped a hand into the cool water, drew it out and rubbed her fingers together.
A gentle hand was placed on her arm. She looked into Mario's eyes, which appeared entirely too solemn for a day like this. "Princess, you must understand us. This is very important. Below this fountain is a shelter that we, and some workers from Toad Town, have been designing for the past year and a half."
Peach frowned. "What?" she said softly.
"It's part of the castle's new security system," Luigi put in. "And it's for your safety. We do not know when Bowser might strike next, but we want to be prepared. This shelter has several entrances and exits. We need you to know what they are."
Mario nodded. "We need you to know everything about the castle's security system. I know you want to show strength as the leader of this nation, and I applaud that. But there are times when you would need to retreat, and this is strictly for those times."
At a nod from Mario, Peach turned to look again at the fountain. Suddenly, it had new meaning. The Star's expression meant something else. And the plaque… she discovered, then, that in her fascination with the fountain's splendor, she had not noticed the plaque underneath it. She bent to read the engraved words, but in the sun's brightness, could not make them out.
"This entrance's security is based on magic," Mario explained. "Those words are enchanted. They mean nothing to those who don't know what they mean. All you need to do to get into the shelter is say the words on the plaque."
Peach turned toward him with a puzzled expression on her face. "And those are…?" she asked.
Luigi cleared his throat. He took a step away from the statue, and exchanged nods with his brother. Then, in a stern voice, he proclaimed, "The Eternal Star, Reveal Your Secret."
The geyser trickled to a stop. Water was drained from the basin, and the sculpture itself split in two and fell to the sides, revealing a dark hole. Curious, Peach stepped into the empty basin and looked into the hole. There was a platform made of metal mesh, which she concluded was an elevator.
"Those are the magic words," Mario said.
Peach looked up at the sky. "The Eternal Star," she whispered. "Reveal Your Secret."
Mario nodded. "Remember them well, Princess."
Jolted from his reflection by a jab with a spear, Luigi looked over his shoulder at the distant fountain, its features wearing away, its purpose now long departed. He squeezed his eyes shut, disappointed by the Princess's final act of defiance by unsuccessfully trying to save the Stars.
"Hey, you," the Koopa said gruffly. "Stand over here."
Luigi looked up. The Koopa's finger was pointed at a spot of grass. Nearby was a small cage with thin, closely-knit bars. He walked over and stood with his feet apart, a short distance from the cage.
"What is this?" he wondered. "A bird cage?"
"More or less," said the Koopa. "Farewell!"
A swift kick to the behind sent Luigi flying forward. He felt as if he would soar over the cage and hit the nearby wall; rather, the cage began to grow around him. The bars grew fat, the gaps became wide, and a small object that had seemed insignificant before was now a huge mansion. The giant world above disappeared, and all there was in the sky was a sea of black clouds. He slipped through the bars, flying as fast as ever straight toward the mansion.
With a cry, Luigi smashed through a yellow window and came to a landing on hard floorboards. He coughed forcefully as dust filled the air. He stood up, rubbing his eyes against the darkness. His knees began to shake. With no warning, he had been propelled into his worst nightmare: a dark, abandoned house.
Childish laughter echoed from the darkness. Luigi spun in circles, looking for a sign. His ragged breaths came out as white clouds of mist in the cold air.
"Welcome… to our house…" The voices called playfully from every direction. Luigi gritted his chattering teeth.
"Hello?" he shouted with a shaky voice. "Is anyone there?"
Laughter enveloped him again. Suddenly, he felt a current of air sweep his left side. He spun with his fists in front of his face, but was met only by more laughter. The air brushed against him again. He turned around, but by now, was completely disoriented. With a moan, he backed away into further darkness, hoping that the voices would fade as he went.
Then the laughter stopped. He paused, turning his head, trying to pick up any noises, but there were none. It seemed as if he were alone. Then a white light began to grow behind him. He jumped a half circle, and found himself face-to-face with a ghost.
"Boo."
His scream echoed throughout the mansion, as did the laughter that ensued, and all noise reached past the bars of the cage into the courtyard of the castle.
Golden sand dunes rolled beneath the flying form, separated from the blue sky by a shimmering line on the horizon. For miles, there had been nothing but sand to be seen. But the flying form was in search of something, and it would not stop until it found it.
"Just a little farther in this direction," the vulture cawed. "I can smell it… ah yes, I do."
Yoshi, whose thin arms were held in the vulture's talons, hung limply above the shifting desert, trying his best to blink the sand out of his eyes. He had never really minded the wind before. But in the desert, he quickly discovered, the slightest breeze could lift enough sand into the sky to make a flower wither. Being imprisoned didn't seem so bad now… as long as it meant he could be out of that horrible desert!
He looked up at the vulture. The blazing sun turned the vulture's big head into a sharp-featured shadow, and it made the neck a twisted, dead branch. He swallowed hard. This was the first time he had seen a vulture. He hoped it would be the last.
"So," Yoshi rasped. The dry desert air had irritated his throat. "You say Bowser had you take me all the way out here in exchange for some raw meat? Meaning… you eat meat?"
"That's right," said the vulture.
Yoshi swallowed again. "Does that mean, ah, you could eat me, if you wanted to?"
"Yes, if I wanted to. But, you see, there's something about rotten meat that makes it special. It tastes sweeter than fresh meat. Maybe it's because it's so satisfying to be able to eat something you didn't have to kill. Or maybe it's like wine… it gets better as it ages. In any case, no, I wouldn't eat you if I had to kill you. But if you happened to die out here, then… wait, here we are."
Without warning, the vulture began to dive. The drop was so quick that it made Yoshi feel like his stomach went into his throat. He yelped, and struggled to steal a glance at the destination. It was a pyramid, surrounded by quicksand pits. The vulture stopped its descent above the pyramid and hovered there, waiting for something.
From the shroud of dust hovering over the ground, a flying Shyguy lifted itself up until it was level with the vulture. It gave the horrid bird a quick salute, thankful that its mask hid its look of repulsion.
"I welcome you on behalf of King Bowser to 'Shifting Sand Land,'" the Shyguy said. "I take it this is… the prisoner?"
"Yes, yes," croaked the vulture. "Now, would I have to take the prisoner all the way back, in case he was released? That's a very bothersome trip, you know."
"No, no," said the Shyguy with a wave of his hand. "I spoke with the king, and even though the castle's out of paintings to hex, he agreed to create a portal somewhere in the castle."
"Good," said the vulture. "Now, where's my reward?"
The Shyguy shrugged. Again thankful for the mask, he flew down below the shroud of dust and came up with a gigantic flayed leg clouded with buzzing flies. He tossed it toward the vulture, which caught it in its beak.
"Ah… delicious!" cried the vulture. With that, it released its grip on Yoshi, who fell shrieking into a chute on top of the pyramid, and faded into darkness.
Elsewhere in the world, the Mushroom Kingdom was beginning to crumble. Toad Town had already fallen. Caught completely by surprise on its most beloved holiday, Toad Town had only time to assemble a small militia before it was overwhelmed by Koopa troops. Led by the mayor himself, the militia took up whatever arms it could. Most wielded blunt objects like shovels and broomsticks. Others were lucky enough to get their hands on Mushrooms and Fireflowers.
As Koopas flooded the town square, the mayor turned to his men and gave a few short words of advice. "Aim for their heads if you can," he said. "If you can't, try to throw yourself on their shells. The shells don't crack easily, but they don't respond well to a sudden strong hit. That usually knocks them clear out of their shells. Remember: we are not trying to win this battle. We simply want to buy the others time enough to escape into the mountains."
The others nodded. Many of them were only boys, and very frightened. The oldest, an apprentice baker, tried to offer the young ones words of encouragement. The mayor gave the baker a nod, then turned toward the Koopas.
The battle was to be decided solely on sheer number. The Mushroom militia might have won otherwise; a good number of Koopas had been defeated. But for every Koopa squashed, another three took its place. Then when reinforcements came from above, the mayor had no choice but to retreat.
The retreat into the mountains was cut off. A flying ship landed in a narrow valley, and out came hundreds more Koopa soldiers. Many helpless civilians tried to scramble up the steep mountainsides, but were cut down. When the survivors were rounded up, the flying ship departed for the base in the Artic, where they would be kept prisoner.
Another flying ship, meanwhile, went farther into the mountains, seeking the next town to destroy. It happened across a place called Choco Hills. The town was caught completely by surprise, even more so than Toad Town. Nevertheless, the flying ship attacked brutally. Cannonballs rained down on the streets, destroying buildings and smashing windows. This bombardment did not last long. The captain of the flying ship noticed a dam nearby, and acted on a sudden and sadistic idea. With a couple of shots from its cannons, the flying ship destroyed the dam, and the town was quickly flooded.
Miles from the flooded valley, a submarine was launching torpedoes on a sleepy dock called Jolly Roger Bay, obliterating whole ships and even dockside houses. These targets were of no military value, but the captain, in need of battle and receiving none, decided to terrorize the seashore.
He soon got his wish when reports came in of a sole ship from the Mushroom Navy making a stand. It had been attacking the flying ships, desperate to take back the Power Stars. It had actually succeeded in destroying a flying ship, and was believed to have recovered several of the Stars.
The captain responded by suggesting for the remaining flying ships to chase the Mushroom ship into Jolly Roger Bay. They did so; soon after, the Mushroom ship emerged from the fog, smoking black from severe damage. The captain ordered for a miniature torpedo to be launched. This half-powered torpedo glided through the water into the ship's underside. From the periscope, the captain watched as the torpedo blew a hole in the side of the ship. He smiled as it began to sink to the floor of the bay.
In the Mushroom Kingdom, it appeared as if all attempts to resist the Koopa army were futile. But appearances could be deceiving…
The Big Bobomb watched the battle between the Bobomb armies from atop the hill. The battlefield was scorched and filled with frenzy fighting, yet the outcome was clear. The day would undoubtedly belong to the black Bobombs.
He looked down at the Star in his hand and chuckled. He remembered the feeling of sheer joy he had experienced when he received that Star. Just as things had been going so well, a flying ship dropped from out nowhere, with reinforcements and a secret weapon that was to die for. The Paragoomba, named Mercury, had dropped a treasure chest at the Big Bobomb's feet.
"Hullo! What's all this?" the Big Bobomb had exclaimed.
The Paragoomba had grinned and said, "It's a holiday, you know. That chest is Bowser's gift to you." And then the flying ship had departed.
The Big Bobomb had eagerly opened the treasure chest, only to be blinded by the light of six Power Stars. Quickly, he gave five to his minions to be put in safe places, but kept the sixth one firmly in his grip. It felt like a good luck charm… as if he even needed good luck.
He snapped back to the present, dropped his hand and looked up at the sky. He raised an eyebrow, listening. Then with a cry of outrage, he stomped a half-circle and looked to see who was walking across the top of the hill. It was a little human, with a red cap and a black mustache.
"Who the blazes are you?" the Big Bobomb said.
The little human stopped walking and put its hands on its hips. "Who am I?" he cried. "It's me, Mario! Who are you?"
The Big Bobomb's fists shook at his sides. His innards boiled with rage and his mustache twitched. Such insolence! Such lack of respect in front of a figure of royal status! "Who am I?" he roared. "I am the Big Bobomb! Lord of All Blasting Matter! King of ka-booms the world over! How dare you scale this hill and challenge me!"
"Your reign is over," Mario said. "I'm taking the Star, one way or another."
"A duel, then?" said the Big Bobomb. "Very well. I would have required it of you anyway, for simply disrespecting my authority. Let it be a match of power. Brute force, if you will. Could you knock me off this royal turf? I think you cannot!"
The Big Bobomb stomped his foot, causing the ground to shake. Mario quickly recovered his footing, then stood waiting for his enemy to make the first move. The enemy took the gambit, and began running toward the plumber. But with all his weight, the Big Bobomb traded his speed away for power; his run was merely a heavy trot. Mario waited for him to come near. Then when the Big Bobomb took a swing, Mario dodged and flipped nimbly over the enemy's shiny head.
The Big Bobomb grunted in surprise. He tried to turn his massive body around, but soon found that his feet weren't touching the ground at all! The human had actually lifted him off the ground!
"Why, you!" the Big Bobomb stammered. "Unhand me! This isn't proper fighting, it isn't!"
"You didn't forbid it," Mario grunted. "And pitting a gargantuan bomb against a tiny human isn't proper fighting, anyway. Here we go!"
Mario threw the massive bomb forward. It wasn't a great throw, but the momentum was enough to be fatal. The Big Bobomb crashed into the ground with a heavy thump, shaking the hill down to its foundations. He howled in pain as his metal body cracked. Mario watched his fallen enemy, gasping for air and sweating bullets. He waited for the enemy to stand up. But when it didn't, he realized that the battle was over.
"I can't believe it," the Big Bobomb moaned. "You've defused the great Bobomb king. It is hard to believe that what appeared to be a victory from the beginning turned out to be a defeat in the end. Nevertheless, I will be true to my word. Here is the Star, as promised. But know this: if you plan to defeat Bowser, it will not be this easy. I am merely… a minion."
Then the Big Bobomb detonated, blowing bits of his body all over the battlefield and signaling his soldiers that the outcome was different now. When the smoke cleared, Mario saw the Power Star, resting in the resulting crater. Blackened by ash and filthy from the battle, he walked into the light of the golden relic and retrieved it in the name of the Princess.
From the ground, Rob and the captain of the RBD watched as the giant bomb exploded atop the hill. Rob shook his head and whistled.
"Amazing," he said. "It looks like we're not done for after all. I guess that explains why they call him Super Mario!"