Part 4:
Chapter 10: Fighting the Tin Man
-
It was obvious on where they had to go next. The Red Axem Ranger said that Smithy had only one star piece, and that meant the last star was at Bowser’s castle. The only problem was they don’t know how to get it. Mario, Maria and Peach left for Rose Town and Moleville to purchase and find even better weapons thanks to a few tips they have received.
Mario had climbed a vine to find a large troopa shell. Why would he need that? His own spiked shell was much stronger. Peach had purchased a large frying pan and Maria acquired a baseball bat, with spikes.
“Hey guys,” Mallow was there to greet them when he returned. “What did you get?”
“The girls found something that is good for smacking this Smithy upside the head,” Mario stared at the shell he carried. “I just got this.”
“I keep saying it’s a magical shell,” Maria said. “You probably have to drop kick it at the enemy. Kind of like what Pauline and I did when we fought against your soldiers.”
“I remember,” Mario scowled. He had no idea where he was going to go after this was over. Bowser may have welcomed him back, but there was no telling if the Koopa King was going to try and kidnap Peach again, or if he was going to cause harm to several innocent people, and there was the fact that Kamek was still at the castle.
“I have some good news,” Mallow said. “We have a ride to the castle.”
“How?” Peach asked.
“The Royal bus,” Mallow said. “It’s very fast and comfortable. We’ll be there within minutes.”
-
The ride was quick and Mario felt like he was riding a Lakitu cloud. All the pleasure and comfort of the ride was cut short when they reached the entrance of the castle. It was darker than Mario remembered it, and it wasn’t because of the stones and paint. It was covered with soot and some of the turrets were crowned with steel.
“What the hell has this guy done to our home?” Bowser stared at his castle with his mouth hanging open. “Come on troop. Let’s send this Smithy back home.”
“We don’t know what kind of henchmen this guy has,” Maria said.
“Maria is right,” Geno said. “We have to see what we are dealing with before we go barging on in.”
“Fine,” Bowser parted the doors and looked inside. “I’ll tell you what we are dealing with.” He sounded pleased. “We are dealing with my soldiers.” He pushed the doors open. “Great work—hey!”
“I don’t like that sound,” Mario caught up his former king and found himself also surrounded by Troopas, Goombas, Magikoopas and Hammer Bros. “What’s the deal?”
“Stop intruders,” the troops said in a dazed tone.
“What’s wrong with them?” Mallow asked. “They look like they are half asleep.”
“They do seem like they are sleep walking,” Maria agreed. “Or like zombie slaves.”
“That’s it,” Mario snapped his fingers. “They are under a spell.”
“Enslaving the minds of my soldiers to take over my castle?” Bowser growled. “How dare they?” He roared. Several of the troops blinked.
“What’s going on?” A Goomba asked.
“An interdimensional being has taken over the castle,” Mario explained. “We are taking it back. There is a bus near the entrance. Take it to Monstro Town. They have the numbers of the rest of the soldiers who are in hiding. Contact everyone and tell them we are taking back the castle.”
“Yes General,” the soldiers said and ran past them.
“You make me so proud,” Bowser grinned. “There is no doubt why you are one of my best generals.”
“We are not alone,” Peach pointed to the Magikoopa that was walking towards them.
“Uncle Kamek,” Mario snarled.
“Kamek,” Bowser shook his claws. “What is going on?”
“His mind might also be in slaved,” Mallow suggested.
“He is dead,” Maria raised her bat and ran up towards the wizard.
“Maria don’t,” Mario ran after her. “You don’t know the exact truth about your brothers.”
“You’re right,” Maria dropped the bat and jumped on the top of the old coot’s head. “Now we are going to talk.” She picked Kamek up by his collar and removed his glasses. “You son of a bitch.” She slapped his face repeatedly. “You asshole, you bastard. This is for my mother and father who can’t be here. You don’t know how much pain you put us through?” She was crying.
“Maria,” Mario grabbed her arm.
“They were my brothers.” She dropped him. “You killed my brothers.” She was shaking.
“No,” Kamek twitched. “He’s there.” He raised an arm and pointed at Mario.
“I think you hit him a little too hard,” Bowser said.
“We have to keep moving,” Geno said. “We can enter the factory after we have defeated Exor.”
-
The giant sword in question was asleep when they reached him. His left eye was twitching, while small droplets of drool had gathered in the corner of his mouth. The skull like pommel seemed to be staring at them.
“How do you fight a giant sword?” Mallow asked.
“You don’t,” the pommel blinked and the mouth twitched. Both of Exor’s large eyes opened. “It appears that I have some trespassers. Two of them are Koopas. Little lost Koopas, have you come to reclaim your home?”
“You bet,” Bowser pointed at him. “My people are coming back with an eviction notice for you.”
“You don’t say?” Exor blinked and a dark blob fell out of his right eye and right onto Bowser, a bolt of lightening struck Mallow.
Bowser growled and breathed fire on the right eye. Mario joined him and released his fire breath on the same eye. Maria and Peach struck their weapons against the left eye, followed by Mallow’s cymbals.
“Time this just right,” Geno said and held out his arms. “Geno Whirl.” The glowing disc shot out from his hands and struck the mouth of the sword. The mouth shriveled up before crumbling.
Exor shed a tear from each eye before it blinked again. Magic dust fell out of the right eye and turned Mallow into a scarecrow. A flaming stone fell onto Geno.
Mario kicked his new shell at the right eye while Bowser used more of his fire. Maria used some fire balls and threw them at the left eye. Peach struck the eye again with her frying pan.
Mallow waved his scarecrow arms around. A giant star fell from above and bounced around.
The sword shed two more tears before his eyes shattered. The skull like pommel had also darkened and fell of from the top of the handle. Mario waited for the sword to shatter. It didn’t, instead it appeared to be glowing.
“What happened?” Mallow asked. He had been turned back to normal.
“Exor has been destroyed,” Geno explained. “But the gate that connects the two worlds is still here.”
“Smithy’s gang is out of my castle,” Bowser let loose a sigh. “That means we can move back.” He turned around to face the others. “We have a lot of work to do.”
“You are correct,” Geno pointed to the light. “The factory will not be a picnic.”
“What factory?” Bowser asked. “I have to restore the damage that was inflicted on my castle.”
“If we don’t stop Smithy he will send more soldiers,” Geno said.
“You can’t remove the leafy green part of the weed and expect it to be dead,” Mario said. “And yes, we do get weeds in Dark Land.” He stared at the light. “Here goes nothing.” He ran towards it and was immediately flung up. He felt like he was flying. Every where around him he saw bright flashing colors. The flying sensation stopped and he found himself on cold black metal. For a factory it was cold, cold enough to make his skin burn. The air was filled with ash and soot and made his eyes water, and the smell, oh the horrid smell. It was the combined stench of machinery and grease and paint.
“I’m going to be sick,” Bowser covered his nose.
“If we don’t stop Smithy your world will be like this,” Geno said.
“How are we going to find him?” Peach asked.
“Six stars have been found,” Geno said. “The road is nearly complete and almost at full strength. The seventh one is calling out to them and I can sense it.”
“Smithy is with that seventh piece,” Maria said.
Geno nodded. “Follow me.”
-
“Someone must of stepped on a crack,” Mario said as he finished jumping on the factory director. “Cause I’m breaking your back.” He was sick and tired of the machines he had to fight. They came across a giant clock with several bells. There were the two soldiers who summoned their giant metal snakes when they were defeated the first time. They fought against drill bits and arrows and ninjas and a huge machine with an egg yolk like hot substance that burned singe marks in Mario’s shell.
“Are you done?” Bowser asked. “Because I want to jump on his back next.” The Koopa king had a few bleeding scratches on his arms and legs, a cracked horn and also singe marks on his shell.
“He’s done,” Mario stepped off him.
“Do you still have some of the good stuff, Peach?” Maria asked. There was a bruise on her cheek and scratches on her arms. Every member of the party had some visible injuries and parts of their clothes were burned. They were also covered in soot and filth.
“I have some,” Peach rained down her healing injury on the group and healed the most serious of the scratches. She opened a can of an energy drink and guzzled it down.
“The last star piece is down these chains,” Geno ran a head of them. And slid down one of the chains. Mario grabbed another and slid down after him
The chains were holding a wide platform made out of sheets of metal that was hammered together. There was a large golden orb shaped object that was protruding out of the wall with odd eye like parts and round mouth. In the middle was a sleek metal slab. Behind the slab was a huge man dressed in red with long white hair and a beard. He wore a golden crown on the top of the head and wielded a hammer.
“Smithy,” Geno turned to the man.
“That’s Smithy?” Mallow asked. “He looks like Santa Claus.”
“More like a robot Santa Claus,” Maria swallowed. “And none of us is a crustacean with a medical degree.”
Smithy was calm during the exchange. “Who are you?” He finally asked.
“We are Maria, Mario, Mallow, Bowser, Peach and the agent for the star road,” Geno introduced.
“You are the ones who have been giving my soldiers trouble?” He laughed. “You do not look like much.”
“We are the ones,” Bowser cracked his knuckles. “You don’t invade someone’s castle and expect them to serve you coffee and cake, now do you? Now I have a good deal for you. You hand us the star piece and I sign up for some of those fancy weapons you have made, just enough to cover the bill for my castle. If I like em then I will pay you for more.”
Smithy laughed again. “You are dumber than I thought. I have no need for money, or for wishes. I knew you would all come and once you are killed I will destroy the star. There will be no need for wishes, not in this world. It will be a world of weapons.”
Bowser sighed. “I try and make a deal.” He swiped at Smithy with his drilling claw.
“Argh,” Smithy smacked the floor with his hammer. Liquid metal goo dribbled out of the orb and onto the slab. With his hammer Smithy shaped it to resemble one of the pogo bouncing Shyguys Mario had fought against days ago. “And something else.” He pounded again. A large metal pillar fell from above and struck everyone.
“Son of a bitch,” Mario rubbed his head.
“I’ll take the little guy,” Mallow pulled out his cymbals.
“Thank you,” Mario kicked his shell at Smithy.
“Stinking Koopa,” Smithy hit Mario in the stomach with his hammer and sent Mario rolling back.
“Ugh,” Mario sat up in time to watch both Maria and Peach strike Smithy with their weapons.
Geno waved his hands around and fired a cannon of glowing energy at the enemy.
“Noooo,” Smithy summoned the pillar again and made another Shyguy.
“Again?” Mallow gasped. “I just finished the other guy.”
“Keep fighting him,” Mario kicked the shell at the orb.
“What are you doing?” Bowser asked.
“Take out that thing and no more helpers,” Mario explained.
“Smart move,” Bowser slashed at the orb with his claw while the girls also attacked it. The orb darkened and shattered.
“Noooooooo,” Smithy banged on the floor.
“Sir?” A drill bit landed next to him. “You gotta calm down. This isn’t good for you.”
“Not to mention for the factory,” another drill bit said. Smithy ignored them and continued to beat on the floor.
“We just had this floor fixed yesterday,” a green shyguy said.
“Screw this,” Smithy continued to bang on the floor until the metal floor cracked and they all fell through.
“I’m sick of falling,” Maria cried out once they hit the ground. The rocky ground of seemed to be made out of heads of various robots. “Oh and this isn’t disturbing?”
Smithy was laughing. “Look at what you have done.” He ripped off his clothes and his hair and beard. Underneath it all he was a large robot with a very large head. “You made me show you my real form.”
“And boy is it ugly,” Bowser said.
“Keep lauging,” Smithy hammered his head until it was shaped like a treasure box. “I hope you all like surprised.” He opened the lid of his head. An explosion took them all by surprise.
“Everyone okay?” Mario fanned away the smoke. He had a few burns on his arms. Everyone had similar injuries, but Mallow and the girls were asleep. “We’ll wake them up later.” Mario kicked his shell weapon at Smithy. Bowser used his claw and Geno used his energy cannon.
“Argh,” Smithy reshaped his head until it was a face with a metal mask. “Now come and get me.”
“Okay,” Bowser clawed at Smithy’s face while Mario woke everyone up. Once everyone was awake they attacked Smithy with their weapons.
“Barely scratched me,” the metal monster reshaped his head again. This time it resembled a wizard. The wizard shaped arms moved and arrows rained down on them.
“Ouch,” Mario winced at the attack and used his sonic roar. Everyone except Peach used their weapons again while the princess healed everyone.
“Now for some swords,” Smithy’s wizard summoned several tiny swords to fall on them.
Mario and Bowser both growled and used their weapons while Peach healed everyone again. Maria used her fire and Geno and Mallow summoned their most powerful magical attacks.
“Now for some hardball,” Smithy reshaped his head to resemble a tank. “Take this.” The mortar head fired a blast at Bowser while he fired several small gunshots at Geno with his hand.
Bowser turned around and took the blast with his shell. “You don’t know when to quit.” He slashed at Smithy with his claw.
“Talk about your loser,” Mario breathed fire on the monster.
“You have to admit,” Maria smashed her bat against the top of Smithy’s head. “He’s even tougher than Bowser.”
“Tough enough to take you on,” Smithy shot another mortar at Maria.
“No,” Mario ran to her to push her out of the way, but it was too late. The blast struck Maria in the chest. “Maria.” He cradled her. Her hands were covering the blast, but blood was seeping through.
“It’s just a flesh wound,” Maria laughed weakly.
Mario glared at Smithy. The roar that echoed through the cave was not his own. He watched as the glowing green Mecha Koopa trampled Smithy before he growled and jumped on the enemy over and over and over.
“Noooo,” Smithy cried out. Steam shout from his joints. “This can’t be.” His head exploded.
“Stay dead,” Mario hissed and turned back to Maria. Bowser was holding her. “How is she?”
“My healing isn’t enough,” Peach was crying. “It’s not enough.”
“Use the bus and take her to the nearest hospital,” Geno instructed. “I’ll repair the star road with the last piece. I already know what you are all wishing for.”
-
“She lost a lot of blood,” Mario said once they handed Maria over to team of doctors and nurses who put her on a stretcher.
“She got hit with mortar shell,” Bowser explained.
“We’ll do the best we can,” one of the doctors said as they carried her to the emergency room.
Mario grabbed the arm of the nearest nurse. “They just admitted the great Maria to the emergency room. We have a feeling she will need a transfer. I’m A negative.”
“No take mine,” Bowser held out his arm.
“She and I are both human,” Peach held out her arm. “Take mine.”
“We’ll take a sample from all three of you,” the nurse said. “We will do everything for Maria.”
“I’d help,” Mallow kept from crying while they flew to the hospital, but now he was shedding tears. “I don’t have real blood.”
“She knows you care about her,” Peach gave him a pat on the head.
“Everyone hold out their arms,” three nurses were had arrived with needles.
“I forgot about the needles,” Mario closed his eyes. He kept telling himself it was for Maria.
“And we are all done,” the head nurse said. “Hopefully one will match, until then have a seat in the waiting room.
Waiting was the last thing Mario needed to do. He felt frozen on his chair while he constantly removed his bands and put them back on. Mallow continued to cry and Peach was praying, or wishing, or she could be doing both.
“All my fault,” Bowser said. “If I waited until she had returned to her world to kidnap Peach this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Exor wasn’t going to wait,” Mario said. “And knowing her she would still search for the star pieces. She’s a hero, or a heroine if you want to get technical, and she is modest about it. Always was blushing trying to make herself seem smaller when people praised her. I doubt I’d be like that if I was the hero. Luigi might be just as modest.”
“Which one of you is Mario?” a nurse ran into the room.
“That would be me,” Mario stood up.
“You’re a match,” she beckoned him with her hand. “You are an exact match.”
The next few hours were a blur for Mario. He remembered being stuck by another needle and then filling a clear bag with his blood. After he was bandaged and they carried his blood away he fell asleep and when they woke him up they told him the surgery was a success and Maria would pull through.
-
“So how long do you have to stay here?” Mario was seated next to Maria’s bed. She had recovered to the point where she could sit up.
“A few more days,” Maria said. She no longer had to wear her breathing mask. “I was afraid about classes and work, but Pauline said she took pictures of me and showed them to my boss and professors. Thank goodness for being able to still read the books and type up the papers on a lap top.”
“Do you ever think about moving here?” Mario asked.
“To the mushroom kingdom?” Maria shook her head. “I know they have cafés and business schools in this world, but my parents would freak, especially after what happened.”
“You are an adult. They should treat you like one.”
“I know. There is also the fact that I have other relatives, not to mention friends, connections and I was raised in Brooklyn. I don’t think I would ever want to leave it.”
“I know what you mean,” Mario took her hand. He didn’t notice someone else was in the room with them until he heard a cough.
“Sorry to interrupt,” a toad doctor was looking at a clipboard. “I wanted to tell this to the both of you, while it is still visiting hours.”
“What?” Mario asked.
“Some of the lab technicians noticed some strange patterns that matched up in both of your blood.”
“They said I was perfect match,” Mario said. “Despite the fact we are different species.”
“Its more than that,” the doctor chewed his bottom lip. “We were confused at first but we have performed several tests and everything matched up. You both have the same biological parents.”
“What?” Mario stared at Maria then turned back to the doctor. “Why are you joking at a time like this?”
“I’m not joking. You and Maria are brother and sister, although I have no idea how this is possible since one of you is pure human and the other pure Koopa.”
“It can’t be,” Maria shook her head. “My brothers are dead. Kamek even confessed to Mario.”
“He only said he got rid of them,” Mario said and heard the same words echo in his mind. “He got rid of the human Mario and Luigi. He’s a magikoopa. They can use transformation spells.”
“Yoshi said you smelled like my brother when he was a baby.”
“Our birthdays are on the same day as their deaths,” Mario was shaking. “Our deaths, or our deaths of our human forms.”
“I fought against my brothers,” Maria said. “I fought against my brothers.” She smiled. “My brothers are alive.”
“I used to be human,” Mario laughed. He grabbed Maria’s hand. “I have a little sister. I gotta tell Luigi.”
“I have to hug him, I have to hug both of you.” She turned to the doctor. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” the doctor was silent. “Is there anyone you would like to call.”
“Call the princess. You have to let her know the good news,” Tears were forming in the corners of Maria’s eyes. “My brothers are alive.”
“Here,” Mario handed her a Kleenex. “You finally got your wish granted.”