Love in the Oddest Places (bowuigi story)

Chapter 2: Throne Room Face-Off

"I'll do my best to stop them."

Junior seemed unsure of his response but nodded slightly and let go of his leg. Luigi awkwardly patted his head, feeling unworthy of comforting him (after all, he played a small role in this situation). Luigi turned on his heels but stopped. He looked over his shoulder, "Get somewhere safe, okay?" he said. The young prince hummed in agreement, then ran in the opposite direction. Luigi adjusted his cap with shaking hands and headed towards the sound of fighting.

[XXX]

In the throne room, a mighty battle roared. As minions raced to stabilize the floating fortress, the king clashed fists with Mario. Despite the plumber's much smaller stature, he for with ferocity, throwing fireballs with flawless accuracy. Bowser snarled and turned around; the flaming projectiles ricocheted off his shell. The king inhaled, then released a torrent of flames. Mario furrowed his brow and to the side, grimacing slightly at the searing heat. Mario countered with his own flames, running low to avoid Bowser's fire breath, and narrowly punching the king's face; however, he managed to set his hair ablaze. Bowser roared and shook his head, cursing at Mario. The powered-up hero did not respond and instead focused on his attacks; he wanted this battle over and done with. The suffocating heat of the throne room was getting to him, and Bowser's attacks were becoming more erratic; a real-life clash was much more arduous than the training course.

Near the hovering throne, Peach was also locked in combat, fighting the royal advisor, Kamek. A faint aura glowed around her, a clear sign that she was also using a power-up. Thanks to the super mushroom she consumed earlier, her strength has increased exponentially. The halberd in her hands was nothing but a blur as she used it to block the magikoopa's spells. Princess Peach rushed forward, missing him entirely as Kamek teleported behind her. With a quick wave of his wand, sharp crystals materialized and shot toward her. Peach rolled to the side, dodging them.

Boom!
The combatants yelled, tripping as the ground beneath them shook. Bowser growled, brows furrowed and eyes glistening with rage. Kamek appeared beside him, "They've grounded the palace!"

"I don't care! Just don't let them get the power stars!"

His royal advisor nodded and waved his wand. In a flash of circles and triangles, identical images of him appeared and rushed toward them. Mario and Peach stood side by side as the clones circled around them, waving their wands. One launched a fireball, narrowly avoiding Mario's leg. Another lunged at the princess, their scepter raised over their head. Peach screamed and raised the halberd, holding it out as a shield. Metal clashing assaulted their ears. The princess dropped the fragments of her weapon, crying out in pain.

"Peach!"

Mario turned his back. Seeing the opportunity, Bowser ran toward him and whipped his tail, slamming into the plumber's chest. Mario screamed as he flew across the arena and crashed into a wall, crumbling to the floor; the white color of his clothes transformed back into blue. The clones grabbed Peach and pushed her into a bubble, ignoring her kicks and screams. Bowser threw his head back, "BWAHAHA! How nice of you to bring the princess to me. Makes things so much easier!" he quipped.

Kamek cackled alongside him. Peach punched and kicked at the bubble but to no avail. Bowser stomped towards Mario, "And now, to take care of the pest," he snarled. The plumber slowly stood to his feet and wiped his mouth before raising his fists, eyes darkened by his cap. The two stared at each other. Mario had an unreadable expression, while Bowser had one of overconfidence. Then, they ran toward each other. King Bowser lunged a flurry of punches, but the plumber managed to dodge them. He blocked one of his fists, then jumped, propelling himself upwards by using the tyrant's face.