Clogged Pipes

Dragon Attack

"YOU!"

A declaration that exploded through the surrounding smoke and ash like a bomb. The overwhelming amount of visceral rage that almost sounded like a bellowing roar from the Koopa King himself.

If only...

It belonged to the small human, a mustached man wearing clothing that bled red.

Mario.

Bowser let out a deep laugh, dripping with malicious, evil intent as the claws on his fingertips gleamed and reflected off the flames that surrounded him and the human.

The only other human in the room was Luigi, who laid on the ground behind his protective older brother, he wasn't moving.

Before Bowser could speak, he was smashed to the ground in a matter of seconds, his horns on his head and shell scraping and cutting deep into the black ground beneath him as he felt punch after punch after punch rain down on him like a fiery storm of pure vengeance, pushing him down further.

Mario's fists, pulsating with his Firebrand as his gloves slowly began to deteriorate with every hit he delivered, the white cloth lining his gloves ripping and tearing at the seams, revealing his bruised fingers. The plumber's eyes glowing with the burning hatred of a thousand suns.

He couldn't stop, he wouldn't stop until the very end.

Until Bowser was no more, because now Luigi was no more.

Mario was screaming, he felt like his throat would tear from all the yelling, mixing with the ash and smoke from the Darklands' toxic atmosphere, but he didn't care. At this point, Mario didn't care if he met his end right then and there, but ONLY if he knew in complete confidence that Bowser fell before he did.

"YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED HIM!" Mario shrieked, red clouding his vision in a dense, dangerous fog. "YOU KILLED LUIGI! YOU KILLED MY BABY BROTHER!"

After what seemed like an eternity, Mario finally let up on his punches. Bowser, his overall face and grand muzzle looking almost unrecognizable at this point, attempted to inhale to summon whatever was left of his Firebreath, but was stopped when he felt two hands grab the top and bottom of his muzzle, holding his mouth open.

Both Mario and Bowser were at a bit of a standoff.

At least, it was a standoff until Mario began moving.

Without any hesitation, Mario reached down towards Bowser's large maw, filled with sharp fangs, some of which were missing. Mario began to pull at Bowser's maw... clearly going in the opposite direction, his mouth being held open far past what seemed possible... being pulled farther and farther apart.

Mario grunted, using every last drop of his adrenaline and strength before—

———

Mario awoke with a start, his body jolting upwards from his bed as his neck cracked, sounding more like a snap than a crack. A shocking pain shot through Mario's upper body as he shielded the back of his neck with his hand, rubbing it softly, wincing.

"Mamma Mia..." Mario mumbled groggily, sleep still in his eyes as he felt something drop onto his pajama pants, looking down, there was a tiny wet splotch, the size of a marble.

A tear stain.

There was one, then another and another. Sniffling, the tears just kept coming as choked sobs crippled Mario into a ball beneath his bedsheets.

It was only a nightmare, thank the stars above it was only a nightmare.

The sounds he had heard, the sights he had seen. It made Mario's skin crawl, the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, he didn't feel comfortable in his own body.