Luigi lay on his hammock, feverishly writing in his journal. He was organizing all the shocking information he was given, along with all that he knew from the Mushroom Kingdom's perspective. Given this, some things were not adding up, and others were falling perfectly into place like puzzle pieces.
He remembered Peach's words about Bowser being a threat for thirty years, which didn't make sense to him. After all, the current king had ascended to the throne when he was eighteen, and Junior was born when he was twenty-four. So, at present, the king was only thirty-four years old.
Luigi tapped his chin in thought. It was clear since day one that even the most basic information about Bowser or the Darklands was purely based on speculation and fear. So, a misconstrued timeline was no surprise. Hell, the Allied Kingdoms didn't even know he was married or had a child. Furthermore, judging from the serious distrust of the Mushroom Kingdom, the Darklands' queen successfully placed the blame entirely on Bowser's shoulders. If one could call that she-devil disguised as a Koopa such a thing.
She was horrible... demeaning... terrorized the castle.
Berated me behind closed doors.
Couldn't defend myself...
A burning rage, the likes Luigi had never felt, built within him. She laid her hands on him, he thought. He held his pen in a deadly vice. Bowser's words and tears shook him to his core. Luigi was not a person who easily hated others, but Stheno was different. She had crossed a line that only the most despicable beings would even think of crossing-
"Whoa. Luigi."
Mario gently shook his shoulder. Luigi relaxed his grip (he didn't want to break the pen and ruin his jumpsuit) and looked up. His brother chuckled nervously, "You're going to burn a hole in the wall, fratello," he said.
Luigi ran a hand through his face. "Sorry, just... thinking about everything that happened again," he replied.
Mario sighed in relief. "Jesus, you scared me," he said. "But... yeah, I get why you'd be mad. It's all really messed up and really put us behind schedule."
The younger twin closed his journal as he stood up. He tried his best to calm down; he's not really interested in the other kingdoms right now, as selfish as that may be. Luigi just wanted to help Bowser. He was sure that bitch had something to do with the collapse in peace negotiations; after all, she was tampering with royal correspondence.
Luigi knew, he just knew, that she committed even more crimes. Stheno must have done something more severe than just messing with letters; the Koopa king did mention that royal seals were stolen as well. Could Stheno have sent threats to the other kingdoms? If that were the case, it would be a discernible reason why the Allied Kingdoms alienated the Darklands. Peace had been at arm's length... A more serious transgression was the only thing that could explain Peach's reaction and her seemingly torn demeanor at the trial.
A knock pulled him from his thoughts. Mario answered it, "DK!"
"Sup."
With a confident gait, DK strode into the room, his once painful wounds now fully healed. The scar that ran across his face had faded, yet its presence lent him an air of ruggedness that only added to his charm. The Kong playfully shoved Mario, "Ready to finally get rid of that eel?" he asked.
Mario adjusted his cap, "Hell yeah!" he exclaimed. "Luigi, come with us! We could really use your help."
DK drummed his hands on the floor and encouraged Luigi to agree. He mulled over his response; it would be a good idea. Junior was back in Bowser's care, so he had nothing better to do. Plus, Luigi should get rid of this excess rage and get the Koopa Army to the next movie; kill two birds with one stone. Luigi agreed, much to DK and Mario's delight. Luigi put away his journal, quickly took his medication, and followed the two out of the house.
.
.
.
They walked into town to stop and get DK's kart before heading to the beach. As they walked, the two filled him in on the plan. DK and Mario would force the eel to the surface; once that's done, Luigi would strike it down with lightning. With the pesky eel gone, trading could continue like usual, and they could finally make their way to Sarasaland.
"What the-"
Luigi bumped into Mario, who suddenly stopped in his tracks. Donkey Kong stopped in front of a shop; however, all the lights were off, and the doors were locked. The Kong scratched his head, "Huh... That's weird. Funky never closes early," he said.
"When's the last time you saw him?" Mario asked.
"Yesterday," DK replied.
After saying that, he groaned loudly and started asking around for Funky's whereabouts. Mario crossed his arms, "Wonder what's going on..." he mumbled. Luigi shrugged; he was just as confused as he was. The green twin looked around and noticed all the new shops set up.
As he approached the group of Kongs, he noticed a forge nestled among them. The blacksmith (or what he assumed they were) was hard at work, mixing some molten material in a cauldron heated by a roaring fire. Even from a distance, Luigi could see the Kongs throwing power-ups into the mix. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, laughing and shouting as they did so.
Luigi's curiosity was piqued, and he wondered what this was all about. He decided to approach the group and ask. As he got closer, he could feel the heat radiating from the forge. The Kongs were so caught up in their excitement that they didn't notice him at first.
"Excuse me," Luigi said, tapping one of the Kongs on the shoulder. "What's going on here?"
The Kong turned to him, a huge grin on his face. "Oh, hey! It's the Green Thunder himself!" he exclaimed. "The Jeweler here is mixing the power-ups into the metal, and then he's going to forge the Victory Marks for today's ceremony."
Victory Marks? Luigi has only heard about them recently. It's what the Kongs call their piercings; after a successful battle, the soldiers were given one. However, it's the first time he's heard or seen anything involving power-ups. Ugh, Luigi hates how much of Kong Country's history and culture he's missed because of all the damn fighting.
"Yo, wait! Bring Luigi over!"
Suddenly he found himself being picked up. The Jeweler dusted off his hands and stood very close to him. Luigi stood tensely as they tilted his head and mumbled under their breath. He chuffed and nodded his head before turning back to his forge; the ape holding Luigi put him down.
The crowd watched excitedly as the Jeweler grabbed another cauldron and placed it in an open space in the fire. He dumped various metals inside of it before extending his hand. "You got any Lightning Bolts on ya?" he asked. Luigi frantically patted his pockets, then pulled out one electrified power-up. Thanking him, the Jeweler threw it into the cauldron.
As the electrified power-up hit the molten metals, a blinding flash of light erupted from the cauldron, momentarily blinding everyone in the vicinity. The crowd gasped in awe as they saw a mesmerizing display of sparks and crackling energy dancing within the fiery depths.
The Jeweler's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he carefully saw the reaction taking place inside the cauldron. The intense heat caused the power-up to disintegrate, releasing its electric essence into the mixture of metals. Slowly, an ethereal glow began to emanate from within, casting an otherworldly hue on everyone's faces. With a smirk, he pulled on a pair of thick gloves and goggles. "All right, everyone! Go back to your business, cuz' I need room to work."
With sounds of disappointment, the crowds obliged and moved away. Luigi stared at the glowing mixture before eventually returning to his brother's side. Just as one amazing display ended, another one began.
VROOOM!
The Super Brothers yelped and covered their ears as a sonorous kart drove into the plaza. A Kong wearing a red bandana and large shades laughed boisterously as he screeched his kart to a halt. DK rushed to his side. "Funky! What're you doing?" he asked.
"You ain't gonna believe this, bruh! Big B took care of the eel!" Funky exclaimed.
Mario narrowed his eyes. "Who?"
"King Bowser, duh!"
Luigi observed Funky closely as he lifted his sunglasses, revealing a glimmer of mischief and excitement in his mismatched eyes. As Funky approached, Luigi noticed that his ears were extensively pierced with a variety of jewelry. It was clear that Funky had been through some serious battles. Despite the chaos around them, DK shouted at Luigi and his twin brother to hurry up and get on board. The twins quickly secured themselves on the vehicle, and as soon as they were ready, Funky took off with incredible speed, leaving behind a trail of dust and excitement.
The journey to the docks had been nothing short of a nightmare for Luigi. The nauseating ride had made him feel like they were on the verge of vomiting. However, he persevered, determined to reach their destination without getting sick. As they finally arrived at the docks, they were met with a scene of chaos. The air was filled with the deafening cheers and shouts of Koopas and Kongs alike, who were all eagerly anticipating the arrival of a massive ship. The atmosphere was electric, and everyone was caught up in the excitement of the moment.
Cackling like a madman, Funky jumped out of his kart. He spun in a circle, then took off. Sighing, DK grabbed the forgotten key out of the ignition and followed the hyped gorilla out. The Super brothers did the same and carefully muscled their way through the crowd. DK reached the front just as the ship began to dock. His eyes widened in shock, "What. In the actual fuck happened here?"
The eel, the source of Kong Country's strife, floated in the water. A large makeshift spear went through its eye. Its once menacing presence was reduced to a motionless mass of scales and flesh. Mario and Luigi pushed their way to his side and gasped. Suddenly a familiar Dark Prince jumped on the railing and roared.
"Junior, what are you doing?" Luigi called out, his voice filled with concern.
Junior only giggled devilishly in response. He seemed to get ready to jump, but Bowser snuck up behind and grabbed him by his shell. "Get away from there! You already fell overboard once," he sighed.
Bowser held him by the shell (essentially putting the prince in air jail) as he put the gangplank down. His soldiers and Kongs climbed down and began dragging the eel's carcass toward the shore. The king disembarked (still holding his son) and rubbed his shoulder, his brand-new shell on his back. Luigi's eyes widened, "Bowser, your back's okay!" he exclaimed as he got closer.
Bowser smirked, "Yep! Candy medically cleared me this morning," he replied.
Now that Luigi was closer, he realized the majority of the ship's crew were drenched and the ship seemed to have some damage. Fighting the eel must have been a serious battle, which Luigi was concerned about since Bowser was just medically cleared. "Bowser, are you sure you're alright?" Luigi asked, skeptical. "I mean, it looks like things got pretty intense out here."
Bowser tilted his head up. "I'm fine! I promise," he said.
"How did you kill it?! And why's the kid here?!" DK asked.
He pushed Luigi aside as he bombarded him with questions; Bowser went to growl at him but stopped himself. He took a deep breath before responding to DK's barrage of questions. "Y'all had the right idea. Bring it to out of the shipwreck and then get it to the surface," he replied calmly. "But because of its skin, you could only hit it either on the inside of its mouth- "
"Or its eyes," Mario interjected. "Anywhere else, and the spear would bounce right off."
"Yeah."
DK pointed at the still-in-air-jail child in Bowser's hands. "What about him?"
"He snuck on board, and it was too late to turn around," the king sighed.
Junior squirmed and tried to escape his father's grip. Luigi put a hand on his hip and frowned; he too was getting tired of the koopaling's habit of sneaking into danger. He somehow found himself in battle with Kremlings and he was also sneaking around the ship while they were in the Snow Kingdom; two occasions where Junior could've gotten hurt. Hopefully, they can subdue that dangerous tendency.
"Dad! Dad! When can we eat? I'm hungry!" the prince fussed.
Bowser gently swayed him. "Once the eel's processed, then we can eat."
DK grimaced. "You're going to eat that thing?"
"You've never heard of unagi before?" the King asked. "It came from the sea. You can eat practically anything from it. Plus, this should hold the entire village until trade is up to normal."
DK didn't seem to like the idea; however, the others didn't seem to mind it all. They were almost salivating at the thought of eating proper meals again. Mario looked at Luigi to see if he agreed; his brother did agree. Outnumbered, the prince of Kong Country accepted the task. "I guess we shouldn't let good meat go to waste... Plus, we do need a lot of food for tonight's ceremony," he said through gritted teeth. Poor guy had his thunder taken from him, so this was his only chance at redeeming himself.
»--•--«
When they said it was a ceremony, Bowser expected a formal and serious event. An occasion to thank those who put their lives on the line in battle. But this was just a massive party! The vibrant decorations, lively music, and the intoxicating aroma of delicious food filled the air, creating an atmosphere that was far from what he had expected.
A raging bonfire was in the center plaza. Two Kongs (one in a white jacket and another with large shades) were doing burnouts around it. Bowser stood there, dumbfounded, as he watched the Kongs expertly maneuver their vehicles around the blazing bonfire. The screeching tires and the smell of burning rubber mingled with the festive atmosphere.
"Um, this is... unexpected," Kamek said.
Bowser held Junior in one arm while scanning the crowd for familiar faces. He saw a variety of odd shops arranged in front of him and noticed that Kongs were lining up in front of them. The king could recognize a few healers among them, who were working with large needles and what appeared to be jewelry. What kind of tradition was that?
The Koopa King caught sight of DK and Luigi, standing on what looked like a stage; Cranky Kong wheeled around on a motorbike, giving orders. Meanwhile, DK and Luigi caught sight of Bowser amidst the crowd. They waved him over to join them on the stage they were standing on. As Bowser approached them, Cranky Kong zipped over, "King Bowser! We've been looking for you," he exclaimed.
"What's uh... what's all this?" Bowser exclaimed.
Cranky opened his arms wide. "This is the Victory Mark Ceremony. After a successful battle, every warrior who fought gets one," he explained. "Don't be shy! We've got food and drink! Marks are being given out to the standard citizens. Us royals get ours soon."
"Dad, I fought! Does that mean I get one?!"
Bowser looked at Cranky for an answer; the Kong made a no sign across his throat with his hand and mouthed that Junior was too young. The king thought about the answer that would cause the least temper tantrum and looked around; he noticed Diddy Kong and his parents among the crowd. "Hey, isn't that your friend over there?" he asked.
Junior jumped out of his grip and ran into the crowd. The adults around him sighed in relief. Kamek excused himself and followed the prince, leaving the two leaders alone. Cranky motioned Bowser to follow him. As they walked, he explained that royals and their entourage get Victory Marks infused with power-ups to give them a boost in future combat.
It appears that everyone was excited to witness that event. Bowser decided to put his original plan on hold, as he didn't want to spoil the positive atmosphere of the ceremony. He planned to have a private conversation with Cranky at a later time. For now, he thought it might be best to try and have a good time.
After looking around, he found Luigi and his brother, so he hung around them and ate some fried eel; somehow knowing he was the one to kill it made it taste better. The king stayed around the twin brothers, chiming in every now and then in conversation. Even though he wasn't up to his usual self just yet, it did feel nice to party with the others. To... do something normal besides working or being lost in thought.
And it was so loud... Bowser couldn't hear the queen's screeching anymore.
Just the sound of laughter, music, and sizzling food. As the night went on, the king found himself getting lost in the joyous atmosphere of the party. The twin brothers had managed to create an ambiance that was infectious, running around and doing tricks. Junior was playing with the other kids, waving around sparklers. The king couldn't help but smile as he watched everyone get loose and enjoy themselves after such an ordeal.
Suddenly, Cranky wheeled onto the stage; a single chair stood in the center. The Kong called for attention and got everyone to settle down. The Super Brothers, DK, and Bowser stepped onto the stage. Chief Cranky jumped out of his kart and motioned to the chair. "Firstly, I want to thank every soldier and healer who put their life on the line during the battle. This also extends to the Koopa Army!" he said. "We would've had fatal casualties if they weren't here to tip the scales in our favor."
The crowd erupted into applause, their cheers echoing throughout the grand hall. The Super Brothers, DK, and Bowser exchanged proud glances. As the applause subsided, the chief continued his speech. "Today, for the first time in our history, we are giving outside warriors the great honor of a Victory Mark! First on the chopping block are the heroes from out of this world!"
The room buzzed with anticipation as Cranky gestured at the Super Brothers. Mario rolled his shoulders and walked forward, his brother nervously following. The red brother chuckled as he sat on the chair. Another Kong came onto the stage with a tool bag; they snapped on some gloves before grabbing a needle and a glowing piece of jewelry.
"The jewel's infused with fire flowers. You won't need to use that fire flower ever again; the power will come naturally to you."
The Kong positioned himself next to Mario and placed the jewel on a hook at the end of the needle; he lined up the point onto Mario's ear lobe before pressing it through. The citizens burst into cheers (luckily drowning out Mario's yelp) and chanted his name. The Kong smiled and stepped away; the human jumped out of the chair and whooped. He winced slightly at his newly pierced ear but seemed happy, nonetheless.
Cranky called Luigi to the chair. He looked at Bowser with a slightly frightened expression, but he obliged. Luigi cautiously approached the chair, his eyes darting nervously between Cranky and the piercing artist. He took a deep breath and sat on the chair. They pulled out a familiar, silver jewel that seemed to be buzzing with electricity.
"I'm sure you're familiar with this," they said.
Following the same pattern as Mario, the Kong lined the needle into the snug of his ear before piercing through it. Unlike Mario, Luigi let out a high-pitched scream. The crowd let out a mix of laughs and cheers. As the crowd's laughter and cheers filled the air, Luigi's face flushed with embarrassment. He hadn't expected the pain to be so intense, and his reaction had caught everyone off guard. Trying to regain his composure, he took a deep breath and forced a smile, trying to play it off as part of the act.
Mario chuckled and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Our parents would kill us, if they ever knew about this," he joked.
Luigi burst into laughter at the comment, then followed his brother off the stage. DK ran onto the center stage and (after what felt like an eternity of showboating and pec flexing) got into the chair to receive his Mark. Judging from the slight glow of his fur, his newly acquired septum piercing was infused with a red mushroom. And finally, it came down to Bowser's turn.
His Victory Mark and placement had to be the most unique one yet. The piercing was made of black metal, making its power-up unrecognizable. The king also didn't even flinch, just huffed a smoke puff when the needle pierced his eyebrow. The crowd was in awe at that and seemed to cheer the loudest for him, especially Junior who even spit a fireball into the air.
Cranky (he got a golden industrial piercing as his Mark) ended the ceremony and released everyone back to their festivities. The crowd dispersed and returned to their partying. Now, the Super Brothers were testing out their new, power-up-free abilities, sending sparks and fireballs into the air. DK joined Funky in performing kart stunts by the massive bonfire. Meanwhile, Bowser reunited with his father and son.
Despite not receiving a Victory Mark, the prince appeared unperturbed and instead fixed his gaze on his father's Mark, admiring it with feverish intensity. Bowser made a mental note to revisit the matter of his Mark once he was of age. The festivities continued well into the early hours of the morning, with the guests reveling in the joyous atmosphere until the break of dawn.
After the party, most of the Kongs were stumbling on their way back home. The bonfire had turned into burning cinders, and shops and restaurants had closed after cleaning up. Bowser was searching for the chief; Kamek had retired to the airships with Junior. While he was searching, Bowser found the drunk twins. Luigi was snoring loudly as he slept on his brother's shoulder. Trying to hold back his laughter, Bowser picked up the two humans and carried them under his arms.
After a few minutes of searching, he found Cranky driving DK's kart; his sleeping son on the passenger seat. Bowser waved at him, "Cranky! I got a favor to ask you," he said.
Cranky stopped the kart. "Yeah, no problem."
Bowser took a deep breath. "What ever happened to Rool?" he asked.
"Huh, I was wondering when you'd ask about him," Cranky replied. "He's imprisoned, obviously. Somehow, he got a 1-UP just in time and live."
"Do I have your permission to ask him questions?"
Chief Cranky narrowed his eyes. He leaned his head against his fist, "Why?" he questioned. His suspicion was understandable, considering the animosity between Rool and Bowser; the least he wanted was for another fight to break out between them. The Koopa King's eyes turned to slits. "I have reason to believe he played a role in the fall of peace negotiations between me and the Mushroom Kingdom," he said.
"Peace negotiations?! When-" Cranky stopped himself to think.
Of course, Peach would hide the peace negotiations. Probably to not make her look even worse than she already does, Bowser thought. The leader of Kong Country scratched his head in frustration, "Meet me in the morning. You can explain everything in full detail then," he finally said. "And yes, you sure as hell can interrogate Rool. You'll most likely get the answers you're looking for cuz' being in Bonechill's Prison sure scared him."
"Thank you, Chief Cranky," he said.
Cranky waved a hand. "No problem. It'll help me out as well," he responded. "Anyway, I gotta get this dingus home."
Bowser nodded his head. "Yeah... I'm going to get these two dumbasses home as well,"
As the tense meeting drew to a close, Chief Cranky leaned over and extended his hand toward Bowser. There was a moment of hesitation from the latter, but he carefully accepted the handshake. The two leaders maintained eye contact throughout the gesture as if trying to convey a message without words. After a brief but firm shake, they let go of each other's hands and stood back, silently acknowledging the end of their meeting, but promising to rejoin under a new cause.