Oh good, looks like the commotion over there has finally died down, Darla thought to herself. Wonder what that was about.
Sighing to herself in the shade of the great wall behind her, the noki girl looked over Pinna Park Beach and shook her head. There hadn't been much business of late, but her job still seemed nonetheless exciting. In her short time as the gate person of the Pinna Island Amusement Park, she had seen thousands of tourists come and go - but never anything quite so interesting as the couple she'd just seen go by.
They were both humans, or so it seemed; they didn't get a whole lot of those around here. He was strange-looking and clothed in blue; she was pretty but seemed rather upset. As they'd hustled themselves into the park without a backward glance, Darla could've sworn something was just wrong about it all.
A moment later the strange banging noises had begun from the other end of the beach - but unable to see from where she was, she had resigned to just ignore it. Probably just Huey working on the beach cannon.
In any case, it seemed all was normal again; at least until yet another anxious figure came running up from out of nowhere.
This one was also a human, short and oddly equipped; he had a large yellow water tank of some sort on his back. He was in a rush, Darla could already tell, and had been in the ocean recently, too.
"Hello there... Welcome to Pinna Park!" she greeted brightly, almost biting herself to avoid asking where he had come from. She'd never seen many humans like this one before, but she already knew that he was something else.
"...Are you new around here?" she asked casually.
The young man, in a great deal of mental activity, scarcely looked at her. "Is this the entrance?" he asked.
A little disappointed, Darla nodded. "Oh yes, sir, right through these doors. If I could just -
"Thanks!" The man was already gone on his way, pushing past her and into the park before she could even think. With a sigh, Darla leaned against the wall.
Well, so much for that, she thought in frustration. We really should get a little more serious about park security. Glancing up at the cloudy sky, she shook her head. I swear, one of these days this lousy government is gonna make a huge mistake.
~
The amusement park, at first glance, had everything one would expect a good one to have. It was colorful, inviting, and above all, loud.
Driven by a single thought, Mario ran into the heart of the amusement park and was instantly enveloped in a torrent of noise. In the instant he'd stepped through the gates it was as if he'd entered another land: bouncy music blared over speakers, children shrieked with laughter and terror on overhanging rides, and the smell of enticing fresh food filled the air. It had always been there, faintly on the outside beach, he supposed, but it wasn't until he was actually inside that he felt the entirety of it all.
If he had been to a more compact theme park in the past, Mario had a hard time remembering it just then. The entire place was seemingly crammed into the small plaza where he now stood, which he could clearly see by the high white walls surrounding the place. On his left were some awnings by a few small souvenir shops and restaurants - typical for the setting. Ahead and to his right were spread out the attractions - from here he could see a carousel, some sort of spinning shells ride, and beyond that some giant swinging pirate ships and a Ferris wheel. The anticipated rollercoaster stood overhead, nothing more than a maze of sleek orange track slicing through the sky and trailing around and outside the greater part of the park. A few people milled about among the attractions, carrying oversized pretzels and arguing over maps.
"So this is Pinna Park, Isle Delfino's finest amusement facility," Fludd said as Mario scrambled to a momentary halt. "Home to the famous Balloon Blaster Coaster and Southern Star, the Ferris wheel. Other attractions include the Clam Cups and Yoshi Carousel... There's a guide to it on your map if I'm not mistaken - and I usually am not."
"Did you see where he went?" Mario asked, hardly hearing him as he scanned the rides for any signs of the blue shadow. "She was screaming just a second ago!"
"Hold on..." Fludd said as he lifted his head and began searching. Determined not to just stand there uselessly, Mario started forward through the busy park-goers.
He knew this wasn't a good situation deep down, of course. This wasn't the ideal place to be chasing a criminal at all - with all these little kids around! What if someone got hurt? What if he had messed with the park equipment? The possibilities were endless and, frankly, too terrible to think about.
"Haha! Dad, let's ride this scary one!" a small pianta boy exclaimed nearby, jumping up and down outside the entrance to the pirate ships. The taller pianta beside him who was presumably the father eyed it and shook his head.
"Umm, why don't you just go on alone? You'll be just fine," he replied skeptically, grabbing a camera from his neck. "Daddy will stay here and take pictures. Yes, that's right..."
A half smile came to Mario's face as he passed by, thoughts of his own childhood suddenly springing back to him. His parents hadn't been nearly as adventurous either - Mario was always the rambunctious one, always the one to bounce off walls for the next big thing, always the one to hurt himself with the numerous cuts and bruises. Sometimes it seemed like no one in the world could quite keep up to the pace at which he had thrived.
Oh, he would've loved to come here as a kid - there was no doubt about that. Just the sight of that giant rollercoaster beyond was even now giving him an antsy feeling. What would his parents think about all of this, if they could see him now?
"There! Mario, by the ship!" Fludd's voice pierced the air, shattering his thoughts.
As if drawn by a magnetic force, Mario turned and looked up towards the giant pirate ships ahead, swinging back and forth on huge horizontal beams. Standing on the small platform at the top of a staircase leading to the entrance, Shadow Mario looked ready to launch himself aboard for a wild ride.
"Hey!" Mario shouted, jolting to action. Darting for the ride's entrance, which was thankfully empty, he renewed the chase like a madman. Shadow Mario was alone this time - he still had that paintbrush, but the princess was nowhere to be seen. What could he have done with her?
On seeing his pursuer, the man in blue turned and didn't look back. Without hesitating for a moment, he jumped from the platform to the nearest pirate ship, seemingly unconcerned that the ride was in motion. Wobbling a little under the moving floor, he landed relatively neatly on the ship's stern.
Taken by surprise for just an instant, Mario set his brow and charged ahead. There was no ride attendant he could immediately see, and he had no choice. Switching Fludd to the hover nozzle, Mario approached the edge where the ship was picking up speed and lifted off.
"Mario-!" Fludd exclaimed as they cut right into the ship's path. Spotting the swinging ship passing right under him, he let off the pressure and touched down on one knee on the ship's bow. There, safely tucked and seated before him on the deck like a miniature audience, was a small group of passengers - wide-eyed children who stared with incredulousness at the man who'd just appeared on their ride. Getting to his feet as well as he could, Mario held out his arms for balance and tried to pretend that this was normal.
"Woah, you aren't even strapped in, mister!" a pianta boy marveled in awe. "Are you a stuntman, or is everyone just allowed to get on the rides like that?"
"Uh, no, sorry about this, kids!" Mario replied as calmly as he could, already setting his sights on the next jump. The next pirate ship over would be swinging into his reach soon, and then there was one more beyond that where Shadow Mario was.
"You know these things turn all the way over at some point," another kid spoke up.
That was all Mario needed to hear. Holding on feebly to the ship's decorative mast, he cast a fleeting glance down and nodded. The ships dangled above nothing but a shallow lake right in the middle of the park. Well, that puts a spin on things.
"That's okay," he grunted reassuringly to the surprised children, gathering himself for his move. The ship moved forward again after a short pause, giving Mario the two-second chance he needed. Abandoning his hold, the daring human launched himself forward and landed, to all the kids' entertainment, on the deck of the accompanying ship. Cheering like spectators at a show, they waved and applauded.
"Nice moves, mister! That was awesome!"
Mario was too busy to even take notice of his adoring little fans. Shadow Mario, hanging rather desperately onto the mast of the last ship, glanced over and spotted him, glowing red eyes narrowed with annoyance. As if it might slow his opponent, he blew Mario a raspberry.
Clinging on to the mast of his boat for dear life, Mario held his breath and waited uncomfortably. His ship began to sway forward again at a rather quick speed, while Shadow Mario's flew backward in the opposite direction. They were moving pretty fast now...
In another second they would pass again. It might be his last chance to jump before they did a three-sixty. There was no time for that - Mario could tell his bratty adversary was making ready to jump to the platform on the other side.
"Mario, careful!" Fludd cried from his owner's back, no doubt worried partially for his own safety as well. Who knew what kind of damage he might take from a fall?
It had to be about twenty feet to drop into the pool below, and Mario didn't plan to take any more chances. As the ship rocked forward the deck began to tilt dangerously back, threatening to dump the tiny human into the water. He was too busy even to look, but he had to imagine Shadow Mario was having just as difficult a time.
"These things were not designed for walking on," Fludd stated as Mario prepared to jump. A careful hand gripping Fludd's right handle, he suddenly gunned the hover nozzle, and flying across the final gap gave him a perfect view of Shadow Mario leaping to safety and begin to dart away down a path.
Touching down on the ground with a rather hard thud, Mario panted for a breath. In as friendly a tone possible, Fludd asked, "Do you feel like a pirate now?"
Mario couldn't help shaking his head in amusement. Trust Fludd to find the perfect time to practice his sense of humor.
"Oh, excuse me, sir," a little voice suddenly spoke up. "It's dangerous to run around here, you know!"
Glancing up, Mario found himself face to face with a noki girl; probably one of the ride operators. Everything about her was purple, even down to the tone of her skin. Judging on her kindly look, she likely hadn't seen Shadow Mario or anything before that.
"Oh, I know," he replied as kindly as he could. "I'll be alright." And with that he jumped up and darted off down the path.
Staring after him, the noki shook her head. "Humans," she said.
~
With renewed energy Mario continued his pursuit. As he trailed the shadow man's path like a vulture, he could see they were approaching now the park's rear limits. It was a bit quieter and less populated back here; and Mario could slowly begin to see that Shadow Mario was likely leading him somewhere. What are you up to now?
To his surprise, from here he could see that there was actually a break in the wall right behind a small kiddie pool of some sort, tucked behind the Ferris wheel. Beyond that was a small ledge overlooking the sea, with the green hills of the mainland Isle Delfino on the horizon.
He's going to make a break for it! Mario realized, filling with dread. He must've been trying to lose me in the park!
"Hey you! Stop!" Mario called sternly, forgetting his weariness at closer sight of the enemy. "Where's the princess??"
To his utmost surprise, on hearing his shout the man in blue abruptly stopped. Standing strangely still just outside the quiet kiddie pool, he suddenly just halted in his tracks and paused, keeping his back turned but nevertheless letting Mario come nearer. Instantly suspicious, Mario slowed and skidded to a halt a few feet away.
"Who are you?" he demanded, not a little sternly. Pausing to catch a breath, he corrected, "What are you?"
Mario had never seen the criminal this close up before, and now he found it a most astounding sight to behold. Fludd had quite aptly chosen his name for him.
Shadow Mario shook his head. Every movement made him seem to glisten like rubbery water, throwing reflections of his surroundings off his translucent surface. It was as if he were made of magical plastic or something altogether unnatural, such as his own goop or maybe even a literal shadow of something worse. Staring in amazement at his darkened surface, Mario could even see his own reflection, twisted and distorted, staring back at him.
Shadow Mario made no reply. With Mario unable to do anything for a moment but stare, the criminal abruptly jumped up; and with Mario looking on, he leapt out into the kiddie pool and utterly blew Mario away.
The pool looked only about two or so feet deep, which Mario could clearly see from where he stood right by the pool's edge. He could also clearly see that Shadow Mario's flighty feet, which had darted out into the perfect center of the pool, were not breaking the water's surface.
Staring in speechless surprise, Mario's breath caught for a second as the shadow turned and stared back at him. The red eyes glowed back at him silently, ever taunting him; and for a moment they just stood face to face across the shallow pool and stared.
Mario might have been more surprised at the display if he hadn't already been used to this tactful criminal's strange ways. He didn't know what this was, if it was some sort of illusion or mirage or something; but it almost didn't matter. Time stretched, suspenseful, for several long seconds; and even Fludd seemed to have been frozen by it.
It was sometime within those few moments that he first felt the rumbling.
It began under his feet, shaking the ground like those earthquakes he'd been feeling over the past couple of days every time more goop was dissolved; but this time it was different. As the tremor intensified, Mario glanced around warily, distrustful of the giant Ferris wheel that stood overhead; but it was when he looked out to Shadow Mario on the water's surface that his breath was really taken away.
If the other park-goers noticed it, which they certainly did, they did not seem to think much of it; or else Mario was too utterly distracted to even hear the shouts. The trembling of the entire park beneath them died away after a moment, and Mario was left staring in awe at the spectacle that had just opened up before his very eyes.
As if drawn apart by an unearthly force, the waters of the kiddie pool were suddenly torn asunder through the middle, separating beneath Shadow Mario's now seemingly levitating feet. Flowing outwards in a rush, the water in the once innocent-looking pool was forced over the sides, making way for the enormous hatch that was now opening beneath. From there Mario could see that things were about to get a whole lot hotter.
Smirking down on him with unstoppable pride, Shadow Mario was lifted from the ground up, taken away by the giant metallic thing that arose from beneath the pool's surface. Like an enormous monster summoned from a long sleep, a humongous mech, at least five stories high and probably as tall as the Ferris wheel itself, emerged from the ground like a bad dream.
Mario had battled a number of pretty large things in his day - but off the top of his head, he couldn't recall one that had been this daunting. In spite of himself, Mario felt his jaw drop.
"What happened? Did the perpetrator get away?" Fludd's voice spoke up from Mario's back, though it did little to break the human from his stupor of surprise. The noise of the towering machine was so loud now, with moving engines and shifting metal, that Fludd's high-pitched voice could scarcely be heard.
Mario did hear him, subconsciously, and remembered that Fludd was still locked in the rear position from when he'd used the hover nozzle, rendering him unable to unfold into prime position. From where he was on Mario's back, he couldn't even see what was going on.
Slowly, Mario reached a hand and switched Fludd back. As soon as he saw what lay before them, the water pump seemed struck with what could only have been speechlessness.
Ugly and terrifying, the metal beast was roaring to life. It was somewhat colorful with a body of orange and a green head, seeming patterned after a monstrous horned creature of some sort; but from here Mario couldn't really tell what it was. For some reason it seemed very familiar.
Shadow Mario had long since disappeared from sight, somewhere up by the two giant eyeballs. He had probably dropped down inside, ready to assume control of his ultimate weapon.
This guy... is serious, Mario thought at last. For a moment he could find nothing to say. Thoughts tumbled through him faster than the giant machine had appeared, but he couldn't give words to one.
Did he build that? How on earth did he manage to hide it under the park? Is he...?
Suddenly Mario was jolted alive by a jovial voice next to him. "Amazing! What a spectacle!!"
Finally turning in surprise, Mario looked down to see an older noki man, with a striped brown shell and tiny glasses perched on his pale face, standing beside him. Taken aback, at first Mario just stared. How long had he been there?
"Is this a new show of ours!?" The noki asked, flushed with a pleasant grin as he turned to the human next to him.
Mario, confused, furrowed an eyebrow. "Uh..."
The man was hardly listening anyway. "You guys are great! Whoever hired you needs a raise!"
That was when it dawned over Mario. "Oh, no, that's not - I mean, I'm not -
"Oh, sorry, am I in your way?" the noki asked, far too unconcerned and cheerful for the giant machine of destruction overhead.
This is outrageous... was this all planned?? Or... Mario stopped and glanced up at the enormous mecha. No, that's impossible. This thing is for real!
Looking around briefly at all the people in the park behind them - the awestruck children who now gazed skyward - Mario shook his head. These people had no idea of the danger they were in!
Turning to the terribly confused noki, who must have been part of the staff, Mario shook his head urgently. "Sir, this isn't a show," he explained quickly. "That guy is trying to kill me, you have to evacuate the park immediately! This thing is -
But the man couldn't even hear him anymore over the noise; and if he had caught anything, he didn't seem to care.
"Your presentation was astounding, I didn't even know our splash pool could do that!" he exclaimed, gazing over at it in delight. "But you all are just awesome. I love how you play the fearless hero and he's like... a bad version of you, but you both look the same and stuff!!"
Mario shook his head desperately. "No, sir, nobody hired me, this is -!
"Well, as the park director, I want to ensure your success," the noki went on. "Do you think you could take it out with some of our Balloon Blaster rockets?"
Mario paused at that. Wait... maybe this guy can help!
"And oh! I could provide you with a hero's vehicle! The rollercoaster isn't being operated right now, so you can have a go from there!" Almost jumping with excitement, the old noki clapped his hands. "It'll be incredible! Follow me!"
He was almost going too fast even for Mario at this point. Rockets? Rollercoaster? He turned the words over in his mind. Maybe... just maybe!
With one final glance up at the mecha monster, Mario turned and ran after the park director, who was heading back up the sloping path past the pirate ships. Glancing back to make sure the human was following, he called, "You should have a clear shot at him from the rollercoaster!"
Never slowing, Mario looked upwards at the boarding station of the rollercoaster up above. Suddenly he felt very important - and very excited.
~
"Will eight be enough, you think?" the park director asked, passing the young man one more mega rocket.
"I think so," Mario replied, albeit a little skeptically. "There's not much room in here for more."
A couple of short minutes later, Mario was seated in his promised 'hero's vehicle', which was nothing more than a special ride on the big rollercoaster. The Balloon Blaster was uniquely designed in that only one person rode in each cart, making it ideal for Mario's attack plan.
The buggy itself was actually very small and economical; shaped like a sea turtle, with little flippers and a head off the side, it was just large enough to fit him and Fludd into the cockpit. From there he saw that the seat had its own controls, allowing it to be rotated in all directions at will. This really couldn't be any better, Mario thought with satisfaction as he looked it all over. We'd better make this work!
"Well, you can pick up more here at the station if you run out," the director assured, stepping back under the awning. "And they're designed to load into that little cannon you see there on the front of your ride, but you could probably get a better shot with that fancy shooter thing you've got."
As if bashful under the compliment, Fludd suddenly folded back into a standby position. Mario grinned.
"Thanks for this, sir. But you know, you really should -
His warning was cut off when a loud noise, possibly an explosion, shook the very air from around the wall nearby. Widening his eyes in dread, Mario turned to the noki.
"That sounded like a missile," he said.
The noki chuckled. "Well then you'd better get moving!" Then, without further ado, he pulled a lever by the ride controls and the buggy lurched into motion. Waving, he called, "Good luck!"
Mario opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself. Oh, it's no use, he sighed to himself as the rollercoaster began to rumble away. He'll never take this seriously.
Turning forward to the task now at hand, Mario took a deep breath. He knew this was no show - it was a real stand for the safety of the park and all the clueless people in it. The rollercoaster and the ride that would conveniently give him a considerable shot at attacking the robot was just a very lucky turn of events.
Mario had never used rockets or heavy weaponry much before - but he got the idea. The balloon blasters that were ordinarily used to pop balloons would now have to serve his purpose. Assuming they actually explode, Mario thought a little nervously.
That had been the park director's plan - fire rockets at the giant machine to bring it down. Of course, the only place one could get a reasonable aim was from the rollercoaster itself. So here he was.
Over the surmounting noise of the wheels on the track beneath him, Mario could hear the robot stomping the ground, emitting loud shrieks like thunder and the occasional high-pitched whistle of a flying rocket. It would have been no wonder if the entirety of Isle Delfino knew about it already.
Mario double-checked his lap bar and took a deep breath as the buggy began to tilt backwards, climbing up the first steep hill. Once they scaled this, the ride would really begin.
"You okay, Fludd?" he asked, grabbing the chair controls. The water pump had already been loaded with one of the balloon rockets, which fit surprising well into his main nozzle. Locked and ready to go, Fludd looked like just as much of a cannon as any.
"Affirmative," he replied from overhead. "You should be able to get a more accurate shot with my aim."
"Alright," Mario said, holding his breath. Despite the urgency of their mission, he couldn't suppress the underlying thrill he felt at just getting to ride the rollercoaster. As they approached the peak of the hill, he murmured with a lopsided grin, "This is gonna be fun."
The ride came to a near halt as the ridge came into view, and for a couple of suspended seconds seemed to hang still in midair. In that moment of silence, Fludd quipped, "I'm not sure I can share your -
WHOOSH! His reply was lost as the cart finally tipped over the edge and plunged, giving way to the steep drop below.
"WHOOHOO!!" Mario threw a fist in the air as the oncoming wind consumed them in a rush, whistling like fire and blasting his lungs with fresh sea air. His short sleeves and mustache fluttered madly, as if they threatened to blow away; and the g-forces at play were enough to nearly send his heart to his throat. It was the exact high speed rush that he reveled in, a moment of nothing more than hurtling straight downward.
Fludd, on the other hand, wasn't quite so perceptive of the thrilling vibes his owner got. "Mario, hold on!" he called over the whipping wind. "You could never survive a fall!"
"It's more fun when you raise your arms," the stubborn human complained to himself, thinking the machine couldn't hear him; but he did as Fludd said while the ride slowed a bit at last, reaching the bottom of the hill. From his personal experience, the first drop was always the most intense, anyway.
Glancing around for some bearings, Mario tried to focus and get serious. Not easy when this thing's going sixty miles an hour, he thought to himself, squinting against the swirling air.
The rollercoaster curved right and back around, gradually sloping upwards again; and as it sliced along Mario was able to get his first good view at the robot on his left. It was huge - even more so than he'd thought. The metal beast was standing within the rollercoaster itself, inside a large looping portion of the track by the edge of the park with the kiddie pool. As far as he could tell, it was incapable of movement.
As the buggy rose on the next hill, taking them higher, Mario could finally see its full form - the makeshift horns, the jagged red hair, the grotesque face and limbs, the spiked metal shell on the back - and suddenly the familiarity struck him in the pit of his stomach.
What...? No.
Widening his eyes as he stared, for a moment distrusting what he already knew, Mario felt a new energy surge through him. Looking down on the metal monster, doing double takes just to be sure, he shook his head. In an instant, all the trouble, all the danger, everything - well, nearly everything - made some sense. All at once, he knew what this was.
"Bowser!" he exclaimed aloud, as for only a moment there was silence enough for him to get a word in above the howling air.
If Fludd had heard him he did not have time to care. "Mario, now! Shoot!"
With only a fraction of a second's delay, Mario jolted again to the present and seized on Fludd's handles, focusing on the monster below. From here he did have an open shot - and with such a wide target, the mecha was easy to hit.
The red and white balloon blaster whistled through the air in a trail of smoke, leaving Fludd's nozzle smoking and dripping behind it. The duo in the cart watched as it made a beeline for the monster and exploded like any good rocket launcher. There was a hard, solid thump for a second as it touched down, and even the rollercoaster seemed to hold its breath. The machine rocked slightly under the impact, but after a moment's recovery still seemed fully operational.
"It must have just rocked the metal plating," Fludd observed from his vantage point. "We must keep trying!"
Mario nodded faintly and held on as the ride began to pick up some speed, heading downwards and nearer to the edge where the machine stood. Looking ahead, he saw that it was going to take them very close in front of it.
Thinking quickly, Mario turned his buggy to the left, facing the outside; then, in a bit of a gamble, abandoned his controls entirely and grabbed one of the rockets beside him.
"Fludd, another one!" Holding the missile above his head, he managed to insert it as well as he could into Fludd's nozzle, steeling himself against the ascending coaster. The former water gun was ready, holding his aim well above Mario's head to avoid terrible accidents.
They were passing right in front of the monster's face by now. Up close, they could see a great metal plate on the chest which had opened up, revealing four large cannons beneath. Mario saw them in a glance but only hardened his jaw.
"Fire!" he shouted, as if Fludd could act on his own. The rocket sped from its cannon, traveling for only half a second before it reached its mark, right into the gaping, open mouth of the beast. This time there was an audible crunch, and the monster buckled for a moment under the explosion like a fazed animal. Passing by what seemed all too slowly just beneath, Mario and Fludd stared in equal parts triumph and worry.
The explosion did not die down the way the first one had. At first there was only crumpling metal; but soon it was followed by another sound, a loud, sweeping rush of air that emerged from within the monster's throat. Mario stared in horror at the enormous snout that waited just out of reach, knowing what would follow; there was nothing he could do.
The fire erupted like a geyser breaking through a dam. In one blast the whole air was filled with blazing heat; the blinding light billowed forth from the monster's mouth like the world's largest flamethrower, swallowing up the upcoming portion of the track. As if the intensity of the sun had suddenly touched down right before him, Mario shrank down into the buggy as well as he could, squinting through the glare; but there was no stopping a rollercoaster even by fire-breathing dragon.
"Mario, get down!" Fludd's voice, high and commanding, was the last he heard before ducking down, clutching Fludd's handles and waiting for the inevitable. I suppose it won't be the first time I've been singed...
But the flames never fell. In a fantastic explosion that seemed only possible in the special effects at the movies, water and fire collided like missiles in midair, sizzling like acid over Mario's very head. In the last moment, Fludd's water jet shot forth into the spray, crashing into the fire like a stone. Not stopping to grab souvenir photos, the slightly charred turtle buggy whisked through with a cloud of smoke, emerging safely to the track beyond.
"Whoa," Mario breathed, holding on to the cart's edge and staring in surprise back at the quickly passing mecha. "What happened?"
"It appears that water can be used to douse the flames," Fludd replied from over his shoulder, seeming none the worse for taking the brunt of the incident. Mario couldn't tell if he was joking or not.
"Are you alright?" he asked in some concern.
"The more important thing is if you're alright," the water pump replied, "but we've just gotten out of the frying pan, so don't touch my metal for a while unless you want a second degree burn."
Mario's momentary grin faded as he glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, look! Bows - it's arm is falling off!"
Sure enough, it was true: even as they were departing they could see that one of the monster's huge metal arms, seemingly swinging uselessly at the sides, had been dismantled, and now crashed with a shocking rumble to the ground below. Rolling like a flaming log, Mario and Fludd just saw it crash over the outer wall and finally into the ocean.
Mario grinned. "I was afraid the rockets' explosions were too small, but we might be able to get it with just a couple more!" Glancing down at his supplies, he nodded. "Piece of cake!"
"And speaking of cake, I hope you don't mind if it's a little roasted," Fludd said as warily as he could manage, "because we may have just jumped from the frying pan into the fire."
Mario instantly frowned. "What?"
Glancing back over his shoulder, he tried to pinpoint what Fludd was referring to; but it was no use. The rollercoaster had begun another steep upward climb - and over the endless racing of his own chest he had begun to hear the whistling. It was the same shrill, high-pitched sound he'd learned to recognize -
"Mario! A bullet bill approaches from behind!"
By no means did Mario have to question what a bullet bill was. He knew all too well: the giant, missile-like black rockets that he had dodged plenty of in his day were a favorite of his kingdom's adversaries. He was never sure exactly where they derived the name 'bill' from - but it probably had something to do with the menacing eyes and teeth painted on the snout of each one.
"Bullet bills... Oh, diamine," Mario muttered under his breath. "Fludd, watch my back!"
Hardly even feeling the tug of gravity as the coaster began to follow the track through a loop, Mario halted. Suddenly remembering the homing devices some bills were unfortunately equipped with, he snapped his gaze upwards, towards what was now the section of track dangling nearest the ground.
"Fludd, missile!" he called, grabbing one and feeding it up to his machine as best he could. Luckily, Fludd was able to load it with minimal problems.
Holding on to one side of the buggy to steady himself, using his other arm to aim, Mario focused on the fast-approaching bullet above. He tried to ignore the sharp piercing air in his ears and the violent pull of the track on his body; it was like trying to shoot down a bird at sea during a storm. Just before launching, he swallowed carefully, hoping his lunch stayed down - or rather, up - where it belonged.
"You got this, Fludd?" He shouted above the roar of the wheels.
"Bulls-eye!" The machine confirmed, almost joyfully as they just saw the rocket nail the oncoming bullet bill overhead. The smoke and embers rained down on them briefly as the cart righted again, dusting them with soot as they exited the turn.
But it wasn't over yet - there was still one more loop to go. Grabbing the chair controls as tightly as possible, Mario clutched his hat to his head and grunted. "How much of this upside-down stuff is there?"
"Just two loop-the-loops in succession," Fludd replied knowledgeably as his owner clung on. Rotating his ever-stable head around, his cheerful disposition quickly turned all business. "Mario, two more at four o'clock!"
"What?! It's almost four o'clock?" Mario shouted over the noise, scarcely able to hear him now.
"Probably not that far off," Fludd answered. "But I said there's two incoming at four o'clock!"
Catching a glance over his shoulder, Mario spotted the bullet bills and fell silent, too preoccupied with keeping his head afloat to reply. Digging in his cart, he quickly mulled over the rockets he had left.
Five more... I can't afford to waste them all on bullet bills! he thought. Holding on tight as the rollercoaster began to approach the station, Mario turned back to Fludd. "Can water diffuse them?" he asked.
"Maybe," he answered in an unsettling way. It was good enough for Mario.
"Worth a shot," he replied, wheeling his controls around to face the rear where two rockets, one after another, were trailing him along the tracks. They were homing bills, alright.
Grabbing Fludd's handles as if he were a machine gun, Mario faced the oncoming enemy and blasted them, unleashing a torrent of water on the track behind. The buggy continued to climb up the starting hill, having just passed the station unbeknownst to the riders, leaving water splashing like rain after them.
With the temporary slowing in speed as they rose, Mario and Fludd had a good upper view; and they saw with some surprise as the water hit the incoming bullets like gunpowder and set off two brilliant explosions - one when the water hit the first missile, and another as its remains were utterly destroyed by the second colliding with it. Lighting up the track just behind them in fiery orange and yellow, it was almost too close for comfort.
"Whoa!" Mario gasped in amazement and delight, watching the scene unfold behind them. "Remind me to pack water next time I see those guys!"
"Mario! The mecha!" Fludd reminded, looking out over his head to the machine far away. It was still standing there by the park's boundaries, stomping and smoking up a storm. From where they were it was half hidden behind the passing track and the rollercoaster station itself below.
"Quickly, I believe you can get a shot in!"
Heeding his machine's words, Mario scrambled for another rocket. "I don't know if I can make it... it's really far away!" he said over the sound of the clicking wheels beneath them. It ticked like a timer; a countdown to doom. He only had until they reached the top of that hill before it all started again.
Nevertheless, Mario was never one to crumple under pressure. Quickly feeding Fludd another rocket, he took hold of his handles and allowed a tiny breath.
Squinting with one eye, Mario focused on the giant head - the part most easily accessible. For a moment he held almost perfectly still despite the rumbling ride.
"Let it fly!" Fludd cried.
Whoosh!!
For just a second the ride seemed to pause, and everything held still as Mario watched with baited breath, waiting for the outcome of his wild shot. He could still see the white smoke dispersing through the air from his ammo's path.
CRASH!!
For half a second Mario's eyebrows shot up as the sound of crumbling scrap metal reached his ears, like a giant impending earthquake big enough to shake the entire island. If ever there had been a sound to signify doom, that was it.
And then the rollercoaster plunged.
There was no warning, no time to face the front, no time to hold on. It was just a sudden and total sideways plummet through a blinding wind.
"AAAHHH!!"
Colors mixed and swirled; smoke and metal and music and screams and sky all collided in a mindless blaze before them; but the rollercoaster didn't stop for any of it. The ocean air swallowed up the cart like a raft at sea, leaving one of the passengers nearly senseless.
Whether or not just one or both riders screamed in surprise was a debate Mario and Fludd would argue over for many conversations to come. Fludd insisted Mario had enjoyed it well enough; after all, he'd been unable to keep from smiling ear to ear the second time around. But to the anxious young human, it was the longest rollercoaster ride of his life.
~
Darting like a schoolboy down the long sloping path around the Ferris wheel, Mario nearly trembled with curiosity and anxiousness. His heart pounded with a justified excitement - he had brought down the mecha beast. His rollercoaster 'suicide ride' had been successful.
Well, hopefully.
The instant the thing had gone down he had been unable to see what exactly had happened, being thrown into another rollercoaster circuit; but quickly disembarking from the station the moment he'd touched down, Mario had seen what became of it. He really had made a direct hit, and the giant monster was now nothing more than seemingly a big metal head on the ground below.
He had not waited to talk to the beaming park director waiting for him. Running off like a madman on a mission, Mario had felt a sudden deep guilt coursing through him. A thought had occurred to him that warranted immediate investigation, that disturbed him terribly: what if the princess was on that thing?
Surely she wouldn't have been harmed. Her captor would not have endangered her... right? Mario was almost certain of it now. Subconsciously, his mind already knew what was going on.
Now, stomach doing crazy somersaults, Mario ran up to the kiddie pool's edge, returning again to the same spot below where it had all started. Still, to keep her on that ride during the assault was a horribly careless risk. If Shadow Mario had pulled something like that, if she really was on board...
Screeching to a halt, Mario stopped and looked up. The robot's enormous heap of a body was piled beside the pool, parts of its metal limbs still tumbling into the sea behind. So he had conquered it just like any enemy; and now it seemed to take to a burial at sea. Guess that metal plating was flimsier than it looked.
It was a sorry sight for sure - like a great and clever project that had been utterly ruined by a huge accident or natural disaster. If Mario didn't know better, he'd have thought it was a destroyed attraction or ride reject.
Either way, the destruction begged for attention; and Mario knew it could only be a matter of time before more employees came swarming him. He had to deal with this quickly.
The great head which was safely ashore had opened up now, squeaking on a rusty hinge as a hatch above the eyes lifted amid rising black smoke. It was pretty far over Mario's head, probably about twenty feet to the top of the fallen rubble. It would have taken a bit of effort to climb up there if he had wanted to.
And suddenly, he did want to. Very much.
There, standing somewhat stormily inside the tiny cockpit before a plethora of controls, was Shadow Mario. As usual, he held that infuriating paintbrush staff. Also as usual, Princess Peach stood rigidly behind him. At least, for an instant's great relief, it was obvious that they were both unharmed by the metal beast's explosion. They were safe inside; and now it appeared they'd have to abandon ship.
For a moment Mario was so stricken with relief and surprise that he couldn't speak at all. Fludd, knowing better, didn't make a sound either. And Shadow Mario was never one to really run his mouth.
So that left it to the princess.
"Mario!" Peach called, waving a hand over her head like she was playfully greeting a childhood friend. On seeing him there down below, she seemed instantly revitalized, and rather cheerful for the circumstances, considering. But still, Mario caught something strained in her tone; something that screamed, 'Come help me!'
Shadow Mario must not have approved of the action, because the moment the word had left her mouth he turned on her, forcing her a step back with the giant paintbrush which he swung around like a traffic wand. If Mario didn't know better he'd have thought the shadow man glared at her.
"Oh!" Peach exclaimed in surprise as he nudged her backwards, as if claiming some property. Almost without realizing it, Mario began to tense up.
But then something very strange happened. Before anyone could do anything further, Shadow Mario abruptly jumped up; and flipping in air like some expert acrobat, he appeared as nothing before their eyes but a blue blur for a second. Almost like an actual shadow or a mirage, Mario thought.
And then he landed on the machine's snout with a single thud and stood still. Silence reigned for a long minute, as both humans stared on; and it was then that Mario realized that the shadow man wasn't a man anymore.
Shadow Mario was no longer Mario. As the real Mario stood, somewhat dumbfounded, on the ground below, he could suddenly see with certain clarity that the shape before him was not that of himself; but rather, of a small and strangely built turtle.
Mario was no stranger to turtles. The primary species that often invaded the Mushroom Kingdom, koopas, were very similar to the idea themselves, and...
Mario, without even being aware of it, had begun to hold his breath. Deep down, he already knew what this was. Of course.
Peach, perhaps held still by some combination of surprise and confusion, stood back and blinked as the shadow creature reached up a stubby arm and pulled back a bandanna from his mouth, which had certainly not been there when he was Shadow Mario. With a strange sound that Mario could never have described, the blue cloak of shadow was suddenly lost.
In an instant the cover faded at last. Dropping away like paint from an un-inkable surface, the blue disguise vanished and the color returned; and the sight of the smug-faced little koopa now standing before them instantly struck Mario to the core.
The creature who had once been 'Shadow Mario' couldn't have been more different from it in reality. Like most koopas, the kidnapper was relatively short, no taller than Mario himself; and the yellow skin and shimmering scales that covered his body glistened in the sun. The likeness to most koopas, however, ended there.
While it wasn't unusual for koopas to stand erect, this little monster clearly sported sharp white claws visible even to Mario; and a thick, green shell, covered with small spikes, was hauled on his little back. Similar to the giant machine he had piloted, the koopa also had a pale snout and a bright limey-green forehead, where rested two big, black eyes. They were alight with annoyance and something like youthful fury.
Twin horns, little more than nubs, grew on either side of his head where his ears might be; and as if desperately trying to incite fear, his bushy eyebrows and small mohawk ponytail were a deep orange-red. Overall he appeared young, no more than a mischievous kid; but as Mario stared on in a frozen stupor, he doubted the child's innocence.
On each small arm the koopa wore a heavy black metal band, not the first time Mario had seen the practice. Around his neck was the bandanna, which was the only remnant of the blue facade he had once worn. Now hanging loose on his chest, an odd design could be seen scrawled onto it; and for a second Mario blinked in doubt. It was an image, he could've sworn, of his own mustache.
In the kid's hand was the same magic paintbrush, only it was no longer cloaked in blue this time; and on its great brush head was the dried remains of a pinkish-orange goop. There could be no more disputes, objections or arguments: this one before him was the real Shadow Mario.
The real criminal.
No, Mario thought. That... this is all a coincidence. He's... but who is he??
Evidently Peach had not seen this alarming form either, given how she stared at her captor now. The familiarity must have struck her too; and both humans remained utterly silent until the villain at last came forward.
"Leave my mama alone you bad man," he hissed warningly, "I won't let you take Mama Peach away!"
It was the same high-pitched, whiny voice which Shadow Mario had used earlier, like that of a fidgety child who was terribly angered. But Mario was too utterly surprised by his words to take into consideration anything else.
...What?
Peach was the first to put anything forward. "Mama?" she asked, blinking incredulously as if she hadn't heard right. "Mama Peach?... I'm your... mama?"
The look of incredulousness and surprise on her face could scarcely rival that on Mario's below, who had heard every word. The koopa stared down intensely at him, not even turning to the startled princess beside him as he answered.
"Yeah, Papa told me all about it," he replied, as if it were a precious secret that he didn't mind spilling to the world.
At that Mario utterly froze for a second. Told him... told him all about... what? The strangest feeling began to creep over his subconscious like a shadow.
His gaze flitted to the surprised look of the princess, but she didn't see his look. Told him about... no. Of course not.
"He told me my mama got kidnapped by a bad man named Mario," the koopa kid went on at last, after an eternal second. Here he stopped and glared down at the man, childish anger boiling up like a storm in the ebony eyes. The astounded human slowly tilted his head, as if to say that the kid was way off his rocker. Now he began to piece it together.
Him, kidnap the princess? More like 'attempt to go to lunch' with her. How could it be kidnapping if she wanted to go with him?
But the 'Papa'. Mario hadn't been given any names, and he didn't need them. He already knew one thing: this Papa had better watch out.
Suddenly Peach spoke up then, putting together one question in her mind; and that final question voiced all of Mario's deepest fears.
"Kidnapped... by Mario?" She paused for a second in confusion, and then said at last, "So... wait! Then... you're Bowser's son?"
Mario's hand flew to his mouth. He should have been prepared for this. He knew it; deep down he had known it the moment he'd seen that enormous fiery mecha. He should have suspected this plot.
Bowser's son.
"So I came here to rescue her!" The koopa proudly finished, ignoring the princess' musings. Still, he couldn't have confirmed it better than if he had said yes.
Peach gasped. "You are! He told you that, didn't he?"
Mario had been seeing the telltale signs of his greatest arch nemesis all day now. The kidnapping, the bullet bills, everything. He had been fooled by a clever ruse for a time; but now everything came to fruition.
Bowser was a name most often lingering in the back of Mario's mind. The terrible and monstrous tyrant, ruler of the koopas and invader of the peace, had been after the princess' kingdom - and hand - for a long time. So frequent were his attempts that rare was the month where Mario did not have to step forward to defend the throne. Bowser the Koopa King was chief oppressor of the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario's most closely-knit foe.
And this was his doing after all.
Why had Mario thought they could take a vacation from this? Bowser didn't care if Peach was on one island or another. He wanted her.
Which made this tiny koopa's claims all the more outrageous.
Bowser didn't have a family. That had always been a well-known and easy fact. He had minions, he had advisors who had acted as parenting figures in the past. Perhaps some people pitied him or pardoned his acts for it; but his overall lack of one was pretty straightforward.
At least, he had never had one that Mario had heard of; and Mario considered himself on pretty personal terms with Bowser, considering their long scarred history. If this child was really legitimate and as old as he seemed - Mario would've guessed maybe seven or eight years old - how on earth had it been kept a secret until now?
The other issue, the most concerningly glaring one, was that Bowser had no wife or partner which Mario was aware of. Of course, he had never spent much time looking into koopa reproduction, but he would have bet that the kid in front of him had two parents.
There was no denying the resemblance. The red hair, the green and yellow scales, the unnatural horns; all pointed to the more terrifying features that could only have belonged to the great koopa king. Mario had desperately wanted to believe that Bowser would never have an heir; and yet, here he was.
Then how? Who could have been the mother...?
No. That was ridiculous; it was impossible! Peach could never have — it was out of the question for sure. Bowser had made that up, all in a wishful hope that something might stick. It did seem like something that wouldn't be below Bowser to do. So, you've lied to your son, have you? Mario thought grimly. Well that's just rich.
Lost in his dizzying thoughts, Mario was snapped back to a semi-present at Peach's soft voice, meekly talking to the koopa above. The koopa prince.
"Of course he told me," he was saying. "Papa's serious about this, Mama. He's going to bring you home! You've been away long enough, running around with this guy." Glaring down at Mario, he shook his head. "Don't you worry."
"So the graffiti," she ventured in some bewilderment, "that was you?"
Nearly glowing with pride, he held up the giant paintbrush. "This is my magic brush," he gloated, displaying it like a skyward sword. The paint on the tip seemed almost to sparkle in the sunlight. "When I draw with this all my wishes come true!"
Mario couldn't see it nearly as well as Peach could; but he doubted there was anything particularly interesting to see. So it really was magic; did it produce its own paint?
"Y-your wishes?" The girl asked uncertainly.
"Yeah, I can create anything I want with this awesome thing! You've seen some of my creations around town, right, Mama?" Too eager now to wait for an answer, he kept talking.
"It's the best invention ever! A strange old man in a white coat gave it to me," the kid went on thoughtfully, fondling it in both hands. Snorting at some funny memory, he added, "It was kinda creepy... but he sure knows how to make useful stuff!"
Useful stuff. The word hammered in Mario's ears for a second longer, and for a moment he tried to think why. Something about it seemed so ironic... It was at that moment that Fludd, whom Mario had almost entirely forgotten existed, practically jumped up on Mario's back.
"A strange old man... in a white coat?" the machine timidly asked, voice almost shakily unstable. Mario half glanced back in his direction, but it was all too much to focus on at once. Fludd's surprise was surprising in itself; but somewhere, in the back of his mind, Mario understood the pump's concern.
No... not Professor Gadd. Not Princess Peach, not any of this! What in the world is going on?!
Suddenly the confusion boiled over and Mario stepped forward. Had the whole world conspired against him?
He would have shouted, accused him, asked questions until something made more sense; but Mario knew he wouldn't hear anything he'd want to hear. It was all so messed up.
So many things raged through his mind, unspoken. He wasn't good with words; but suddenly, a thought sprang to his troubled mind that struck him deeply, something he'd quietly noticed all throughout this conversation.
Princess Peach herself hadn't denied the koopa's claim.
She had talked with the prince, calmly, never raising her voice or getting upset; the only thing she showed visibly was surprise and confusion. It would have seemed a reasonable reaction in itself, of course; but then... the things she had said. What if she did know something?
Mario had already dismissed the silly idea once; told himself no without question. Honestly, how could anyone in their right mind believe the girl could be that kid's —?
Princess Peach had never had anything to hide. Indeed, she did seem very surprised, almost dazed, as she continued her attempted conversation with her kidnapper. But now the seed attempted to lodge itself in his mind.
What did he really know? How might he have known if something... anything! Suddenly the cold tendril of doubt seized his stomach if only for an instant. What if?
...No. This is all ridiculous, shame on you! he scolded himself. Shame, shame!
No one had heard Fludd cry out but Mario himself, and suddenly the young man was unable to answer. Forcing the terrible thoughts from his mind, he looked up to the prince and the princess above.
Peach wore an expression of innocent curiosity as she questioned the koopa further. "But don't you know what trouble you've caused? Why would you pretend to be Mario?" she was asking.
They were excellent questions, to be sure, and Mario would have liked an answer to them himself. Indeed, Bowser's so-called son seemed to have more tact at evil schemes than he himself did. And the disguise... Mario halted as another thought hit him. The disguise!
"Papa told me everything," the prince replied again with a shrug. Then, putting on his best deep-voice imitation of his father, he explained. "He told me, 'Mario's a bully. He never fights fair.' He said, 'Junior, you gotta try to outsmart Mario.' So I tried to get Mario sent to prison," he told the princess, "but they didn't lock him up, and now he's come to steal Mama Peach again!"
Turning to the stricken young man below, he hopped back into the cockpit, as if angered by his own train of thought. "You... you pest! Stop following us!"
Then, without a second of warning, he grabbed a lever and yanked it back, and the hatch overhead began to close. A loud rumbling ignited beneath the remains of the mecha Bowser, and just over the uproar, Mario could hear a desperate princess' muffled cries as the trap closed again around her.
"No... Mario!!"
In that moment reality returned and Mario came alive. He was going to get away, and the princess was still with him! Scrambling a few meager feet forward, the tiny human stood rigid and stared upwards in silence. He was too late.
The great head slammed closed, rendering the two passengers locked inside; and with one final surprise, the machine deployed a huge orange balloon, like a giant airbag taking flight. Lifting itself up out of the rubble, a still-working motor began viciously chopping at air, as if it had transformed into an emergency helicopter. There was nothing in that moment Mario could have done.
"No! Not again!" Fludd exclaimed sadly, easily able to see what was going on overhead. The two stood and looked on helplessly as the machine rose up and away, the loud noise of its liftoff dying down as it made out for the sea. Once again, the thief was getting away with the princess, and this time heading across the water back towards Isle Delfino beyond.
"It appears to be heading for Corona Mountain," Fludd observed quickly, catching its departing path; for he knew that would be Mario's first concern. But no reply came from his staring owner.
The waves crashed against the outer wall before him like empty drums, hammering the passing seconds; and Mario only took a deep breath and lowered his head.