Other Fan Fiction ❯ Mario: It's all in the Hat ❯ What Now? ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5 - What Now?

 

Down in the lowest most inaccessible and uncomfortable dungeon sat Mario, Failure of the Mushroom Kingdom. Lying on his back in a corner he looked around the cell. The stone in the top corner of the cell looked a little loose. Maybe if he could jump up there...

Getting up(Not for the First Time) and moving to the corner opposite the loose stones, Mario realized that his head was pounding. Shaking his head(Which didn't help) He prepared(Again) to run to the corner and leap up to knock the stones free. Running across the small cell(Maybe this time...) Mario jumped just before he reached the corner(It's not so high) and for the umpteenth time since his first awakening he crashed into the corner(Should know better...) rebounded backwards and knocked himself out on the cold stone floor.

 

Waking much later, and many, many attempted jumps afterwards, Mario, lying on the cell floor with his head neigh ready to split, finally begins to realize that it's gone, and it's not coming back. How could he have lost it? What was it he lost? How is he going to get it back? For the first time in all his life, Mario begins to feel hopelessness drift in from an open window, a window opened by that loss at Bowser's hands. How, after all these years, had King Koopa finally gotten the best of him? What had gone so terribly wrong as to have allowed this? He'd been hit by Bowser before. He'd even been knocked into a wall or two while fighting, but never, Never, had he been worn out and so over matched while battling with his nemesis. It just didn't make sense!

Slowly sitting up, Mario gently puts his ringing head into his hands and runs his fingers through his hair. Feeling the lack of his hat he quickly looks around to see where it could have fallen. With his head as sensitive as it was, the movement was too much, too soon, and Mario had to stop and hold his head firmly between his hands to keep his skull from exploding. After some time passes in this position, he feels brave enough to try again, but slowly this time, carefully. Looking around the cell, his hands holding his head together, Mario notices that aside from the bed held to the wall by chains, a refuse pit in the corner, and a small basket holding what looked like month old food, there was nothing else in the cell. Wincing from the pain of that simple activity, he closed his eyes and took a few shaky breaths to steady the resounding pounding inside his head. So he lost it. A vague memory of Bowser wearing his hat while laughing at him surfaced, and he passed it off as a part of the nightmares that were undoubtedly plaguing his subconscious. He was in enough trouble as it was without giving in to the fancies of his unconscious mind, and there were more pressing things to worry about right now anyway, like what he was going to do now...

 

*****

 

Sitting in the largest and most lavishly furnished room in the Keep sat Bowser, Champion over Mario, and thus the entire Mushroom Kingdom. Sitting at his “War Desk” Bowser was planning(Not for the first time) the perfect approach in taking over his rival's kingdom. Every time he came up with a rough plan, he started to add in all kinds of “Mario Contingencies”(Which wasn't necessary) and ended up scrapping the whole idea(Again). Why was this proving so difficult!? Without Mario to interfere he should be able to take the Mushroom Kingdom with ease. Starting fresh he developed a basic plan, Warships(Check), Troops(Of Course), and a little backup from his kids(A Diversion..). That way, when Mario Shows up... “ARG!” King Koopa Roared his fury.

 

Some time later, having given up on his plans for the moment, Bowser was leaning back in his seat thinking of his Kids, his Koopa Clan. They had gone out into the world to prove themselves and he now awaited news of their accomplishments. Always before, he had set them up with one of his lesser castles around the lands he was conquering, but not this time. They had grown some and felt that it was time to show their Dad what they were made of. He chuckled to himself. He could remember leaving his Da's house in search of a way to “prove himself”. That darkened his mood some. He still hadn't conquered the Mushroom Kingdom. At least not for any length of time. Thanks to that blasted Plumber! The plumber who was currently enjoying residence in his dungeons. He smiled as he remembered trouncing Mario again, and then he...

Startled out of his Reverie Bowser sat up in his seat knocking several things from his desk. Then he what?! Somersaulted across the room... No... There was no way he... But he did... didn't he? Getting up Koopa started pacing across his room. Okay now, he had to think about this rationally. He wasn't in horrible shape, he knew he could possibly use a little more exercise but... there was no way he could have jumped across the room like that. He tried to recall exactly what happened. Maybe he was so caught up in the moment that he just... felt like somersaulting... Leaving the room Bowser quickly walked to the chamber in which he fought Mario. Walking over to the center of the room he looked at the cracked stone in the center of the room. Staring for a few minutes Bowser was unable to cope with what that meant. These stones were old... and maybe he... Shaking his head Koopa decided that a practical test was required to prove that he was somehow mis-remembering the situation. That's all. Looking around to make sure that none of his guard were watching him as he prepared to make a fool of himself, King Koopa walked to one end of the room.

Taking a deep breath, (By the Lands, but he felt foolish) Bowser started to run across the room(He was in better shape than he thought) as fast as he could before leaping(What in the!..) Through the air and into the wall about half way up the room, knocking loose several large pieces of the wall and bringing them down on top of him. He hardly noticed in his shock.

 

“hehe,” He started..”Hehehe...UrrAhahaHAHAHA!!!” He was laughing in what? Amusement? Shock? He didn't know, and frankly he didn't care. He was laughing as hard as his body allowed and much harder than he had ever laughed before. He laughed so loudly and for so long, that his guard peeked in to see if he was alright. King Koopa, sitting in a pile of rubble from the wall, oblivious to anything else, just sat and laughed. What was this? This was crazy! HE, King Bowser Koopa had just leapt across the room like a.... like... Mario.

Suddenly all his mirth left him. Looking down he noticed the Koopa's looking at him. “What!? What is it?!” He yelled at them. Looking confused and terrified the leader of the guard stammered an incomprehensible answer, and they all quickly made their exit(Sure that their King had finally lost it.) Getting up Bowser started to seriously question what was going on. Not only had he beaten Mario, but now that he had, he could jump across the room, just like that crazy plumber. Had he gained that from beating Mario? And if so did Mario still have the same skills? What the Rotted Toad's Cap was happening here?

All the Koopa's carried the potential for a Magic that the Toad seemed not to have... but this was like nothing he had ever heard of. He wasn't to shabby a wizard himself at times, then again, there was no incantation for an effect like this.. at least not that he knew about... Kammy might. She was much farther involved in the Dark Magics than Bowser had ever been. He remembered all too well the lessons as a young Koopa that he had to endure from her. And she was willing to help him sometimes, when he needed her “particular” skills... Yes, He'd talk to that witch of a Koopa, she'd know what to make of this. And after he understood it well then... He wasn't sure, but he'd get to that. The Mushroom Kingdom wasn't going anywhere for the time being.