Other Fan Fiction ❯ Mario: It's all in the Hat ❯ Filibert ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8 - Filibert!

 

Struggling back to his feet, Mario had to dive out of the way to avoid being tackled by the Goomba, there being very little room for diving about, he ended up smashing his arm into the wall, sufficiently disabling himself in the process. Biting back the howl of pain that threatened to erupt from this fresh battering of his newly hurt arm and barely keeping the precarious hold he had on staying vertical, Mario was prepared to turn and throw himself bodily at his foe in the hopes of maybe wrestling a win out of the situation when he heard the sound a Goomba makes when it's been stomped into submission. Whipping his head around(Which thanks to the Goomba was ringing once more) and reeling at the effect it had on him, Mario was just barely able to make out a figure dressed in blue overalls and a green shirt through his blurry vision. Trying to bring the image into focus, and careful not to move anything anymore than he had to, Mario's eyes cleared on a site that more than made his day. There not more than an arms reach away, and standing beside the unconscious form of the Goomba, was none other than his brother Luigi Mario!

 

“Weegie!” he shouted in pure, undiluted joy, as he stumbled forward into his brother's arms. He had never been happier to see his brother than he was now. Moments ago he was seriously convinced that he was about to lose to a Goomba for the first time in all his life, and now he was here with the only other person he knew that could possibly help him out of here. The only thing that ruined the moment was the extremely puzzled look on his brother's face. What was the matter? Did he not recognize him? There was no way he could look so different... was there?

 

“Ahem...” Luigi began, pushing Mario into a standing position, “Ahhh forgive me for asking, but... who is it that you a say a you are?” he asked with real puzzlement in both the tone of his voice and the look on his face.

 

“Weegie!” Mario cried out his heart aching with the fact that his own brother didn't seem to recognize him. He couldn't have possibly been gone that long... could he? This didn't make any sense. Why wouldn't Luigi know him on sight? He hadn't forgotten his own brother... had he? “It's... it'sa me... Mario...” he said, his heart not in it. Those words felt so far from the truth at the moment that even he wasn't even sure any more. Not only couldn't he hold his own against a goomba, A GOOMBA! For the Star's sake, but now his own.... his Own Brother! was having trouble identifying him. Maybe there was something wrong with him, on a level that he had yet to consider... What if really wasn't... No that was ridiculous! He had all his memories, he could still remember what it felt like to leap across a room, and land exactly where he knew he would, and he could still remember what it felt like to stomp a goomba. There was obviously something else going on here and he needed to figure it out, and quick. But first, he needed his brother on his side. He wasn't sure he could go on alone... not only because he'd need help(The thought hurt too much to continue), but also because he needed Someone! Who would support him. If even Luigi didn't recognize him, then he knew that he'd have much more trouble ahead him.

 

“Mario?” Luigi asked incredulously. “Mario? I'm a sorry, but my brother is a much larger than you are. You look a lot like him, but...” he trailed off staring at Mario as if trying to figure him out. “But... you ahhh... you just a look a lot smaller.” he finished lamely with a shrug.

 

“Luigi!” Mario shouted in his best “Big Brother” voice. “Don't a be ridiculous. Who a else would a know about the dairy you keep a under your bed?” he started, and not letting up, even at the shocked expression on his brother's face, he continued, “And who a else could know about a the song our Mama sung to us every night before she a tucked us into bed? Our a bunk beds in the room, with the Pizza lamp.” he finished.

 

His face full of disbelief, Luigi nonetheless was beginning to stare at Mario anew. Almost as if he was trying to believe him, and just couldn't bring himself to. He looked like a man in a struggle with his own thoughts. Mario let him to think for a moment as he looked down at his arm. The wounds weren't too awful deep, and the bleeding had begun to slow now that he wasn't banging his arm about. He lightly put a little more pressure on his bit leg, and winced at the result. It was going to be slow going no matter what, unless... Looking up at Luigi, Mario could see that he was going to ask him something else. That was okay, at least he wasn't just disbelieving him outright.

 

“If a you are, who you a say you are, then you should a be able to a tell me what my middle name is.” he asked in a serious voice.

 

Mario chuckled in mirth at his question. Luigi had always been bothered by the fact that their parents hadn't given them middle names, and he would always bother Mario about it. With their parents no longer around, Mario had decided long ago that it was just the way it was, and no bother worrying about it. That wasn't good enough for Luigi though. So one day Mario had jokingly told Luigi that his middle name was Filibert, just to get him to quiet down about the issue. Luigi was appalled at the thought of having such a goofy middle name that, that became Mario's favorite nick-name for him when no one else was around. Chuckling at Luigi's choice of a question, Mario answered him anyway, “Filibert.”

 

“Mario!” Luigi yelled in joy throwing his arms around his brother, crushing his arm and bringing him a whole new wave of pain. “It's a really you! What a happened to you Brother?” he asked still squeezing Mario, who while happy to have his brother on his side now, still needed to do a little bit of recovering before he engaged in any hugging of his own. “How did a Koopa catch you, where have you been for so long, why didn't you a break out like a you've done so many times before, and what'sa matter with your face?” Luigi asked in a solid rush, as Mario strained to keep himself from howling out in pain. Looking down at his brother, as if really seeing him for the first time, Luigi exclaimed, “Mario! You're all torn up!” before releasing him from the tight embrace, and carefully, almost awkwardly holding his hand out to steady his older brother.

 

Taking in a deep breath, Mario slowly collected himself. So now, he had his brother here, and that made his chances of escaping(He couldn't even think that without hating himself, but there was no other way...) much better. There was nothing for it, Mario was going to have to rely on Luigi to get him out of here, and he was going to have to explain to him that he was incapable of defending himself... He, who was always his little brother's rock... Gahhh!!!! Holding his head in his hands Mario couldn't fathom how things had gone so horribly wrong! What could possibly have happened to weaken him so much! Why couldn't he jump, run, or fight like he should, what in the rotting koopa-keep was going on! Brushing his hands through his hair, Mario was beyond noticing the lack of his cap.

 

 

*****

 

“Well, well, well... isn't this a surprise...” Kammy cackled looking up from her broth as Boswer entered without so much as a knock, “What's wrong now?” She'd raised him with more manners than that, but he was “King” Koopa, and the title destroyed any chance she had at keeping him in line. The only time she saw him now was when...

 

“I need to ask you something.” Bowser said, while looking around the little hut. He had never really liked this shack as a young Koopa, and he didn't care for it any more now that he was older.

 

Kammy Koopa, Head Witch and arguably(By Kamek Alone) the most powerful Magi-Koopa alive. Bowser's original teacher, and mentor in the Dark Arts practiced by the Koopa's. She is only superseded by Kamek, due to the fact that having her around, was “Too much like having his Grandmother around” in King Koopa's mind, thus allowing Kamek to gain the “title” of head Magi-Koopa in the Keep. Having spent a significant amount of time with him throughout his education whilst he was young, her relationship is more maternal, when no one else is around.

 

“Well, ask, or sit, or do something other than stand in my doorway you overgrown lizard! You're letting the heat out!” she stated while pouring out two bowls of soup. Stepping into the hut, Bowser pulled the door shut behind him without a thought. He had come here to learn something, and he knew better than to rile Kammy up before seeking her help. It was bad enough trying to get her to do things for him when she was in a good mood. Stepping over to the table, he took a bowl from her before continuing.

 

“I beat Mario!” he blurted out instead, and then waited for a response. Looking at him, Kammy couldn't tell if he was trying to be funny, or if it was something else. “King” Koopa had a strange sense of humor at times, but this didn't seem to be one of them. He looked to be almost bursting at the seams with self satisfaction, and there was something else, something different about him that she couldn't quite place... could it be, could he have possibly beaten...

 

“That's nice dear. What was it you wanted from me, it sounds like you've finally taken care of your biggest problem.” she said with a shrug, as she began to eat her soup. Bowser's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. He was flabbergasted, he'd just revealed that he'd beaten Mario, Mario of the Mushroom Kingdom, and all she could respond with was,

 

“That's Nice! That's Nice!” he roared crushing his bowl in his hands, “I King Bowser Koopa have bested my lifetime rival of many years, and all you can say is That's Nice!” he finished in disbelief, a little hurt, and infuriated by her lack of interest.

 

“Now now, calm down, it had to happen eventually dear,” she began, as she waved her hand causing the broken bowl to reassemble itself on the counter in front of her, “You are “King Koopa” after all.” she continued, filling the bowl once more before handing it back to Bowser, “It's not like it's so surprising that you've finished off that lousy plumber, he was only human after all.” she finished, looking up at him actually more proud than she let on. His reaction was enough for her, he had actually done it, Mario was... “So I assume you've finished him off.” she asked in an offhand manner.

 

“Well... I...” Bowser began, losing his anger as quickly as it had come before trying to explain...

 

“You fool!” she retorted, throwing her soup bowl at “King” Koopa sending a ball of force to travel with it, and then the most absurd thing happened. Instead of throwing his arms up, and absorbing her attack while deflecting the bowl, like she had taught him to do in such a situation, or, trying to move out of the way, and likely destroying some of her furniture, which had happened in the past, “King Bowser Koopa” leapt, like a... like Mario, only with his mass, and size, he leapt straight through her roof. Kammy just stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. This, this was different...