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Jan 16

Mario & Luigi: Fallen Wishes

Chapter 5: Hell’s Banquet

The Bros. and Koopa Children find their way to Lonely Lava Land’s one and only dining hall known as Manoir Glouton, home of the tainted Mushroom Kingdom’s most delectable dishes. But, one has to wonder, is this banquet really all it’s cooked up to be?

~~~

A story created by my mind and built with @luigiman64, @blueshidx and I’s cooking, Mario & Luigi: Fallen Wishes! Very happy to bring this work to life alongside them.

Certain characters and settings belong to Nintendo, Intelligent Systems, and AlphaDream. I do not take credit for any of what doesn’t belong to me.

The Bros. trailed up the long path that connected Ice-Shine Island to Lethal Lava Land with the two Koopa children walking just behind them. The further up they went, the hotter the terrain became.

As they ascended, the familiar feeling of Darkness lingering among them returned. The cool air of the icy lands below them was replaced with a humid, smoky wind full of embers and ash. The group knew this land too well… the Dark Lands, homeland of the age old Koopa Tribe.

As the group reached the lava land’s edge, Luigi threw the jacket gifted to him by Ludwig down to the ground. He took off his cap and wiped his sweaty forehead before putting it back on. The Koopa kids then approached them, both taking off their jackets.

“Ahh, just smell that burning air!” Junior said. “It feels like forever since we escaped from here! …Even if it looks so different now…”

“…Yes.” Ludwig said as he picked up Luigi’s jacket and made all the coats disappear with a flick of his wand. “It truly does feel as if it’s been ages…”

Before walking forward, the group noticed how Mario still seemed unfazed by the weather.

“What’s with you, Mario!?” Junior asked as he approached the man in red. “You’re not hot?”

Mario shook his head… no heat’s ever burned him as bad as the lava burns he’s gotten, not since visiting the Beanbean Kingdom. The sort of weather just doesn’t seem to affect him anymore.

“…Whatever. Keep your secrets, I guess.” Junior said as he tried to walk ahead. “I don’t wanna know anyway.”

“Wait!” Cosmo said as he appeared and put a hand out, making Junior cease movement as he turned back to face the Sprite. “…Misstar was right. The amount of Dark energy here surpasses anything I’ve felt during this whole venture…”

“Then let us find the way to rekindle Mario and Luigi’s elemental abilities.” Ludwig said. “We haven’t a second to spare.”

“…Yes, precisely.” Cosmo said as he turned to the Bros. “Mario, Luigi! Press onward! Surely the way to rekindle your powers can’t be far.”

As Cosmo disappeared once more, the group walked onward, beginning to notice how Nox’s magic had affected the lands… the dark power seemed to have emphasized what Darkness already haunted these lands, making Lethal Lava Land even brighter and hotter than it had been before.

Even the enemies the Bros. fought seemed to gain some energy boost, no matter if they roamed the many lava pools or roamed amongst the charred ground… it was so peculiar, yet almost exhilarating to the Bros. Mario lead the group while the others started to lag behind due to the heat.

“…It’s too hot… even for a Koopa…” Ludwig said, gasping.

“I almost wanna know how you can stand this heat… almost…” Junior said.

Mario turned back and gathered the others close to him. Mario then wrapped a hand around Luigi’s shoulders and gestured to the Koopas to hold onto his and Luigi’s hands as the treaded forward. He kept a quick yet steady pace as they continued their walk through the Lava Lands.

As the group approached the center of the lands, they all spotted something in the distance. A large volcano towered over the Lands, but just in front of it appeared to be a kind of building.

“…There!” Junior said, pointing toward the structure ahead. “Maybe we can go there to cool off?”

“…Hm, surely it must be a bit cooler there…” Ludwig said. “Mario! Head forth!”

Mario nodded as he trudged to the building, passing by the lava pools that surrounded it as he reached it. As the group finally made it, walking past the small garden of dark-leaved shrubs along the walkway toward the structure, they spotted a sign just before the front door.

“…Ah… Manoir Glouton?” Ludwig questioned.

“Is that supposed to mean something?” Junior asked.

Before Ludwig could answer, the doors to the building creaked open, as if permitting them all to enter.

“…We don’t have anything to lose right now.” Ludwig said. “It appears we must go in.”

Mario abided by Ludwig’s words as he stepped inside, noticing the oddly dim lighting and feeling the slightly cooler air against his face. He let the others go and take in the new air, just as the doors behind them slowly shut closed.

The room they stood in became deathly dark and silent, making everyone huddle close. They kept a keen eye out amidst the dark, for anything could’ve been out to get them right then...

“…Ah! I see we have guests!” An unknown voice then said, making the group jump where they stood. “It’s been ages since we’ve seen new faces!”

The lights of the building came on like spotlights, momentarily blinding the group as the room became lit up. The heroes gazed upon the room they stood in… it seemed to be like a lobby, much like the ones in fancy restaurants.

“My dear guests!” The voice from before called again. “Look up!”

The group abided by the words, and saw someone hovering in the air just above them. A man with bright orange skin hovered in the air. His attire was all black, even the chef hat he wore upon his head. At the top of the hat was a flickering flame, serene as a candle. The crimson eyes within the dark orange bull head-shaped mask stared at the group with a suave and calm glare as he gently got to the ground and approached the group of heroes.

“Allow me to introduce myself… I am Kaglut, the owner of this Manor, Manoir Glouton!” Kaglut said. “I hope to serve you lot well tonight!”

“…Huh.” Junior asked.

“Oh! Let me specify a tad…” Kaglut said. “I am what is called a master of the culinary arts! I shall bestow upon you the dining experience of a lifetime!”

…Mario suddenly seemed interested once he heard that. Luigi then brought up a hand to his shoulder and gripped it tight, giving his Bro a glare as he shook his head slightly. Mario didn’t seem to notice.

“I suppose it’s been quite some time since we’ve eaten last…” Ludwig said. He then looked up to Kaglut. “What do you have for us, sir?”

Kaglut hummed. “I shall wait for you on the second level. No need to worry about reservations, they’ve already been made!” He said. “Au revoir!” He then disappeared into a cloud of bright orange smoke.

Before the group headed forward, Cosmo made his appearance again. “…I have a bad feeling. The amount of dark energy in this room alone…” He paused. “It’s frightening… I am uncertain of if we can trust this 'Kaglut'.”

“He doesn’t look like a threat.” Junior said. “Plus, I’m hungry!”

“…Cosmo does have a point, Junior.” Ludwig retorted. “It doesn’t matter how we perceive him, he could still be a threat.”

“…He may also be our next Ztar Spirit… I recall Kalmar being famed by the other Spirits for his culinary skills…” Cosmo said. “…We will play along with Kaglut’s game for now, we must make sure that we can strike once the time is right. Let us head upstairs!” He said as he vanished again.

While the others parted on their own way, Mario seemed to head straight upstairs. The others quickly followed suit as they noticed him leave, Luigi grabbing Mario’s arm as they all headed up.

~~~

The group then reached the second floor of the Manor, noticing that it looked like a dining hall. A few small figures quickly roamed around the room, all of them moving too fast to properly glance at them.

As they all stepped forward, Kaglut appeared just before them. “Yes, you’ve made it!” He said. “Here, have a seat!”

A few dining chairs then propelled toward the group, swerving them to the large table that circled around the room. Once they all were seated, they spotted just how fancy the room felt.

The level was adorned in decorations, a few lit candles scoured around. Just above the table, in the middle of the ceiling, was a large chandelier that glistened from the faint candlelight.

“Calming, yes?” Kaglut said, appearing beside Mario. “I would hope so! Your first course is on its way!”

Mario was practically salivating as Kaglut hovered away… he then felt Luigi’s hand smack his shoulder. He turned to his Bro, who gave him a look that screamed of certainty… he was begging him not to go overboard while they were still undercover.

Mario then shot Luigi a nonchalant look. 'I’ll be fine!' Luigi could simply hear Mario say in his mind as he flicked his hand dismissively.

“Luigi is right, Mario.” Mario heard Cosmo say in his head. “Try not to overdo things when eating.”

Mario nodded… although, he seemed a little unserious as he did. His hunger and strong desire to eat was unmatched.

Kaglut then hovered above the table, causing the guests to all look upward. “My guests!” He said. “I must display to you the first course of the night! …I shall please you with the finest cooking this Kingdom has to offer!”

Beside the table, the many of servants of the Manor flooded around the guests, passing and sliding plates across the table… the aroma of the appetizers had spilled into the room, which seemed to about hypnotize the group.

As one of the servants passed by Mario and placed another platter before him, among the many others surrounding where he sat… the small, petit servant locked eyes with the red plumber… the sight made Mario tense up.

The clear image of something blank eyed and violet skinned wearing a black suit caught Mario’s eye. Its sharp teeth glinted against the faint light of the room. A Shroob, of all things, stared right back at Mario, right into the depths of his soul… making a slight chill go up his spine. Although, this Shroob only seemed to have one eye, the other eye covered by a patch…

…Had someone thawed the Shroobs from their icy prison in the freezer within Bowser’s Castle? Was this all Nox’s doing…? It seemed too likely to Mario…

“…Apologies, my friend, but you haven’t started eating yet.” Kaglut said as he hovered beside Mario, noticing that his eyes continued to stay on the Shroob. Kaglut hummed as his eyes traced Mario’s face.

“…You need not worry about the servants, they won’t hurt you.” Kaglut said. “Just enjoy your food! More will arrive soon!” He said as he hovered away.

The little Shroob then stepped away, just as Mario noticed Luigi worriedly glancing at him… he noticed it as well. Mario then scooted over to Luigi and pat his shoulder with a small smile, as if telling him not to worry, before moving back and beginning to chow down… all while Luigi picked at the food in front of him.

At the opposite side of the table from the Bros., Junior and Ludwig sat, Junior eating way too quickly for his own good.

“Junior, slow down.” Ludwig said. “You’ll get sick if you keep eating that fast.”

“Come on, Ludwig!” Junior said with his mouth full. “It’s been forever since we’ve gotten to relax! Lighten up!”

“…I won’t 'lighten up' if you keep eating like that.” Ludwig said as he quietly ate.

“Your friend is right there!” Kaglut said while he hovering next to Ludwig. “You should relax! That’s what you’re here to do, yes?”

Ludwig grumbled. “Yes.” He said. “But I must look out for him… he’s like my brother.”

“Hmm, I don’t blame you.” Kaglut said. “Although… I feel we can do better than that.”

“Excuse you?” Ludwig asked, swinging his head to face Kaglut.

“I feel we can help you relax even more!” Kaglut said. “Hold on a moment.” Kaglut then disappeared, leaving the Koopa children alone… allowing Ludwig to seethe at what his server had spoken.

Back at the Bros. side, Luigi was slowly picking at his food, eating it all little by little. He had also begun to notice the portion sizes of these appetizers… they were oddly big, especially for being the start of their meal.

Luigi then turned to Mario, only to for his jaw to drop at what he witnessed. Mario had already eaten about half of his side of the table, possibly more.

“Mario!” Luigi called, making Mario quickly turn his head around to his Bro as he was fixing to bite down on another appetizer. Luigi then firmly gazed upon Mario and shook his head… he couldn’t just gorge on food like this.

Mario looked like he was about to argue with Luigi, before Cosmo began to speak within the Bros. minds again…

“…Mario, I don’t mean to sound rude, but…” Cosmo hesitated. “H-have you gained a little weight…?”

The man in red was appalled. How many times were people going to point out his weight? He scoffed before continuing to eat.

“Mario, you must listen to us!” Cosmo said… but was ignored by Mario. Luigi then sighed and put a hand to his head.

“I’m sorry, Luigi… maybe he’ll soon be unable to eat anymore?” Cosmo suggested.

Luigi hummed in a desperate hope… the Bros. and Peach didn’t discuss weight loss plans for no reason.

Kaglut then appeared at Ludwig and Junior’s side of the table, sliding a small salad bowl Ludwig’s way. “A little birdie told me you’re a tad of a health nut.” He said, almost condescendingly. “Enjoy, my friend!” He then went off again.

Ludwig grumbled at the server’s words… but he couldn’t say no to the bowl on the table. He picked at it a little before beginning to gobble it down… then, out of the blue, he began to feel tired…

Ludwig’s eyelids felt heavy as his head suddenly collided with the table, making the others completely pause with what they were doing.

“Ludwig!?” Junior yelled. “You okay?”

“Oh, dear!” Kaglut said. “I am so sorry that this happened! I’ll be taking him away for now so that I can help him up. None of you need to worry, he will be in good hands!”

A few Shroob servants then appeared, a small group of which had the unconscious Ludwig placed upon them before carrying him out of the dining hall.

“For now… another course will be on your way!” Kaglut said.

“…You had better take good care of him…” Junior said more to himself.

“Don’t you worry!” Kaglut then said. “As I said, he’s in good hands!”

~~~

“And stay in there!” A voice said. “You little goon!”

“…Don’t even think about trying to escape!” A second voice said.

“Unless you wanna be met with our elite fists!” A third voice said.

Ludwig awoke with a start, quickly rising upward as he took in his surroundings… the walls were a blood red, with small cracks and holes coating them. He looked to his left, seeing bars block his way out… he was imprisoned.

He scoured around for his wand, but couldn’t find it. It seemed that whoever had dragged him here took it. Ludwig then scrambled for the Koopa Kalls given to him by the other Koopalings… he felt nothing but the rock Morton had gifted him back in Mushdark Forest as he took it out of his hair and held it.

…Then, in an act of desperation, Ludwig chucked the rock at the bars… nothing happened, nothing changed. Ludwig grumbled as he grabbed the rock and placed it back in his hair before going to a wall and sitting against it. He sighed as he closed his eyes, hoping this was some sort of dream…

As Ludwig moped at the far end of his cell, he suddenly heard a loud thud against the wall next to him, followed by the sound of something hitting the ground. Ludwig rose a little and stared at the wall for a moment before speaking out.

“…Who is there?” Ludwig called out.

“…Ughhh… wait, huh?” A familiar voice questioned. “Ludwig?”

“…Ah, yes, hello…” Ludwig replied. “Who is that?”

“…L-Ludwig!” The voice said. “It’s me, Captain Goomba!”

“What?” Ludwig said to himself as he rushed to the bars of his cell and peeked through them… he then spotted a red flag peek from the cell next to his.

“Ah, it is you…” Ludwig said. “Wait a moment— how did you get here? Are the other Captains still with you?”

“…Y-yeah.” Captain Goomba said, a tinge of shame in his tone.

“What happened? How did you all get locked up in here?” Ludwig asked.

“Well,” Captain Shy Guy suddenly spoke, his flag also peering out of the Captains’ cell. “This dummy thought it’d be a good idea to just barge right in. Without any preparation.”

“How was I supposed to know that the suit-wearing guy with the chef hat would just call up his goons and have us all be brought down here?” Captain Goomba asked.

“I don’t know, maybe you should’ve thought something would go wrong the second you decided you would ram yourself head first into the front door.” Captain Shy Guy remarked.

“Yeah, we tried to tell you not to that.” Captain Boo said.

“And what did you do? You did it anyway.” Captain Shy Guy clapped back again.

“…Even I have to admit,” Captain Koopa Troopa began. “Not a smooth move, Cap.”

Captain Goomba stammered, trying to make an argument he couldn’t back up… only for Ludwig to smack a hand to his face in disappointment.

~~~

Mario, Luigi, and Junior sat at the dining hall, about halfway with their second course of the night. Luigi, starting to feel bloated, had stopped eating and fiddled around with an empty glass. He looked over to Mario before sitting up in his seat.

The red plumber looked… different, that much was apparent to Luigi. Mario’s gut looked noticeably bigger. The sight made Luigi tense up in his seat as he glanced to Mario.

“Mario!” Cosmo said with the Bros.’ heads. “You mustn’t keep going! The others have already stopped… let’s call it a night, shall we?”

Mario grumbled a little at that… Luigi sighed and placed a hand on Mario’s shoulder, giving a worried glance before eyeing his gut.

“Luigi is not exaggerating, Mario.” Cosmo said. “I feel that we’ve gotten far enough to Kaglut’s charade. It’s also highly concerning that Ludwig has not yet returned… and just looking at all this food, it makes me sick, for some reason… it has an aura I can’t pinpoint…”

Luigi agreed… he felt that same, oddly enough… Mario then carelessly shrugged, only for Luigi to look away. His Bro’s absurd love for food has driven him down a hole of carelessness he couldn’t get Mario out of… what was he to do?

Over where Junior sat, he attempted to stuff more of drumstick into his mouth, but seemed barely able to do so. Kaglut then appeared at his side, appearing slightly puzzled.

“What is wrong, dear guest?” Kaglut asked.

“…I can’t… eat anymore…” Junior replied, sighing.

“Before the last course?” Kaglut asked. “Surely this mustn’t be so!”

“…Ugh… what part of 'I can’t eat anymore' do you not get, server boy?” Junior asked, visibly irritated. “I’m good for tonight! You got a check we need to pay? …Eh, Mario and Luigi will pay for it, I’m sure… and what about Ludwig? Where is he!?”

…Kaglut seemed taken aback at that. He irritably hummed a little as he then chuckled loud enough for everyone in the dining hall to hear.

“…My apologies. It appears it’s taking longer than expected for your friend to return.” Kaglut said. “Why don’t I give you a break from your meal for a moment so that you can see him?”

“Wait, really?” Junior asked. “Sure! I’d really like to see what’s taking those servants so long…”

“Splendid!” Kaglut cheered with a clasp of his hands. “I’ll take you to him.”

Junior slowly got up from his seat and walked beside Kaglut as the server escorted him out of the dining hall. Luigi watched the two of them exit, praying that Junior would be back quick… and hopefully with Ludwig.

He’d try to follow them, but… with Mario’s horrific eating habits, he had to keep watch of his Bro.

…He could only hope Ludwig and Junior were truly in good hands.

~~~

Junior walked just beside Kaglut as he lead him downstairs to the lobby of the Manor. The server’s shoes clacked against the stairs like a pair of heels… the noise made Junior feel incredibly fancy.

“We there yet?” Junior asked.

“Almost.” Kaglut said with a hum.

The pair eventually approached the bottom of the staircase, Junior passing Kaglut as they entered the lobby.

“Alright, where to next, server boy?” Junior asked… but he got no response.

Junior then looked around the lobby, noticing Kaglut had suddenly disappeared. He was nowhere to be found… this realization made Junior’s teeth grate against each other.

“HEY!!!” Junior exclaimed. “Where’d you—!?”

As Junior spoke, something metallic and solid slammed against the back of his head. He fell to the floor with a hard thud… and just behind him was the culprit that hit him.

Kaglut stood tall with a frying pan in hand, fidgeting with it as if it was some toy. He chuckled a little, looking down at the knocked out Koopa in front of him.

“…I see, you don’t know what hit you.” Kaglut said with a laugh. He then clapped his hands, summoning a few Shroob servants in a cloud of smoke.

“My dear servants, send this Koopa… downstairs.” Kaglut said. “His friend is still down there, correct?”

The Shroobs nod in sync with one another… Kaglut happily hummed at that.

“Good. Pack this other Koopa child with him… since he keeps blabbering and blabbering about him.” Kaglut said bitterly. “I must be off to those brothers, au revoir!” He said as his poofed away, leaving the Shroobs to pick Junior up and carry him away.

~~~

“…Junior…!” A familiar voice called. “Wake… up! …Wake up!!”

Junior gasped as he awoke, rising to his bottom as he recoiled. He then rubbed his head, noticing just how bad it now hurt.

“…Ughh… Ludwig?” Junior as he looked to Ludwig, the source of the voice waking him. “What happened…? Where are we?”

“Lord Junior!?” Captain Goomba exclaimed from the cell next door. “You’re in there!? Are you okay?”

“…I don’t know if my head hurting means I’m okay, Captain Goomba… are the others with you?” Junior asked. “How’d you even get here?”

“…Yeah. I’m locked up with stupid.” Captain Shy Guy said. “And that’s a long story I don’t think you want the answer to.”

“Hey, maybe you should stop nagging on him like that?” Captain Boo asked. “We’ve been in here long enough, and you’re nagging isn’t helping.”

“Yeah, we just need some positivity!” Captain Koopa Troopa said. “How about a joke?”

“NO!!!” The other three Captains said in sync.

“…Ignore them. They’ve been yapping for a while now.” Ludwig said. “As to where we are… we’ve been locked underground. I don’t have my wand.”

…Junior then started to panic a little as he started scouring for his brush… “…MY BRUSH IS GONE!!! What the heck!?”

Ludwig hummed. “Whoever threw us in here has them… and all I’m left with is the rock Morton gave me.” He said as he pulled the rock out of his hair.

“…Isn’t that his phone?” Junior asked. “Why don’t you just dial his number on it?”

Ludwig looked at Junior as if he had said the most absurd thing that had ever crossed his ears. “…Junior, this is not a phone. That’s not going to work because it is a rock.”

“Give me it.” Junior said, putting a hand out.

“What.” Ludwig asked flatly.

“Give me the 'rock'. I’m gonna prove you wrong.” Junior said smugly.

Ludwig thought about it for a moment, before giving Junior the rock, placing it in the palm of his hand. “There is no way that’s going to work Junior, it’s a rock—!”

Before Ludwig could even finish his sentence, Junior began to dial Morton’s number on the phone, the rock even making little sounds as Junior pressed its buttons. The phone rang a bit, before the person on the other line picked up.

“HELLO?” Morton asked from the other line. “IS LUDWIG? TINY BOWSER?”

“…Tiny Bowser, Morton.” Junior said. “Ludwig and I are stuck in a cell underground in the Dark Lands, under some Manor. Those Captains are with us too… you think you could bring Iggy, Lemmy, and Wendy along? Those Star Spirits can help you all get here, I bet.”

“YES, TINY BOWSER. MORTON WILL BRING HELP” Morton said. “MORTON WILL BE FAST.”

“Good.” Junior said with a calm smile. “See you, Morton.”

“SEE YOU TOO, TINY BOWSER.” Morton said as he hung up.

Junior then set the phone down, looking to Ludwig with a smug glare… silence filled the cell as Ludwig stayed in complete bewilderment.

“…H-HOW DID YOU DO THAT!?” Ludwig exclaimed in unbridled confusion.

~~~

Luigi sat quiet at the dining table, staring at still full plate in front of him… he couldn’t bear to look at Mario, now that he was done with his side of the table.

“Dear guests!” Kaglut said. “How are we faring?”

Mario looked up at Kaglut, purely satisfied with himself. His right hand sat atop his stomach, which now seemed slightly bigger than Mario’s own head.

Luigi, on the other hand, looked up at Kaglut with disdain. He looked genuinely upset and puzzled, only thinking about what his plan even was… why was he doing this? For some sick joke?

“My dear man in green… I see you are worrying for your brother.” Kaglut said. “Does he truly look to be in pain?”

Luigi slowly turned his head to face Mario, who looked back at him with an unserious glare. The sight almost made Luigi sick.

“I’d personally say that your brother is truly living the good life! There is no harm in but a fine meal for yourself, is there?” Kaglut asked. He then looked down at Luigi’s portion of the meal… his brows then furrowed.

“…Oh, why must none of you appreciate the time and effort put into these dishes?” Kaglut asked. “All except your dear brother… whom I have a special offering for.”

Mario shot Kaglut a surprised look… what could he have for him, he wondered?

“You see, dear man in red,” Kaglut began. “Since you’ve so graciously given your condolences to my head chef and I… I’ve considered bringing you upstairs to the kitchen just to show you how we work our magic here! Whatever our head chef makes, you get to eat!”

Mario’s jaw dropped at that… he couldn’t believe what he heard. His mouth was salivating at the thought of the offering. He was just about to nod before Luigi suddenly snagged Mario’s shoulders, almost falling out of his seat.

“Mario!!” Luigi exclaimed to a point where his voice echoed off the walls. Kaglut shot Luigi a puzzled look before placing a hand on Luigi’s own shoulders.

“…Now, now…” Kaglut said. “This is your brother’s decision. And I must keep my guests satisfied!”

…Mario then seemed to snap out of his own hunger for a moment and look down at himself… he had really gone overboard, hadn’t he? Luigi desperately glaring at him only made him feel worse. He looked up to Kaglut, wanting to turn down the offer, before the server got up close and personal to his face.

“…Come now, Mario.” Kaglut said in an oddly calm tone, his eyes glowing a bit. “You know you want this. You can’t say no to an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet, can you?”

…Mario then felt any concern he had melt off of him as he slowly nodded his head… to Luigi, it appeared as if he had been hypnotized.

“Very good!” Kaglut said, now back into a cheery tone. “I shall lead you upstairs.”

Kaglut stepped to the side, allowing Mario to slowly get up. As Mario got to the floor, he brought his hands to his knees, huffing and puffing. Luigi then got up in an attempt to snap him out of it, before Kaglut stood over him.

“…Ah, ah, ah…” Kaglut warned. “Finish your side of the table first, and maybe you can join your brother.”

Kaglut pulled Mario to his side, helping him walk alongside him. Luigi tried to hurry after them both, grabbing onto Kaglut’s suit as he treaded away… only for Kaglut to kick him in the chest.

“…It appears I need to have my special members take care of you... I suppose you’ll have be leftovers.” Kaglut said in a chilling tone as he snapped his fingers, suddenly summoning three hooded figures beside Luigi, who began to drag him away.

“You’re coming with us, plumber boy!” One voice said.

“Yeah! and quit squirming!” Another voice said.

“You ain’t gonna like where we’re taking you!” A third voice said.

“MARIOOOO!!!” Luigi called out, only for Mario to not respond as he was dragged away.

~~~

The Captains and Koopa children sat in their cells, completely silent and awaiting help from the saved Koopalings. They stayed as inconspicuous as possible, trying not to possibly draw attention to any servant who passed by.

“…I knew this would take some time, but,” Ludwig started. “I didn’t think it would this long for help to arrive.”

“Give ‘em a minute, Ludwig!” Junior said.

“Any longer, and the brothers might be dead.” Ludwig retorted.

As Ludwig silenced, the sound of approaching steps caught everyone’s ears. They peeked past the bars of their cells and looked onward, hearing the voices of the figures that approached… they also appeared to carrying someone…

“…Who’s that?” Junior whispered.

“…I think I remember those voices…” Ludwig recalled.

He and Junior slowly approached the cells bars, beginning to see the figures more clearly. Each figure wore a black robe, each with their hoods down… revealing the members of the Elite Trio, who all carried a tied up Luigi upon their backs. The man was squirming in his bindings, trying to break free. The Elite Trio laughed amongst each other as they approached the imprisoned Minions.

“…After we get rid of this guy, we bail!” Private Goomp said. “We go straight to her!”

“I bet she has some sort of guard…” Sergeant Guy said.

“So? We can beat ‘em up, yeah?” Corporal Paraplonk suggested.

“…Ah, these fools.” Ludwig sighed.

“Hey! I remember you!” Junior then said. “You’re those guys who betrayed my dad!”

Captain Goomba presses hard against the bars, with the other Captains trying to hold him back as he rushed forward. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?” He yelled. “How dare you still set your feet on Lord Bowser’s turf!?”

“…W-wouldn’t you like to know?” Private Goomp said. “We’re not gonna tell you!”

“…Is there really a point to that?” Corporal Paraplonk asked.

“Yeah, it’s not like they can escape their cells.” Sergeant Guy said. “Our secret’s safe with them.”

“…Oh, yeah… they can’t leave.” Private Goomp said.

“I’ll get out of this cell, and when I do, I’ll pummel you for your crimes against Lord Bowser!” Captain Goomba said.

“Chill out, Cap!” Captain Boo said. “…Let’s get that intel first.” He whispered to his lead Captain.

“…Fine. Okay.” Captain Goomba reluctantly said. “What’s your guy’s deal?”

“…B-before recently, we were the bottom of the barrel of Bowser’s Minions. If you remember, we became Bowser’s kid’s little punching bags…” Private Goomp explained, glaring to Junior. “Every other Minion upstairs made fun of us… for betraying Bowser, and failing at our plans of treason…” The Private then sniffled as small tears formed in his eyes.

“…Aw, man…” Captain Koopa Troopa said, noticeably saddened. “That’s so sad…”

“There’s no way you’re falling for this.” Captain Shy Guy said.

“Yeah! They deserve it anyway!” Captain Goomba said.

“Shhh!” Sergeant Guy hushed the Captains. “He’s venting.”

“…Our lives sucked for so long… and then, just a short time before Bowser’s speech in the Ceremony Hall, we were visited by him.” Private Goomp recalled. “A purple-skinned, one-eyed guy dressed like an actor! He gave us the opportunity of a lifetime!”

“…Yeah? And?” Junior asked.

“We are now Commander Nox’s most faithful underlings!” Private Goomp announced.

“…WHAT!?” Captain Goomba shrilled.

“Wait, wait!” Private Goomp begged. “…Or so we say we are.”

“When the actor guy came to us,” Sergeant Guy said. “He had promised us something we never got.”

“…And what, pray tell, could that possibly be?” Ludwig asked, crossing his arms.

———

“…You all shall work under the Commander. She will leave you unharmed, as long as you agree to complete servitude.” The actor man said. “The punishment for treason… shall be dire.”

“If we say yes…” Private Goomp asked. “What do we get from it?”

“…What?” The actor asked.

“What do we get out of working for the Commander?” Sergeant Guy asked.

“Do we get any kind of medals?” Private Goomp asked.

“Head honcho chairs!?” Corporal Paraplonk asked in excitement.

“I… hm…” The actor thought before sighing. “…Fine. I suppose…”

“Great! It’s settled!” Private Goomp said. “We’ll work with you!”

———

“After that deal, we did all the dirty work we could!” Corporal Paraplonk said. “We got Iggy to come downstairs, telling him something was off… then we ambushed him, and the actor guy did the rest!”

“We helped that guy do all we could for Nox!” Private Goomp said. “…But we didn’t get what we asked for.”

“We never got our cool head honcho chairs!” Corporal Paraplonk whined.

“We were denied what that guy told us we’d get!” Sergeant Guy said. “He hasn’t even spoken to us since then!”

“And now, because of this tyranny…” Private Goomp began, leaning close to the bars of the Captains’ cell. “We’re gonna betray Nox!” He whispered.

“We’re gonna ambush her,” Sergeant Guy said. “And take all the power for ourselves!”

“And get even cooler head honcho chairs!” Corporal Paraplonk said with glee. “We won’t just be Bowser superiors… we’ll be Nox superiors!”

“…And there’s nothing you can do it about it, Captain.” Private Goomp said as he closed in on Captain Goomba’s enraged face before he backed away.

“…So, let me get this straight…” Captain Goomba began as he sighed. “You betrayed Lord Bowser again, corrupted Iggy, and had Lord Bowser’s Castle be taken… the other Koopalings, along with my friends, tainted by weird dark magic… put all of us in incredible danger…”

Captain Goomba’s Minion Spirit seemed to ignite a bright fire within him as he suddenly phased through the bars of his cell and stared at Private Goomp with death daggers.

“…All for some STUPID CHAIRS!?” Captain Goomba shrilled.

The Goomba Captain then pounced onto the Private, beating him up just as he said he would. Everyone else could only watch as a few Shroob servants came about and dragged the two apart, only for Captain Goomba to be thrown back into his cell with the other Captains. The Shroobs then departed as Private Goomp reeled from the attack made on him.

Private Goomp felt as if he could shrivel up and cry as he backed up to the other Elite Trio members, who still carried Luigi. Captain Goomba tried to go through the bars again, only for the other Captains to hold him back.

“…Stay away from me!” Private Goomp yelled, tearing up.

“Now, watch and weep as we go throw this green guy into a pit! Hah!” Corporal Paraplonk mocked as he and the rest of the Elite Trio walked away with the Shroob servants in tow.

“You’re gonna WHAT!?” Junior exclaimed.

“Heeeelp me!!!” Luigi yelled as the traitors vanished.

“We must get out of here… where are they?” Ludwig whispered.

The Minions sat again, desperately awaiting the arrival of their help for what felt like ages… until hearing more footsteps approach their cells…

~~~

Kaglut led Mario up the steps to the kitchen, keeping him from stumbling as they ascended. He almost looked like he wanted to go back down, but Kaglut continued to hold him close.

“You can’t go back down now, we’re almost there!” Kaglut said.

After just a few more steps, a savory smell passed over Mario’s nose. The Spirit and plumber had found themselves within the kitchen of the Manor. Many Shroob servants dashed around, holding different utensils and plates as they scurried around.

Kaglut brought Mario to the far end of the kitchen, the two of them spotting the head chef… one of the tainted Koopalings, Larry, wore a black suit and chef hat just like Kaglut. His long and purple-streaked blue hair popped through the top of his hat. His glittering gold-tinged orange scales glimmered under the light of the kitchen lamps.

Larry had smacked two slices of bread onto the sides of a Shroob’s head, yelling at it. “Who’s an idiot sandwich? YOU ARE, that’s who!”

“…Excuse him. He can be a little… over-exaggerative sometimes.” Kaglut told Mario softly before turning to Larry. “Ahem… Larry?”

“What? Huh?” Larry asked, removing the bread slices from the Shroob’s head, staring at Kaglut with confused eyes. “Chef Kaglut? You’re back so soon?” He said as he began fixing the hair tuft at the top of his hat.

“Yes… I’ve given my good guest here the chance to 'watch and eat', so to speak.” Kaglut said as he snapped his fingers, summoning a chair below Mario. The chair began to creak under Mario’s weight. “Whatever you make, he gets to have for his final course.”

Larry looked a little perplexed at the sight of the man now sitting in the chair, but pushed it to the side as he suddenly began commanding the Shroobs in the kitchen once more. “Go faster! This guy needs a good meal!” Larry commanded. “You give me trash, I’LL THROW YOU IN THE TRASH!!!”

Mario and Kaglut watched as Shroobs paced around the room, going faster than they had before when they arrived. Soon, a line had formed in front of Mario, consisting of many Shroobs ready to serve Mario his high-calorie buffet.

Kaglut only serenely watched Mario eat, hearing Larry spew insults at those who weren’t doing their job right. The more Mario ate, the more the chair he sat in began to give way.

Mario felt as if he was in heaven, oblivious to anything going on around him… even the sound of the chair cracking.

After what felt like an eternity, the chair finally gave way, causing Mario to crash to the floor and the Shroob line in front of him to fall.

“NO!!! You lot couldn’t keep your balance for five seconds!?” Larry asked. “Look what you done to all that food! It’s wasted, and it’s all your fault!”

Amidst Larry’s rambling, Kaglut approached Mario, who now lay on the floor. He couldn’t get up at all, and Kaglut only stared at him with a knowing glare.

Mario locked eyes with the server… and a sudden realization began to cloud his mind. All of the meals he had felt like a blur now, as if he had awoken from a weird dream. He stared at Kaglut with an angry gaze.

“Oh, Mario, don’t put the blame on me for this! As I said, this was your decision to make.” Kaglut said.

Mario could feel fury building up inside him… he felt as if Kaglut had invaded his head space and manipulated his hunger, hypnotizing him, before dragging him to have him gorge on food until he became… whatever he was now.

He would’ve said no if not for Kaglut’s meddling… and now what the Koopa kids? And Luigi? He felt horrible for denying his and Cosmo’s warnings.

“I can see how you feel, Mario.” Kaglut said. He then chuckled coldly. “But, maybe now you can join your brother… I bet he’s dying to see you.” He said with a chuckle.

Mario’s eyes went wide at that… what had happened to Luigi? And the others? And where had the Captains been all this time? Thoughts and worries clouded his mind as he rolled over and tried to get up… but he couldn’t. He gasped and heaved as he recoiled on the ground, Kaglut bending down to look at him.

“…My, my, what impressive fat! How… perfect…” Kaglut said in a chilling tone. “My recipes are only the best, the most fattening of them all! I’m very pleased you were able to experience them… but I feel you’ve had enough, yes? I would imagine you want to see your brother.”

Mario squirmed slightly at that, only for Kaglut to chuckle. “I shall take you to him.” He then clapped his hands, bringing all of the Shroobs over as they all picked Mario up.

“Au revoir, Mario!” Kaglut said as he raised a hand, ready to snap his fingers. “I hope you had pleasant time with us! May we see you… perhaps, in another life. Or, in this case… another meal.” He said coldly as he then snapped his fingers, causing him to vanish with the Shroobs… and leave Larry with nothing to yell at as he continued to ramble.

~~~

Luigi hopelessly stayed still upon the Elite Trio as they carried him further down into the underground. As they all passed by various holding cells, Luigi could see uncorrupted Minions and Toads, curled up in the back of their prisons… the sight frightened him every time he gazed upon the teary eyed folk.

Eventually, the Trio stopped, but Luigi couldn’t see much past his own body. He could only feel an immense heat on his face, something hotter than the Lava Lands themselves. Wherever he turned his head, he only saw rows upon rows of cheering suited Shroobs… where was he?

Just in front of the Trio was a sound that Luigi immediately recognized: The droning sound of Magikoopa magic. Luigi tried to look up and see whatever he could, his eyes widening at what he could barely see.

An obsidian-black pedestal sat a decent distance from where the Trio stood. Standing in front of the pedestal was a now unfrozen Junior Shrooboid, who wore a black robe.

Beside the pedestal were two figures that shook the man in green to his very core. A corrupted Toadsworth and Kamek… it appeared the old Toad had gotten corrupted after what happened at Peach’s. As for Kamek… Luigi could only imagine what had transpired with him.

Toadsworth bore a long violet vest that covered his entire body. The cap on his head was lavender with dark purple rhombus patterns. His walking stick was now a large wooden staff. His thick glasses completely clouded his eyes, making his expression unreadable.

Kamek bore a long indigo robe that dragged past his feet. The ends of the long bell sleeves and robe were outlined with red silk. The hat he wore, also a deep indigo, was long and pointed like a witch hat. His glasses had been replaced with a kind of visor that covered his eyes.

“People! Cease your cheering!” Toadsworth announced, smacking his staff against the ground. “We have ourselves a new sacrifice to our dear Princesses!”

Luigi felt his heart skip a beat at that. He started to shimmy slightly, hoping to possibly break free from his bindings.

“While our Princesses may not be here to witness this alongside us…” Kamek began, before smirking and glaring to Toadsworth. “I have you here with me, at least!” He whispered.

Toadsworth choked as he recollected himself, blushing a little as he hid his face. “…Not here, Kammy…” He said before facing the audience before him. “As said, the Princesses are not here with us, but we shall still honor their royal glory!”

The Shroobs then cheered in their incomprehensible language, while the Elite Trio sighed in annoyance… it seemed like they just wanted to be done with throwing Luigi to his doom.

“With this man as our sacrifice,” Kamek began. “We shall be blessed by the divine Princesses for many ages to come! THROW HIM IN THE PIT!!!”

Luigi trembled and quivered within his bindings, trying desperately to break free… but he was simply unable. The steps of the Elite Trio sounded like a clock in his head, ticking away the seconds until his death.

“You ready?” Corporal Paraplonk asked Luigi. “Prepare to get fried!”

Luigi tensed up at such a threat, before the Trio reeled back, ready to throw him to what was likely his end… before Toadsworth suddenly yelled.

“Stop! Wait!” Toadsworth said, stepping forward, causing the Elite Trio to halt. “…It appears an even better sacrifice is approaching!”

The Trio then scooted to the side, allowing whoever was behind them to pass through. Luigi turned his head… and felt sick at what he saw.

Mario was being carried by a group of Shroobs… except it appeared that Mario’s body was encased in fat. He was severely overweight, and the Shroobs looked like they could barely carry him.

“Ah, yes!” Kamek said. “This is much better for the sacrifice!”

“…Such a specimen… it’s perfect!” Toadsworth said.

“…Almost as perfect as you!” Kamek whispered again, glaring toward Toadsworth.

Toadsworth coughed. “Please, not right now… save that for after this sacrifice.” He said. “Shroobs! Throw the man down! The Princesses will be eternally grateful for the sacrifice we shall bestow upon them!”

“THROW HIM IN!!!” Kamek yelled.

Luigi watched in horror, starting to desperately call Mario’s name, only to get no response. The Shrooboid, Kamek, and Toadsworth began chanting in the Shroob language as the group of aliens stepped slightly forward. The Shroobs reeled back, and eventually threw Mario’s fattened body in the pit in front of them.

“MAAAARIOOOOOO!!!” Luigi yelled, his eyes tear-ridden as he watched Mario slowly fall.

Mario felt his body be thrown into the pit in front of him… the fall was long and arduous, the heat of the hellish pit catching up to him fast. And at the end of the fall… was the most painful thing he had ever experienced.

Around him was nothing but fire. Metal walls that resembled a pot surrounded him. The boiling liquid he was now burning his clothes and reaching his skin. He tried to turn his head, noticing the liquid’s lava red color… it was if he was now bathing in some lava based liquid. The liquid even seemed to sparkle a bit, oddly like Star Dust…?

As Mario floated around, beginning to feel his body sink further and further down, he felt his hands graze whatever else was in the pot with him… pieces of bone? Possibly flesh? The thought of what was here made him sick.

…What if… this wasn’t Kaglut’s recipe, right? Mario prayed it wasn’t true as he felt himself sink further down. The flames both in and outside the pot licked his skin like rabid wolves, tearing down his flesh and swallowing it whole… as if his own sins were crawling over his skin like spiders.

“…I brought him here… t-to his demise… thought we could just play his game… and now look at what I have done…” Mario heard Cosmo say. “…Passionate through the fire, only to perish within the flames… a fitting punishment…”

…Mario was horrified at what he heard. Cosmo rambled about what he had done… as if anyone knew Kaglut’s plans. As if anyone knew of this cult hiding underground.

Mario couldn’t stop himself from sinking as he moved around, trying desperately to find some way out… the heat clawed at him, pulling him down under the boiling liquid… until Mario was entirely under.

His skin burned to a point where it almost felt cold. He felt numb to the feeling as Cosmo’s voice began to fade…

…But, amidst the burning… a strong passion had suddenly flooded into Mario’s very being. A hope that persevered, even now when his life hung by a thread. He felt the pot of liquid surrounding him rumble like a small earthquake as a sudden surge of power filled his heart.

“At last!” Toadsworth then said as he and other cult members watched Mario boil. “We shall see great blessings in our future!”

“Long live the Princesses!!” Kamek cheered, causing the other Shroobs to cheer with him.

Luigi’s sobs from where he was carried could barely be heard amidst the cheering… he didn’t care that Mario wouldn’t listen to him during the banquet anymore. All he wanted was his brother back. He begged as he cried, holding on to his wishes of having him back…

As Luigi sobbed, a sudden and loud rumbling occurred. Luigi stopped crying and the cultists stopped cheering as they looked around for the source of the quake.

“W-what!?” Kamek questioned.

“What’s with all the hubbub!?” Toadsworth asked.

Out from the pit, a large ball of fire had shot upward… the figure within it could barely be seen, before the fireball was suddenly expelled outward, creating a large shock wave that sent everyone backward. The blast was so intense and hot, that the Elite Trio had let Luigi go. Luigi’s bindings then began to burn away, promptly freeing him.

Luigi scrambled to his knees and looked up to the sky above the pit. He loudly gasped at what he saw, feeling happy tears form in his eyes.

“MARIOOOOO!!!” Luigi yelled as he got his feet and held his hands up.

Mario hovered above the pit, back to his slightly chubby self, with his arms and legs stretched outward. He then looked down upon the ground, his eyes glowing a bright orangish-red. He spotted Luigi, who was cheering him on, among many others.

The man in red then locked eyes with the Shrooboid priest, who was slowly getting up. Mario formed a fireball in his hands and shot it right at the Shrooboid. The fire encased the alien, and once it was gone, the Shrooboid had turned to ash.

“THE PRIEST!!!” Toadsworth shouted as he got to his feet, Kamek helping him up.

Toadaworth and Kamek rushed in front of the pit as Mario descended back down, landing gracefully on his feet. Luigi then rushed to Mario, tightly wrapping his arms around his Bro. Once they separated, Mario brought a hand forth and formed a Star-Powered fireball within it.

~ Mario’s Firebrand has been rekindled! Star Blazer can now be used independently! ~

~ You’ve also got a new Bros. Attack! Super Blazer Bros.! ~

“DEAR MEMBERS OF THE CULT!!!” Kamek then shrieked. “Take down these lowly men who dare to defy the will of the Princesses!”

The many suited Shroob cultists within the room then circle around the Bros., who immediately took on a fighting stance.

“…Hey, why don’t we just get out of here?” Corporal Paraplonk asked.

“Yeah! Let’s find our way to Nox!” Sergeant Guy said.

“Use one of those wands you got in your bag!” Private Goomp said. “Use ‘em!”

Before Sergeant Guy could do anything, a voice rips through the wind like a pair of sciossors.

“MORTON WILL TEAR TRAITOR MINIONS TO PAPER SHREDS!!!” The voice yelled.

Morton then appeared out of the shadows from the far end of the pit room, suddenly tackling the Elite Trio and taking the belongings of Junior and Ludwig… which Sergeant Guy kept in the pack on his back.

“Ack! Come on, no fair!” Corporal Paraplonk whined. “We weren’t ready!”

Once Morton had gotten what he needed, Ludwig and Junior showed themselves from the darkness, retrieving what was rightfully their’s.

“You dare to imprison us and take our things?” Ludwig questioned as he and Junior turned to face the Elite Trio, pointing their 'weapons' toward them. “I know exactly what punishment suits you cretins!”

The Trio then shot up to their feet as Sergeant Guy took out and waved around the Magikoopa wand in his bag, causing the three of them to disappear.

“…Whatever they do, they’ll probably screw up anyway.” Junior commented.

“…True.” Ludwig agreed.

The Shroobs then stared at the Koopas with fury in their eyes, hissing loudly like bats.

“Mario! Luigi! We shall take on this hoard!” Ludwig said.

“Hah! I doubt it!” Kamek said. “No warrior can take on this hoard, no matter how strong!”

“…Kamek? N-no matter!” Ludwig said.

“We came prepared, you know!” Junior said.

Out from the shadows came the Elite Captain Quartet, along with the other already freed Koopalings.

“Get ready to eat my dust!” Lemmy threatened.

“Feel my beautiful wrath!” Wendy said.

“BAHAHAHAHA!!!” Iggy hollered.

“FOR LORD BOWSER!!!” The Minion Captains said altogether.

“…Bah! Fine! It’s a deal!” Kamek said.

“Those Minions take on the Shroobs…” Toadaworth said, causing the Shroobs to jump forward and begin their onslaught on the Minions. “…And we fight you meddling rapscallions!!”

The fight begun once Kamek took out his wand and motioned it forward, shooting small blasts of black magic toward the Bros., which they deflected with their hammers. After awhile, Kamek heaved a bit, visibly exhausted.

“…Ugh… how dare you!?” Kamek yelled.

“Bah! I’ll teach you to mess with my Kammy!” Toadaworth then said as he raised his staff as high as he could, before slamming back down to the ground, sending an electrifying shock wave the Bros. way.

The old Toad repeats the motion multiple times, until he seems to tire himself, also heaving. “…Blasted… young people… always thinking they’re better than me…”

Once the attack ceased, Mario turned to Luigi, summoning a fireball within his hands again… Luigi quickly got the memo.

Mario formed a hollow orb of fire in his hands and chucked it at Kamek… he couldn’t bring himself to hurt Toadsworth, even if it wouldn’t matter. He’d rather give the elderly Toad the hit that doesn’t bite him as hard.

Luigi then pulls out his hammer and begins chucking Kamek around the battlefield, barely missing Toadsworth as it flies around. Luigi then stops, giving Mario the chance to jump into the air and come back down with a flaming fist just for Kamek and the fire orb he was trapped in.

At the hit from the punch, the orb exploded, sending a shock wave of heat all around the battlefield. The blast not only affected Kamek, but also Toadaworth, as both now lay flat on their faces.

The Bros. then used the Boo Shroom on their elderly foes, bringing them down further. Both old men then slowly got to their feet, using whatever they could as a crutch to hold themselves up.

“…Y-you whippersnappers!” Toadsworth squawked. “You had ought to respect those higher in ranking than you!”

“Let me handle this!” Kamek said as he waved his wand. Rings of fire blasted their way to the Bros. at a quick speed. Some were so low, one Bro would jump over it. Some were so high, that jumping would cause them to get hit.

Kamek grumbled as he brought his wand back down. He then folded his arms and said nothing. Toadsworth also seemed heavily upset at Kamek’s sadness. He fumed as he tightly clutched his staff and glared to the Bros.

“You’ve left me no other choice! Have at you!” Toadsworth said as he suddenly charged for Mario, waving his staff back and forth as if readying to hit him with it. Mario smacked him away with his hammer, bringing the elderly Toad back to his spot.

The Bros. utilized their Bros. Attacks again, dealing more damage to the old men. Once their turns ended, they noticed just how tired and weak their foes had become.

“…We aren’t… getting anywhere!” Kamek said. “The Princesses will have us killed!”

“…No! They will not!” Toadaworth said. “Kammy! I need your magic!”

“Huh? For what?” Kamek asked.

“Trust me, now! Form a gust of wind!” Toadsworth requested.

Kamek nodded and waved his wand, making a small tornado above and between the two of them. Toadsworth jumped over to Kamek, causing the wizard to catch him by his hands in an attempt to keep him from banging his head against the floor.

“What are we doing exactly?” Kamek asked.

“Jump up! Into the wind!” Toadsworth replied.

Kamek leaped with as much force as he could muster, jumping into the wind and making them spin in the air. The old wizard yelped at the sudden speed.

“TOADSWORTH TWIST!!!” Toadsworth exclaimed as the spinning pair hovered straight for Luigi.

Luigi then pulled out his hammer and smacked the pair away, causing them to separate as they thudded back to their spot on the field.

“…Agh… my back…” Toadsworth said, shakily sighing.

“…I can’t… get up…” Kamek said, trying to get to his feet, but was unable… giving the Bros. another chance to attack.

The Bros. attacked once more, dealing more damage upon the elderly pair via their Bros. Attacks. The elderly pair then rose to their feet, albeit very slowly, as if trying not to break their backs out even further.

“…You haven’t yet witnessed… the true might of my abilities!” Toadsworth said, slowly bringing up his staff and waving it around.

“We will show you… what true love looks like!!” Kamek said.

“…You mean Darkness, yes?” Toadsworth asked, hiding his face slightly.

“…A-ah! Yes!” Kamek corrected himself. “We will show you what true Darkness looks like! …What else must we try?” He asked, looking to Toadsworth.

“…While it may be a pain for our backs…” Toadsworth began. “Once again, you must trust me!”

Toadsworth rushed to Kamek, turning to where his back was facing his partner, with his hands pointing toward the wizard.

“Turn around! Then we shall become one with the form of a ball!” Toadsworth declared.

Kamek barely hesitated before doing as he was asked, joining hands with Toadsworth as their backs bent into a way that made them both appear as if they were two halves of a ball, which now began to spin and rev up like an engine.

“What is happening!?” Kamek questioned.

“Fear the wrath of our SPINNING BALL, cowards!” Toadsworth exclaimed as the ball suddenly shot its way toward Mario, only for him to smack it away with his hammer, causing the elders to separate once more and land on their backs, before slowly rising back up.

“…Now you’ve done it!” Toadaworth yelled. “Kammy! It appears we must show these rebellious men how they will meet their bitter end!”

“Ohhh! Do we finally get to… combine our magic?” Kamek asked. “I’ve been waiting for such a time when we finally get to hone in on the Dark magic bestowed onto us! Together!”

Toadsworth then looked to the Bros. with a certain and cocky glare. “May the Darkness swallow you whole, worms!” He said.

Both Toadsworth and Kamek raised their staffs upward, bringing forth a load of Ztar Magic to slam down upon the brothers.

“…Mario, Luigi!” Cosmo said from the aether. “Counter strike the blast with your hammers! Then, unveil your Stellar Finisher! Free these men from Darkness!”

…The Bros. seemed confused at that. What of Kaglut?

“…Kalmar was never up for a conflict. I’m almost certain Kaglut is the same.” Cosmo said. “Once we see him again, surely I’ll have enough power for him to be defeated. For now, these men shall be priority! Keep your guards up!”

As the dark blast reached its maximum power, the pair of elders threw their staffs down, hurling the blast toward the Bros. way. With perfect timing, the Bros. smacked the blast back at Toadsworth and Kamek, sending them into the air and back to the ground.

“…Ack… no…” Toadsworth groaned. “Why must this happen… to us…?”

“…No… it’s my fault…” Kamek retorted as he slowly rose, sad tears forming under his visor.

“No! Do not spew such lies!” Toadsworth said, also rising up and crawling his way to his partner.

“But we lost!” Kamek said.

“…I know… but…” Toadsworth began. “I’m just glad we can find some sort of tranquility in this loss… you are here with me…”

Kamek dramatically gasped as he clutched Toadaworth and hugged him tightly. Both men started to cry as the Bros. reeled, and began to build the power they needed to free the men from Nox’s Darkness, before finally raining down their light upon the pair.

…Once the light cleared, and the Bros. arose, they spotted Toadsworth and Kamek, now reverted back to how the Bros. had always known them. They approached as they slowly awoke, specifically heading to Toadsworth to help him up.

“…Great Scott… what? What happened?” Toadsworth said, before turning back to see the Bros. helping him get back to his feet. “…Master Mario! Master Luigi! Thank goodness you both are still safe!”

The three then noticed Kamek rise as he adjusted his glasses and looked to the old Toad with perplexed eyes. “…What was I doing? And why with you, of all people?” He asked, giving Toadsworth an ugly look.

Before Toadsworth could say anything back, his mind began to put everything together… his skin grew pale at what he remembered, how he had been acting around Kamek. He then hid his face in shame.

“Gracious!! My word! The shame I feel… is immeasurable!” Toadsworth grieved. “What will Lady Lima think of me now!? She can’t find out about ANY OF THIS!!!”

“…Hmm…” Kamek then pondered to himself. “Maybe I should try wearing different apparel more… a dress would possibly suit me…”

The Bros. then left the old men alone as they turned behind them, seeing that the Minions had done a fair number on the Shroobs during their fight. About all of them had been knocked down, with Captain Goomba landing one final hit upon the last of them.

“Yeah!” Captain Goomba cheered himself on. “No one messes around in Lord Bowser’s turf!”

“Keep egging yourself on like that, and you might get stupider.” Captain Shy Guy said to himself.

“Come on, man, don’t be like that.” Captain Boo said. “He got the finishing blow!”

“Yeah! Let him be proud!” Captain Koopa Troopa agreed.

“…Sure, buddy…” Captain Shy Guy under his breath.

As the Captains spoke and the Koopa children regrouped, Ludwig then approached the Bros. “I believe now is the time that we escape this place… or find out where to go from here.”

The Bros. nodded at that… but someone had to be here to take care of the Kamek and Toadsworth. The area up above wasn’t safe for them.

“As long as we don’t have another bout for a time, everything should be—!” Ludwig began, before a new voice suddenly ripped through the air.

“WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE!?” Larry yelled, causing everyone to look to him as he entered the pit room… he seemed a little more focused on the Shroobs more than anything. “Why are you all just lying on the floor? …It was you lot wasn’t it!?” He asked, referring to the freed Minions.

Ludwig stepped forward, now beside Junior and the other Koopalings. “Larry! …We don’t have to fight like this. We can make this easy. We’ve all been through enough as is and—!”

Larry then seemed enraged at that. “…Easy…? EASY!?” He yelled. “I’ll make you over easy for what you’ve done to my servants! Chef Kaglut’s servants! I’LL HAVE YOU BURNED AT THE STAKE!!”

Larry then pulled out his wand, summoning little gourmet Mushrooms that fell before the knocked down Shroobs. As they awoke, and chowed down on the Shrooms, they began to feel their energy return as they got to their feet and surrounded the Minions.

“GO!!! NOW!!!” Larry demanded. “Don’t make me chuck you into that pot back there!”

“…It appears we must split up to cover more ground…” Ludwig said. “Everyone! Pair up, and fight who you can!”

Every Minion then began to separate, forming their own small factions as the Shroobs began their onslaught on each group.

Off to the right of the room; Wendy, Iggy, and Captain Boo faced their army of Shroobs, who all suddenly charged forward. Captain Boo moved back slightly, startled by the sudden charge.

“Hey!” Wendy then yelled. “Don’t you back away now!”

“…Give me a second!” Captain Boo said as began taking deep breathes. “…Okay! I’m—!”

Before Captain Boo could even finish speaking, Iggy suddenly hollered like a banshee, charging forward into the Shroobs like a bowling ball, making the aliens fall down like pins. The ones who were still standing then began charging for the inane Koopaling, starting to beat him down little by little as he thrashed about.

“…Ughhhh… boys…” Wendy groaned. Captain Boo faltered a little at that, but didn’t respond. “Let me handle this.” Wendy then said as she began to wave her wand around.

A few golden rings appeared beside Wendy before being launched directly toward the Shroobs. The rings encased themselves around the aliens and chucked them away against the wall, knocking them out. Once Iggy was freed, he quickly rushed back to his group, wheezing a little.

“How’s that for a beat down? Bahahaha!!!” Iggy cackled.

Wendy gave Iggy a flat look as the couple of Shroobs that were left came forward while the group was distracted, giving them time to lay hits on the Koopalings.

“Get off of me, with your grimy claws!!” Wendy shrieked. “…Eugh, I bet they don’t even wash their hands…”

“NOOOO!!” Iggy yelled. “You’re supposed to get clobbered! NOT ME!!!”

As the Koopalings were getting outshone by the Shroobs, Wendy could only wonder where Captain Boo had vanished to.

“Captain Boo!!” Wendy called out. “You better not had bailed on us! Or so help me!!”

Just in front of the Koopalings, Captain Boo had appeared, readying to charge down upon the Shroobs closest to him. He then came down like a bullet, his body colliding with a Shroob’s head. All of the army then looked back to spot the Boo before scurrying away from the Koopalings as Captain Boo fled backward.

Captain Boo stayed suspended in the air, just barely out of the Shroob’s reach. “Come on! Hit them while I’ve got them piled up!”

Wendy then waved her wand, making copies of herself that all rushed to the Shroobs. The copies attacked from behind, quickly knocking them down. A few Shroobs seemed to notice the ambush as they left the ghost Captain and tried heading for the Koopalings again… before Iggy started blasting fireballs their way. His maw was like shotgun, shooting an unlimited amount of fireballs to them until they were all finally downed.

The Shroobs that stayed by Captain Boo were all slowly taken down by Wendy’s copies, until the final one had been knocked to the ground. The three then regrouped, noticing how proud Captain Boo was of himself.

“What’s that look for?” Wendy asked Captain Boo.

“I helped you, didn’t I? Just like you wanted me to!” Captain Boo responded. “I think I deserve a thank you!”

Wendy sighed as she looked to Captain Boo with tired eyes. “Thank you.” She said flatly.

“You are welcome!” Captain Boo said with a proud smile.

“Bahahaha!!!” Iggy suddenly laughed, making Wendy groan from annoyance.

Off to the left of the room; Morton, Lemmy, and Captain Koopa Troopa had paired up. The two Koopalings did most of the fighting, while Captain Koopa Troopa stood a ways away, guiding some of the Shroob hoard away from the others… but the stampede seemed to be endless.

“What the heck!? There’s so many!” Lemmy complained. “They just keep coming!”

“LEMMY NO WORRY.” Morton said. “MORTON BEAT DOWN SHROOM ALIENS TO PASTE!”

Morton began firing fire balls the hoard’s way, causing them to bump into each other and send one another to the floor.

“Dang, Morton!” Lemmy said, his mouth agape. “…Didn’t know you could do all that.”

“…SOME SAY MORTON IS SURPRISEFUL.” Morton said… Lemmy then gave him a confused look.

“…Morton, that’s not a word.” Lemmy said in a flat tone.

Despite Morton’s effective attack, some Shroobs still stood, having dodged Morton’s fire. They then charged straight for them, their arms pointed outward like zombies.

As the Shroobs approached, Lemmy smirked a smidge. “Hey, losers! You ever played dodgeball?”

Lemmy waved his wand around, summoning many bouncing balls the Shroobs way. Some smacked the aliens right in the face, sending them down to the floor. Other, more larger ones, rolled their way… crushing whoever stood in its path.

“Hah! See, now that’s how it’s done!” Lemmy said… before more Shroobs suddenly came him and Morton’s way.

Both Koopalings shot fireballs toward the Shroobs, but to no avail as they were being backed off toward the pit at the far end of the room. Both Koopalings had almost lost their footing, before a suddenly voice tore through the air.

“Hey!!” Captain Koopa Troopa said with as much force as he could. “It’s not them you want! … I-I’m an easier target! Take me instead!”

The fairly sized Shroob hoard then made their way to Captain Koopa Troopa, who closed his eyes in acceptance as the Shroobs surrounded him and tried to hit him… the Koopa’s sturdy body was the only thing keeping him standing before he then hid himself away within his shell.

“…Hey, wait… we can attack! All in one go!” Lemmy said as he turned to Morton. “Let me do my thing, then you do yours!”

Lemmy then waved his wand again, sending a large ball into the air. “Now, Morton!” He said.

Morton then shot a fireball into the air and toward the ball, causing it to catch ablaze. “FIREBALL WILL BURN ALIENS TO CRISP.”

“Yeah, thats what I’m going for!” Lemmy said as he brought his wand down, causing the ball to fall upon the Shroobs.

Once the ball had fallen, a wave of heat and fire spread outward, flinging the now-burnt and charred Shroobs around. All that stood once the aliens were cleared was Captain Koopa Troopa, his shell now slightly burnt. He then popped out of his shell to see what had unfolded while he was hidden.

The Koopa was in shocked silence… he didn’t expect this at all. “…I… huh…?” He pondered. “What?”

“Hey!” Lemmy called as he and Morton rushed to him. “You saved our butts back there!”

“…R-really? I didn’t think… I was so ready to just, y’know,” Captain Koopa Troopa began. “Take one for the team… I didn’t think that would do anything.”

“KOOPA GAVE OPENING… WHAT ELSE COULD DO?” Morton asked.

“Yeah! We couldn’t just sit there!” Lemmy said. “If not for you, we would’ve fallen into that pit! …We kinda owe you now, I guess.”

Captain Koopa Troopa seemed deep in thought for a moment… before a smile crossed his lips. The pride he felt made his heart swell.

“…Wow…” Captain Koopa Troopa said with a sniffle. “I’m so cool…!”

As Captain Koopa Troopa celebrated with Lemmy and Morton, the other four remaining Minions stood before Larry, having taken down the last of the Shroobs that stood in their way.

“Come at me, since you think you’re so bold!” Larry said as he waved his wand, summoning a frying pan within his hands. “COME AT ME!!!”

“Larry!! Prepare to be served!” Captain Goomba said as he reeled back and charged forward.

“No! Wait!” Ludwig yelled, putting a hand out.

“…Ugh… not again…” Junior groaned.

Before Captain Goomba could even reach him, a small turnip smacked him on the head and knocked him to the ground. The turnip then bounced over to Larry’s head, making him dizzy.

Captain Goomba then jumped up to his feet and looked back to Captain Shy Guy… who else out of the four them threw turnips other than him?

“What’s that all about?” Captain Goomba asked. “He said to come at him!”

Captain Shy Guy sighed. “…How many times do we have to tell you? You don’t just jump into the fray without prep time!”

“But he said—!” Captain Goomba tried to retort.

“Who cares about what he said!?” Junior asked.

“Yes, Captain Shy Guy and Junior are right.” Ludwig said. “We can’t just go in head first… but now, I have a chance!”

Ludwig readied up the Star Magic at the end of his wand and shot a blast toward Larry, which hit him square in the chest and knocked him out of his dizziness. He shook his head to recover, and gave the Minions a menacing glare.

“Hey! Fight fair, cowards!” Larry yelled.

Larry then began summoning fireballs from his maw and chucking them the Minions way with his frying pan. After much dodging, Junior was finally able to counter a fireball with his brush, sending it back Larry’s way and hitting him, knocking him dizzy again.

Before Larry could get back up, Ludwig shot another blast of Star Magic his way, bringing him down to the floor.

“Nice work, Junior!” Ludwig said, skidding to Junior’s side alongside the two Minion Captains.

“No sweat!” Junior said. “And, you too!”

Ludwig smiled and nodded back at Junior, before his expression straightened. “…After this, we might want to be more careful.” Ludwig said. “I have a feeling Larry won’t make this as easy anymore, now that we’re so close.”

“You know what that means?” Captain Shy Guy began, giving Captain Goomba a look. “…Thinking before you act.”

“Huh?” Captain Goomba questioned, before Larry had gotten got back up, visibly enraged.

“RAGHHH!!! When I get my hands on you, I’ll cook you until you’re nothing but brunt crumbs!” Larry cried. “Come at me!! COME. AT. ME!!!”

Larry then went into his shell and zoomed toward the Minions, almost knocking them down like bowling pins. Junior and Ludwig separated from the Minion Captains as Larry came out of his shell and began smacking fireballs their way as he chased behind them, which Junior continuously countered as they ran.

“Lord Junior! Ludwig!” Captain Goomba called. “Let me help!”

“Ah, no.” Captain Shy Guy said, holding a stubby hand out in front of him. “I’m not letting you do that again.”

“But they need help!” Captain Goomba said. “And this time… I think have a plan thats gonna work!”

Captain Shy Guy then sighed at that. “…What do you got, Cap?”

The Captains discussed their plan… all while the chase with the Koopas continued.

As Larry began to creep up to them, and the tension had ran high, Junior suddenly lost his footing. He collided with Ludwig, causing them both to fall to the ground. They struggled to get up as Larry berated them with fireballs, before they had gotten to their feet again and backed away from Larry.

“Alright! Alright! We get it!” Junior said. “Just stop with the fire!”

“Oh, no, I’m not stopping!” Larry said. “You deadbeats are gonna have a lotta fun being smacked between two slices of bread like the IDIOTS YOU ARE!”

“Hey!” Captain Shy Guy then exclaimed. “COOK THIS!!”

The Shy Guy Captain then threw a large turnip down before Larry… only for Larry to waved his wand up and blow the turnip to pieces.

“Hah! What kinda magic trick is that!?” Larry asked.

…Larry’s moment of righteousness only lasted for a moment, before the blur of a small figure appeared, jumping along the pieces of turnip to approach the Koopaling.

“Hey, is that…” Larry asked. “A Goomba!?”

Before Larry could even fully get the word out, Captain Goomba smacked his head right onto Larry’s, knocking him down to the ground.

“Yeah!” Captain Goomba celebrated as he landed to the ground next to the Koopaling. “We did it!”

“…You know what? We did do it.” Captain Shy Guy said as he approached Captain Goomba. “Great work on both our ends, Cap.”

“Yeah, nothing beats Minion Spirit!” Captain Goomba said, while Captain Shy Guy chuckled a little.

Captain Goomba then hurried over to Junior and Ludwig with Captain Shy Guy in tow. The Goomba Captain nudged Junior a little to wake him up.

“Lord Junior! Wake up!” Captain Goomba said… before both Koopas began to wake.

“…Ughhh… huh?” Junior groaned as he got up. “What happened?”

“Lord Junior! Ludwig!” Captain Goomba began. “Captain Shy Guy and I took out Larry for you!”

“Was kinda surprised the Cap could muster a plan like that.” Captain Shy Guy said.

“…I see… best to take care of him now.” Ludwig said as he charged Star Magic at the end of his wand and sent the blast Larry’s way.

The blast of Star Magic quickly enveloped Larry, being rid of the Ztar Magic that consumed him. It only took a short time for the Magic to fade, before Larry was finally converted to his usual self, despite still being out cold on the ground.

“GAH!!!” Larry yelled as he suddenly awoke. “What happened!? And why’s it smell like steak in here? …Dang, now I want steak.”

Ludwig and Junior then rushed to Larry’s side as they helped him up. “…Ah, it’s a long story. Not sure if you want to hear all of it.” Ludwig said.

As Larry was helped up, the other Minions then grouped up with them… along with Mario, even though Luigi wasn’t with him.

“Mario!” Ludwig said. “Where is Luigi…?”

Mario then explained Luigi’s whereabouts… he was still with Toadsworth, comforting him. The last thing they need is the old Toad passing out.

“I see… but now that Larry’s saved,” Ludwig began. “What of Kaglut?”

“Yeah!” Junior said. “I wanna make sure his stupid, pompous butt gets kicked!”

“Who?” Lemmy asked.

“Sounds like a jerk…” Wendy said.

“…K-Kaglut?” Larry asked. “Oh, yeah! The head chef! …I think there’s some dirt on him you’d like to know, actually.”

The others froze in anticipation; especially the Bros., Junior, and Ludwig… what else did they need to know?

“…What? Like what!?” Junior asked.

“…He and some purple lady… Nox, I think it was? They’re planning something.” Larry said. “I don’t know all of it, but I think it’s gotta do with something higher up…”

“…What do you mean?” Ludwig asked. “Higher up where?”

“You don’t know?” Larry asked. “This whole room is in the Volcano behind the Manor, the Gloomcano… Kaglut has passages that lead down here in the Manor’s lobby.”

Despite how relaxed Larry sounded over it all, the others were in complete shock… they were inside the volcano…? This entire time?

“But what about going higher up?” Ludwig asked with more stern tone.

“There are different levels… we’re on the third, I think. There’s four in total.” Larry said. “I only know about this and the first two floors… I don’t know what’s on the bottom floor.”

“What’s even up on the higher floors anyway? Spit it out!” Junior demanded.

“Ah… it’s hard to explain.” Larry said.

“Hm, alright… Larry, why don’t you take Mario and Luigi up to see the higher levels?” Ludwig said. “We’ll stay down here, and take care of Kamek and that old Toad… and the Shroobs.”

“Mario!? Luigi?” Larry asked.” Why—!?”

“WE GET IT!!! It’s weird!” Junior said. “…But we’re in a truce. They go around saving the Kingdom, and we save our Minions.”

“It’s not every man for himself here. I’m certain you understand. The Castle and Lord Bowser have been taken… and we need the brothers.” Ludwig said. “Just take the brothers up. Whatever they learn from there can possibly be used in our journey to take down Nox.”

“…Ohhh, okay. This is weird, but you’ve got a point, Ludwig.” Larry said as he got to his feet. He then looked to Mario. “I’ll just take you and your brother up. Come on.”

Larry and Mario then separated from the Minions, Mario calling Luigi along as Larry led them out of the sacrifice room.

As the Bros. followed Larry through one of the passages that lead up the volcano, the Dark Energy they felt when first entering the Lava Land had been greatly amplified…

“I have a horrible feeling, Mario and Luigi.” The Bros. heard Cosmo say. “Remain strong.”

The Bros. silently nod as they continued up, the quiet rumbling of the volcano only intensifying the ugly feeling in their souls.

- END OF CHAPTER 5 -

~~~

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#fanfic #my writing #Mario & Luigi: Fallen Wishes #super mario #mario and luigi #mario #luigi #cosmo #bowser jr #ludwig von koopa #larry koopa #kalmar #captain goomba #captain boo #captain shy guy #captain koopa troopa #elite trio #private goomp #sergeant guy #corporal paraplonk #toadsworth #kamek #tw body horror #tw near death

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