Love in the Oddest Places (bowuigi story)

Chapter 3: A Breath of Fresh Air

Now with the battle over and the villain caught, Mario and company could return home. Well, their temporary home in the Mushroom Kingdom. There was the possibility that they would return to Brooklyn; however, Mario did not want to bring up the subject. He still needed to bring King Bowser to Mushroom and face trial, truly bringing his mission to a close. The affected kingdoms wanted justice and he agreed to deliver. Mario pushed the frozen koopa across the dark halls of the empty fortress, trying to be as quick as possible. It was hot in the throne room, so it was imperative that they get him out of there. Peach walked behind them, pushing Toad, who was frozen by accident. Poor Luigi has been apologizing profusely, despite the princess stating it was not an issue. Luigi carried Kamek on his back, ignoring the Koopa's weight. One gets very strong after twenty years of plumbing.

It was strange seeing the fortress so empty. Toad did an amazing job luring the army into the engine room; Luigi wondered if they were still trapped inside or if they escaped and retreated, knowing their ruler was defeated. He wondered... no, he hoped Junior was also with them. Luigi sighed, trying not to think of the koopa prince. He looked at his brother in an attempt to distract himself. "Wow, Mario. How'd you get so strong?" he asked.

Mario chuckled. "When I landed in Mushroom, I bumped into Toad. He took me to Peach, and she offered to train me using this combat simulator."

Peach smiled, "Yes. My kingdom needed help and so did Mario. It was a 2-1 deal, really. He would become strong enough to save you and my kingdom. However, Mario did struggle for a little bit..."

"We don't talk about the fight with DK." said a blushing Mario.

Luigi laughed. "DK? Who is that?" he asked.

Peach described Mario's first battle with Donkey Kong, the champion of Kong Country. The ape had mopped the floor with him before Mario managed to turn the tide of the battle in his favor. It was rather impressive to hear how Mario succeeded in fighting a powerful on his first adventure. However, it was also comical when the princess described how DK grabbed him by the face and threw him around like a rag doll. Luigi was visibly struggling to keep himself from laughing, covering his mouth with his hand. Mario's face was matching his hat by the time she finished her tale. Peach playfully shoved his shoulder. "Luigi, you shouldn't be laughing!" she said, trying to contain her own laughter.

Luigi snorted. "I'm sorry. It's just kinda funny to imagine Mario fighting a giant ape," he said.

"Imagine getting held hostage by a turtle. Could not be me," said Mario.

"HEY! Bowser actually looks scary!"

The brothers narrowed their eyes at each other. Princess Peach turned onto the frozen tyrant. He has been a looming threat for years now. Seeing him trapped in ice and ready to be put on trial caused a wave of emotions to wash over her. She felt happy and relieved because the power stars were going to be returned, but it was also surreal. Her kingdom's principles were peace and unity; yet, here stood the polar opposite. While Peach was a kind and benevolent ruler, Bowser was a cruel and greedy king. Whatever he had planned with the power stars... It was good that he was stopped.

"P-Princess, how exactly are we getting back to your kingdom?"

Peach turned to the brothers. Mario stopped to wipe his brow for a second, while Luigi tapped on Toad's icy prison. The mushroom princess took off her crown, "Don't worry, guys. We won't have to carry them all the way back," she replied. From a small compartment on the crown band, Peach pulled out a tiny green pipe. Luigi narrowed his eyes at it, trying to get a better look. And once he realized what it was, he backed away. "Nope. No. Nu-uh," he said.

Mario raised an eyebrow at his reaction. He put a hand on his shoulder, "What's wrong, Weeg?" he asked.

Luigi shakily pointed at the item in Peach's hand. "W-we're not actually using o-one of those things, r-right? 'Cuz that's how we got in this mess!" he exclaimed.