Super Mario: Vortexnes

Chapter 3: Opposite

DAY 1/34

The four unconscious bodies fell through the portal of green and purple lighting. They fell farther, and father, and farther from the Mushroom Kingdom they knew and loved.

***

Mario's and Luigi's eyes slowly opened. They were in the hall of Peach's castle, where they just were a couple of minutes ago. Except, something felt different. Peach and Bowser were beside the two, still in their temporary coma. The Vortexnes was laying in Peach's hand. Mario and Luigi slowly stood up from the polished floor.

"Are you okay Mario?", asked Luigi who was very dizzy from the long fall through the portal.

"Yes, but, where are we?"

They walked around the large room, observing the castle hall. It was the same, but instead of the usual pink and red color scheme, it was purple and black. Instead of Super Mushroom emblems, there were Poison Mushroom emblems. Mario walked toward the purple glass stained window, and looked out to a dark, gloomy, and sorrow-filled version of the Mushroom Kingdom. There was a dreary sky, and raindrops fell onto very tiny huts. There were lines of Toads, all shackled together, walking in line, being horribly directed by Toads that wore black masks and suits, who were treating the other Toads as slaves. Mario and Luigi were very confused, but then they remembered what Bowser said:

"If I use this, a portal will be created to a dimension of The Mushroom Kingdom, except that everything would be completely opposite."

He realized that now, since everything was opposite, the Mushroom Kingdom was now an empire of endless misery. He was speechless. He didn't know what to think or do.

"Luigi, I don't think we're in the Mushroom Kingdom anymore."

"What? This is Princess Peach's castle, so we have to be in the Mushroom Kingd-", Luigi was cut off from the sights outside of the window, and also became speechless.

"Mario, Luigi, who redecorated my castle hall?", asked the awakening princess.

"This isn't your castle hall, it's the opposite version of you's castle hall.", replied Bowser who stumbled his way to his feet.

"What do you mean?", she asked walking toward Bowser.

"Princess! Get away from him before he kidnaps you!", said Mario cautiously.

"Relax plumber boy, I'm not going to kidnap her. Besides, I wouldn't have anywhere to go."

"Bowser, where are we?", asked Peach.

"The Vortexnes was designed to create an alternate dimension of its current home universe, with opposite versions of places, and more importantly, people.", Bowser explained, "So when I activated it, it created an opposite version of the Mushroom Kingdom. My plan worked to banish you from The Mushroom Kingdom, but the portal's force was stronger than what I imagined, so here I am."

"Take a look for yourself.", said Luigi as he gestured for the window. She walked over and looked out to the horrible sights. She was petrified. She saw all of this misery in what she recognized as her own kingdom. She started to tear up.

"So, I suppose the opposite version of me is the ruler of this agonizing kingdom.", she assumed.

"That would be correct.", Bowser replied.

"I would imagine she's quite the villain, looking at how she rules the kingdom.", Luigi stated.

"Luigi is right", said Mario, "We need to leave this place before we're enslaved. Bowser, how do we go back to the Mushroom Kingdom we know and love?"

"Haha, well, yeah, about that, um...", Bowser sighed, "There's no known way to get back to the original dimension."

"WHAT?!?", they yelled in unison.

"YOU MEAN WE'RE STUCK HERE?", Luigi asked.

"Well, unless we find a way to get back, yes, we are.", replied Bowser. With that Luigi fainted.
Mario ran over to revive him.

"You monster, how could you do such a thing to us?", asked Mario, "Now we'll never see our loved ones again. Luigi, Princess, lets-a-go find somewhere we can stay."

"What about Bowser?", Peach asked.

"He's the one who got us into this situation in the first place. We can't trust him. He's a monster.", he said glaring at his enemy. Bowser was looking down, starting to regret his evil doings.

"We can't just leave him here to be enslaved and die.", Peach told Mario.

"Well that's what he wanted for us.", Mario replied coldly, "Lets-a-go." Mario walked toward the door. Luigi trailed behind him, having no ideas of his own. Peach hesitated, but followed the Mario Bros. with the Vortexnes in hand. She looked back at Bowser who was sitting on the ground, depressed, not knowing if he would ever see his son, Bowser Jr., again. Peach did feel upset, but she remembered that he's the bad guy, so she can't trust him...