Crash! Bang! Super Mario Madness!

[Super Mario]

Lakitu's voice rang out across the multitudes of cheering Kart fans, setting them into an excited frenzy...

"This is it, folks! The final race, the one you all really came to see! The grande finale! The one all you Goombas, Koopas, Toads, and other such Mushroom Kingdom lifeforms will be glued in your very seats for!--that is, if you don't decide to stand and cheer for your favorite team."

Peach clasped her hands in front of herself, looking down to the racetrack from her Royal Balcony seat, "Oh, I hope Mario wins. He has a lot of trophies already, but I told him I'd bake him a cake if he did--that's why he's really racing."

Daisy giggled, "You bake enough cakes for Mario to feed the Goomba family that lives near me. How do you find the time for it? What with all the parties, golfing, tennis..."

Princess Toadstool shrugged, "The Castle kitchen staff helps out sometimes."

Toadsworth piped in from nearby, stepping to the front of the booth, speaking from behind his mustache, "Ah, Master Mario is racing for the challenge of it, the excitement, as is Master Luigi... and don't be so modest, Your Highness. You achieve a lot for one who's close-to-most often pasttime is getting captured."

Peach frowned, "I just get captured so Mario can come save me..."

The three of them, along with other Castle-dwelling Toads, all laughed at this; it was a beautiful, sunny day in the Mushroom Kingdom, as if the Shine Sprites had decided to give the sun to all of the Kingdom, not just Isle Delfino. The only clouds were sparse, large and fluffy-white, probably because of the random Nimbus people peppered throughout the stadium audience.

Out on the track, though, tensions were high...

Mario looked over his shoulder to Luigi, his younger brother, "This is it, bro, the final race."

Luigi nodded lightly, tightening his hold on the back of the Kart a bit, "You think we can-a do it?"

Mario turned his head to look to the other two teams; Bowser and his belligerent offspring, and the Bros.' archtypes, Wario and Waluigi... it would be a tricky, dangerous race. Mario turned back to Luigi,

"I think we can do it, we've-a bested them before. After all, we are the...

...Super Mario Brothers!" They concluded together.

Lakitu's voice rang out again, "Allllllllllllllllllllright, folks! The race is starting! Each team must make their way fairly around the track 3 times, and be the first to cross the Finish line, to win that Golden Trophy!"

Bowser snarled, looking over to Mario, "You're both going down, chumps! I'll squash you and those purple-prancin' wannabes!"

Wario snarled, and Waluigi chimed in, "Hey, spikey! Who're you-a callin' wannabes?! You're about to find a Bob-omb shoved right--" ...Waluigi trailed off, muttering the rest of his boastful obscenity. Bowser simply sneered, looking ahead again, growling under his fiery breath, "Morons..."

Three... Two... One...

GO!!!!

The feet hit the pedals, and all three teams started off, the Mario Bros. medium-weight Kart pulling ahead of the heavier Karts of their opponents. Dirt shot up from the tires, giving way to a rising cloud of dust that settled over the Karts.

The Mario Brothers quite quickly pulled ahead, being the lightest of the three teams, Wario and Waluigi behind them, followed by Bowser and Bowser Junior. As Mario and Luigi surely had the most fans in the audience, a cheer filled the air from the stadiums, many Koopas and Toads standing to cheer for their favorite Kingdom-saving plumbers.

Bowser rammed the Wa- Bros. hard, his big spiked Kart knocking theirs towards a wall, but they drifted back in towards the center of the track, hitting an Item block and obtaining a Red Shell.

"This'll show that big turtle to throw his weight around!" Waluigi sneered, whipping the Red Shell forward... it spun, and collided with Bowser's Kart, sending him and Bowser Junior spinning around and into the sand at the side of the track.

Meanwhile, Mario and Luigi had gained a substantial lead; Luigi checked over his shoulder one more time, and then switched with Mario, continuing to barrel ahead, now onto the second lap.

The Koopa King snarled, "Those tricksters are low. Let's see them avoid this..."

Switching places with Bowser Junior, and letting his son drive, Bowser took up the Item Wielder's position, waiting for a moment before unleashing his massive spiked shell onto the track.

The ginormous shell of spiked'ness went careening down the track, skimming into Wario and Waluigi's purple kart and knocking it into the Start/Finish line post, and continued on towards the Mario Brothers.

Mario looked over his shoulder, "Oh no! Luigi, step on it! That shell's-a comin' fast!" Luigi sped up as well as he could, bumping a curb... the shell missed them, but rammed furlong into the stadium wall, quaking it and snapping part of the foundation.

As Mario and Luigi came skidding to an alarmed stopped, they watched the stadium begin to tremor and shake, and the area supporting a formidable group of Bob-Ombs fell forward, releasing the explosive patrons onto the track.

Bowser raises his clawed fist in triumph, taking over for his son again, speeding forward with no heed to the bomb field ahead. As Mario pulled out, Bowser blindsided him, and the two of them went spinning into the bombs...

You can imagine the EXPLOSION. I mean... that's one big BOOM!

Princess Peach and Princess Daisy started down from their Royal seats, moving towards the track, horrified; were Mario and Luigi okay? Who would finish the race? What about all the hurt Bob-ombs?

But as the smoke settled... all that was left were the randomly felled Bob-ombs. No burning tires, twisted metal, torn green or red fabric. It was as if Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Bowser Junior had simply disappeared in the explosion.

Peach raised her gloved hands to her face, "Oh no... what happened?"

Toadsworth frowned, flustered, "That... that makes no sense! There would be body part--I mean..."

Peach turned around and began to fight back her tears, but just then Daisy pointed, "Look!"

They all looked, and look they did; within the center of the Bob-omb carnage, a swirling portal was closing, as if it were a tear in Time or Universal balance; Mario, Luigi, and the Koopas must have been sucked into it! But where did it lead...?

~~~

Luigi wearily opened his eyes, looking up at a black ceiling through blurred vision, his hat lying partially over his face... he heard the groan of Mario, and sat up, his head pounding with pain, "Wh... where are we?"

.. .. .. To be continued, of course .. .. ..

***

What does everyone think so far? I'd enjoy feedback.

See how the mustache hides the slightly sad smile... and the sideburns, portraying his simple, blue-collar roots... and his legs, thick, wide, the legs of the masses!

Edited by - Super Mario on 12/29/2003 2:49:11 PM

[Markio]

Heh heh... ginormous...

I''m the "trick" in "eccentric".

[Screech]

"A ginormous weidr lookin' planet thing..."

Cool story! Someone's addicted to Double Dash.

"Walk softly and carry a Super Scope."

[Super Mario]

After enough time collecting himself, Luigi got dizzily to his feet, brushing a few particles of dust from his dark denim overalls...

"M-m-mario?" He stammered.

No reply. Not a sound, besides his own breathing. Luigi frowned... it seemed as if there had been others there a moment ago. But what had happened to them after the explosion...? He remembered falling through what seemed to be a rip in the air... ...was he dead?

Luigi headed blindly through the darkness, reaching gloved palms out before himself, slightly frustrated with the overall nonsense of the entire situation. His hands eventually bumped a mossy wall, as though he were underground. The green-clad plumber felt along it, guiding himself as best he could, the light pat of his worn brown shoes echoing around him, as though he were deep beneath the surface, underground.

After what seemed like hours of such hopeless wandering, (though it was only a few minutes; Luigi's just impatient sometimes), his hands bumped something solid, a metallic 'clink' resounding as this occured.

"Mm..." Luigi frowned, "What's-a this? Feels like... aha! It is a door!" He cheered, fumbling for the heavy handle and pulling, yanking the door open, squinting his sky blue eyes as light hit them.

Luigi held his hand before himself, to block the light from his eyes, wincing some, but heading forward, finding himself walking up a slightly-steep, mossy slope, his eyes adjusting, but nothing important yet revealed; a gray sky overhead... not much promise in that.

Luigi Mario reached the top of the incline, looking around himself; where was he?? The land seemed to stretch on forever in front of him, yet it was as if he were in the very corner of the land, as off behind him stretched a vast, gray void, instilling a dread in Luigi and causing him to move away from it slightly, stepping onto the sandy ground.

Gusts of wind blew him, causing a few restrained shivers... he was outside now, but it appeared there was only one way to go... towards the center of this place, which seemed to appear in the endless distance, behind a few high dunes.

Looking up, Luigi stifled a fearful yelp, which otherwise would have been drawn out by a powerful thunder clap, which resonated through the dull red sky. What place was this?

"Mama.. mia.. where am I? Whoever did the landscaping on this place was a few Mushrooms short of a Kingdom!"

He sighed, unsure where he was, why he was here, or where Mario, Bowser, and Bowser Jr. had disappeared to. All Luigi knew was that there was one, only one direction to head in right now... and so he did.

*** To Be Continued! *** (soon)

*****************************

Mario`s adventure is over for now, but,



Mario`s dream lives forever...



Dream on, Mario... dream on.

[Super Mario]

Mario pushed and pushed upon the heavy door, feeling something upon it gradually give, and with one final 'umph,' managed to swing the door open, light shining in on him, emerging into a desolate desert.

He narrowed his eyes, his mouth frowning below his bushy mustache, looking around as his eyes adjusted...

"Where in-a the world am I?" He commented idly, knowing he would receive no answer.

Mario turned to look around himself; the place he had emerged from was gone, swallowed into an endless wall of gray, which loomed behind him, stretching out in two directions along a defined edge of the land, as if he were in a large box...

Mario frowned, turning back towards the endless desert dunes, "Guess there's only one way to go."

Walking wasn't hard, but there was nothing to do; just walk on and on over the sand, not even sparse grass or shrubbery here, just endless whipping sand and continually stormy red skies, which seemed to clear just a bit on the horizon, as if something important was there; ...or, Mario hoped so, anyway.

After what could have been a day of walking, or it might have been midnight in the Mushroom Kingdom, (it was impossible to tell; there was no daytime or nightime here), Mario reached the top of a particularly tall dune.

His blue eyes widened, as he looked down it, watching as it sloped into what appeared to be an oasis crater, the sand forming into lush greenery and grass.

Mario stepped back; it faded, as if impossible to see until at a certain part on the dune. He stepped forward again, lost his footing...

"Ahhh! Wooooow whoooa!"

... and went a-tumbling down the dune, into the green grass, landing on his read, his hat falling to the ground beside him. Only now did he notice the most interesting feature of this whole thing...

Within its center was a tall, ornamental white tower, cylinder-shaped and solid, pushing out from the sand and extending up through the sparser clouds, beyond where anyone could see it. Around it was a pool of crystalline water. It was large enough for Wario to stand inside, but appeared too smooth to be scaled. It was fitted with a ring of empty sockets.

Mario got up, grabbing his cap and heading over to the ivory tower,

"What is this thing?"

A gruff voice came from around the Tower, and Bowser lumbered into view, Bowser Junior trailing at his side, holding a ripped piece of paper, which he had apparently pulled from the Tower,

"It says... Welcome to the Ivory Tower! And nothing else."

Bowser didn't seem surprised to see Mario, but Mario stared at Bowser in disbelief.

"Why so surprised, plumber? You know better than anyone else that you always show up to ruin whatever I'm doing!"

The Koopa King laughed with little enthusiasm, patting the Tower, as if it were his simply because he 'discovered it' first. But Mario wasn't given the chance to answer, as a certain brother of his called out from some distance,

"Maaaaario!"

Mario spun, in shock, watching his green-clad younger sibling head down one of the surrounding dunes towards Bowser, Bowser Jr. and himself...

"Heeeey, Luigi! How'd-a you get here?"

But Bowser Jr. piped in matter-of-factly, emerging from around Bowser's side,

"Isn't it obvious, Stupio? We were all transported here from the race, made our way to this Ivory Tower thingamajig... only thing I don't get is... what for?"

The three of them stood bewildered, turning their attention to the looming Tower. The water around it sat undisturbed, crystal clear and perfect. It was almost as if something glittered within it...

Mario looked to Bowser, frowning some...

"How do I-a know you're not gonna' attack Luigi and I as soon as our backs are turned?"

Bowser scoffed, "Don't flatter yourself; I'd rather save my own shell before I worry about you two. Besides, what good would beating you here do me? No one is here to see me humiliate you!" Nefarious as it was, it rang with earnest truth.

Luigi frowned, kneeling near the water like a man of forensics...

"Maybe... it has-a something to do with this water? It looks like there's something in it... eh, well, either way, I'm really thirsty."

Mario chimed in quickly, "Wait just a minute, bro... there's-a something strange about that water."

Indeed, something was strange about it... but what?

***

Find out next time! For now, tell me... what do you think of it? Shall Mario, Luigi, and the Koopa Klan discover the Mystery of the Ivory Tower??

*****************************

Mario`s adventure is over for now, but,



Mario`s dream lives forever...



Dream on, Mario... dream on.

Edited by - Super Mario on 1/16/2004 2:25:57 PM

[Super Mario]

Luigi quite promptly jumped back, staring down at the water as if he were about to drink mud,

"What do you--ahh!"

Everyone held their ears; all of a sudden, Luigi was much louder, his voice reverberating around the box-like world. Bowser snarled over the din,

"Stop yelling, plumber!"

Another boom, and thunder shook the skies, both voices echoing around them. For some odd reason, their voices were no longer distilled and quieted, and echoed as if they were surrounded by closing walls...

Mario looked around, noticing this, and sure enough, the gray matter that had surrounded them had been slowly closing in. It now loomed ominously at the top of the mountainous dunes around the Ivory Tower's oasis; how would they escape it?

Mario pointed, speaking quietly, "Look! All-a that gray stuff has gotten closer!"

The others looked around, and Luigi yelped, "No! It's-a gonna' swallow us!"

Bowser growled, "The Koopa King is not about to be swallowed up by a bunch of smog... there has to be some way out of here... something with this stupid tower!" His clawed foot shout out, and Bowser booted the Tower as best he could. It shook and vibrated as though it were made of some form of aluminum.

With Bowser busy tending his sore foot, Mario stepped closer to the tower, brown shoes causing ripples in the water around it, "Hm... hey, look at this, everyone."

A white-gloved hand pointed to a ring of sockets around the Tower, about a yard from the ground, as if something was to be inserted within them.

Bowser Jr. snarled, "Oh, great, he's pointing out 'interesting details' now..."

Luigi turned towards the young Koopa, "No, don't you get it? I bet if we put something in those sockets, something will happen with this tower..."

Mario frowned, "We'd better get to doing something... no-a telling if whatever put us here put itself in the Mushroom Kingdom while it did."

Luigi yelped, and Bowser seemed discontented that someone else might be moving in on his future Kingdom. The four of them began searching the small area around the Ivory Tower, picking through the shrubbery and grass, finding nothing of use.

Luigi crawled on his hands and knees until he felt his hands hit the water, looking down at it, watching his reflection, "Hey, it's-a me..." The reflection's eyes sparkled, and Luigi commented smugly, "I've-a still got that sparkling touch even in the face of danger! .. .. ..wait a minute."

The younger plumber pushed his hand through his reflection, grabbing onto two diamond-shaped rocks, and lifting them from the water. They were gray.

He jumped up to his feet, "Hey, look-a what I found! These diamond rock thingies!" He held them up for all to see.

Mario smiled, "Heeey, I bet those go in the sockets! Hm... well, there are 7 sockets... 6 around the Tower and one above another. Maybe they have some special order? There must-a be more, let's look for them in the water!"

So, as expected, the four of them went searching through the water, eventually unearthing a total of 5 gray stones, a brown one, and a dulled red one. What was the mysterious significance?

Meanwhile, the gray matter was closing in further, causing anything spoken to bounce around annoyingly and echo for a long time. Therefore, speech was sparse, as Bowser, Bowser Jr., Mario, and Luigi inspected the stones...

"Wait a minute!", Luigi snapped his fingers, "Look at the stones... now, look around us. The sky is-a red, the ground is brown, and there's gray all around! M-maybe if-a we put the gray stones around the double-socket, and put the red above the gray..."

Mario jumped up, "Hey! I bet that will-a work!" Even Bowser and his belligerent offspring seemed pleased at the possible discovery. The stones were placed within the Tower's sockets in the suggested order... the Quartet waited in suspense.

.. .. ..

... ... ...

The Tower began to shake and rumble! The gray receeded slightly, and the clouds broke above it. The pure water was drained into the ground as it shook and began to crack, and the stones lit up with a gilded majesty that would have previously seemed unattainable in their lusterless forms. What was going on?

* * *

Guess we'll have to see next time!

*****************************

Mario`s adventure is over for now, but,



Mario`s dream lives forever...



Dream on, Mario... dream on.

[Mario Maniac]

Wow, great story Super Mario! Aren't you also the guy who wrote "Fight me, Bowser!" What happened to that story? I really enjoyed it.

[Super Mario]

Yeah, I wrote that one, too. It's... probably in "posts from 30 days ago." I might continue it. Do you think I should?

*****************************

Mario`s adventure is over for now, but,



Mario`s dream lives forever...



Dream on, Mario... dream on.

[Dr. Mario]

Really great story. Very well written. Just a guess here, The Wario Bros win the race?

Join my forum today!


Gaming Palace

[Super Mario]

Suppose they do. Then again, the track is probably pretty messed up from the explosion. Lol, guess when (if) Mario and company get home we'll see...

*****************************

Mario`s adventure is over for now, but,



Mario`s dream lives forever...



Dream on, Mario... dream on.

[Super Mario]

Mario held his ground; Luigi jumped for cover behind a shrub that was too small to do the job; Bowser hoisted his heavily clawed hands before himself, as if to take on the shaking Tower, Bowser Jr. standing loyally at his side.

Sand whipped up crazily as the Tower shook and rumbled, the cracks within the ground growing deeper, the whole 'world' seeming to be upset with it. White-gilded vertical panels began to shift out from the Tower's sides, shifting and flipping and rising and lowering until they formed a pattern.

Luigi, having gotten to his feet, spoke from a little bit behind Mario, "Look! It's-a making a staircase... up into the clouds!" And he was correct; a staircase had formed that rose up, way up into the thick gray clouds, spiraling around narrowly, a quirky and cantankerous climb!

Bowser Jr. tore his eyes from the sight of the winding tower to comment towards Luigi, muttering, "You want an observation award, Captain Obvious?"

Mario was first to step forward; perhaps he was taking a leader's position, or perhaps he was the most anxious to be going somewhere... "Looks like there's-a no other way to go but up this Tower. Let's-a go, Luigi."

And so, the Mario Brothers began the slow descent up the unbelievably tall Tower, red- and green-clad heroes on another journey again.

Below, Bowser grumbled in protest; did he blindly follow those ignorant plumbers? Eventually, however, he decided he was really going on his own accord, so he and Bowser Jr. began up the Tower again, catching up to Mario and Luigi after enough time had gone by.

Up and up they went; first, beyond the gray clouds, which eventually settled back, giving way to the puffy white ones, much like the clouds that had dotted the blue sky that morning, before all of this occured. High enough, now, they could no longer see where the Tower flawlessly emerged from the ground... simply a group of 4 travelers going from 'here' to some distant 'there'; and isn't that what legends are made of?

"This is going nowhere... we've been walking through these clouds forever, Dad, and I'm hungry." Bowser Jr. complained to his Father, Bowser, who reluctantly but somewhat kind-heartedly spoke up to Luigi and Mario, "Do either of you have anything to eat...?"

Mario turned, shaking his head, "Nope, sorry. I normally would have but we were racing last."

Luigi dug into his overall, "Mmmm... I've just got a wrench for the squeaky tire on our Kart."

Bowser Junior sighed, "I just wish I had an orange..."

The tower shook and quaked slightly, and a small white panel opened near the Journeying Quartet; and out popped an orange! Perfectly colored and round, as if produced freshly from the Tower. How bizzarre!

Bowser Junior happily grabbed up the orange, downing it peel and all. Bowser quirked a bushy orange eyebrow at the Tower, and Mario went over to observe the panel; it was impossible to distinguish it from any of the other architectural designs upon it. After a moment, the mustachioed capper shrugged, "Eh... no time to worry about it now. Let's-a get going."

And on and on the four walked... up and up... around and around... for possibly days. They now had risen from the clouds, and looking out all four sets of eyes would behold a majesty such as that of Star Way, nebulaic formuli and gilded prisms of crystalline light shone around them, giving the Ivory Tower a special, almost eerie aura; there was something mysterious here, something otherworldly, that gave Mario a certain chill... was it excitement, or fear that he felt?

Luigi sighed, gazing out upon the starry sky, the clouds far below... "I almost wish we could stop for a moment. It's nice here... and we've-a been walking for who knows how long."

Bowser Junior chimed in, "Yeah, really, why don't we rest for a moment?"

Mario frowned, "There's no time for resting. You three can stay here if you want, but we're close to the top, I can feel it!" Mario continued on around the Tower, disappearing from view after a moment...

Luigi sat with the Koopalings, gazing to the Stars, a certain measure of anxiety building up within him... after a moment he jumped up, "Mario, wait!" and ran off after his brother, leaving Bowser and Bowser Junior where they were upon the Ivory Staircase, the sound of Luigi's running footsteps echoing around them for a moment and then fading off.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Well, what now shall our heroes encounter? The Mario Brothers have continued on, leaving Bowser and Bowser Junior by themselves... where does this mysterious, fruit-bearing Tower lead, and who built it? Will the four of them ever return home...?

*****************************

Mario`s adventure is over for now, but,



Mario`s dream lives forever...



Dream on, Mario... dream on.

Edited by - Super Mario on 1/18/2004 8:54:21 AM

[Super Mario]

Bowser and his offspring sat looking out to the stars, the Mario Brothers having disappeared far up the Tower a long time ago. The sky was constantly the same; constantly filled with endless oceanic prisms of fluorescent, beautiful light.

It had occured to Bowser as he sat and thought that his father, Morton, had once spoke of something like this... but the memories were faded and weathered through Time, and he did not remember what his father had said anymore. He turned to look to his son; should he say something now? Or would his own son just forget it in Time, too?

Bowser Junior's attention was now drawn, anyway, to a peculiar grouping of stars that led out from the Ivory Staircase... they seemed to be gathering, just small circulets of light that flattened together. After a moment, the young Koopa spoke up, "Dad... what's that?" He lifted a clawed hand towards the aforementioned grouping.

Bowser frowned, heading over to it (which didn't take much; the Staircase itself is unpleasantly narrow). He observed the gentle starway, which seemed to sway almost playfully, tempting him to... to... ((step out upon us........))

Bowser stepped forward, as if in a trance... and fell. Bowser Junior reached to catch him, but he was too heavy, and it was too late; he plummeted down and down, disappearing as a speck into the clouds after a moment; there was no telling how long he would be falling, a resonating "Graaaaaah!" trailing from his falling body.

Bowser Junior tensed up; what was he to do now? Did he trail after the Mario Brothers? They were already so far ahead. He frowned, fighting back unnatural tears, tears forged in any child no matter their demeanor, too strong for such will. He approached the Starway angrily, "Get lost! Y-you're not a path! You tricked my Dad!" He opened his mouth in a roar, producing a small but relatively substantial stream of fire; the Stars seemed to laugh with disapproval and disband, fluttering into the unknown. Bowser Jr. sat down in loneliness and shame, hunger and fatigue seizing him; and there he slept.

Mario and Luigi hummed as they walked (think of a hummed version of the SMB Overworld), brown shoes having been worn to their feet before the journey began. They had actually gotten past the starry aires, and were now again enveloped in light clouds and blue sky, which shone as if some distant sun peered down at them, but they did not see one.

Both Luigi and his brother had noted the slow but gradually building appearance of green vines clinging around the Tower, which increased as they went up, as if they had reached the root of where the Tower began; in fact, they sometimes thought they could hear laughter or speech not too far above them.

Luigi spoke up after a moment, wiping his forehead beneath his green cap, "Hey Mario, do you really think it was a good idea to run off and leave Bowser and Bowser Junior like we did? We might end up needing their help..." Ahh, Luigi, always so sharp-witted; if you only knew how right you were.

Mario turned to look to Luigi, no resentment in his depthful blue eyes, which resembled the sky around them, "I think they'll-a be fine on their own. They probably followed not too long after. I bet you could-a see them if you looked over the edge."

Luigi knew that if he looked over, he wouldn't see them...

Some time having passed, the green vines now clung quite dominantly around the Tower; in fact, the "Ivory" part had grown pretty scarce. Mario suddenly stopped, Luigi stopping as well, "What? Why'd-a you stop, bro?"

Mario stepped to the side a bit, allowing Luigi a view of how the staircase suddenly ended; it turned into the Tower, slipping beneath a door-like structure... "Whoa, what's-a going on here?" Luigi frowned, continuing, "I don't-a wanna' go all the way back down!"

Mario held up a gloved hand, "Now, wait a minute, Luigi. Maybe there's-a someway to open it.. or something." He inspected the door more closely, and rather easily located a large, stuck-out-like-a-sore-thumb button, pressing it without a second though.

An elevator's 'ding' occured, and the door slid open. Within it stood a crouched old man, his skinny body hidden under a burlap brown robe, which in turn was covered up by a massive beard. He squinted from under bushy white eyebrows, holding a short cane in his hand, "Eh? Visitors?"

Mario raised an eyebrow, "Uh... yeah. We're-a the Mario Brothers... we've been climbing the Tower."

The old man's eyes opened wide for a moment, revealing faded green pupils, and then re-squinted, "Cl-cl-ckkkck*hackcoughhackwheeze* Climbing the TOWER!? Is you two nutsos?? Mussa' taken DAYS! I h'aint seen anyone climb this tower in about 600 years!"

Luigi piped up, surprised, "600 years? Mama mia! You're-a that old!" Mario chimed in objectively, "Luigi, he's just saying--" but was interrupted by the hunched old attendant, "Yessiree, sonny, 812 to be exact!"

***

The old man frowned, "So you got stuck in Everdesert and ya' climbed all the way up here!?" He spat out the word 'climbed,' as though it tasted bad to his old taste buds, "Why didn'tcha just take the elevator from the bottom once ya' activated the Tower?"

Mario blinked, "E-elevato--there was an elevator? Luigi, did you see an elevator?"

Luigi turned a funny shade of scarlet, "Uh... I.. might have?" He chuckled nervously, "I kind of-a felt like walking, and by the time I was tired we were too far to just go back."

Mario turned the shade of his cap and shirt... "LUIGI!"

* * * * * * *

Now, Mario and Luigi have gotten somewhere! But who is this old-as-dirt attendant who seems not the least bit surprised to see them? And what will happen to the Turtle-shelled tyrant, Bowser? And what of Bowser Junior? It'll cost you .25 cents more to find out! (Not really.)

*****************************

Mario`s adventure is over for now, but,



Mario`s dream lives forever...



Dream on, Mario... dream on.

[Dr. Mario]

*hands Super Mario a quarter* Now tell us more!

[Super Mario]

*catches the quarter, and shines it some* Shiny quarter, alrighty!

Erm, you side-tracked me with your medicinal magics, Dr. Mario. Tomorrow morning I shall sift out another section! Or chapter, if you will.

*****************************

Mario`s adventure is over for now, but,



Mario`s dream lives forever...



Dream on, Mario... dream on.

[Super Mario]

The short, squinty-eyed man, pushing his beard out of the way of his feet with his cane, stepping out from the elevator, looking up at Mario and Luigi, squinting even more (yes, it's possible), and leaving little space between the Brothers and the edge of the narrow Ivory Staircase.

"Eh... I recognize you two from somewheres...", he smacked his lips in thought, lifting the staff a bit and turning it, "Mmmeh... have'ya ever met any Yoshis?"

Mario chuckled slightly, "Of course. One of them has-a been a close friend of mine for a while."

The old man got somewhat flustered, "I hain't no hasbeen, ya' whipper snapper! I--oh, yer friend's the hasbeen? Pity fer that.. anywho, the Yoshis, the oldest tribe o' 'em, are the ones who built this tower here. That's why it dispenses fruit like it does! Thars a good deal of Magic here..."

Luigi lifted a gloved hand to his chin, "Oh, is that why that-a orange appeared out of nowhere when Bowser Junior requested it?"

The old man jumped up a little, closer to Luigi, holding his wide-brimmed hat on his head with one hand, "Eh? Bowser Junya? Who's dat? Anotha' hasbeen?" The old man turned his 'good ear' (they were both bad) towards Luigi...

Luigi shook his head, "Ah, nope. Actually he's-a the son of Bowser... Bowser Koopa. I doubt you know him--"

But Luigi was cut off...

"K-Koopa ya' say!? Morton? Woe be this day, indeed!" The man began to confusedly turn and head into the elevator again, but Mario halted him, "No, no, wait just a minute. Not Morton Koopa... Bowser is his son. And they're not here to cause trouble."

The old man spun around, shaking his staff, "I know theys here to cause trouble! I expected better from you Marios! This ain't where you're supposed to be! Not here!"

The man jumped back into the elevator, the door beginning to close. Luigi, seizing the oppurtunity, rolled past Mario and squeezed under the door before it closed completely.

Mario frowned. It was quiet again. He could only hear the whisp of the high air around the Tower, which swayed lightly in the wind's force. Where had Luigi and the old man gone? Mario thought he could hear the elevator rising back up through the Tower... where would his brother end up?

Mario wasn't about to stand around and find out. He searched the pockets of his overalls; nothing there. He pushed the elevator button, waiting, but nothing happened. He had to follow the elevator somehow... he couldn't just stand around.

The old hermit's words reverberated in Mario's mind: There's a good deal of magic here... Could he perhaps use it to head up the Tower? Mario began to tread with careful step around the Tower, searching over panels and step alike...

***

Luigi sat against the elevator, annoyed more than scared; it had been headed towards the top of the Tower for a long time now, and all he had done was sat and listened to scolding from the old man...

"You're a Mario! Yer s'posed to be protecting the Mushroom Kingdom! You ought'n to be here! You've got a legacy to uphold, ya' do! Ye'r star-crossed!" The old man rambled on and on, bringing up prophecies and different sayings... Luigi half-listened, as he had by now deduced that the old attendant was a few Yoshis short of an Island. How long would it take for the elevator to get to the top? And where was Mario?

***

Bowser opened his eyes... his body was wracked with pain, and he felt he couldn't move. He appeared to be somewhere new, and before he blacked out again, he saw a golden-shelled Koopa Troopa standing over him. What was going on...? ...Blackness.

** ** ** ** * * ** ** ** * *

What now?? Luigi's trapped in the elevator with the old rambling hermit; Mario's stuck on the tower... and where has Bowser ended up? Find out soon!

*****************************

Mario`s adventure is over for now, but,



Mario`s dream lives forever...



Dream on, Mario... dream on.