I want to give a big farewell before I dissapear for another summer without computer access...>:(...BTW, I have a Title Picture on the first post. It's at the bottom, beacause I can't figure out how to get it at the top(And the Picture button yields a X).
PHASE 26
Castle Infiltration
(Bowser’s Castle. Bowser is high on a balcony looking out at the dreary landscape. A massive moat of lave encircles the Castle, and beyond that, a seemingly endless landscape of dead ground. Somewhere in the misty distance, a mysterious light glows out of the darkness. It is Koopa City. But that is not what Bowser is looking for. He looks out at the south, waiting for a certain group to appear. But-)
Koopa Soldier: King Bowser sir!
Bowser: (Swings around) What now?
Koopa Soldier: Well…your son, Iggy…he was found dea-
Bowser: GRAGGH! I HAVEN’T EVEN STARTED THE BLOODY FUNERALS FOR THE FIRST TWO. IT’S ALL A WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME.
Koopa Soldier: Um, yes, well-
Bowser: IS THAT ALL YOU’VE COME FOR? GET OUT!
(Bowser practically kicks the Koopa back through a door, a loud crash is heard.)
Bowser: I don’t have time for this…they’ll be arriving any moment now…
(Bowser continues to look out from the balcony, into the mists…however futile it seems. Another Koopa Soldier appears from behind. He whispers something to Bowser, and Bowser almost jumps. He quickly follows the Koopa Soldier, and the scene turns back to the mists, and it moves forward quickly into it. Cel, Wes, and Kan are critically near the castle. From out of the mists, Koopa Kastle emerges, along with the monstrous lava moat.)
Celistar: We did it. We’re here! We’re finally here!
Wes: …
Kan: You’re still thinking of going in there, princess?
Cel: Yes! It’s my fault Toadbert was captured.
Wes: (Sigh) so, now you have to tell us your brilliant plan on getting in…and over…the Lava Ring.
Kan: Well, yes, I am rather curious myself, now.
Cel: Um…well…
(Cel looks over the other side. A long drawbridge is upright…controlled by a nearby system. The Guard is sleeping…)
Cel: (Takes a deep breath) I…have to jump over the ring…
Kan: What?
Celistar: I have to jump over the Lava Ring…and lower the drawbridge for you two…if you are coming?
Wes: Wuh, well, wait, what? You can’t jump over the Lava Ring, and-
Kan: Well, princess, if it was possible, I’d come with you, but-
Cel: It’s time to go.
Wes: But, but, Cel! You can’t jump over that lava moat! It must be twice the length of that one river...and you know how that turned out…
(Flashback of Cel barely touching the other side, and barely getting up {With some “help”})
Wes: And besides, THIS will KILL YOU. Your skin will MELT OFF. You will die screaming-
Celistar: Oh, shut up. I’m doing this.
Kan: No, princess! I beg you, you must-
(Cel stands back and prepares to jump. Wes turns away, and shakes his head. Kan watches in futility. And she jumps…over the Lava Ring…and lands on the dust on the other side.)
Kan: What…you…
Wes: I-(Wes turns around, and almost falls over.)-You…survived…I-
Cel: Yes…
(Without warning, a large wall of fire bursts out of the lava ring, going twenty feet in the air. It falls back in, with a splash. Kan chokes.)
Kan: If I had finished my sentence earlier…and you had waited…and jumped…and…
Cel: Eh, it probably would’ve happened five seconds after that too…it’s all luck.
Kan: What-but-
(Cel sneaks over to the guard, and tries to punch him in the back of the head. It hurts her arm, but the guard falls over, unconscious. Cel and shrugs, and, without caution, pulls down the drawbridge with a switch. Wes and Kan run over, Wes with a slight hesitation. They enter the dark castle, Kan drawing out his lance. Switch to Bowser’s Castle, dining hall. The table is covered with massive amounts of food. Bowser sits down, grabs a meaty leg of something, and rips a juicy bite out. From the doorway, four of five of Bowser’s surviving children enter, Larry, Morton, Roy, and Lemmy, and also sit down. Following are a few of Bowser’s captains.)
Bowser: (Looks around.) Where…is Ludwig?
Morton: He was in his room, King Dad. Talking to himself.
Bowser: GRAGH! Get him in here! For today, we must celebrate…Maeras?
(Maeras is a Lakitu Captain, Captain of the Air Fleets.)
Maeras: Yes?
Bowser: You have ordered all your troops into the Back Fields, correct?
Maeras: Yes, sir. And Hamro has also put them there. And of course, Be-
Bowser: Quiet. I know the other ones have fulfilled my desires. It’s just…you, Maeras…you seem…
(The door slams open, and Ludwig runs in, carrying a large tray of tea. He grins sheepishly.)
Ludwig: Sorry, King Dad…I wanted to make something…special, for the invention of our new weapon…
(Scene switch, to another part of Bowser’s Castle, earlier. Cel, Kan, and Wes are walking through a hallway.)
Celistar: Wes, you’ve-
Wes: Shh, quieter! Yes?
Celistar: Ahem, Wes, you’ve been here before, right?
Wes: Yes, once…
Celistar: Do you know where the dungeons, are?
Wes: Yes, this hallway… (They turn into a darker hallway.)
Kan: You know, you would think there would be more…guards…around here?
Wes: Yes, it is rather strange…oh, here we are…
(They arrive at a dark door. Everyone-even Kan, takes a deep breath.)
Cel: This…may be the end of our journey…perhaps…
Wes: Move!
(Wes shoves Cel and Kan in, and closes the door. Outside, the shuffling of quick feet and the sound of clinking tea cups sound. Wes breathes a sigh of relief.)
Wes: Okay…
(All of them turn towards the cold, stone stairs, which turn endlessly downwards, into the darkness…)
(Scene switch. Peach’s Castle. Outside. The dark monstrous figure, Yoshi, creeps across the yard, towards the massive doors. Inside, it can smell flesh similar to the one who rode him long ago…a female…Yoshi clambers towards the door, the smell of meat urging him on…)
TO BE CONTINUED…
PHASE 27
Castle Escape
(Bowser’s Castle. Dining Hall. Everyone is eating. Bowser ignores the fact that Hamro, his Hammer Bro Land Captain, is still missing. Bowser, thirsty after a large chunk of meat, sloshes down the drink Ludwig concocted.)
Bowser: (Looks up.) Come on! It’s time we celebrated! The weapons are complete! And this drink…what do you call it, Lud?
Ludwig: Veritamort.
Bowser: Yes indeed! Everyone, have a drink!
(Trying not to hesitate, everyone in the room takes a drink. A silence follows, everyone looking around nervously. Ludwig backs away, near the door. Nobody seems to notice, a strange dreamy feeling hitting them all. But then…)
Bowser: Ludwig…you…you did something…to this drink…urgh…
Ludwig: Yes, father. Yes. All of you…heh heh…you’ve all drunk a strong poison.
(Everyone’s neck snaps up. Iggy starts violently coughing, along with a few captains. Bowser gets up.)
Bowser: LUD…wig…what have you done to…to...this…DRINK?
Ludwig: Ha…ha…hezzz…Dad…I’ve told you…I’ve poisoned it. And-
(Bowser starts to stomp towards him, but Ludwig draws out a gun…the only gun made…in fact, the one that killed Mario. Bowser freezes.)
Ludwig: My simple, short plan worked. None of the guns are finished father. All the troops have stopped working on it right now, to be in the Back Area…instead of guarding you, because YOU ordered it, because YOU thought the guns were finished…you thought the troops had them, ready to attack the Mushroom Kingdom.
Bowser: But…but… that Koopa…he told me…
Ludwig: HA! A lie…he worked for me. In fact, everyone on my side is not in this room…I have only poisoned those that would oppose me…
Bowser: But why did you kill Bowser Jr. and Wendy and Iggy first?
Ludwig: Because…I knew Bowser Jr. was the toughest of us…he fought Mario the most…I knew the poison wouldn’t kill him…and Wendy…she was the first to BJ’s crime scene…she knew that he had been stabbed to death…and she later accidently wandered into my room, and saw a knife…so I had to kill her later.
Bowser: And…Iggy?
Ludwig: I…wanted to kill something…watch it’s blood spill…
Bowser: GRAGGH YOU-(Ludwig points up the gun.)
Ludwig: Don’t. Move.
Bowser: What’s the point? I’m going to die anyway!
Ludwig: But…I have an antidote. (Ludwig holds up a vial full of purple liquid.) I may save you…if you promise to let me rule…and be my slave. Of course, I will make sure you won’t be able to kill me…a few drops of the antidote will save you, but make you weak.
Bowser: GRAGH! Never…I won’t let you…rule…I am-
Ludwig: Fine. I’m sick of listening to your voice, anyway.
(With a flick of his wrist, he fires the gun, straight at Bowser’s face. A flood of blood splashes out of the hole in his head. He falls to the ground, the blood spilling all over his body. Larry chokes.)
Ludwig: Now then…anyone else wish to serve me?
(Surprisingly, everyone stays quiet, but then Lemmy walks forward, head down. Ludwig smiles.)
Ludwig: I always knew you were my smartest brother.
(He taps a few drops of the liquid into Lemmy’s mouth, and a large amount into himself, enough to kill the poison completely. He turns.)
Ludwig: Anyone else wish to live?
(Nobody looks up. Roy growls.)
Ludwig: Okay. (Ludwig shoots the five generals present. And then turns to his brothers.) For all the misery you gave me, I will let you die a slow painful death, from the poison. Enjoy your last moments of life.
(Ludwig shuts the door, let’s Lemmy out, and locks the door. The Koopalings fall to the ground, and wither in misery and pain, except for Roy, who stands up defiantly.)
(Cut to the Castle Dungeon, about when Ludwig enters the Dining Room. Cel, Wes, and Kan have reached the bottom of the steps.)
Celistar: Okay…so-
Wes: Just follow me.
Celistar: Okay, but…why were you even in Koopa Kastle the first time?
Wes: Because I’m a Koopa. And-
Toadbert: HELP. OH SPIRITS. HELP. HELP! CELISTAR!
Celistar: Toadbert! He’s…he’s alive…I knew it. Come…C’mon!
(Cel runs ahead. Wes quickly follows. But Kan stops.)
Kan: Wait…how does he know you’re here?
(But he also quickly runs after Cel and Wes, coming right around the corner. In the middle of a large chamber, Toadbert is tied around the waist. Cel runs to him, and starts to untie the ropes. Wes stops right inside the room.)
Wes: Wait! Cel! Something’s wrong…something’s…
(A wall of fire bursts out of the ground, right behind of Wes, he falls forward, just as Kan arrives. Kan is blocked from Cel and Wes. Inside the room, the wall of fire circles the entire room. Cel continues to untie Toadbert, but now more desperately. Finally she finishes…but a figure drops from the ceiling…it’s Hamro.)
Hamro: So…this is Celistar…daughter of the superstar, Mario…
Celistar: Who…are you?
Toadbert: Cel! He made me call your name, he-YOU!
(Toadbert runs back, towards Wes.)
Hamro: Ah, Wes! You’ve finished your mission…you’ve brought Celistar here, to me. As Bowser rewards me, I will reward you greatly.
Celistar: What? Wes…?
Wes: No…no! I’m Cel’s…friend now, I’m not…
Hamro: Don’t try to make her feel better…
Celistar: You…you lured me here?
Wes: No! I-
Hamro: Yes. You went to that bar…it was lucky that you even met. Wes was starting to chicken out…right before a bar fight started…and Wes was tossed out, and beaten…
Wes: But…I’m on Cel’s side now…I’m...I don’t work for Bowser! We’re…friends! I will not join you, I’ll-
Hamro: Oh no…poor Wes he must be sick. You need some SLEEP… (Hamro throws an expertly tossed hammer, and it hits Wes on the head. He falls back, and faints. Toadbert jumps back.)
Cel: You…I…Wes…Toadbert… (Cel looks back. She doesn’t know what to think right now. It looks like Wes was a spy at first…but he…
(Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Hamro pull back an arm, and she barely falls out of the way, to the ground. The hammer goes flying into the fire, where it explodes. Hamro laughs.)
Hamro: Once I kill you, nothing can stop the great Koopa Kingdom! Not even-
(Cel spins with her leg out, knocking Hamro to the ground. She jumps up, as Hamro throws a Hammer upwards. It hits her left knee cap. However, she gets a kick in, kicking Hamro square in the face. However, he grabs her leg, and pulls her down, as he gets up. He throws a hammer down, right at Cel’s face. She rolls out of the way. He jams a foot down right where her gut was. She rolls backwards, and leaps up, punching Hamro right in the face. He flies back, right into the stone wall. He crumples to the ground, his legs broken. Cel walks up.)
Celistar: I don’t know where Wes stands, but I know…you deserve to die.
(Hamro grins crookedly.)
Hamro: Fine. Kill me. But I’ll be a martyr. I almost stopped the great Cel from...
(But Cel isn’t listening. She turns back. The fire wall has died down. Kan rushes out, but Cel stops him.)
Celistar: Don’t kill him. He will live the rest of his life with broken legs. Let him lay there, until he is rescued.
(Kan stares, but nods. He saw the fight. Now he understands. Cel helps Toadbert up. She turns to Wes. He is still unconscious.)
Celistar: Kan. Take Wes. We need to get out of here.
Kan: But-
Celistar: JUST TAKE HIM. JUST…
(Cel pauses, and starts up the stairs, helping Toadbert. They get to the top, Kan carrying Wes. They get to the massive Front Door, and are about to exit when-)
Ludwig: Stop.
(Cel turns slowly, Kan turns as well. Ludwig is pointing a gun at Cel’s forehead.)
Ludwig: So. Cel…her amazing…hehhzzz…rescue mission, coming to an end…but she didn’t count on…an actual ENCOUNTER.
Celistar: Actually, I just fought someone called Hamro.
Ludwig: Haha! But you were lucky! All the troops are in the back. If it was like it actually is…with the troops all over the castle…you wouldn’t have even gotten past the Lava Ring.
Celistar: …
Ludwig: Now then, with one press of my finger, the final threat to my new kingdom will be gone, and nothing will stop me. The world will be mine. The Mushroom Kingdom. THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM WILL BE MINE. Goodbye, daughter of Mari-
(THUNK. It is a dry, punching sound. Ludwig stares dreamily, and then falls. Behind him, Roy stands, his hand balled into a fist. He grins, and falls over dead. Ludwig is not dead, however. Cel stares, and backs away.)
Celistar: Let’s…let’s get out of here.
(Cel, Kan, and Toadbert run out, breathing heavily. They cross the drawbridge. They start walking across the dreary landscape. Kan is about to ask what they are going to do, when the sounds of a helicopter sound from the sky. The group looks up fearfully. But it is a Mushroom Copter. It lands, and a few Toad’s rush out, as well as Toadiko. She rushes to Cel.)
Toadiko: Princess! You…you are alive! Thank goodness…we were…looking everywhere…we-
Celistar: How did you know we were here? How-
(A gruff voice sounds from the copter)
Toad: Get them in here. It’s time to go. That Koopa and Toad need to be treated.
Toad 2: But a Koopa-
Toad: I don’t care what she says. That Koopa needs help…besides…we aren’t in the Mushroom Kingdom, right now.
(Toadiko smiles, and helps Toadbert in. Kan drops Wes in, and climbs into the copter. Cel stares behind her thoughtfully, and then gets into copter. It rises into the sky, and then silently heads to the east, into the rising sun.)
END OF TOADBERT SAGA
TO BE CONTINUED…?