GKND H.Q.
When Sector MG returned to the massive treehouse, they were curious to find a pirate ship with a familiar Jolly Roger docked in the hangar. Who should they find in the entry lobby but Augustus von Fizzuras, yelling at Jerome. "So, where is that little punk then?!"
"We don't know personally, Augustus." Jerome replied. "The Earth KND are tracking her. I only called you here because I thought you should be informed."
"Look, Captain!" A little melon-headed child was holding the tentacles of two Wisps, the aliens carrying her like hefty balloons. "These weird space squids are so colorful! Can Suika keep a few?"
"Captain Augustus?" The man in question turned to Sector MG. "What brings you here?" asked Romeo.
"Apparently, one of your operative brats skewered my mom and kidnapped my cousin!"
"W-what?!" Wendy gasped.
"Sniff, sniff…" Victini caught a whiff of some fresh luck. His sights focused on Suika, innocently swinging from the Wisps' tentacles. He turned invisible and fluttered over.
"The operative is Miyuki of Sector IC." Jerome confirmed. "It would seem that…" He gave an overview of what he heard about Miyuki's mission.
"So, Miyuki is also on a Guardian quest…" Kiki repeated. "But, attacking innocent people? Even other operatives?"
"Yeah, and I'm gonna have a few words with her!" Augustus threw his lollipop stick to the floor vehemently. "Come on, Suika!" He marched to the hangar.
"Aye-aye, Captain!" Suika curled in her melon and rolled after him- "WAH!" Her melon helmet cracked open, exposing her big, blonde, and bushy head. Suika scrambled to her feet- "Oh, no!" and her stone sandals stepped on her contact lenses. "C-Captain… I can't see…" Her adorable face scrunched up in her attempt to squint.
"Oh, for the love of…" Augustus stomped back in a huff, lifted Suika, and marched out.
Victini sucked the taste of Luck Chi off his fingers. That girl wasn't half bad!
"Anyway, Miyuki had attacked Augustus's mother, so I felt the need to summon him here and tell him." Jerome said. "But, aside from her… there is actually another crisis taking place. Do you know that new game, Aincrad, that has become rather popular?" With that, he explained what had befallen Aincrad.
"TH-THAT'S HORRIBLE!" Wendy exclaimed.
"Damn it!" Romeo cursed. "All that time in the Realms and Xadia… we could've been helping!"
"It is not your fault that you… Wait, you have been to Xadia?"
"Y-yeah." Wendy answered. "We…"
"That is quite fascinating." Jerome said after hearing the brief tale. "Then that means you've only one flame to go?"
"No, we can't worry about that! We should be helping the people in Aincrad!"
"There are already several operatives managing the Aincrad situation. Plus, we've been keeping Cheren up-to-date on your progress, and he only wishes you success on your mission, he hasn't asked for your immediate return. Besides, we shouldn't allow more operatives to be trapped in the game."
Romeo grit his teeth and glanced at Victini. The spirit perked up from his finger licking. "…" He sighed, "This had better be worth it in the end."
Victini's ears drooped in sadness. "So, then…" Jerome began awkwardly, "where is it you need to go next?"
Romeo faced him seriously. "The last flame is in Bowser's kingdom."
"B-Bowser?! H…how did you learn this?"
"Apparently, the original Rainbow Flame was a member of Bowser's race." Maria said, shooting a glare at Victini. "Something you COULD'VE told us a while ago."
"(You're the one who was hyped for the Mystery Flame!)"
"But if we knew about this, we could've organized a plan!" Romeo argued. "I mean… fricking Bowser! He'd sooner take Victini for himself than let me become his Guardian!"
"Even worse when you consider he might know that I'm in your team." Maria shrugged. "And that he wants to bone my mom."
"(Really? Then maybe we can offer a trade.)"
"That's NOT funny, Victini!" Romeo stated. "If you're gonna joke around, why don't you make a joke about getting Bowser's Sacred Flame WITHOUT selling out or getting any of my friends injured, killed, or imprisoned?"
"(Eeee…that's kind of a hard thing to joke about. Although… I might have one teensy suggestion.)"
"Yeah, what?"
"(Well…)" The spirit nervously tapped his fingers. "(If I gave you some luck.)"
"Oh, is that it? And how much luck am I gonna need to reason with Bowser?"
"(Um…what's his body mass again?)"
"Somewhere around 10,000 pounds." Maria shrugged.
"Does luck equate to body mass?" Wendy wondered.
"Is it not possible to find the Sacred Flame and steal it from Bowser?" asked Jerome.
The group blinked at the question. "Uhhhh…" Romeo tried to think. "Well, during the Sun Warriors' trial, I had to carry their flame. It wouldn't absorb into me until the dragons approved of me. Then Queen Blaze and Princess Janai offered their flames to me, so I assume I can only take them with permission."
"So, even if you could find where it is, there's no guarantee you can just take it…"
"Can't we just ask Maria's parents and uncle for help?" Kiki wondered. "I mean, they've only beaten Bowser, like, 8,000 times."
"Wasn't just them." Romeo replied with a snicker. "Didn't Panini's mom and uncle defeat Bowser, too?"
"Oh, that's right!" Maria jumped. "Bowser is afraid of Shaunie Fulbright! He got super angry when we mentioned his name back in January."
"I don't think making him angrier is going to help us." Wendy shirked. "But Maria, do you think your parents could help us?"
"It wouldn't hurt to ask. If Bowser hasn't taken over Mushroom despite how strong he is, he can't be all-powerful, right? Mario and Uncle Luigi still have a bit of juice in them!"
"Then I guess that's the best we can do." Romeo figured. "Let's fuel the ship and head down."
"Aren't we gonna eat first?" Kiki asked.
"We can eat when we get there!" Maria jumped. "Queen Peach makes the best cakes!"
"Didn't we have cake last night?" Wendy reminded.
"Not another one, thanks!" Kiki shouted. "I'm not gonna lose any weight at this rate!"
"Like you even were to begin with." Phil smirked. "All you do is sit on your broom."
"Grrrr, shut up, Phil!"
Near Poshley Heights
Majora docked his ship in the valley several miles away from the mountains. Sebastian the Black Butler ran like the wind upon the call of her masked master and leapt onto the ship. "This is quite the vessel we have, Miss Crystal. Could I take this to mean you have forsaken the KND's ship~?" The butler smirked.
"Very funny. What's the status on the Schnee operation?"
"Well, against my better judgment, I invaded the young miss's privacy and acquired the emails of her relatives, along with her sister's personal address. As for her mother, she scarcely leaves her room in the manor."
Miyuki put a finger to her chin in thought. Their new clues made her even more suspicious of the Winter Maiden's identity. It's true that the Maidens were reborn in members of their own race, hybrid members even… but the reincarnations weren't supposed to have bending, and the Schnee females supposedly had icebending. "…Does Weiss have any male relatives?"
"Her father and her brother, both of whom primarily reside in the manor."
"And icebending?"
"No. Seems only the women are born with that luxury. Quite a biased bloodline."
"Then this MMay be easier than we anticipated." Sebastian turned to the cabin as Majora stepped out. "If our recent clues are consistent… we need only investigate the Schnees inside the MManor. After all, the sister is probably quite busy with her army duties, and we wouldn't want someone like her trying to stop us."
"Ah…so, this is the great Majora." Sebastian smirked. "It is an honor to meet such a legendary demon. Would it be rude to call you by your true name?"
His red and green eyes stretched, casting an ominous glow. "Only MMiyuki is allowed to say that name."
"But of course."
"Sebastian, we're going to Coruscant." Miyuki ordered. "You'll help us infiltrate the Schnee Manor so I can observe the family members. Once I've worked out who the Winter Maiden is, you'll kidnap them as discretely as possible."
"Yes, my False Lord."
"That way, we won't have to hurt anyone!" Suki cheered. "And maybe we can put them and Miss Sneeze back when we're done!"
"Depending if they agree to break their seal." Miyuki reminded.
"Oh, yeah…"
Majora pulled the anchor up on the ship and rose to outer space. Waiting politely on the deck, Sebastian smirked at himself. He had already sent an email to Weiss's sister in her name, telling her to meet at the manor for a family emergency.
Mushroom Kingdom
Toad Town was in a notable state of rebuilding after the Pirate War. Knowing it had been threatened by both the Sky Gods and Big Mom Pirates, Sector MG felt a little dour seeing it like this.
The operatives approached the castle gate, a large blue door with a golden star. The Toad guards perked up when they recognized who was coming. "P-Princess Maria! Is that you?!"
Other nearby townspeople looked over. "Princess Maria?!"
"Those must be her friends!"
"She's so pretty!" a kid yelled.
"Uh, I guess they didn't catch on to the whole 'renounced my title' thing."
"Hello, everyone!" Wendy waved. "Just here to meet the royal family! Don't mind us!"
"Hurry, get inside!" the guard ushered as the gates opened. The kids fled inside as a horde of people hurried toward them. Victini flashed a few cool poses before the gate closed.
Mushroom Castle was defined by its red roofs and white exterior, flags waving atop each tower's tip. A stain-glass mural of Peach hung above the entrance.
The guards happily allowed them inside. Its checker-tiled floors were draped with velvet carpets, and the walls were painted with blue sky and clouds. Maria beamed upon seeing, "DAD! UNCLE LUIGI!"
The red and green plumbers were already in the foyer. "Maria!" Mario jumped.
The daughter bounced over and hugged her father. Luigi shared in the hug. "Oh, do we have guests?" a lady's voice was heard from the door atop the stairs. "Ah! Maria! Sector MG!"
"Salutations, Queen Peach!" Maria let go and bowed.
"You still won't call her 'Mom'?" Wendy asked awkwardly.
"Hm hm, it's alright." Peach smiled. "It's still nice of you to visit us. Could I get you anything?"
"Food, please!" Kiki called. "Hold the cake!"
…
As the friends shared food in the dining hall, the operatives explained the current situation. "Hmmm…honestly, I'm not really sure what to do." Peach said.
"Can you guys still fight Bowser?" Romeo asked.
"I haven't fought Bowser ever since I moved to Earth with you girls." Luigi answered. "But Mario's fought him a few times."
"Ay-ay-ay." Mario sighed in exhaust. "Mama Mia."
"But fighting Bowser has become rather tiring." Peach clarified. "He only seems to have gotten stronger with age. But we're just getting older. Hm hm, humans age faster than turtles, after all."
"But you still look so young." Wendy said.
"We're in our mid-fifties." Luigi mentioned. "It's not quite retiring age, but still!"
"Tehe, you're one to talk, Luigi." Peach giggled. "Didn't you just hit it off with Queen Daisy?"
"Ooo, you score yourself a date?" Phil smirked.
"I was-a already married! But, uh, after Maria was taken in by you kids, I went back to Sarasaland." Luigi blushed. "And I… got my wife pregnant."
"I'M GONNA BE A COUSIN?!" Maria screamed.
"Hehe, congratulations!" Romeo smiled.
"Can I help pick names?! I've always been fond of the name Brianna!"
"Brianna Mario sounds like a ringer!" Luigi laughed.
"(Ahem, we're getting off topic here.)" Victini coughed.
"Victini, let us catch up." Romeo stated.
"Oh, did he say something?" Peach asked.
"He's just being impatient…"
"In all the times we've been to Bowser's Keep, we've never seen anything like a large, purple flame." Luigi said.
"But even if we knew where it was, it wouldn't matter." Wendy replied. "We think that only the 'owners' of the flames can give them to Romeo."
"(Look, I know you're worried, but I really think this would be the best time for some luck. Just a little bit!)"
"Victini, there's all kinds of things that can go wrong. Bowser would wanna capture you, he would capture Maria and us, he wouldn't want me to BECOME your Guardian because then I would be a threat… and you think a little luck would be enough to dodge all that?"
"(W-w-well… you wouldn't suffer as much of a backlash.)"
"W…what do you mean by that?"
The spirit nervously fiddled with his fingers. "(I… actually have another power. Besides granting fortune to people, I also have the power to… take fortune from others.)"
"T-take fortune?"
"(Uh-huh. Obviously, this makes them less fortunate, but then I can transfer that fortune to others. And I…I've sort of been doing that.)"
"WHAT?!"
"(No no no! I haven't been giving it to you! But… during my travels, I've sort of been searching for people with really high fortune. I went to a Cooking Festival some time ago, and I found a couple boys with high luck. I think their names were Makoto and Nagito… though that one was pretty creepy.)"
"You were at the festival?" Wendy asked.
"(Yeah, but I got the heck outta there as soon as shit started going down! Then I flew back to enjoy my sun bath before those Solaran jerks kidnapped me. Ahem, but I borrowed luck from a few others, too. Just now, I took some from that melon girl that was at the base… and I got some from that raccoon girl…)"
"SHEILA?!" Romeo yelled. "So, the reason she crashed her bike was because of you?!"
"(I-I only wanted to take a little! But it turns out, she wasn't even using her luck! She won the race, anyway!)"
"Victini, I can't believe you!"
"(I just said she wasn't using it!)"
"No, you tried to cheat, and you almost got Sheila hurt! Not just her, but what about those other people?! Why would you suck the luck out of them?!"
"Ew!" Philip cringed. "Even hearing it in context just sounds gross!"
"(Because I…I think if I steal enough luck from people, I'll be able to get rid of my bad luck. And, it's kind of true, 'cause I've noticed other people don't suffer a backlash afterward. I guess it would depend on how much luck I give, but-)" Romeo pushed himself up and stomped out of the room. "(Wait, where are you going?)"
"I wanna be alone…" He slammed the door leaving the dining room.
Victini shirked in his seat in shame. The others could only look with sympathy. "Uh, so, wanna hear about the secret Sun Warriors?" Phil asked, breaking the tension.
"Come on, Phil." Oliver said reprovingly.
"Nah, I still need to blow off some steam over that whole thing. Ahem, so the Sun Warriors…"
A pair of Toads were standing guard in the dining room. One of them wore a pair of big, foggy glasses, and another was more elderly with a mustache. The glasses one whispered, "Hey, Lo T., my shift's about over. I'm gonna go smoke a Fire Flower."
"Okay, Snoo T.. Mind your breathing."
Snoo T. left the hall and asked one of the other guards to fill in. …With that, the spectacled Toad snuck into the guest room. He took out a piece of paper and began to write a letter. "To Lord Bowser… Queen Peach has some special guests at her castle. They claim to be…"
Koopa Kore
The King of the Koopas was a sight of terror and power, gigantic with scar-ridden muscles, and his spikes and horns as shiny and sharp as metal. His soul burned with greater fire than the volcanic region over which he ruled. The massive throne in the stone brick castle, its chamber alit with raging fires, suited the king well… for his mid-afternoon nap. "Snooooore…snoooore…"
King Bowser "awoke" at the base of a great stairwell. Resting at the top of it was a towering throne with an impish, crown-headed occupant. "Hey there, Bow-wow! You've been hard at work, huh?"
"Grah, it's you again? I almost thought you were just a dream with how long it's been."
"Yeah, but don't worry! I haven't left you, Bow. And you haven't forgotten me, too, I bet. Haha, I can't believe the Negatar was able to recruit Ouroboros."
"Yeah, Gnaa's a master of bringing forces of evil together! Which makes me wonder why you didn't choose him to be your candidate."
"Well, he doesn't quite have the powerful aura you have. Not, anymore. Anyway, I wanted to let you know something. One of my 'friends' is coming to your castle soon, along with his wannabe Guardian."
"Guardian? …You mean one of the Newborn is coming to my castle?! Which one?"
"Haha, that's a surprise!"
"I ain't in the mood for surprises!" Bowser began to stomp up the stairs. "I still ain't sure what kinda game you're playing! I know one of the KND just became a Newborn's Guardian." The stairs became progressively bigger as he climbed. "If those are YOUR Newborn, then how come the KND get them, huh?"
"It's not MY fault if they're KND or not." The king shrugged. "But it won't really matter either way."
"Yeah, and why won't it matter?" Bowser had to start reaching up to climb the ledges of the stairs. "What benefit do I get if my enemies have control of the Newborn? Stop beating around the bush and give it to me straight!"
Bowser reached the top of the stairs… He was utterly dwarfed by the huge, imp king, the cushioned seat of his throne dozens of meters above. "Fine, I'll just tell you. I need the Guardians to help stop the 'corruption' inside the Newborn."
"Corruption?"
"Y'see, I should have the power to enforce my will over the Newborn. But they were born with some corruption in their chi, so I couldn't do it. To make it worse, they turned against me and tried to destroy me… so, I had to 'destroy' them first. They ended up reforming in the universe with no memory. Unfortunately, I wound up trapped in here. I can only get out when all eight of them unite their power. But even then, I won't be able to control them so long as they have their corruption. So, if the Guardians can bond with their Newborn," the galaxy above him displayed a vision of Yuzu cooking with Gourmerry, "and teach them to be good," it showed Madotsuki flying across the Dream Realm with Marshadow, "then they'll become submissive." It then showed Skaios helping some carpenters in Evermore.
The king's eyes glimmered. "But those Guardians won't get to USE the Newborn! It will be me! And I'll only act in the interests of my chosen Candidate!"
"So, that means… so long as I can win this 'game' of yours, then I'll control ALL the Newborn?"
"Uh-huh! But ya better have more territories than those other two candidates. Otherwise, this little cushion is beyond your reach~" He waggled his feet tauntingly.
"Yeah? Well, why's this Newborn coming to my castle, you smug brat?"
"That's for you to find out. I only wanted to let you know. Well, I'll see you later, Bow-wow. Keep the game going!"
The Koopa King disappeared. "…" The imp frowned worriedly. "At least… I hope I'll be able to control them. Two of them, I'm still a little worried about. Verglora, for one… and especially Skaios."
"Why should we do what YOU say, Kael?!" the bite-size sky pirate shouted directly at the king's big-eyed face. "Maybe we wanna play our own games! We're just as good as you are, why should you be our king?! Ain't that right, mateys?!"
"YEAH!" Victini yelled. "We don't gotta listen to Kael!"
"You're always trying to be better than us!" Marshadow followed.
"We have wills of our own!" Boly stated.
"Let's tear him the fuck up!" Verglora cackled.
"Gourme…" Gourmerry moaned in hesitation, but deep down, she had to agree.
"I may not have to worry about Gourmerry least of all… but Skaios' Will of Rebellion is something to worry about."
…
"Bowser! Lord Bowser!"
"Gwah?" The king jumped awake in his seat. He stared down at his royal mage, Kammy Koopa, a very short and elderly Magikoopa in purple witch's attire and glasses.
"Our spy in Mushroom Castle has sent a letter, Your Burliness! It…it says that Victini is at the castle! And he is accompanied by a boy claiming to be the Rainbow Flame!"
"WHAT?!" The castle rumbled briefly. "Victini… so, THAT'S the one. HIM, of all ones!" His raging red eyes brimmed fiercely. "The SOURCE of my ancestral curse!"
"Mweh heh heh! And the letter doesn't stop there, My Lord! The Rainbow Flame is in the same team as Princess Maria!"
"HAH!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! That couldn't be any luckier!"
"What shall we do?" Kammy snickered. "As we speak, they are plotting to steal our Sacred Flame."
"Are they now?" Bowser opened his hand and ignited his violet firebending. "Gwah ha hah… well, if the Newborn have to be found… I sure ain't gonna make it easy. If they want a piece of my flame," Bowser PUNCHED his palm with force to shake the castle, "I'll give them EVERYTHING I got! That boy will pay for all the misfortune the Koopa Family have suffered! Kammy, send our special 'Firstborn Retrieval Trio' now! Tell Junior to make ready the airships! And after that… call up our friends. I wanna put on a show for them."
"Sigh, I have to do everything around here. Cut an old crone some slack, Your Demandingness." The witch left to fulfill her orders.
Mushroom Castle
Romeo leaned against the wall in a hallway, glaring out the large window. A castle guard walked by and asked, "Can I help you with something, young man? This isn't a subway, you can't just loiter around if you're a guest at-"
"Give a guy time to think, why don't ya?"
"Romeo!" The boy turned, seeing Wendy jog up. "Hey, check out my new outfit!"
She was wearing a blue vest with a white top underneath, puffy white pants, and brown boots. "I'm a Toad! You like it?"
"Yeah, it's cute! …Can you run in those boots though?"
"I'll probably change to my slip-ons if I need to."
"Also, Toads don't wear undershirts."
"Uh, the girls do! Now that I think about it, you could pass as a Toad."
"Hah, you're right!" Romeo realized his clothing was similar.
"Ha ha ha ha!" They shared a laugh. "…Hey, everyone else is exploring Toad Town. Wanna come with?"
"Yeah. Uuh, I can'th loither around the casthle, apparently~" He crossed his eyes and angled his arms in a mocking fashion, earning a grumble from the guard as he left.
Wendy and Romeo walked together into Toad Town. Not surprisingly, they saw a small crowd gathered around Maria, whom was signing autographs. "You were so cool!" a kid cheered. "That evil Sky God kid was so fast, but you and Louise were like, BUTT POUND, and when you went up the whirlwind, and Louise put goop on his head, and when you rode the arrow, and then-"
"Yes, yes, those are all things that happened, settle down!" Maria laughed.
"Maria, when will you be coming back to Mushroom?" an adult Toad asked.
"It would be wonderful to have you around!" a woman said.
"Heh heh, why? I mean, you still got Mario, right?"
"Well, yes, we do. But it was you who saved us from the Sky Gods. The Mario Bros. were elsewhere while we were kidnapped."
"Where were they?"
"Supposedly, they were preoccupied by Bowser's troops." The man answered. "But they still arrived to protect us from the giants. If not for them, we would've lost far more people."
"I don't think we've ever felt more desperate. My friend's daughter died in the crisis, and our town's diva. All we were trying to do was stay out of the way until the war ended. And now a bunch of people are trapped in that new virtual game."
"Won't you please stay here, Maria?" a pigtailed girl asked sadly. "I love the Mario Bros., and the Mario Sisters."
"Eh heh heh…" Maria felt herself shrinking in anxiety. These people weren't just obsessive fans… they were in need of some hope. They hadn't gotten over the trauma of the war. "But I…I'm a part of Sector MG."
"So? There are KND sectors here, too." The man replied.
"Th…that's just it. The Mario Bros. aren't the only heroes here. The KND help you guys, too, don't they?"
"Well, yes… but imagine how much greater they would be with you!"
"I'm sorry, but I wanna stay with my Earth friends. It's only because I was with them that I've been able to beat Skaios, and help stop that crisis from January… and it's my parents' own fault for sending us away in the first place. I feel like I'll be able to save way more worlds if I stay with them… including this one. But I don't want you to have so much hope for me just because I'm a Mario. I never even developed a mustache! You should have just as much faith in my friends."
"Awwwwww…" the girl moaned.
"Um, but, I might be staying in town for a while! So, I'll be glad to help out with anything!"
"Can ya help me feed the Li'l Oinks?" a farmer asked.
"YES, I'LL FEED THE LI'L OINKS!!" Maria excitedly ran off to play with—I mean, feed the piggies, the children eagerly racing after.
"Celebrity life isn't easy…" Wendy said.
"Especially when you're only popular because of someone else."
"Romeo!"
"What? They mostly like Maria because she's Mario's daughter. It's not like they're hailing us the same way. Not that I want them to…?"
He noticed Victini sitting back against the news board. Romeo approached and squatted over the spirit. "Are you being good?"
"(You know, I knew you would react that way. That's why I didn't tell you sooner.)"
"Yeah, no foolin'. You know, how is taking people's fortune different from the alternative? You're still spreading misfortune either way."
"(Or maybe I just want the luck to be evenly distributed. Why should they be the lucky ones while others can't?)"
"Then shouldn't you have more sympathy for me?" Wendy asked. "Since I used to be a Red Eye?"
"(Because you guys are… never mind.)"
"What?"
"(Forget it. Romeo's already mad at me, so insulting you guys isn't fun, anymore.)"
"Not wrong there." Romeo agreed.
"(I just… I feel like you guys are the closest thing I had to real friends. Even though you guys don't like me, you tolerate me. You don't just want me for my power… or even 'want' me at all. So, I wanted my power to be useful… without you ending up regretting it.)"
Romeo sat beside him, laying a hand between Victini's ears. "Well, you should give that luck back to those people, for one thing. And I told you before… I don't mind being friends with you. Even if I don't or couldn't use your power. And I don't know what we're gonna do about Bowser… but we'll think of something. Let's just clear our minds first, okay?"
"(I guess…)" Victini leaned on Romeo's hip. "(Sorry for being such a pain…)"
"It's alright." Romeo stretched himself up with the Newborn in his arm. "Let's see what the others are doing."
Wendy smiled at the two. Though, as she followed them, she couldn't help but think… "Sheila wasn't 'using' her luck? What's that supposed to mean…"
…
Little did they know that a certain red- and blue-haired couple were watching with binoculars, wearing merchant disguises with false mustaches. Below them was their feline companion. "So, the Newborn has moved outside." The scarlet woman observed. "This should make things a little bit easier."
"Den let's get started!" the cat declared in a Brooklyn accent. "We can't have a Mario fanfiction without Pokémon crossovers, after all!"
"I still hope Paper Maria will be a thing." The blue man said charmingly.
"Woooobbuffet!" A blue blob popped out.
"This isn't the planet for that!" The red woman returned him to a Pokéball. "Let's send the call to the Koopa Troops now."
Romeo, Wendy, and Victini got some ice cream as they explored Toad Town. Maria was possessing a Li'l Oinker and letting kids ride her, Philip was visiting the Kart Garage, and Oliver returned to the harbor to fish. "Hey, Romeo, I heard there's a dojo near the northwest entrance to town!" Wendy called.
"Cool! Maybe that'll be a good place to-"
"AAAAHH!" A Bob-omb landed beside a nearby house and blew the wall open. Citizens cried as Bob-ombs rained everywhere, ruining many rebuilt homes. Seeing the airships looming in the sky, the Mario Bros. rushed out of the castle. "Mass-produced Bob-ombs!" Luigi screamed. "What's-a Bowser think he's doing?!"
"You guys!" Maria ran up to Ro and Wen. "Those are Bowser's ships!"
"Protego!" Wendy jumped onto a house and cast a shield to block the bombs. "Romeo, call the others-!" A yellow figure whooshed up and shoved her off. A yellow Koopa in a ninja's mask attached a chi-block to her back, but leapt away when Romeo came, helping tear the block off.
A red, black, and green Ninjakoopa surrounded them, flashing poses. "Princess Maria, we heard you were in town!" Red declared. "The Super Ninja Koopa Brothers will be taking you now!"
"You mean this invasion is just to kidnap me?!"
"That's right! So, hand yourself over no-"
Wendy dashed up and KICKED the lead Koopa in the beak, and Romeo caught the black one in purple fire and threw it against Yellow. As Maria ran to kick Green, Romeo glanced behind and saw a half-invisible Victini. "Victini, maybe you can shoot fires at the bombs before they land! Though, aren't Bob-ombs actually people?"
"They're mass-produced!" Maria shouted. "They're basically drones, don't worry!"
"If you say so."
"(Then I'll do it!)" Victini turned invisible and flew higher, shooting fire bullets at the falling bombs.
Unfortunately, the disguised trio was able to see the fires' origins. "An invisible candle still burns, I see~" the scarlet woman remarked. "Keep your eyes on him, Meowth. I'll tell the Koopas where to direct him. James, get the Clown Car ready!"
Romeo scared the Ninjakoopas away with the stench of Yellow Fire. "MORE TON!" A giant hammer came crashing down against the mage, wielded by the bulky, black-shelled Morton Koopa. He had a white head with a gray star over the left side and dark-brown skin. "HAM-MER!" He raised his hammer to bring it down again, but Philip rammed the Koopaling with his Philmobile.
"Romeo, you okay?!"
"Agh, yeah." Romeo pushed himself up and rubbed his back. "Bowser's trying to kidnap Maria."
"What, was he just stalking Peach outside the castle or something?! How're we gonna get his Sacred Flame at this rate?"
"At least we have an excuse to see him now!" Romeo threw a punch at Morton's head when the Koopa recovered.
Roy Koopa blocked the exit to the harbor, wearing sunglasses and a red spiked shell. Roy threw off his afro and FLASHED a bright light from his chrome dome. "No worries, darlings! I'll blind you from the despair!"
"You're the one who's blind!" The light was suddenly amassed onto Oliver's wand.
"Huh?! You took my shine!"
"Then have it back!" Oliver shot the condensed light and blasted Roy away.
Iggy Koopa came riding on a Chain Chomp-drawn chariot, with two others carrying Hammer Bros.. Iggy screamed when Mario sprung over and KICKED the spectacled Koopaling off the chariot. Iggy curled in his blue shell and spun at the plumber, but Mario spun-jumped on the spikes to evade the attack. Iggy fled to readjust himself afterwards. "Mario, you think one of us should protect the queen?" Luigi asked.
"Where's Maria?"
"I'll go look for her!" Luigi was about to run off, but the Chariot Bros. rolled in his path, tossing hammers at his head.
About 30 Bob-ombs were about to drop over the train station, but Victini's quick firework was able to snipe them all down. The trio's Clown Car was steadily creeping up on the Newborn. "Almost there…" the woman said as the car's mouth opened. "Now!"
An orange-gloved, mechanical arm stretched from the mouth and SNAGGED Victini. "Victiiiii!" He was reeled right back into a portable, glass freezer, the spirit struggling to squirm or burn free.
"Hey, stop it, stop it, stop iiiiiit!" The Green Ninjakoopa cried as Maria repeatedly kicked and bounced his shell against the curb and back.
Romeo was binding Yellow by the arms in purple fire, intending to use him as a shield against Red. But it was then Yellow noticed the Clown Car returning to the sky. "Hey! Looks like we seized our target!"
"Target?" Romeo glanced over. "But Maria's still-" The Red Koopa lunged and kicked him in his distraction.
"AH ha ha ha ha ha ha!" A megaphone laughter resounded from the sky. Much to the operatives' confusion, three sets of clothes—the kidnappers' disguises—came drifting to the ground.
"Prepare for trouble, we know this isn't our turf."
"Make it double, before Lord Bowser gets nerfed."
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all people within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of lucky spirits!"
"To extend our reach to all who hear it!"
The scarlet woman danced, "JESSIE!"
The blue man carried a rose, "James."
"Team Rocket, blasting off for the Koopa Clan!"
"Surrender your princess if you wish to have him back, man."
The cat jumped on the craft's edge. "Meeeeeowth! That's right, Dan!" ("Wooooobbuffet!") ("Chiiiime, still here too, iiiiime." Chimecho sang.)
"Wait, I remember those guys!" Wendy pointed. "They tried to kidnap Carla a while back!"
"They're Team Rocket!" Maria exclaimed. "They're bad guys who have a bigger kidnapping rate than Bowser!"
"You mean they're working together?!" Oliver asked. "I never expected such a deadly alliance!"
"They…they kidnapped Victini!" Romeo panicked in realization.
"Koopas, time to retreat!" Roy announced, attaching a pair of wings to himself to fly away. "Return to Koopa Kore pronto!"
Within minutes, the swarm of Koopas would be flying away from the ruined Toad Town. Queen Peach stepped out of the castle gates with concern, meeting back with Sector MG and the Mario Bros.. "Is everyone okay?"
"Several citizens were injured." Luigi answered. "But these kids say they kidnapped Victini."
"They said they were after Maria," Wendy said, "but their real target was Victini all along. How could they have known about him?"
"And we've only been here for a few hours!" Romeo shouted in frustration.
"You think… Bowser knew about our quest and knew we would come here soon?"
"But how?"
"I don't know…"
"Well, now Bowser has Victini." Kiki sighed. "That means… it's now or never if we're gonna go see him, right? Or else, Bowser might try to use him for something."
Romeo sighed. Even if it wasn't Victini's fault… they wound up in another unfortunate situation. "Don't-a worry, kids!" Luigi assured. "We'll go with you to get him back!"
"I guess that's why we were here, anyway." Oliver figured. "I feel bad for asking you now. They only invaded town because we came here…"
"It's nobody's fault but Bowser's." Peach reasoned. "We'll just have to teach him our 8,001st lesson! And no, we're not really counting."
"Wait, are you coming, too, Your Highness?" asked Wendy.
"But of course! Bowser couldn't turn down a date with me. And he won't mind if I bring some friends along."
"But it… sort of sounded like they were demanding the princess in exchange for Victini."
"Could've been just for a rhyme." Phil figured.
"It doesn't matter who it is," Luigi declared, "because we're not letting Bowser have anyone! Right, Bro?"
"Let's-a go, Romeo!"
"Ha ha!" Romeo laughed. "…" He glared in the ships' direction with conviction. "I wonder if Bowser was trying to invite me, anyway?"