Koopa Kore
Victini's freezer was set on a pedestal by an arena situated over a pit of lava. Bowser smirked down at the Newborn maliciously as his son pressed a switch, lowering several large TVs around the stands. The TVs all switched on: one of them displayed a large Boo with a purple tongue that matched his crown. "BLUH huh huh huh! You know I never turn down entertainment from you, Bowser, but this better be good!" laughed King Boo, the aptly-named king of his race and the owner of the Last Resort hotel.
Another TV showed a tall Octoling man in a military uniform, wearing a golden samurai-like helmet with octopus designs. "If you're about to get your ass kicked again, I'm down for that!" rapped DJ Octavio, the ruler of the Octarians.
"Bwa ha ha! Feast your eyes, my fellow crime lords! For I have the Victory Spirit, Victini in my captivity!"
"You have Victini?!" Negatar Gnaa exclaimed.
"Just what are you planning, you giant fool?" Giovanni asked.
"You guys are about to learn a little history!" Bowser stomped over to the tiny Victini, shivering in both cold and fear before the titan. "A lesson of how one little fairy cursed my WHOLE damn family!" He bent down and emphasized his throbbing red eye.
"Now, now, My Lord…" Kammy Koopa cackled, limping up from behind. "We'll have to save the best parts for when our guests arrive."
"Yeah, yeah, don't mean I can't tell these guys the main story!"
"(W-wait… I remember you.)" Victini pointed at the witch. "(You're the lady that shot me with that cannon!)"
"Mweh heh heh! You seem to remember me, little one. Indeed… you were our test. Our test to see if the darkness inside you Newborn was true."
"(What…what do you know about my darkness?!)"
"That darkness, of course, was the handiwork of one of our associates. We thought if we could call forth that darkness, we could get in touch with him."
"But instead, it's nothin' but a hindrance!" Bowser shouted.
"(What?! You mean it's YOUR fault I'm cursed?! What did you guys do to me?!)"
"Bah, quit you're whining! Why can't you be one of the Firstborn that talks? That shit don't matter, anyway. All that matters is I'm gettin' my payback on the 'Rainbow Flame' once and for all!"
…
"Romeo, Maria, and I will go first." Wendy instructed. "Oliver, Phil, Kiki, I want you to go to the local KND sector and explain the situation. Have them spread the word to others and see if any will be willing to come assist us."
"You sure you don't need us to come?" Ollie asked.
"We wanna see what Bowser has planned first." Romeo said. "If it gets desperate, we'll try to call you. But only come if you have enough ops to handle it."
"Okay…" Kiki replied worriedly.
The Koopa Kingdom lied far to the northeast of Mushroom Castle. Wendy, Romeo, and the Mario Family crossed a field where the grassland slowly decayed. Dark clouds covered the skies beyond a long, stone wall. There were several tanks stationed outside the wall and airships patrolling above. "Heeeeey! Queen Peach and the Marios are approaching the gates!" one of the patrol towers called. "All troops, prepare for-"
"Knock it off, boys~" A red-shelled female Koopa with high-heels and a head ribbon waltzed out from behind a tank. "Puhuhu! King Bowser was expecting them~"
"So, you were trying to lure us to the castle." Romeo deduced.
"Correct! You can call me Wendy~"
"Wow, my name is Wendy!" Wendy Marvell beamed.
"Who cares about you?"
"Eh, I was just trying to point out-"
"Boys, open the gates!" Wendy Koopa ordered. "No need to invade us like you did last time. We'll carry you straight to Lord Bowser!"
Beyond the wooden gates was a valley of lava, volcanoes, and clouds of ash blotting the sky. The operatives and Marios were led onto a carriage driven by Wendy Koopa. The buildings in Bowser's kingdom were like traditional Japanese castles. The carriage drove through a village where Demon Koopa kids were playing in the street, pointing at the passing group. Some threw rocks at the Marios, laughing snarkily.
"Hey, you're gonna poke someone's eye out!" Maria shouted.
The carriage drove on a path along the lava river, from where Blarggs hissed at them. The road sloped up and around a mountain, where Fire Bros., Koopatrols, and Koopa Strikers patrolled by, casting glares or smirks. They drove through a cavern afterward, where a Boo popped beside Wendy Marvell and, "BOO!"
"AAAH!" Wendy fell over. "Why is everyone so mean here?!"
"Mushroom isn't as colorful as people think it is." Wendy Koopa said. "With all the discrimination that happens on account of the Toads, these races have only had Bowser's family to rely on. Lord Bowser has the kings of the Goombas, Bob-ombs, Whomps, and others under his leadership. 'Course, nowadays, our races are even MORE divided with some members defecting to your side. But those people are the outcasts~"
"It's Bowser's own fault all these guys are so hated!" Maria argued.
"Well, not necessarily." Peach replied awkwardly. "It's kind of been going on before either of us were around. I couldn't tell you whose fault it was… but I don't think it matters."
The carriage drove into a very wide, hollowed mountain with a stadium interior. Hundreds of Bowser's minions lined the stands, with reserved seats for his main generals, such as the Koopalings, Ninjakoopas, Tutankoopa, or Tubba Blubba. The large TVs showed members of Team Gnaa and Bowser's allied warlords; the mustached King Bob-omb, regal-clothed Goomba King, big-mouthed Whomp King, etc..
King Bowser stood in the arena, a large stone slab suspended via chains over the pit of lava. "GWAH ha ha hah! Looks like our guests have arrived! Looking for this little chump?!" Bowser opened his right hand, revealing Victini's freezer.
"Victini!"
"(I'm sorry, Romeo! It's not my fault! I was invisible the whole time, I don't know how they caught me!)"
"Grrrr! How did you know about Victini?!"
"You should never doubt my intelligence! Now… I'm guessing you're the alleged Rainbow Flame, Romeo."
"W-what?" His heart skipped a beat. "You know my name?"
"Gwah hah! My spies watched you in Heaven's Arena! I got juicy fighting info on a lot of you operatives. When I first heard about your Rainbow Fire, I was almost suspicious… but I can't believe it turned out to be true!"
"Yeah, so what? If you wanted to lure me here, you didn't have to invade Toad Town!"
"I know you were planning to see me, anyway, but I thought I needed a good motivator. Now that you're here, we can get started!"
With a snap of his fingers, a cage dropped over the carriage. "HEY!" Wendy yelled, attempting to cast a spell. "We're chi-blocked!"
"Romeo! If you want my Sacred Flame, step out of the cage and onto the arena alone. Those brats of yours don't get to interfere!"
"What are you planning?!"
"You'll find out. Now, get over here!"
Romeo shared a worried glance with Wendy. He took a breath and stepped toward the cage's exit. A Magikoopa opened the door, let him out, then shut it. Romeo jumped across a set of floating platforms to land on the arena, but those platforms would drop into the lava.
Seeing Bowser up close was terrifying… The only other time was during the World Rings incident, but this time, the Koopa's focus was entirely on him. "So tell me, boy… what did this little spirit do to my family?"
"Y-your… family? I don't know what you're talking about."
"I'm talking about YOU, you clueless brat! I'm talking about my ancestor… Natsu Koopa!"
"N-Natsu?! NATSU WAS YOUR ANCESTOR?!"
"Oh, ya didn't know that, huh? I guess you only know the basic part of the legend! How he was a hero who brought light and warmth back to the tribes! But it didn't do any favors for us, ironically. He took so much of Victini's fortune that one little death wasn't enough to pay for it. All his descendants were born with red eyes, the sign of cursed people! The people of this world began to treat us like demons because of our strength! None of them cared about the legend, and they even forgot about it after a while, but we still pass it down in our royal classes. WE still remember what Victini did to my ancestor! But it's Natsu's damn fault for sucking up to this twerp in the first place!"
"But the ice demon was the one to curse Natsu, not Victini!"
"IT DOESN'T MATTER! The flow of Luck Chi was stopped, causing him to die! And then we were all born with the red eyes that he was forced with!"
"Fine, but what's your point? Mushroom World is different now! If you're sick of the discrimination, why are you trying to conquer everybody?"
"Because we've already been doing this for ages! It's what I was born into! When I was a brat, the Mushroom Royals already hated me. The kids in town never let me play with them. All I had were the people in these burning Outlands. And all I knew to do was conquer. So, that's what I did. It was the only way to gain respect in this world… and to gain love."
"When did you start wanting to bone my mom, anyway?" Maria asked.
"MARIA!" Peach shouted reprovingly.
"When I first set eyes on her! Even though she's the ruler of those wretched Toads, she was too beautiful! But it wasn't enough to have a ton of tribes under my rule: the only way to steal her heart was to seize her and conquer her kingdom!"
"You don't understand at all, Bowser! I pity the way you grew up, but I can't condone everything you've done. All the people you've hurt. No matter how much you blame your ancestors or some curse, you had every opportunity to change, and we would've listened."
"Maybe you're right, Peachy… but the problem is, I've grown fond of my darkness. My hatred. I love to conquer! And I've come to realize, it's the only way to accept my misfortune: to spread misfortune! And thanks to that, I've made tons of friends like Kroctus, Eggman, and Lord Gnaa! And I will ALWAYS follow the path of evil!"
"YEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHH!"
"But that don't change the fact it was YOUR fault all this happened! Yours and Victini's! The reason my family became what it is was because of you! The reason Mushroom will never know true peace is because of you! The reason I can never beat Mario, why I can never have Peach, is because of YOU!"
"SHUT, UP!" Romeo combusted with red, green, and blue flames. "NONE of that is my fault! And I am SICK of being blamed for something my dumb past life did! I'm sick of having to do what he had to do! I don't want the Sacred Flames and I don't wanna be Victini's Guardian!"
"HAH! Is that it, boy? Then why don't you hand those flames to ME?" Bowser opened his hand as a violet flame lit. "They'll go great with the one I already got!"
"Wait… the Sacred Flame is inside you?!"
"DARN RIGHT! Most of it, anyway. I decided to eat it up after I reached the Sapphire level. Heh, and it STILL wasn't enough to kill me! I'm nice and hot now! Probably the strongest damn firebender in the universe!"
"Well, there's no WAY I'm handing these to you! I don't care about my destiny… but after coming all this way, I'm not about to give up now!"
"Ha ha! I was hoping you'd say that. In that case… let's play a little game." Bowser threw Victini's cage up for Team Rocket to catch, the poachers smiling gleefully. "If you want this flame, you're gonna have to earn it."
"Hmph, yeah? How?"
"Simple." Bowser coated himself with the embers. "Know the phrase 'Agni Kai'?"
"Um…isn't that the term for a duel between firebenders?"
"That's right. Show me how good your firebending is." The flames rose higher. "I won't use any Haki, and we won't trade any physical blows. But since I'm a nice guy… I'll allow you to use your magic tricks."
Romeo quivered on his knees. He could feel it… the power radiating in this man. His magic and firebending together… even his Sacred Flames… were they really enough? "Ha ha ha!" Bowser Jr. laughed. "Look at him shaking!"
"BLEH HEH! I think he's wetting his pants!" King Boo laughed.
"Bowser's gonna wipe the floor with him! Urh urh!" Whomp King laughed.
"He ain't gonna last two seconds!" DJ Octavio exclaimed.
"YOU CAN DO IT, ROMEO!"
He whipped in the direction of his caged friends. Wendy was clasping the bars as her face stuck through. "I believe in you! Just ignore these haters and fight your best! I know you'll find a way to win!"
Romeo bit his lip and faced Bowser with conviction. "I accept your duel! And in the words of your rival, let's-a go!"
"I-a wanted to trademark that!" Mario commented.
"So be it! Time to roast you over an open fire! Blaaaaaah!" (Play "Final Boss (Lava)" from New Mario Wii!)
Boss fight: King Bowser
Romeo had absolutely no idea what his first move should be; in fact, the first few seconds of Bowser stomping the ground in preparation were his only moment of peace. The king took a deep breath and unleashed a wave of violet fire, Romeo dodging to the right. He kept running as Bowser burned along his trail. Romeo was unable to bend the violet fires for himself, but remembering his battle with Azula, Romeo conjured a shield of Sticky Fire to absorb some of the flames. Sadly, Bowser's fire was quick to rupture the "sponge," so he moved his fire up to Bowser's head and willed the rest of it to squeeze out against Bowser's eyes. He almost seemed to wince from his own breath, but it was hardly enough.
Bowser's feet caught fire as he stomped the ground forcefully, sending shockwaves of flames around the field. Romeo jumped the flames, approached Bowser, and called "Glacius!" He mustered Ice Fire, attempting to chill through Bowser's flames and freeze his feet, but only a bit of steam seeped out before Bowser's next stomp knocked Romeo over. He had to quickly shoot Ice Fire to disperse the violet wave coming his way, but could barely cut a gap as some of the fire burned him. Bowser's right fist alit as he punched down, Romeo quickly rolling away before the fist-size fireball crushed him. Bowser punched more fireballs his direction, so Romeo dodged his way over and cast pink fire at the king, intending to Soften his strength. He managed to focus a constant stream of Soft Flames at Bowser's stomach while evading his attacks, but his violet flames didn't seem to falter. Bowser blew more breath, so Romeo decided to retreat.
"'ey, what is this one-sided battle?!" the Whomp King yelled. "Hurry up and fight back, ya little shit!"
"Looks like YOU won't be taking King Bowser by the tail! Woot woot woot woot!" King Bob-omb laughed.
"Wait! His tail!" Luigi exclaimed. "Romeo! Hit Bowser's tail!"
Romeo took heed of the advice, but it wouldn't help him actually get around there. But with courage, Romeo charged at Bowser, who blew fire at the ground to impede him. Romeo stretched Purple Ropes from either hand and snagged Bowser's horns, and as he pulled himself over the giant Koopa, he shot yellow flames from his boots to fill Bowser's nose with an awful stench. Bowser blew out his nose to rid himself of the stench, but Romeo was able to land behind the turtle's tail. "Time to put these flames to work!" Romeo called forth his Emerald and Sapphire Flames, casting them over Bowser's tail.
"Bwah! That actually STINGS a bit!" Bowser curled into his shell, spinning as flames jutted out like large sprinkles. Romeo hastily dodged them until one burned him in the stomach, falling over. "But is that really the best you can do?!" Bowser came out and spat four quick fireballs around Romeo. He ran out of the up-left gap, but Bowser willed the flames to arch at him, causing him to stumble on his feet in evasion. His feet were enveloped, so he frantically had to shake his boots off. Still, walking barefoot on a scalding hot ground wasn't any better, so he wore a pair of purple fire to protect himself. "You think your piddly-ass magic flames are any good here?! If they can't burn, they're USELESS!"
"My fire isn't meant to always burn! That's what makes it special!"
"Then you don't deserve ANY of those Sacred Flames!" Bowser blew another stream that Romeo ran from. "Especially if you needed those puny friends of yours to help."
"Grrr…" Romeo had to stop and catch his breath. But as he was standing near the arena's edge, he dodged his way further in. So what if I did? If I had to be on this quest anyway, I would want my friends to help. It would've been too stressful without them. It's another reason I didn't need Victini. I didn't have any passion for doing this… I just wanted to enjoy a fun trip with my friends.
Bowser spat large fireballs that Romeo swiftly evaded, pacing his breath to rekindle his stamina. But I worked hard to build up my two chis. I joined the KND to put it to good use. And my friends helped me earn these flames… so, I owe it to them to use these flames to their fullest!
Romeo called forth his orange and Emerald flames, but mixed them together to make a yellow flame. By applying magic to it, he made it a gassy flame, punching it at Bowser's head. "BROOAH!" Bowser gagged on the stench, trying to wave it away. The Koopa King turned around, leaving his tail exposed. "And if I mix blue and red, don't I get," Romeo mixed them and created a purple fire of his own. "AHA!" He launched the enhanced Purple Rope and caught Bowser's tail. He tried to haul the Koopa off his feet and throw him off the edge… but he could barely budge Bowser an inch before the king lit his tail and burned the rope off.
"That's not a real violet flame!" Bowser punched more fires at Romeo, who used ice with his Sapphire Flame to counter and shrink them. "Even with your pretty magic tricks, they're still inferior to mine!" Bowser blew along the ground and grew a wall of violet fire. He pushed the fire in Romeo's direction, so he coated himself in Sacred Ice Fire, managing to endure with mild burns. "BWAAAAHH!" Bowser unleashed a condensed beam of fire, Romeo dodging by a heartbeat. He combined his Emerald and Sapphire Flames to combat the fire, but the two flames were pushed back. Romeo mustered up the orange flame and applied that along with it, the three flames swirling around each other like a diagonal cyclone. They were able to push Bowser's fire back a bit, but inevitably, the violet fire persevered and burned through, blasting Romeo on his back and toward the edge.
Bowser stomped forward and directly over Romeo, lighting himself and the area around his foe to prevent his escape. "Just think if this was a fist fight, you would've been wasted by now! Any last words, boyo?!"
"NO!" Wendy screamed. "Please don't hurt Romeo!"
"Princess, hurry up with that!" Luigi insisted. Peach had stuck her small hands through the cage bars, using a hairpin to pick the lock.
"Shh, quiet, Luigi!"
"(Stop it! Let him go! No!)" Victini shouted.
Bowser glared up at the Newborn. "Ya know, finishing you off wouldn't be any fun. Why don't I let that little imp help ya? Let him pump you full of luck so you wind up with a life of misfortune!"
Romeo hesitated to answer. If what Victini said was true, he could use the Luck that was taken from others and avoid the backlash… but that wouldn't be fair to those people. And even then, would that be enough? "What do you even want from me?!"
"Why should I let a puny KND operative become Victini's master? The boy who doomed my family? A boy whose firebending ain't even worth his grit?!"
"What Natsu did wasn't my fault! And besides, how could you call yourself cursed?! Saying you had a bad childhood, that no one liked you, that you're never successful… Look around you! You have all these minions, all this power, and even friends and allies! What does it matter if you can never beat Mario, or you can never marry Peach? You have more than most people will ever have!"
"Maybe I do… but you brats seem to have all that and more. You and those Mario Brothers ALWAYS get to win. Even if you're fated to win today… even if you HAVE to find these Newborn… I still don't like it at all."
"I…I don't understand what you mean."
"So, let's see what your luck gets you! Kammy, get the cannon!"
"As you command, Your Grumpiness!" Kammy unveiled a Darkness Cannon from her cloak and aimed at Victini's freezer.
"(WAIT! NO! NOOO-)" Team Rocket quickly opened the freezer so the darkness could strike Victini. A dark, malicious aura surrounded him. "(Meh…yeah, Romeo. Why don't I help you out this time?)"
"Victini!"
The spirit flew over to the worried boy that lay before Bowser. "(You say you don't wanna win with luck? Well, I think you're 'lucky' to have friends to help you! You should've been 'lucky' to be born such an important guy! So, why don't I suck that luck away?)"
A light-orange aura flowed out of Romeo, slurped into Victini. "Victini! Wait!" But as the spirit flew away, the ground around Romeo began to crack, succumbing to Bowser's flames.
"Wuh-oh! This floor isn't very maintained~" Bowser teased. "What're you gonna do, boy?"
Romeo pushed himself backward and fell off the arena, shooting a Sticky Fire to the bottom of it. He swung and tried to shoot one further across the bottom- "AH!" he felt a sprain in his arm, causing him to fall. "AAAAAHH!"
"WOOHOOOOOO!" Mario came flying with rocket shoes and caught the boy, flying him safely to the other side of the arena.
"MARIO?!" Bowser bellowed.
Luigi then landed beside his brother. "Hey, Bowser, you want a fair fight, then let us lend a hand!"
"Grah! You idiots let them escape?!" Bowser whipped over at the opened cage.
"Hairpins make the ultimate master key!" Peach beamed.
"ROOOAAAAR!" Bowser unleashed a wave of Conqueror's Haki to bring the operatives to their knees. The Koopas worked to lock them back in the cage. "I don't need anyone helpin' that wimp, let alone these two! Get lost or NONE of you are gettin' the Sacred Flame!"
"You weren't even planning to give him the flame, anyway, were you?!" Maria shouted.
"All you wanted to do was humiliate him!" Luigi yelled. "All because of a dumb curse that isn't even his fault! You're the only reason you're unlucky, Bowser! If you want things to go right for you, then try to be a nicer person!"
"HMPH! I don't gotta start bein' nicer to you Mustachioes. You already got all of Mushroom kissin' your overalls. All except THESE chumps, I reckon! That's why you guys are the best!"
The warlords and Koopa Clan engaged in laughter and cheers. "But still… in all the years I've been fighting you, and getting beaten by you… it's actually hard for me to hate you, Mario. It was thanks to you I've become stronger. Every time I fell in my own lava, ate my own bomb, ripped my own flesh, I grew that much stronger. It's actually so fun… I don't even want it to end."
"Bowser…" Mario said.
"But this time, I absolutely can't lose. I won't let my enemies win this game… I won't let them have all the power! I have to be the king of this universe, and if crushing you will help me accomplish that, I'll give it ALL I GOT!" (Play "Multi-Man Melee 2" from Smash Melee!)
The Mario Bros. launched at Bowser, whose fists turned black with Haki. Mario met the left and Luigi the right, the drills of red and green fire restraining the fists. Bowser stumbled back, then the Bros. ran to either side to pelt him with flames. Bowser threw a giant violet flame at Mario, the plumber sending a spiraling fire to intercept and disperse it, while Luigi sprung up to burn Bowser's right eye. Bowser thrusted his fist up to send Luigi flying. "GWAR!" the king yelled when Mario grabbed his tail. Mario spun and swung Bowser around, enduring when the king set his tail aflame. "So long, King Bowser!" Mario threw him off the arena. Bowser's head slammed against the side of the audience's cliff before he fell into the lava. It didn't take long before Bowser leapt back out, shaking the suspended field violently.
Romeo ducked and held the ground to stable himself as the three firebenders began exchanging flames again, flares flying everywhere. "(Hey, why should Romeo get a lucky break?!)" The boy looked up at an angry Victini. "(Might as well suck the luck from those guys, too!)"
"Victini, don't!" Romeo yelled. "Snap out of it! I know you're not in your right mind!"
"(So, what? You…ooo!)" Victini began squirming and squeezing his head. "(I don't want to be… a burden…)"
Mario and Luigi rocketed skyward, pelting a storm of large fireballs down at the king, who raised Haki arms in defense. Bowser charged power in his breath and blew a wide radius of fire. The Marios flew to separate sides and below the fire. Bowser faced Luigi as he flew from the right, the green plumber circling around the king before headbutting the stomach. Bowser budged backward, then Mario flew to grab his tail and haul Bowser on his shell. Luigi sprung over and kicked the side of the shell, spinning Bowser away, but Mario flew to intercept and kick Bowser again. As the brothers kept spinning him around the arena, Bowser lit himself and sprinkled fire around. Romeo used Ice Fire to shield himself, but one of the flames singed him in the eye.
Bowser pushed himself upright, but when Mario flew to grab his tail again, Bowser used Fullbody Haki, making him appear as a solid black, iron Koopa. Bowser did a belly-flop onto Mario, crushing him against the ground… but Mario pushed up, coating himself in Haki. Just as well, Luigi lunged with a hardened leg and kicked Bowser off his brother. "HUH?! You never told me you could use Haki!" Maria exclaimed.
"It's certainly safer than the Metal Cap!" Luigi said.
"Oh, YEAH!" Mario focused his Haki to his bending and cast a spiraling black flame, but Bowser focused Haki in the head and took it head-on. He then charged Mario like a bull, but Luigi joined his brother as they grabbed and pushed against the horns. Bowser was about to unload more breath, but the brothers face-planted him into the ground, causing Bowser to melt through the arena. Luigi jumped to Ground Pound Bowser's head into the hole, and Mario hurried behind to kick his lower body up, suspending the king upside-down. As Bowser struggled to push himself out, the brothers leapt and used a combined Ground Pound to force Bowser down, breaking a large chunk of the arena. The king splashed in the lava, but he would leap onto the foothold once more.
"It's gonna be harder to fight on this field, bro. Let's use the wings!"
"Here we GO!" The brothers attached Magic Wings to their caps and took flight.
"KAMMY! The wings!"
"Right here, Your Weightiness!" Kammy flew and attached a large pair of wings to Bowser's shell. The king pursued the Mario Bros. just beneath the ash clouds. Bowser brushed the air with fire, but Luigi stayed under it and burned flames down Bowser's middle, a coat of blackness along the emerald as Luigi mixed Haki in. Bowser punched his own hardened flames at the brothers, willing the large fireballs to burst like fireworks and knock them away. The Marios regained their selves and zoomed around to avoid Bowser's next flurry. The brothers united, mixed fire with Haki, and DRILLED into the king's stomach. Bowser tried to focus Haki in that area, but the brothers thrusted up against his jaw, then shot down at angle. Bowser was blown several meters, but the brothers followed up with a combined Meteor Fall.
The TVs broadcasted it as Bowser splashed into the lava lake, the brothers landing on the nearby shore. Their Magic Wings had worn off and decayed. "ROOOAAAR!" Bowser resurfaced in a fury. "You still got a bit of grit in your old age! But I wonder if you remember THIS? BRRROOOOOOAAAARRRRR!"
A lush, black sheen coated Bowser's body, and his brows and hair turned a bright, fiery red, as did the tips of his spikes. "WAH!" Bowser, Jr. screamed. "Papa's gone into his Fury!"
"His Fury?!" Wendy gasped.
"Mweh heh heh! Lord Bowser retained some residue of the corrupted Prisma Fountain and has learned how to control it!" Kammy cackled. "He can't use it often, but it's always a treat when he does!"
"Mario! You have to use it!" Luigi exclaimed.
"Mmm! MEEEEOOOOOWWW!" Mario flashed a gold color and assumed the form of a lion with a flaming mane, growing to Bowser's size. Luigi ignited his own Fury, his hat and shirt turning white, overalls green, and emerald flames coating his body.
"AAAAAH!" Maria cried like a fangirl. "IT'S MY DAD'S GIGA CAT FURY!"
"That's not the kind of Fury I expected!!" Wendy exclaimed.
"Teehee! He acquired this power at Lake Lapcat!" Peach said.
"Ehhhh…" The longer he watched this fight, the smaller Romeo felt.
Fury Bowser charged up as the two giants exchanged claws. Bowser cut down Mario's face, but Mario scratched and turned Bowser's cheek. Luigi flew underneath and sent Bowser rocketing with a flaming geyser, but Bowser blew fire down and flew away himself. As Mario blocked the flames, Bowser landed atop a peak. He took a deep breath, and the brothers fled as Bowser unloaded a wave of fire over the valley. Mario wound up enveloped by the flames, trying to roll and put them out afterward. Luigi flew behind and burned Bowser's tail, pushing him off the peak. As he fell toward Mario, the lion leapt to grab his head, slamming him into the ground. Mario focused condensed fire in his hands and burned a beam at Bowser's face.
Bowser grabbed Mario's neck and slammed his head into the mountainside, the hand combusting with fire afterward. Luigi flew down and shoved Bowser off, burning the king's eyes, but Bowser quickly swatted Luigi away. Mario slashed burning claws at the eyes, then Bowser dove and sank his teeth into Mario's shoulder, implanting violet fire into him as well. Mario unleashed a constant beam from his hand to force Bowser off, with Luigi blasting a strong surge of fire in his eyes. He tried to grab the green plumber, but was blinded, trying to use his own flames to burn off the green. Mario grabbed Bowser's tail and swung him headfirst into a small cave pouring a lavafall. Bowser's mouth boiled, but a blast of fire pushed him off, shoving Mario via his shell as the spikes pinned him into the opposite cliff.
Bowser thrusted his shell against Mario again, but the plumber escaped before the third attempt. Mario extended his claws with fire and gouged at Bowser's eyes again, but Bowser raised his left arm and brought it down on Mario's face, the spike of his armband gouging out his right eye. Luigi pushed that arm back up, but Bowser was quick to snatch the smaller plumber in his other hand. Bowser blasted away while squeezing Luigi like a sponge in his flaming hand. "UNCLE LUIGI!" Maria screamed.
Luigi had tried to expand a flaming barrier in resistance, but his form wound up charred and crushed regardless. Bowser discarded the depowered plumber on the ground. Mario narrowed his eyes in anger. The flames on his furry costume glowed brighter as he rocketed to the sky. Shining amongst the clouds like a sun, he prepared to launch down at Bowser. The King Koopa enveloped his body in violet, contrasting nicely with his black body. He rocketed up and impacted the giga plumber, two forces of fire, Haki, and conviction shaking the whole valley. Waves of lava swept the shores, the clouds split, and volcanoes erupted.
Bowser and Mario crashed on the ground. As the plumber pushed himself up, Mario was panting. He barely had any fire left in him… but even as Bowser's Fury faded, the king unleashed another round of fire over his foe. Knowing he couldn't give up now, Mario channeled the last of his Fire Chi into his legs. The plumber endured Bowser's fire and charged, leaping as he shrank to his normal form. "GWAH?!" Just as Mario was about to kick against Bowser's head, the condensed chi combusted into a rocket-powered jump. "Hooooo-WAAAAAAH!" (Play "Sorrow" from Xenoblade Chronicles.)
Mario flew all the way back into the stadium, crashing on the arena. His body was charred and his legs had blown clean off. Gasps resounded across the stadium. "DAD!!!"
"Vi…victi…" Victini was still squirming from a headache. "…Victi?" Until the state of Mario drew his attention.
"M…Mario?" Romeo crawled up to the plumber. Fearing the worst, he put an ear close, careful not to touch his heated body.
"Oooo…oooo… Ma…ma… Mi…a…"
"He's still alive!"
"Really?!" Maria gasped, on the verge of crying.
Bowser returned to the arena using another pair of giant wings, carrying Luigi in his hand. The king landed with a relatively light thud. "Hrrrnn…" Bowser stared at Luigi, then at Mario. "It…it can't be… did I… really win?"
Romeo's eyes flushed with anger and desperation. "HEY! Quit staring into space and get them treated!"
"Bowser, if you let them die, I'll never forgive you!" Peach shouted.
"Gwah ha…I really won! Ha ha! I can't believe it! I WON!!"
"RAAAAAAHHH!"
"WAYOOOO! Get sucked, Luigi!" King Boo cheered.
"How do ya like it, Mario?!" Whomp bellowed.
"Hm…good work… Lord Bowser." Gnaa smiled.
"Bowser! Bowser! Bowser! Bowser!"
The king snatched Mario up in his other hand. "Whaddya say, fellas? Time to end the Mario Bros. once and for all?!"
"YEAH!"
"DON'T!" Romeo screamed. "Please don't kill them! Don't kill Maria's dad and uncle!"
"Oliver, it's Wendy!" she whispered in her wristwatch. "The Marios are in trouble, we need help fast!"
"What are ya gonna do about it, boy? These plumbers have been a pain in my neck for DECADES! And after all that heat, there ain't no shot of them getting better. Might as well put 'em out of their misery!"
Romeo clenched his teeth and glanced at the cage. His friends were desperately trying to pry the cage open, but Koopas were lined up to keep it closed. "Ghh…please, spare them! I'm the one who was supposed to be fighting you! Let's just finish it!"
"(No… Romeo… you have no luck…)"
"Come on… Mushroom can't lose its heroes. They're more important than me. I didn't wanna be a chosen one! I shouldn't have to be! I don't want them to die because of me! Please!"
"(Be…because of me…)" Victini grunted.
"Harf…what a pathetic boy. I refuse to believe you were once my ancestor…"
"Well, I'm not! I just…I just wanted to go on a trip with my friends! I don't… I don't want them to die because of some pointless destiny. Please… just…" Feeling no will to fight, Romeo fell to his knees. If he didn't have any passion before, he certainly didn't think he could fight Bowser, anymore. Not after that godly display of strength… not when Bowser still had fire to spare. "Take me… instead."
"NO! Don't say that, Romeo!" Wendy cried. "You're more special than you think! You're special to me!"
"Hrm…" Bowser calmly turned and set the Mario Bros. on the ground. "So be it…" And as he returned to face Romeo, his claws brimmed violet. "Just lay there… AND DIE!!"
"AAAAAAHH!" A spire of violet fire erupted where Romeo knelt.
"(ROMEOOOOOOO!)" Victini's dark aura snapped in a flash of light. As the spire died into a patch of fire, the spirit could make out the boy's dark shape beneath it. He tried to bend the fire away, but Bowser snatched him out of the air.
"Don't even think about it! He chose this fate… I don't care if the Guardians are important. That boy is a disgrace as my ancestor!"
"The… Guardians are important?" Wendy spoke, choking on her tears.
"(He didn't ask to be a Guardian! He just wanted to understand his purpose! Him and me, too! If he dies, I'll never—TIIIII!)" Bowser hardened his hand and squeezed him like a sponge.
"I don't understand a damn word you're saying! To think that both of you ruined the Koopa Clan… The only one you belong to is me! I'll use your misfortune to curse Mickey, the KND, and ALL of my…har?!"
The flames were suddenly sapped into Romeo's back. His muscular body was still burned and scarred from the battle… but not nearly as much as it should've been after that. "…?" His vision clearing, Romeo pushed himself up. The flame on his chest was changing from… red, to green, to blue… to purple. "Th…the last flame. I… have it?"
"WHAT?! I didn't say you could take that!"
"(You're the one who gave it to him, fatty!)"
"Could it be that… the flame decided I was worthy? It doesn't have to be the people?"
"Worthy of gettin' charred all over again! I still got plenty of flame to spare!" Bowser took a deep breath and blew over the boy, but with newfound resolve, he countered with his own matching fire. Bowser's fire was still prevailing, so Romeo stretched his fire to catch and ensnare Bowser's like a sponge. He then rose the sponge and forced it over Bowser's head, burning and blinding him.
"Bowser will still be able to win, won't he?" James asked.
"Of course, how could he possibly lose now?" Jessie replied.
"Gwah! Gwah! Gwah!" Bowser flailed his head in trying to burn through the fire, the ground cracking beneath. "GWAAAAH!" He pierced and blasted a flame that exploded below Team Rocket's foothold.
"WAAAH!" The trio went flying beyond the cleared ash clouds. "Team Rocket is blasting off with a misfire!"
"GWAAAH!" Bowser barfed another fireball at Romeo, who jumped back. The fire shattered the ground, which crumbled on the way to Bowser. "AAAARGH!" The king plummeted into the lava and sank.
"YAH!" Victini burst out of the lava and returned to the ruined arena.
"Victini, we gotta get them out of here!" Romeo ran to Mario and picked him up with Sticky Fire.
"(H-How're we gonna get out of here?)"
"GRAAAAAR!" Bowser resurfaced from the lava, spitting fire up at the arena. Romeo carried Mario and ran across one of the chains, Victini flying after with Luigi.
"Where're you going, boy?!" Kammy blocked him. "The battle's not over-"
She was RAMMED by Kiki's broom, slamming her into the audience. The stadium fell in a frenzy as mushroom ships flew overhead, and swarms of multiracial Mushroomians dove in. A pink cotton candy Puff blew away some Lakitus—a blue Bob-omb on roller-blades skated amongst some of her own and exploded—a Thunder Lakitu on a purple raincloud struck lightning over the Koopatrols—a Goomba/Tostarenan hybrid headbonked over a series of other Goombas—a Kremling named K. Riss, wearing glasses and a blue shirt, shot a bazooka at some Bullet Bros.. With too many distinct, colorful characters to keep track of, Bowser's minions struggled to fight back.
"Get out of there, Bowser!" Giovanni yelled. "They're getting away!"
"Pipe down, I'm trying!" Bowser clambered up the wall.
Oliver flew down and cast fire over the cage guards. He tossed an explosive potion against the cage to blow it open. As Bowser's claws clasped the edge of the arena, the angry Queen Peach stepped over him. "Consider yourself dumped!" She jumped and STAMPED her heel against his eye.
"Reducto!" Wendy exploded the ground under Bowser's left hand, causing him to fall back in the lava. Romeo regrouped with his friends as Kiki quickly materialized their ship around her broom. The friends immediately climbed in as Kiki hit the gas and zoomed upward. They were met with cannonfire from the airships, but Kiki was steadfast in getting her friends out of there.
"All operatives, retreat! Hurry, hurry!"
Bowser remain still in the lava as the operatives scrambled to get back on their ships. "Sigh…even after hyping the audience up… I don't think I could've done it. Mario… as much as I hate you… I…I want you around… when I take over the universe." Bowser bowed his head in sorrow. "Looks like we won't be fighting, anymore. Maybe someday… those kids of yours will grow just as strong as you. Hmm…Romeo…" Then he glared up at the heavens. "This was probably… my luckiest day in ages. Maybe you're not so bad after all…" (End song.)
Mushroom Castle
Mario and Luigi were lain to rest in the castle's medical wing. The mages tried to use healing magic and potions to ease their pain, including some applied by Romeo's bending. "Mario completely exhausted his chi in that battle, so the Healing Chi can't resonate well. Luigi's in slightly better condition, but he won't be jumping any time soon. Or… walking."
"But… will they live?" Peach asked.
"For now… yeah."
Romeo released a long sigh, hunched over on a seat. "Romeo…"
He looked up at Maria, eyes tearing. "Thank…thank you so much… Thank you for saving Dad and Uncle Luigi!"
"There, there…" Maria put her face to his chest and cried, the boy patting her head. "It was my pleasure. Mushroom needs its heroes."
"But…but they won't be able to be heroes now… will they?"
"I'm not sure I would want them to." Peach said.
"…" Maria pulled away and looked down, nervously fiddling with her fingers. "…I… What should I… do?"
"Maria?"
"…Sh…should I stay here?"
"You wanna stay and be here for them?" Wendy asked.
"N-not just that… Mushroom Kingdom… needs a Mario, right?"
"Oh…" Wendy understood.
"W…what do you guys think?"
"Um…well… if you wanted to stay… I would understand, but…"
"It's… hard to imagine this sector without you." Kiki said.
"J-just… tell me what you guys want. Be honest."
Her friends couldn't provide an answer… or rather, they feared they wouldn't agree on an answer. Maria should be here for her family… but she shouldn't have to be Mushroom's 'hero'… but without the Marios, the people will feel very hopeless… but even then, the Marios weren't the only heroes… and it shouldn't be Maria's burden.
"Er, what about Louise?"
They turned at Phil's question. "Like… she's gotta know about this, too, right? And she should be around somewhere. Let's talk to her about this."
"Yeah, good idea!" Oliver said.
"I'll call and tell her what happened." Maria replied.
"(Hey, Maria?)" She turned to Victini. "(I…I'm sorry for always acting so selfish. Between all the people who've wanted my power… they were pretty self-important. So, I kinda started to act that way, at some point. But I like being friends with you guys… and I'm glad you tolerate me.)"
"…" Maria patted the spirit's head with a smile. "You're welcome, buddy."
Romeo smiled. …It was only then he remembered… he had all four Sacred Flames. "But, does this mean… the quest is done?"
"Does it?" Phil asked.
"Heh…I barely feel like I've earned anything. I couldn't beat Sheila… I couldn't carry the flame all the way… Oliver and Wendy won the elves' trial… and I never stood a chance against Bowser. I'm a pathetic chosen one."
"Who cares about that?"
"Huh?" Romeo looked up at Wendy.
"You're a good person, Romeo. You're always willing to help others… but you're not afraid to accept help. And if you earned those flames because of us, what's wrong with that? Even if we don't have an answer, we still made it. Those flames represent our bonds and feelings."
"Heh…that's so cheesy." His heart softening, he reached into his pocket and withdrew the Spirit Ball. "But I… feel a little bit better."
"Oh, get over yourself." Kiki said. "And if you realized this back when you fought Azula, you wouldn't have been bedridden."
"Yeah, dude, just accept the friendship and let's get on with our lives." Phil remarked.
"(And I'll do what I can to help, too, Romeo. I…I'll try to make up for all the trouble I caused.)"
"Okay, Victini. And welcome to the team." He threw the ball and hit the Newborn. Victini burst into flames and was sucked inside.
The ball rattled and beeped on the ground… and clicked with a satisfying boop… The ball levitated and flashed, its orange and yellow glowing. Romeo felt its warmth in his hand.
Romeo captured a NEWBORN! Only 4 to go, although one hasn't been captured yet by this time!
"Anyway… I think I need a nap." Romeo sighed.
"I'll show you to the guest rooms." Peach offered.
"I'll stick around here." Maria said. "Let me know when Louise shows up."
"Okay. See you later, Maria."
The friends left the room, leaving Maria to watch over her father and uncle. "Please don't leave us again… Dad."