#9: Mario and the Tower
By Emerson Kluge

A tower rose over the Koopa Kindom's land. A great drab stone cylinder with evenly spaced black windows running its height and toothy ramparts at the top. Both for watch and defense they were built evenly spaced throughout the Koopa Kingdom.

At it's base Mario quickly dispatched the precious few guards who didn’t flee and tied his yoshi to a nearby bush where it quickly sank into docility feasting on nearby fruit.

The heavy wooden door creaked on rough-cut hinges as he pressed inside. Mario worked his way carefully through the tower. Inside sat a plethora of traps that only the deep madness of Bowser's technicians could have devised; Great spiked balls swung on chains, platforms and conveyors moved over trapped pits, nozzles spewed incinerating heat and spiked ceilings descended with crushing force, thundering against the floor as they hit bottom. Mario, as in the past, avoided them all with ease. He climbing the tower by stairs, elevators or by painfully hoisting himself up chain link panels, all the while the vertical drop fell do dizzying depths.

At last a final set of stairs spiraled up to the final floor of the tower. Mario climbed, stepping determinedly through the doorway onto the uppermost level.

Before him lay a open platform connected to a second by a chain bridge. In the middle lay a pit, its bottom - the floor of some lower level - lost in darkness.

Mario's eyes locked on a doorway beyond the bridge and forgetting the aches in his legs he started forward. The door seemed to beckon to him, promising to show him Peach should he only open it.

"I'm so glad you came," a high-pitched, slightly whiney voice called over the sound of heavy panting.

Mario turned. The hair on his neck stood and is ears burned as a wave of anger passed over him.

Wendy O. Koopa stood facing the wall holding the tail of a chain-chomp in her hand.

"I've been thinking a lot about you, Mario." Wendy turned as she spoke. "I just wanted to talk. Maybe if you make me happy I'll give you the key to the door." She giggled, touching the brass key on her red stone necklace.

Mario's anger churned with revulsion and nausea as he saw her.

A filthy pink and white poka-dotted bow sat drooping on her head. Imitation bangles and yellow tinged earrings hung off her body lose and uncoordinated, presenting her as cheaply as they were made. Blush and mascara sat caked on her face. She smiled a snaggle-toothed grin at Mario, her mouth framed by slathered-on lipstick below eyes - sewn shut. The iron stitches glistened in the flickering torch light.

"Why don't you say something?" Wendy prodded. "Don't you like me like this?"

As if on queue the chain-chomp lunged, barking furiously and dragging Wendy behind it.

Mario dodged feeling the chain-chomp's hot breath as he rolled barely out of it's path. He gripped the fire flower tightly, resisting the urge to use it. The chain-chomps were impervious to fire and Wendy was the only thing holding the unearthly, saw-toothed metal sphere back.

"Aww. Don't mind Clinky here, he just gets a little excited." Wendy giggled as the chain-chomp turned for another pass.

Mario dodged again, once more reeling hot breath as jagged teeth flashed by.

"Why don't you say something, Mario," asked Wendy as she regained her balance, real confusion in her voice.

Mario edged toward the chain bridge. "Give me the key and stay out of my way," he growled.

"Oh," Wendy drew it out, flirting. "Don't play hard to get with me. That's just being silly. Besides..." She pawed obscenely at herself, still gripping the chain-chomp. "I can give you everything the Princess Peach can't."

Mario crouched at the edge of the pit. "I'm not going to say it again."

Wendy huffed in frustration and turned her back. "You need to realize you'll never get Peach back."

Mario waited for the inevitable.

"And you could never have her anyway," Wendy finished, facing Mario.

The chain-chomp lunged once more.

Mario jumped as hard as he could, throwing his hands up and stepping on the bridge's railing to gain the height he needed. He put his right foot on the Chain-Chomps head as it sailed underneath him and swung at Wendy with his left. There was a great hollow knock as his foot smashed into her face and her head whipped back. Across the platform, teeth skittered on the floor.

Wendy yelled a cry of surprise and pain, releasing her pet to grab her face as she fell. Momentum against it, the chain-chomp disappeared into the pit.

Mario landed on top of Wendy, one foot beside her head the other directly on her wrist. There was a snap and pop as her elbow dislocated and her forearm broke between his boot and the floor.

Wendy screamed again and pulled her battered arm in front of her when Mario released it. She sputtered, choking on blood and teeth.

Mario waited for the cries to die before yanking her necklace off. Lose beads rolled and scattered as he removed the key. "I said to stay out of my way." He spoke between her cries.

Wendy rolled to her front and held her broken wrist. "Won't you just love me?"

"No." said Mario firmly.

"But why, Mario?" blubbered Wendy. Blood ran freely from the side of her mouth in a thick stream as she talked. "We could be good together."

"No."

"But Mario..."

Mario interrupted. "Stop,"

Only a quiet squeak escaped Wendy as her mouth moved to talk. She calmed and waited for Mario to continue.

Mario stared at the broken and sobbing wreck on the floor before him. As he looked his revulsion faded. He had what he needed and Wendy was helpless to impede him further. "Come over here," Mario said, grabbing her shoulder.

Wendy hobbled to follow on her good hand.

"Feel ahead of you," instructed Mario when they stopped.

Wendy did. Her hand crept forward and tentatively felt the face of a vertical drop. She pulled her hand back, trembling. "No, Mario, please no, I don't want to..." She trailed off.

"Keep going."

Wendy reached down again, farther and felt a small ledge.

"That's the first stair," Mario said. "Go down. Someone will get you fixed up."

Wendy's lower lip shuddered as she listened. Tears ran from between the metal stitches, streaking her makeup. "Mario, I..." She faded off.

A long silence stretched between them.

"Wendy." Mario said gravely. "Don't ever get between me and Peach again." Mario turned and headed toward the antechamber.

Wendy wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Thank you, Mario," she called before descending the stairs.

Mario didn't answer.