#12: Mario in the Desert
By Emerson Kluge

Once again mounted on his yoshi Mario rode across the pitching dunes of the Koopa Kingdom desert. Staring down on him, an angry sun set itself against the palest blue sky, while heat shimmered in the distance, tricking the light and bringing the most distant objects close.

The forest had given way to scrub-land just after the tower and now Bowser's alterations took a more hostile turn. The Koopa King had - in his depletion of resources - made the land itself ready to kill, even if his forces couldn't.

A tightness grew on the back of Mario's neck as his yoshi sprinted over the sand. Specks and flashes of movement caught his eye as he rode, but dispersed the moment he looked. He steadies himself. There were bound to be enemies here. Most - too animal in nature to make soldiers - would naturally hide if not driven against him in great packs as Bowser sometimes did. They wanted no more fight than they could get away with, Mario reassured himself. The tension stayed.

The yoshi could run almost indefinitely, but even riding, sweat poured from Mario's brow as the heat ground at his will. The distance stretched and his mind wandered. Eyes glazed over, he floated dreamily through thoughts of Peach and the scarce few happy times they'd shared.

Rocks appeared in the sand as he neared the even more desolate lava fields, but with his distracted mind and quick pace Mario failed to notice King Koopa's forces hiding amongst them.

A sudden gust of wind jogged Mario from his haze as he rode into the trough between two dunes. In seconds, a powerful tornado spiraled from under the sand, lifting him from his mount and tearing the reigns free of his grasp. Sharp sand scoured his face and Mario closed his eyes to wait as he whipped helpless in the whirlwind. The cries of his yoshi came faint through the roar.

With a sudden thud and jolt Mario landed on the leeward side of a dune and rolled to the bottom.

His yoshi landed nearby and scrambled to its feet, running frantically off on a mad rush to its own doom.

As fast as it came the tornado died leaving only a whisper of shifting sand and the pounding of Mario's heart in his ears.

The desert stood still.

From either side two Lakitus burst over the dune tops, Spiny eggs in hand.

Mario sprung forward, sand from the bursting eggs splashing across him as he rolled, moments before the Lakitus crossed paths where he had been.

The Spinys advanced as Mario retook his footing. He plucked petals from his fireflower and incinerated them before running up the slope. At the crest he waited for the Lakitus to circle and come at him.

One neared, and at the last moment he dove, tossing a petal straight in the air as he rolled down the slope. The first Lakitu dodged the fireball but the second flew too close. The unlucky flyer screamed and weaved through the air as he burned, trailing thick black smoke over the next several dunes before crashing with a resounding whump.

Mario stopped on one knee, leaning on his arm, again at the bottom of the dune. A split second later the now-dead Lakitu's final egg burst beside him and he felt a sharp tug. He sprung to his feet and backpedaled, incinerating the spiny, but at the same time curious sensations moved throughout his arm.

He looked. A large flap of skin and meat hung loose, oozing blood to the sand. The oily black and brown juice of a poison mushroom sat smeared on surface scrapes and in the wound.

Mario applied pressure and looked to spot the other Lakitu, but at the same time a resonating, tingling dizziness spread in his skull.

He slogged to the dunetop, his thighs and feet unwilling to responds with the vigor they had moments ago. Lights swam at the edges of his vision and as he caught a glimpse of a smiling cloud before the impact hurled him into the air. He tumbled helplessly, landing next to the smoking carcasses of the first Spinys.

Mario groaned and labored to breath, kneeling, watching the Lakitu slowly circle. An instant later it was on him, the time between gone in a momentary lapse of consciousness. Mario threw himself to the side and a spiny egg burst next to him.

He struggled to his feet, grasping with numb fingers at a fireflower petal, burning the spiny with a labored throw.

Mario kept his eyes fixed on the Lakitu as he struggled once again up the dune slope. Reaching the top, he gripped a flower petal in anticipation as his knees shook.

The Lakitu slowed to aim and came at Mario straight.

Mario waited, breathing heavily as his sweat and blood flowed, soaking the sand in darkened patches.

The Lakitu raised his arm high, twisting to put more power behind his throw.

Mario dared not blink. He steadied his hand on the petal and ground his teeth, his nostrils flaring.

With a snap the Lakitu committed his attack. Mario plucked his petal, tossing it with all the atrophied strength he could muster before falling backwards.

The flash of a spiny egg sailed by, as Mario's vision dimmed and he knew only the impact of hot sand on his back. Mario hoped, as he rolled, that the petal had reached its target.

The desert fell quiet again and the world fell black.