#16: Mario Arrives
By Emerson Kluge

Fire-flower in hand and shirtsleeve tied around his arm to stem the blood flow, Mario climbed the last few hills to Koopa Keep on foot.

He'd flown low to avoid unwanted attention but his cloud had rapidly lost altitude and dissolved once he'd sighted the castle. It seemed the magic that created the gossamer flyers could destroy them just as easily.

Mario crossed a stone bridge onto an island in a lava river and slowed his pace as he neared Koopa Keep. He approached the remains of the second bridge and knelt to examine the crumbled stones that lay amidst the swirling, runny molten rock. His heart sank as he assessed the situation. Not even his highest jump could take him to the doors across the moat, and there was no way to open them even if it could.

Mario backed away from the edge and plucked a fire-flower petal tossing it high. The flaming ball gracefully arched over the castle wall and disappeared. "Bowser!" he yelled and waited as gusts of hot, sulfur-smelling wind ruffled his hair and cloths. "Bowser!" Mario yelled again, his voice echoing back at him. Mario continued roaring King Koopa's name until at last he appeared, Toad and Kamek at his sides.

"Mario," Bowser spoke joyfully, looking down from the castle wall. "I'd almost resigned myself to thinking you were dead. I'm glad you haven’t disappointed me."

"Release Peach now," Mario replied. "You may still have time to escape."

Bowser chuckled. "That's the man We remember. Such a stubborn end it will be. It looks like you're almost out of fire flower petals, and almost out of blood."

"You're wasting time talking you could use for running, Bowser. I will get to you. There's always a way in," Mario warned.

"Ah, yes. A way in." Bowser smiled. "But no way out."

With a sharp rustle of his robes Kamek cast his hand, fingers spread, over the island. Mario's hair stood for a moment and behind him, the connecting bridge crumbled into the lava river.

"You see, Mario," Bowser continued. "We cannot be stopped. And you will never see the splendor my new thoughts and I will create."

"Run, Bowser, there's still time," Mario warned again.

Bowser sighed, then closed his eyes and nodded.

Kamek spread his arms low and raised them, palms upturned, to the sky.

Mario's hair again stood on end and across the mesa cracks appeared in the compact volcanic ash. Skeletal limbs, animated by Kamek's powerful necromancy, reached from the earth and heaved their bleached bodies to the open. They milled aimlessly, shaking dirt-clods from their bones as they moved.

"This is the end, I'm afraid." Bowser addressed Toad. "I can spare him."

"He's not on an official mission," Toad responded. "I don't think I can interfere."

Bowser turned back to watch Mario. "Nevertheless, let me know if you want it to stop."

With that the Dry Bone all turned and marched toward Mario as Kamek Pointed.

"You expect me to die before I finish tossing your scraps in the lava?" Mario pointed back.

"The supply is endless. I wish I could let you surrender," Bowser said flatly. "It'll take more than effort."

"Indeed!" A voice called loud across the castle wall.

All three on the castle wall started in shock and turned to look, their mouths momentarily agape at the sight.

Luigi stood on the base of a corner tower, Bob-omb in hand, its fuse lit. "But not much more."

"Luigi! No! I order you to stop!" Toad yelled.

"Too late," Bowser growled.

Luigi tossed the Bob-omb high. It landed between he and Bowser on an empty patch of rampart and with a sharp clap exploded blowing a hole in the floor. A thunder of explosions rippled from inside and a section of wall sagged, crumbing forward in a volumous cloud. When the dust cleared and the fly-rock skittered to a halt the wall ruins lay bridging a path across the lava river.

Without a moment's hesitation Mario charged, running across the Dry Bones' backs and across the bridge.

"I'm coming for you!" Mario yelled toward where the Koopa King had stood, but Bowser had already disappeared toward Peach's cell.