#17: The Bridge
By Emerson Kluge

Mario stopped at the chain bridge that crossed Koopa Keep's inner lava moat, his steel toed boot an inch over the edge, an inch closer to Peach. The bridge swayed and clinked as Bowser lumbered heavily across. Toad followed closely behind, walking with hurried and determined steps while Kamek floated serenely over the metallic deck plates.

"Bowser!" Mario yelled. "You had your chance. Face me!"

King Koopa stopped and turned at the far end of the bridge.

"You're going to die now," Mario growled.

"This is a diplomatic mission, Mario." Toad pointed with the diamond of his scepter. "You can't interrupt."

Mario snorted a laugh. "I told you before, Toad. You can't stop me."

"Yes I can, Mario!" Toad retorted. "I am the highest authority to you. I can make you an outcast in the Mushroom Kingdom. If you want to see Peach, you'll listen to me."

"Unless you can make it so I see her now I don't think there's much you can do," Mario concluded.

"I could arrange it if you cooperate," Toad replied. "I will see what I can do."

Mario pressed. "Really?"

"Absolutely," Toad responded firmly, a twinkle of pleasure in his eye.

A gust of wind blew through the Keep, rattling the chain bridge before Mario cast his eyes down. After a pause he looked up at the Mushroom Retainer and shook his head. "That was one lie too many, Toad." He calmly produced a white, square paper packet from his front overall pocket.

A brief moment of panic crossed Toad's face before he regained control of himself. "You don't know what's in there, Mario That could be poison."

Mario snerked a laugh and ripped open the pack.

"I wouldn’t take that," Toad warned. "That could do anything to you. "

"That's why you're worried," said Mario. He tossed the powder back, bursting to a run as he swallowed.

"I'll not let you ruin everything!" Bowser roared and secured his stance.

The mushroom powder dissolved into a hot liquid as it hit Mario's throat and absorbed into his blood during the scant moments of his first few steps. His vision retreated behind his eyes as his mind recoiled inside itself. He watched calmly as the world slowed and his perception sharpened to faultless clarity; He could predict the rhythmic jumping of the chain bridge, examine every stone in the castle and count the axes, swords and shields on the walls all before deciding how to attack.

Before him, Toad stepped forward and adjusted his grip on his scepter, Kamek floated out of Bowser's way and King Koopa held a clawed paw ready to strike.

Mario approached and watched as his hands moved smoothly in front of him, deftly responding to his slightest whims. He ripped the remaining fire flower petals out in a bunch and tossed them at Bowser's face.

In slow motion Toad rotated his scepter and pointed the sharpened steel tip at Mario, gripping the diamond end and thrusting.

With is flower petals bursting into flame, Mario caught the scepter shaft with his left hand and yanked backwards. A look of shock passed over Toad's face as his tight grip on the scepter pulled him along. He let go and tumbled to the deck plates.

Bowser wiped the burning liquid from his face and sneered. It took more than a few fire flower petals to hurt a Koopa of that size.

Another step took Mario closer to Bowser. Mario gripped the diamond and thrust toward a chink at the center of the Bowser's carapace just as the Koopa King swung a sharp-clawed paw toward Mario's head.

Once again Mario struck faster and felt only a soft resistance as the staff glided smoothly into Bowser's torso, bumping to a stop when the steel tip found the backside of his shell.

Mario rolled and came to his feet on the other side of the chain bridge, jumping at the displayed shields and weapons. Over his shoulder he watched Toad get to his feet.

"Fool!" Bowser roared as he pulled the scepter from his chest. A torrent of blood spilled to the deck plates before clotting to nothing in moments. "You haven't yet learned." He turned toward the end of the bridge.

Shock flashed to Bowser's face as Mario swung a double-headed ax toward the chain bridge's nearest anchor. In a flash of sparks the ax cleft the first link and shattered against the stone.

"No! I am the messiah!" Bowser roared as one side of the bridge instantly slackened and the deck-plates fell away beneath him.

Mario watched in a stretched second as King Koopa dropped to the runny lava below. His massive weight opened a cavity as he hit before the liquid rock swallowed him. Flailing arms protruded once from the surface and fell.

Clinging to the opposite rail, his arms too short to pull himself up, Toad's grip weakened and he too plunged into the moat. He landed on his feet and sunk up to is knees, his low weight and the dense liquid softening the impact.

Falling over, Toad caught himself with an extended hand. It sunk up to the elbow and he screamed as the foul smell of burnt flesh drifted up from the moat. His face twisted in panicked agony. He put his other hand down and pulled up the first, but his forearm bones merely slid cleanly out, the meat already cooked from the intensely hot lava. He pulled the second up, again only retrieving meatless bone and held his ruined limbs in front of him. His ragged cries of pain echoed between the walls of Koopa Keep until he toppled forward, his burning knees finally giving out. Molten rock stuck to his face as he rolled over. Steam escaped from his face as lava stuck, his saliva and eyeballs boiling. Choked by the gasses and rock, Toad's cries gradually died out. In a dense column of smoke his body burnt, leaving only a dark patch of ash and hardened lava floating where he had been.

Mario dropped the shattered ax and stared as the eddying molten rock swallowed Toad's final remains.

Silence overcame Koopa Keep.