Vol. 6, Ch. 6 - De Ja Who?

      Mario regarded the "?" Block with sudden realization.  This was the same block that he would come hit later on, leading to his meeting with Yoshi that would cement their friendship.  His brother was right- they were making the past happen!  Did this mean that they were always supposed to be here?  It was unsettling imagining Yoshi trapped in a block he had placed, but what could he do until the other Mario came?

     "C'mon, Bro!" Luigi interrupted his thoughts again.  "We need to get going!"

     "Can't this thing go any faster?" complained Waluigi as Wendy's car struggled towards Bowser's stronghold.

     "The two of you weigh a lot more than you think!" snapped Wendy.

     "Then why don't we lighten the load?" asked Wario, smirking.

     "You try to throw me out of this car and I promise I'll blow it up with you in it!"

     "Eh.  Not what I expected you to say."

     Bowser's stronghold appeared on the horizon.  With it's lava pits and neon sign repeatedly flashing "BOWSER" it seemed fairly formidable, even from a distance.

     "Sure you wanna go through with this?" Wendy asked, snickering.

     "Sure we're sure.  Take us there NOW!" Waluigi, who disliked the height at which the car was traveling, practically barked.

     Wendy shook her head and stayed on course.  Within a few minutes she had reached the front gate.  The massive  entrance swung open and the car edged it's way inside.

      It quickly became apparent that the castle was a work in progress, at least internally.  Goombas and Koopas were scrambling about, trying to build a competently difficult obstacle course for Mario to deal with in case he ever came remotely close.

     The trio exited the car and Wendy pointed towards a long hallway.  "Follow me if you dare," she said, and began making her way towards the end.  The two followed her to where a large door stood and she opened it.  "Just step inside," she indicated.

     They fell for it.  The second they were inside the floor caved in and the two began free-falling.  The castle seemed to have an endless basement as they kept falling and falling.  Although they started out screaming, Wario quickly got his wits about him and squinted to see if he could spot the bottom and perhaps soften his fall.  Suddenly a bright light seemed to appear before his eyes, and the duo found themselves being pulled to it.  Without knowing exactly how or why, they landed harmlessly in front of a rather old red Yoshi who had a glowing orb of some kind.

     "I see you got my summons," he remarked.

     "WAH?" was all Waluigi could get out.  Wario kept silent.

     "The letter.  You know, the one where I told you to meet at Mario and Luigi's house.  Yes," he continued as the light of understanding dawned in their eyes, "I wrote it.  Pretty good forgery, don't you think?  Anyways, I brought you and the Mario Bros. here because a few little events needed to take place in order to keep a timeline intact.  I can't explain it to you all right now, but if you don't want the future- your present- destroyed, you'd better listen up."

      Wario stamped his feet angrily.  "You mean YOU brought us back in time?  We've been shipwrecked, attacked by Koopalings, and had all of our plans thwarted!  Of all the rotten, lousy, stinking-"

      "QUIET PLEASE," interrupted the Red Yoshi in his native language.  Yet there was such a ring of authority in that foreign tongue that the two became instantly silent.

      "The Mario Bros. have fulfilled their task.  Yoshi will meet them at the proper time and place.  Now it's your turn.  Listen very carefully..."

(Continued this week)

Vol. 6, Ch. 5 - Writer's Block.

Author's note:  Sorry about the irregular release schedule for this story!  What with keeping on top of things and building the website I haven't had much time and space to update!  We're going on a regular schedule again, starting now!

     Mario looked at the "?" block again.  There had to be some reason it was buried with instructions, but what?

     "Bro?  Did you hear me? Eh, Mario!"

     "Oh?"

     "C'mon, we gotta decide what to do with this block!"

     "OK...let's a-go."

     "So we'll bring it to the assigned place, then."

     "Yes."

     "Better hurry, then."

     The two scrambled back the way they had came, the "?" block in Luigi's hands.  Mario glanced over his shoulder to see if Poochy was following, but the dog had strangely dissappeared.  He regarded Luigi's burden nervously.  If they placed the block...what would happen?  He was distracted by a sudden shout, and looking up, saw the all-too-familiar Koopa Clown Car approaching the island.  He began instinctively to quicken his pace.  Luigi, noticing, placed his hand on his brother's shoulder.

      "We can't do anything, Bro.  We interfere now, we rewrite history!"

      Mario grudgingly nodded, but he seethed a little when he heard Peach and a couple of Yoshis crying for help.  It took all of his self-control not to charge into the open and confront Bowser.  Instead he and Luigi turned off down the road towards Yoshi's Island Sector 2.

      "We're too late, Wario," Waluigi said.  "Bowser's kidnapped her already."

      "WHAT?!?  That's not fair!  Of all the stinking, rotten, lousy...I'll show that overgrown turtle how to-"

      He was interrupted by Wendy Koopa flying over them in her own Koopa Clown Car, laughing in her shrieking fashion.

      "Lost, eh?  Well, I can't say I know you, but I know I don't like you!  Perhaps your boat is a little snug?  Seems to me like you need more space!"

      "Get lost, bonehead!" began Waluigi, but before he could say anything further Wendy had yanked out her wand and, pointing at the boat, blasted a set of rings at it.  They struck with astounding speed, flipping the boat and its occupant over, then boring several holes in the boat itself.  As it began to sink Wendy hovered a little closer.  Neither Wario nor Waluigi surfaced, however.

     "Um...are you coming out?  Hello?  HEY!  YOU THERE!"  The Koopaling began to get increasingly panicked, until she finally swooped down to the edge of the water.  Suddenly Wario and Waluigi lunged out and grabbed the sides of the Car.

     "Hey!" Wendy protested. "Cut it out!  I didn't say you could do that!" the Car swerved madly as she tried to keep it on course despite the extra weight.  Before long the two had hoisted themselves almost inside, and she looked at them nervously.

      "So then," said Wario.  "Two options.  Take us to Bowser, or we throw you out."

      Wendy nodded resignedly, and the Car limped towards Yoshi's Island.

      "I think this is where the block goes, Bro," remarked Luigi.  "Look, there's a sign here that says 'Under Construction'.

      Mario nodded.  Luigi lifted the block above his head and jumped, releasing his hold on the way down.

      "There.  That oughta do it."

      The Bros. had little time to regard their work, however.  Loud noises came sounding from their left, and the two dashed into the brush.  It wasn't a minute too soon, because suddenly Bowser's Car came crashing through.  Besides Bowser himself, the Car held a large stockpile of Yoshi Eggs.  Suddenly they heard an unusual sound following the car.  A second longer they realized it was Yoshi.  They had never heard Yoshi when he was truly angry before, but his fury showed.  It did him no good however, as Bowser suddenly turned around, and before Yoshi had time to react, stuffed him in an egg and pitched him with astounding accuracy right into the "?" Block they had placed.  The Car then sped off, knocking the construction sign down with it.

     Luigi looked at Mario with astonishment.  "You...realize what this means?  We aren't changing the past- we're making it happen!"