Super Mario Universe

"Why are you here?" Mario asked Bowser, who was riding his own personal huge airship.

"Because a party wouldn't be complete without me, of course," Bowser laughed. He jumped off the ship onto the ground in front of Mario and the others.

"Go away!" Peach yelled at him, "I don't ever want to see you once a day, so I would never on my life want to see you twice in one day!"

"But I want to steal you," Bowser said. "I want to steal the Mushroom Kingdom from you. And trust me, this time it's gonna work!"

"Haha!" Daisy laughed. "Why on Earth would you actually succeed for once?"

"Come on board my ship, and I'll show you," Bowser told them.

"No way!" Luigi said, "you'd kidnap all four of us if you got the chance!"

"I'm not kidnapping anyone . . . yet. I just need to give you all the play-by-play. So, come on!" he motioned for them to come aboard.

They started to turn, but Bowser stopped them. "Let me rephrase that. You WILL come aboard!!"

They all boarded Bowser's ship. Once airborne, Bowser sat them down. "All these years, I've tried to take over the Mushroom Kingdom so many times, but it never worked. So I wondered, why not aim for something bigger?"

"Okay, can we leave now?" Peach laughed with her friends.

"NO!!!" Bowser yelled, " I'm sick of everyone treating me as the outlier! I'm through with all of you!"

"But you are," Peach peeped.

"You know, Princess, one thing I don't like about you is your mouth. That's your weakness," Bowser said, "Anyway. I'm taking over the UNIVERSE this time!"

"You and what army?" Luigi asked.

"Look around, Green 'Stache," Bowser told him.

They looked around and were surprised to see dozens of airships following the one they were on board. Bowser wasn't alone.

"You all are my hostages as of now," Bowser said. "There's no way for you to leave this ship."

Mario looked around again. Bowser was right. There wasn't a way to exit the ship.

But Luigi saw a way! He looked below the ship. It was now passing over Blubble Lake, a lake right outside downtown Toad Town. He could see Peach's Castle in the near vicinity, but what drew his attention was the lake itself. "Daisy," he whispered to Daisy.

"Yes? Can't you see we're in the middle of something?" Daisy fired back.

"Hold on to me for a second," he told her, walking to the edge of the ship, "I don't want anything happening to you. You're not in this mess."

"What do you mean?" Daisy asked him, but it was too late. Luigi pushed her off the edge, sending her into the waters of Blubble Lake.

She fell into it with a splash. But she was more alive than ever! She felt good after that fall, believe it or not. "Luigi..." she murmured to herself while swimming. "Thank you."

--🌎--

Back on board, the ship was passing over Peach's Castle. The party had stopped going down below, since the crowd had caught sight of the airship flotilla.

"Where are we going?" Mario asked Luigi and Peach.

"I don't know," Peach said. "Let's keep our guard up." Suddenly her face went red.

"What's wrong?" Mario asked.

"We forgot about Toadsworth! He's gonna freak!" Peach cried.

Her cries were interrupted by footsteps out on the deck. Bowser Jr. appeared before them, and yelled out to his father. "Dad! They have mysteriously appeared!"

No answer came. "Oh well, looks like I'll have to deal with you myself," he said.

"What do you mean?" Mario asked. "Your father already knows we're here."

Bowser Jr. laughed. "You don't fool me!" he cackled. "I'm super smart!"

Mario, Luigi and Peach burst out laughing so hard. Peach had to stop herself from crying tears of laughter.

"You're anything but smart!" she said to him, "If you were smart, you wouldn't keep kidnapping me time and time again!"

"I may not have as much experience as my dad, but I can still kick Mushroom Kingdom butt!" he laughed to himself.

"Leave!" Peach shunned Bowser Jr. "Leave at once! It's my kingdom, and you and your dad are invaders!"

"And me!" came a new voice. It was Kamek, whose evil grin gleamed at Mario. "Don't forget me!"

"Oh, we wouldn't forget you," Mario rolled his eyes. "In fact, I was just wondering where you were."

"I'm making plans with Bowser! We're taking over the universe! We have a great plan! First, we kidnap Peach! second, ummm...." Kamek stopped for a second.

"Can you hurry up?" Peach asked him. "I'm kind of on a tight schedule. Please land this airship and we'll sort everything out."

"Okay. How about I land the airship, and you stay here? I'll let the Mario bros. go! Deal?" Kamek said. 

"No deal," Mario said sternly. "Kamek, why don't you use your power for good? You have so much potential."

"'You have so much potential.' I've heard that come out of your mouth before. It really annoys me!" the wizard said.

"You ANNOY ME!" Luigi said. "Why won't you stop helping Bowser? Your plans don't work ever. You're worthless. Your magic isn't good. Give up!"

Mario looked over at his brother, stunned at what he just heard. Luigi's words had been pretty harsh.

"That's it! I'm disposing of you and Mario!" Kamek yelled at Luigi. He pointed his wand at Luigi then created a bubble around him. Then he did the same to Mario.

"Put them down!" Peach yelled. "You'll regret this!"

"No I won't," Kamek laughed. He threw back his wand, and then flung the bubbles into the air off the airship.

The brothers sailed out of the atmosphere into . . . space. There was no gravity. Nothing. "Luigi!" Mario yelled.

But Luigi couldn't hear him. He was floating away . . .

And as for Mario? Well, he began to feel dizzy, very, very dizzy . . .