Bowsette’s Princess Lessons Chapter XIII: The Old Bomb and the Sea

 Bowsette’s Princess Lessons

Chapter XIII: The Old Bomb and the Sea

Bowser spat out a second tooth, then began to stroll toward the warp zone, humming the tune to the hit song, Ignorance is Bliss, by Jellyfish. Parakarry tried to fly, before his lame wing sent him careening to the ground at Luigi’s side. As Parakarry forced himself to his feet, he put up his fists to defend Luigi, but Bowser just sauntered past him, whistling.

His breath shaky, Parakarry rounded on Bowser. “Stop, in the name of the law!”

Bowser halted, turned slowly to look over the trembling Parakoopa, then tapped a dainty finger against his cheek. “Go ahead. Take your best shot! First one’s free.”

Parakarry swallowed, and tried to force his legs to move, to no avail. Years had passed since he had looked death in the face in Tubba Blubba’s fortress, and blinked. Nothing had changed. Parakarry knew he was a coward.

Bowser sneered. “Yeah. That’s what I…thought?”

Parakarry sensed movement behind him, and turned to find Luigi rising to his feet, a trickle of blood running down his mouth. “...Not one more step, Bowser.”

Bowser scowled. “Ya’ know, there’s courage, then there’s just plain bull-headedness. No more magic mushrooms, Luigi! You literally cannot hurt me. Not ‘literally,’ in the figurative sense, but literally literally. I know you Luigi…”

Bowser grinned, almost sweetly. “...Once a coward, always a coward.”

As Bowser blinked, Parakarry launched into the air, withdrawing into his shell to perform a flying shell shot technique. With a start, Bowser ducked back and rolled, letting his shoulder take the brunt of the force. As Parakarry felt the bone in his sprained wing snap, he careened wildly before crash landing back into the stone steps.

With a snarl, Bowser gripped his bruised shoulder. Luigi charged and attempted a gut punch, only for his knuckles to bounce uselessly against Bowser’s six-pack abs. Snatching Luigi by the straps of his overalls, Bowser looked Luigi dead in the eyes, his eyes flashing red. “No…more…kid gloves!”

Bowser fast-ball pitched Luigi toward Parakarry, who barely managed to break Luigi’s fall before they both crashed into the brick steps with a crunch.

Bowser clapped his hands together. “There, that was your one free hit. Anyone else want a piece of–”

With an explosion like cannon fire, Bombette shot toward Bowser from behind, aiming for the back of his skull. Her aim was slightly off. As she crashed against the crown atop Bowser’s head, he rocked forward with a howl of pain, but the crown remained firmly fixed to his head.

CLANG! 

 As she felt herself start to ricochet, Bombette rolled to aim herself high, and managed to avoid crashing into Luigi and Parakarry. She came careening to a halt against the top step, her body sinking halfway into the solid stone. Bombette’s little feet flailed as she struggled to free herself. 

Clutching his throbbing skull, Bowser stamped his feet as he war danced in a tight circle. “Argh! Can’t I finish one freakin’ sentence without someone interrupting–”

As Bowser turned, he spotted the other annoying Bob-omb, the one with the sailor hat and magnificent mustache, rolling onto his feet. “Give up, land-lubberl! We’ve got you bang to rights!”

Smoke billowed from Bowser’s nostrils. “You’ve got me bang to nothing! All you’re managing to do is get on my nerves!”

Bowser heard Luigi’s voice barking at him from behind. “Bowser!”

For a moment, Luigi managed to stand, tall and true, like a majestic hero of old, shielding the crumpled form of Parakarry, who was down for the count. “We won’t let you hurt our friends!” 

Immediately, Luigi’s his legs gave out and he tripped forward off the steps, catching himself on his hands and knees. 

Bombette popped out of the perfectly spherical crater she’d left behind in the solid stone, then stamped her feet. “We won’t let you escape!” 

Pink flame sparked to life in Bowser’s throat, his eyes fixing on Bombette’s braided pony-tail that doubled as an explosive fuse. “I am a free man. Now, stand down, before you get–”

But as Bowser spoke the words, the pink flames leapt from his throat of their own accord, sparking Bombette’s fuse. As the hot pink bob-omb girl felt the fuse counting down with each second, she spotted Luigi and Parakarry below her, and dove up and behind the stone steps to shield them from the impending blast. 

Admiral Bobbery’s eyes went wide as he saw the flash of light, before he heard the explosion. 

…

Admiral Bobbery was sitting alone, knocking back another drink Podley’s Place. The old Bob-omb held up his frosty root beer mug, his face flushed. “Podley! Another round!”

Podley shook his head as he struggled to wipe a stubborn spot off a shot glass. “You’ve had six Chuckola Colas already, ya’ old sea dog! Haven’t you heard that too much sugar is bad for you?”

“Balderdash! You’re no help! If I wanted a tough-love lecture, I’d ask my–” His head swimming, Bobbery examined the dregs of his drink, before slamming down a few gold coins to pay off his tab and storming out.

Bobbery lurched down the filthy streets of Rogueport’s east side, fumbling with his keys to unlock his door as he approached his meager private shack. Just as he was about to turn and enter his home, he rammed smack into someone. “Confound it all! Watch where you’re going!”

Admiral Bobbery looked up to find a foreign-looking man in a red hat, with a magnificent mustache that rivaled even his own. Before the man could speak, a motley bunch of his companions leapt to his side, all talking at once.

A scholarly-looking young goomba woman pressed her face close against Admiral Bobbery, “Hey! You were totally the one who smacked into him!” 

A withdrawn looking Koopa intervened, looking unabashedly at the ferocious Goomba girl.  “Uh…sorry about that, sir. Say…you look like you know your way around a ship. We’re looking for a certain sailor, maybe you know him?”

A buxom cloud spirit with big lips and purple hair appeared in a rush of wind. “Surely you do! He is a sailor man, bold and true, unafraid of the treacherous tempests of the stormy seas!”

A baby yoshi jumped up onto the back of the mysterious mustached man, sending his red hat flopping down over his eyes. To Bobbery’s surprise, the baby Yoshi started to roar with a perfect professional wrestling announcer voice. “Yeah! We’re heading to Keelhaul Key, to lay a spankin’ down on some evil spirits and eldritch abominations!”

Admiral Bobbery backed away from the bizarre group, puffing his mustache. “I have no interest in passing the time with you, so sorry. Now, away with you!”

But as he turned to face his shadow, he saw his shadow looking back at him with two glowing yellow eyes, before a young woman with pink hair emerged from his own shadow to stand before him. At least, Admiral Bobbery thought the shadow might be a girl. Bobbery had seen his share of supernatural oddities during this time at sea, but the eerie shadow boy/girl thing took the cake, and ate it too. He was speechless.

The shadow brushed her hair aside, looking serious. “Please, it’s urgent. We’re told there’s only sailor who’s ever dared brave the voyage to Keelhaul Key, and returned to tell the tale.”

A mouse wearing a red mask scampered around their feet, then flashed Admiral Bobbery a shameless wink. “I’ve heard he’s a ruggedly handsome old salt. Had quite a reputation around here for being a lady killer in his younger days….I’m sure he’s aged like fine wine!”

The Goomba girl glowered at the mouse. “Wait, what are you still following us around for? Are you, like, trying to pick our pockets?”

The mouse licked her thumb as she counted dollar bills out of a ratty looking wallet. “Don’t be absurd, sweetie. You have absolutely nothing worth stealing in your purse. And of course I’m following you, because I’m joining your little adventure on the high seas!”

The Goomba girl gnashed her prominent, buck teeth. “What? Since when? Who invited you to join our party?”

The mouse sniffed. “Mario did, of course.”

The Goomba did a double-take, then rounded on the man in the red hat. “What? Mario! Why didn’t we talk about this?”

Mario held up his hand. “Mama mia! Not now! Please, sir, we’re looking for Admiral Bobbery. He’s the only one who can help us. Do you know him?”

Admiral Bobbery stared deep into the foreign man’s eyes…Mario, they called him? Maybe it was partially because of the mustache, but he was strangely reminded of a younger version of himself. "You seek Admiral Bobbery?”

The entire band held their breath.

With a huff, Bobbery turned away, struggling to hold his keys steady as he unlocked his front door. As the door popped open, Admiral Bobbery stumbled inside and glowered at the strangers. “...Never heard of the gent. Take your search elsewhere…”

He slammed the door behind him, and locked it from inside. 

Admiral Bobbery rifled through a crate of his prized bottles of Chuckola Reserve, before a wedding photo of him and Scarlette caught his eye at the bottom of the crate. The picture rekindled a buried memory: years ago, he’d brought home the vintage cola as a belated anniversary gift, after a harrowing voyage to the Beanbean Kingdom. The photo had been mouldering in that crate, ever since…

Bobbery poured a glass, and downed it, before collapsing onto one of the two wooden stools in his dreary, spare shack. Minutes passed, perhaps hours, as he sipped slowly on a second glass, then a third, and then a fourth. All he wanted…was to forget…

Then he heard a clatter, and a cloud of dust and ash erupted from his chimney. A group of people emerged from the fireplace, coughing and spluttering. Mario shot to his feet, his face stained with soot, his hat askew. 

Admiral Bobbery snarled as he recognized him. “What do you blokes want?”

Mario hacked, before meeting him face to face. “...Admiral Bobbery!”

Bobbery stiffened, the sugar rush from the Chuckola Cola making it hard for him to think clearly. “Admiral Bobbery? I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about. Now, if you please…”

“Don’t play dumb with us!” roared the Goomba girl.

The Koopa struggled to roll up off his back, his tortoise shell making it difficult. “Umm…listen, we already heard that you’re–”

The plump wind spirit arose from the cloud of smoke, like a cloud of smoke, before shaking off the coat of ash that covered her. “Oh, drop this sham, sir!”

The Baby yoshi jabbed Bobbery in the chest. “That’s right, Super ‘Stache! You’ve been unmasked!” 

The shadow girl reappeared. “Please, don't insult us...We already know you're the admiral, so just admit it!”

The mouse scampered up, and threw herself onto Admiral Bobbery, affecting a swooning faint. “See? No need to be so coy, Admiral!” 

Admiral Bobbery let the swooning mouse flop to the floor without catching her. “Harumph! What poppycock...Tell me, what would you want with me if I were this chap?”

Mario spoke in a low voice. “I need you to take me to Keelhaul Key!”

Ignoring the lingering effects of the Chuckola Cola, Admiral Bobbery squared up against the younger man. “Oh, your ship needs a navigator, and you want me to do the job, mmm? ...So sorry, but you'll have to look elsewhere. I shall set sail upon the sea...nevermore!”

 Mario’s companions all started talking over one another, shouting various protests.

“But... Look, we're begging you here! You totally have to!” pleaded the Goomba.

“But... But... But... But…” stammered the Koopa.

“Show some compassion, dear man. Don't make us beg! We simply must have you!” howled the wind spirit.

The baby Yoshi clawed at his mohawk. “That's just not cool! You wanna see me beg or something? Is that it?”

The shadow girl, who had floated to the back of the group, popped forward to catch Admiral Bobbery by surprise from behind. “But... Maybe you don't understand how important this is. We need you.”

The mouse girl arose, dusting herself off, then twirled her finger through Admiral Bobbery’s mustache. “Oh, don’t be like that! Without you, we'll surely meet our ends on the way to Keelhaul Key!”

Ignoring the flirtatious mouse, Admiral Bobbery scoffed and turned his attention to Mario. “Awfully sorry, dear boy, but when I say ‘no,’ what I mean is...NO!”

Admiral Bobbery opened the door with a yank, and bobbed his head to direct the unwelcome guests out. “Now, away with you!”

The group looked to Mario, seemingly awaiting his lead. Without another word, Mario led them out, his face stern.

After locking the door behind them, Admiral Bobbery tried to pour another glass of Chuckola Cola, trembling with rage. Finding the bottle empty, he threw it against the wall, and kicked the crate over, knocking it open and sending bottles of wine shattering and rolling across the floor. The photograph of him and Scarlette on their wedding day fluttered to the ground. Admiral Bobbery ripped the cork out of the bottle with his teeth, then began to chug the entire contents.*

[*Author’s note: That is extremely dangerous, kids. Please do not try that at home. Also, please drink fizzy, carbonated beverages responsibly.]

As Bobbery felt his vision blur, he spotted the photograph, starting to stain red in a pool of cola. 

Slurring his speech, Admiral Bobbery dropped the bottle and snatched up the photo, trying to dab the wine away with a rag, but it was too late. He had ruined it. It was ruined forever. His last memento of Scarlette: another precious, forgotten memory.

All alone in his run-down, ramshackle house, Admiral Bobbery wept.

He never knew how long he languished there. It might have been hours. It might have been days. But at some point, Admiral Bobbery awoke with a splitting headache. The crash after a sugar rush always did numbers on him. Spotting the broken bottles, he barked an order at a sailor who wasn’t there. “Crewman! *Hic* Get that disgraceful mess cleaned up! I want the below-decks in tip-top ship-shape…ship…”

When it finally occurred to him he wasn’t on his ship, Admiral Bobbery groaned. After pouring himself a cup of black coffee, which did almost nothing to alleviate his soda-chugging-induced hangover, Bobbery set to work cleaning the mess, until every sliver of glass was swept up, and every drop of wine was scrubbed away. By the time he was finished, his single-room abode was still sparse, but at least it was spick and span.

Then Mario fell down the chimney again, followed by all six of his companions in quick succession, forming a dog pile. Bobbery choked, then stomped toward Mario, wheezing. “What?!? Oh, by Blabberton's beard! Not you again! No matter how many times you entreat me, my stance is firm! Now away with you!”

Mario held up a sealed envelope, gasping for air. “...Have a letter! From…your–”

Admiral Bobbery snatched the envelope, examining it skeptically. “Pardon? A letter, you say?

F-for me?”

Then he saw his wife’s signature on the outside, addressing it to him. “What?!? Scarlette!!! This is Scarlette's handwriting!!!”

His eyes watering, Bobbery opened the letter, afraid he might drop it. “Scarlette, my love…”

He read it aloud, no longer even aware of the strangers present.

“My love: if you're reading this letter, then I am no longer by your side. Because fate has stepped between us, I have decided to write you this letter. If you're reading this, I must have passed away while you were out to sea…

“I can only assume that you will blame yourself for it, my sweet Bobbery. Although my life was short, you gave me more than a lifetime's worth of joy. Though you will mourn, I beg that you remember that time, like love, is a tide. You are one with the sea, as you were one with me. Do not lose both your life's loves.”

Bobbery choked, repeating the last line. Something about the sound of the words struck him. “Time, like love, is a tide. You are one with the sea...as you were one with me..."

Blinking back tears, Bobbery suddenly remembered the crowd of trespassers who had invaded his private residence. “A... A thousand pardons...But may I have a moment alone, if you please?”

There was a pregnant pause, before they all escorted themselves out. All of them looked sheepishly at one another, except for Mario, who seemed perfectly calm. When they were gone, Bobbery carefully stored the note in his navigator’s log for safekeeping, along with the stained photograph. “Yes, love... I WAS happy...My sweet, sweet Scarlette...I love you still.”

Outside, Mario leaned silently against the dilapidated fence that marked Admiral Bobbery’s property, letting his friends argue amongst themselves about what had just happened.

Then Admiral Bobbery kicked his own door down from inside his house, startling everyone except for Mario. Fixing his sailor’s hat back on, Admiral Bobbery strutted to meet them. “Now then! You were looking for a navigator, I believe? Bound for Keelhaul Key? Harumph! If you think an old sea bomb like me is what you need, then let's shove off!”

In the years since his grand voyage with Mario, Admiral Bobbery had poured over that same letter, time and time again, until he had it memorized. But there was one part of the letter he never shared with Mario. A post-script, Scarlette had written on the outside of the letter: “...P.S. If I do kick the bucket, I suggest you be a gentleman, and mourn for me for at least a year before you fall in love with some hot little firecracker, and run off to elope with her, just like we did. Now, I know what you’re thinking: ‘Scarlette, I’d never do that! I’ll love you forever and ever!’ To which, I say, codswallop! Grieve for me, Bobbery. But don’t be afraid to love again, out of some misplaced notion that you’re betraying my memory. If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you are a man with love in his heart. Let this be my memento mori: if I can’t be there to love you, I hope you will find someone to share your love with, and who loves you right back…P.P.S. When you find her, give her a little slap on the caboose, and a kiss from me! –Scarlette!”

When Bobbery had finally read the postscript, he’d been annoyed at Scarlette for days. It was as if she was still finding new ways to tease him, from beyond the grave. 

When Mario introduced Bobbery to an old friend, a peppy pink Bob-omb girl by the name of Bombette, there was nothing particularly romantic about their first meeting. Bobbery had found her bright and peppy, full of vim and vinegar, and enjoyed the rousing tales of her adventures with Mario. But there was certainly no “falling in love at first sight.” No swelling, romantic musical cues, no choir of angels.

After helping Mario save the world from the demonic Shadow Queen, Admiral Bobbery had returned to his true home: aboard his own ship again. While sailing the high seas, he had taken the time to grieve for Scarlette properly, not wallow in self-loathing, as he had done for far too many years. A year later, his voyages took him to the Mushroom Kingdom. After hearing rumors of the return of Bowser’s puppet dictator, King Bob-omb, he visited Bob-omb Fortress, where he met the leaders of the Mushroom Kingdom bob-ombs who wore pink as a sign of their loyalty to Crown Princess Peach, the rightful heir to the throne. And who did he meet there…but Bombette. 

And after a few days of seeing each other, sharing their old memories, both sweet and painful, Bombette had surprised him by asking him out.

…

Admiral Bobbery saw the limp body of Bombette soaring into the sky, before she came plummeting down, with a sickening clang of metal against stone. She didn’t get up.

Bowser snorted at the sight, before rounding on Admiral Bobbery, jabbing his thumb at Bombette’s crumpled frame. “You Bob-ombs have a serious design flaw, if you ask me.”

As Admiral Bobbery’s sailor rope fuse sparked with flame, tears filled his eyes. “You…how dare you! That’s my Pinky!!!”

As he exploded, Admiral Bobbery steered the sailor’s helm wheel he wore on his back in place of a Bob-omb key, using it to guide his trajectory in midair. The arc angled Admiral Bobbery upward, so that as he slammed into Bowser’s stomach, they both rose up and over Luigi and Parakarry’s heads. Then Bobbery angled downward and ignited again, aiming well below Bombette’s prone body. Bobbery smashed Bowser straight through the brick steps, layer after layer, knocking the power of the red mushroom right out of Bowser as they went. The erupted from the opposite side of the stone staircase, sailed over a series of orange warp pipes, and finally crashed to a halt against a brick wall on the far end of the tower. Bowser and Admiral Bobbery both fell to the ground, punchdrunk from the impact. As Bowser rolled onto his back, his arm flopped limply against the orange warp pipe nearest him. With a buzz, it began to warm up, preparing to activate its magic: ready to warp the first person who entered it to the end of the course at World 8. 

As the Mario Maker glitched, a soft tremor rippled through the ground beneath them. The tremor itself froze, then disappeared, then repeated, as the entire world began to experience lag. The earthquake seemed to blip out of existence, only to be replaced by a continual, rumbling buzz.

Bowser wanted to scream, but he didn’t even have the energy to groan anymore. As he clawed at the orange pipe to support his weight, Bowser spotted the unconscious form of Admiral Bobbery at his feet. Pixelated words in white letters flickered to life above them, floating alongside the clouds. “Welcome to the Warp Zone.”

There was no one left to stop him. Bowser was home free.

…

Toadette, Goombario, Goombella, Koops, Kooper, Koopie-Koo, and Madame Flurrie all shielded their eyes as the molten stone created a fog of boiling steam before them, blocking their path. Behind it, they could just make out the voices of Princess Daisy and Princess Peach.

“Peach! Move!” shouted Princess Daisy.

“Daisy! Stop!” cried Princess Peach.

With a mighty breath of chill wind, Madame Flurrie extinguished the flames. As the molten stone began to cool, they spotted Princess Peach and Daisy, but too late. The stone wall was already collapsing inward, about to squash Peach like a pancake, while a flaming wheel of death was about to cut Daisy in half.

And that would have been the end of their story, were it not for Lady Bow the Boo and Vivian the Shadow Siren. 

Ignoring the deadly falling debris, Lady Bow phased through everything in her path to reach Princess Daisy. “Daisy! Stop!” screeched Lady Bow.

Traveling at the speed of shadow, Vivian emerged from Princess Peach’s own shadow, grabbing the stunned Princess around the waist. “Peach! Move!” squealed Vivian.

Daisy froze, then felt a tingling thrill as the deadly wheel of fire passed directly through her stomach, cutting a path through the stone wall behind her and flying outside into nothingness. Daisy clutched her torso, and sure enough, her toned, tanned tomboy tummy was still there! Then Lady Bow released her icy embrace on Daisy, and with a chill, Daisy realized that she had literally been in the grip of death.

Then Daisy spotted the wall smashed flat against the floor where Peach had been standing an instant before. But before Daisy could cry out, Peach and Vivian emerged from a shadow, in the exact same position they were a moment ago, except that they were now on top of the collapsed wall, instead of underneath it.

With a bang, the Goombella, Goombario, and Toadette appeared, each riding on the back of a Koopa as they shot over the debris and landed by Peach and Daisy. Goombario shouted as he hopped off Kooper to let Peach ride in his place. “Princess! Get on board! We’ve gotta’ Koopa Surf outta’ here!”

As Goombella let Princess Daisy hop aboard Koops, Vivian surveyed the group. “Where’s Mario?”

Goombella shook her head as they prepared to take off. “He’s with Spike, Gonzales Jr. and Ms. Mowz. They’re catching up.”

Vivian clutched herself. “You left Mario behind? How could you do that, Goombella?”

Hearing the hurt in Vivian’s voice, Goombella started to answer, her voice cracking. “We had no choice! Mario ordered us to stop Bowser at any cost! If we don’t–”

As Goombella turned, Vivian was gone. More cracks appeared in the walls behind them. 

Princess Peach pointed ahead to the end of the harrowing hallway. “Move!” 

As the Koopas launched forward, Madame Flurrie and Lady Bow flew alongside them toward the exit ahead. Around them, the shadows seemed to dance in the chaotic light from all sides.

…

Mario felt the floor giving away beneath him with each step as he sprinted down the collapsing chamber. Spike the Lakitu was still trying to catch his breath from his last two rescue attempts, and could only hold on to Mario’s overall suspenders and drift along, wheezing. 

Ms. Mowz lay humming sweetly over Mario’s shoulder, having apparently decided that if she died today, she might as well enjoy her romantic rescue from a knight in shining armor in the meantime. 

Gonzales Jr. flailed his tiny fists as he lay across Mario’s other shoulder, like a fussy baby. “Put me in, coach! I’m rested! Put me in!”

Mario tossed Gonzales Jr. ahead of him, and hopped on the tiny baby’s back. “Go for it!”  

Galloping like the mighty steed Beucephalus, if the mighty steed Beucephalus was trapped in the body of a 1-foot tall dinosaur toddler, Gonzales Jr. leapt from crumbling stone to crumbling stone with ease. As their shadow passed alongside them, Mario spotted a familiar face, gazing back at him from his own silhouette. “Vivian?”

Vivian emerged fully and glided along with them, her lower body connecting her to their shadow. “I’m here to save you, Mario!”

“If you want to help me, stop Bowser! He’s the one causing this! If he breaks the Mario Maker–”

As she spotted a flaming Podoboo diving towards Mario’s face, Vivian snapped her fingers to awaken her magic flame, and with a flick of her wrist, sent it flying away into nothingness. “Then we’re all dead anyway. Peach is leading the vanguard. If they need me, I can go right to them. But you need me more now!”

Spike nearly hurled as he bounced wildly behind Mario like a rodeo clown. “Can we save the couples therapy for after we escape imminent death?”

Mario did a double take. “That’s it! That’s exactly what we need!”

Ms. Mowz perked her round ears up. “Couples therapy?”

“No! Vivian’s shadow magic! Vivian, you just teleported here, can’t you teleport everyone out of here?”

“That’s not how traveling through the shadows works. I can’t teleport, I just…find the shadow where I most need to be.”

Ms. Mowz curled her tail. “Okay, Vivi, it’s not teleportation. But suppose you just found a nice shadow for us somewhere we need to be. Far away from here. Say Delfino Plaza?”

Vivian shook her head, her pink hair flying behind her as Mario’s shadow danced and twisted across the terrain. “Not possible. It’s easy to lose your way in the shadows. I have to know exactly where I’m going. Or know exactly whose shadow I’m going to. Like Mario, or Goombella.”

Mario tried to think, ignoring the torn remains of flaming wheels around them. “What about taking us with you to Goombella’s shadow?”

Vivian bit her finger. “Maybe. I’ve never tried it before…It’s risky.”

Spike peeked his eyes open, glimpsed imminent death approaching them from all sides, and immediately closed his eyes again. “How risky?”

“You could fall into the shadows, and keep falling, forever and ever.”

Spike’s eyes popped open. As he remembered he could fly, so long as he had his cloud buddy Piff with him, he let go of Mario’s overalls. “On second thought, I’ll just fly. They say it’s the safest way to travel.”

Mario reached out to grab Vivian’s hand, and pulled her up to join him on Gonzales Jr.’s back. “It may be a risk we have to take, if all else fails.”

There was a sudden tremor, which disappeared, followed by a low rumble. Gonzales Jr. nearly stumbled, but caught his footing and carried on, finally starting to outpace the collapsing floor behind him. Just ahead, they could make out the rest of their friends…all alive!

Then the cracking walls shattered like glass, and the wind began to carry the debris in a cyclone. The Mario Maker was loading the next level!

[End of Chapter XIII]