From the Heavens

## **Plot**

Mario asks what Peach is reading in the kitchen. It's a book she found in the castle basement describing the different and most important areas of Mushroom Island. One of the areas is known as Cloud's Rest in the Sky Territory region of the island. it is said to be for those who seek to channel their inner peace and strength. Mario and Luigi decide that maybe this place could be the answer to how to control their fire powers. Peach advises they proceed with caution and not go alone as the journey there is treacherous.

Mario and Luigi start up the mountainous slope after traveling to the area led by a local named Harold. Harold warns them that nobody has ever made it to the top and returned back in one piece. Mario and Luigi gulp nervously but ultimately take the risk to traverse the dangerous path. After falling many times and through many trial and error attempts, they manage to finally reach the peak but realize that they reached a checkpoint as the true mountain peak is even higher. They decide to sleep there as nightfall approaches.

While Mario creates fire for both of them to warm up, Luigi asks him if they both are ever really going to learn how to control their fire powers. Mario responds that even if they don't learn it at the top of the peak, they could both teach each other and learn from each other, as brothers.

The next morning, they encounter a thunderstorm while trying to climb the high mountain peak. Luigi loses his grip and begins to fall but Mario catches him in the nick of time. However, Mario's rope begins to rip and he must now choose to let go of Luigi in order to continue up the peak or risk losing the chance to climb but save him. Mario ultimately decides to save Luigi and lets go of the rope, letting it fall to the ravine but they both land on soft grass ground on another rock peak. With no rope, they can now no longer reach the tallest peak. Luigi suggests they should try channeling their inner strength at the spot they are at. Mario argues with this saying that they must be at the very top in order for it to work. Luigi refuses to believe this and goes into a meditation pose and begins to relax. Mario reluctantly decides to try it out and although many minutes pass with nothing happening, he suddenly gets struck by lightning. Instead of reacting, Mario enters a deep power state and becomes an aura in his own mind. He is able to freely traverse within his mind and hear his thoughts out loud as well as the ability to enter Luigi's mind. A voice suddenly talks to Mario and explains that they are Mario's inner strength and consciousness. In this state, Mario is able to become one with himself and better control his fire powers but his physical state in the real world is left vulnerable. The lightning strike is also revealed to be a millisecond from striking him but his mind tells him to revert it back as Mario does so in the real world, creating a fireball that charges back at the strike, causing it to go back into the sky and create a loud boom. Mario reawakes and tells Luigi that he is connected with his inner power but Luigi is under his own strength. Before Mario could let him know they should go, another lightning strike pierces a giant rock which causes it to come tumbling down towards the bros. Luigi is still unresponsive and Mario begins to worry and has no choice but to try his best to drag him off his spot. Luigi suddenly opens his eyes and blasts a fiery fire wave at the rock, immediately disintegrating it to pieces. The bros both congratulate one another but are interrupted by a hideous beast that attacks them both. They both combat against it, throwing fireballs at it constantly. Mario gets punched by the creature and is about to become crushed by it until Luigi briefly connects with his inner self once more but this time uses a lightning bolt to charge a massive bolt at the monster, electrocuting it and causing it to fall down into the ravine. Mario looks stunned at Luigi who is also surprised. They quickly dash down the mountain, not wanting any more trouble.

Once they arrive at the castle, Peach asks them how the journey went and that she is glad they are alive and well. They both say it went fine but Luigi admits that he didn't tap into his inner strength at all, it was more of an instinctual feeling for him rather than a "voice" telling him what to do. Mario becomes puzzled at this and wonders how he was able to connect but Luigi wasn't. Squirt comes back from school and asks what he missed to which Luigi calmly replies, "everything".