Mangled with Guilt

## **Plot**

After witnessing the many things the struggles the others have gone through, Bowser decides to make a mission of his own to find out more about Dimentio's schemes and just how exactly he is planning on taking over the world. Squirt overhears Bowser verbally explaining to himself on how he wants to help out the team more and decides to tag along. Bowser at first is reluctant against the idea but Squirt assures him that he is also a part of the team and if he wants to help them, then he needs to let him join so he can at least see the action unfold. Bowser eventually gives in and Leroy also joins in, saying he is dying for the thirst of adventure. The trio then discuss on how to find out more information about Dimentio, with Squirt suggesting they ask Rosalina. Bowser votes against the idea, saying he wants the mission to be a secret one and that he wants to surprise the others about potential revelations. Leroy tells him that the only way that could happen is already risky enough considering they are already trying to figure out what Dimentio is up to themselves. Bowser agrees but hatches the idea that they use the dimensional watch Fawful has. He is asleep on the couch and the team tries to sneakily steal the watch, trying their best not to alert Fawful. They manage to obtain the watch but Bowser loses his grip on Leroy who was holding Squirt down using a rope from upstairs. They tumble on the watch, activating a portal and sucking the trio inside, awakening Fawful, but too late to notice anything strange, including his watch being missing.

The gang tumbles through the multiverse segways and end up blasting into a jungle themed dimension. Bowser berates Squirt for not holding the rope righter with Squirt barking back that he should lose weight so it wouldn't have been a problem. They begin to bicker more and more with Leroy alerting the two about something rustling in the tall grass. Leroy then notices a creature called a "Gooray", which catches his attention, saying that they haven't left their dimension, as he has seen that creature in their dimension before. Bowser and Squirt then wonder if the watch is broken but before they could ponder on the thought, a large creature appears behind them and scares them off. It's revealed to be Donkey Kong, and the trio realize they landed in the Jungle Kingdom, located just off Mushroom Island. Donkey Kong eyes the trio as intruders even though they plea their innocence and insist that they came there on accident. Donkey Kong doesn't buy their story and takes them in on a mine-cart ride throughout the Jungle Kingdom, to Cranky Kong and the great Kong army.

They are taken to Cranky Kong where he demands to know their whereabouts and what their intentions are. Bowser once again says that they are not there to commit any sort of harm nor pain, saying they are just lost. Cranky Kong then suddenly recognizes Bowser by the way he acts, saying he is an evil tyrant bent on world domination. Bowser says he isn't the power-hungry maniac he used to be but Cranky Kong doesn't buy the story, saying villains will always try to manipulate others to believe them. Squirt, listening in on the conversation decides to take a stand and confronts Cranky on his stance towards Bowser, saying he hasn't seen the change he and the others have. He then makes a daring speech about how much Bowser has changed and how everyone is worthy of redemption, regardless of if they are good or evil. Cranky is impressed by Squirt's act and lets them explore their kingdom, saying they are worthy of seeing it. Donkey Kong gives them the grand tour with Bowser thanking Squirt along the way. Leroy reminds the two what they are trying to do and they immediately ask Cranky Kong if their island has been experiencing any disturbances as of late. He dismisses the question, saying nothing bad ever happens in his kingdom. They then say that a great danger is coming for them all and if they don't stop it, their world will fall. Cranky Kong can only laugh at this, saying if something was so daring to stop the great Kong army, they would've done it by now. Leroy then says the danger is Dimentio and he isn't just coming for them, he is coming for everything they know and love. Cranky and Donkey Kong share a quick look of concern but once again dismiss it as just another silly threat not worth stressing over. Bowser asks them if they could help them out to defeat him but Cranky Kong says they are lucky enough to even be touring the city, as the Kong army is not an easy team to recruit. Squirt then hatches the idea that they should show him who they are talking about. Bowser and Leroy are against that idea, bringing up the possibility that Dimentio may see this is an opportunity to come through the portal when they open it. Squirt insists it will be very brief but they begin to all clamor and fight for the watch which once again falls on the ground and opens a portal, sucking them all in.

They all wake up to find themselves to be in a paper-themed dimension. They are at a village called Flipside where a wizard named Merlon, tells them they are located in a realm in between dimensions known as Flipside. Bowser tells him they need to find a way out of the dimension and save their world from collapsing from Dimentio. Merlon gasps at the sound of the name, along with the other nearby townsfolk who overhear the name. Bowser scoffs at the sight of this, saying that he along with Mario and the others have defeated him more than once already. Merlon tells him that's what he wants them to think, citing they have only "postponed what's to come". Bowser asks him what he means and he tells them to enter his house. While there, he tells them the story about the Dark and Light Prognosticus along with the Land of the Ancients. He also tells them about Timpani who Bowser, Squirt, and Leroy quickly blurt out Lizel's name much to Merlon's confusion. They tell him to proceed but then Merlon mentions the prophecy containing the inevitable invasion of Dimentio on Earth. Bowser asks if there is anything they can do to gain an upper hand in preventing the invasion from happening. Merlon says the best course of action is to continue sealing up any potential rift openings around Earth as that's the main way he can enter. Leroy asks if he is able to traverse to Flipside and Merlon answers that he is unable to for the time being but cites that "time is running out". Merlon then shows them the potential outcome of what would happen if DImentio succeeds in his Earth invasion, showing a hologram of cities falling, innocent citizens being killed, and entire lands being destroyed. It also shows that once he is finished with the world, he will conquer other worlds as well, putting an end to their existence as they know it. Bowser mentions that both Mario and Luigi have their powers back and Merlon becomes proudful, saying that the prophecy states that a brave hero in the form of a plumber wearing a red hat and blue overalls will rise and defeat the interdimensional being but will have to face an even bigger threat in the form of a green counterpart. The trio becomes shocked and realize that it's referencing Luigi but ask why he would be a threat to Mario. Merlon admits he isn't so sure, saying that is what the prophecy states. Donkey and Cranky Kong begin to see the severity of the situation and quickly offer to aid the heroes to defeat DImentio and his Macroverse army. Everyone agrees to look out for each other when the time comes, with Merlon agreeing that they should be the ones who house the Light Prognosticus, saying they are with the hero of their worlds after all. They take the book and promise to keep it safe.

They arrive back in the Mushroom Kingdom after departing from Donkey and Cranky Kong. They head over to Mario and explain all the new information they've learned regarding Dimentio, but also mention the threat Luigi poses. Mario and the others are thrilled to hear this new information but Luigi is upstairs and doesn't hear what the prophecy has to say about him in particular. Bowser tells Mario it's best he doesn't know but Mario insists that he does tell him considering the last time he didn't tell him something important, it resulted in him getting taken away. Mario then asks if any of them have seen the Dreadful Lights to which Squirt solemnly tells Mario this isn't the work of the lights, this is simply what is going to happen regardless of what they do. Mario doesn't want to believe this, but hatches an idea in his head and says that he has to go somewhere, that somewhere being the Comet Observatory.