Bowserland Pt 1: Good Vs. Good

## **Plot**

Bowser has taken full control of the kingdom and continues to have his minions wreak havoc. Mario and Luigi wake up in a chamber locked up in shackles and chains. They try to get out but are unsuccessful in their efforts. Squirt witnesses the castle being barricaded by Bowser's minions and realizes that the heroes are in trouble. He tells his parents that he needs to save his friends and that he will be careful. Richard also convinces them that they have already seen him do some brave things, and they should let him go, insisting he too will join Squirt. His parents give in and let him go after they share a hug. Squirt and Richard then set off to the castle.

Along the way, Squirt lets Richard know how much him joining means but Richard reveals that he only agreed to go just to get out of the house and insists that he care less about how Squirt feels. Squirt becomes confused and provokes him more on what he means but Richard tells him to keep himself out of trouble because Richard feels he is inclined to take care of him anytime he does so. Squirt reassures him that he isn't a little kid to which Richard replies to stop acting like one.

Mario and Luigi continue to try and escape until Luigi realizes that they are both attached to chains connected to the castle walls. Mario realizes this and applauds Luigi on how he was able to notice that, further taking a moment to apologize for the way he has treated him and recognize just how smart Luigi really is. Luigi assures Mario that he does not need to apologize. Before Mario can finish, a large boom occurs and Squirt reveals himself, saving the bros from their prison.

Meanwhile, Bowser has Peach trapped in a cage above the throne room. Peach jokingly points out that this is no way to treat a lady. Bowser can only laugh but he begins to tell her why exactly he is taking over the kingdom. He recounts the vision he saw while at the lowlands and mentions that his father and mother were originally going to reign over the land peacefully but were overthrown by the toads and were eventually killed. Peach insists that she had no idea behind the story. Toadsworth argues that his dad was a tyrant and only wanted to rule everything as far as his eyes can see. Bowser refuses to believe this and shuts him up by threatening to feed him to a chain chomp. Peach asks Bowser if he really went as far as to confirm if any of what he saw was actually true. He ignores her and goes to the balcony to oversee his destruction and "remodeling" of the kingdom.

Mario and Luigi escape with Squirt and Richard out of the castle. Squirt mentions the castle is heavily fortified and guarded and there is no chance of them getting in without being spotted. Luigi suggests they barge in any way, and give it their all with their fire powers. Mario doesn't think that is a good idea considering that they both haven't fully mastered them to the point of control. Luigi fondly agrees after realizing. Squirt and Richard suggest they should just go back to the kingdom and find a hideout to come up with a better plan but the bros are desperate. Mario and Luigi go off to fight off Bowser regardless of the stakes. They jump their way to the balcony even with guards on watch yelling for help. They begin to fight and cause heavy damage around the castle during the combat. During the battle, Bowser mentions that he is doing what he is doing to avenge his father to the confusion of Mario who leaves himself vulnerable to a vicious Bowser attack. Luigi takes this as a moment of disparity and launches both him and Mario out of the balcony area.

Mario is injured and Luigi tries his best to mend his wounds. Mario mentions what Bowser said during the battle. They both wonder what he could be potentially alluding to. Just then, the elite trio overhears the group talking about Bowser and reveals that he saw a vision about his father and gained a motivation to take over the kingdom as a result. When asked about where he saw the vision, they say the lowlands. Once it was made clear this was the location, the bros decided to take this as a clue in understanding what exactly happened. They tell the Elite trio to take them to the area while Squirt and Richard decide to fight back at the kingdom.

Once they arrive at the vision circle, they are met with the unsettling truth that the vision Bowser saw was a mere lie in contrast to what actually happened. It is revealed to the bros once they ask the circle the truth that Bowser's father was indeed a tyrant and never actually loved Bowser, as he only saw him as a distraction to his evil plans. Bowser's mother on the other hand, was actually a loving one, who endeared him very much but was unfortunately killed along with Bowser's dad during the attack from the toads. Mario channels his energy and is able to transport to a time where King Koopa lll was. He was described by everyone he knew as cunning and evil, lacking emotion and empathy, even for his loving wife. At one point, he told Bowser to seek help from a local minion shop when he supposedly injured himself but revealed he was actually fine and only told him that to get rid of him since Bowser only wanted to check on him. The circle also shows them that King Koopa lll had actually heard of a propechy revolving around two men dressed in red and green who would rise up and save the world from evil, mentioning a far more dangerous threat, King Koopa assumed that the prophecy was mentioning him and so he asked the circle where they would be coming from. The town Cape Coda was mentioned and that it would be destroyed but the heroes would be flown away by a stork and to safety. It's here where Mario and Luigi realize that the prophecy may be talking about them considering they are both wearing red and green, but unfortunately don't remember the stork. With this new information however, Mario and Luigi realize that Bowser is completely misguided and was never actually evil to begin with.

Squirt and Richard continue fending off the minions at the kingdom, saving as many toads as they can. Toadette, Jason, and Mason come out of Gary's hub and meetup with the duo. Squirt explains everything that has happened to the trio but they are unable to comprehend everything in one sitting. With no time to explain, they run to Squirt's house and decide to unravel everything there. The Elite trio bring Mario and Luigi back to them and the bros reveal they now know how to defeat Bowser before the screen cuts to black

To Be Continued appears on the screen