Once in a Blue Moon

## **Plot**

Two cloaked figures are seen bunking on top of one another in a high-security prison in Pinville. One of them grabs an object which is revealed to be tear gas and it explodes into a guard's face, blinding him and during the commotion, one of the criminals steals the keys for the jail cell and unlocks them both free. They then sprint out of the prison with the alarms blaring in the background. They become cornered by many security guards but one of them reveals they have a bar of dynamite which causes them to stay back, allowing the two to escape. They reveal themselves to be Wario and Waluigi, two mischievous brothers who plan to seek out the legendary Blue Emerald.

Squirt and Leroy are playing a rather intense game of chess until Luigi accidently bumps into the game, knocking down Squirt's king on the floor. Leroy takes advantage of his distraction and spins the chess board around, making it appear as he is winning. Squirt is appalled but before he could react, two security guards knock at the doors to alert Peach of what occurred last night at Pinville. When the bros provoke Peach on what the Blue Emerald is, she tells them that it is one of the most ancient artifacts in the kingdom and was considered to be pure and delicate. As a result, it was kept safe in a display box, only known to be destroyed under the most powerful instances, noting that not even the biggest bullet in the world could destroy it. When asked on who tried stealing the emerald, they attest that the attempted thieves consisted of a slim, tall man and another who was extremely obese and bulky. Squirt gasps, worrying that it may be Wario and Waluigi, two thieves who have been regular menaces to the kingdom. When asked why they haven't been a threat before during their time there, Squirt says that they were taken into a high facility prison and must have somehow escaped. They garnered a reputation for never being able to succeed in their crimes but vowed that one day they will. Conveniently enough, breaking news appear on the tv, alerting the team that it was indeed the mischievous duo that broke out of the prison. Leroy connects the dots and says that he has been doing much research behind the kingdom and it is said that if the emerald was exposed to anything that matches the color of it, it could produce the most powerful energy unlike anyone has ever seen. To make matters worse for the team, that night is going to be the extremely rare Blue Moon eclipse, caused by star fragments from the Star Bit festival months prior floating in front of the moon's orbit, giving it a blue color and shine. Mario becomes more determined to put an end to their scheme along with Luigi, who says that he is rather "excited" to meet his new "friends".

The bros decide to take initiative on the matter and plan to spend the night outside the museum housing the emerald. However, Peach insists against the idea, saying they would just lost themselves sitting there doing nothing, and will get no sleep in the process. Mario says that he hasn't slept well ever since he awoke out of the rejuvenation tank, but insisting he and Luigi will be fine. That night, the blue moon shines down as the bros catch up with each other, asking how they both are. Luigi says that while he is still recovering, he feels "different", citing something feels lost and that he feels a part of him was left back in the Macroverse. Mario assures him that everything is fine and that he doesn't need to worry about anything because they both will have each other's backs no matter what. Suddenly, they hear a noise and the two cloaked figures reveal themselves to the bros, they introduce themselves as the former mischievous brothers. The bros battle it out with them but before Mario could land a fiery punch on Wario, he becomes weakened and is unable to shoot a fireball, leading to him being beaten badly. Luigi fights off Waluigi and gains the upper hand but sees that Mario has faltered, leading Wario to go closer to the Emerald. Luigi tries his best to catch up with him but Waluigi holds him back. He pleads Mario to help him but Mario is too weakened, confused on to why he is unable to use his powers. Luigi asks him what is wrong but he remains deeply weakened. Luigi notices Wario took Mario's hat and he reveals that he plans to fool the cameras to make it look like Mario is the one stealing the Emerald. Luigi becomes tied up by them and Waluigi steals his hat, also planning on fooling security with the same idea but with Luigi. Wario and Waluigi leave the museum in shambles, stealing the Emerald, returning the bros' hats to them. The police come in to see the bros tied up and ask what happened to which before the bros could explain, security orders them to arrest the bros, saying it was a setup. The bros resist arrest, saying they know the truth but security takes them to the camera room, showing Wario and Waluigi with the bros' hats, unfortunately leading them to believe it was the bros who commited the crime. When provoked on where the Emerald is, security says they broke it into pieces, which Wario secretly broke another similar artifact to create the illusion of the Emerald broken. The bros are taken into custody to the dismay of Peach and the others. Peach orders the police not to detain the bros but they insist since she is not of higher power and doesn't possess Queen status, she is not authorized to command orders. She pleads Toadsworth who orders them the same command but the security reveals they are under new management, called the Safety and Protection for Mushroom Kingdom New Edition, or S.A.P.F.M.K.N.E. for short. Toadsworth demands to know who established the new management to which they say they don't have to answer him. Squirt suggests they find out on their own, with Toadette saying that she can find out since her mother works for the police force.

Wario and Waluigi celebrate their one and only crime success. They humble themselves, and reveal that they are the fiends behind tricking the police force in the kingdom that a new establishment has been made for them, not under the authority of Toadsworth or Peach. It only makes sense they would be so quick to change considering how fast Squirt took over when he became king temporarily. They also reveal they made the new establishment under the theme of the bros being enemies and how they are planning on committing a crime, which only lead to their arrest making sense. They head to their hideout which is high atop a hill with two large black eyes named hilly.

The bros are taken into a cell in the most high tech security prison, with their mugshots taken and the news on their "betrayal" being broadcasted across the entire island. Luigi tells Mario they will find a way out, citing if Wario and Waluigi did then they can too. Mario is left in a monotone state, not paying anything any attention. Luigi asks him what is wrong and he responds that he can't use any of his powers, and feels utterly useless as a result. Luigi demands him to not feel that way, saying his powers don't define who he is. Mario snaps back saying he can't understand because he still has his powers. Luigi retaliates by saying has he ever felt useless before he found out he even had powers. Mario becomes silent, taking the question into thought.

Peach, Squirt, Toadsworth, and Toadette head to the police academy towards the computer lab. They don't find anything about the new management, leading Peach to believe it is fake. Toadsworth agrees, saying it is strange as it surely would have some background at the very least. Toadette takes this as the opportunity to ask her mom Portabella if she knows anything about the new management to which she becomes immediately confused, saying they were never made aware of such a thing. This leaves the team shocked, saying that there must be a secret undercover service bent on ruining the bros' lives. They march up the chief, demanding to know where they put the bros but they resort to using violence and threats in order to get what they want. He reveals the location and Toadette's mother tags along, saying she too is suspicious and would like to learn more about what is happening. Back at the castle, Bowser is cleaning up when he hears rustling right outside the window, he becomes suspicious of the noise and investigates.

They remain undercover while trying to sneak into the prison. Peach sees the security guards' uniforms in a trailer and she brings up the idea of blending in. The team dress up as security officers and blend in with the others, able to get inside but become horrified to learn they each need a key card to gain access inside the facility, which is crawling with searchlights and guards on high walls. Squirt eyes down a guard place down his card on a bench and is about to grab it before another guard spots him, asking him what he is doing. Squirt answers that he just needs one since he lost his own but this prompts suspicion in the guard who alerts the others through a walkie talkie. However, Portabella grabs him in a chokehold allowing Toadsworth to knock him down with his cane, with the others not hearing what he said clearly. Squirts grabs the key card and they gain access inside. They then split up to try and find the bros. Squirt and Toadsworth spot an abandoned pile of bob-ombs, which give them an idea on how to escape. Peach eyes down a map inside a security camera room while the guard sleeps. She spots them in the highest room in the prison and makes a run for them. She finds the bros and they become gleeful in her presence. Mario however, tells Peach that he thinks something is wrong and that he isn't gonna be strong enough to even run away, saying he has been mysteriously stripped of his powers. Peach takes a moment to tell him that even without his powers, he is a human being full of love and doesn't need them to be a hero. She unlocks the door and they meetup with the others but come face to face with Wario and Waluigi, who reveal the facility is atop hilly. A brawl ensues, with Luigi gaining the upper hand against Waluigi once more, but this time also beating up Wario in the process. Mario tries his best to fight back but is noticeably weaker, getting blows from them left and right. However, he makes a large blow to Wario right in the face, knocking him unconscious. They escape and heist a prison van to haul away. They barely make it out of the prison's confinements just before the gates close. Squirt reveals that he and Toadsworth lit up the bob-ombs just before they left, resulting in a massive explosion behind them. The team congratulate each other, relishing in their victory. Wario and Waluigi manage to escape the rubble and destruction, vowing their revenge on the bros.

Bowser snoops around more and becomes horrified to see Lizel and Fawful. He prepares to take them out for good but Lizel begs him not to, saying they have both turned a new leaf. Bowser doesn't believe her but she insists she is telling the truth, for real this time. Fawful reveals his wound to Bowser, saying he wouldn't be faking a wound just for a lie. He says that he admires Bowser's turnover, though Bowser states it is more of a "truce" at the moment. Fawful laments ever working for someone else, saying that is how his life has been ever since he was born, he never had the liberty of being a leader, as he was mostly swooped by angry mercenaries or evil witches. He begs that Bowser doesn't tell the others about their whereabouts. He says that he won't, but if they don't want to be seen, he suggests they should move, further saying it's their decision if they want to come out to the light and be responsible for their mistakes, much like how he did with Bowserland and his own past behavior.

The team returns and sheds light on the corrupt police force, which in turn calls for an entire change in the academy. This in turn, leads to a public apology to the bros, and has Portabella placed as the new chief, which she accepts.