Super Mario Odyssey (Fan Novelization)

Chapter 18: Shine On through the Storm

"We've got some major turbulence up ahead." Cappy had told him so five minutes ago, and the hat wasn't wrong. The Odyssey was now stuck in a malevolent blender of clouds and electricity, the latter threatening to cut their journey short. 

Every few seconds, Mario would be tossed into a wall, a chair, or even into his own closet. It was partially his fault for standing up in the middle of a shaking ship, but just sitting down and waiting would have made him feel far too vulnerable. The Bonneter on the other hand was busy huddling in the aforementioned closet, making a good attempt at looking up brochures for Bowser's Kingdom. 

All around them, violet sparks flew through the air, accompanying clouds of similar hue. Water pounded against the sails and the main body of the ship, threatening to rust down any exposed metal. And thanks to Bowser's last attack in Nimbus Arena, there was quite a lot of it. 

A sudden gust knocked one of the chairs over, taking the plumber down. Shortly afterwards, a roar-like cackle blared through the sky, shaking the entire airship again. Mario scrambled to his feet. He knew that laugh. Before anyone could stop him, he had opened the door and peeked out, much to Cappy's dismay. 

Through the haze of the storm, he could just about see a shadow in the distance looping about the ship. Now and then a flash of lightning would blind him for a moment, but he stood firm, pale blue eyes scanning the horizon. Another crash of thunder, another sighting of the mysterious shadow, and he saw it clearly for the first time. 

It didn't take long for the winged monster to notice him as well. With a harsh swerve to the right, the dark beast flew over until it was just flying in front of the Odyssey. The dragon' let out a growl, and he swore he felt the airship itself trembling. Lilac electricity crackled across its body, a stray spark melting part of the ship's railing. 

And perched between its horns, the Koopa King himself stood.

"Hey, plumber boy. Been a while since we've talked and I shot you down, huh? Dang, your ship's still pretty busted up. I should give my minions a raise sometime."

"Bowser..." The Italian's voice trembled, his gloved hands curling into fists.

"Oh, what's that? You want a fight? Well, my friend here has you covered." The turtle raised an arm and pointed it at the ship. "Have a taste of this guy, plumber boy!"

The dragon's jaws opened, a light flashed behind its teeth, and the entire ship was blasted with a laser. From inside the ship, Cappy rolled out of the closet, writhing and screaming. It was nothing compared to what Mario was undergoing, though. The plumber's feeling could only be described as discordant, jarring, burning - and extremely painful. He crumpled to the deck in moments, clinging on to himself for dear life as his insides began to flare up, then the rest of him. Like a fire beginning in his bones, the heat spread, until it felt like his entire body was being torn apart in every different direction.

Just as quickly as the glow had appeared, it was gone, but the burning lasted, and it left a nearly unconscious man and his hat on the deck. Worst of all, the Odyssey itself had taken the brunt of the attack. Pipes burnt, sails charred, and metal shell coming apart at the very edges, the ship began to fall once again. 

"Hah. Lord Lightning, you're a pretty cool dude. Ya know that?" Bowser smirked, steel-soled shoes planted firmly on the dragon's head. The pale wedding ship flew back up again, and the turtle leaped on. "Well, what are ya waitin' for? Take him out for good." 

• • •

Smoke everywhere. Scraps of steel on the floor around him, a few digging into his skin. Without even turning around, he could tell the Odyssey had been reduced to a flaming mess behind him. For once, even Cappy was speechless. Who wouldn't be after they nearly got killed by a lightning beam?