Computer Station Area, Throne Room, Palace of Power.

Back at the Palace of Power, MegaMan, Kid Icarus, and Samus Aran were watching the television reports on MegaMan's monitor.  Kid Icarus asked, "Do you think that Simon-ious, Captain N, Duke, Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Yoshi have found Her High-nicus yet?"

            MegaMan said, "I hope so.  I have a very distinct feeling that something mega-bad is about to happen again."  The screen flashed to an Eggplant Bulletin.  Ludwig and Eggplant Wizard had again taken over the TV antenna.  Eggplant Wizard was on the TV screen.

            Eggplant Wizard said, "We bring you another special Eggplant Bulletin.  The Palace of Power is under attack once more!"

            Samus asked, "What could he be talking about?  There is no one here but us."

            His voice on television, Ludwig said, "Oh, yeah?  Well, think again!"  Ludwig, Eggplant Wizard, and King Hippo popped out of the television.  "Hooray for my television-warp-zone remote control."

            MegaMan said, "Oh, yeah?  Let me at King Hippo!  I'll mega-punch him and mega-kick him and mega-chop him!"

            King Hippo held MegaMan off with his huge, gloved hand.  "Yeah?  Well, I'll give you a mega-belly-bump!"  King Hippo used his huge belly to bash MegaMan to the end of the table.

            Kid Icarus drew his harp.  "Oops!  Wrong item."  He put his harp away and drew his bow.  "All right, you rotten eggplant!  You are going to serve time in the Palace Jail!"

            Eggplant Wizard got out his racquet.  "Oh, yeah?  Not if I serve you first!"  When Kid Icarus reached for an arrow to shoot at Eggplant Wizard, Eggplant Wizard grabbed him, tossed him in the air, and whacked him into MegaMan with the racquet.

            Samus said, "Come on, Ludwig.  Let's see whose weapon is worse.  On the count of five, fire."

            "All right, Samus," said Ludwig.  He drew his sceptre, and Samus selected her missile cannon.

            Eggplant Wizard counted, "One, two, three, four, four and a half, four and three quarters, six, seven, nine, eight, ten, FIVE!!!"  On the count of five, Ludwig fired his sceptre and blasted Samus back into Kid Icarus and MegaMan.  "Nice going, future Emperor Ludwig, O evil boss!  You know, Samus, you really should never have gotten out of bed this morning."  Eggplant Wizard produced three of Wily's deep-sleep apples.  "And I call this my mackintosh backhand."  He whacked the apples into the good guys' mouths.  The three good guys fell asleep.  Eggplant Wizard removed his squash-radio from his pocket.  "Eggplant Wizard calling Big MamaBrain.  Mission accomplished!"

            * * *

            Nightmare World.

            In the Nightmare World, Kevin and Duke were wandering around.  "Princess Lana, where are you?" Kevin called.

            Lana cried, "Kevin!  Keep away!"

            Captain N found her.  "Princess Lana!"  She turned around, and Kevin saw that her face had turned into a striking resemblance of MotherBrain's ugly face!  "-Gasp!-"

            "I've turned into a monster.  I'm too horrible to look at!"  She covered her face.  When Kevin pulled her arms gently to pull her hands from her face, it turned back to normal.

            Tenderly, Captain N said, "No.  It's just a bad dream.  How are you?"  She hugged him and almost kissed him. . . really kissed him.

            Lana said, "I'm fine, Kevin.  What has happened?"

            "I guess they got all of us in the Nightmare World.  Come on.  Let's look for the others."

            * * *

            Meanwhile, in another part of the Nightmare World, MegaMan was battling with the deadly, below-freezing IceMan.  MegaMan said, "Give up, you ice-spitting freak!"

            "Oh, yeah, Mega-jerk?  Well, let's see you stop cold!" said IceMan.  He fired a beam of ice at MegaMan and froze him solid.

            "Yah!  W-w-what have y-y-y-you d-d-d-done t-t-t-to m-m-me?"

            "I have given you, say, the cold shoulder!  Ha, ha, ha, ha!"  �Auf Wiedersehen!  {Ahwf vé-dehr-záy-ehn!}  [German]  (Good-bye!)"  IceMan suddenly disappeared.

            "W-w-w-well, I guess that I ought to f-f-f-find K-k-k-k-kid Icarus."

            * * *

            Meanwhile, Kid Icarus was flying around looking for MegaMan.  Kid Icarus said, "I wonder where I am."  Suddenly, his bow and arrows flew out in front of him.  "Hey!  Get back here!"  The bow fired arrows at Kid Icarus and hit him several times as he attempted to flee.  "Yaaah!  That is the last time I get an automatic bow!"

            * * *

            Meanwhile, in another part of Nightmare World, Simon was on stage in front of an audience of monsters.  Simon said, "Well, this does not seem like such a nightmarish place."  Suddenly, his shirt and gloves floated up off him.

            A voice announced, "And now, ladies and gentlemonsters, presenting Simon 'The Body' Belmont!"

            Simon flexed his muscles.  "Nightmare nothing!  This is one terrific dream!"  He heard a sloshing sound.  "Hmm.  Something seems to be leaking."  He saw his bicep bulge under his arm!  "Yaaah!  My muscles!  Not my beautiful teeth!"  With this, his teeth fell out, then his hair, and, on top of it all, pimples formed.  "No!  Get back where you belong, you stupid hairs!  Simon Belmont has never had pimples!"  He looked at himself in his mirror.  "Yaaah!  Not that!  I. . . I'm disgusting!  This is a nightmare!  I'm getting out of here!"  Simon ran.  He collided with MegaMan, still frozen, and Kid Icarus, still with arrows sticking in him.  "Yaaah!  I've just re-had the worst nightmare of my whole life!"

            Kid Icarus said, "Me, too.  I dreamt again that my bow and arrows attacked me."

            Shivering, MegaMan said, "And I dreamt once more that IceMan gave me a m-m-m-m-mega-overdose of his Ice S-s-s-slasher."  Then, Captain N and Princess Lana found them.

            Captain N said, "Hey, guys!  I assume that you have met your nightmares.  Princess Lana, Duke, and I have."

            "We still have not found the others," MegaMan said.  He heard Samus rapidly approaching while yelling for help.  "Um, check that.  I shall be back."  MegaMan went and saw that Samus Aran had a Metroid on her head!  "Whoa!"

            "Samus, what happened?" Kevin asked.

            "What's it look like?" Samus asked.  "Get this darn Metroid off me!  I have no missiles or bombs!"

            "Don't worry.  My Zapper will fix that Metroid."  Captain N fried the Metroid with five blasts from his Zapper.  "Whew!  There we go.  That was definitely your worst nightmare."

            "It sure was.  MegaMan, Kid Icarus, Simon, Princess Lana, Duke, and Captain N are accounted for, but not Zelda and Peach.  Where is Link now?"

            �Je ne sais pas.  {Zhuh'n seh pah.}  [French]  (I don't know.)�  "Link is supposed to be in the Kingdom of Hyrule to blast a Moblin that was terrifying the populace.  Of course, Ludwig could have made up a trick in Hyrule, and that Moblin business may have been a ruse.  That would mean. . ."  Then, Captain N heard Link approaching and yelling.  ". . .that Link is here.  I may be correct, but I shall check."  Link ran onto the scene with a Moblin on his tail.  Captain N destroyed the Moblin with his Zapper.

            Link said, "Thank you, Kevin!  I thought that I was going to be a hero sandwich for that Moblin."

            "What happened to Hyrule, Link?"

            "Larry 'Cheatsy' Koopa and Roy 'Bully' Koopa happened.  They made a Moblin to lure me to the Lost Forest, then fed me one of their poison apples and made me fall asleep.  Apparently, I landed in this nightmare."

            "Just as I thought.  With us stuck here in the Nightmare Universe, VideoLand is ripe for the plucking by those evil . . ."  He had no time to finish.  He heard yelling from Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Yoshi.

            Mario's voice cried, "Back, you Magikoopa!"  Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Yoshi ran into the area.

            Captain N said, "Here you are!"

            "Let's save the reunion stuff until after we fix Wisenheimer {wahy-zehn-hahy-muhr}!"  The wizard mentioned came onto the scene.  He wore spectacles and a blue robe from his head to his feet; it included a floppy top for his head.  His mouth was like a beak.

            Wisenheimer said, "That is Wisenheimer {vih-zehn-hahy-mehr}!  The name is German!"

            Mario said, "Wisen {wahy-zehn}-whatever."  Wisenheimer {vih-zehn-hahy-mehr} hurled a spell at Mario and turned him into a block.  Captain N then drew his Zapper.

            Captain N said, "Okay, wizard-wise-guy.  Eat video-electrons!"  Captain N fired his Zapper and fried the Koopa wizard.

            Wisenheimer said, "Now my worst dream is coming true!  Aaaah. . .!"  Captain N blasted the wizard back to Metroid, and Mario was changed back to normal.

            "Now I know why they call you 'Captain N:  The Game Master.'  You are the Game Master!" Mario said.

            "Thank you, Mario," Kevin said.  "Where are the other two princesses?"

            "My sensors are picking up some more screaming," MegaMan said.  The two princesses ran in.

            Captain N asked, "What's the matter, Princess Zelda?"

            Zelda cried, "A Lanmola!"

            Link said, "A Lanmola?  That would have been among my worst nightmares!"  A large Lanmola entered the area.  "Eat sword-ray, caterpillar-face!"  Link fired a strong beam from his sword, destroying the Lanmola.

            Peach said, "Thank you for saving us from that overgrown centipede, Link."

            "Maybe now we can leave this nightmare on von Koopa Street!" MegaMan said.

            Captain N said, "Princess Lana and I have searched everywhere.  We've found no warp zones.  MotherBrain may be right; we may be stuck here forever.  I forgot how we left last time!"

            Simon said, "Oh, no!  Does that mean that I'll never get my great looks back?  If I'd never eaten that stupid apple, I may have never entered this sleepless nightmare!"

            "That's it!  I remember now.  There's a warp zone into and out of this world!  If we fall asleep in this world, we will wind up back in our world, since we woke up in this world by going to sleep in our world."

            Mario said, "I'll try anything to be able to taste spaghetti noodles again."  They all fell asleep.  Simon had a teddy bear from his backpack.

            * * *

            Royal Portraits Room, Palace of Power.

            Meanwhile, at the Palace of Power, MotherBrain and the Koopas had already taken up 'residence.'  "Right there, no, there, no,. . . that's it!  Right there!" MotherBrain said to direct Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo in putting up a picture of her.  Ludwig came in.  "Ah, my son!  What do you think?"

            Ludwig said, "Ah, what an excellent tribute to your beauty, Your Braininess."

            "Run out and get our picture of Ludwig, Eggplant Wizard."

            Eggplant Wizard said, "Yes, Your Wrinkledness."  MotherBrain zapped him in the back.  "Yaaaah!"

            "I keep telling you NEVER to say the word 'wrinkles' around me, Eggplant Wizard!  These are beauty lines.  Now, get going!"

            "Yes, MotherBrain."  Eggplant Wizard hopped out.  He came back with the specified picture.

            "Good.  Now, hang it next to the glorious portrait of me, on the right side.  No, your other right!  There!  Hang it there.  What do you think, Ludwig?"

            Ludwig said, "It is a good painting, if I do say so myself.  A painting of my handsome self requires only to be hung next to a painting of any member of my great-looking clan, including yourself, my dear MotherBrain."

            "Thank you, Ludwig.  I knew that some people whom I met along the way would know that I am beautiful."

            Eggplant Wizard said, "I don't know. . . it looks like there is a stain on your brain.  Do not worry.  King Hippo and I are expert brainwashers, are we not, Hippo?"

            "Yes!" King Hippo said.  "Let's show her, Eggie!"  Eggplant Wizard produced a sudsy mop.  He began washing MotherBrain's bottle!

            "What are you two doing?" asked MotherBrain.

            King Hippo said, "We're washing the stains off your brain, MotherBrain."  A portion of the suds were pulled away for a second.  From inside the jar, one saw Eggplant Wizard in front of this window before it sudsed up again.

            King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard sang rather unmelodically, "The stains on brains stay mainly in the plains!"

            Once the suds were cleaned off her bottle, MotherBrain said, "I shall stain your brains if you do not get out there and bring me the rest of those paintings now!"  Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo left immediately to get the rest of the paintings.  When they returned, they put them on the wall next to Ludwig's and MotherBrain's portraits.  "Ah, a regular set of masterpieces!"

            Ludwig said, "Ah, yes!  I definitely agree.  A veritable art gallery."

            * * *

            Throne Room.

            A little later, there was a congregation in the throne room.  Larry said, "I propose a toast to Queen MotherBrain, King Dad Koopa, and Prince Baron Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa!  May they live long and prosper!"

            Roy, Wendy, Morton, Lemmy, Iggy, Eggplant Wizard, King Hippo, and Dr. Wily simultaneously declared, "Here, here!"

            MotherBrain said, "Oh, kids!  You really shouldn't have."

            Wendy said, "It is a tribute to our conquest of VideoLand and to your beauty, Queen MotherBrain!"

            Ludwig said, "And let us not forget who came up with this devious plan.  That person is Prince Morton Koopa, Jr.!"

            Everyone declared, "Hip-hip hooray!  Three cheers for Prince Morton Koopa, Jr.!"  Then, the doorbell rang.

            King Hippo said, "I'll get it."  At the door, there was a person with a big bin.  This was MegaMan disguised cleverly in a peasant's clothes.  "Who's there?"

            Easily disguising his voice, MegaMan said, "I bring a gift for the new rulers of VideoLand."  King Hippo let him in.  MegaMan brought in a wagon of apples.

            "Look, Queen MotherBrain!  It is a gift from our humble subjects."  Captain N leapt out of the apples.

            Captain N said, "Guess again, boxing-glove-breath!"

            "It is the N-Team!" cried Ludwig.

            "A+, Ludwig!"

            Roy said, "Fools!  I'll have to teach you a lesson!"

            Lana took one of the apples.  "And I have an apple for the teacher."  She tossed the apple into Roy's open mouth.  Roy fell asleep.

            Lemmy said, "I shall out-clown you N-Team do-dos!"

            Mario took another of the apples.  "And I have a fruit to toss at the worst clown act."  Mario tossed this apple into Lemmy's open mouth.  Lemmy fell over and knocked out Iggy and Morton.

            Wendy said, "What are we going to do, Larry?"

            "Do not worry!" Larry said.  "I am the master of cheating."

            Luigi said, "Oh, yeah?  Well, I have some juice for the cheaters!"  Luigi took two apples, squeezed them very hard, and squirted apple juice up Larry's and Wendy's noses!

            Ludwig said, "Let's see you good guys get me!"

            "Okay, Ludwig," said MegaMan.  "Hey!  Aren't those musical notes coming off your head?"

            With a wide, open mouth, Ludwig said, "Musical notes?  Where are they?  I may need them for a concerto!  Oops."  MegaMan threw an apple into Ludwig's mouth; the apple entered as the evil prince was saying, 'concerto.'  "Why, you - yawn - cheater!"

            Bowser said, "Uh, oh!  You are not getting me!"  He took an apple.  "I'm getting myself!"  He bit the apple.  Eggplant Wizard, King Hippo, and Dr. Wily were gaping, so Simon tossed apples into their mouths.

            "I shall have to deal with you all by myself!" said MotherBrain.  Captain N was juggling three apples in front of her.  "Hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee, hee!  Those apples cannot hurt me, Captain N.  I am surrounded with protective glass."  Captain N threw the apples on her jar so that the juice would stream down and mix with the liquid inside MotherBrain's jar.

            Captain N said, "Not apples, MotherBrain. . . apple juice!"

            "Noooooo. . .!  -Snore!-"  She began snoozing.  All the Brain-Team members were warped back to Metroid.

            "That ought to give them nightmares for a while!" Kevin said.

            Lana said, "VideoLand owes you yet another debt of gratitude, Kevin."

            "That won't be necessary, Princess.  But there is one thing."

            "What is that?"

            "Well, I felt a little disappointed when I was unable to awaken you with a kiss."

            "Don't you remember, Kevin?"  She kissed him on the cheek.  "I'd much rather get kissed while I'm awake."  She wanted to give him a real kiss rather than just a peck on the cheek, but she wouldn't do it in front of anyone else.  She would also feel uncomfortable expressing to Kevin her intimate feelings for him.  She knew she would have to get over this; the only ones who knew her feelings for him were Zelda, Peach, and Kid Icarus.  How long would it be before he found out?  Would he respond with the same feelings?

            Simon said, "Hey!  That's not fair!  I came to your rescue, too.  Where is my kiss?"  Duke arfed, jumped up in Simon's arms, and licked his face!

            Captain N laughed, "Ha, ha!  You're getting your kisses, Simon!  Dog kisses!"

            "Yuck!  I'm being poisoned!"  Everyone laughed.

            * * *

            Control Room, Metroid.

            On Planet Metroid, everyone had awakened by the time morning rolled around.  MotherBrain said, "I shall get that blasted Captain N for this!  If it is the last thing I do, I shall get him!"

            "It probably will be the last thing you do, MotherBrain," said Eggplant Wizard, not thinking.

            King Hippo said, "I think I know what's coming."

            "It is all your fault, Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo!" MotherBrain said.  "Get out of my sight right NOW!!!"  As the fools ran, MotherBrain and Ludwig zapped them with powerful electrical shocks.

            Ludwig said, "They have some nerve."

            "Those two fools certainly do!" said MotherBrain.

            "You're right, but I was talking about the N-Team.  I ought to smack them into oblivion!  Now that I know what my worst fear is, I'm telling no one."

            "Good idea, Ludwig.  It is a good idea not to tell anyone of your worst fear.  That way, no one can use it against you."

            "True.  I still feel that there's something wrong, though.  Something about my worst nightmare worries me, gives me the creeps.  Oh, I shall forget about it for now.  If it actually happens, I shall remember."  In came King Bowser Koopa.  "Hello, Father."

            Bowser greeted, "Hello.  Was there something peculiar in your worst nightmare, Ludwig?"

            "Yes, Dad.  Why?"

            "What was that peculiarity?"

            "I shall only tell the two of you.  Someone who looked precisely like me - like some duplicate - beat me."

            "That is that of which I was afraid.  Your five brothers, your sister, and I had the same kind of nightmare."

            "You mean a duplicate of Larry defeated Larry, of Wendy defeated Wendy, and so on?"

            "Yes."

            MotherBrain said, "That seems like it would have been a weird dream.  I, however, dreamt something entirely different."  She frowned.  "That stinking Captain N!"

            "Hmm.  MotherBrain, let's get Dr. Wily to look up a record of all birth certificates of citizens born in VideoLand and the Mushroom World," Bowser said.

            "Why?"

            "I have a funny feeling about this."

            "Is all well, my dear?"

            "My mom has been telling me of a lost Koopaling of hers.  In other words, a son to which something happened.  She said that he looked precisely like me, but, somewhere, she lost him.  He was my twin.  I don't know what happened to him or what his name was."

            Ludwig said, "Yes.  She's told me, also."

            MotherBrain said, "I see.  I understand that you must have thought it unnecessary to tell me before now."

            "True," Bowser said.  "Ludwig, call Mother and ask her to come over, please."  Did I really ask that?  He and his mother did not have the best relationship.  She did not exactly approve of his evil activities, but then she could not stop him.  Her husband, the former King of Koopas, had died, and thus Bowser now had the throne.

            "Yes, Father," said Ludwig.  Ludwig went to his super-computer and pressed a button on the control panel.  He lifted up a phone receiver and dialled.  After a pause, someone answered.  "Hello, Grandmother?  This is Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa.  Dad would like you to come over. . . .  Okay.  Thank you.  'Bye."  He hung up.

            Bowser asked, "What did she say?"

            "She said that she would be right over."  Just as Eggplant Wizard was entering, the doorbell rang.  "Eggplant Wizard, go get it."

            Eggplant Wizard said, "Yes, Prince Ludwig."  He cautiously opened the door a fourth of the way.  "Who's there?"

            Koopa's mother thrust open the door and smashed Eggplant Wizard between the door and the wall.  "Out of the way, low-life!"  She entered, closed the door, and stepped on Eggplant Wizard's foot with the heel of her high-heel shoe.

            Eggplant Wizard screamed, "YOW!!!"

            "Oh, shut up, idiot!  I came to see Bowser."

            Bowser said, "Right here, Mother!"  He was in no mood to argue with her today, so he would be careful not to say something stupid.

            "Howdy, Bowser!  You wanted to see me?"

            "Yes, my dear mother."

            Ludwig moved his chair in front of Mother Koopa.  "Have a seat, Grandmother," he said.

            "Thank you, Ludwig."  She sat down.  "Thank you for asking me over, Bowser.  I feel comfortable in such dark, dank, smelly surroundings.  Anyway, why did you want to see me, Bowser?"

            "Well, you see, Mother, in our last defeat, the blasted N-Team sent us all into the Nightmare Universe, and all of my Koopalings and I, in our worst nightmares, were beaten by ourselves.  I was beaten by myself, Ludwig was beaten by Ludwig, and so on, just like that."

            "Well, it is time I told you the identity of your long-lost twin brother, Bowser.  He looked exactly like you, except for a very distinct birthmark on the bottom of his foot.  It looked like your face with an 'S' in the open mouth.  You have a distinct birthmark on the back of your tail.  It looks like your face with a 'B' in the open mouth."

            Ludwig looked at the back of his own tail.  "Why, I have it, also!  It's faint, though."

            Bowser did the same.  "True, Mother."

            "You see, Bowser, those birthmarks are the means by which I named you.  I named you 'Bowser' because you had a 'B' in your birthmark.  Your brother had an 'S' in his birthmark, so I named him 'Spike.' "

            "Hmm.  Have you a clue as to the whereabouts of my brother?"

            "No.  He disappeared without a trace.  When I studied about the Nightmare Universe, I noticed that only one of one person can be in there at a time, so it must have been your brother that was there.  Of course, there could be illusions of a person, but only if you know that person."

            "My father's brother with offspring who have precisely the same looks as we," Ludwig noted.

            "I wonder where he is sleeping in this universe," Mother Koopa remarked.  In came Dr. Wily, ProtoMan, and Ridley.

            Dr. Wily said, "MotherBrain, I checked the birth records as your message requested."

            Bowser asked, "What did you find, Wily?"  ProtoMan handed a sheet of paper to Wily.

            "These are records I printed.  I found a twin brother of yours called King Spike Koopa."

            Mother Koopa said, "Ah, yes.  Another thing.  Spike was two seconds older than you, Bowser, so he was my oldest Koopaling."

            Dr. Wily continued, "So, he was the next one to become King of the Koopas, so he would have been King Koopa, had he not disappeared before his and King Bowser's father died.  I also found something else which is very interesting.  -Wheeze!-  Pardon.  According to my data search, he 'hatched' up seven Koopalings in the following order:  Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa; Larry (Spike)Koopa; Roy (Spike)Koopa; Wendy O. (Spike)Koopa; Morton (Spike)Koopa, Jr.; and Lemmy and Iggy (Spike)Koopa."

            Ludwig said, "Uncanny!"

            Bowser said, "Double-uncanny!"

            "Triple-uncanny!" said MotherBrain.

            "Yeah!" said Mother Koopa.  "Like they said!"

            "And," Ridley continued, "the most amazing fact of all is that they are all the same age as King Bowser's Koopalings. . . with the same time difference between births."

            Bowser asked, "Do you have any other information?"

            ProtoMan said, "Not now, but Wily's computer is performing a data search.  It'll come up with some more pieces of information in a few hours."

            Ludwig said, "Thank you, guys.  Thou art dismissed, Wily."  Wily bowed, then left.

            Eggplant Wizard asked, "Do you want King Hippo and me to do something about this, Prince Ludwig?"

            Ludwig said, "Yes, Eggplant Wizard.  I would like you two to search all over VideoLand and see if you can find that other side of the family."

            "As you wish, O evil master.  HEY, KING BLOBBO!!!  WE HAVE A JOB TO DO!!!"  In came King Hippo.  He was much wider than usual.  "Whoa!  What happened to you?"

            King Hippo said, "I found Ludwig's two hundred cases of Pepsi-Cola.  I guess I got carried away drinking."

            "I would say so."

            Ludwig said, "Oh, you always put too much junk in your large larder.  Get going!"

            "Let's go, King Hippo."

            "Where?" asked King Hippo.

            "We're going to look for King Koopa's long lost brother.  Now, let's go!"

            "Where shall we search first?"

            Ludwig thought.  "Try the Koopa Kingdom in the Mushroom World."

            "All right.  Come, Eggplant in the face!"

            "Okay, he who is larger than ten billion houses," Eggplant Wizard said.  They left for the Mushroom World warp.

            Ludwig asked, "Thinkest thou that I ought to check my Pepsi-Cola supply?"

            "I would," said MotherBrain.  As Ludwig left to check his Pepsi-Cola supply, Eggplant and Hippo entered the warp zone to Koopa Kingdom in the Kingdom of the Mushroom World.  The latter action registered at the Palace of Power.

            * * *

            Throne Room, Palace of Power.

            Kid Icarus reported, "Someone just passed through a warp zone."

            Captain N asked, "Who?"  Kid Icarus typed in a command at his computer console.  He read what came up on the screen in a few seconds.

            "It says that Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo have just warped to Koopa Kingdom in the Kingdom of the Mushroom World."

            Mario said, "Come on, N-Team.  Let's clog their evil pipes.  Want to come, Perry Mason?"

            Perry Mason answered, "Oh, no thank you.  I would much rather stay and make sure that MotherBrain stays out of your way."

            Paul Drake said, "That goes for me, too."

            "I'll stay, too," Della Street said.

            "Me, too," said Hamilton Burger.

            Lieutenant Arthur Tragg said, "Well, I guess that I ought to at least come along and see that those two idiots, the king of rotten fruit and the punching dummy, cause no trouble."  Many of the N-Team entered the warp to Koopa Kingdom.

            * * *

            Koopa Kingdom, north of Dark Land, Mushroom World.

            They emerged in front of a boiling lava pool.  Mario said, "Whew!  That is hot!"

            Lana looked at a hill behind their spot of emergence.  "Hey!  There they are!"  King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard spotted them and were spotted by them.

            Eggplant Wizard said, "It is the N-Team!"  He got out his squash-radio.  "This is Eggplant Wizard calling Big MamaBrain.  Please come in!"

            MotherBrain replied, "This is MotherBrain, Eggplant Wizard.  What is it?"

            "The N-Team followed us here!"

            "I'll get backup out there immediately."

            "Thank you, MotherBrain."  Before he could put his squash-radio away, Kevin blasted it to bits with his Zapper.  "My squash-radio!  Blast you, Captain Nerd!"

            Captain N said, "Save the sweet talk, Eggplant Wizard.  Why are you here?"

            "Tell them, and I'll turn you into an eggplant, King Hippo!"

            King Hippo said, "I ain't telling them, Eggplant Wizard, and you'd better not, either."  Ludwig, Larry, Roy, Wendy, Morton, Lemmy, and Iggy warped to the scene.

            Ludwig said, " 'Ain't' is improper, King Hippo, unless it is used to mean, 'am not.'  Luckily for you, you got it right."

            "Prince Ludwig!" exclaimed King Hippo.

            Roy asked, "What are you good guys doin' here?"

            Captain N said, "To find out what you're doing here."

            Wendy said, "I think that that is none of your business, Captain Nosy and the Nosy-Team."

            "Well, I say that it is, Princess 'Kootsie Pie' Koopa!" Mario retorted.

            Morton said, "It is none of your business to interfere with. . ."  Ludwig instantly cast a shut-up spell on Morton before the next syllable.  This sealed Morton's mouth.  "Mmm!  Mmm!  Mmm!"

            ". . .with our going to Koopa Castle," Ludwig said.

            Luigi said, "If that is the reason for which you are here, why did you shut up your brother?"

            Larry said, "He might have told a lie."

            "Yes.  He might have fibbed to you charming N-Team guys," said Ludwig.

            Link said, "Sweet-talking to us, huh?  Now we know that something's up!"

            Lemmy said, "If anything is up. . ."

            ". . .it is your time!" finished Iggy.  "Ha, ha, ha!"  Lemmy and Iggy cast a spell on the N-Team to make the members of the N-Team (all except those who had remained at the Palace) fall asleep into the Nightmare Universe.

            Ludwig said, "Excellent, my wicked brothers.  Maybe they can do our dirty work for us in that universe!  Ha, ha, ha!"

            Larry summed up all the other Koopalings' thoughts when he said, "We don't understand."

            Ludwig said, "We encountered our cousins in the Nightmare Universe, correct?"

            "Correct."

            "So, if we encountered the Spike Koopa branch of the family in the Nightmare Universe. . ."

            ". . .then the N-Team might encounter them!  Oh, Ludwig, you are such a genius!"

            Ludwig said, "I try, Larry.  I try."

            Roy asked, "What if they wake up before they find the Spike Koopas?"

            "Well, we'll continue our search.  If we find the Spike Koopas, we'll carry them to Metroid."  They split up and searched for a couple of hours.  They met at the warp to Metroid, all being empty-handed.

            Larry said, "So, no one found them, huh?"

            Morton said, "No, negative.  I did not localise them anywhere."

            Lemmy said, "They must be. . ."

            ". . .on some other world," Iggy finished.

            Ludwig said, "True."  He wrote a note addressed to Perry Mason and put it on Captain N's jacket.  "Let's return to the Planet of SR388.  First, though, let us gently push these N-Twerps into their warp to the Palace."  They did so, then warped to Metroid.

            * * *

            Control Room, Metroid.

            MotherBrain asked, "Did you find them?"

            "No trace of them," Ludwig said.

            "What about the N-Team?"

            "Lemmy and Iggy sent their consciousness into the Nightmare Universe, then we heaved them into their warp to the Palace.  I put a little stick-on-note on Captain N, just so Perry Mason and Dr. Wright can find out what is going on."

            * * *

            Throne Room, Palace of Power.

            Roll, MegaMan's android sister, said, "They're back, and they're all asleep!"  She was about as tall as MegaMan, but she had no armour.  She had blonde hair in two pony-tails, and she wore a pink dress suitable to house-cleaning.

            Dr. Wright went to look at Kevin and the others.  "The perpetrators left a note on Kevin."

            Perry said, "Let me see that, Wright."  Wright handed the note to Perry, who read it.

            "Well, Perry?" Hamilton asked.

            "Guess who did this."

            "Ludwig?" Della guessed.

            "Close."

            Paul, taking a wild guess, said, "Lemmy and Iggy?"

            "Very, very good and accurate guess, Paul.  Well, well.  It seems that we have a mystery on our hands.  Paul, go to Earth and call on Lt. Anderson."

            "Andy?  Why?"

            "The Brain-Team got Tragg.  We'll need someone to help us."

            "Okay."  Paul went to the Warp Hall.  He entered the recent warp zone marked 'L.A.' and emerged at Perry's office.  From there, he drove to the police station and entered the 'Homicide Department,' wherein was Lt. Anderson's office.

            * * *

            Lt. Anderson's Office, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., Kevin's Earth.

            Lieutenant Andy Anderson greeted, "Well, hello, Paul."  He was about as tall as Drake, and he had similar dress and features, though his face was more oval-shaped than Drake's.

            "Hello, Andy," Paul said.

            "Tragg told me about your situation in the Kingdom of VideoLand, and I'll help in any way I can."

            "Thank you, Andy.  Perry only asked me to ask you to come to VideoLand.  He just told me that we had a mystery on our hands.  Lt. Tragg is currently incapable of rendering assistance."

            "Okay, Paul.  Let's go."  Andy got his hat.

            * * *

            Control Room, Metroid.

            MotherBrain and Ludwig were watching (as usual!) on Metroid.  MotherBrain said, "Perry Mason has another pal in the L.A. police department?"

            Ludwig said, "That's okay, MotherBrain.  Let's not be too hasty.  We can save valuable power and energy by merely watching them search this case for us rather than by doing the case ourselves."

            "True.  All right.  Let's follow that course of action."  Some putrid smell entered the room.  "-Sniff, sniff!-  What's that?"  The smell suddenly became much worse.

            "Peyew!  What is that awful stink?"  The fire alarms all went off!  "There's a fire!"  Suddenly, the alarms shut off.  Eggplant Wizard came in with a plate with an extremely burnt taco.

            Eggplant Wizard said, "Well, Ludwig, the only way I could tell that your taco was hot enough was by going by the fire alarms."

            Ludwig picked up the putrid piece of Mexican sustenance.  After regarding it with a frown for a moment, he then dropped the very hot taco back on the plate.  He thought, This is worse than the hamburger in tartar sauce.  "No, thanks.  I like hot food, but this is ridiculous.  Feed it to someone else."

            King Hippo floated into the room with his nose inhaling a trail of smoke from the taco.  "Mmm!  Food!"  He fell on the floor.  "Give me that taco, Eggplant Wizard, or. . ."

            Eggplant Wizard handed him the plate.  "Take it."

            "Ah!  Thanks!"  King Hippo tossed the taco up in the air.  He held his mouth open, eyes closed, and the taco fell into it and went straight to his belly.  "Mmm!  Yummy!"  Suddenly, his eyes popped open and turned red, and smoke came out of his ears.  "Yaaah!  Hot, hot, hot!!!  Water!  Water!!  WATER!!!"  He went to the water fountain and drank about four litres� of water.  "Ah!  Much better!"  [� - A little more than one gallon (1 gallon » 3.7854 litres).]

            "Will you quit fooling around, you idiots?" Ludwig asked.  "We have a Koopa-kaper to commence!"

            MotherBrain said, "Yes, so quit fooling around!"

            "Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo, go to the Palace of Power and spy on Perry Mason, Della Street, Paul Drake, Hamilton Burger, Lt. Andy Anderson, Dr. Wright, and Roll."

            King Hippo said, "The Palace?  No way are we going in there!"

            "Yeah!" said Eggplant Wizard.  "They eat eggplants for - gulp! - dinner!"

            "Don't give us any of your lip!" MotherBrain said.  "Just do as we told you!"  She prepared to squash in their heads with her tentacles.

            Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo screamed, then ran into the warp to the Palace of Power and fell into the hall outside Kevin's room, where Duke was sleeping.

            * * *

            Palace Hall, outside Kevin's Room, Palace of Power.

            Duke heard the noise and went into the hall in which Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo had landed.  He growled at the fools.

            King Hippo said, "Out of our face, dog-breath!"  The dog growled some more.  "Make some magic, Wizard.  That mutt won't let us spy on the others."

            "Maybe my dandy-lion will do the trick," Eggplant Wizard said.  He made a dandelion and dropped it on the floor in front of Duke.  The dog sniffed it.  The dandelion turns into a lion's head that scared Duke away.  "Hurry and get into this secret spy-chamber before those N-Twerps spot us!"  A bullet flew over his head.  "What?"

            Paul asked, "Eggplant Wizard and King Hippo, what are you doing here?"

            "You two get out of here before I put the next one in one of your worthless legs," Lt. Anderson said.  "Or where it will cause great pain to a part of your male anatomy."

            King Hippo cried, "Yaaah!  Let's get back to Metroid before they get us!"

            Eggplant Wizard said, "MotherBrain and Ludwig are going to kill us!"

            "Forget MotherBrain and Ludwig!  If we do not beat it, we are going to wind up in the Palace Jail!"

            "Good point!  LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!!!"  They warped back to Metroid.

            * * *

            Control Room, Metroid.

            Ludwig asked, "Back so soon?"

            Eggplant Wizard screamed, "Anderson was going to put a bullet in my leg!"

            "Aw, you could have turned it into a pea, pea-brain," King Hippo said.

            MotherBrain said, "You deserted your post?  Idiots!  We shall have to get servants more suited for this task!"  In rushed Dr. Wily.

            "Prince Ludwig, I have important information!" Wily exclaimed.

            Ludwig asked, "Concerning what?"

            "It concerns the location of the Spike Koopas.  I think that I know where they are!"

            "Where?"

            "They are on the World of Wizards and Warriors, better known as Excalibur."

            "Good.  MotherBrain, call your ol' pal Malkil."

            MotherBrain said, "My pleasure, Ludwig."  She pressed a button with her tentacle.  "MotherBrain calling Malkil of Castle Ironspire; come in, please."

            Malkil appeared on the screen.  "Hello, evil MotherBrain and Ludwig.  How are you, comrades in villainy?"

            Ludwig said, "Just fine, thank you.  We were calling concerning a most urgent matter."

            "Please inform me about it."

            * * *

            Forest of Myth, Mount Icarus.

            Later, in the Kingdom of Mount Icarus, Andy and Perry arrived to search for the Spike Koopas.  Andy said, "This is a strange case indeed, Perry."

            "Yes, Andy," said Perry.  "Sorry if I interrupted any business in which you were engaged."

            "That's all right, Perry.  You interrupted nothing."

            "I'm glad to hear that.  I wonder what we'll find on this Kid Icarus's world."  Someone suddenly appeared in a hologram:  Palutena, the queen of Mount Icarus.  "Who are you?"

            Palutena replied, "I am Palutena, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mount Icarus.  Please identify yourselves."

            "I am Perry Mason, and this is my friend, Lt. Andy Anderson.  We work with the N-Team."

            "Very well.  Since you work with Captain N and his N-Team, you are welcome on my world.  Why do you come?"

            "Captain N and his friends were put under a sleeping spell by MotherBrain and the Brain-Team.  Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa left a message in Captain N's jacket about the Spike Koopas, for whom the Brain-Team is searching.  We have a little reason to believe that they are under the same sleeping spell conditions and may be resting in this world."

            "I keep a record of everyone who appears in this world.  If I do not remember who they are, I appear in this manner and ask them.  I have never recorded the appearance of the ones for whom you are looking.  Sometimes, I do miss recording an appearance by someone, so you should probably search.  And remember, you are always welcome on Mount Icarus."

            Perry said, "Thank you, Palutena."  Palutena disappeared.

            Palutena's voice continued, "Look out for evil creatures!  The evil Medusa stations her troops all around this world."

            "Thanks for the warning."  Just then, a hologram of two of another breed appeared; this was a hologram of Ludwig and MotherBrain.

            Ludwig greeted, "Hello, Lt. Anderson.  Allow me to introduce myself.  I am Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa, the Prince of Evil Koopas."

            "And I am MotherBrain, the extremely beautiful Queen of Evil Koopa," MotherBrain said.

            "Why have you called us?" Perry asked.

            MotherBrain said, "We call because we have found the location of the Spike Koopas for whom you and we search.  They are on Excalibur, the World of Wizards and Warriors.  We speak the truth."

            Andy said, "If you're lying, I'll book you for disturbing the peace, petty larceny, grand theft, and arson."

            MotherBrain said, "Oh, we'd just resist arrest.  Your pistols are no match for the Brain-Team's power."

            "Forget it, Andy," Perry said.  "These uncivilised rogues do not know the difference between anything."

            Ludwig said, "I've never been insulted like that in my whole life!  I insist you look up my education records!  Now, get out of there before I warp there and blast you with my Koopa-sceptre."

            "We were leaving anyway.  Come on, Andy.  Let's beat it before the Brain-Team blows another gasket."

            Andy said, "I'm with you, Perry."  Perry and Andy left the World of Mount Icarus by way of the warp zone to the Palace of Power.