Throne Room, Palace of Power.

Upon the return of Perry Mason and Lt. Andy Anderson, Paul Drake asked, "Well, Perry?"

            Perry said, "I got a tip that the missing persons are on Excalibur.  Come on, Wright.  We may need your inventions."

            "Good idea, Perry," said Dr. Wright.  He got out a 'pen.'  "This pen is actually an extremely powerful gun with the powers of MegaMan, CutMan, GutsMan, BombMan, ElecMan, and all the rest of my androids and Dr. Wily's androids.  It should prove to be a most powerful asset."

            Perry said, "Good.  Della and Hamilton, you two stay here.  Andy, Paul, Wright, and Duke, you four come with me.  We're going to Excalibur.  Roll, Della, and Hamilton, if the N-Team awakens, I want you to tell them the whole story."

            "I heard Kevin talking about a being called Malkil," said Hamilton.  "That guy does not sound too friendly."

            Dr. Wright said, "If I see him, I'll freeze time on him with the FlashMan TimeStopper."

            "Okay," said Mason.  "Let's go."  As Perry, Paul, Andy, Dr. Wright, and Duke warped off to the World of Wizards and Warriors, the whole Brain-Team was warping to the same world.

            * * *

            Control Room, Metroid.

            Ludwig said, "All of you go.  I alone have an appointment with Roll, Della Avenue, and Ham Burger!  Heh, heh!"  When the rest of the entire Brain-Team had warped to Excalibur, Ludwig warped to the Palace.

            * * *

            Nightmare Universe.

            In the world of nightmares, Kevin was being beaten up by Mike Vincent, purportedly his worst enemy.  "Yaah!" he cried as Mike struck another blow.  He was bruised everywhere, and he was even bleeding above the eyebrow above his left eye.

            Mike laughed, "Don't be a twerp, Keene!  I still don't have your hide!"  Up came Lt. Tragg, who had a cane and a limp left leg. . . and a laser pistol.

            "Oh, yeah, Mike Vincent?" Tragg asked.  "Well, if you bash him once more, I'll haul you in for assault and battery."

            "Uh, I may have better things to do than beat up on twerps like Keene," Mike said.  "I'll go do something to a girl.  Ha, ha, ha!  See ya later, Keene.  Ha, ha, ha!"  Mike left.  Tragg looked at Kevin and saw one nice, black eye, the one above whose eyebrow it was bleeding.  As best he could, he helped Kevin to his feet.

            Captain N said, "Whew!  Thank you, Lieutenant Tragg!  Man, I thought I was going to be dead meat."

            "Don't mention it, Kevin," Tragg said.

            Captain N said, "Duke is probably glad that he didn't join us.  I saw an angry gang of alley cats back there that could really have clawed him up."

            "I met my worst nightmare, but I overcame it by myself.  A criminal escaped after giving me one or two bullet-holes, but there was no major damage done.  I finally caught the criminal."

            "I wonder how long we've been here."

            "To me, it seemed like two or three days."

            "Really?  To me, it seems more like two or three minutes!"

            "You're probably more accurate, but I wonder what happened to Her Highness."

            Lana's voice cried, "Aaaaah!  Get away from me!"  Princess Lana came running and crashed into Kevin, who fell on his back.

            Springing back up because he had recovered his resilience, Kevin asked, "What's wrong, Princess?"

            "Kevin!  Lt. Tragg!  Am I ever glad to see you!"  She hugged Kevin as hard as she could, feeling even more greatly than before that urge to kiss him.  She took one look at his face and saw he had met his, too.  "My nightmare got out of control."  The three walked north.

            Captain N put his arm around her back.  "So did mine.  Mike Vincent appeared and tried to beat me up, - explaining this black eye and bleeding eyebrow - but he did not get too far, because Tragg appeared and almost arrested him."

            Tragg said, "I should have, but I doubt that it would do much good."

            Kevin stopped; he saw a familiar creature lying on the ground in front of them.  "Duke?"

            "He appears to be sleeping, Kevin."

            Kevin thought, Well, duh!

            * * *

            Meanwhile, in another part of the Nightmare Universe, Mario and Luigi were searching for Princess Peach.  Mario called, "Princess Peach!  Are you around here anywhere?"

            Luigi said, "Man, Mario!  That was the worst pipe clog I have ever seen!"

            "Yeah.  What a nightmare that was.  PRINCESS!!!  ARE YOU AROUND ANYWHERE?!?"

            Peach's voice screamed, "BACK, WISENHEIMER {WAHY-ZEHN-HAHY-MUR}!!!"

            Wisenheimer's voice called back, "That is Wisenheimer {vih-zehn-hahy-mehr}!"

            Toad's voice cried, "Wisen {wahy-zehn}-whatever."

            "WISENHEIMER {VIH-ZEHN-HAHY-MEHR}!!!"  Into the scene ran Princess Peach and Toad with Wisenheimer, the Magikoopa, on their tail.

            Mario said, "Wise-acre!  I should have known that you had something to do with this."

            Wisenheimer screamed, "THAT IS WISENHEIMER {VIH-ZEHN-HAHY-MEHR}!!!  WHY CAN PEOPLE NEVER GET MY BLASTED NAME CORRECT?!?"

            "Because it is hard to pronounce correctly, Wisenheimer {vih-zehn-hahy-mehr}."

            "Thank you, Mario, for pronouncing my name correctly.  Now, putrid Princess Peach and Toad, you have an appointment with my dungeon!  Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"  Yoshi came racing.

            Yoshi cried, "Ghosts!"  He ran over Wisenheimer.

            "And thank you, Yoshi, for squashing me flat."  Yoshi leapt into Luigi's arms.

            "Yoshi scared of Boo Diddlies, Big Boos, and Eeries!"

            Luigi said, "Thank you, dino-pal, for giving this Magikoopa a dino-sore!  Heh, heh!"

            "I shall be back, plumb-scum," said Wisenheimer, who disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

            "Koopas always have to wait until the last minute to make a grand exit, and Wisenheimer {vih-zehn-hahy-mehr} is no exception," Mario said.  Onto the scene came Zelda and Link with the dreaded Carock on their tail.  Like all Wizzrobe sorcerers from Hyrule, Carock had a long red cloak akin to Wisenheimer's, and the hood kept the face shadowed in darkness.

            Link said, "Mario!  Help us stop Carock!"

            "First a Magikoopa, then a Wizzrobe.  A plumber's work is never done.  Okay, Link.  Don't overheat your pipes."

            Nearing Link and Zelda, Carock said, "Oh, drat!  The Marios!  I guess that getting Link for Ganon and Agahnim will have to wait.  Good-bye, plumb-scum!"  Carock disappeared in a flash of light.

            Mario said, "Wow!  Talk about a grand exit!"

            "Thank you for scaring that over-promoted Wizzrobe off, Mario," said Link.

            "Come on.  Let's find the others."

            * * *

            In another part of the Nightmare Universe, Simon Belmont was looking for the rest of the N-Team.  "Hello?  Captain N!  Princess Lana!  Kid Icarus!  MegaMan!  Link!  Princess Zelda!  Samus Aran!  Mario!  Luigi!  Toad!  Princess Peach!  Yoshi!  Lt. Tragg!  GameBoy!  Is anyone there?"

            Dracula appeared out of the shadows.  "Yes, Simon Belmont.  I am here!  Ha, ha, ha!"

            "The Count Dracula!  Drop dead, you diabolical deadbeat!"  He got a wooden stake out and flung it at Dracula's heart.

            "Uh, oh!"  Before he could turn to run, the wooden stake embedded itself in his heart.  "Ugh!  You win this time, Simon Belmont.  Ohhhhh. . .!"  He disappeared in a poof.

            "Showed him," said Simon.  Kid Icarus flew quickly onto the scene.

            Kid Icarus screamed, "HELP-ICUS!!!"

            "What is it?"

            "Medusa is after me!"

            Medusa appeared.  The hissing of her snaky hair warned Simon and Kid Icarus not to turn around.  "Yes!  Turn around, you two, and look at beautiful Medusa."

            Simon frowned in disgust.  "Oh, look at yourself, you ugly snake-brain."  He got out his mirror and aimed the reflective part directly in front of Medusa's face.

            "NOOOOOOO!!!!!  I'M TURNING TO STONE!!!"  She did the world that favour.  Kid Icarus and Simon looked at the ugly statue that had once been Medusa.

            Kid Icarus said, "Whew!  Thank you, Simon-ious.  I thought that she was going to stone me."

            "Oh, I've dealt with that witch before in the CastleVanian Republic," said Simon.  In ran MegaMan.

            "Yaaaah!  Help, Simon!  RockMonster is after me!" cried MegaMan.

            "I see nothing, MegaMan."

            "Watch closely."  Along came several pieces of stone that quickly formed RockMonster.

            Simon said, "Eat flame-whip, stone-face."  Simon got his whip, which was flaming like fire, and struck the RockMonster's eye.  The RockMonster crumbled into a pile of pebbles.

            "Whew!  Thank you, Simon.  I thought for a minute there that I was going to be mega-mush."

            "Oh, it was nothing really."

            "Let's look for the others before anything else happens."

            "Good idea, MegaMan.  I'm glad you thought of it."  They went in search of the others.

            * * *

            Samus said, "I wonder where I am."  She ran into the closed mouth of the Queen Metroid.  "What?  Queen Metroid!"

            The Queen Metroid said, "How correct you are, space-hunter!  I shall make you regret entering the Nightmare Universe!  Ha, ha, ha!"  Captain N, Princess Lana, and Lt. Tragg came onto the scene.

            Kevin drew his Zapper.  "How about I make you regret it, ugly Metroid Queen?"  The Metroid opened its mouth wide open and prepared to take a bite out of Kevin, but Kevin blasted it in the mouth with a beam from his Zapper.  He kept the trigger of his Zapper pulled until the beam almost destroyed the Metroid.

            The Queen Metroid screamed, "Aaaaaaaah!  Now, my worst nightmare is coming true!  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. . .!"  The Queen Metroid warped back to Metroid.

            Samus said, "Thank you, Kevin.  I thought that I was going to be a Metroid's snack!"

            "No problem, Samus.  Where are the others?"

            "I haven't seen them, Kevin.  They must be somewhere else."  Simon, Kid Icarus, and MegaMan appeared on the scene.

            Captain N said, "There you are!"

            "Yes," said Kid Icarus.  "It is Simon to whom we owe our thanks-icus.  Medusa almost stoned me."

            "And RockMonster almost mega-rocked me," MegaMan said.  "He did not, thanks to Simon's flame-whip."

            Simon said, "If I hadn't had a wooden stake, the Count Dracula would have taken a bite out of my neck."  Along came Link, Zelda, Mario, Luigi, Toad, Peach, and Yoshi.  "There you are."

            Captain N said, "There must be some reason for which they sent us here again.  They must be looking for something.  I can feel it."

            "Why would we do something for them?" Link asked.

            "We'll not do it for them.  I just want to know why in darnation they sent us here."

            * * *

            Throne Room, Palace of Power.

            Roll, Della Street, and Hamilton Burger were watching the N-Team's activities in the Nightmare Universe by way of a monitor in the Palace of Power's throne room.  "I wish we could send a message to them," Della said.  Ludwig warped in.

            The evil one said, "Maybe you can."

            Burger said, "Ludwig!  Why are you here?"

            "I am here to tell you how to send a message to your friends."

            "How can we trust you to do such a thing?" asked Roll.

            "Either you trust me, or you will not get a message to your friends."

            "Okay, Ludwig," Burger said.  "Tell us how."

            "I'm glad you're so reasonable!"  Ludwig got out a pen and paper.  He pressed a switch on the pen and laid it across the paper on a table.  As he gave Roll, Della, and Hamilton the instructions, the pen automatically wrote it out on the paper in manuscript.  "First, you go into your OS (operating system) prompt on your computer.  Then, type '@ECHO OFF,' press ENTER, type 'NIGHTMARE UNIVERSE EXCHANGE,' press ENTER, and press the button which connects the computer with the communicator.  You press the button marked 'hologram projector' on the communicator, type 'COMMUNICATE WITH {whomever},' press ENTER, and voilà!  Your hologram is projected in front of those with whom you wish to communicate, and their image appears on your screen.  Now, if you do not mind, I have an appointment with the glorious MotherBrain."  He left through the warp to Metroid.  "Come, my robotic pen!"  After finishing writing the instructions, the pen entered the warp.  The warp then closed.

            Hamilton said, "Boy!  I'm sure that would be useful in the courtroom!"  He, Della, and Roll followed Ludwig's instructions to the letter.  Within minutes, their holograms appeared in the Nightmare Universe in front of the N-Team.

            * * *

            Nightmare Universe.

            Captain N was amazed to see a hologram of Hamilton Burger, Della Street, and Roll materialise in front of him.  "Mr. Burger, Miss Street, and Roll!" he exclaimed.  "What are you doing here. . . or, rather, your holograms?"

            Hamilton said, "Oh, just call it some help from von(Bowser)Koopa."

            "Anyway, we are communicating to tell you why they sent you into the Nightmare Universe again," Della said.

            Lana asked, "Okay.  Why?"

            * * *

            Rainbow Forest, Excalibur.

            Later, in the Rainbow Forest on Excalibur, the other part of the N-Team was searching for the Brain-Team.  Perry said, "Hmm!  This place is beautiful for such a dangerous world."

            Emerging from some dense foliage, MotherBrain said, "You have the dangerous part correct, Mason!"

            "MotherBrain."  The rest of the Brain-Team emerged, as well.

            Bowser said, "Don't forget me, Perry Mason."

            Larry said, "Or us Koopalings."  Ludwig von Koopa warped into the scene.

            "Ah, Mr. Mason, Mr. Drake,  Lt. Anderson, and Dr. Wright," Ludwig said amiably.  "It is a pleasure to meet you."

            To Andy, Perry whispered, "I advise against testing his patience.  If you do that, he might fly off the handle.  Other than that, he is usually okay."

            "I hope that our meeting is on peaceful terms, my dear Perry Mason," continued Ludwig honestly.

            Perry replied, "So do I."

            Andy said, "Let's see. . . King Koopa and MotherBrain, I would like to see your marriage licences.  Just assurances, you understand."

            "Absurd!" barged in Mother Koopa.  "Out of the question, you fancy-pants policeman!"

            "Let's be reasonable, Mother!" said MotherBrain.  She got a sheet of paper out of her tank.  "Here it is, Lt. Anderson."

            Andy examined it.  "Yes, this is legal."

            King Bowser Koopa removed a folded sheet of paper out of his wallet and unfolded that sheet.  "Here is mine."

            Andy examined Bowser's.  "Okay.  I was just making sure."

            Ludwig got out his wallet and let it open.  It opened all the way to the ground and kept flipping open!  "Lieutenant, I have all necessary licences from a boating licence to a driver's licence to a plane licence to a spaceship licence to a planet licence."

            Andy was befuddled.  "A planet licence?"

            "Oh.  You probably haven't heard of flying planets until now, since no one in your society flies planets."

            "Interesting."

            Koopa's mother bashed Bowser Koopa upside the head with her purse.  "You are holding up the works, you bad little boy!"

            Bowser said, "Yow!  Not in front of a respected doctor, a famous lawyer, a competent detective, an excellent policeman, and a nice doggie, Mama!"

            Koopa's mother bashed him again.  "And don't call me that in front of them, foolish son!"

            Ludwig said, "Grandmother!  Dad!  CEASE YOUR DISPUTE!!!"

            "Indeed," said MotherBrain.  "Can you two not behave like civilised people?  We have missing people to find!"

            King Hippo said, "Eggie and I never hold up the works that badly."

            MotherBrain whipped his rear end with her tentacle.  "Shut up!  Instead of acting like idiots, we should be looking for the Spike Koopas."

            Perry agreed, "Yes, MotherBrain."

            "My dear Mr. Mason," Ludwig said, "let's get this over with before Dad and Grandmother kill each other."

            Perry said, "My pleasure, Prince Ludwig."

            * * *

            Nightmare Universe.

            After Della, Hamilton, and Roll's hologram had disappeared, Captain N said, "This sounds weird!"

            Lana said, "I just hope that the villains are on our side in this isolated circumstance.  I think we go that way."

            Princess Peach said, "Let's see. . . if I remember correctly, those Spike Koopas have ten times more of a sense of justice than the Bowser Koopas.  At least, that is what my Koopa history professor told me when I asked him about it several years ago while I was in school."

            "We'll find out when we get to the Excalibur region of this crazy universe," said Princess Zelda.

            * * *

            Rainbow Forest, Excalibur.

            Later, in that region of the normal universe, the Brain-Team, Perry, Paul, and Andy reached a strange fortress.  "Well, Dr. Wily?" Ludwig asked patiently.

            Dr. Wily said, "This fortress is upside-down, all right, Prince Ludwig."

            "An upside-down fortress.  Give me a break!"

            "-Wheeze!-  It's true!  -Wheeze!-  Come around and look at the door."  They did so.  The door was upside-down.

            Ludwig said, "Hmm.  Let's go in."  MotherBrain reached up with her tentacle, turned a knob, and opened the door.  They went into the fortress.

            * * *

            Nightmare Universe.

            Meanwhile, the N-Team arrived at the corresponding fortress in the Nightmare Universe, really a twisted reflection of the normal universe.  This fortress was right-side up!  Captain N said, "This fortress is tall!"  Some sleeping bodies were entering the fortress.  "What in the world is going on?  Wright, Perry, Paul, Duke, Lt. Anderson, MotherBrain, King Bowser, Prince Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa, Prince Larry (Bowser)Koopa, Prince Roy (Bowser)Koopa, Princess Wendy O. (Bowser)Koopa, Prince Morton (Bowser)Koopa, Prince Lemmy (Bowser)Koopa, Prince Iggy (Bowser)Koopa, Dr. Wily, and ProtoMan are asleep, yet they are entering this fortress."

            "This is a weird universe," said Lana.  "We first find out that what is asleep in this universe is awake in ours, yet what is awake in this universe is asleep in ours."

            Mario got out his radio.  "I'll radio Della and ask what in the world is going on."

            * * *

            Royal Library, Palace of Power.

            Back at the Palace, Roll, Della, and Hamilton were studying about the Nightmare Universe when they received the call from Mario.  "Hello, Mario.  What is it?" Della asked.

            "Perry, Andy, Paul, Wright, Duke, and the Brain-Team are entering a fortress while asleep in the Nightmare Universe!" exclaimed Mario.  "Can you explain this for us?"

            "Well, according to this book I'm reading in the library, wherever a person is in the normal universe, their sleeping bodies in the Nightmare Universe enter the corresponding place in that universe.  This has no physical effect on anything in the Nightmare Universe.  Furthermore, a lot of buildings that are upside-down in the normal universe are right-side up in the Nightmare Universe and vice-versa.  Also, the Nightmare Universe is a twisted reflection of this universe, as one might suspect, though it is more twisted than the Mirror World."

            Hamilton said, "Della, here is something I find very interesting.  According to the book I'm reading, the Spike Koopas disappeared in an upside-down fortress on Excalibur in the Rainbow Forest.  The fortress, if placed right-side up, would be about a kilometre high!"

            Mario said, "Let's call Perry.  I'm sure that he can help some."

            Della said, "Okay, Mario.  We're going to the throne room."  Roll, Della, and Hamilton took their books and went to the throne room.

            * * *

            Throne Room, Palace of Power.

            Once there, they performed a complex operation on the computer (Hamilton had found the OS instruction book to the computer) and made two holograms appear before the N-Team, two holograms before themselves, and two holograms before the Brain-Team, Perry, Andy, Wright, Paul, and Duke.  The N-Team appeared in one hologram before Roll, Della, and Hamilton and the Brain-Team, Paul, Perry, Wright, Andy, and Duke; Roll, Della, and Hamilton appeared in one hologram before the N-Team and the Brain-Team, Perry, Paul, Wright, Andy, and Duke; and the Brain-Team, Perry, Andy, Wright, Paul, and Duke appeared before Roll, Della, and Hamilton and the N-Team. . . a truly complex operation.  "Whew!  We did it, Hamilton."

            Ludwig was surprised.  "Huh?  What in the name of. . . what's going on?"

            "Della and I found the instruction book to the operating system of the computer," Hamilton explained.  "We didn't know if this would work, but we gave it a shot."

            Kevin saved his amazement for later.  "What is going on, Prince Ludwig?" he asked.

            "Well, Kevin, for your information, I think that we have found the fortress within which are the Spike Koopas," Ludwig said.  "The decor suggests that.  Do you want to know the really weird thing about it all?"

            "What?"

            "The fortress is upside-down."

            "Something weird happened at this fortress we found.  Your sleeping bodies entered!"

            "What?"

            Della reported, "That was supposed to happen, according to a book I just read."

            Captain N said, "I even saw Duke."

            Ludwig said, "Your dog is with Perry, Kevin."

            "Also according to the book," reported Della, "several buildings which are upside-down in the normal universe are right-side up in the Nightmare Universe and vice-versa.  When someone is awake in the normal universe, their sleeping bodies in the Nightmare Universe are at the corresponding places but not vice-versa.  Also the Nightmare Universe is a twisted replica of the normal universe."

            "Another interesting fact is in a book that I was reading," said Hamilton.  "According to this history book, the Spike Koopas disappeared in an upside-down fortress in the Rainbow Forest on Excalibur and have never been seen since, and this fortress, if stood right-side up, would be approximately a kilometre high."

            GameBoy said, "Data-search on fortress indicates that it is about a kilometre high, as Mr. Burger indicates of the other fortress."

            Ludwig whispered, "Wow!"  That was quite an accomplishment.

            "That's very interesting," Perry said.

            GameBoy said, "Data-search also indicates eight sentient Tortoisians in the top chamber."

            "What about your data search, Wily?" Ludwig asked.

            Dr. Wily said, "My data search indicates the very same things, except the Tortoisians are in the bottom!"

            Captain N said, "Amazing!  Let's get up there!"  The N-Team ran to the top of the fortress with the holograms following them; the Brain-Team, Perry, Andy, Paul, Wright, and Duke run to the bottom of the fortress with the holograms following them.

            * * *

            Outer Chamber, Throne Room, Upside-Down Castle, Excalibur, VideoLand.

            Ludwig said, "This door is interesting.  It has pictures of all eight of the Spike Koopa family."

            "So does this one," said Kevin.

            "We shall go first."

            "Okay.  Be careful.  This could be a trap."

            "Very well.  Thank you, Kevin."  Ludwig took a stick and pushed open the door cautiously.  The Brain-Team, Perry, Andy, Paul, Wright, and Duke saw the eight members of the Spike Koopa family sleeping in beds.  "They are sleeping.  That means that they must be awake in the Nightmare Universe.  There is a warp zone in here.  I wonder where it leads."

            Link said, "Do not enter until we enter this room."  Suddenly, the doorknob turned in the outer chamber in the Nightmare Universe castle.

            Captain N said, "Uh, oh!  Let's hide behind that statue."  The N-Team hid behind a large statue in the room.  Out came the eight Spike Koopas.  They had exactly the same appearance as their Bowser Koopa counterparts.

            King Spike Koopa, in a jolly mood, said, "We showed our evil family members the what-for, did we not, Ludwig?"

            Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa replied, "Yes, Dad.  I wonder when we shall be able to meet the N-Team."

            "I do not know, my son.  I do not even know when - or if - we shall escape from this dreaded Nightmare Universe."

            "I haven't slept in years," Larry (Spike)Koopa said.

            Wendy O. (Spike)Koopa said, "I wonder what the significance of the Bowser Koopa family's presence in our room is."

            "I have not the foggiest idea, Wendy," said Spike.

            "Well, I think that this not-so-beautiful body should get back to the normal universe."

            Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa asked, "How many times do I have to tell you, Wendy, that you are not as ugly as you think?"

            "If we escape from here," Spike said, "we shall try to find the N-Team and help them teach the Brain-Team who is boss.  At least I did not have to get a brain transplant like my diabolically evil twin."

            Captain N quietly said, "Ludwig, we need to warp out of the fortress.  We do not want to get caught as uninvited guests."

            Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa quietly agreed, "Yes, Kevin."

            "According the operating system manual, we can open and shut warps at will," Roll said.  "I'll give it a shot."  She operated the operating system and opened a warp zone that the N-Team used to warp outside the fortress.  The hologram of the Brain-Team, Perry, Andy, Wright, Paul, and Duke and that of Roll, Della, and Hamilton appeared outside the fortress with the N-Team.

            "They'll probably come out this way," Kevin said.  "They probably know the terrain.  Let's wander around."

            Lana said, "Good idea, Kevin."

            Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa said, "Perry, can you take these eight to the Palace?  I have a feeling that they are on your side."

            Perry said, "Certainly.  Della, please open a warp zone from here to the Palace."

            "Okay, Perry," Della replied.  She typed in a command that opened a warp between the fortress and the Palace.  Perry, Paul, and Andy took King Spike Koopa, Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa, and Larry (Spike)Koopa to the Palace.  Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa, King Bowser, Larry (Bowser)Koopa, Roy (Bowser)Koopa, and Morton (Bowser)Koopa took Roy (Spike)Koopa, Wendy O. (Spike)Koopa, Morton (Spike)Koopa, Lemmy (Spike)Koopa, and Iggy (Spike)Koopa to the Palace and leave.  When the five re-entered the chamber, they made a warp to Metroid, and the whole Brain-Team left.  Back in front of the corresponding fortress in the Nightmare Universe, the eight Spike Koopas exited just as Kevin had predicted.  The N-Team was 'wandering' toward the castle.

            Princess Lana said, "You were correct, Kevin.  They are all leaving."

            Princess Peach said, "The Rainbow Forest is certainly more beautiful on Excalibur in the normal universe than in this universe."

            Lt. Tragg said, "You are correct, Princess Peach.  There is hardly any light in this universe."

            "That is certainly correct," Kevin said.  "At any rate, we should not warp back to the Palace of Power until we meet King Spike Koopa and his Koopalings."

            Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa overheard him.  "Ahem.  Dad, those people there wish to meet us."

            Spike said, "Really?  Then let us go over and meet them, shall we?"  They all went over to meet the N-Team.

            Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa said, "Pardon me, but I overheard you say that you wished to meet with us.  Am I correct?"

            Captain N said, "If you are King Spike Koopa and his family, yes."

            Spike said, "King Spike is I.  Could you tell us where to find the N-Team?"

            "Well, King Spike Koopa, I am its leader."

            "I am glad to meet you all."

            Lana said, "I am Princess Lana of the Kingdom of VideoLand."  They made all introductions swiftly.  Samus mentioned that she eliminated MotherBrain's menacing and disgusting underlings.

            "I know of MotherBrain," Spike said.  "When Bowser was a baby, his brain had to be transplanted with someone's, or it was going to go boom.  MotherBrain was the one with whom Bowser had the transplant.  MotherBrain had an amount of brain in excess to the amount that would fit in her jar.  How her brain had to get into that jar in the first place is a totally different story.  That was the worst mistake Mother ever made."

            Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa agreed, "Yes.  That is what turned Uncle Bowser and his Koopalings into such evil tyrants.  But please forgive my omittance of the priority of introducing myself to you.  I am Prince Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa."

            Larry (Spike)Koopa said, "I am Prince Larry (Spike)Koopa."

            "I am Prince Roy (Spike)Koopa."

            "I am the un-beautiful Princess Wendy O. (Spike)Koopa."

            "I am the extremely loud-mouthed Prince Morton (Spike)Koopa, Jr."

            Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa interjected, "Boy, does he have that correct."

            "I am Prince Lemmy (Spike)Koopa, and this is my twin brother. . ."

            ". . .Prince Iggy (Spike)Koopa."

            Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa said, "Pardon my interruption, but I also overheard of your ability to warp back to the normal universe.  We're dying to know how to get back."

            "Why, it's easy, Prince Ludwig," said Kevin.  "All that you have to do is fall asleep."

            Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa slapped his own head.  "Silly me!  That's the most obvious method in the book, and we could not think of it!"

            "Oh, I feel so dumb!" exclaimed Spike.

            "How long have you been looking for us?"

            "About twelve hours," Kevin said.  "Some of our friends and the Brain-Team looked for you on Excalibur."

            Spike said, "That is where we made a secret fortress.  We knew that evil forces were going to look for us, so we hid there.  We could not make the same stuff that Bowser was able to within only several days, so we made a secret upside-down fortress there and prepared to make our weapons when, suddenly, an evil Magikoopa called Wisenheimer {vih-zehn-hahy-mehr} put a deep-sleep spell on us, and we ended up here."

            Mario said, "That evil Koopa wizard!  If I get my hands on that wicked sorcerer, I shall make him regret the day he was born!"

            "He said that my mother told him to come to our secret fortress and put a sleeping spell on us so that Bowser and his Koopalings could not get quick revenge on us," Spike said.

            "Lie-time!  Wisenheimer {vih-zehn-hahy-mehr} will say anything!  He is among the best liars whom we know.  Right, Luigi?"

            Luigi said, "Right, Mario.  Anyway, your bodies have safely been transported to the Palace of Power."

            Spike said, "Whew!  Finally!  Just in case your friends were worried about that warp zone, forget it.  That only leads to big trouble:  the very centre of Planet Metroid, where MotherBrain keeps her most sophisticated Metroid strains, vicious mutations beyond Queen Metroid."

            Captain N said, "We met a Queen Metroid earlier.  I fried her with my Zapper."

            "Pardon me, but we have not had any sleep in about a decade!" Spike said.  "Do you mind if we sleep and continue at the Palace?  This dreary place is worse than Dark Land."  They all fell asleep.

            * * *

            Throne Room, Palace of Power.

            Dr. Wright said, "I wonder when they are going to awaken."

            "I don't know, Wright," Andy said.

            Duke sniffed Kevin.  "Arf, arf!"

            Perry asked, "What is it, Duke?"

            "Arf arf!  Arf arf!"

            "You say he's waking up?"

            "Arf!"

            Hamilton said, "Perry, I keep wondering how you know what Kevin's dog is saying!"

            "And I keep telling you, Kevin taught me," said Perry.  "Somehow, he can understand Duke.  Maybe it is some mysterious trait swimming in the deep end of his gene pool."

            "Great figure of speech, Perry."  The N-Team and the Spike Koopas all awakened.

            Captain N said, "We're back!  Hey, Duke!  Hello, Mr. Mason."

            Perry said, "Hello, Kevin.  So, what are the Spike Koopas. . . friends or foes?"

            "Friends."

            Spike said, "Nice place you have here, Princess Lana."

            Mario said, "Yes, he is a friend."

            "Please allow me to introduce myself, King Spike Koopa," said Perry.  "I am Perry Mason.  I am a legal barrister."

            Della said, "I am his secretary, Della Street."

            "I'm his detective, Paul Drake."

            Hamilton said, "I am Hamilton Burger.  I am also a legal barrister, but I generally prosecute."

            Andy said, "I am Lieutenant Andy Anderson."

            "This is my dog, Duke," said Kevin.

            Dr. Wright said, "I am Doctor Wright."

            "I'm Roll, MegaMan's 'sister,' " said Roll.

            MegaMan called, "Rush!  Here, boy!"  In came Rush, MegaMan's mechanical dog.  "This is my dog, Rush.  He laughs in the face of danger.  Let me demonstrate."  MegaMan took a poster-board that looked like a man dressed in black with the name 'DANGER' across his shirt.

            Rush went up to the face of 'Danger.'  "Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

            Hamilton said, "Very cute, MegaMan."

            Spike said, "I am King Spike Koopa."

            "I am Prince Ludwig von(Spike)Koopa."

            "I am Larry (Spike)Koopa."

            "I am Roy (Spike)Koopa."

            "I am Wendy O. (Spike)Koopa."

            "I am Morton (Spike)Koopa."

            "I am Lemmy (Spike)Koopa. . ."

            ". . .and I am his twin brother, Iggy (Spike)Koopa."

            Lana said, "Now that we know each other, will you become members of the N-Team?"

            Spike said, "I believe so.  Is there some sort of test or training thing?"

            "Not really; the only requirements are to be on our side."

            Wisenheimer appeared in a hologram.  "Why do you guys think that I sent them into the Nightmare Universe to begin with?  I did it so that no one would interfere with MotherBrain and King Bowser Koopa!"

            "How could I?" demanded Spike.  "The smart parents of Princess Lana and Princess Peach sealed that warp between VideoLand and the Mushroom World so that MotherBrain and Bowser could not get mingled with each other.  In fact, the very reason for which I made that underground fortress in Excalibur was so that Bowser could not get me while my Koopalings and I made weapons equal to his and help King Charles destroy MotherBrain.  Instead, you interfered, lied to me about my mom asking you to seal us into the Nightmare Universe. . ."

            ". . .and you fools fell for it!  I did that so you could not interfere with King Koopa's and MotherBrain's extremely gradual re-opening of that warp!  It took nine years for Ludwig and Wily to re-open that warp zone.  AND YOU N-TEAM PESTS RUINED EVERYTHING BY TELLING THE SPIKE KOOPAS HOW TO ARRIVE BACK IN THIS UNIVERSE!!!  I OUGHT TO DESTROY MYSELF AFTER ALL THAT WORK DOWN THE DRAIN!!!"  He disappeared.

            Mario said, "And why do you not?"

            * * *

            Control Room, Metroid.

            As usual, the Brain-Team was watching on their Metroid-monitor.  They were enraged.  MotherBrain said, "So!  It was Wisenheimer {wahy-zehn-hahy-mur} who sealed them in the Nightmare Universe."

            Koopa's mother exclaimed, "Oh, that stupid, ignorant, foolish, moronic idiot!"

            Bowser called, "WISENHEIMER {VIH-ZEHN-HAHY-MEHR}, GET YOUR DUMB REAR IN HERE RIGHT NOW!!!"  In popped Wisenheimer.

            Wisenheimer said, "Do you not see, King Bowser?  I had to do it so that you could take over VideoLand!"

            "If you had any different excuse for your actions, I would destroy you!"

            "You won't kill me?"

            "No.  I've suddenly decided to let our stooges have a little fun for a change.  EGGPLANT WIZARD, COME IN HERE PLEASE!!!"  In came the Eggplant Wizard.

            "What is your command, King Bowser the Simply Awful?" Eggplant Wizard asked.

            "Ah!  I love it when people address me so properly.  Get your string bean whip and flog Wisenheimer {wahy-zehn-hahy-mur}. . ."

            "Wisenheimer {Vih-zehn-hahy-mehr}!" Wisenheimer corrected irately.

            ". . .Wisenheimer {vih-zehn-hahy-mehr} until he has no feeling left in that fat butt of his!"

            Eggplant Wizard said, "Finally, I get to do what the bosses do!"

            "To whom, to me?" Wisenheimer asked.

            MotherBrain said, "Yes, you, you idjut!"  Ludwig grabbed Wisenheimer's magic wand.  Then, MotherBrain tied Wisenheimer to the wall with his butt sticking out.

            Eggplant Wizard whipped Wisenheimer's rear.  "Ha, ha, ha!  This is fun!  I'm going to whip you so badly that all of your nerves will come popping out of your tush!"

            Bowser said, "Ha, ha, ha!  Do it again!  And again!  And again!  Ha, ha, ha!  Whip him as badly as you want to do so!  King Hippo, we would like your assistance!"  In came King Hippo.

            "Wow!" exclaimed King Hippo upon entrance.  "Is this a private matter, or can I join in the fun?"

            Ludwig von(Bowser)Koopa said, "Join in!  Bash his big rear so badly that he will regret that he had it!  Ha, ha, ha!"

            King Hippo said, "I finally get to do what the big guys do!  Ha, ha, ha!  All right, Wisenheimer {wahy-zén-hé-ahy-mér}!"  He intentionally mispronounced the name.  "I'll show you what a punch is!  And I'll show you what you get for correcting everyone all of the time!"  Eggplant Wizard stopped whipping long enough for King Hippo to bash Wisenheimer's rear several times.  After that, the two took turns, and it was a good ending for all who beheld.  The only one who did not laugh at all was Wisenheimer. . . you might say that he got it in the end!

            One final word from Wisenheimer:  "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. . .!!!"