The dark creature sneered as she spread her arms. Blue waves of energy were coming from the blue patches of the deadly substance that was all around them. "You can't beat me..." she whispered. "This is MY element!"

Suddenly, Mario perked up. "That's-a it!" he muttered. "Luigi... this strange substance... this... PHAZON... it's what gives her strength. If we want to win... we need to distract her... and lead her away from this-a place. Then she won't be able to use it to charge herself up."

"Well, this-a sounds like a plan, bro... but exactly how are you planning to do this?"

"For once, you'll stay here and guard Waluigi..."

"Like that guy actually needs to be guarded..." Luigi grumbled as he crossed his arms.

"Listen, I know he's-a not exactly your friend, but take a look at him! That blue stuff is eating him up! Not even he deserves such a fate."

"Well, okeydokey... but what will you do?"

Mario grinned. "I'm-a gonna show her if she wants to conquer this world... she has to go through this plumber first!" And with these words, he took a Fire Flower from his pocket.

And while Dark Rei was gathering more and more Phazon... she was suddenly hit by a fireball in the face.

"Insolent Fool!" she shouted angrily.

Mario confidently stood in front of her, his shirt a brilliant white. "Lemme ask you a question: Do you really believe you can pull off that plan of yours?"

"What a stupid question!" Dark Rei hissed. "I am Phazon INCARNATE! And the Subspace Council is on my side... unlike those inferior, perpetually-smiling bimbo sisters of mine, I'm eternally loyal to them."

"Well then, if you are so confident... could it be that constant exposure to this 'Phazon' of yours makes you mentally retarded?"

"HOW DARE YOU?" she yelled. Charging up her arm cannon, which was a dark copy of Samus' original gunarm, she flew at the plumber at maximum velocity.

Mario just blew her a raspberry and ran into one of the many tunnels. "Catch me if you can!" he shouted.

Luigi stayed behind, completely forgotten by the self-proclaimed 'Subspace Emissary'. "Whaddya say..." he murmured. "It actually worked..."

A groan suddenly came from his right. "G-green guy..."

Angrily, Luigi turned around. "For the last time, try to get my name right! It's Luigi! LUIGI!! Got that?"

Waluigi was lying on the ground, twitching as the Phazon spread up his lanky arms. He raised a twitching finger up to the ceiling and stuttered: "L-look out..."

Luigi blinked in confusion, then he turned around... and gasped when a winged figure came swooping down on him.

And then the world turned black.

Vire smiled. "Gotcha!"

---

Deep below the surface of the sea, a huge body was stirring. He was waking from a long sleep.

"S... sis... sis... ters... sisters... I... I hurt..."

An arm, as thick as the mast of a ship, pushed away the boulders that were pressing the rest of his body down. A swarm of frightened Bloopers quickly swam away.

"Sisters?" the massive creature grumbled. "Where are you? Me not hear you anymore... where is this? Me not remember..."

Flashes of memories danced in front of the metal colossus' eyes. Memories of a planet full of eternally-smiling girls... of a laboratory... and a cruel being that tormented him. And a fight... yes, he was in a fight.

But then, something else came to the surface. A memory, brighter and more colorful than all the other memories combined. It was the memory of a sunny island... and a fuzzy, little friend...

"Friend?" he muttered. That concept seemed strange. Wasn't there only the family? The family, yes... the sisters. But he wasn't a sister... was he?

"Me confused..." he groaned. "Head hurt... Galleom feel... strange..."

But then, he felt something. The presence of someone he knew. And this someone was very close.

Maybe this person... was able to tell him what he was supposed to do. With powerful strokes, the metal giant began to swim up to the surface.

---

Mario winced while ducking beneath the Phazon shots that Dark Rei fired at him while chasing him through the dark tunnel. While escaping, he was rummaging through his pockets.

"Raccoon Leaf... Warp Whistle... P-Balloon... nuts, this is-a not what I need. Koopa Shell, where is the Koopa Shell?"

Dark Rei smirked. She had nearly caught up with the pesky human. He'd be the first resident of this insignificant planet which she'd turn into a creature of Phazon. Not a copy of herself, oh no! She wasn't like the Apareis... she was a perfect creature! She was the one who controlled all life on Phaaze and all the corrupted planets! And she was chosen by Master Mephiles to carry out his will. No, she needed no family. No sisters, no brother, no mother, and no father!

She felt like screaming, when out of nowhere, the portly man (who was able to run astoundingly fast for someone of his girth) pulled a green turtle shell, jumped on top of it and used it to surf away from her, faster than before.

"You won't escape!" she shouted, charging up her energy for s spread shot of scattered Phazon.

Mario swerved wildly to dodge incoming rocks and blue projectiles of death that the insane creature was firing at him. "It's-a been some time since I last Koopa-surfed," he mumbled to himself. "But as long as I can lure her out of these tunnels... now I just have to hope that this-a way really leads outside..."

It seemed as if the Star Spirits were in a generous mood this day. Mario's prayers were heard... a bright light signalled the end of the tunnel, and Mario's shell then shot out of the dark cavern.

And nearly carried him to his demise.

Mario gasped when he saw the steep cliff that gaped in front of him. Just a circular rock terrace behind the exit... and then there was nothing but the wide, wide ocean, deep below his feet.

The brave plumber managed to jump off the Koopa Shell in time. With a grunt, he landed on the rocky ground, while the shell spun around and around as it fell down into the abyss.

Mario gulped as he looked down. "I forgot how close we were to the seaside..."

Like a dark archangel of destruction, the evil doppelganger of Rei Ikari appeared in the cave mouth, surrounded by a blue, blazing corona.

"You have nowhere to run to, little man!" she shouted. "This ends your futile attempt to escape my wrath!"

"Well, seems like it," Mario shrugged. "But maybe you noticed that out here, you have no supply of that Phazon you seem to love to much?"

For a moment, a look of surprise appeared on Dark Rei's pale face. Then she snickered. "You really are a fool," she whispered. "Do you believe that I need to be surrounded by Phazon to use my powers? I am an ENDLESS fountain of Phazon! You couldn't beat me in THOUSAND YEARS!"

"Well, we've got to see about this, won't we?" Mario asked. "I've fought Bowser more times than I can count, freed Sarasaland from the alien Tatanga, helped my friends to battle the evil Wart in Subcon, destroyed the ruthless Smithy, thwarted the plans of the sinister Cackletta, stopped the invasion of the Shroobs, averted the menace of the X-Nauts and helped defeat the army of Count Bleck. Do you think you have a better chance than them?"

Dark Rei narrowed her eyes. "You... talk to much!"

And then, she released all of her energy in a single, powerful beam of destruction.

But before it could hit Mario, something unexpected happened: A giant shape came jumping up behind him, and landed between the two opponents with a crash that made the ground beneath their feet shake. The Phazon beam hit the creature's metal chest plate. It pushed him back a little, but did not much else.

Mario stared up at the metal colossus with awe. "You... you're that giant we fought in the Assist Trophy Factory..."

The giant glared at the creature from Phaaze. "You... look like sister... but you are not! You... you not hurt Galleom's friend!"

Mario blinked. Friend?

Dark Rei returned the glare with disdain. "A failed experiment... my master told me about you. Why are you suddenly siding with those who fought you, I wonder? Nevertheless, don't stand in my way, or I will have to obliterate you!"

"YOU NO HURT MARIO!" Galleom roared. His massive hand reached out to grab her, and before she could get away, he scooped her up, bringing her close to his face. "YOU EVIL PEOPLE NO HURT GALLEOM'S FRIENDS AGAIN! NOT MARIO! NOT SISTERS! NOT... not... little... monkey... friend..."

"What in the world?" Mario muttered.

Dark Rei struggled against the iron grip of the creature. "Unhand me, vile beast!" she shouted. "I'll destroy you!"

"You... GO AWAY!" Galleom shouted, and with one powerful movement of his arm, he threw her across the sea. Within seconds, she became a tiny speck at the horizon... but then, Mario could see a blue flash of light, and as fast as she had vanished, did she return, flying at them like a blue comet.

"I will not be denied!" she shouted. "I AM THE SUBSPACE EMISSA ---urk!!!"

Just when she wanted to impale Galleom with a spire of diamond-hard Phazon, which she had formed on her right arm, his massive fist came smashing down on her. The ground below her began to crack, and Mario had to shield his eyes when tiny pebbles and fragments of Phazon came flying his way.

All of Galleom's raw power had been focussed in this punch. Dark Rei could feel how her artificial spine was breaking, how her substance was slowly losing its stability. Slowly, she was dissolving into the pure Phazon she was made of.

"You... you fools..." she muttered. Her face was the last part that remained. "Don't you think this is over... I will return... stronger than before! You can't kill me... and when I return... the Subspace Council will have a second, new Emissary. And when the time comes, we will destroy you!"

And then, the face of Rei broke apart in another shower of Phazon particles, a crazed look of insanity the last expression that had been on her face.

Mario and Galleom watched how the blue substance ran down the cliffs, floated through the air... and then vanished.

Then Mario looked up at the ape-like creature that had just unexpectedly saved his life.

"Why... did you do this?"

Even though his face was partially covered by a metal mask, Mario was able to see the gentleness in his eyes. "Mario... is Galleom's friend..."

Mario scratched his head. Something about this guy was familiar...

Just then, something fell out of Mario's stuffed pocket. Galleom's eyes lit up as he reached for the yellow fruit.

"Oooooooh, banana!" he shouted gleefully.

Mario's eyes widened.

"D... Donkey Kong?" he whispered.