"Hah!" snickered my friend Ethan, rolling on the floor. "I beat you again! What is that, like the fifteenth time?" I glared at him so angrily that it must have been almost more terrifying than Luigi's death stare. Ethan immediately stopped laughing and rolled his eyes. "Just chill," he began to say in a comfortable tone. "It's just a game."

"But you act like it's so much more," I sighed, laying my joy con on the coffee table and getting up off the couch. "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the only one you're good at."

"Excuse me?" said Ethan sharply. "There are plenty of games I'm good at. Tell him, Buddy!"

Buddy is Ethan's dog, a small and cuddly Beagle. He had just wandered into the living room, and was confused by his owner's weird question. Then, he walks over into my lap and gently shakes his head at Ethan, and then I smiled and doubled over, just as he had earlier. Sweet, sweet revenge!

Ethan's eyes go wide. "How could you betray me like that, Buddy?"

I laughed, got up and straightened myself out. I checked my watch and realized that it was already past 9:00, and I was supposed to be home.

"Well, I better go now," I say, rubbing under Buddy's ears. "It's getting late."

"Yeah, whatever," replied Ethan hastily, and I could he tell he was still a bit miffed.

On the walk home, I looked up at the sky and gazed at all of the stars and planets. I had always been interested in astrology, so I could tell each one apart from another. I saw Mars, Venus, and the big dipper constellation... but there was something that night that I couldn't identify. Impossible, I thought quietly to myself. There was a planet of all different colors, almost as big as the sun. It came closer and closer, and the next thing I knew, I was out cold and I heard a bunch of voices talking around me.

MUSIC FOR NEXT PART

https://youtu.be/rzdx8jV6GaY

"It's the chosen one..."

"Stop pushing me!"

"He looks kind of weird."

I recognized the voices... at least, I thought I did. They were squeaky and loud... so I figured they must be Toads! But then, BOOM, reality check-- Toads don't actually exist. I must have just been having a dream.

"Where- where am I?" I managed to say, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. Just as I expected, a bunch of Toads were crowding around me, murmuring. I had been lying on a bed of grass with flowers growing all over, and the weather was perfect- no wind, no clouds, just the sun. I stood up, and realized that the Toads were only about as tall as my waist. Not a single one was bigger! I had so many questions, but before asking any of them, I did the first thing that came to mind: I pinched myself.

Nope. Not dreaming. It hurt as much as it would have in the real world.

"Please, let the a-newcomer have some a-space!"

I'd know that voice anywhere. The Toads backed away and made way for the one and only, legendary Mario. He was about my height, but not as skinny. He scanned me head to toe, as if I was some burglar or something. Then, after about a minute of absolute silence, he offered his hand, and I shook it.

"It's a-me, Mario! Welcome to a-Mario World!"