The Great Emperor and Whizard walked downstairs into the basement and entered the treasure room. The room was full of gleaming treasures that had been in the family for generations.
    "All we have to do is find this flute that will take us to the warp zone," explained Whizard.
    They dug through the piles of gold coins and they eventually found the flute.
    "But I don't know how to play it!" said the emperor.
    "Just blow on it!" explained Whizard.
    The emperor blew on the flute. A mysterious tune was played and a small white cloud swallowed them. When they stepped out, they were on an island full of pipes with numbers above them.
    "Which pipe?" asked the emperor.
    "I say Pipe Number Eight!" said Whizard.
    They both hopped into the pipe. The pipe led them into a place full of flames, and darkness. They had entered the Dark World. A huge castle loomed in front of them. The emperor knocked on the big wooden door.
    "Anyone home?" he asked.
    A small turtle in a cloak answered the door. It was Kammy Koopa.
    "Whaddya want?" asked Kammy.
    "We would like to see Bowser," requested the emperor.
    "All right. I'll bring him to ya," Kammy said and she walked back inside.
    After a few minutes, Bowser appeared at the doorway.
    "What do you want? Make it fast!" shouted Bowser.
    Bowser had been in a really bad mood after he lost the Star Rod. He despised anyone who visited his keep.
    "Um. Would you like to wear this ring on your arm?" asked the emperor in a shaky voice.
    "Fine! Give that ring to me!" demanded Bowser.
    But before Bowser could put it on, Kammy raced into the room, grabbed the ring, and threw it into the lava moat.
    "What was that for?" asked an angry Bowser.
    "Your nastiness!" cried Kammy, "There's an evil power in that ring that would make you the emperor's slave! I can sense its power…"
    "How do you know?" asked the emperor, "How did you find out?"
    "So you were going to make me one of your slaves!" shouted Bowser angrier than before, "Guards! Seize them!"
    Two Koopatrol guards came in and picked up the emperor and Whizard. They carried them all the way to the entrance to the Dark World and threw them out.
    "Don't come back!" they shouted at them and they disappeared back into the fiery world of darkness.
    The emperor and Whizard returned to the castle devastated.
    "Now who can we capture?" wondered the emperor, "Wait! Who was that guy who defeated Bowser several times?"
    "Mario," answered Whizard, "Everyone knows that! How could you not know?"
    "Shut up!" snapped the emperor, "We'll just havecapture him instead! Now where does he live?"
    "He lives in Toad Town," answered Whizard, "It's that distant town across the sea."
    "I'll set up an expedition!" exclaimed the emperor, "I am so close to getting control of the world!"
    The emperor hopped into his warship, "Warblade", and set off toward Toad Town.