Magic Prinplup here. This is my first fic, so I hope you enjoy it. It is based off of New Super Mario Bros. Wii's stages when you have to rescue Toad.

The Poor Toad of World 1-3

It all happened so fast; I had simply been minding my own business when I was captured. We were cleaning up after that huge cake that was sent by Bowser; it wasn't like I did anything wrong… actually, I told a lie. I did taste some of the crumbs, but nothing else. When they grabbed me, it was scary, I couldn't see them and I heard that they had plans. They then went to World 1-3 and stuffed me into a ? block. I learned how coins, Yoshis, mushrooms, Penguin suits, and flowers all feel. It was cold, cramped, and stuffy, but I did find a coin for myself. Just why I had to be the one that got the ? block treatment is beyond me. Why couldn't I be one who got put in the Goomba-guarded treasure chest? It's not fair, and Bowser should know that! I had to wait for a long time before I heard somebody who wasn't a Goomba or Koopa coming near "my" block. Hoping it was Mario, I started calling out for him to save me from the block. I think he heard me, because he hit the block. Of course, he might have hit it expecting to get my coin, but in either case he saved me.

Once I was out, I was so excited to finally be free that I started running around in joy. Mario watched me for a while, but then he picked me up. I don't like being picked up, because I can't run free. I struggled for a few minutes, only to have Mario grab me harder. "To keep you safe," he had said.

That's untrue, I can fight. I think. Plus, he can't use his Fire Flower while carrying me, so I wasn't as safe as he said I would be. Just imagine if I could be with him, throwing fireballs left and right. There were a few close calls, which we only escaped because I had warned him in time.

Then, he hit a block. My heart leapt when I saw Yoshi come out. I hopped onto his back and prepared to ride him, only for Mario to pull me off and climb on for himself. Then, he did something that still haunts me to this day. He ordered Yoshi to grab me and put me in his mouth. It was both similar and different than the ? block. It was cramped and stuffy, but sweltering, damp, sticky, and smelly as well.

You can't imagine my fear. After all, Mario had just saved me from a block, and now he had me put into a Yoshi's mouth. I ask you, what sort of hero does that to the people he saves? Well, now I couldn't see and Yoshi couldn't really communicate with Mario since I was in his mouth, leaving Mario vulnerable to attacks. I was scared when I felt something hit Yoshi, making him panic and run around with me trapped in his mouth with no way out. What a relief it was, when Mario calmed Yoshi down and climbed again onto his back, getting us closer to the fortress that would spell escape for us all. Yoshi's stomach often made noises, making me afraid that he would swallow me. Turns out, from what I found out later on, Yoshi had found some fruit, but Mario stopped him from eating any.

I was so happy when Yoshi spat me out again, to get through a pipe. I wanted to use the time out of his mouth to stretch my legs, but, with a sorry look on his face, Yoshi had to pull me into his mouth again, most likely on Mario's orders. So I kept having to deal with the fact that I was stuck in a mouth, unable to move, just like when I was in the ? block. All of a sudden, I was spat out yet again for pipe travel, and of course right after we left the pipe, I was grabbed again, against my will.

We came across some sort of flag, Mario told me. None of us really know why those are everywhere, nor what they do, but, oh well. Mario and Yoshi seemed to walk around a bit more, with Yoshi getting hit by a sledgehammer from a Hammer Bro, sending him running again, with me still stuck in his mouth. It's amazing that I never fell out, got swallowed, or died with Yoshi. Mario, throughout the entire time, kept calm and guided Yoshi throughout the world and stomped many a Goomba. That's something I wonder about, how come there are so many Goombas and Koopas still left in the Mushroom Kingdom after Mario's killed so many? Does Bowser have cloning vats? Is there some sort of secret Goomba/Koopa farm? Do they spring right out of the ground?

I felt Yoshi moving, but not running, and saw through his teeth that we were going straight towards a wall at high speed. What was he thinking!? When I closed my eyes for impact, nothing happened. Turns out that it must have been a fake wall behind which Bowser had hidden many coins. Yoshi spat me out for just one second to quickly grab a fruit that had been in there, and then he grabbed me again. Now his mouth smelled worse than before. Why did all this have to happen to me? All because I ate a few cake crumbs? I was feeling even hotter in Yoshi's mouth, and I realized that some Piranha Plants were shooting fireballs at us, and Mario still wouldn't let me out to fight, no matter how loudly I yelled at him to let me help. Mario just hoped onto Yoshi's back and told (or ordered, whichever one you prefer) him to run out of there. He did so, falling through what must have looked like solid ground from the squeak of terror that he made on the way down. By this time, I had given up all hope of getting out in perfect condition, both physical and mental. Mario seems like a good guy, but his way of getting me to safety did not make me think highly of him. With all that happened, even Yoshi wanted to get to the fort. Mario began to jump off Yoshi more so that he could throw fireballs back at the Piranhas.

After we got past all the pipes that were blocking us, Mario said something about being about to see the fort, and that for some reason there were coins in the air and that there was a flag that he loved trying to jump as high as he could on to slide down. When I heard that the fort was near, I rejoiced, knowing that I would soon be free. Yoshi jumped and spat me out. As I flew through the air towards the flagpole, I stretched my arms out and grabbed almost where the top was. When I looked down, I saw Mario and Yoshi right below me. We then slid to the ground, when the fort for some reason started playing music. Mario and Yoshi each did a little jig, so I did my own as well. Then Yoshi waved us good-bye as Mario took me through the fort. Once we were through, he let me finally leave on my own back to the castle.

Everyone had been worried about the disappearance of many other Toads and me. Turns out that there were more than I thought who had been taken by Bowser and his thugs. Many of the Toads who were left now had moved to the more secure areas in the castle in attempts to hide from Bowser's minions when they would come looking for more of us to take. The few who stayed just either took a leaf out of Mario's book and stomped them, or ran faster than the Goombas could keep up. The only one of us who stayed in the entry hall was one Toad who seemed to run a little store for Mario to stop by at and buy weird things about the worlds.

Five days later:

Toad was taking a short walk around the castle grounds, humming to himself and being grateful for the chance to stretch his legs again. "No more ? block holding pens or Yoshi mouths for me anymore," he was saying to himself. Little did he know that some Goombas where hiding behind the bushes in the garden, waiting to take the first Toad who walked by. As he went past the bush, he noticed a small lump of brown and froze. Many Toads in the castle ran and hid as they heard his cry as the Goombas tackled him. The cry that they heard was, "Not again! Not the ? block!"

One hour after Toad was taken, Mario heard shouts of, "Help me," from World 1-3…

There you go, the story of the Toad from World 1-3.

Now, for thanks:

My brother, Luigicario for inspiration when he was playing New Super Mario Bros. Wii (a fun game).

My father for being my editor.

My kitten for reminding me that it's okay to get up from writing.

R&R, please.