Koopa Troopa Beach was as busy as on any other day of the vacation. The air under the azure dome of the skies was full of the cooling scent of the ocean and the typical noises of a summer crowd. The white sand was freckled with parasols, towels, colorful balls, and of course Toads, Koopas, Goombas and the various other species inhabiting the Mushroom Kingdom. You could hardly find any humans, though. In fact, there were hardly any of them known in the whole world. Two of them were strolling barefoot along the coastline, engaged in conversation.

They were two teenage girls. Both of them had slender, mature bodies and sparkling eyes that rivalled the sky in blueness. They looked almost identical, save for their hair: the one on the left had a long, golden ponytail held together with a pink ribbon, whilst the other one's was somewhat shorter and chocolate-colored. She was wearing a skimpy ochre one-piece with small white flowers all over; her friend had a pastel-pink bikini with a little red plastic heart clip.
They looked exactly the kinds of girls who are gorgeous and fully aware of it.

'So, what do you think? Ginger or brown?' inquired the blonde one.
'Peach, your hair is beautiful as is! Just leave it alone. Guys are suckers for blondes anyway,' came the reply.
'I suppose,' said Peach with a small, satisfied smile, and stroked her ponytail. 'I'm just getting bored of this look, you know? I need a bit of change. A makeover, really. Maybe I should get something pierced.'
Daisy - because that was the name of the other girl - let off a small cackle of disbelief and rolled her eyes. Yeah, right.
Peach seemed too absorbed in taking the possibilities of a makeover into account to notice her friend's reaction. She gazed somewhat airily into the distance, a pink-nailed finger playing around the corner of her lips.
'It's just really tough, you know, to find someone... especially with so few of our kind around here. Why can't I inherit a kingdom full of dark, tall, handsome guys?' She paused to glance at a Toad child who was chasing a ball about twice as big as himself. 'I mean, the Toads are really cute and everything, but come on. Me, with one of them? I don't think so. Surely there's someone better suited for me'
Daisy spotted a figure in the crowd and grinned mockingly. 'Speak of the Loser'
Peach followed her look and put on a similar expression. 'Oh, swoon. Mr. Italian Perfection Incarnate himself'
A short, strongly built creole boy with lots of curly black hair, an unmistakably large nose and blazing red shorts came up to them.
'Bongiorno, bongiorno, bella princepessa! How are ya today-a, laydees?' He made really wide gestures.
'Hey oregano breath' called Daisy. 'You've got something under your nose.'
'Ima growin a moustache!'
'How very debonair,' said Peach in a singularly unimpressed tone.
A third girl appeared next to the Italian, dressed in a simple red swimsuit with big black spots, and wearing her bright reddish-blonde hair in several small braids.
'Sweetie, I'm going for some gelato. Want some?' She noticed the other two. 'Oh look, if it isn't Her Royal Highn-ass, Princess Fungus and Dozy.'
'Hi, Pauline,' Peach said sweetly. 'Still going out with the Latin Dream I see? Your taste in guys is still as bad as your clothes.'
'Watch your head, Toadstool, if it gets any bigger, the crown's not gonna fit on it.'
'And you watch that ass on you, girlfriend. I'd recommend less gelato and more aerobics.'
'And I'd recommend that you get down from outer space and get yourself a prince. Otherwise the Kingdom might end up with you as monarch, God forbid. Come on, Mario.'
Pauline dragged off her boyfriend, who bid one last 'Laydees' to the girls. Daisy looked after her contemptuously.
'What a cow,' she muttered. 'Next thing you know she'll be dating a gorilla.'