The sun rose cheerfully over the Mushroom Kingdom, creating a scene of picturesque beauty as it lit up the walls of a pink castle. Birds sang cheerfully and early risers were just waking up to go to work. The peace was shattered as a Toad, one of the inhabitants of the local town, tore down a gravel road as if his life depended upon it. He screeched to a halt in front of a simple house with a large front lawn and began pounding on the front door with surprising force for his small size. As if this wasn't enough, he began to frantically ring the doorbell simultaneously.

Mario shrieked and jumped up out of bed, tripping on his sheets and landing face-first into a throw rug. Grumbling, he threw on his overalls and signature cap, making his way for the door. Whoever was disturbing him like this had better have a good reason for it.

"Four weeks out, trying to save her again, then two weeks trapped in a painting! Seriously, can't I get one day of rest?" he asked to no one in particular.

Mario threw open the front door, revealing Toad with an extremely panicked look on his face.

"What is it? Who died? Where was the attack?" Mario questioned, refusing to believe that anything less than that was worth waking him up over.

Toad took a few deep breaths. "I'm sorry to say this, but... we need your help again."

"Again?! Do you know what I've been through? I spent almost a month saving Peach last time, and what do I get for my troubles? E. Gadd calls me out, then I get trapped in a painting for two weeks! I need some sleep!"

"I know, I know..." Toad muttered, looking genuinely sympathetic. "But it's a madhouse around here! See, just yesterday, the sky went nuts! It turned dark green, and there was all this creepy pink lightning and thunder! It wasn't like anything I'd ever seen before. It sure scared the heck out of most of the citizens. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" Toad questioned, somewhat accusingly.

Luigi, who had walked out of the front door just in time to see this, began to whistle innocuously, making him appear more conspicuous than before. "Well... it's a really long story. We'll tell you later."

"Oh, I know that it was probably important. Just try telling that to..." he made a face, twirling his finger next to his head in the universal symbol for 'crazy'.

It was well known that the citizens of Toad Town were easily excitable, not to mention extremely xenophobic. Even the merest mention of the words 'Koopa', 'Goomba', or 'Bean' was enough to send some of them into (at least) a panic or (at most) a full-blown metaphorical witch hunt to remove the offending member of society.

"Can't it just wait for a day or two? I need to get some sleep!"

Toad signed, as if he was really regretting what he was about to say. "It really can't wait. I don't know how much longer this can keep going on!"

"Don't you have someone else to take over for a few days? Toadsworth, or someone?"

"No! They're all like 'NO ONE CAN RULE BUT PEACH!' It's pathetic, isn't it? And if you ask me-" he said, lowering his voice to a confidential whisper- "I really don't think that Peach is a competent leader.'"

"What does Toad Town do every other time she's kidnapped? This happens every few months, at least!"

"They don't do anything!"

It was Mario's turn to be shocked. "You mean… you have no other form of government? I'm gone for months, sometimes! How does the economy stay stable?"

"Economy? Stable? As if. I'm one of the only ones who pays any attention to the government. Me, Toadsworth, and Toadbert are the only ones who really care about anything. According to everyone else, it's Peach's job. Our economy is failing... almost no one else will trade with us. We grow nearly all of our own food."

The sheer level of incompetence of these citizens finally hit Mario with all the subtlety of a bus. "Oh great... and I just introduced several million coins into the equation. Mamma mia..."

"What's the problem?"

"Do you remember my last adventure? With all the gold flowers?"

"How could I forget? That certainly was an innovation... But that reminds me. I think I'll make a run out to the bank later today. I have about twenty thousand bucks, along with several nice, big gems..." He had given a portion of his money to E. Gadd, partially in thanks for supporting him, and partially to pay for the upgrades to the Poltergust 5000 and the damages to his mansions and lab equipment he had caused.

"Forget about it! We can't let that money go into circulation!"

"Why not? I wanted to add on to my mansion, get some nice food, build a doghouse..."

"If you let that money get out there, you won't even be able to buy a loaf of bread with that much!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Hyperinflation! Peach is too incompetent to manage the economy, and we're ruining it further! Remember the Beanbean incident?"

The Beanbean incident took place several years earlier. After their tryst into the Beanbean Kingdom, with defeating Bowser and saving the world from Cackletta and her lackey, they returned home for a massive surprise. The Beanbean coins that they brought back were worth several hundred billion Mushroom coins. Wisely, Mario decided to keep the majority of his Beanbean coins out of circulation and only trade in one to make a huge profit.

They had both assumed that Prince Peasley was just being a jerk when he gave them only 99 Beanbean coins for the massive amount of Mushroom coins they won from him. Little did they realize that the exchange rate really was that bad, with trade nearly ceasing between the two kingdoms due to the great differences in currency.

In hindsight, it was no wonder that the relationships between the two kingdoms were so strained.

Luigi chuckled. "Oh, no, bro. That money isn't Mushroom currency! It's almost universal otherwise, accepted in Darklands, Beanbean, and Evershade. So, it looks like I'm safe, while you have to keep those six million coins out of circulation."

Mario groaned. He had never looked at it that way before. "Great. Just great. Bowser finally invents something useful for a change, and I can't even take advantage of it?" he asked rhetorically.

Sighing, Mario turned to Toad. "If I go save Peach, do you think you can keep everyone calm for a few more days?"

"Well... you know how they are. I'll try my best- maybe Toadsworth can lie and say she's sick in bed."

Mario and Luigi discreetly made their way to the gate of Toad Town, before turning down an obscure side road. "Let's take this warp pipe. I just got it installed yesterday... it cost me about eight thousand coins."

Jumping on the top of the pipe together, the brothers descended into blackness.