Plumber of the Opera
"Are you certain they are plotting against us?" inquired Mario.
"Yes, I'm absolutely sure. One of our Toad spies overheard a conversation between Mouser and Triclyde," responded Princess Toadstool. "But before he could overhear the entire plan, a koopa guard passed his way. Luckily, the spy was able to get away before being spotted."
It was a sunny morning in the Mushroom Kingdom, and Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Yoshi were in the castle arranging a covert operation to uncover King Koopa's next evil plans to overthrow the Princess's rule. A flyer invitation meant for Kamek was intercepted by one of Princess Toadstool's Toad Troopers, which said a Ball Masque was to be held that night at Koopa Kastle.
"That is why one of us must attend King Koopa's Masque Ball, in disguise, so we can get a clearer picture of just what they intend to do," added Luigi.
"How do we determine who goes?" asked Mario bravely.
"Well, I asked Yoshi to come here today for just that reason. Yoshi, the straws please."
Yoshi, that lovable little dinosaur with the bottomless stomach, pulled two straws from his saddle bag and offered them to the Mario Brothers. With a wink and a nod to Luigi, it was over. Mario got the short end and Luigi turned to wish him luck. When Mario and the Princess stepped out to prepare a costume, Luigi hand-fed Yoshi a delicious, golden apple.
"Mario Brothers, eh? Why does he always get top-billing? I guess that makes him the hero, right Yoshi?" Luigi pouted.
Yoshi, half-paying attention, nodded while swallowing the rare apple with a smile. Luigi patted his head and stared off into the distance through the castle window.
"Thanks for snapping his straw for me."
In the castle wardrobe, Princess Toadstool was scrambling through every closet to find the best costume for Mario.
"Ah-ha!" she exclaimed. "I found the best thing for you."
In a moment, Mario was decked from head to toe with an elaborate costume. It was scarlet and royal blue, with gold pockets. His shoes were gold and silver-lined, the mask that slipped over his eyes was black with silver trim, and his hat was adorned with an albatoss feather.
"Hmmm," the Princess hummed. "Something's missing…"
She dug out an old purple Koopa shell and put it over his back.
"There! Now you appear to be a dapper ball attendee," she clasped her hands together satisfactorily.
"This thing weighs a ton!" Mario complained.
"Well, under no circumstances must you take it off," the Princess warned. "That would give you away. That shell is your ticket inside."
Mario found himself waiting in a long line at King Koopa's Kastle door. The line was filled with koopas, goombas, ninji, and the like, all dressed in wild and outlandish costumes. At the door, a caped Mouser was doing all the admitting, a deadly rapier hanging from his side. When Mario stepped up to be admitted, he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.
"Who are you?" he asked demandingly.
"That would spoil all the fun," Mario said.
"I'm going to keep an eye on you," Mouser said.
Mario felt a little uneasy and hurried in. Inside, the ballroom was decked with lavish curtains and confetti littered the floor. It was very crowded, as no one wanted to disappoint the ill-tempered Koopa King, who was sitting on his throne in his most elegant robe and crowned with his most bejeweled head-piece. Next to him was Triclyde, who was dressed as a green court jester.
After a few minutes, King Koopa stood up.
"And now, lizards and goombas," he began. "Welcome to the first annual Koopa Ball Masque. In a few moments, I shall reveal to you my evil plans to crush those pesky Mario Brothers once and for all. But for now, you must dance the night away in honor of my little Wendy O's birthday!"
The crowd cheered uproariously.
"Take off that mustache; you know how His Majesty feels about them!"
It was Mouser. He had been keeping close watch on Mario, just as he said he would. It was to Mario's relief that Triclyde interrupted the scene.
"King Koopa wants us in the front, in case Mario and his pals show up."
"Alright," said Mouser. Turning to Mario, he said, "You haven't seen the last of me."
Everything, with the exception of Mouser's constant harassment, was going as planned. Mario decided to wait by the big fountain, away from the all the dancing. He could hardly wait until the ball was over, but he had to be patient...
"All these guys are a dime-a-dozen," Wendy told Lenny Koopa.
"Yeah, just look at how cheap some of these costumes are," he remarked.
"It's like a slap in the face to my honor. How do you like that, dressing in cheap costumes on my birthday?!"
"Now, now, Wendy, don't get over-dramatic…" Lenny backed away.
"Over-dramatic? OVER-DRAMATIC?! I'll show you over- hold on," Wendy spotted something.
"Stop the press! Look over there, Lenny dear, by the water fountain. See that guy with the feather in his hat?"
"Wow, what a looker!" Lenny gasped with his mouth wide open.
"I saw him first, Lenny! Besides, it's my birthday, remember?"
"Well what are you waiting for?" chuckled Lenny.
Wendy O Koopa crept in between the crowds to the water fountain, where Mario was minding his own business.
"How's it hangin', handsome?" she flirted.
"Who, me?" Mario pointed to himself.
"Yes you, who else would I be talking to? I'm looking right at ya!"
Mario thought she was kind of rude; nonetheless, he didn't want to make a scene.
"Nice outfit," he complemented.
She giggled.
Wendy was wearing her favorite color, red, with pink lace, a red ruff collar, and a bright red bow. She also wore bright red lipstick, and her heels were red. Mario thought she over-did it a little on the red, but it being his favorite color, he didn't mind too much. He noticed a faint rose smell coming off her.
Must be her perfume, he thought to himself.
"Wanna dance?" she asked.
"Well, I'm kind of in the middle of som-"
Before he could finish, Wendy whisked Mario away and he found himself dancing with her among the crowd.
"You're not a bad dancer," she said.
"Uhh, thanks," he replied.
After a few minutes, the tempo of the songs changed from fast to slow.
"A slow song!" Wendy delighted.
She pulled Mario as close as she could to her body, burying her head in his shoulders. The two danced for what seemed like hours, until they grew tired of standing. Then Wendy led Mario up the stairway and into a private room in the tower, with a single, small window and lit torches along the walls.
"Wendy, I think I'd much rather be in the ballroom," Mario said, not wanting to miss King Koopa's big announcement.
"Just sit down here for a moment, with me," she pleaded softly.
Mario never noticed before how nice Wendy's eyes looked when lit by the torches hanging on the walls. The fires danced upon her ruby-red lips as Mario edged closer to her, the smell of roses filling his nostrils.
"Wendy, you're…you're beautiful…" said Mario, forgetting all about his mission.
"Kiss me, you fool," she demanded softly.
Her red dress and his scarlet garments blended together in the swirling fire light as they embraced one another warmly. After a few minutes of kissing, Wendy began to wonder just who it was behind the mask.
"Who are you?" she asked in between kisses.
Mario snapped back to reality and tried to find the words to say. Just then Triclyde opened the door.
Right on time, Mario thought to himself.
"Uhh, excuse me missus. King Koopa is ready to announce his plans now, and your presence is required, no matter what," he said.
"Oh darn!" she exclaimed.
Mario and Wendy were soon in the ballroom ready with the rest of the attendants to hear of King Koopa's evil plan. Mario saw Mouser looking at him while saying something to Triclyde. Triclyde nodded and Mouser made his approach. Then King Koopa spoke.
"Our albatoss brigade, ready with bob-ombs, will strike the Mushroom Kingdom at precisely…"
"Didn't I tell you take off that stupid mustache?"
It was Mouser. Mario's attention shifted, and he missed the time of King Koopa's attack. He tried his best to ignore the caped rodent.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, bozo!"
"Leave him alone, I think that mustache looks cute on him," Mario heard Wendy say.
"Well, I don't!" Mouser quickly tugged at Mario's mustache, hoping to tear it off with one fell swoop, but failed to succeed.
"OUCH!" Mario tenderly nursed his upper lip while Mouser stepped back in shock.
"It's Mario!" he screamed.
Suddenly, the guests all fell upon him. With the cumbersome, purple koopa shell on his back, Mario could do very little against the angry mob. King Koopa was in a rage.
"LOCK HIM IN THE DUNGEON!" he ordered his koopa troopas.
"M-Mario…?" Wendy stood in disbelief as he was severely beaten and dragged downstairs.
A few hours later, an unmasked Mario awoke to a smelly, dark dungeon. Heavy bars prevented his escape, and a koopa guard was placed to keep watch. It seemed all hope was lost when out of the blue a hammer bros hammer flew through the air and dispatched the guard. A hooded figure approached the barred cell door and unlocked it with a special Koopa-Key. It was Wendy.
"Nice shot," he marveled.
"Thanks, I've been practicing," she said.
"Boy, am I glad to see you," Mario said as he made his way to the door.
"Not so fast, Mario," Wendy blocked the entrance. "Did you really mean what you said back in the tower?"
"What, you being beautiful? Of course I meant it, I meant every word," Mario said.
"Prove it," Wendy asked.
Mario pulled her close to his body and kissed her one final time. It lasted for a good thirty seconds before she pushed away.
"Go…" Wendy said, almost sobbing. A tear ran down her cheek.
"Wendy…" Mario couldn't find the words. "If only things were different…"
"Just go! Get out of here before they find you!"
Mario ran up only to find the main entrance barred. He went to the tower, where the window was, and climbed out into the night. There he found a ledge that led down along the side of the castle to the ballroom rooftop, from which he could climb down and end up on the main path. He had to be careful; one slip and he would plummet down to the piranha-infested moat below. He inched carefully to the ballroom roof, but no sooner than he had started a caped shadow jumped in front of him. It was Mouser, rapier in hand.
"Where do you think you're going, chump?" he snarled.
Mario felt helpless against the onslaught of the skilled swordsmouse. The rapier slashed about, pushing Mario back further to the window; Mouser thrust his weapon forward, hoping to skewer Mario in one blow. Mario quickly turned about and felt the shell on his back crack slightly at the rapier's sting.
"That's it," Mario said aloud. "Not only is this shell my ticket in, it's my ticket out!"
He quickly removed the koopa shell off his back and used it as a shield against the swinging blade. With every thrust, the shell cracked more and more.
I've got to act fast, Mario thought to himself. I don't know how long this shield will last.
Mario managed to push the villain back, and just when he was about to set foot on the rooftop, the shell broke into little pieces.
"Ah-ha! Now I've got you," Mouser exclaimed triumphantly.
Preparing for the worst, Mario braced himself for a grisly end. Then out of nowhere, a hammer struck the rapier out of Mouser's hand.
"Wha…?" he wondered.
A second hammer flew past his head, missing by just mere inches. Then a third hammer, and a fourth. Mouser, in his attempt to dodge the incoming projectiles, lost his balance and tumbled over the ledge into the moat below. From out of the darkness of the rooftop, Wendy came forth. She had climbed down a separate ledge on the other side of the castle to see Mario one last time.
"Mario, I love you," she said.
"I love you too," he responded. "But as long as our kingdoms are at war with one another, it just cannot be. Goodbye my love."
"I understand. Goodbye, darling."
And at that, Mario leaped from the rooftop onto the main path, and disappeared into the night.
It was a sunny morning in the Mushroom Kingdom. Princess Toadstool, Yoshi, and Luigi were all crowded around Mario, who had just woken up on the floor of the castle badly bruised but alive.
"My God, what did they do to you?" Luigi asked.
"What of King Koopa's plans, Mario?" the Princess asked. "Did you find anything out?"
Mario squinted his eyes at the blinding sun and arose.
"My mission was a failure, Princess, I'm sorry."
Just then, Yoshi came in with a scroll in his mouth which read "Urgent" in bold, red letters. Princess Toadstool took the scroll out of Yoshi's mouth and opened it.
"They are plans!" she said with surprised look on her face. "Plans for an attack on the Mushroom Kingdom!"
"I bet they are a decoy from the enemy," Luigi said.
"Lemme see those," Mario grabbed the plans from the Princess and looked them over carefully. He smelled a faint but familiar scent of roses emanating from the papers.
"They are genuine," he concluded.
"How do you know," asked Luigi, rather doubtful.
"Let's just say we may have a friend on the other side," Mario said, all the while avoiding eye-contact with the Princess.
"Who?" she asked.
"Someone who needs our help," he responded. "Someone who can help us a great deal in return…"