CHAPTER 1: PRINCESS PEACH DISCOVERS A GLASS TUNNEL
"Out of all the places to stay in Toad Town or even the Mushroom Kingdom, why does she have to stay with you?" Princess Peach snapped at her boyfriend while sweeping her flowing blond tresses from her temple.
"It will only be for a couple of days, Princess. Like I said before, Daisy just needs a place to stay during her trek from Sarasaland. You have nothing to be worried about," Mario spoke gently as he twisted his black mustache in between his fingers.
"Besides, how can she and her entire entourage fit at your mama's place!" Princess Peach spoke mockingly.
"Ouch," Mario said, "not every princess needs an entourage, my love."
"That is so stupid! Every princess needs an entourage. At least every reputable princess does. Oh wait, we are talking about Princess Daisy. Never mind. She doesn't need an entourage. Wait, she would be staying with you alone!" Princess Peach exclaimed.
"I'll be there! Mama will be there too," Luigi called from a few meters behind.
Princess Peach rolled her enormous blue eyes while flipping her golden mane once again. Her pace quickened in an attempt to put some distance between herself and Mario; Princess Peach managed to scurry along a path deeper into the forest found along the outskirts of Toad Town.
Mario purposely allowed Princess Peach some space; he knew she needed a moment to cool off. Even when Peach was not his, Mario always needed to give her a moment to sort things out. Princess Peach Toadstool cannot see reason when her head is full of fire.
"I will never understand girls," Luigi emerged alongside his brother.
"That could be the reason you are always single," Mario playfully knocked Luigi's white hat off Luigi's thick curly hair.
"No, I cannot find one that meets my impossible standards," Luigi explained.
Princess Peach held her satin dress within her starched white gloved hands. She trotted further and further among the worn grassy path. The Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom's breath quickened as she moved faster and faster with her white high-heeled shoes digging into the earth with every step.
Why can't Mario understand why it is not appropriate to have his ex-girlfriend staying at his house? Peach thought angrily. Boys can be so dumb.
Princess Peach's thoughts were interrupted when she saw a bush shaking in her peripheral vison. Her quickened pace came to a complete stop as she carefully scooted towards the shaking bush. When Princess Peach was centimeters away, she squatted and carefully examined the bush without making a sound. Before the princess was completely settled, Toad jumped from the bush energetically.
This startled the princess. Peach's legs clumsily pushed off the ground causing her to fall onto her back. An earsplitting shriek escaped her throat. Within milliseconds, Mario and Luigi were helping Princess Toadstool to her feet.
"What in mushroom Heavens is your problem, Toad!? You know I hate it when you do that," Princess Peach screamed.
Toad threw his head backwards laughing hysterically causing his normally peachy, fleshy skin to become redder and redder with every chuckle. Toad giggled so hard, he began to snort while gasping for breath. His entire body shook like he was having a seizure.
"You make me sick," Peach stomped her foot so hard, the heel of her shoe became stuck in the soft ground.
"You came all this way to prank Peach," Luigi asked.
"Ha, ha, ha, no. Ha, ha, ha. The Mushroom King, ha, ha, asked me to…" Toad could not finish his sentence due to the excessive laughter.
"My dad! What does he want?" Princess Peach demanded.
"Toad, if you don't deliver the message within the next twenty seconds, I am going to drop-kick you so hard in that big head of yours that you will become one with the dirt," Mario snapped impatiently.
Immediately, Toad quit laughing as if his laughter was turned off with a switch. Toad stood as tall as his almost one and a quarter meter self could while taking a deep breath. Everyone knows that Mario uses his words carefully. Toad, along with anyone that had encountered Mario knew that Mario did not play.
"Princess Peach, the Mushroom King told me to collect you since he has an extremely important message to tell you in person," Toad spoke in his usual squeaky voice.
"Come on, Peach; I will take you home," Mario said as he grasped the princess's delicate hand while attempting to lead her towards town.
"I am still angry with you, Mario," Princess Peach snapped. "I will not go home until you promise me that Princess Tomboy will not be staying at your house."
"My lady, I gave Princess Daisy my word. She needs my help and I help my friends," Mario chose his words carefully now clutching both of Peach's hands.
Princess Peach aggressively shook Mario's hands away; she immediately started sprinting further down the worn grassy path leaving only a trail of dust behind. Mario, Luigi, and Toad could only see a pink and blond blur accompanied by dust getting further and further away. The boys exchanged annoyed yet meaningful glances before running after their princess.
The Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom was pleased that Mario, Luigi, and Toad were coming after her. Peach always wanted Mario to come after her; the day Mario did not come after her would be the day the relationship would be over. Princess Peach sucked in a mouthful of fresh forest air as her speed increased. She knew it would not be long before Mario caught up with her or Toad for that matter. It is no secret that she, Princess Peach Toadstool, was the slowest runner out of Mario, Luigi, and Toad.
They should try running in stiletto heels. Princess Peach thought amusingly.
Just as the princess's rhythm became steady, her foot landed in a pothole; once again, the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom was thrown into the dirt. Once again, an enormous scream escaped Peach's throat; once again, Mario and Luigi were helping Princess Toadstool to her feet. This, of course, was followed by Toad's annoying laughter. Mario's eyes immediately burned into Toad. Toad quit laughing.
"What happened, Princess?" Mario said in a concerned voice.
"I was running and my foot landed in a hole," Princess Peach informed.
"This is not really a hole. This is a glass tunnel," Luigi informed as he examined the pipe.
"Seriously," Princess Peach said. "I just learned about glass tunnels in my history lesson last week. Apparently, only Sprixie princesses can build glass pipes."
"No one has seen a Sprixie princess or commoner in decades," Mario added.
"What the goomba is a Sprixie?" Luigi asked.
"They are a race of fairies," Toad informed.
"Just like you are a race of fungi," Princess Peach nastily snapped at Toad.
"Well, you are the Princess of Fungi," Toad quipped.
"Where do you get off speaking to me like that? At least I am human," Princess Peach growled.
"Well if I am a fungus, then why don't you eat me?" Toad said sardonically.
"Out of all the kind, loyal Toads in the Mushroom Kingdom, how did I get stuck with you?" Princess Peach said.
While Princess Peach and Toad continued this childish rant, Luigi selected a diamond plated wrench to repair the bent pipe that was made of glass. Luigi immediately got to work and Mario knelt beside his baby brother. Eventually, Mario removed a red hammer from his belt loop to help Luigi straighten the glass tunnel.
"Where did you get a diamond plated wrench?" Mario inquired casually.
"Mama found it in Papa's old tool belt. She figured I might make some use of it one day," Luigi replied as beads of sweat found their way across his temple.
"I am the first born son. Why didn't I get the diamond plated wrench?" Mario wondered.
"You got everything else that belonged to Papa!" Luigi exclaimed while he continued to work until the broken pipe was fixed.
A tiny glittery green girl with green wings grazed gracefully from the glass pipe. The creature zipped left and right before spinning wildly around Mario and Luigi's heads. It became obvious that the tiny green girl is a fairy. Princess and Toad immediately quit quarreling. Mario and Luigi quit bickering.
"It's the Green Sprixie Princess! I read about her in my history book. She is the main Sprixie Princess," Peach declared.
"Help!" The Green Sprixie screamed. "All the tunnels leading to the Sprixie Kingdom have been damaged. I was about to give up until I found this one. Bowser kidnapped my six sisters, and now Bowser is after me!"
"Bowser!" Mario and Luigi screamed.
"Can you help me rescue my sisters and save the Sprixie Kingdom from demise? Bowser is not far behind…" The Green Sprixie's breath was cut short as she was interrupted by the ground around the glass tunnel vibrating feverously.
An enormous turtle and human hybrid squeezed from the glass tunnel snatching the Green Sprixie Princess; the tortoise humanoid trapped the fairy princess inside the jar by wedging a cork in place. The Green Sprixie Princess pounded along the glass crying and screaming. Her words were muffled and it sounded as if the little fairy was speaking gibberish.
"Bowser!" Mario and Luigi exclaimed.
This was followed by Bowser throwing his head back before propelling his energy forward to exhale a loud roar. Bowser's growl was so powerful that it shook the ground once again causing Princess Peach to land on her rear. Luigi snatched two wrenches from his belt read to pounce; Mario's hands found his hammers located along his belt loops. He aggressively held his hammers high ready to attack.
"Mario Brothers! How do we keep running into each other?" Bowser snarled.
"Maybe if you weren't such a punk, these meetings would diminish!" Mario screamed.
"Princess Peach, how nice it is to see you again. I still consider you the one that got away…for now," Bowser's deep voice rattled within his throat. "If you ever tire of this plumber loser, my offer still stands."
With those words, Bowser slipped back into the glass tunnel taking the Green Sprixie Princess with him. Princess Peach hopped to her feet dashing towards the glass pipe. She leaned over to look inside before slipping and falling into the tunnel herself. Princess Peach's screams echoed throughout the pipe getting softer and softer the further she fell. Mario, Luigi, and Toad shared meaningful glances before diving head first after Princess Peach, after Bowser, and after the Green Sprixie Princess.