The castle was normally known for being bright and cheerful, but not lately. Not after what had happened. But even before that had taken place, and the castle had fallen, this hall had still been dark and dusty. In fact, she wasn't sure if it had been touched in the four years since it was built, at least until recently.

As she hurried along the hall, she couldn't help but look back, wondering if she would ever see this castle in its once great beauty again, back before it had been attacked. Now all that was really left were the basements, the sewers, and this. She thanked the stars that it had been hidden well enough, and turned a corner to find her prize, a small warp pipe, just big enough for one person. As she leaped onto its edge, she looked back once more, her eyes looking for even the smallest shadow out of place.

When she saw everything as it should be, she bounded from the pipes rim through the wall behind it and found what she had really come down here for; a gigantic warp pipe, almost eight feet across. As she lowered herself into it and felt the familiar warp tingle, she failed to notice a single wispy shadow detach itself from the wall and fly back down the hallway.

As she got out of the pipe, she gazed around at the last sanctuary of the people of the mushroom kingdom, the town of Flipside. As she saw the approaching crowd however, she had to correct herself, seeing several koopas as well and even a Boo among the multitude of toads. It was good to see that even some Darklandians had made it here as well as her precious toads; they would need every able body they could get. "Peach! We though we'd never see you again!" "I thought you had died!" "We thought you had died!" "Is the castle alright?" "Did you find my sock?"

Peach looked over her toads in amusement, "I've only been gone an hour, there's no need to start worrying about me. I never even left the castle anyways; I was just looking for any more stragglers hidden inside. I'm afraid the damage is worse than we thought however; most of the castle has been demolished, with only the basements surviving intact. And no, it wasn't where you said it was."

The Toads all relaxed, except for the sockless Toad at the end, who merely pouted. Peach then turned to the koopas in hope, "Is there any news about the Darklands? Is it still holding?"

"Yes, but only just," The koopa replied, "We're not sure how much longer we can last when they have such sheer forces. We're currently trying to get as many citizens to other safe lands while we can."

Peach nodded in agreement, "I wish we had been able to do the same, but the initial attack was too sudden, we had no chance without the Mario brothers."

The koopas looks turned to worry, "Have you found any news on a hero who could help us, with both the Mario brothers and Bowser gone, we have no hope on our own."

"I have found no news of remaining heroes," Peach said with a sigh, "They have either fled or been captured, and if I did find anyone they would have to be as powerful as all three of our heroes."

"Have you tried looking for villains?" The Boo suddenly asked, "I'm sure they'd help you in such a dangerous situation."

Peach shook her head again, "No, it's the same problem, the weaker have fled and the stronger have been captured, and I don't know if any of the ones left are powerful enough to help!"

The Boo sighed, "Look," he stated, "Just name whatever villains or heroes you can think of who are left, and I'll get some fellow ghosts to help look. There has to be at least one left, and at this point we need any help we can get."

"Well…" Peach began, "There's Booster; Doopliss, Rawk Hawk, and Prince Peasley. I know they're still not captured. But I'm not sure how much help they could be; they're not that powerful, infact I can think of only one person who's that powerful, and he's dead!"

The Boo looked up in shock, "What did you say?" He asked.

"That the only person I can think of who's that powerful is dead, but I don't see what that has to do wit-" "That's it!"

Peach only looked at the Boo in confusion, "What's it?" she asked.

"The answer to our problems!" The Boo crowed, "If he's dead, that means he's in the Underwhere. If he's in the Underwhere that means he can't have been caught by a shadow, and if he's in the Underwhere than you can bring him back! All you have to do is ask for a favor from that Queen down there, I'm sure she'll help."

"I can't do that!" Peach shouted "You don't know who I'm talking about, there's no way he'll help us and he's too dangerous even if he would help!"

The Boo appeared downcast before quickly brightening back up, "Then just threaten him! If he tries to cause havoc on his own, then you can just send him back down there, right?"

Peach thought carefully about the dangers of releasing him back into the world, but the fact was that they needed firepower, and he could give that in spades. Peach finally sighed. "I'll ask him." She decided, "And hope he's willing to cooperate."

Deep in the Underwhere, where games go to die, Peach was watching a black blob that had once been one of the worlds most feared villains, praying to the stars to help her somehow, hopefully in a way that wouldn't have to involve the creature in front of her. The blob finally looked back up at her and spoke, "I am doing the acceptance of the idea that is yours, as long as you are of the accepting for the idea that is mine."

Peach gravely nodded, making a large smile creep over the blobs face.

"I Have Chortles!"