Chapter One - Enter the Mallow
Frogfucius had been a lonely resident of Tadpole Pond, a small lake to the southest of the Mushroom Kingdom, his entire life. He had been born and raised there, and ever since the deaths of his parents, he had been on his own. Tadpole Pond had always been a nice place, though, the only problem being the extreme humidity in the summer.
Frogfucius may have been lonely, but he wasn't completely alone in the world. Every now and then he would stop into the local Juice Bar, where he would guzzle down an ice-cold Froggie Drink, or, if he was feeling really depressed, a Kerokero Cola. The tadpoles kept him company, although only a few of them spoke English, but at Frogfucius's age, it was nice to be around anybody.
About fifteen years ago, a terrible wind storm raged through the land. Everything from the valleys to the mountains was affected by this awful storm, but nothing took more damage than a beautiful place up in the clouds called Nimbus Land. Homes were destroyed and valuables were lost, but thankfully no one was killed. There was one young child, however, who mysteriously disappeared...
Two or three nights had passed since the final hours of the storm, even though the rain was still falling. All of the land's waterways had been flooded, including Tadpole Pond. Frogfucius was startled awake by a distant thunderclap. He yawned and sat up, deciding that he could use a drink.
"Don't worry," he said, glancing upward at his panicking Lakitu friend. "Go back to sleep, it's only thunder..."
Frogfucius trotted over to the edge of his tiny little island and prepared to cross the pond by hopping onto his lily pad, but something caught his eye. Something small, white, and fluffy was bobbing up and down in the water near his island. At first, it looked like a ball of cotton, but when Frogfucius took a closer look, his mouth hung open in surprise.
"My goodness..."
He reached into the frigid water with both arms and pulled the fluffy little something out. It was a baby ... but a baby what? Frogfucius had never seen anything like this before. It had a cute little face, and short, rubbery little arms and legs that dangled from its round body.
"Just what in the world are you?" Frogfucius asked softly, stroking the something's fluffy white hair.
The something's eyes finally opened. It had round, shiny eyes, like little black marbles. It opened its mouth and started making squeaky little sounds. It appeared to be crying, but after a moment, Frogfucius could tell that it seemed to be trying to speak.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Mm -- mm -- mmm..."
Frogfucius stared at the little something, bewildered.
"Mall ... o. Mal ... low. Mallow."
"Mallow?" Frogfucius repeated. "What is that? Are you a Mallow?"
"Mallow," the something said again.
"Is that your name? Mallow?"
"Mallow."
Frogfucius did not know what the heck this little something was, and he didn't know where it had come from. But it seemed to have arrived in Tadpole Pond by accident, and there was no way that something so young and tiny would be able to fend for itself. He had only one choice.
"Well, Mallow," he whispered, "welcome to your new home."
Frogfucius had been a lonely resident of Tadpole Pond, a small lake to the southest of the Mushroom Kingdom, his entire life. He had been born and raised there, and ever since the deaths of his parents, he had been on his own. Tadpole Pond had always been a nice place, though, the only problem being the extreme humidity in the summer.
Frogfucius may have been lonely, but he wasn't completely alone in the world. Every now and then he would stop into the local Juice Bar, where he would guzzle down an ice-cold Froggie Drink, or, if he was feeling really depressed, a Kerokero Cola. The tadpoles kept him company, although only a few of them spoke English, but at Frogfucius's age, it was nice to be around anybody.
About fifteen years ago, a terrible wind storm raged through the land. Everything from the valleys to the mountains was affected by this awful storm, but nothing took more damage than a beautiful place up in the clouds called Nimbus Land. Homes were destroyed and valuables were lost, but thankfully no one was killed. There was one young child, however, who mysteriously disappeared...
Two or three nights had passed since the final hours of the storm, even though the rain was still falling. All of the land's waterways had been flooded, including Tadpole Pond. Frogfucius was startled awake by a distant thunderclap. He yawned and sat up, deciding that he could use a drink.
"Don't worry," he said, glancing upward at his panicking Lakitu friend. "Go back to sleep, it's only thunder..."
Frogfucius trotted over to the edge of his tiny little island and prepared to cross the pond by hopping onto his lily pad, but something caught his eye. Something small, white, and fluffy was bobbing up and down in the water near his island. At first, it looked like a ball of cotton, but when Frogfucius took a closer look, his mouth hung open in surprise.
"My goodness..."
He reached into the frigid water with both arms and pulled the fluffy little something out. It was a baby ... but a baby what? Frogfucius had never seen anything like this before. It had a cute little face, and short, rubbery little arms and legs that dangled from its round body.
"Just what in the world are you?" Frogfucius asked softly, stroking the something's fluffy white hair.
The something's eyes finally opened. It had round, shiny eyes, like little black marbles. It opened its mouth and started making squeaky little sounds. It appeared to be crying, but after a moment, Frogfucius could tell that it seemed to be trying to speak.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Mm -- mm -- mmm..."
Frogfucius stared at the little something, bewildered.
"Mall ... o. Mal ... low. Mallow."
"Mallow?" Frogfucius repeated. "What is that? Are you a Mallow?"
"Mallow," the something said again.
"Is that your name? Mallow?"
"Mallow."
Frogfucius did not know what the heck this little something was, and he didn't know where it had come from. But it seemed to have arrived in Tadpole Pond by accident, and there was no way that something so young and tiny would be able to fend for itself. He had only one choice.
"Well, Mallow," he whispered, "welcome to your new home."