~First Meeting~
His footsteps echoed eerily around him as he headed down the long corridor, the only light source being torches lined on the walls every few feet. He wiped the sweat off of his brow, while taking down the one who called himself 'Bowser' hadn't been too difficult, the entire journey had left him fatigued and he desperately wanted to rest. But first he needed to find and rescue the princess that the Koopa had managed to kidnap.
He heard chains rattling in the distance, and he quickened his pace, figuring he was close. After a few moments of walking he stopped dead in his tracks, shocked at the sight in front of him.
A girl in a light pink dress was chained to the wall, head down as her unkempt blonde hair fell in a curtain around her face, shielding her from the outside world. She was trembling, but whether it was from the cold or because she was frightened out of her wits was up to interpretation. From the way her shoulders were shaking however, she was definitely crying.
He took a few steps forward and the girl's head snapped up at the sound, only one emotion present in her teary eyes - fear. It quickly morphed into confusion however as she realized that it wasn't Bowser, and she cautiously watched as he approached before speaking.
"You're not one of them... are you?"
He smiled, shaking his head. "Far from it. I just took down their leader, and I'm here to help you escape."
Relief swept across her face, and she motioned her head towards the adjacent wall. "The keys are over there on the hook. I suppose he put them there to taunt me, keeping my escape just out of my reach."
He quickly grabbed the keys off of the hook, fitting them into the cuffs that restrained the girls hands.
"What's your name?" she asked when he'd freed her left hand and moved to her right.
"Mario," he replied as he freed her right hand. "What would your name be?"
"I am Princess Peach Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom," she answered, curtsying to her savior once she had been freed. "Thank you, Mario."
"Don't mention it," Mario replied, taking the princesses hand. "Now, let's get you out of here before even more trouble shows up, shall we?"