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The Sword of Mushrooms

Chapter I - The Princess and the Plumber

Mario and Luigi were twin mustachioed brothers who lived in the wondrous Mushroom Kingdom. They resided in a house built by their own hands with a red roof in the middle of a grassy field filled with many hills and trees. It was very quiet and very peaceful. And though they lived in solitude, they weren't hermits. Almost every day they traveled over to Toad Town, where they worked as freelance plumbers. As a matter of fact, they were the town's only plumbers. It was a job they were very skilled at and loved, and because of that were well liked and respected in the community. Their dream one day was to expand their little home business and branch out to other parts of the kingdom.

Now, on this warm and sunny morning, the two brothers were having their breakfast at the eating table before they got started on today's activities. Mario, the shorter but elder brother, was helping himself to a slice of jammed toast while reading the Daily Shroom newspaper. Luigi, the taller but younger brother, was enjoying a bowl of semi-soggy Frosted Star Flakes.

"Are you sure you won't be needing my help, Mario?" Luigi asked as he crunched on his cereal. "You'll get the job done a lot faster."

"The whole thing shouldn't take too long," Mario said. "I'll be fine. You go have fun at the bakery."

"I always do."

Mario had a job to do at Mrs. Wittertoad's house in Toad Town installing new bathroom pipes. Luigi finished the rest of the cereal, then slurped up all the milk, something Mario hated having to listen to. Then, after clearing the table, the Mario Bros., as they were collectively referred to, left the house and walked over to the Warp Pipe at the end of their white picket-fenced yard. Warp Pipes were large, usually green magical pipes that were seeded all over Mushroom World. They acted as two-way transporters, allowing any who used them to cross great distances in a matter of seconds. Toad Town was a long walk from their house, but with their very own Warp Pipe they were able to make the trip instantly. They jumped onto the pipe and vanished right down it.

...

Toad Town was the capital of the Mushroom Kingdom. The atmosphere was cheery, the streets were bustling, and the Toads who inhabited it were just about the friendliest folk you'd ever want to meet. Castle Toadstool stood at the north end of town behind a pair of big blue gates emblazoned with a golden star. It had white stone walls, several towers capped with red spires, and was surrounded by a moat and a wide outer wall. This regal palace, which had stood for decades, was the home of Princess Peach, the beloved ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom.

In the expansive garden behind the castle, Princess Peach sat at a table in the shade of a tree with pink leaves by the moat's edge. She was sipping a cup of freshly hot tea while listening to the melody of three songbirds perched above her. As she started to hum along, which the birds welcomed, she spotted something a little odd. A crow looking in the opposite direction was perched on a branch away from the other three birds. It was a bit curious seeing one here, Peach thought. Crows were strange and ominous birds that preferred to hang out in dark, gloomy-looking places like the Boo Woods. Peach returned to her tea, deciding not to pay it much mind, when she heard someone from the castle call out to her.

"Princess Peach? Are you out here?"

It was, of course, Toadsworth, her longtime steward. Peach sighed a little. No doubt this was work-related.

"Princess?" Toadsworth called again. But Peach kept silent and soon heard the elderly Toad struggling to find his way through the large hedge maze behind her. She knew how much he detested having to navigate through it since he never took the time to memorize it. She, however, could make it through blindfolded.

Toadsworth finally exited the maze and looked annoyed at Peach, who tried to look oblivious. "Princess, why didn't you answer me while I was calling your name?" he asked as he walked over to her.

"I must not have heard you over the birds," Peach lied as she innocently sipped her tea. But Toadsworth didn't believe that for a second. "Is there something you need?"

"Yes. Some papers were just sent over that need your signature."

"Is that all? Okay, then. Do you have them with you?"

"No, they're waiting for you in your office. If I had known you were going to make me labor through that confounded, leafy labyrinth, I would've brought them with me."

"Alright, then," Peach said as she stood up. "I'll go and sign them. And then I'd like to go out for a bit, if that's okay with you."

"Certainly. You are the princess after all."

Peach then grabbed her teacup and headed back through the maze with Toadsworth at her heels, while the songbirds and the crow vacated the tree.

...

"Have a nice day, Mrs. Wittertoad," said Mario as he exited a house with a blue roof. He carried his red toolbox in one hand and a little bag of gold coins in the other. Another day, another coin, he thought, whistling as he tossed the bag up and down on his way back to the Warp Pipe to there house. Then all of a sudden, he felt something swoop down at him from behind and snatch his hat right off his head. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was a crow! And it had his hat firmly clamped in its little dark beak! What the heck?

"You little thief!" Mario exclaimed. "Give me back my hat!"

The crow gave a muffled caw and flapped its wings as it took off through the air. Mario was red in the face and chased after it, dropping his toolbox and coins. Nothing mattered to him right now except getting his hat back. And no matter what it took, he would get it back. He relentlessly pursued the little feathered bandit through town, drawing the eyes of many onlookers. The crow was flying low, low enough that he might just be able to reach it. Mario thought it was odd as he rounded the town's flower shop, but he would work it to his advantage. He was running just below the crow now. Now's my chance! And without warning, Mario sprang into the air, his hand out-stretched and ready to take back his most prized possession. He was going to make it! No! He missed! The crow had dodged him at the last second! Blast it! Now the crow was flying too high for him to reach. Not even Luigi, if he were here, could make that height.

Mario looked ahead as he maintained his mad pursuit. They were heading for the park at the northeastern part of town. The park was full of trees, like a mini woods. It would be easy to lose the crow in there. Mario had to make sure that didn't happen. But why was it even flying to the park in the first place instead of simply fleeing into the sky? For that matter, why did it even take his hat at all? None of this made a lick of sense.

Mario didn't lose sight of the crow once he entered the park. It was almost as if the crow wanted it that way. Then, as they neared a playground where Mario saw a bunch of Toad kids playing at, the crow dropped his hat at the base of a large tree and flew away. Mario picked it up, dusted it off, and placed it right back on his head where it belonged. He felt whole again. But he was curious as to why the crow dropped it here and then just left. There wasn't anything unusual about this spot. All he saw were some kids playing, one of whom appeared to have a pet Fuzzy. But then he looked over to the left and his eyes suddenly swelled. It was Princess Peach, the girl of his dreams.