Under the deep violet sky, Princess Peach slumbered gently on the rough ground, her gloved hands forming a makeshift pillow under her head. Her crown sat faithfully beside her, glinting faintly gold in the last flickers of the dying campfire.
Across from her, Perry was in the midst of a fitful half-slumber—a recurring dream of a happier past life haunted him, becoming more and more detailed each time he had it. From this series of nocturnal visions, he now knew that he had been a human boy at one time, had had a grandfather who doted on him, and he knew that a pair of evildoers had viciously spirited him away. But how had they changed him into this umbrella form? Why had they ripped him away from his family, and worked their ill will on him in his youth?
His squall of dark thoughts was abruptly interrupted by a sharp cry. Perry looked over toward Peach, and watched with helpless confusion as she cried out again, her face scrunching up in what appeared to be frustration and anger.
"She must be dreaming of fighting Bowser," Perry thought. "Kingdom knows how often we've both talked of it."
Flashback to earlier that evening
"I know Bowser will be difficult to fight," Peach said, stirring the sleepy flame of the campfire gently with a stick to rouse it out of its laziness. She stared into the brightening fire for a few seconds, as if it would impart some wisdom to her. "But…I've watched what he does all the times he's captured me. He uses the same old tactics, the same old tricks every time, and I've gotten about as used to them as Mario has."
"Being on the other side of the battle should give you quite an advantage," Perry said thoughtfully, his tone full of optimism and hope to encourage the princess. "Bowser's not quite the inventive type."
Peach scoffed lightly, and started to giggle. "Those last few times, I slipped out from my bonds so easily that I could have sworn he was using the same old rope to tie me up every time."
"What an idiot," Perry added, starting to laugh as well. The two of them laughed for a little while, easing the painful tension in the air that had been there since their last boss battle.
After their laughter died away, Peach sighed, and scooted back away from the fire, propping herself up with one arm as she tried to get more comfortable on the rocky soil. "I just wish I could at least know about Mario," she said softly.
She was quiet for a few seconds, looking pensive, and an expression of deep worry clouded her eyes.
"What do you want to know about him?" Perry asked, trying to keep Peach talking and not silently worrying herself to death.
"Whether he's all right, whether he and Luigi and Toad are all together so they at least have friends to talk to," she replied faintly. Her voice sounded suddenly choked. "Whether they're being fed enough. Whether Bowser has tort—"
Peach's voice broke suddenly, and Perry looked over to her in surprise, catching a glimpse of a shuddering tear freeing itself from her eye and fleeing swiftly away down her cheek. She hurriedly wiped the moisture away and cleared her throat, trying to speak. "I'm sorry…I just worry that Bowser and his minions are torturing Mario in there. Lately, I've had…dreams. Nightmares, really…" She trailed off, looking away and down into the deep, shaded countryside in every direction, but Perry could see the pain in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Princess," he whispered, and she shook her head in response.
"Don't be, Perry." She let out a tense breath. "If I give in to the dreams and get frightened, then I'm just what Bowser said I was—a weak, stupid little girl who thinks she can save everyone." The bitterness and hurt in her voice made it clear Bowser had struck a nerve in her by saying such things.
After a long silence, Perry finally spoke again. "Maybe we should both rest, Princess. Your battle with Kamek really drained us both."
Peach sighed deeply. "I know…" Her gaze swept upwards, towards the castle that was so tantalizingly close now, and her eyes grew bright with unshed tears. "I just miss him," she whispered.
"I know, Princess," Perry said softly. He was silent for a few seconds, then spoke up. "How about I sing something so you can get to sleep easier?"
Peach looked at him quizzically. "What songs do you know?"
"Uh…" Perry gave a nervous laugh. "Well, I don't know what it is, but it's been in my dream of my grandpa for the past few nights. It's something he sang to me, and it's…I dunno, kind of like a lullaby in a way."
She smiled faintly at his description, and nodded. "I'd like to hear it," she said softly.
As she turned over on the rough ground and started attempting to get comfortable, Perry began his tune—a melody that seemed full of green grass, tall trees, and blue sky, of happiness free of care. The notes skipped gaily along the words in a playful pattern as he started the lyrics.
Sometimes the day shouldn't have an end
It feels like the sun should still fly
But you and I know that nighttime will come
And I don't want you to cry
Sometimes the night shouldn't ever start
It feels like the dark is consuming
But you and I know that dawn is coming
And you know that hope is still blooming
If you feel frightened, remember the sunlight;
Its rays in memory blot out the night
If you feel weak, remember this song
You will not be alone for long…"
Light, quiet snores interrupted Perry briefly. Peach was turned away from him, but he watched the slow, regular pattern of her breathing and knew she had fallen asleep. He smiled slightly, thinking that the remembered lullaby had soothed her, and closed his own eyes.
End of flashback
Now, as Perry watched Peach struggle faintly against the air, he knew her earlier mention of her dreams had been right on. Muffled mumbles came from her as she continued to dream.
"No, Mario…mmf…stupid Koopa…" Her fist punched out at the air sharply, as if trying to strike something. "Bowser…let 'em out…"
Her words were broken by a sudden sharp intake of air, and she cried out as if wounded. "Mario…" she mumbled pitifully. "Bowser, why…why…"
She continued talking, though it was now unintelligible, and her body calmed down, slowing its movements. Gradually, Peach became silent again, and Perry closed his eyes again, thinking that she was finally at rest again.
Some time later, Perry awoke to an insistent rustling sound, like that of a struggle. It intensified, becoming louder and louder, and he fought to turn himself toward the sound, suddenly afraid that something was about to attack them as they slept. The rustling and struggling continued, until it was pierced by a feminine screech.
"NO!"
His eyes flew open. Peach sat bolt upright, her arms wrapped around herself tightly, and she was shuddering with the force of her sobs. Boiling tears spilled from her flooded blue eyes, glittering in the faint moonlight as they wetted her cheeks.
"Princess? Princess?" Perry called to her, insistently.
"Oh, no…Mario," she blubbered softly, letting out a choked sob. "I didn't get to him in time…I didn't…I didn't…"
"Princess!" Perry raised his voice. "You aren't at the castle, Princess…you haven't even fought Bowser."
She looked at Perry as he spoke, but he knew by the wild look in her eyes that she wasn't really seeing him. She was still trapped in the last vestiges of her dream world, which was utterly frightening to her.
Peach's dream
His sweet voice was screaming. Screaming for me, and I couldn't get to him…
"Peach?! PEACH!" Mario yelled at the top of his voice. "I'm in here!"
But where was "here"?! I couldn't find him…so many walls, so many false doors in the bowels of this castle! Already his voice sounded farther away from me…
"No!" Mario's voice rang out again. His grunts of struggle resounded throughout the basement prison cells. "Get it away! Get that knife away from me!"
"Oh, Princess?" It was Bowser's voice, I knew it. "You're being too slow…should I start leaving you a trail to find your beloved plumber?" His voice was melodically teasing, and so maddening my fists clenched painfully around Perry's handle.
"Oh, I know," Bowser continued playfully. "How about…I leave you a trail of body parts?" He laughed evilly, delightedly. "A piece of finger here, a bit of flesh there…that should help speed up the game."
"You wouldn't dare!" My voice rang sharply and harshly in the narrow passageways.
"Ah, so I've riled the sweet little Princess up," Bowser replied, and I could hear the diabolical grin in his voice. "And you sound closer now, too. Oh, but if you knew how far away you really were…"
Panic rose and licked like flame up my spine at hearing his threatening words, and my heels clicked rapidly against the rough floor as I broke into a fierce run, even though the vile air in this prison was catching in my throat and choking me.
"NO! Please, stop! It hurts!" Mario's voice pierced the eerie silence again, full of raw anguish.
"That's the idea, idiot," Bowser replied crisply. The reply echoed as if he were growing farther away from me, and it resounded horribly in my ears, as did Mario's screams…
I seemed to have been running forever…my right foot landed in a squishy puddle, and I had to stop because I was suddenly facing a solid wall. I happened to look down, and screeched with revulsion.
The puddle was blood. Sweet Kingdom, so much dark, pain-filled blood.
"AAAAAH!" I knew my beloved's voice, but his scream was so painful I could barely recognize it.
"Mario?!" I pounded against the wall. "Bowser! Let him out, you stupid son of a Koopa! Let him out!"
"Now that's not a nice way to talk to your superiors," a deep voice said from behind me. I froze for a second, and then turned slowly, facing my longtime nemesis dead-on and staring him straight in the eye.
"Let him go, Bowser," I gritted out, my voice edged with anger. "You've dragged this game on and on, and I'm sick of it. Bring him back to me. Now."
"What? No 'pretty please' for the King?" Bowser asked in reply, smiling like a snake showing its fangs. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh well, I suppose it is quite time to give over our little prisoner. Guards!"
Two Koopa guards came out from behind him, carrying Mario between them, and I almost didn't recognize him. His cap was gone, revealing a mass of bloodied and matted brown hair, and most of his clothes were ripped or cut, revealing pale skin that was at best burned or bruised, and at worst slashed and bleeding.
They dumped his beaten body at my feet, and I sank down, looking at him in disbelief. His eyes were half-shut, and his lifeblood soaked him…so red, so bright, smelling faintly metallic and sickening. I couldn't even touch him without him shuddering with pain and shrinking away from my fingertips.
"Mario…" I whispered, my voice choked by sorrow. His eyes opened, fluttered for a second, and then focused on me.
"Peach…" he breathed. "Where…where were you?" His voice was weak, but the question still stung me to the heart. Tears pricked at my eyes, watching his blood bubble from between his lips as he fought to speak.
"I'm sorry…" Tears took my voice for a minute, and being unable to speak, I cradled his face in my hands as tenderly as I could, even though I was quivering. "I tried to find you, Mario. I did, but—"
"After I've saved you so much…" He coughed abruptly, then sighed. "I thought you could at least save me once…"
"I tried, Mario…I tried…" I wanted to say more, needed to make him understand that I had fought so hard to get to him in time. But his tender blue eyes were already glazing over, and I knew he was fading from my grasp. Helpless, I watched and heard as his final breath escaped with a rattling sigh, and my scream of loss rose from deep within me, tearing apart my throat with its power.
The present
"Princess?! Please, hear me!"
Finally, it seemed that Perry had gotten through to Peach. Her sobs let up, and she raised her head from her hands, breathing raggedly.
"Princess?" Perry asked, carefully. Peach looked around warily, still trembling slightly.
"Mario…" she whispered, in a tiny voice.
"He's in the castle," Perry said softly. "You haven't fought Bowser yet."
Peach looked worriedly toward the castle. "I thought…I thought Bowser had...k-killed him," she whispered. Her face was still paler than normal from her fright, but she appeared to be out of her dream and back to herself.
At length, she sighed and sat back, looking as if she were relaxing. "I'm sorry if I scared you," she said to Perry.
"Don't worry about it," he replied, trying to keep his voice level even though he was still quite scared for Peach. "I know you were way more scared than I was."
Meanwhile, in Bowser's castle…
Sleepy grunts and mumbles came from Mario's cell, and a couple of the Koopa guards on duty during the graveyard shift snickered and kidded with each other.
"For such a superhero, he sure sleeps like a log," one said, looking over at Mario's cell briefly. "Heck, we could plant a bunch of POW blocks in there and stomp all over 'em, and I bet he'd never wake up."
"Got that right," the other one replied. "And those other two ain't much better." He jerked his thumb in the direction of Luigi and Toad, whose adjacent cells were alive with dueling snores. "When they ain't snorin' and keepin' me from my nap, they're givin' me grief." He mimicked their voices in a high-pitched whine. "'Well, when are we gonna get out?' 'You Koopas are slime!'" He growled. "Makes me wanna stride in there and give 'em what for."
The first one let out a burst of laughter. "Hoo boy, that'd be the day! Ol' Bowser would have us fried shell-side-up for that!"
The two guards chuckled over that briefly, but their merriment was cut short at the sound of a loud cry from within Mario's cell.
"NO!!"
"Oh, what now?" muttered the first Koopa guard. He peered into the midnight darkness of the famous plumber's cell. "Hey, Lard-butt, shut your face 'fore I give you a taste of this club," he threatened, shaking the aforementioned weapon in Mario's general direction.
But instead of the muttered Italian curse he usually got in response, a pale fist shot out from the cell bars and grabbed the guard by the skinny throat.
"You killed her! You KILLED her!!" Mario yelled, shaking the poor guard ferociously, his teeth gritted in a furious grimace.
"Hey, hey, hey, back off!" the second guard shouted, striking Mario's arm with his own club to fend him off. Only after a few bruising blows did Mario finally relent, and released the sputtering guard with evident reluctance.
Mario seethed, his blue eyes wild with a mixture of rage and revulsion. "You killed her," he growled quietly, looking accusingly at the two guards. "But Bowser ordered it. For that, I will never forgive any of you Koopas."
"Hey, l-look, dude, I don't—I don't know what you've been sm-smoking, but that pr-princess girl of yours ain't dead," the first guard stuttered, his throat injury making him whisper. "Far as I know, she's c-camped out near the castle—our g-guards have s-s-seen her."
"Y-Yeah, dude," the second guard said shakily, nodding his head vigorously.
Mario eyed the guards warily. "And is that the truth, or what Bowser told you to say?" He spat the name of his archenemy with quiet fury and contempt.
The first guard coughed and choked before speaking again. "It's—it's the truth…"
Mario did seem to relax slightly at this, but he started to pace like a bored tiger in his cell, looking as if he was brooding over something.
Mario's dream
The wails of agony pierced into my mind like one of Bowser's spikes. I knew it was Peach's voice the second I heard them.
"Marioooooo…" she cried out pitifully, sounding far away. "Please don't let them---mmf?!"
Her voice was muffled for a second, and then I heard a sharp slap, followed by her squeak of pain.
"You'll shut up when I tell you to, Princess," said a dark, deep voice I could only recognize as Bowser's. I took a deep breath, summoning familiar strength from within myself.
"Bowser?" I called out, putting confidence into my voice as I followed the echo of his voice. "I know you're there, and I know you have Peach. And you know that I am more than capable of destroying you."
His scoff of contempt echoed back a moment later. "Hah! You couldn't destroy a clog in a toilet, let alone all of my live and armed minions."
"Oh no?" I returned. "Then how come the last 15 years of your life have been spent nursing the wounds on your spiny butt from me kicking it so many times?"
A growl of anger met my question, but instead of answering me with speech, I heard the distinct noise of bones popping, and a wrenching scream.
"AAH!" Peach's voice was raised to its highest pitch with pain, and Bowser laughed malevolently.
"Scream, Princess, scream. Let your poor little plumber know that every time he tries to hurt me, I'll just hurt you instead."
Panic gripped my gut with deeply-frozen fingers. He was taking out his anger on Peach? I started running towards the echoed sound, only to be met by walls everywhere I turned. Where WAS he?!
As I came up against another wall and cursed, his mocking laughter met my ears. "Can't find me yet? Good, more fun for me."
Even though I was panting like a dog by this time with my running, I tried to hear where his voice echoed, tried to find him, but it was like every direction I turned in was the direction where his voice came from.
"Bowser!" I cried at last, frustrated. "You come out here and fight me! I'm tired of chasing after a coward!"
The minute the accursed sentence left my lips, I knew he was going to hurt Peach. What I didn't know was how close I actually was to her, how her scream would rip apart my ears and bounce around in my brain, tormenting me. She wailed long and painfully, as if her soul was being torn out, and once she fell into quiet, an eerie, deathlike silence followed.
I was frozen for a few, achingly long seconds. I didn't want to think about what he'd done to her—but it was all I could think of. Suddenly my feet were moving, like I was flying, and I was running toward where the terrifying sound had come from—
I turned a dark corner and found them.
Bowser laughed, watching the expression of shock spread over my face as I struggled to catch my breath. "Ha! Ha ha ha! Fat little plumber can't run fast enough to save his dear little princess!" He shrugged. "I guess too much pasta and too little exercise makes Mario a weak little wrench monkey indeed." He snapped his fingers. "Guards…show him what fun we've had with Peach while her little man tried to find her."
The two guards who had been guarding my cell came from behind Bowser, dragging the limp form of my darling Peach between them. As they dragged her, her dress slid through a deep puddle of blood—her own—staining the delicate pink silk a horrifying angry red.
They dropped her harshly on the floor in front of me, and the only response she made was a weak, broken sob of pain. Both of her arms bent in places they shouldn't; bright red slashes covered her face and neck, and from the various half-healed bruises she bore on every other visible inch of skin, I knew they had been torturing her the entire time I had been locked up and unable to save her.
I knelt beside her, cupping her cheeks in my hands and turning her face towards me. Her skin was so pale, looking almost bloodless in its whiteness, and her lips were faintly blue. But when I touched her, her eyelids opened slightly, revealing deep blue eyes filled with agony and sorrow.
"Mario," she choked out. She tried to lift her arms to hug me, but could not; the broken limbs were useless and lifeless.
My voice grew thick with horror in my throat as I looked upon her wounds and injuries. How could Bowser have stooped this low?! He'd never tried to actually harm her before…never, in all the times he'd kidnapped her.
"She shouldn't have stood up to me," I heard him say, through the rapid thudding of my pulse in my ears. "She shouldn't have tried to save you—she was too weak all along, and we all knew it. 'Course, it led to a lot of fun for us when she came here to save you and promptly fell in our grand trap."
I looked up at him, glaring at him with pure anger coursing through my veins. "She would have succeeded in everything, if you had kept the playing field level," I growled out, biting my lip.
He shrugged nonchalantly in response. "Who cares about a level playing field? I come to win, and if killing her gives me the win, I couldn't care less." He made a careless gesture towards her. "She was nothing to me."
I looked away from him—I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break down. Instead, I looked down at her, almost trying not to believe what I saw.
Though she was weakened by agony, she regarded me with a look of confusion. "Why…why couldn't you find me…this time?" she asked, her voice faint.
Guilt washed over me in a cold wave. I hadn't found her. I hadn't saved her like I was always supposed to. I had always succeeded before, but…the minute that she needed me this time, I wasn't there.
"I tried, Peach…" I wanted to apologize, give her reasons why I couldn't find her, but nothing I came up with in my head explained why I couldn't save her this time. Nothing explained it, except the fact that I had just failed her.
She shook her head slightly. "I thought…I thought you were coming," she whispered. "All this time…I thought you were coming for me."
Tears caught in my throat as I tried not to cry. Her eyes flickered…she was slipping away from me, slowly and painfully, moment by moment.
"I'm sorry," I whispered as her eyes fluttered weakly, then closed. I watched her chest rise and fall one last time, and at last she lay still.
Grief overcame me, and my cry ripped from my throat like a wild animal.
The present
"What's his problem?" muttered one of the guards. After his sudden outburst, Mario had settled down, and was now leaning against a cell wall, looking out the tiny barred window with a dark, brooding look on his face.
"Man, I don't care," replied the other one. "At least he ain't choking me." They walked away, leaving Mario in the dark and gloom of his cell.
Mario breathed deeply, trying to calm himself, and the silence wrapped itself around him, closing him into his own world. At length, he finally spoke.
"I hope she's all right," he said, softly, looking out the window. His eyes scanned the hills and valleys surrounding Bowser's imposing castle, searching for a sign of her. The guards had said she was already nearby, camped out near the castle.
Peach and Perry's camp
Peach was still wakeful, as was Perry, and they both looked toward distant stars, studying the night sky as if its ancient and eternal presence would steady them.
"I don't think you should worry too much, Princess," Perry said quietly, trying to soothe Peach. "Bowser values Mario too much as bait to kill him, for one thing. He's trying to lure you to the castle, and we both know he wants you to fall into his trap more than he wants to kill Mario."
"I know that…" Peach sighed deeply. "But I still worry. In all the times I've been separated from Mario before, I have never had these horrible dreams. But ever since this whole mess started, I dream of…" She trailed off, obviously not wanting to speak more of what she dreamed. "I just stay worried."
Perry was about to reply, when suddenly a faraway voice caught his ear.
Since his face was turned in Peach's direction, his bowl-like shade was turned toward the castle, and was able to work as a makeshift sound collector. His ability to collect faraway sounds was a great help to Peach when searching for Toads, but it was not the panicked voice of a Toad that met his sharp ears now. He listened, and his silence finally piqued Peach's interest.
"What are you listening to?" she whispered.
The lower-pitched tones of a male voice were definitely coming from the castle, which was not unusual. But it was not the defiant roaring voice of Bowser, nor was it the tiny, nippy voice of a Koopa Troopa…it was distinctly human. Perry listened further, and increasingly began to hope and believe that it was actually Mario's voice he was hearing.
"Princess, I don't want to get your hopes up," he replied, "but I think I hear Mario's voice coming from the castle."
Peach's eyes lit with elation. "You hear him?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice hushed.
Perry strained to listen, and a slow smile spread across his face as he heard the voice speak again.
"…Peach? Are you out there?..."
At hearing this, Perry felt warmth and happiness suffusing him. "It's definitely him, Princess," he said softly. "He's…he's asking for you."
As pale and scared as Peach had been before, her face now seemed to glow with a rosy light, and the smile that spread across her face lent her an angelic sweetness. "Oh…Mario," she whispered, looking toward the castle.
In only mild surprise, Perry watched as Peach slowly rose from the ground and lifted into the air, her Joy emotion propelling her in an upward spiral. She spun towards the castle like a benevolent tornado of light, finally hovering near one of the lower windows of the castle. Perry turned himself as best he could to look over and keep watch for her.
Mario's cell
A slight whirring sound caught Mario's ear as he looked out over the darkened expanse of hills and valleys. He looked around as much as he could from the tiny window, but no source of the noise was apparent. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of a whirl of golden light, slowly approaching him.
"What in the—"
His words were cut short as the whirl slowed to a gentle stop. One look at the fluttering gold hair falling over a set of slender shoulders, and shining, lovely blue eyes filled with joy, and his own heart started to fly.
"P—Peach," he managed to stutter faintly. How had she found him? How did she know?
Peach smiled, her eyes brimming with emotion. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said softly, reaching through the bars of his cell window and grasping his hands.
"You—you got through all those enemies safely? You're not hurt?" Mario asked in concern.
"They were nothing," Peach replied, with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I was just trying to get to you." She drew in a shuddering breath. "I've been so worried…"
"Me too," Mario whispered. He let out a soft, nervous chuckle. "I guess it's kind of stupid, but I—I had this terrible dream, and I—I really thought Bowser had killed you."
"You did?" Now it was Peach's turn to be surprised. "I was terrified. I had a dream like that too, and I thought you were dead..." She sighed deeply, happily. "I'm so glad it was wrong, though."
"Me too…" With his brain circuits effectively shorted out in her presence, Mario could only embrace her hands firmly in his and stare at her, memorizing forever how vibrant and radiant she was, how powerful she was in her own special way. His heart marveled that Peach loved him, loved this fat little plumber who now depended on her for his own survival. She was as forgiving of him as she was fearless in battle, steadfastly choosing him with every enemy she struck down. How he had come to deserve her, he would never know—but he was glad of it.
Peach returned his loving gaze--her self-created light cast the warmest of glows on his face, but nothing rivaled the wonder and happiness in Mario's eyes. This man loved her, as truly as anything could be true in this world. This man had risked his life and well-being so many times to save her, had fought and fallen and bloodied himself all for the life of a sheltered girl who happened to have a crown. But he had never stopped, not until he knew she was safe again. This, she would remember as she fought Bowser in the name of his freedom; this would be the image that bolstered her strength, the emotion that would rally her and keep her fighting.
At length, she felt the blissful tug of sleep at her thoughts, and she lifted one hand to stroke Mario's cheek in a gesture of comfort. "I'll be here for you tomorrow," she whispered. "But I have to get some sleep now…after all, I aim to defeat Bowser and save you all in one day."
"All right," Mario said softly. "Please…take care of yourself. I—I know you will, but…you know I'll have to take care of business if you turn up hurt." He grinned with his last statement.
Peach giggled. "Yes, I know, Mario—I know you'll make those Koopas account for every scratch and bruise I might have." A joking smile flickered across her face, then settled contentedly on her lips. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
She released his hands, and Mario watched as she fluttered gently down to the ground at the foot of the castle walls. After a soft landing, she looked around to make sure she was still undetected by the castle guards. Assuring her safety, she silently darted away into the woods, her pink dress still carrying a touch of glimmering gold magic in its fabric as she slipped away safely into the night.
Mario left the window reluctantly, and settled in his own bed, the blissful exhaustion overcoming him as soon as he laid his head against the lumpy pillow. But from somewhere close by, he heard a whisper.
"Psst…psst…Mario. Bro. You still awake?"
Smiling to himself, Mario turned towards his brother's voice. "Yeah, Weege, I'm awake. What's up?"
"Was…was that the Princess? Just then, with all the swirly light and stuff?" Luigi's eyes were alight with curiosity.
"Yes, Weege," Mario replied patiently. "And…she's fine. She's already here at the castle, and I think we can safely say we'll be out of here tomorrow."
"After we get back to the castle, she's gonna have to take me for Joy rides, literally," Toad piped up, giggling. "Boy, if I knew I could spin and hover like that, I would have never wanted to walk anywhere as a kid."
"She's got some hidden talents, man," Luigi said, laughing gently. "Boy, are we lucky to have her on our side."
"I almost pity those Goombas and Koopa Troopas taking the morning guard shift at the castle gate," Toad said, with an almost perfectly solemn expression. Then a sly grin snuck onto his face as he started to snicker. "Well, almost."
The three captives laughed amongst themselves in the darkness of their separated prison cells. For them, however, it was neither dark nor frightening anymore. This, after all, was to be their last night in the godforsaken dungeons, and soon their gentle princess would be saving them all, with her glorious, unfailing light.