Mario Adventure
Fanfiction by LavaLizard
Super Mario Bros and it's related material are copyright of Nintendo.
Chapter 2: The Journey Begins
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Birds chirped in the bright morning sun, welcoming another beautiful day in Mushroom Kingdom. From a small cottage shaded by a large oak tree, a short, plump man with a thick black mustache wearing overalls and a red hat stepped out into the sun and stretched, taking a long breath of the cool morning air.
"Yoshi!" said a green yoshi as it bounced over to it's owner.
"Mornin', Yoshi!" the man said in a mild itallian accent. He patted the dinosaur's head. "Ready for some breakfast?"
"Yoshi!" the dinosaur spoke the only word it knew. Mario removed the collar from Yoshi's neck, which had a long rope attached to it that was tied around the big oak tree. Yoshi smiled and skipped off to Goomba Road to hunt, while Mario headed back to the house to have some breakfast himself.
Footsteps.
Mario stopped at the door when he heard them and looked around. He saw a mushroom man wearing light blue pajamas riding a yoshi towards him. From the look of them they must have traveled some distance. Mario stepped off the porch to greet the curious pair.
The small yellow yoshi skidded to a stop near Mario and the mushroom-man jumped off franticly, tripping over the reigns which he had just let go of. The yoshi flopped over exhausted while Mario watched curiously.
Toad crawled to Mario's feet panting. "...Sir Mario! The princess! Save the princess..!"
Mario gasped. "Something happened to the princess?!"
Toad wheezed and clutched at Mario's overalls trying to pull himself up, but only forced Mario to bend forward. "Bowser... Bowser got her!"
"BOWSER!?" Mario exclaimed, jumping back, which flung toad off his overalls and into the grass. Mario growled, remembering his past encounters with the Koopa King. This wouldn't be an easy task.
Toad looked up from the grass when he heard the cottage door open. Another man in overalls with an equally thick mustache and a green hat emerged, wondering what the comotion was.
"What's going out here, Mario?" Luigi asked, seeing strangers strewn about the lawn, and Mario looking stressed out.
"...Bowser got Peach again." Mario said dramaticly.
Luigi wailed and scampered back into the house. "NO! I don't wanna fight him again!" He shouted through the door.
Toad ran inside after the green-clad plumber. "Please, Sir Luigi! You and Mario are the only ones who can defeat Boswer! If we don't get her highness back safely... who knows what will happen!"
Eventually Luigi came back out following Toad. He really didn't have a choice if he wanted to live free of Bowser's control.
"We sould pack our supplies and start right away." Mario said, heading for the house.
Toad walked over to his yoshi who was sitting on the grass listening in on the conversation. He knelt beside the dinosaur and patted it's back. "Do you think you could spare some food for Sunnie? She ran all night and is very hungry."
"Sure!" Luigi said, running into the house. He returned carrying a large pot. "We made a three-day supply of pasta last night, but we're not gonna be back in time to eat it before it spoils. Have all you like." Toad and Sunnie dug in while Luigi headed back to the house to pack his travel supplies with Mario.
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meanwhile...
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The last of the Koopa troops climbed off thier wagons outside Koopa Castle while others unhitched thier yoshis and led them to the stables. Inside, Bowser chuckled as he watched Princess Peach examine her cell from his security camera monitor. The 'cell' was actually more like her bedroom at Mushroom Castle than a prison, with a soft pink carpet, lovely pink curtains over the large window, and a big soft pink bed. Bowser picked up a microphone linked to Peach's chamber. "Hello, my sweet."
Peach looked around surprised, then saw the security camera in the corner of the ceiling and the speaker beside it. "Bowser! What kind of kidnapping is this? Luxurious accomodations, and now calling me 'sweet'. Have you fallen in love with your arch enemy?" She asked, smirking into the camera.
Bowser laughed heartily. "Actually, yes!" He said, then laughed again.
"Huh?" Peach was confused.
"Yes, my dear Princess Peach. I've decided to marry you!" Bowser's voice said from the speaker.
Peach fell on her back. "MARRY ME?!?!?!"
"That's right." Bowser said as Peach got back up and dusted herself off. "I shall marry you, and together we shall rule the Mushroom Kingdom as king and queen! Not to mention the Koopa Kingdom too!" Bowser's voice was staticy over the speaker. "Of course, I'll take care of the boring stuff like ruling and money management, and you can go play all day. Good deal, yes?"
Peach growled and tightened her fists. "I will NOT marry an ASS like you!" Peach grinned. "Besides, according to law in the Mushroom Kingdom, the queen has equal power to the king. No decision can be made by only one or the other. Your plan is a failure."
Bowser scowled at the monitor, then grinned. "But if the queen should get sick and die..."
Peach glared at the camera. "You will NOT make me marry you. I'll kill meself if necessary to prevent it."
Bowser scowled again. Peach's suicide could foil his plot. He set down the microphone and returned to the throne room to ponder.
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Mario strapped on his tool belt and stuffed the last few supplies into his backpack and zipped it up. Luigi did the same, then the plumber brothers walked outside to begin their quest. Toad and Sunnie awaited them, fully revitalized by the pasta.
Toad walked over to Mario. "Are we ready, sir?" he asked.
"We'll go as soon as Yoshi gets back." Mario said in a less serious voice. He saw the green dinosaur jogging down the road towards them. "Here he comes."
Yoshi stopped next to the group and looked at them curiously.
"We've got work to do, Yoshi. I'll explain along the way." Mario walked around Yoshi's side and jumped into his back, followed by Luigi. Toad couldn't help noticing that Mario's yoshi was significantly larger and more muscular than his, and felt somewhat jealous as he climbed up into the little yellow dinosaur's saddle. Mario, satisfied that all were ready, raised a fist and screamed "Let's-a-GO!". The team took off down Goomba's Road at full speed, kicking up a large trail of dust.
Toad looked around, then paniced when he realized Sunnie hadn't followed Mario on her own, and that they were still at Mario's house while Mario was already far down the road. Sunnie looked back at Toad, wondering why he hadn't told her to go yet.
"Sunnie!" Toad screamed as he watched Mario speed into the distance. "Go, go, go!" Sunnie sped off after Mario's yoshi as fast she could, though it didn't look like she was going to catch up unless Mario slowed down.
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Peach turned from the window she was looking out when she heard the heavy door lock clank open, and stood firmly as two turtle-like koopa troopas carrying spears walked in and took their positions on either side of the door. Then a third came in carrying a large tray of pancakes and other breakfast foods. "Breakfast is served, your highness-to-be." the koopa said with a bow, then headed for the door.
"Wait!" Peach said, causing the red-shelled turtle to stop and look back. "Come over here and take a bite of this to prove it's not poisoned." she ordered.
The koopa, having not seen the breakfast's ingredients, became a bit nervous knowing that it really might be poison. He thought for a few seconds, then had an idea. "Th-that's the chef's duty! I'll go ask him to come taste it for you." He started for the door but was cut off by Bowser's voice over the speaker.
"Magma!" the king yelled loudly, though it sounded quiet over the cheap speaker. The koopa quicky stopped and stood up straight, facing the camera in the corner of the ceiling. Bowser's voice continued through the static. "Do as she says! Future Queen Peach's orders are to be obeyed at all times!"
"Y-yes sir!" the koopa said with a salute to the camera. He quicky walked to the table and took a bite of pancake.
Peach watched for signs of poisoning, as well as the koopa. After 30 seconds he was still standing and felt normal, or better than before, as the pancake was quite tasty.
"I guess it's not poison, huh?" the koopa said smiling, relieved to be alive. He started to leave but was again interupted.
"You'll stay here for thirty minutes, tortise." She ordered. "The poison could be slow to respond."
The koopa felt a twinge of fear at the thought, and at the same time was annoyed to be stuck here for half an hour. "Fine, fine. I'll stay." He said, trudging to the bed. Suddenly something struck him hard in the face. It was the princess' white gloved-hand.
"Show some respect, lowly troopa!" Peach shouted harshly.
Magma rubbed his cheek, surprised that such a frail hand could deliver such a powerful blow. He regained his balance, having been nearly knocked over, and bowed to Peach. "Yes, my leige-to-be, I shall remain here for thirty minutes as you have requested, to provide proof of your meal's edibility."
"Better." Peach said, smiling.
Magma sat down on the end of the bed and took a watch out of his shell to time 30 minutes. Peach returned to the window, waiting for her hero to arrive.
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Mario held on to his hat as Yoshi sped along Goomba's Road to keep it from flying off in the wind. "We need to pick up some Fire Flowers before we head for Bowser's Castle." he informed Luigi, who was wondering why they were headed away from the castle. "There's a garden at the end of the road that has a bunch of them."
Luigi Looked around the pretty trees and large mushrooms speeding past him, then realized something was missing. "Umm... Wasn't Toad coming with us?" he asked, seeing no sign of the little mushroom man or the yellow yoshi. Mario looked around too, also unable to find the pajama-clad fungus.
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"We'll never catch them at this rate!" Toad whined, riding through the last fading wisps of the dust trail Mario's yoshi was producing. Sunnie ran as fast as she could, but her not-so-powerful legs weren't gaining any distance on the mighty yoshi Mario rode. Toad could only see a small dot in the distance where the dust cloud grew from. "Faster, Sunnie!" he said, nudging the dinosaur forward. Sunnie snuffed at Toad's lack of maturity but still put out a little more effort for him, since she wanted to catch Mario too.
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"Hey Yoshi," Mario said, "slow down a sec. I think we lost Toad."
Yoshi looked back, seeing that the small yoshi must not have been as fast as him, and slowed to a stop. He turned around to see if they were coming.
"There they are!" Luigi said, pointing to a growing dot moving along the winding country road.
"Wow, you're faster than I thought, Yoshi!" Mario said, smiling and patting the dinosaur's back.
The trio waited a minute for Toad to catch up. Eventually the small yellow dinosaur skidded to a stop beside the plumbers, panting.
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"Hey Yoshi," Mario said, "slow down a sec. I think we lost Toad."
Yoshi looked back, seeing that the small yoshi must not have been as fast as him, and slowed to a stop. He turned around to see if they were coming.
"There they are!" Luigi said, pointing to a growing dot moving along the winding country road.
"Wow, you're faster than I thought, Yoshi!" Mario smiled.
The trio waited a few minutes for Toad to catch up, then turned and continued down the road slowly while the little yellow yoshi came up beside them and slowed to a walk.
"Sorry about that." Mario said, scratching his head. "I didn't realize how fast Yoshi is."
"No, it's not your fault, Sir Mario!" Toad said guiltily. "I forgot to tell Sunnie to follow you and got way behind." He patted the panting yellow dinosaur on the shoulder. "She's very obedient and dosn't move if I don't say so." He looked around and then noticed they were headed away from Bowser's Castle. "Why are we going this direction? Bowser's Castle is back that way." He said, pointing behind him.
"We need to get some Fire Flowers before we go." Mario informed the fungus. He pointed to a fenced-in area just ahead where the road ended. "There's a nice patch of them in that garden up ahead."
Yoshi stopped at the fence cutting the road off and Mario and Luigi hopped down from his back. Toad slid down from his saddle, taking a step to keep his balance. Mario unlatched the fence and stepped through. "Let's-a-go. There's goombas in here, so be on guard." Luigi nodded and prepared to fight if necessary.
Toad entered the gate behind Yoshi, followed by Sunnie who went through last. His heart sped up as he scanned the area for goombas. Small mushroom-like creatures they were, not humanoid like Toad though. Just a 12-inch-high mushroom with a sharp-toothed face on it's round canopy, and stumpy legs beneath it. Not much of a challenge for big tough guys like Mario and Luigi, but for a weak, three-foot mushroom man it was equal to a ferocious wolf. The group walked quietly along a straight path through the Goomba Garden, surrounded on either side by tall, brightly colored flowers and mushrooms which bees and grasshoppers buzzed about.
"Where are these Fire Flowers you told us about?" Toad whispered, not wanting to attract goombas.
"We go straight down this path all the way to the end," Luigi explained, "and then turn left and there's a little grove of them behind some rocks... if I remember right."
Toad gulped as he looked around the plumbers infront of him and down the trail. It was long, and he could sense hungry goomba eyes watching him from every direction. He moved close to Sunnie, who's eyes shifted back and forth cautiously wacthing for sneak-attacks.
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Magma, the koopa troopa Peach was using as a guinnea pig, looked impatiently at his watch. He sighed and leaned back on his hands with 10 minutes to go before he was allowed to leave. Peach sat on the large bed across from her test subject, her back to him, waiting for him to show signs of poisoning. Magma tapped his feet boredly on the side of the soft matress and tried to start a conversation to pass the time. "So, you gonna marry King Bowser?" he asked without looking back at Peach.
Peach leaped up and whirled around to face Magma's back. "NEVER!!" She screamed, infuriated by the thought.
Magma ducked and pulled his head part way into his shell at the sudden noise behind him. "...o-oh...." He mumbled, keeping a cautious eye on his future queen as he tried again to converse. "So like, you got a plan to escape or somethin'?"
"Hmph!" Peach snuffed, turning her back and crossing her arms. "Like I'd tell you, so you can go report it to ol' King Fatass and make it a thousand times harder to get out of this shack."
Magma and Peach both turned thier attention to the speaker up in the corner when a static sound came from it. "...Fatass?" Bowser's voice said in a hurt tone.
"Yes, Fatass!" Peach screamed at the camera. "Haven't you noticed that you're 10 times the size of normal koopas?" she said, pointing to the red-shelled turle creature sitting on the bed.
Magma stood up on the bed and interrupted before Bowser could reply. "That's because he's the ULTIMATE king of all koopas!" he praised, hoping to gain the king's favor. "None can match his awesome size and power!"
Bowser puffed out his chest and grinned, though nobody could see him. "Yes, I've noticed my size difference. But it's all muscle, you see, not fat." Peach scowled at the camera and started to say something, but Bowser continued before she could. "Now if you'll excuse me, sweet, I have a wedding to prepare for. Ciao!" The speaker clicked and was silent.
Magma dropped into a sitting position, bouncing on the puffy bed, pleased that he had helped Bowser's good mood. This would better his chances of getting a troopa bonus or even a pay raise. He picked up his watch as his bounce faded away and checked the time. "Hey! Check it out! Thirty minutes are up and I feel fine!" He slid off the bed and headed for the door. "Later, Peach."
"You get back here, shell-boy." Peach ordered, making Magma kringe.
"...Yes..?"
"Take this food away. I'm not eating after a filthy turtle like you. Besides, it's cold now."
Magma clenched his fists and teeth, imagining peach being shot in the head with a shotgun, but turned and stiffly walked to the table and picked up the tray.
"And change my sheets." Peach continued. "You got your foul koopa smell all over them."
The breakfast tray rattled as Magma fought agaist his arm to prevent it from hurling the tray into that obnoxious bitch's face. He took a deep breath to regain control over his body and went to work on pulling off the bed sheet with one hand while balancing the heavy tray in the other.
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Mario and friends stood perfectly still, having heard a rustling sound in the flowery shrubs. Mario, Luigi and Yoshi stood battle-ready, eyes shifting and ears open, as well as little Sunnie, though she was a bit nervous having no experience with goombas or fighting in general. Toad stood as close to Sunnie as he could, clutching her reigns and trembling.
The sound came again, this time louder and from all around the group. Toad screamed when about a dozen mushroom-like goombas creapt out of the flowers and surrounded them.
"Attack!" Mario shouted, leaping forward with a kick that sent a goomba flying. Everyone except Toad went into battle with the scampering, biting little monsters, stomping or kicking them away before they could get thier sharp teeth on anyone.
"Yoshi!" Yoshi said as his long, sticky tounge shot out and attached to a goomba before snapping back into his mouth like a rubber band. He swallowed the fungal creature whole and then repeated the process on another.
Sunnie dealt a jumping front-kick to a goomba's face, falling smack on her butt after it as she'd never tried such a move before. As she clutched her throbbing backside, she watched in amazement as Yoshi licked up one goomba after another, not even getting fat as the 12-inch diameter round creatures dissapeared into his throat. Toad was equally amazed.
Suddenly Sunnie's fascination by Yoshi was cut aff when another goomba popped out and scurried towards her, tooth-filled mouth open wide. She quicky got up off the dusty path and punched the biting creature back, though her scrawny yoshi arms barely effected it. Before her fight could resume, Luigi bounded right over her head from behind and came slamming down ontop of her foe, squashing it flat.
The group battled with stomps and kicks and Yoshi's tounge for another minute, kicking up quite a cloud of dust before the goombas finally stopped coming.
Mario wiped some sweat his brow. "Woo!" he said, exhaling a deep breath.
Yoshi belched and patted his stomach. "Yoshi!"
Sunnie dusted off her rear as the group gathered back together, while Toad sat in a daze on the ground, his heart still pounding. Suddenly he realized that everyone was staring at him and quickly got to his feet. He looked over at the big green yoshi beside Mario. "How can he eat so much?" Toad asked, still in amazement of the dinosaur's abilities. "And eating them ALIVE. It seems impossible!"
Mario smiled and patted Yoshi's back. "Dunno how he does it, but it's sure handy."
Toad turned to his yellow yoshi and asked, "You can't eat like that, can you?"
Sunnie shook her head 'no', then looked over at Mario who had started back down the path and jogged over to follow him, Toad running after her.
After a bit of walking the group finally reached the back of the garden, and to thier left, as Luigi remembered, there was a short path between the fence and the tall flowers, blocked off by a large boulder. "Yeah, right over this rock." Luigi said, climbing up.
Mario climbed up after Luigi, followed by Yoshi and then Sunnie, with Toad in the rear. The plumbers and Yoshi hopped off the other side one after the other as they got to the top in single file. Sunnie was almost over but was having some trouble getting on top, her feet skidding on the side of the boulder as she clung to the grass on the top with her short yoshi arms, kicking little pebbles in Toad's face and causing him to loose his grip. He slid down the side to the ground and then fell on his back. "Sunnie!" He yelled angrilly.
Sunnie stopped running in place and looked down over her shoulder to see her friend struggling to stand up. She smiled apologeticly while clinging to the short grass, then looked up when she heard feet above her. Mario was standing on top of the boulder with his hands on his hips, smiling at his less travel-experienced friends.
"Grab on." Mario said, bending over and holding a gloved hand out to the struggling yellow dinosaur.
Sunnie gripped Mario's hand and scrambled up while the plumber lifted with surprising strength. Toad gave her a push from behind attempting to help, but only managed to get another face full of dust and pebbles. He managed to hold on this time though. Mario patted the little dinosaur's rump as she passed him to go down the other side, then helped Toad up by simply lifting the light weight mushroom up by an arm and setting him down on top of the rock.
Luigi admired the grove of glowing orange flowers as they swayed in the breeze, soon joined by Sunnie, dusting herself off after she made her way down, and then Mario who jumped down with Toad riding piggy-back. Mario squatted to let the little mushroom man slide to the ground, then joined Luigi in admiring. Toad slapped the dust from his pajamas, and he and Yoshi also turned their gaze to the glowing garden. Mario stepped forward and picked a flower.
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End of part 2.
Fanfiction by LavaLizard
Super Mario Bros and it's related material are copyright of Nintendo.
Chapter 2: The Journey Begins
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Birds chirped in the bright morning sun, welcoming another beautiful day in Mushroom Kingdom. From a small cottage shaded by a large oak tree, a short, plump man with a thick black mustache wearing overalls and a red hat stepped out into the sun and stretched, taking a long breath of the cool morning air.
"Yoshi!" said a green yoshi as it bounced over to it's owner.
"Mornin', Yoshi!" the man said in a mild itallian accent. He patted the dinosaur's head. "Ready for some breakfast?"
"Yoshi!" the dinosaur spoke the only word it knew. Mario removed the collar from Yoshi's neck, which had a long rope attached to it that was tied around the big oak tree. Yoshi smiled and skipped off to Goomba Road to hunt, while Mario headed back to the house to have some breakfast himself.
Footsteps.
Mario stopped at the door when he heard them and looked around. He saw a mushroom man wearing light blue pajamas riding a yoshi towards him. From the look of them they must have traveled some distance. Mario stepped off the porch to greet the curious pair.
The small yellow yoshi skidded to a stop near Mario and the mushroom-man jumped off franticly, tripping over the reigns which he had just let go of. The yoshi flopped over exhausted while Mario watched curiously.
Toad crawled to Mario's feet panting. "...Sir Mario! The princess! Save the princess..!"
Mario gasped. "Something happened to the princess?!"
Toad wheezed and clutched at Mario's overalls trying to pull himself up, but only forced Mario to bend forward. "Bowser... Bowser got her!"
"BOWSER!?" Mario exclaimed, jumping back, which flung toad off his overalls and into the grass. Mario growled, remembering his past encounters with the Koopa King. This wouldn't be an easy task.
Toad looked up from the grass when he heard the cottage door open. Another man in overalls with an equally thick mustache and a green hat emerged, wondering what the comotion was.
"What's going out here, Mario?" Luigi asked, seeing strangers strewn about the lawn, and Mario looking stressed out.
"...Bowser got Peach again." Mario said dramaticly.
Luigi wailed and scampered back into the house. "NO! I don't wanna fight him again!" He shouted through the door.
Toad ran inside after the green-clad plumber. "Please, Sir Luigi! You and Mario are the only ones who can defeat Boswer! If we don't get her highness back safely... who knows what will happen!"
Eventually Luigi came back out following Toad. He really didn't have a choice if he wanted to live free of Bowser's control.
"We sould pack our supplies and start right away." Mario said, heading for the house.
Toad walked over to his yoshi who was sitting on the grass listening in on the conversation. He knelt beside the dinosaur and patted it's back. "Do you think you could spare some food for Sunnie? She ran all night and is very hungry."
"Sure!" Luigi said, running into the house. He returned carrying a large pot. "We made a three-day supply of pasta last night, but we're not gonna be back in time to eat it before it spoils. Have all you like." Toad and Sunnie dug in while Luigi headed back to the house to pack his travel supplies with Mario.
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meanwhile...
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The last of the Koopa troops climbed off thier wagons outside Koopa Castle while others unhitched thier yoshis and led them to the stables. Inside, Bowser chuckled as he watched Princess Peach examine her cell from his security camera monitor. The 'cell' was actually more like her bedroom at Mushroom Castle than a prison, with a soft pink carpet, lovely pink curtains over the large window, and a big soft pink bed. Bowser picked up a microphone linked to Peach's chamber. "Hello, my sweet."
Peach looked around surprised, then saw the security camera in the corner of the ceiling and the speaker beside it. "Bowser! What kind of kidnapping is this? Luxurious accomodations, and now calling me 'sweet'. Have you fallen in love with your arch enemy?" She asked, smirking into the camera.
Bowser laughed heartily. "Actually, yes!" He said, then laughed again.
"Huh?" Peach was confused.
"Yes, my dear Princess Peach. I've decided to marry you!" Bowser's voice said from the speaker.
Peach fell on her back. "MARRY ME?!?!?!"
"That's right." Bowser said as Peach got back up and dusted herself off. "I shall marry you, and together we shall rule the Mushroom Kingdom as king and queen! Not to mention the Koopa Kingdom too!" Bowser's voice was staticy over the speaker. "Of course, I'll take care of the boring stuff like ruling and money management, and you can go play all day. Good deal, yes?"
Peach growled and tightened her fists. "I will NOT marry an ASS like you!" Peach grinned. "Besides, according to law in the Mushroom Kingdom, the queen has equal power to the king. No decision can be made by only one or the other. Your plan is a failure."
Bowser scowled at the monitor, then grinned. "But if the queen should get sick and die..."
Peach glared at the camera. "You will NOT make me marry you. I'll kill meself if necessary to prevent it."
Bowser scowled again. Peach's suicide could foil his plot. He set down the microphone and returned to the throne room to ponder.
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Mario strapped on his tool belt and stuffed the last few supplies into his backpack and zipped it up. Luigi did the same, then the plumber brothers walked outside to begin their quest. Toad and Sunnie awaited them, fully revitalized by the pasta.
Toad walked over to Mario. "Are we ready, sir?" he asked.
"We'll go as soon as Yoshi gets back." Mario said in a less serious voice. He saw the green dinosaur jogging down the road towards them. "Here he comes."
Yoshi stopped next to the group and looked at them curiously.
"We've got work to do, Yoshi. I'll explain along the way." Mario walked around Yoshi's side and jumped into his back, followed by Luigi. Toad couldn't help noticing that Mario's yoshi was significantly larger and more muscular than his, and felt somewhat jealous as he climbed up into the little yellow dinosaur's saddle. Mario, satisfied that all were ready, raised a fist and screamed "Let's-a-GO!". The team took off down Goomba's Road at full speed, kicking up a large trail of dust.
Toad looked around, then paniced when he realized Sunnie hadn't followed Mario on her own, and that they were still at Mario's house while Mario was already far down the road. Sunnie looked back at Toad, wondering why he hadn't told her to go yet.
"Sunnie!" Toad screamed as he watched Mario speed into the distance. "Go, go, go!" Sunnie sped off after Mario's yoshi as fast she could, though it didn't look like she was going to catch up unless Mario slowed down.
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Peach turned from the window she was looking out when she heard the heavy door lock clank open, and stood firmly as two turtle-like koopa troopas carrying spears walked in and took their positions on either side of the door. Then a third came in carrying a large tray of pancakes and other breakfast foods. "Breakfast is served, your highness-to-be." the koopa said with a bow, then headed for the door.
"Wait!" Peach said, causing the red-shelled turtle to stop and look back. "Come over here and take a bite of this to prove it's not poisoned." she ordered.
The koopa, having not seen the breakfast's ingredients, became a bit nervous knowing that it really might be poison. He thought for a few seconds, then had an idea. "Th-that's the chef's duty! I'll go ask him to come taste it for you." He started for the door but was cut off by Bowser's voice over the speaker.
"Magma!" the king yelled loudly, though it sounded quiet over the cheap speaker. The koopa quicky stopped and stood up straight, facing the camera in the corner of the ceiling. Bowser's voice continued through the static. "Do as she says! Future Queen Peach's orders are to be obeyed at all times!"
"Y-yes sir!" the koopa said with a salute to the camera. He quicky walked to the table and took a bite of pancake.
Peach watched for signs of poisoning, as well as the koopa. After 30 seconds he was still standing and felt normal, or better than before, as the pancake was quite tasty.
"I guess it's not poison, huh?" the koopa said smiling, relieved to be alive. He started to leave but was again interupted.
"You'll stay here for thirty minutes, tortise." She ordered. "The poison could be slow to respond."
The koopa felt a twinge of fear at the thought, and at the same time was annoyed to be stuck here for half an hour. "Fine, fine. I'll stay." He said, trudging to the bed. Suddenly something struck him hard in the face. It was the princess' white gloved-hand.
"Show some respect, lowly troopa!" Peach shouted harshly.
Magma rubbed his cheek, surprised that such a frail hand could deliver such a powerful blow. He regained his balance, having been nearly knocked over, and bowed to Peach. "Yes, my leige-to-be, I shall remain here for thirty minutes as you have requested, to provide proof of your meal's edibility."
"Better." Peach said, smiling.
Magma sat down on the end of the bed and took a watch out of his shell to time 30 minutes. Peach returned to the window, waiting for her hero to arrive.
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Mario held on to his hat as Yoshi sped along Goomba's Road to keep it from flying off in the wind. "We need to pick up some Fire Flowers before we head for Bowser's Castle." he informed Luigi, who was wondering why they were headed away from the castle. "There's a garden at the end of the road that has a bunch of them."
Luigi Looked around the pretty trees and large mushrooms speeding past him, then realized something was missing. "Umm... Wasn't Toad coming with us?" he asked, seeing no sign of the little mushroom man or the yellow yoshi. Mario looked around too, also unable to find the pajama-clad fungus.
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"We'll never catch them at this rate!" Toad whined, riding through the last fading wisps of the dust trail Mario's yoshi was producing. Sunnie ran as fast as she could, but her not-so-powerful legs weren't gaining any distance on the mighty yoshi Mario rode. Toad could only see a small dot in the distance where the dust cloud grew from. "Faster, Sunnie!" he said, nudging the dinosaur forward. Sunnie snuffed at Toad's lack of maturity but still put out a little more effort for him, since she wanted to catch Mario too.
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"Hey Yoshi," Mario said, "slow down a sec. I think we lost Toad."
Yoshi looked back, seeing that the small yoshi must not have been as fast as him, and slowed to a stop. He turned around to see if they were coming.
"There they are!" Luigi said, pointing to a growing dot moving along the winding country road.
"Wow, you're faster than I thought, Yoshi!" Mario said, smiling and patting the dinosaur's back.
The trio waited a minute for Toad to catch up. Eventually the small yellow dinosaur skidded to a stop beside the plumbers, panting.
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"Hey Yoshi," Mario said, "slow down a sec. I think we lost Toad."
Yoshi looked back, seeing that the small yoshi must not have been as fast as him, and slowed to a stop. He turned around to see if they were coming.
"There they are!" Luigi said, pointing to a growing dot moving along the winding country road.
"Wow, you're faster than I thought, Yoshi!" Mario smiled.
The trio waited a few minutes for Toad to catch up, then turned and continued down the road slowly while the little yellow yoshi came up beside them and slowed to a walk.
"Sorry about that." Mario said, scratching his head. "I didn't realize how fast Yoshi is."
"No, it's not your fault, Sir Mario!" Toad said guiltily. "I forgot to tell Sunnie to follow you and got way behind." He patted the panting yellow dinosaur on the shoulder. "She's very obedient and dosn't move if I don't say so." He looked around and then noticed they were headed away from Bowser's Castle. "Why are we going this direction? Bowser's Castle is back that way." He said, pointing behind him.
"We need to get some Fire Flowers before we go." Mario informed the fungus. He pointed to a fenced-in area just ahead where the road ended. "There's a nice patch of them in that garden up ahead."
Yoshi stopped at the fence cutting the road off and Mario and Luigi hopped down from his back. Toad slid down from his saddle, taking a step to keep his balance. Mario unlatched the fence and stepped through. "Let's-a-go. There's goombas in here, so be on guard." Luigi nodded and prepared to fight if necessary.
Toad entered the gate behind Yoshi, followed by Sunnie who went through last. His heart sped up as he scanned the area for goombas. Small mushroom-like creatures they were, not humanoid like Toad though. Just a 12-inch-high mushroom with a sharp-toothed face on it's round canopy, and stumpy legs beneath it. Not much of a challenge for big tough guys like Mario and Luigi, but for a weak, three-foot mushroom man it was equal to a ferocious wolf. The group walked quietly along a straight path through the Goomba Garden, surrounded on either side by tall, brightly colored flowers and mushrooms which bees and grasshoppers buzzed about.
"Where are these Fire Flowers you told us about?" Toad whispered, not wanting to attract goombas.
"We go straight down this path all the way to the end," Luigi explained, "and then turn left and there's a little grove of them behind some rocks... if I remember right."
Toad gulped as he looked around the plumbers infront of him and down the trail. It was long, and he could sense hungry goomba eyes watching him from every direction. He moved close to Sunnie, who's eyes shifted back and forth cautiously wacthing for sneak-attacks.
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Magma, the koopa troopa Peach was using as a guinnea pig, looked impatiently at his watch. He sighed and leaned back on his hands with 10 minutes to go before he was allowed to leave. Peach sat on the large bed across from her test subject, her back to him, waiting for him to show signs of poisoning. Magma tapped his feet boredly on the side of the soft matress and tried to start a conversation to pass the time. "So, you gonna marry King Bowser?" he asked without looking back at Peach.
Peach leaped up and whirled around to face Magma's back. "NEVER!!" She screamed, infuriated by the thought.
Magma ducked and pulled his head part way into his shell at the sudden noise behind him. "...o-oh...." He mumbled, keeping a cautious eye on his future queen as he tried again to converse. "So like, you got a plan to escape or somethin'?"
"Hmph!" Peach snuffed, turning her back and crossing her arms. "Like I'd tell you, so you can go report it to ol' King Fatass and make it a thousand times harder to get out of this shack."
Magma and Peach both turned thier attention to the speaker up in the corner when a static sound came from it. "...Fatass?" Bowser's voice said in a hurt tone.
"Yes, Fatass!" Peach screamed at the camera. "Haven't you noticed that you're 10 times the size of normal koopas?" she said, pointing to the red-shelled turle creature sitting on the bed.
Magma stood up on the bed and interrupted before Bowser could reply. "That's because he's the ULTIMATE king of all koopas!" he praised, hoping to gain the king's favor. "None can match his awesome size and power!"
Bowser puffed out his chest and grinned, though nobody could see him. "Yes, I've noticed my size difference. But it's all muscle, you see, not fat." Peach scowled at the camera and started to say something, but Bowser continued before she could. "Now if you'll excuse me, sweet, I have a wedding to prepare for. Ciao!" The speaker clicked and was silent.
Magma dropped into a sitting position, bouncing on the puffy bed, pleased that he had helped Bowser's good mood. This would better his chances of getting a troopa bonus or even a pay raise. He picked up his watch as his bounce faded away and checked the time. "Hey! Check it out! Thirty minutes are up and I feel fine!" He slid off the bed and headed for the door. "Later, Peach."
"You get back here, shell-boy." Peach ordered, making Magma kringe.
"...Yes..?"
"Take this food away. I'm not eating after a filthy turtle like you. Besides, it's cold now."
Magma clenched his fists and teeth, imagining peach being shot in the head with a shotgun, but turned and stiffly walked to the table and picked up the tray.
"And change my sheets." Peach continued. "You got your foul koopa smell all over them."
The breakfast tray rattled as Magma fought agaist his arm to prevent it from hurling the tray into that obnoxious bitch's face. He took a deep breath to regain control over his body and went to work on pulling off the bed sheet with one hand while balancing the heavy tray in the other.
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Mario and friends stood perfectly still, having heard a rustling sound in the flowery shrubs. Mario, Luigi and Yoshi stood battle-ready, eyes shifting and ears open, as well as little Sunnie, though she was a bit nervous having no experience with goombas or fighting in general. Toad stood as close to Sunnie as he could, clutching her reigns and trembling.
The sound came again, this time louder and from all around the group. Toad screamed when about a dozen mushroom-like goombas creapt out of the flowers and surrounded them.
"Attack!" Mario shouted, leaping forward with a kick that sent a goomba flying. Everyone except Toad went into battle with the scampering, biting little monsters, stomping or kicking them away before they could get thier sharp teeth on anyone.
"Yoshi!" Yoshi said as his long, sticky tounge shot out and attached to a goomba before snapping back into his mouth like a rubber band. He swallowed the fungal creature whole and then repeated the process on another.
Sunnie dealt a jumping front-kick to a goomba's face, falling smack on her butt after it as she'd never tried such a move before. As she clutched her throbbing backside, she watched in amazement as Yoshi licked up one goomba after another, not even getting fat as the 12-inch diameter round creatures dissapeared into his throat. Toad was equally amazed.
Suddenly Sunnie's fascination by Yoshi was cut aff when another goomba popped out and scurried towards her, tooth-filled mouth open wide. She quicky got up off the dusty path and punched the biting creature back, though her scrawny yoshi arms barely effected it. Before her fight could resume, Luigi bounded right over her head from behind and came slamming down ontop of her foe, squashing it flat.
The group battled with stomps and kicks and Yoshi's tounge for another minute, kicking up quite a cloud of dust before the goombas finally stopped coming.
Mario wiped some sweat his brow. "Woo!" he said, exhaling a deep breath.
Yoshi belched and patted his stomach. "Yoshi!"
Sunnie dusted off her rear as the group gathered back together, while Toad sat in a daze on the ground, his heart still pounding. Suddenly he realized that everyone was staring at him and quickly got to his feet. He looked over at the big green yoshi beside Mario. "How can he eat so much?" Toad asked, still in amazement of the dinosaur's abilities. "And eating them ALIVE. It seems impossible!"
Mario smiled and patted Yoshi's back. "Dunno how he does it, but it's sure handy."
Toad turned to his yellow yoshi and asked, "You can't eat like that, can you?"
Sunnie shook her head 'no', then looked over at Mario who had started back down the path and jogged over to follow him, Toad running after her.
After a bit of walking the group finally reached the back of the garden, and to thier left, as Luigi remembered, there was a short path between the fence and the tall flowers, blocked off by a large boulder. "Yeah, right over this rock." Luigi said, climbing up.
Mario climbed up after Luigi, followed by Yoshi and then Sunnie, with Toad in the rear. The plumbers and Yoshi hopped off the other side one after the other as they got to the top in single file. Sunnie was almost over but was having some trouble getting on top, her feet skidding on the side of the boulder as she clung to the grass on the top with her short yoshi arms, kicking little pebbles in Toad's face and causing him to loose his grip. He slid down the side to the ground and then fell on his back. "Sunnie!" He yelled angrilly.
Sunnie stopped running in place and looked down over her shoulder to see her friend struggling to stand up. She smiled apologeticly while clinging to the short grass, then looked up when she heard feet above her. Mario was standing on top of the boulder with his hands on his hips, smiling at his less travel-experienced friends.
"Grab on." Mario said, bending over and holding a gloved hand out to the struggling yellow dinosaur.
Sunnie gripped Mario's hand and scrambled up while the plumber lifted with surprising strength. Toad gave her a push from behind attempting to help, but only managed to get another face full of dust and pebbles. He managed to hold on this time though. Mario patted the little dinosaur's rump as she passed him to go down the other side, then helped Toad up by simply lifting the light weight mushroom up by an arm and setting him down on top of the rock.
Luigi admired the grove of glowing orange flowers as they swayed in the breeze, soon joined by Sunnie, dusting herself off after she made her way down, and then Mario who jumped down with Toad riding piggy-back. Mario squatted to let the little mushroom man slide to the ground, then joined Luigi in admiring. Toad slapped the dust from his pajamas, and he and Yoshi also turned their gaze to the glowing garden. Mario stepped forward and picked a flower.
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End of part 2.
