Chapter II
Strange Occurrences
The next morning, Mario awoke to the sound of screaming.
With a jolt, he jumped out of bed and quickly donned his blue overalls and red undershirt. Connecting the yellow buttons gave him some trouble, but after a few tries, he finally succeeded.
"M-M-MARIO!" A voice from outside yelled in pure terror. "YOU MUST COME QUICKLY!"
Snatching his hat from a nearby stand, Mario bolted out his quarters, not bothering to close the door. Outside, Mario was running so fast, he didn't see the source of all the screaming, and collided with him in a savage tumble.
"Oof!" they both grunted as they fell to the floor.
"Mario," Toad said with a distressed expression after standing up, "it's horrible! Something wrong is happening in the Toad Town sewers!"
Not bothering to ask what, Mario left the dazed Toad by himself and ran out of the castle as fast as he could.
Mario wondered what it was that had his old friend so worried. Maybe Bowser had finally decided to show up after his long absence. But if Bowser were the cause of all the shouting, then wouldn't Toad have mentioned him?
The young toad had looked as pale as a boo.
There was little activity in the castle within the early hours of the morning. Servants were running around dizzyingly, mopping floors and dusting vases, while the cooks stood outside their kitchens, accepting orders for the day's meals. Bulky koopas carried large packages of food and ornaments to the kitchens, but outside of the staff and the workers, the castle was completely silent.
Everyone looked on edge, as if their need for work was merely a method used to cover up their fright. Apparently everyone knew of the strange occurrence down in the sewers, whether willingly or not, given Toad's yelling.
Well, Mario was a plumber after all. He would be in his element.
Outside, the sun was only beginning to rise, covering the moist grass and soft fountains of the courtyard in a beautiful opalescent glow. Gardeners and shearers greeted Mario with the same level of forced normality the other workers in the castle had used.
The wood-and-iron drawbridge leading out of the castle—the only way in or out, unless interlopers waere fond of getting bitten by very hungry cheep cheep and big bass, was already risen when Mario walked out of the castle courtyard and into the heart of Toad Town. The reason was both plainly obvious to Mario and somewhat unnerving. On one hand, the castle had a head start in beginning its daily trials, but on the other it meant anyone could get inside and do something dangerous. Coupling that with the drowsy-eyed guards lining the entrance and the walls around the vicinity only ended in a recipe for disaster.
Mario then remembered what Peach had told him yesterday. It seemed almost impossible to believe the Mushroom Kingdom was once a highly militaristic nation, enough to rival that of the koopa force that bullied them so easily today. Mario understood the ideas behind good government, but knew that government couldn't help the fact that possessing a suitable defense was generally a more worthwhile cause for reform than setting up a rule that could be easily shattered by anyone who tried. Still, it wasn't his place to argue over such things. Leave that to the politicians.
In the town square quite a few people were out doing their early morning chores. Two toads sat perched on the mushroom-shaped roof of a house discussing something, while a female toad walking her pink chain chomp with a purple bowtie gave Mario a friendly wink. Hawkers began setting up their stands, selling honey-smoked sausages, badges, or other trinkets. It seemed the world was ready to forget the festive spirit of yesterday and get back to work. Though no one looked at all worried, meaning they likely didn't hear about the tidings in their sewers, or maybe they were just good at hiding their shock.
Mario had no time to greet everyone as he ran by, though he did receive a few concerned glances for his speedy getaway.
The sun-bleached gravel crunched beneath Mario's feet as he felt the morning breeze rush through his hair. He was beginning to tire from the stress since the past day, but he needed to keep moving now and keep his priorities straight.
At the eastern town gates, Mario was stopped by a group of toad guardsmen. They looked much older and in shape than the other guards Mario had spotted between his race out of the town. He suspected these two knew how to actually use the spears they held on to.
"Is something the matter, citizen?" One of the guards asked him with a puzzled expression.
Mario quickly told them why he was in such a hurry.
"What?" The other guard added, scratching his comical hat. "We didn't hear anything about that. Maybe we should come with you."
Mario gave them the obvious reason why they shouldn't.
"Oh yeah…" the first guard added absently. "Toad Town, I almost forgot about that. Well, I'm sure you can handle whatever it is that's going on. If anyone can, it's you, Mario. We wish you the best of luck."
The second guard pulled a lever, which opened the rusty gate leading out of the town. Mario thanked the two men and set out towards the pipe leading to the sewers.
It wasn't very long before Mario reached a fenced-in area at the side of a forest where the pipe was located. A large barbwire fence squared off the ground around the pipe. The earth inside was cleared of any grass and revealed the soft auburn of the dirt underneath. Mario opened the door leading towards the pipe with the key given to him a long time ago by the princess and stepped inside.
"Wait, please!" A voice called out before he closed the door.
Mario looked around the vicinity, trying to establish the location of the voice.
When he saw the princess running right towards him.
Mario waited for her to arrive before asking her what she was doing here.
Gasping for breath, Peach replied slowly. "I'm sorry for following you, but I must see what's going on."
Mario was about to have none of it and return her to the palace.
"Please, Mario." She pleaded. "I heard about what happened." She said, panting. "I want to see it for myself."
Mario immediately told her that she would be doing no such thing. There were likely dangerous things down in those sewers, and he didn't want to be responsible for anything bad that happened to the current ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom.
"I don't care how dangerous it is." She remarked, "I have a right to know what ails my people as much as you do. I must be strong for them, and show them that I can be a good ruler."
Mario sighed in desperation. He knew arguing with Peach was a hopeless endeavor.
He instead asked her if anyone knew she was missing from the castle.
Peach shook her head. "No. I sometimes sneak out on my own to walk outside the town for a bit."
Well, that definitely explained a lot.
Beckoning Peach forward, Mario hopped over to the green pipe that led downward into the sewers. It was pitch black inside, but Mario wasn't afraid. He had gone through similar pipes multiple times in his adventures; he had nothing to worry about.
Bracing himself, he jumped straight into the dark abyss.
The sensation was incomprehensible. It was as if he was instantly transported to a high alcove deep underground. Hitting the floor with a thud, he looked around the area with eyes narrowed down to slits, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the slow darkness of the sewers.
From behind him, Peach fell to the floor under the pipe. Mario helped her up.
"Well, I wasn't expecting this place to be so dark." She stated, her expression twisted into an uncomfortable scowl. "Did you bring a light?"
Mario looked at her and replied he didn't.
The alcove was nothing more than a lined platform connected by a large metal ladder leading further down and another green pipe to the right. The world below them seemed endless. Mario thought the darkness went on forever.
"I knew I should have dressed for the occasion." Peach pouted. "Now everyone will wonder why my dress is covered in slime when I return."
Mario rolled his eyes, happy the princess couldn't see the gesture. There were plenty more important things to worry about in their current predicament than dirty clothes.
He walked towards the pipe traveling from the alcove to the sewer bottom, but noticed it was closed over by a cork with a hole in the center.
Mario asked Peach how they would get down.
"Well," she mused aloud, "we unfortunately can't go down this pipe. It's locked, and can only be opened by the staff workers. I'm afraid I don't possess the key."
He wasn't surprised. He was sure those very same workers suspected the princess to one day travel to the sewers, and so placed a lock as a precaution to keep her and other unwanted intruders out.
And in, for that matter.
"But look." She called Mario over, "They sees to have left a ladder here for you, Mario, meaning we can easily climb downward to the bottom."
Mario didn't know how long that would take them.
He volunteered to go first, both as a safety measure and to tell the princess when it was okay to descend.
The princess took it upon herself to ignore Mario's commands, and followed right after him. Mario sighed as he descended, but knew there was nothing he could do but keep going.
The lamps connected to every end of the wall began to decrease in intensity the further Mario and Peach descended the long ladder. Mario could feel the soft and slippery coating of smile drench his gloves. He hoped the princess was taking things slow. If she slipped, there was likely little Mario could do to help her but hope for the best.
Further down they went, the sound of dripping water their only companion in the coming darkness. Mario wondered how much more he would have to endure before finally reaching the bottom.
Then, a question suddenly sprang up in Mario's head.
He passed it over to Peach immediately.
"Oh, no. I'm afraid I haven't had the time to read further. I left the book with Toadsworth before leaving."
Mario was beginning to see a pinkish landform further down. He suspected that was the floor. They had finally made it.
Stretching his cramped back, Mario waited for Peach to finish her descent.
"We made it in one piece." Peach declared. "Let's go."
The two continued walking through the brash sewers, the rhythm of leaking water getting louder the further in they went.
"I'm afraid we haven't had much time to explore these sewers. If that book is to be believed, then I'm sure this was an invention of our ancestors. They were likely quite skilled in such matters." Peach explained as they walked.
Mario agreed. Continuing onward, he began to hear the sound of muffled talking. Going deeper, he recognized the voices as two hammer brothers talking to each other. They noticed his presence and beamed.
"I'm glad you could make it, Mario" the first hammer bro. wearing a blue-shelled helmet said. "We sent out brother Brad over at least two hours ago. We feared the worst."
It was then when they noticed the princess.
"Princess?" The second one exclaimed. "What are you doing down here? You know you shouldn't be here! It's dangerous!"
Peach shook her head stubbornly. "Don't worry about me, Wedge, It was my request to Mario to allow me to accompany him. I've nothing to worry about with him around."
The first hammer bro. still looked incredulous. "Princess, it's nothing personal," he said in a deep voice, "but we think you should head back. Please, allow us to escort you back to the surface—"
"That won't be necessary, Chuck, but thank you for the sentiment." Peach interrupted.
The hammer bro. called Wedge went up to Mario and whispered in his ear. "How do you put up with that?" he joked.
"Fine, Princess," Chuck sighed, "it seems there's nothing we can do to change your mind. Follow us and we'll lead the way."
The four of them made their way further into the sewers. Mario was surprised to see a group of hammer bros. working so close to Toad Town. The toad people showed an immediate distaste for anything that looked even remotely koopa in appearance—and they weren't secretive about it either. Having suffered through countless of Bowser's attacks, the toads couldn't tell a good koopa from the bad. Mario was heartened to see the princess didn't allow her mistrust to rule over her so. She no doubt acquired much resistance in putting two of Bowser's ex-minions to work, but she stayed by her choice.
It would be a lie to say that all species other than the toads looked at the princess in a favorable light, but these two hammer bros. seemed to have discovered that the princess truly did want her kingdom to be equal for all of its inhabitants. They looked at her with a deep show of respect and only worried for her safety in their insolence. Peach, as she did many things, took it in stride.
Mario allowed his thoughts to wander as they walked. Instantly, he realized he hadn't seen a sign of any other hammer brother called Brad or otherwise. Opening his mouth, he made to speak.
The Princess was quicker. "Chuck, has Brad not returned?"
Both koopas stopped, turning to face the pair. "No, Princess," he replied, "we sent him over to round up Mario, like we said."
Mario shook his head, giving his own thoughts voice.
"Huh," Wedge said as he rubbed his beak with a hand. "sure is like him to dawdle. Probably off pickin' flowers or somethin'. Figure he'll show his sorry butt back here in no time flat."
Mario and Peach shared glances while Chuck sighed at his brother, quickly taking point and causing the group to hasten their pace to keep up.
The four of them eventually stopped before a grated door containing a sign that read: 'DANGER: DO NOT PROCEED PAST THIS POINT' in bold red letters. Mario didn't understand the warring, considering the workers here did a good job at keeping unwanted intruders at bay, but Mario simply shrugged and moved on.
"Right past here's where things get crazu." Wedge said with a smirk.
"What exactly is going on?" Peach asked him.
He shrugged. "We really ain't sure. This morning while we was cleaning out the place, we noticed a strange door appear out of nowhere near here. You know about Brad, and we stayed here to stand guard."
"And was this door here yesterday?"
Both brothers shook their heads. "We have reason to believe it wasn't, Princess." Chuck answered.
"How strange…" she mumbled.
Mario asked the brothers what the door looked like.
"It was red," Chuck said, "with spiraled etchings on the front. We couldn't tell the material, considering neither of us wanted to get close enough to check."
"That ain't the half of it though," Wedge added. "The door's literally hangin' closed with no walls supportin' it. We don't know what that means, or how that's even possible."
Mario wondered if this was some practical joke.
Unfortunately, both hammer brothers looked completely serious.
With a grunt, Wedge smashed a huge red switch with a large hammer, sending the portcullis rising slowly upwards.
"Thank you boys," Peach told them, "Mario and I can take it from here."
"You sure, Princess?" Chuck asked. "We don't mind going in with you." Wedge nodded his head in agreement.
"No, that's quite all right. You two should stay here and guard this place until we return. We shouldn't be long."
Chuck grunted. "Alright then, we'll wait for your return. Just holler if you need anything, and we'll come running. The strange door should be straight ahead. Stay safe, the both of you."
Mario and Peach thanked the brothers for their generosity and followed the dark passageway deeper into the sewers.
"We should be careful," Peach warned. "I've heard reports of strange noises coming from deep within these sewers. Who knows what outlandish creatures might live this far beneath civilization?"
Mario agreed, but felt a tad nervous. It had been a while since he last battled anything besides Luigi's cooking, after all.
Their footsteps echoed on the concrete, while the sound of rushing water kept them alert. Mario and Peach continued their trek carefully, making sure to watch every step they took.
"This just seems so odd…" Peach said. "Why would something just magically appear here, of all places?"
Mario shrugged, having no answer for her.
As they continued walking, Mario began to notice a resonating crimson glow coming from the direction they were going. He guessed they were almost there. Behind them were only shadows.
Then, they saw it. Just as the brothers Chuck and Wedge had mentioned, the door was an odd red, absorbing all other color in the room as it glowed brilliantly. On the front end, Mario recognized the strange markings the two brothers spoke of. The door looked rather familiar, as if Mario had been through it once before.
"This is it, it seems." Peach said with a touch of concern. "It really is floating in mid-air."
Neither wanted to make the first move towards the strange object. Finally, after gathering up his courage, Mario stepped forward with Peach following suit. They both stood directly in front of the door.
Mario could feel the power stored within that strange object seeping outward like rolling mists. Almost instinctively, he raised his right hand and clutched the door's pink knob. It felt completely cold to the touch.
Pulling on the knob was useless, the door wouldn't open by force, it seemed.
Then Mario did something both completely reckless and entirely stupid.
Mario knocked on the door.
At first, nothing happened. But slowly afterwards, Mario was beginning to feel a slight rumble beneath his feet. The princess looked to have felt it as well.
Then, the door opened wide, leading towards a world of clear light.
Before Mario had even a chance to breathe, something from within the door pulled at him strongly, forcing him inside the door's strange dimension.
Then, he fell straight in, with Peach gasping in shock.
"Mariooooooo!" She cried, before jumping straight in after him.
They tumbled and turned in a spiral of nothing but white.
In an instant, a rip in the fabric of space opened inside a fortress storeroom. From within that rift came through Mario and Peach, who fell to the ground as gravity began to take its hold on the duo. The rift closed with the sound of tearing leather, and the couple was left in silence once more.
Ow…" Peach said, rubbing her back. "What just happened?"
Mario grunted in reply, feeling just as confused as her.
"That strange door." Peach remembered, "We somehow got thrown through it."
Mario agreed with that idea. He remembered the strange sensation he felt once the door opened, a sensation that seemed to be pulling him inside.
"That door, it felt so familiar." Peach added.
Mario understood there was little time to waste given the circumstances before them. They had no idea what had happened when they were sucked into the door, and thinking about it wasn't going to help him or Peach learn about their current predicament any sooner.
They were still alive. That meant they had more important things to worry about.
"Where are we?" Peach asked Mario.
He shrugged.
"Judging from the looks of things, we seem to have been transported to a storeroom of some sort. Do you think we're in another dimension?"
Mario didn't want to think about that.
"I don't know about you, but based on these crude designs and strange architecture, I've I hunch I know where we are, though I'm not liking the idea one bit."
Mario looked around the room to see what the princess was talking about.
The small quarters were poorly lit, with a torch hanging from a rusty golden chandelier in the ceiling acting as their only source of light. The walls of the room felt like stone and were the color of ash. As Peach had figured out, dozens of crates, chests, and barrels littered the room haphazardly, though all but one chest was locked. The only door leading out of the room was slightly ajar.
"Maybe we should bring back a souvenir." Peach whispered. Opening the unlocked chest, she removed a mushroom from it and placed it in her pocket.
"Well, at least we know we're somewhere near the Mushroom Kingdom." She added joyously.
Walking outside the room as silently as possible, Mario checked for any signs of life. After finding none, he motioned for Peach to come out.
They were in a large hallway leading off towards many different directions. The walls were lined with brightly lit torches held on what looked to be koopa skulls. They shone intensely, causing Mario and Peach to cover their eyes from the dazzling light.
"Which way should we go?" Peach asked.
Mario instantly decided on a route and went towards one end of the hallway. At its end, they uncovered an unlocked door leading towards what looked to be a conference room with a large exclamation pressure switch to one side. The room only had one other door, but this one looked to be locked.
Mario recognized the switch from many of his prior adventures. Peach noticed it too.
"Look Mario! I wonder what that switch is for."
The two remained silent for a while.
"Well?" Peach asked. "Aren't you going to... you know, jump on it?"
Mario awkwardly replied that he forgot his jumping shoes at home.
Peach smiled. "I was waiting for you to say that." From somewhere, she withdrew a pair of Mario's jumping shoes. "See? Now aren't you glad I came along?"
Peach passed the boots over to Mario.
Mario put on the boots with a gracious expression, feeling much more like himself.
"You…do remember how to jump though, right?" Peach asked.
Mario showed her the biggest jump he could muster, aiming himself to land straight on the button. The force behind the jump pushed the switch down until they heard a clicking noise from somewhere in their vicinity.
"That switch must've been for the locked door over there." Peach stated. "Come on, the room must hold something important."
Mario and Peach entered the door as quietly as they could. Inside the door was a large open space. The area was rectangular in shape, with a large bed of lava sitting to the left of the room. The walls were seemingly immune to the stuff, though that didn't stop Peach from wiping her brow after some sweat had collected on it.
To the other side of the lava, there were a series of cages, each with the door open. There was no light in them save for the artificial glow granted by the lava.
"Do you think we somehow opened these cells ourselves?" Peach whispered.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps from within one of the cells. Mario stiffened. His mind went blank. They would likely be discovered and caught if he didn't think of something fast.
"Aaaaahhhh!" The voice yawned. "Free, free at last!"
The voice was strange and squeaky, almost as if it came from a child. Mario was beginning to see the round silhouette of the source coming out from the large cell.
"You know, whoever you are, you're all right." The voice said. "I thought I would never get out of this dirt hole. I don't know what that moron was going on about when he put me here, but he sure had it in him to never set me free. It's a good thing you showed up, huh?"
The light from the lava was beginning to reveal the appearance of the small creature. Mario saw it to be a baby koopa still inside part of its shell. Mario though he recognized the toddler, but couldn't put his finger as to when they had previously met.
The small koopa looked at Mario with suspicious eyes. "Now wait just a minute! There's something about you that calls to me."
Mario looked at the Princess, only to find that she was looking straight back at him. They both shrugged.
"You look veeeery familiar, mister! What's your name?"
The koopa was inspecting Mario, though he reached no higher than his legs.
Mario tried explaining to the child that he had to have him mistaken with someone else.
"Nuh-uh," the young koopa said, "I know you from somewhere…"
The koopa remained still, lost in thought.
"Aha!" He exclaimed. "I remember who you are! You're Mario! That dastardly plumber that was always ruining my day!"
"Shhhh!" Peach told him. "Stop shouting, or they'll discover us all!"
"And who're you?" He asked her, "Some sort of ballerina, or something? What's with that dress, anyway? You look like my mother did twenty years ago!"
Peach placed her hands on her hips angrily. "Now that's about all I can stand—"
"Quiet, lady!" The koopa commanded. "This here's between me and Mario, got that?"
"Now then, where were we? Oh yeah! Mario, you big slob! You made my life miserable! You ruined me! I became the laughing stock of my gang! I spent an entire month drinking nothing but milk! Do you know what that did to my complexion?"
Mario told the youngster that he had no idea who he was.
"What did you say?" he stammered. "You forgot who I am?" The koopa looked dumbfounded. "Well I'll tell ya! I'm Jr. Troopa! The biggest, meanest, baddest koopa you'll ever meet! And since fate has so kindly brought us together again, I'm here to finally collect my due!"
Jr. Troopa began jumping around in circles around Mario. "Prepare yourself to feel more pain than ever before in your entire life! By the time I'm done with you, you'll be begging me to stop! En garde!"
Mario, feeling somewhat rusty after not having had the chance to practice his skills in the kingdom's time of peace began to worry. Still, there was little choice he had. He accepted the small koopa's challenge.
"Mario," Peach told him, "make sure you give this brat a good spanking for me!"
Mario was more than happy to oblige, taking his chances to give his opponent a stomping. Mario was surprised to see the koopa actually staggering from pain.
"Oh yeah? Well, how about this?!"
The small koopa began a mad dash towards Mario, giving him little time to dodge. Mario tried jumping away, but the koopa was quicker, anticipating his move and hitting Mario straight in the gut with his hard shell.
Mario was hurt, but still standing.
Instantly, he attempted a counterattack, sending himself launching once again towards his adversary, and giving him a solid whack with the force of his jump. Too slow to dodge, the koopa took the full brunt of the attack, but in reading Mario's next reaction, he stepped backwards and launched himself straight into the air, hitting Mario directly on the head with his body. Mario began feeling dizzy and ill fit to continue.
"What's the matter, Mario? Lost all your steam already?" The youngster taunted.
Taking his advantage to the fullest, Jr. Troopa began storing in energy for his next assault. Mario, still dazed from the mischievous infant's prior attack, was unable to stop the koopa from unleashing his withheld strength. Mario took a savage blow, sending his sprawling to the ground. He met the hard floor with a grunt. Feebly, he tried standing up, but found it to be a futile endeavor.
"Ha!" Jr. Troopa goaded, "and here I was expecting more from the man who so easily defeated me once before! Ah well, it was nice knowing ya!"
"Mario!" Peach gasped.
This couldn't be happening. There had to be something Peach could do to help her friend, but what? She was next to useless in a fight, and the most she could do was buy Mario some time to recover anyway.
Then, she remembered the item she retrieved from the storeroom. She quickly withdrew the Mushroom and stepped next to Mario. Holding his mouth open, she placed the Mushroom inside. Mario closed his mouth instinctively and began chewing.
Instantly he arose, as if from the dead. Feeling fully recovered, Mario stared at the koopa with newfound strength. That had been exactly what he needed.
Jr. Troopa looked to be charging another attack. Mario immediately set himself at full speed, and jumped, somersaulting along the way to add to his momentum. Jr. Troopa collapsed with a savage thud, and this time he looked the one to be unfit to continue.
"I'll…I'll get you yet, Mario!" He panted, looking as if he had seen better days.
Mario took his chance. Delivering one final bounce, he knocked the koopa to the ground. Jr. Troopa remained still and unconscious.
"You did it, Mario!" Peach screamed joyously as she embraced him in a tight hug. Mario felt his cheeks redden.
Both Mario and Peach gasped when they looked to their exit.
Two koopa troopas stood watching them with wide eyes. No one in the room was making a move.
"This…isn't what it looks like." The princess tried explaining.
Both koopas stared at each other for a spell before darting out of the room in a flurry.
"ALERT!" They yelled, "MARIO HAS INVADED THE CASTLE! MARIO HAS INVADED THE CASTLE! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"
Their loud echoes ran steadily down the halls until they eventually disappeared into a stark muffle.
"Oh no!" Peach said. "They've found us! We were so caught-up with Jr. Troopa we forgot we weren't supposed to make any noise in the first place."
Mario nodded his agreement.
"Mario," Peach turned around, staring at him, "I think my worst nightmare has come true. That hunch I had earlier, it was right."
"What should we do?"
Before Mario could answer, a loud noise began resonating from the walls. The drone sounded like alarms.
"We have to get out of here!" Peach continued, answering her own question.
The two began running out of the dungeon, leaving Jr. Troopa behind as they went. They crossed the conference room without so much as a sign of interference, and then began running straight until they reached the fork in the long hallway. Mario could hear the sound of footsteps breaking through the din of the alarm at ever corner.
"Which way should we go?" Peach sputtered, looking in every direction.
The sounds were beginning to increase in intensity. No matter which way they went, it seemed they would meet a regiment of the troop slowly drawing their way.
"We're trapped."
Mario and Peach remained perfectly still, awaiting the impending army to close the distance between them. The sound of marching only became louder with each second, like a giant's footsteps. Mario could see the cluttered armies of koopas and other species from every direction.
Then, they were upon them.
"Well, well, well…" A distinguished koopa said. "Looks like we have a small rat infestation that needs to be taken care of."
Mario could have done many things then. He could have tried to reason with the man he supposed was the commander of the force stationed before them. He could have fought, and died a valiant hero's death. He could have thought up of a means of escaping, low as the chance of success might be. But instead, he did none of these things.
He remained completely silent.
"It looks like you two are late for your meeting with the king." The commander added. "Follow me. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to see you dropping by on such short notice."
Mario and Peach did as they were told. The group of koopas in the southern fork parted away, leaving a road in which the three could pass. From behind them, Mario noticed there were still quite a number of troops following them to wherever they were heading, meaning any chance of escaping was still fruitless.
Along the way, Mario received a plentiful number of glares from the koopa force. A few pebbles were pelted at him, though he had little room to dodge the assault. Mario could only take the brunt of the attacks and hope the koopas were decent enough to keep the Princess unharmed.
Considering the person they were going to visit, Mario didn't doubt that would be the case.
The group continued their slow march to Bowser's keep, the rhythmic sounds of their boots an endless reminder of what was to come.