-The Princess in Green-
-Chapter 6: Great Leaps-

Night had fallen on the Kingdom, and the castle was silent, but it was a peaceful kind of silence. Something they rarely get nowadays. Mario and the others were reunited outside of the cemetery, happy that they had survived yet another attack. With both children safe and sound and tucked in their beds, Mario can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He smiled when his Queen sat beside him, bringing an ice pack to his knees. Mario leaned over, kissing Peach on the check "ah, my love. I don't know what I'll do without you..." Mario chuckled, Peach rested her head on his shoulder. Just happy to sit beside her husband and watch the fire crackle in the ornate fireplace.

Peach looked over, sensing that something was bothering Mario "honey..." she began, Mario continued to stare at the fire with a frown "honey, are you okay?" Peach asked, and Mario shook his head with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry...it's just... I don't think I can..." he trailed off, sounding completely heartbroken. Mario forced himself to continue "today was such a wake up call, I could barely fight those guys back. I was slow and I didn't hit as hard as I used to... Tonia and Antonio barely got out of there..."

Peach wrapped an arm around his shoulder "oh Mario... the good thing is that you and the children are safe now...you protected them at the best of your ability and you won" now it was Marios turn to rest his head on her shoulder, but something continued to slowly eat at him.

"Yeah, but that was just luck. Next time might end in complete disaster..." Mario lifted the ice pack to rub his knee "after this King Boo business is taken care of, I'm going to hang up my cape. I'm done with being some kind of super hero..."

Peach smiled at him "whatever you decide to do. I'll be right behind you..." she finished, gently petting the back of his head, the crown was gone, leaving his graying hair to stick out in all directions. Mario had made several attempts to keep his hair in place so he could look more King-like, but here, in the comfort of his home he had let it stick out in all directions. A reminder of his formal wild and free life of daring rescues and great feats of heroism.

Marion kissed her, smiling as he does so "I look forward of spending my retirement with you, my darling."

They fell into a comfortable silence, watching the fire crackle in front of them. It filled the room with warmth and a soft light.

She looked down to see that the ice on Marios knees were almost completely melted. Reluctantly she stood up, ice pack in hand "I'm going to get some more ice for your knee, you sit tight."

Mario glanced over his shoulder to smile at his beloved Queen. She could've sent a servant to get more ice, but instead she always insist on getting most things herself. Sometimes he'll forget that she's royalty to begin with. His beloved Peach, always trying to take care of him even after he had stopped rescuing her from Bowser years ago.

When Peach left the room, someone almost immediately knocked on the door. Mario sighed, probably an advisor to give him more bad news. With a grunt he forced himself to stand up "who is it?"

The door cracked open, Tonia peaking her head through "Uncle Mario...? Sorry to disturb you, but I was just checking to see if you are okay..?" Tonia sounded worried and Marios gaze softened. He thought that she had went to bed hours ago. She stepped into the room fully, joining Mario on the couch.

Mario stared at the fire "I'm fine, don't worry about me..." he sighed "I'm so sorry... I thought you would be safer here, but I was wrong. Maybe you should've gone to the Dark Lands..."

"Nah." Tonia waved the notion of going anywhere else. Despite that's what she wanted in the first place. Mario doesn't need to know "I love Uncle Bowser, but sometimes he could be a little too...smothering..."

Mario chuckled at the 'Uncle Bowser' he remembered being a little upset when Tonia first started calling the King of Koopas that when she was a little girl. Despite not being related by blood, he came to accept that. Guess he was just being a little selfish, like Bowser also being Tonias 'Uncle' was going to somehow take his own title away, and therefore take Luigi away as well. But it's good to know that Bowser has her back when Mario is not around to protect her.

Mario turned to face Tonia, taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze "hey, we'll be fine... I promise."

It was in that moment where a giant glowing purple portal formed under them, taking the two of them and the couch with them. Their sudden screams were cut off when the portal quickly disappeared as soon as it came.

Peach then entered the room, only to find her husband and their couch missing "what the-what happened in here-?" Peach was quickly answered when the portal appeared again, just to spit out the couch.

"Mario!"

...

While Mario was used to the familiar sense of falling, Tonia wasn't.

She screamed as loud as she could while holding on to him for dear life. Suddenly it felt like they were somehow falling up- and Tonia somehow managed to scream even louder.

They quickly landed in a familiar black marble hall. Mario recognized the place instantly- and he did not like where they are.

The Underwhere.

An even more familiar figure stood before them. The Queen of this place; Jaydes.

"Mario..." she frowned "it's unfortunate that we meet again under such terrible circumstances."

Mario stood up, casually dusting himself off. Mean while Tonia was curled up in a tight, shivering ball, her arms wrapped across her head to protect it. Mario smiled at his niece, Luigi used to curl up like that. All she needed was a hat to hide under... his attention turned back to Jaydes "what can I do for you...?"

Jaydes frowned at him "I'm sorry to tell you this, but someone has stolen the souls of past Kings and Queens..." she trailed off. Mario frowned, before realization fell onto him like bricks, and an icy chill began to form in his stomach. Jaydes sighed, shaking her head, not like being the one to deliver bad news.

"I'm sorry, Mario, one of them...was your brother..."

End of Chapter