"I'm sure he's fine," said Koopa as he, Peach and Tiara had dinner together in his airship's dining room. "I'll give him credit—he always bounces back from whatever I throw at him."
Peach, meanwhile, gave her captor the silent treatment as she ate her meal. The stress of the situation had made her quite famished, and she knew that she needed to eat to keep her energy up. Tiara was still perched atop her head, and Peach sneaked her bites from time to time.
"C'mon, Peach—let me come in," pleaded Koopa, his voice soft. "Our marriage won't work if you keep shutting me out."
"What do you care?" Peach softly demanded of him. "You never think of my feelings whenever you carry me off."
"Well, that stops today. I wanna be the spouse you deserve. But I also need to know what makes my blushing bride tick—besides being rescued all the time."
"Make no mistake," Peach said crisply. "I don't enjoy being snatched."
"And I really don't enjoy snatching you."
"Yeah, right."
Koopa huffed. "Okay—you got me. I do enjoy carrying you off—because I enjoy your company. Can a villain like me love somebody? D—n right they can."
"I'm deeply flattered," said Peach, "but my foremost love is my kingdom."
"Ditto. But ruling a kingdom by myself is taking its toll. My Koopalings don't have a mother to kiss their 'boo-boos', comb their hair or give them advice about significant others. And B.J.—he especially likes it when I bring you over. I'm a king who has everything—but also has nothing."
Was Koopa's voice shaking a little? Peach didn't know if he was manipulating her, or if the emotion was genuine. She saw up close how much he loved his children and doted on B.J., and she saw how he ruled over his subjects with a firm but just hand. But the same Koopa King who spoke about taking his Koopalings to an amusement park or a shopping spree was also the same Koopa King who fired upon her kingdom at least twice a week and engaged her two boys in brutal, bloody combat, once trying to make Mario choose between her and—
"I don't want this royal wedding to be about my plans for world domination," Koopa went on. "I want this to be about us. At the very least, could you please meet me halfway?"
Blue eyes met green eyes, Peach biting down on her coral-colored lower lip. Winning Koopa's trust would be key to potential escape attempts. And he never really hurt her whenever she was in his clutches.
"I'll try," she said finally.
Koopa shrugged. "I guess that'll do for now," he said, "but riddle me this. What do you love about that plumber? The fact that he always runs to your rescue? Do you think you'll have a better future with him than with me?"
"He's kind and he's gentle—and he knows how to treat a lady," said Peach.
"Well, I also know how to treat a lady, so we're square. Look—what I'm saying is—we've been doing this dance for 32 long years. Mario and I, fighting over you again and again and again. One of these days, we're gonna rip you apart, and I don't want that."
"Mario fights for me," said Peach. "There's a difference between fighting for me and fighting over me."
"You say you love him, but do you think he feels the same about you?" challenged Koopa. "Or does he just save you for the kiss, the free cake and—whatever comes after?"
Don't take the bait, Peach warned herself, but she was already turning the question over and over in her mind. She was certain that she loved Mario, and that Mario loved her, but there were days when she just felt like a prize to be won, the end goal. Was Mario attracted to her as a person, or was he just attracted by the adventure and the free cake? Would he just—stop rescuing her if she stopped offering cake? The fact that she was safe should matter more than whether or not he'd have cake.
What was really her relationship with Mario?
Koopa reached over and patted her hand. "I'll give you as much time as you need to think it over," he said gently. "Oh, and I have some goodies waiting for you in your cabin."
"Thanks," said Peach.
She finished her meal in contemplative silence and headed upstairs to the cabin she'd share with Tiara. And sure enough, a small gift basket rested on the bed, enclosed in a clear plastic bag and tied with a lavender ribbon. Atop the basket was a receipt, proof that Koopa had bought it and not stolen it.
Putting the receipt away, Peach opened the bag and took out the basket. It was a small collection of lotions, body washes and shampoos, along with some perfume, scented oil, and some—toys. A smile quirked Peach's face as she studied the gifts.
Proof that King Koopa had a heart.
Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her reverie. Peach nearly swooned with relief when she saw Mario's text message. He was okay, and he was currently recovering in Bonneton. He and Cappy would set out first thing tomorrow morning.
Tiara trilled happily when she checked her own phone and saw the text message from Cappy. He and Mario had formally teamed up, and they'd go through all levels of Hell to find her and Peach.
"Thank God," breathed Peach.
"It occurs," said Tiara. "We should team up, too."
"I was just about to say that," said Peach. "We have a few rough days, maybe weeks, ahead of us. If we want to survive and keep our sanity, then we'll have to rely on each other. We can't let the menfolk do all of the heavy lifting."
"Right you are," said Tiara.
"This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," mused Peach.
"And it's also the beginning of an epic adventure," Tiara chimed in.
"Okay, Tiara—I'm gonna have to ask you to wait here," said Peach. "I need to take a shower."
"Say no more," said Tiara, vacating her place on Peach's head. "I'll see what's good on TV."
With a smile, Peach grabbed the shampoos and body washes from the gift basket, headed into the bathroom, stripped off everything and then stepped into a refreshing, inviting shower.
She took a shower pouf, got it nice and sudsy and rubbed it all over herself in small circles. The body wash she'd selected smelled like strawberries, with a slight hint of vanilla. Sighing pleasurably, she cleansed the dirt and sweat from her skin and the images of her hero's limp, bloodied form from her mind. These showers were the only way she could relax when she was in this situation. It was the only time she was truly away from that turtle. She closed her eyes and basked in the strawberry and vanilla scent, the rush of the water from the shower head and the soft, soapy suds. She continued with the pouf's circular motion, leaving no patch of her skin untouched, until her arm grew tired. Then, she rinsed off the pouf, stepped into the cool pour and watched the now-dirty suds swirl down the drain.
Applying a dime-sized amount of shampoo to her palm, she next tackled her hair, massaging it from the scalp on down. The shampoo smelled the same as the body wash, and it was a welcome sensation on her blond locks. Over and over, her shampoo-slick fingers threaded through her hair, massaged her scalp and blotted shampoo onto the bangs along the back of her neck. When she was done shampooing, she carefully leaned back her head and allowed the shower to cascade through her soapy locks, thoroughly rinsing everything. Next, she applied some conditioner, which she had to leave in for at least five minutes. While the conditioner sat in her hair, she rinsed her hands, took the shower pouf once more and religiously lathered up her body, from the base of her chin all the way to her toes, eventually discarding the pouf and continuing to lather herself with her hands.
Peach stared intently at the reflective glass. A soap-covered, harried-looking young woman stared back at her, copying her every action. And as Koopa's question returned to her, she began to realize something.
She had many loves, her biggest love being her kingdom and the Toads residing within. She had Mario, who always fought for her, no matter what. She had Luigi, a brother-in-law in all but name. And she'd fought for them as hard as they'd fought for her.
She allowed herself to think about the events of the past two years. Luigi being nerfed and the harassment that followed. Mario getting in trouble while searching for answers. The conspiracy slowly being unearthed, a conspiracy which went all the way up to Mr. Sakurai. Luigi's confrontation with that mysterious black swarm. Through it all, Peach had devoted her time to her subjects and to her boys. But she'd also left herself in the dust.
When was the last time she had a manicure or a pedicure? When was the last time she treated herself? When was the last time she set aside a few moments to disconnect?
How could she rule a kingdom if she neglected herself?
Standing there, lathering herself and watching her reflection do likewise, Peach realized that her love life could wait. Her constituents were counting on her to be strong. Her newest companion was counting on her to be strong. As such, she needed to focus more on the woman in the reflective glass. She'd given love to so many, but it was time to give some self-love. This wasn't selfishness or narcissism—just good old self-love and self-care.
There was so much stress and angst inside her that some self-attention sounded attractive right about now.
She reached over, took a bottle of lotion and applied a generous amount to her fingers. When it came to self-love and self-care, she knew just where to start.
1.1.1
The next morning, the nurses walked into Mario's hospital room, checked his vitals and suggested that he remain for a few hours longer. Mario politely thanked them for their suggestions and saw to it that he was discharged within thirty minutes.
"All right, Cappy," said Mario. "What's our next move?"
"We won't be able to pursue that fiend fast enough on foot," said Cappy. "An airship is our best bet. Unfortunately, most of our airships were disabled during the attack."
"Well, that's great," huffed Mario.
He craned his neck and saw what appeared to be four rabbits atop a hat-shaped tower. "What on Earth…?" he uttered.
"Hey! I know them!" exclaimed Cappy. "Tiara confronted them at the university! They work for that monster—they're his wedding planners!"
Mario's jaw worked. "Let's head up there and give them a piece of our minds," he said.
Cappy and Mario started toward the tower, saying hello to other Bonneters as they passed.
"I need to show you something, Mario," Cappy said after a while.
"Okay," said Mario.
"We Bonneters have the ability to possess people and even objects," said Cappy.
As he spoke, a small frog hopped into view.
"Throw me at that frog, and you'll see," said Cappy.
Mario plucked Cappy from his head and let him fly like a Frisbee, watching as his new friend landed snugly atop the frog.
Then, he felt himself leave the ground and dive headlong toward the frog, seeing different stages of the frog's life pass before him—and then everything went white.
When his eyes blinked open, everything seemed—different. The world had somehow grown bigger. There was a peculiar, moist coolness to his skin. He realized that he was perched on all fours, and when he raised his hands to touch his face, he saw that they were now a frog's hands.
Mario opened his mouth to say something, only for a "Ribbit" to come out instead.
Cappy's voice was elated. "You're doing it!" he cried. "You're possessing the frog! With some help, of course."
Mario was relieved to see that at least his mustache was still there, near the frog's upper lip.
"Let's hop on up to that tower!" said Cappy. "I have a feeling that this frog's high jumps will come in handy along the way."
Piloting the frog, Mario and Cappy set off to confront the Broodals. And indeed, the frog's jumping ability was very beneficial to them. There were ledges that would've been impossible to scale if it had just been Mario, and there were enemies that he could now hop across like lily pads. In addition to the regular gold coins, there were also hat-shaped coins out and about, which Cappy identified as the local currency.
At the base of the hat-shaped tower, Cappy booted himself and Mario out of the frog, and they scaled a small ladder to meet the Broodals at the top.
Topper saw them approaching and turned to his siblings. "I'll handle them," he said. "Go, and I'll catch up with you."
Harriet gave a worried frown. "He doesn't look happy," she warned.
"And I wouldn't have it any other way," Topper grinned. "I'll be fine, I promise."
Harriet, Spewart and Rango hugged Topper goodbye before hopping on the airship Koopa had loaned out to them and flying away.
Mario and Cappy reached the top of the tower, primed for action. The former fixed Topper with a steely gaze.
"Morning," he said curtly.
"Mario, right?" asked Topper.
"That's correct," said Mario, "and you must be Topper."
"Our reputations precede us," mused Topper.
"Don't they?" Mario chimed in.
"Now, Mario," said Topper, "I know you feel you must save your beloved from a dreadful fate. But I ask of you—walk away."
Mario looked at Topper like he was crazy—and then he laughed.
"I've never walked away from Peach a single day in my life," he said, "and I never will."
He dropped into a fighting stance, with Topper following suit seconds later.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," he said.
On those words, he engaged the man in red and his new companion.
1.1.1
350 miles southwest of the MK and 125 miles south of the Cap Kingdom was the Sand Kingdom, which sported a middling population. This expansive desert had an average temperature of 104°F (40°C), and its center of commerce was a village known as Tostarena, whose main source of income was tourism and the export of precious stones. The locals, known as Tostarenanas and Moe-Eyes, relied on creatures known as Jaxis for transportation. Restaurants offered the best of the local cuisine, and there were open-air markets along with a shopping mall.
Tostarena was also the home of Knucklotec, the keeper of the Binding Band, a large ring said to bind couples together for eternity. Unfortunately for Knucklotec, the Binding Band was on the Koopa King's shopping list, and he wasn't about to leave Tostarena without it.
"Unfortunately, Mario's back on our trail," Harriet was saying to Koopa over the phone. "Topper's buying us some time, but it might not be much. My other brothers and I will get the Binding Band for you, and I'll stay behind in case Mario shows up."
"I really appreciate that, Harriet," said Koopa. "Thank you."
He hung up and sauntered over to Peach's room, where she and Tiara were enjoying breakfast in bed together.
"Morning, ladies," he said.
"Morning," said Peach.
"Morning," said Tiara.
"We're almost at our next stop," said Koopa. "After you're finished, you can freshen up, and I'll have a nice, desert-worthy outfit waiting for you."
"What do you plan to steal from a desert?" asked Peach.
"Nothing but the best for my blushing bride," purred Koopa. "You'll also be happy to know that you and Tiara will have time to stretch your legs and explore for a bit. Just don't wander too far."
"Yes, Mom," huffed Tiara.
"Trust me, a lot of people out there won't have my merciful nature or sense of fair play," grinned Koopa.
He placed another gift basket on a nearby table. "See you soon," he said before lumbering off.
Once again, Koopa had stapled the receipt to the gift basket. Peach took some time to look over the receipt before taking the basket out of its packaging and surveying its contents. Body washes, lotions, gels, perfumes, some more toys and even a few chocolates. After arranging the basket's contents, Peach selected a body wash, a lotion, a gel and a toy to take with her into the shower. Once in the bathroom, she stripped naked, stepped into the shower, turned on the water and set about washing away the angst, reproach and tension she'd carried with her overnight. Mario had sent her several texts earlier, telling her that he and Cappy were on the move. According to his latest message, the pair were about to face off against Topper. Peach was slightly worried because Mario was still recovering from yesterday's beatdown, but she wasn't about to lose faith in him.
I'll never be that turtle's bride, she vowed as she glided the shower pouf along her body in soft, soapy circles. I'll fight him tooth and nail until Mario arrives.
Why not try to escape yourself? You have a companion this time, just like Mario, a companion who can possess objects and maybe people. It's worth a shot.
Yes. Yes, it is. But first…
Outside, all Tiara needed to do was apply a few sprays of perfume and text Cappy. When she was finished, she listened to the sound of rushing water and of her companion's quiet gasps and soft sighs. Unbeknownst to Peach, Tiara was reaching the same conclusion—that they needed to find a way to use their present situation to their advantage. They could gather information to send to their loved ones, exploit weaknesses—and Tiara could practice using her powers. They were miles from home, so it was unlikely if they could successfully escape, but at least they could hasten their own rescue.
Three minutes later, Peach emerged from the shower, wrapped in a towel, her cheeks flushed, her damp hair hanging down her shoulders.
"I feel a lot better now," she breathed.
Facing away from Tiara, she toweled herself dry and did the same to her hair before tossing the towel aside. Then, she tended to her hair, methodically gliding a comb, and then a brush, through it.
"Listen," said Tiara, studying Peach's bare back. "I was thinking—once we touch down…"
"…we can find out what Koopa's up to," finished Peach.
Tiara laughed. "Great minds think alike," she said.
"Indeed," said Peach.
After styling her hair into a loose, informal ponytail, Peach applied some body lotion to her skin using gentle, circular motions, massaging it from her neck all the way down to her heels and breathing in the pleasant scent. Tiara watched her curiously, wondering, not for the first time, if Fate had brought the two together for a reason. The young Bonneter was aboard a strange ship captained by a strange reptile and headed for a strange place, but Peach seemed to give off a calming aura, allowing Tiara to hold onto her sanity. Just looking at her made everything all right—at least, for a while. She hoped that Cappy and his new friend would reach her soon.
"I'm no slouch when it comes to my powers," said Tiara, "so I can defend you if your 'fiancé' tries anything."
"Hm?" Peach's head popped up, her cheeks flushed even darker. "Oh! I appreciate that, Tiara. And I'll look after you, too. He won't lay a claw on you as long as I'm around."
"You look flustered. Is everything okay?" asked Tiara, though she knew the answer. "You can always vent to me."
"Thank you, Tiara. Until now, I had to wait things out alone. But this time is different from the others. He wants to marry me, and he'll do anything to see it through to the end, even if it means…"
"I know," said Tiara. "I know."
"Mario's spent the past three decades risking his life for me," Peach went on. "Nothing lifted my spirits more than the sight of him in that beast's castle, ready to battle an opponent thrice his size to save me. But all of those battles are brutal—that last one certainly was. I'll never forget Mario crumpled on the airship deck, bleeding, for as long as I live. And there's always the possibility that he won't—well, you know."
"That he'll lose," said Tiara.
"That's a mild way to put it, but yes. There are so many possibilities for everything to go wrong, so many ways that Koopa could win. I've always had faith in Mario, but I've reminded myself not to get too confident. If there aren't perilous obstacles in his way, there are imposing bosses for him to fight. And Koopa himself at the end—he's become increasingly ruthless. For all of Mario's abilities, there's still the small probability that he'll fall to Koopa's vile claws. It's a worry that constantly gnaws at me and threatens to drive me insane. Thinking of my constituents allows me to hold it together, but like I said, I was still by myself, with only him keeping me company."
"Now, you have a partner-in-crime, a confidante," Tiara said affectionately. "You don't have to go through this alone, Peach. No matter what, I'm here for you."
"Ditto." On those words, Peach crossed the room and changed into the outfit Koopa had picked for her earlier: a strapless, red-orange knee-length dress with matching sandals. Just as she put on her wristwatch and applied a few quick sprays of perfume, Koopa's voice crackled over the PA: "Please take your seats and hold on. We're beginning our descent."
"Well, here we go," said Peach as she sat down on her bed. "The start of another adventure."
"Indeed," said Tiara, turning into her hat form and settling herself atop Peach's head, "and it sounds exciting."
1.1.1
Topper lay on the ground, moaning, one eye swollen shut with the other on the way, blood oozing from his nose, mouth and several lacerations on his face and body. Mario stood nearby, gasping for breath, just as battered as Topper but hardly feeling the pain. The image of Peach, in that reptile's grasp, reaching out to him and screaming his name, was seared into his memory. Presently, he glared at the vanquished wedding planner, who glowered back.
"Where is he headed?" Mario asked in a dangerously calm voice.
Topper laughed. "Oh, he just needs to pick up a few things before heading to the venue," he replied. "Some food, some decorations—and let's not forget the bachelor party."
Mario stepped closer to Topper and knelt beside him. "Where. Is. He. Headed?" he asked softly.
But Topper just laughed at him. "Like I'll just tell you," he taunted. "You'll just have to figure that out yourself."
"Oh, I will," vowed Mario. "I'll traverse the entire globe if it means saving Peach."
"Yes, well—good luck with that," snorted Topper.
Mario's fists tightened, and he would've reduced Topper's face to mush if Cappy hadn't spoken up.
"Hey! Behind you!" the Bonneter exclaimed.
Mario took deep, calming breaths as he glanced behind him and noticed a power line.
"That's called a Spark Pylon," Cappy explained. "You can throw me on there and ride the current to our next destination!"
"Where's that?" Mario wondered aloud.
His phone rang, and he quickly answered it.
"Mario, thank God!" Peach's voice breathily cried. "Are you still in the Cap Kingdom?"
"Yes, and I just defeated Topper, one of Koopa's wedding planners."
"So—you're out of the hospital?"
"I've been out of the hospital for a while now," Mario told her. "Where are you and Tiara?"
"We've just landed in a town called Tostarena," Peach explained. "It's in the Sand Kingdom. That turtle wants something from a desert town, and Tiara and I are gonna find out what. He's gonna let us stretch our legs for a while, and we plan to use that to our advantage."
"Be careful," cautioned Mario.
"You be careful," Peach responded.
"Peachy—I'm coming," said Mario, his voice cracking slightly. "Koopa can throw a hurricane at me, but I'm getting you out of there. Just hold on. Hold on."
"I love you," said Peach.
"I love you, too, Peachy. I love you so much."
"See ya."
"See ya."
Just as Mario hung up, Cappy's cell phone chimed.
"It's Tiara," he said, and he floated aside to answer.
Cappy spoke to his sister for a bit, and then he turned to Mario.
"Let's go," he said, transforming back into Mario's cap.
Mario curled back his arm and let Cappy fly onto the Spark Pylon, gasping as he felt himself leave the ground and then glide across the wire, leaving Bonneton in his wake.
1.1.1
300 miles southeast of the MK and 67 miles north of the Cap Kingdom was the Cascade Kingdom, which was mostly unpopulated. It's main landmark was known as Fossil Falls, easily recognizable by the waterfall cascading down the back of a Triceratops skeleton. At this time of year, Fossil Falls was rather warm, with an expected high of 84°F (29°C). Stone disks scattered every which way pointed towards a possible ancient civilization.
This quaint area was where the Spark Pylon deposited Mario, who needed a few moments to gather his bearings. He got to his feet, dusted himself off and took some time to assess his surroundings.
"Wow," he breathed. "This is—beautiful. Where are we?"
"It looks like we're in the tropical locale known as Fossil Falls," Cappy replied. "An old airship should be around here."
"Let's look for it," said Mario.
Mario and Cappy set about exploring the Waterfall Basin, collecting the purple stone disks, regular coins and encountering small, spiky enemies known as Burrbos. Their spikes drew blood and hurt like Hell, but Mario could defeat them using a hat toss or two, Cappy helping out by homing in on their foes. In between collecting coins and defeating Burrbos, Mario made sure to take plenty of pictures and selfies, which he sent to Peach and Luigi.
Luigi—I hope he's doing okay…
He shook himself out of it when he saw some white hat shapes with question marks on them. "What the…?"
"Throw me at one of them," instructed Cappy, and that's what Mario did.
The shapes became stairs, allowing Mario to ascend to higher ground. Waiting for him there was a Chain Chomp, and behind that Chain Chomp was a glowing rock.
"Something tells me I need to break that rock," said Mario, "and the only way I can do that is to possess that Chain Chomp."
"Sounds like a plan," said Cappy.
So, Mario threw Cappy at the Chain Chomp, causing him to possess it, and then he launched himself at the glowing rock, breaking it in one try.
Within that rock was a bright yellow, crescent moon-shaped object.
"A Power Moon!" gasped Cappy. "We use them to power our airships! Have you ever seen anything like a Power Moon in your life?"
"No," replied Mario, holding the Power Moon in both hands. It's glow and warmth was similar to that of an Invincibility Star. "For some reason, it's making me feel—comforted. Which is an odd thing for me in this situation."
A nearby rock formation fell over, opening additional areas for exploration. Mario pocketed the Power Moon and hurried across the makeshift bridge, where he discovered a rusty, hat-shaped structure.
"Cappy," he said. "Is that…?"
"Indeed," replied Cappy. "There she is—exactly what we've been looking for!"
"So, that's what your airships look like," mused Mario.
"Well, it appears she's seen better days," said Cappy, "but it appears she can still fly. Do you see that globe on the airship's starboard side? Throw me onto that."
Mario did as instructed, and the Power Moon emerged from his pocket, floating toward another globe atop the airship and then flying into it. But nothing else happened.
"Looks like we need to collect more of these," said Cappy, "and according to the readings on this globe, at least four more will suffice for now."
"Okeydokey—let's get searching," said Mario.
Their exploration resumed, with the two of them collecting more coins and coming across those familiar "?" blocks and bricks, with more riches in the form of gold coin stacks. They also encountered more groups of Chain Chomps, which they used to break rock formations and reveal more hidden treasures. Among those hidden treasures was a Power Moon!
But the biggest surprise was up a small hill, for there rested none other than a live T. Rex!
"Oh, my God! Look at the size of that guy!" trilled Cappy.
"I thought T. Rexes were extinct," breathed Mario. "Ah, [bleep] it. I've learned to question everything I was taught ever since Luigi and I crawled through that pipe into a wonderful mushroomy fantasyland. Should I…? Oh, what the Hell."
Mario flung Cappy at the T. Rex, allowing him to take control and easily smash through the stone blocks and Chain Chomps obstructing his path.
"Holy [bleep]! I was a dinosaur!" gasped Mario after the mini-rampage. "And not just any old dinosaur—I was a f—ing T. Rex! That was—that was something else!"
He took some time to calm down before continuing on his way, taking more selfies and pictures and even going live at one point. After destroying another rock formation with a Chain Chomp, he walked through a pipe to find himself, along with Cappy, in 8-bit form!
"Whoa! Now, we've gone flat—and rather blocky, at that," said Cappy.
"And it's just like old times," added Mario, noticing the familiar Mushroom Defectors patrolling the area.
He dealt with these enemies in the usual fashion and continued on, collecting coins and another Power Moon. Emerging from the 8-bit area, Mario shimmied up a pole to grab a Life Heart and broke through one last block formation to reach the summit, where a heavyset rabbit with aqua hair and wearing a burgundy dress and hat waited for him.
"That's not one of the Broodals," said Mario.
"No, but her necklace has a Multi-Moon on it," observed Cappy. "Maybe if we explain our situation to her, she'll give it to us."
"Worth a shot," said Mario.
He took a deep breath and approached the rabbit.
"Excuse me, ma'am…" he began.
The rabbit turned. "Call me Madame Broode," she said.
"Okeydokey—Madame Broode," said Mario. "Listen, we could use your help. We're trying to repair this airship, and those moons on your necklace will power it up."
"What? You say you need to fix some silly old airship, and you want me to part with my precious Power Moons?" Madame Broode tossed her head. "Not a chance!"
"Why not?" asked Mario.
"Because—it appears that you'd like to be a tasty afternoon snack for my adorable Chain Chompikins," Madame Broode smugly replied.
A gold Chain Chomp wearing a pink bonnet snapped hungrily at Mario.
Mario frowned. "What's your problem?" he asked.
"It's you who has the problem," Madame Broode shot back, "but don't worry. My Chain Chompikins will take care of it for you." She laughed before siccing her pet Chain Chomp on the little man.
It was a straightforward yet pulse-pounding fight between Mario and Madame Broode. The former had to time things carefully, first using Cappy to knock away the pet Chain Chomp's bonnet and then possessing it, thus using Madame Broode's own pet against her. While the Chain Chomp had their standard chomping attack, they also had a spinning attack which tripped Mario up several times. But with some help from his new pal, Mario taught his adversary a few manners, ultimately leaving her in a dazed heap on the floor.
"Mario! Are you all right?" asked Cappy.
Mario smiled. "I'll live," he replied. "Are you all right?"
"Never better," said Cappy. "But—you're bleeding! That Chain Chomp nailed you good several times!"
"That's part of the adventure," said Mario. "I bruise and I bleed, but I just keep fighting."
He walked over to Madame Broode and carefully unclasped the Multi-Moon from her neck. "I'll take that," he said. "Thank you. Maybe you'll learn how to share for once."
"You were lucky," huffed Madame Broode.
Mario rolled his eyes and allowed the Multi-Moon to transport him and Cappy back to the rusted airship.
"All right, we got a Multi-Moon!" cheered Cappy. "Way to go, Mario! Since the Multi-Moon has the strength of three regular Power Moons, it should be enough to get this ship going. Throw me onto the globe, and let's see what happens."
Mario obliged, watching all of the Power Moons fly into the globe atop the airship. The globe then emitted a rainbow-colored glow, and the man in red averted his eyes at a bright flash of light.
When the light receded, the rust had been cleaned off the airship, which was now bright red with a white stripe in the middle, matching Mario's cap.
"Say hello to the Odyssey!" Cappy sang out. "She'll help us reach Peach and Tiara in no time. It appears we have enough fuel to reach the Sand Kingdom, where we can catch up to the b—d who took them and nip this wedding in a bud!"
"But first," said Mario. "I was thinking—how about we look for more Power Moons here in Fossil Falls? It wouldn't hurt to have some extra fuel."
"You're right," said Cappy. "There's tons more to explore here!"
Cappy was right. He and Mario unearthed more landmarks, with interesting puzzles to solve and more Power Moons to collect. Mario got to possess the T. Rex again and even had the chance to go for a swim in the basin's shallow waters. He also explored more 8-bit areas, which yielded more Power Moons. But most importantly, Mario and Cappy took this opportunity to further bond. By the time they located all of the Power Moons in Fossil Falls, they were more than just two allies with a common goal. They were becoming best friends.
After taking one last selfie atop the Falls, Mario headed for the Odyssey, which he fueled up with the Power Moons he'd uncovered. And with a great shudder, the airship slowly lifted up, up and away into the sky. Excitement stirred within Mario as he stood at the railing, hearing the airship toot her whistle and watching the world below shrink. Cappy transformed himself into a Captain's hat before alighting onto Mario's head, and the little man laughed.
"Here we go!" he cried as the Odyssey took flight above the clouds.
Once the Odyssey reached cruising altitude, Mario walked into the Captain's Cabin to find all sorts of amenities waiting for him. Two comfy chairs, assorted coffees, hot chocolates and teas, a coffee maker, an electric kettle, a small library, a Murphy bed and a variety of sweet and savory snacks. After sending quick texts to Luigi and Peach, Mario set his phone to Airplane mode, brewed himself some hot chocolate and flopped onto one of the chairs, closing his eyes and sinking into the leather.
"So," said Cappy, "how do you like me as a Captain's hat? Pretty classy, huh?"
"You bet," replied Mario.
"Well, seeing that we have some time to kill, let's read up on the Sand Kingdom," said Cappy, leaping from Mario's head and grabbing a brochure. "As the name implies, it's entirely covered in sand, and it can get pretty hot. And get this—it's home to the Binding Band, which is said to bind couples for all eternity! I bet this Koopa character is the kind of creep that would steal a priceless antiquity for his sham wedding!"
"You're on the ball, Cappy," said Mario. "You're right on the ball."
He leaned back and closed his eyes as Cappy settled back onto his head.
"Hey," said Cappy. "We'll get to them on time. I promise."
And Mario wanted to believe that with all his heart.
Please R&R.