"Mario...get up!" Luigi shook Mario gently. "Mario, for the love of god, get up!" Luigi shook Mario a little harder this time but he still didn't move.

Luigi put his head on his brother's chest and prayed for a heartbeat; but he couldn't hear anything over the pounding in his own head.

Luigi was kicking himself for not paying attention to the teacher when he taught CPR in PE instead of Cindy Markinson. Why did she have to be so pretty...and easy, so dreadfully, dreadfully easy?

He decided that he would have to at least try. He mentally went through the steps required, those that he could remember anyway.

~Ok remember its not kissing its something, something respiration~ Luigi looked down at his brother's motionless body

"Ooh I don't care what they say it is too kissing! Why else is it called the kiss of life? But...I gotta do it or get used to the idea of being an only child."

Luigi clumsily but correctly preformed CPR. Unfortunately Mario did not respond and poor Luigi was running short on ideas...and hope.

He got to his feet and started to back away when he tripped over something; and his feet came from beneath him. He landed hard on his bottom.

He looked to see what he had fallen over. It was the beach ball though it didn't really look like a ball anymore. It looked like a giant mushroom only it had a face painted on. Still stuck to the plunger the mushroom stared happily, blankly into nothingness its cheerful expression only angered Luigi. He grabbed the handle of the plunger and threw it away from him. It bounced over near Mario finally stopping when it gently rolled into his leg.

Luigi turned his back to Mario no longer being able to stand the sight of his unmoving brother.

"Luigi?"

"M...Mario?" Luigi turned around slowly "YOU'RE ALIVE!" Luigi got up and tackled Mario, who was sitting up, and hugged him tight. Their sopping wet clothes making squishy noises as he did so. ~But...how? ~

"Weege...you're choking...me..." Mario gasped, Luigi let go looking a little sheepish.

"Uh...heh, heh, sorry." "It's ok" Mario responded as he shakily got to his feet. "Are you ok?" Luigi asked; but Mario didn't answer he was caught up in his surroundings

Mario looked over the landscape. A beautiful grassy field that stretched in to eternity in all directions. The leaves on the many large trees, witch Mario didn't recognize, were perfectly formed stars that almost seemed to twinkle in the bright rays of the golden sun. And he was nearly stunned silly when he saw the castle in the distance surrounded by a mote with the bluest water he'd ever seen.

"Where are we?" Mario said in awe. Not that anyone could blame him. Only one without any sensibilities at all would've not been taken with the beauty that was all around.

"Who cares I'm ready to go home my boxers are wet and they're ridding up on me." Luigi said while tugging on the back of his overalls. Mario just looked at him and wondered if mama had dropped Luigi on his head as a child. No, his grades in school were too good for that to be true.

"Look around, does it look like we're anywhere near where either you or I live?"

Luigi looked around and realized that he was in a place he'd never been before.

"Hey where are we?" Luigi thought out loud. Mario slapped his forehead in exasperation a feeling he knew all too well growing up with Luigi.

"I don't know little brother but I don't think we're in New York anymore."

"What makes you say that, Mario?"

"How many places in New York do you see 16th century castles complete with mote?" Mario replied pointing to the castle in the distance.

"But if we're not in New York then where are we?" Luigi asked like Mario would know this time.

"I don't know but I'm goanna find out." Mario started walking towards the castle

"Hey, wait up I gotta get my plunger and my hat!"

Luigi quickly scooped his hat up off the ground by the pipe that had brought him there.

He went to grab his plunger that still lay where he'd tossed it earlier. He scratched his head when he realized the mushroom that had been stuck to it was gone could it have fallen off when he threw it He wondered? However he didn't have time to complete his thoughts as a loud scream rang in his ears. He spun around. In the distance about fifteen yards away a young woman was being attacked by two turtle like creatures...with wings?

Now living in New York, or as Mario sometimes called it Crime Capital USA, Luigi had seen a lot of bad stuff happen and he felt it was a good rule of thumb not to get involved. But for some reason he felt compelled to help this girl he didn't know why he just couldn't stand the thought of her being harmed. His brain said No! But everything else said YES!

"(Sigh) well its' been a good life...not particularly long, but good." He shot past his brother who grabbed his arm.

"Don't even think about it!"

"Mario, what are you doing let go, She needs help!" He tried vainly to pull away from Mario's grip.

"What is it with you today...you got some kind of death wish?"

"Well what do you suggest we let those things eat her?" Luigi was surprised to hear Mario's response.

"No; but we can't just go rushing into this without some kind of a game plan!" Luigi gave him an annoyed look but knew Mario was right.

Luigi snapped his fingers "I got it!" He said, something to Mario and the two ran off in different directions. Luigi ran towards the turtles yelling at the top of his lungs and waving his arms about like some kind of nutcase; but they paid no attention to him.

"Of all the nerve...what I'm I not good enough to eat?! I'll make them chase me..."

Luigi stopped running and searched the ground until he found a small stone.

"If this doesn't work nothing will" Luigi heaved the rock as hard as he could and it hit one of the turtle's shells it ricochets and hit the other one in the head.

"So have I got your attention now?" The turtles looked at each other then at Luigi; and you better believe they chased him.

"(Gulp) What have I gotten myself into?" "RUN!" Luigi yelled to the girl, who hid behind a tree

Luigi zigzagged through the trees occasionally looking behind him to se if the winged creatures were still there...they were.

"Come on you lazy turtles you're goanna have to move faster than that if you want to catch speedy Luigi!"

"We're not turtles; we're koopas!" One of the turtles yelled. Luigi was a little freaked out by this.

"Oh...ok they can talk...I'm being chased by flying talking turtles!"

"Come on you stupa koopas flap those wings!" If anyone could get on someone's last nerve it would definitely be Luigi. Koopas are no exception.

Luigi turned around making faces at the now totally pissed off koopas.

He continued running but he was to busy looking behind him to notice the tree in front of him.

"Ok everything's going according to plan all I have to do is lead them to the..."

Luigi finally looked ahead of him "TREE!" He ran face first into the tree the force shaking a few stray leave and acorns loose.

"......Ow......" Luigi turned his back to the tree trunk and looked on with fear...the koopas had caught up to him. They hovered in place just a few feet from Luigi their beating wings creating a gentle almost peaceful humming sound.

"Now big mouth you got anything else to say?" One of the koopas sneered. Luigi just stood there his blue eyes wide with fear.

"I thought not!" Cackled the other. "You're about to become a very messy stain on this tree, big mouth!" The koopas prepared to ram Luigi.

The two koopas flew at Luigi. He shut his eyes and awaited the inevitable. Luigi let out a, small-terrified, whimper. Just then Mario jumped out of the tree landing on the two koopas in flight knocking them to the ground unconscious.

"I'll tell ya Weege being in that tree didn't do much for my acrophobia.(Fear of heights) Are you ok?" Mario asked Luigi nodded. "You cut it pretty close there bro... another second or two and...I don't want to think about it."

"What happened to the girl?"

"Not sure...Hey miss you can come out now! It's safe" A head poked out from behind a tree a long way off.

"Really those koopas won't bug you any more!" A girl started running towards them holding her pink silk dress as not to let it touch the ground. Her long curly locks bouncing up and down as she made her way towards the brothers. When she finally did get to where the two were standing she threw her arms around Mario's neck nearly knocking him off balance.

"Oh thank you, thank you I was so frightened! But you saved me that was fantastic the way you came flying out of that tree onto those koopas" Both Mario and Luigi were a little surprised by her displays of affection. "And you..." she turned to Luigi "You led them away from me...thank you. Thank you both." Mario and Luigi looked at each other not knowing what to say "Uhh...You're welcome?" Mario answered "Oh my, where are my manners...I haven't properly introduced myself. I am Princess Peach Toadstool ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom I am very pleased to meet you." She said cheerfully.

"Princess!?" The Mario's said in unison.

"Mushroom Kingdom? I've never heard of it." Mario said Peach gave him a questioning look. How could he have not heard of the Mushroom kingdom? It was the largest county in the world.

"Mushroom Kingdom...isn't that in Jersey?" Said Luigi

"Jersey?" Peach answered

"Never mind."

"You two aren't from around here are you?" The Princess asked. The two shook their heads.

"Come with me." She started to walk away

"Where to?" Mario asked as he followed her seeing as he had no reason not to.

"Castle Toadstool."

To be continued...

Crap! This chapter was long. Sorry I didn't have it ready when I said I would. Guess I'm a day late and a dollar short huh? Still working on that title.

Next chapter: Maria makes another appearance, Mario and Luigi make a new friend in Peach. And Bowser finally makes it into the story. Don't forget to review and tell me what you thought.- Jes (:o)