"Luigi, Sweetie I'm home, I got takeout for dinner!" Maria called as she walked in the apartment; and set the bag of food on the table next to the door.

There was no answer. She wondered if he could already be asleep, it was only nine thirty; but she had often come home to see Luigi sleeping on the couch, after he'd been helping Mario. She walked down the hall past Luigi's old room, the one he had before Mario moved out, peeking her head in to see if he was in there...he wasn't. She continued down the hall until she came to his bedroom, the one that had belonged to Mario, he wasn't in there either. She checked the whole apartment even her room though she really didn't think he'd be in there. She was about to call Mario's apartment when she heard a creek from the kitchen floor.

"Luigi?" There was no answer other than a louder creek of the floor closer than the previous one.

"Mario?" Another creek.

"Alright you two that's enough." The apartment was silent. Then another creek from the end of the hall. Maria was sure of only one thing she was not alone.

"Ok Luigi this is not funny any more; and unless you want to be grounded you'll cut it out right now!" A loud groan and then the sound of glass shattering sent Maria scurrying towards the front door. She let out a scared cry of Help! When a hand grabbing her wrist prevented her from getting there...

"What do you mean she got away!" Bowser yell echoed throughout Castle Koopa. "You are mighty Koopa Paratroopas' and you where defeated by a mere FUNGUS!?"

"B...B...But s...s...sire."

"I don't want excuses I want results!" A fist slammed down onto the table shaking it. "Not only did you fail to get the princess; but also your bumbling antics are sure to make the papers! Do you have any idea how this makes Koopas look? I told you to bring me Princess Peach and to do it with out being seen!" The little Koopas quaked with fear. "O...Our ap..p..pologies King Bowser w..we will try again."

"No you have failed me for the last time!" Bowser grabbed one of the Koopas by the neck... "Bowser! do you think it wise to kill your own troops when you are already shorthanded?" Bowser looked to the door to see Kemak, his loyal chief Magikoopa and second in command, standing there.

"Do you think it's wise to speak to me in such a tone when I am in such a foul mode?"

"No I do not; but I will do it if it keeps you from making mistakes that you will regret latter."

"I do not make mistakes!" "So you are letting them go then?" Bowser looked at Kemak then dropped the Koopa who let out a sigh of relief.

"I will take care of the mess they have created." Bowser didn't ask how, he knew if Kemak said it would be done..."it would get done!"

"Get out of my sight before I change my mind!" Bowser growled. The Paratroopas were only too happy to oblige.

"This just proves the saying 'if you want something done right... you gotta do it your self.'" "Kemak make the necessary arrangements, I will be stepping out this evening." Kemak bowed and left the King. ~Morton, I hope you know what you're doing~

Mario sat on the edge of the bed, in one of the many guestrooms, that was in Peach's castle. She was more than happy to supply rooms to the heroes who'd saved her. He stared out the window at the uncountable amount of stars in the dark blue sky.

A sight that one rarely ever sees when they've spent their entire life in the city. His thoughts of the day's events running through his mind, of the ride in the drainpipe, and the fight with the Koopas ,even though he didn't really fight, and dinner with Princess Peach not more than a half an hour ago. He smiled slightly at the thought of the princess she was a beauty like he'd never seen. Long golden blond hair, the most perfectly gorgeous blue eyes he had ever seen, her cream colored skin was soft like a babies, and she had the cutest little pink lips. Yes Mario was quite taken with Peach.

He continued looking out the window, when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in"

"Mario, I didn't wake you did I?" "Princess...no, no I wasn't sleeping, just thinking."

"I came wish you a good night." "Oh...uh thank you, and good night." Peach turned to leave. "Princess..." "Yes?" "I hope you don't think me rude; but why did those Koopas attack you this afternoon?"

"Didn't ya know Mario, monsters always attack princesses in the movies?" Luigi walked in and flopped down on the bed.

"Don't you knock?" Mario asked. "What for, it's not your room anyway?" Peach giggled.

"It doesn't matter, you're always doing stuff like this..." Mario said

"You two must be very close." Mario and Luigi looked at Peach

"ugh, too close if you ask me." "You'd miss me if I were gone." Luigi replied

"I would?" "Yes, you would."

"Why?" "Because I said so." And with that being said, Luigi folded his arms and grinned triumphantly

Mario shook his head and smiled. "If you say so."

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted..." Mario cut a glance to Luigi. "What did those Koopas want with you?"

"To be honest I don't really know. The Mushroom and Koopa Kingdoms have never been on very friendly terms; but this is the first time anything like this has ever happened. Bowser's ambassador said that the Koopas that attacked me where not acting on behalf of the Koopa Kingdom; but I'm not sure if I believe it."

"Koopa Kingdom, they have their own kingdom?" Mario asked

"Yes, it's ruled by King Bowser Koopa he was recently crowned king following the death of his father. Though the roomer is that he had his father killed."

"Whoa, he killed his own papa?" Luigi muttered but Peach heard him.

"As I said, merely a roomer." "I can't believe there's a whole kingdom full of those awful things." said Mario

"Not all Koopas are bad we have a lot of hard working good-natured Koopa citizens here in the Mushroom kingdom. A few of them even work here in the castle." Mario and Luigi looked a bit surprised.

"And they are very loyal to the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Um Princess I have a question too but it's my last one promise." Luigi said, with a serious look on his face.

"Do you think that we'll find a...what are those things called again...a warp pipe that goes back to New York?"

Peach looked sadly at the boy "I'm not sure; but if there's not you are welcome to live here in the Mushroom Kingdom." Luigi's head dropped "Thank you." Was all he could say. She felt bad that she couldn't give him the answer he wanted; but the situation was out of her hands. Whether or not they made it home was up to the star spirits now.

"Good night Mario, Luigi, have pleasant dreams." Peach left the room closing the door behind her.

"Weege if there's a way home we'll find it!" Mario said very decidedly. Luigi smiled sometimes he believed that Mario could grab the stars if he really wanted to.

"Yeah, you're right Mario, where theirs a will there's a way right?"

"Right! Now off to bed."

Luigi grinned "Yes mama." he said sarcastically and left to his room, right across the hall from his brothers. Mario laid down on the soft bed, still staring out the window.

~ Weege we will find our way home. This I promise~ Mario drifted off to sleep.

Luigi awoke with a start to the sounds of screaming, in the hallway outside, his room. He quickly ran to the door and looked out to see what all the commotion was about. He saw mushroom servants running through the halls in quite a panic. his brother had been awakened by all the noise too. His head popped out of his room to see what was the matter also.

"Hey what's going on here?" Mario asked Luigi

"Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe Mushroomers always run through the hallways yelling at three in the morning."

"You idiot!" "What do you want from me I'm sleep deprived?" Mario grabbed one of the servants that was running through the hall like a chicken with its head cut off.

"What's going on?" He asked. "The princess she's not in her chambers...we can't find her anywhere!"

"What?!" "I went in to check on her and, and...she wasn't..." The little mushroom began to cry. "What kind of retainer am I, I can't even keep track of the princess?" He sobbed.

"Don't cry, we'll help you find her...uh...Mr...." "Toad, my name is Toad. And you'll help me find Princess Peach?"

"She was so kind to me and my brother how could we not help?"

"Oh Thank you, we need all the help we can get!"

"Is that a fact?" Luigi said sleepily "Weege! cut it out! Go get your shoes on and we'll start looking for the princess."

"Yeah, ok" ~Why couldn't she disappear at a decent hour?~

To be continued...

Next chapter: Separation Anxiety. Everyone and their brother get separated! The bros. get their first power-ups. We find out what happened to Peach

(as if you didn't already know.)And Maria, Who wasn't even supposed to be in this story beyond the prolog, makes yet another appearance...as for her condition when we see her again...eh...never mind.

I hope to have the chapter up by next week. I'm trying to do a chapter a week, because I hate it when people go for eight months without updating! And I finally got a title! I don't really like it but it's better than "Bros." So as always let me know what you thought. constructive criticism is always welcome.

Thank you and good night-Jes ^.^