two


"Ah, that was very wonderful," said Princess Peach. "In fact, that breakfast was superb!" Peach got up from the table to go get ready for a tennis tournament that week. She was going to play doubles on Tropicle Island, an island half way around the world, and the trip was going to take only three hours because of her new Turbo Jet, given to her by Daisy.

After a few minutes, she was already to go, but she got an email just before she was going to leave for the private runway:


Dear Princess Peach,

I am sorry to inform you but Princess Daisy – oh the poor dear – well, Princess Daisy has come over with chicken-pox, the flu, and that anthrax thing going around. I'm sorry, but she won't be "in a fit enough condition" to go with you to the Annual Tropicle Island Tennis Tournament. She is really down by that fact she can't go. I guess you will have to find another partner, Princess. Sorry to do this to you on such short notice.

Sincerely,

Bootler, Princess Daisy's private butler

"Oh dear. This is bad." Princess Peach looks at her 24 karat gold watch. "And I have to be at the runway in half an hour. Oh this is–"

Suddenly, Bowser burst through the large wooden doors at the front of the enormous castle. Panting heavily for about twenty seconds, he finally managed to say, "Wow, pant, pant, Peach's Castle. Pant, pant. This is the first time in who knows how long that I got into this castle without being taken away by Mushroom Guards, or being repeatedly defeated by that annoying Mario. Pant, pant, pant." Bowser looked around and saw a wooden chair sitting in the corner. He staggered his way over to it and sat down for a rest. When Princess Peach came down the stairway, she smiled and cried with relief and joy that Bowser was there.

"Bowser, oh Bowser. How I need you now. . ."

Bowser looked up at her startled, and thought that she was madly in love with him. "Uh. . . Please, not now."

"Oh, I don't need you like that now." A look of relief came over Bowser's face that the Princess was not looking for a blossom of passionate love. "I need you to help me."

"How? Why do you need my help?"

"You can play tennis, right? Oh, yes. You won that Bowser Tennis 64 competition didn't you."

"Uh, oh yeah. Of course I did."

"I need you to play tennis for me."

"Uh. . ." Bowser was about to tell her of how terrible at tennis he was until he remembered what he just said. "Okay. But when?"

"Now. I have a private jet waiting now. We're going to an island in the Bohamas called Tropicle Island, and we're going to play in a tournament there."

"Now?" A nervous feeling engulfed his stomach and unsettled it, just like butterflies.

Peach suddenly grabbed Bowser by the arm, and despite his size, swept him clear off his feet and through the door. At the limousine, both Luigi and Toad were waiting. Luigi, who Toad had told everything that was going on, was there to say his farewells to Peach and Bowser, and Toad who held a small duffle bag, containing two tennis rackets and a couple of tennis balls, which she was giving to Princess Peach. In the went, the door was slammed shut, and off they went to the private runway to go to the Bohamas.


- - - - -


"Heh heh heh. You should-a read this Garfield© comic, Koopa." Mario was sitting in his lounge chair on his balcony, reading the Paratroopa Press, the most popular newspaper in all the Koopa Kingdom. He tossed the newspaper to the ground and picked up his drink for a few sips. He looked down at the newspaper to see on the main page in big, black lettering:

TROPICLE TENNIS TOURNAMENT

Mario read a few lines into the article:

The Tropicle Tennis Tournament, the biggest Tennis Tournament, only second to the Annual Mario Tennis 64 Tournament. Held on Tropicle Island, this tournament attracts tennis champs, veterans, and rookies from all over the known world. Of these players, includes a Royal all the way from the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach.

"Gaaahh!!!" Mario jumped up in a vengeful rage. He ran into the bedroom and called one of his guards. "Paratroopa! We are leaving at once for the Tropicle Tennis Tournament as doubles. But we are not there to beat Bowser and Peach, but to defeat Bowser and Peach! Muuahh-haa-haa-haa!!!"