Chapter 2: Dismay
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It was morning, the sun already having been peeking out for a while. Mario had just awoken, still lying in bed. Luigi, being an early riser, was already up, fixing breakfast. He heard a knock on the door.
"Oh pretty please, let me get it!" Luigi muttered sarcastically. He opened the door and immediately recognized the figure.
"Toad!"
"Hurry!" he panted, obviously out of breath, "Get Mario! The Princess is missing!
Mario yawned, just getting up. "What?!" he exclaimed upon hearing these words.
"How did this happen?!" Luigi asked apprehensively.
"Hurry, you guys must follow me to the castle!" Toad cried.
They immediately went to Peach's Castle, where all the people were in an uproar. Everyone was searching the palace—for the princess, for clues, for *anything*. Luigi spotted Princess Daisy standing in the hallway, distraught.
"Daisy!" He came up to her. "Daisy, are you all right?"
"Look at me…" she sniffled, "I'm crying! I never cry, never ever… What's wrong with me…?"
"Daisy…"
She shook her head. "Oh, Luigi…" she cried, "How could such an awful thing happen…? Poor, poor Peach… She's already gone through so much…" Daisy placed a tissue to her tear-filled eyes.
"I know, I know," he attempted to comfort her, "Don't worry, we'll get her back…"
Daisy looked at him, her eyes full of hope. Then she burst into tears, crying hysterically. Luigi put his arms around her, stroking her soft auburn hair as she wept on his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Mario headed off toward Peach's room and hesitantly opened the door with a creak. He looked around, when he spotted a white envelope with his name written elegantly on it lying on Peach's dresser. Slowly he clutched the letter and closed his eyes.
"Oh, Peach…" he whispered, "Don't worry, I'll rescue you. Everything will go back…just the way it was before this mess… I swear, if Bowser's…" Anger boiled up inside him. "He'll pay, by the Stars he will…!"
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Whimpering, the Princess slowly got up and wrapped the bed sheets around her. Walking over to the balcony, she sat down in a chair. She looked out at the daytime sky, the view much different than from her castle, and wept.
"Oh…why did this have to happen to me…?" she lamented, "I wish someone could help me…" She glanced up desperately. "…Oh please…"
A light flickered in the sky. She had seen it. *Could it really be?* she wondered. The light came closer. *Yes! It is!!* Peach recognized it immediately as it flew to her.
"I came as fast as I could…" the little Star Kid panted.
"Twink! What are you doing here?!" she gasped.
"I heard your wish, so I came to help you," Twink replied energetically, "I'll do what ever I can."
"Oh, thank the Stars!" she exclaimed, her heart full of joy, "I missed you so much." Twink then realized where the princess was at.
"Princess, why are you here?" he asked slowly, "Did Bowser kidnap you again?"
"I'm afraid so…" she quavered, "He never stops. I've lost track of how many times now…"
Suddenly there was a pounding on the door.
"Oh no!" she gasped, "Hurry! You must go!"
Reluctantly, Twink looked back at her then flew off out the window. The banging continued.
"What is it?!" Peach shouted after the coast was clear.
The door opened as Wendy O. Koopa entered the room.
"Here's your clothes, Toadstool." She plopped one of Peach's traditional dresses carelessly on a chair. "I see Bowser's made sure you're at home," she commented. Wendy glanced at her torn outfit. "Nice nightgown. I'm guessing the handiwork of him, too?" she smirked.
Peach, ignoring this comment, picked up the dress.
"…Thank you," she replied, trying to sound pleasant, "…You don't sound like you like your father."
Wendy turned away and shrugged. "Puuhh…" Inaudibly she mumbled something under her breath. "Who would?"
Wendy left and closed the door. Peach changed into her dress and sighed heavily. *Mario…please find me…*
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The Koopa king stood in front of his massive army. Troops chattered until the booming voice of Bowser echoed throughout their ears.
"All right, Troops, it is now time. For years, we have been dominated by the Mushroom Kingdom. It is now time to end this.
"Each of my commanders will lead you to a city or village in the Mushroom Kingdom. You will construct a full-scale assault—capture all inhabitants, and kill those who resist.
"Your commanders have the plans they are to follow. Force the cities into an alliance with the Koopa Kingdom. If they do not comply, then you will destroy everything—nothing is to be left, is that clear?! Now go!"
The immense militia marched away, setting off to its destination.
------------------------
It was morning, the sun already having been peeking out for a while. Mario had just awoken, still lying in bed. Luigi, being an early riser, was already up, fixing breakfast. He heard a knock on the door.
"Oh pretty please, let me get it!" Luigi muttered sarcastically. He opened the door and immediately recognized the figure.
"Toad!"
"Hurry!" he panted, obviously out of breath, "Get Mario! The Princess is missing!
Mario yawned, just getting up. "What?!" he exclaimed upon hearing these words.
"How did this happen?!" Luigi asked apprehensively.
"Hurry, you guys must follow me to the castle!" Toad cried.
They immediately went to Peach's Castle, where all the people were in an uproar. Everyone was searching the palace—for the princess, for clues, for *anything*. Luigi spotted Princess Daisy standing in the hallway, distraught.
"Daisy!" He came up to her. "Daisy, are you all right?"
"Look at me…" she sniffled, "I'm crying! I never cry, never ever… What's wrong with me…?"
"Daisy…"
She shook her head. "Oh, Luigi…" she cried, "How could such an awful thing happen…? Poor, poor Peach… She's already gone through so much…" Daisy placed a tissue to her tear-filled eyes.
"I know, I know," he attempted to comfort her, "Don't worry, we'll get her back…"
Daisy looked at him, her eyes full of hope. Then she burst into tears, crying hysterically. Luigi put his arms around her, stroking her soft auburn hair as she wept on his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Mario headed off toward Peach's room and hesitantly opened the door with a creak. He looked around, when he spotted a white envelope with his name written elegantly on it lying on Peach's dresser. Slowly he clutched the letter and closed his eyes.
"Oh, Peach…" he whispered, "Don't worry, I'll rescue you. Everything will go back…just the way it was before this mess… I swear, if Bowser's…" Anger boiled up inside him. "He'll pay, by the Stars he will…!"
------------------------
Whimpering, the Princess slowly got up and wrapped the bed sheets around her. Walking over to the balcony, she sat down in a chair. She looked out at the daytime sky, the view much different than from her castle, and wept.
"Oh…why did this have to happen to me…?" she lamented, "I wish someone could help me…" She glanced up desperately. "…Oh please…"
A light flickered in the sky. She had seen it. *Could it really be?* she wondered. The light came closer. *Yes! It is!!* Peach recognized it immediately as it flew to her.
"I came as fast as I could…" the little Star Kid panted.
"Twink! What are you doing here?!" she gasped.
"I heard your wish, so I came to help you," Twink replied energetically, "I'll do what ever I can."
"Oh, thank the Stars!" she exclaimed, her heart full of joy, "I missed you so much." Twink then realized where the princess was at.
"Princess, why are you here?" he asked slowly, "Did Bowser kidnap you again?"
"I'm afraid so…" she quavered, "He never stops. I've lost track of how many times now…"
Suddenly there was a pounding on the door.
"Oh no!" she gasped, "Hurry! You must go!"
Reluctantly, Twink looked back at her then flew off out the window. The banging continued.
"What is it?!" Peach shouted after the coast was clear.
The door opened as Wendy O. Koopa entered the room.
"Here's your clothes, Toadstool." She plopped one of Peach's traditional dresses carelessly on a chair. "I see Bowser's made sure you're at home," she commented. Wendy glanced at her torn outfit. "Nice nightgown. I'm guessing the handiwork of him, too?" she smirked.
Peach, ignoring this comment, picked up the dress.
"…Thank you," she replied, trying to sound pleasant, "…You don't sound like you like your father."
Wendy turned away and shrugged. "Puuhh…" Inaudibly she mumbled something under her breath. "Who would?"
Wendy left and closed the door. Peach changed into her dress and sighed heavily. *Mario…please find me…*
------------------------
The Koopa king stood in front of his massive army. Troops chattered until the booming voice of Bowser echoed throughout their ears.
"All right, Troops, it is now time. For years, we have been dominated by the Mushroom Kingdom. It is now time to end this.
"Each of my commanders will lead you to a city or village in the Mushroom Kingdom. You will construct a full-scale assault—capture all inhabitants, and kill those who resist.
"Your commanders have the plans they are to follow. Force the cities into an alliance with the Koopa Kingdom. If they do not comply, then you will destroy everything—nothing is to be left, is that clear?! Now go!"
The immense militia marched away, setting off to its destination.