Luckily, they weren't wearing their full dresses. The skirts and sneakers
were fit for travel, but maintained the trademark pink and yellow. Peach
thought deeply as she climbed over the guardrail and descended the
miniature valley of soft grass and soil. Going back up, into a thin layer
of trees, Daisy hummed her favorite Bob Dylan song to keep herself from
exploding. After leaving the city, traversing the highways, and making it
to the other side of the forest, the princesses had covered about a full
mile. They didn't want to follow the men who had abandoned them, and they
couldn't turn back to Flarch. Their only option was to keep on through the
unknown fields. The grass turned to dirt trails. The dirt turned to hard
rock. There was no beautiful sunset to denote the end of the day. The
polluted sky turned from light dull blue to dark dull blue. The cold of
the breeze and the unfocussedness of objects crept upon the girls as night
came. Their medium skirts and slightly revealing shirts were letting their
guard down against the irritation that came even with summer nights.
Finally, as the sky settled to a clear and starry black, something broke
their trip.
A castle. It was a strong and rectangular castle. The moon had come out, and its light was so strong that it cast a backlight on the edifice. Only the two torches at the front door could be seen. Behind the castle was a high precipice over a roaring ocean. The ground in the front yard was hard as a parking lot. Obviously, the princesses were reluctant when they intruded. They stood with rubber knees on the front porch. Daisy lifted the knocker and banged it lightly against the door a few times. It echoed loudly. Promptly, the rubber in their knees turned to jelly. There was a fat-looking W hanging over the double doors. Also, on each side of the door, there was a gold statue depicting a familiar man striking pretentious poses.
"Wario's..." Peach went lightheaded. "If he finds out we were here, he'll get us for sure!" Daisy's vision darted in different directions, looking for a bush to hide in. Wario was long gone, but they were still afraid of his dwelling. Something clicked in Daisy's head and she let a smile erupt.
"Hey Peeeach. Wario doesn't live here anymore." Diasy said in a singsong voice.
"But..." Peach said with glassy eyes and her hands at her cheeks. Daisy covered Peach's mouth with one finger.
"He lost it to a bookie. Remember?" Peach's face grew to match Daisy's. She shrieked with joy and jumped up and down. Then, she thought.
"So, I wonder who-" she turned her head to the door as it creaked open. They saw a girl they hadn't met in quite a while.
The new owner of Wario's castle was a lot like Yoshi, while at the same time quite different from him. As said before, Yoshi was an activist, and this girl was an entrepreneur. Her hands and feet had white reptilian claws, and her pink skin was fine and smooth. She had a large circle of white in the area of her belly and chest. A large red bow decorated the top of her head. Her eyelids were shadowed with purple, and her lashes batted when she blinked. She had a large diamond ring on her finger and a round funnel-like mouth. Like Yoshi, she was born about twenty years before the Marios, but still was the equivalent to a teenager due to the great longevity of the two species. Like the Yoshis her species had many different types. Plain pink, burning red and green, ice blue. But, she was just a plain pink female. She served the foreign dictator Wart as the matriarchal leader of her kind. She also helped Bowser, King of the Koopa. She was experienced in foreign relations and fighting. But for now, she had become very independent. She sparked a relationship with Yoshi and took time to work on her golfing and racing skills. Despite her prominence, she never lost the little girl look of innocence and young charm. It was by coincidence that she won Wario's castle in a high-rolling bet. Peach and Daisy were shocked.
"What's going on, cuties?" She greeted the girls with delight.
"BIRDO?!" Daisy and Peach nearly fell over.
The princesses waited in the living room while Birdo was in the kitchen fetching three cosmopolitans. The couches they sat on were pink and yellow. The thick flaming torches on the walls were now calm candles and chandeliers. The center Wario statue was now a coffee table with a vase of roses on it. Every inch of the evil castle was changed. The walls were still black and gold, but the wood finished banisters and new lighting and smell was clearly feminine. Peach and Daisy didn't even need to say it. They smiled at each other quietly thinking about what Wario and Walugi would say if they saw their home like this. Birdo came out and set the drinks on the table. Daisy picked hers up and sniffed it. Birdo chuckled.
"Daisy, don't be afraid. I don't answer to those criminals anymore. I wouldn't hurt you."
"So... what happened? What have you been doing?" Peach had a hard time catching up with all of this. She still couldn't forget the time Birdo almost broke her nose with a high-speed compact egg, right before she threw Birdo off a cliff. What she said in response made Peach think her mind was being read.
"Well... the first thing I did was clear my head. I couldn't go on with the things I had done and tried to do. I made my peace with the Marios, the people of Mushroom Kingdom, Sarassaland, and the world leaders." It made sense to Peach now. Birdo had written her a letter of formal apology about a year after what had happened, but she didn't take it very seriously. She thought Birdo was only trying to get into the good graces of anyone with clout. Now, she realized Birdo was sincere in what she said. Peach just sat and listened further. "I took a trip to Yo'Ster Isle. Part of it was because I served as an ambassador for Mushroom for a short time. I was also there for vacation. That's where I met Yoshi. He made me the woman I am today." Peach and Daisy were dazzled by Birdo's story. They were proud of her, yet they also envied her benevolence, discipline, and success. "And... as I think you already now, this is Wario's castle. I won it when I bet on the fate of Dinosaur Land. Of course, it took years to find it since the address Wario submitted was fake, and he left only a photograph of his home. The only thing left to change is the outside. I can't stand looking at those stupid statues. But, I won't bore you with my life story any further. Please, tell me if there's anything I can do to help you."
"Okay. We aren't really sure," Daisy explained, "if there's anything you can do to help us at the moment, but we'll explain to you what's been going on since yesterday. See, these black flowers popped up in the main castle town of Mushroom Kingdom, Toadtown, and everyone had to be evacuated. We got put in a hotel in Flarch, and we heard from an investigation team that Mouser's men were growing the flowers at Goomba's Greedy Gala. We decided Peach, Toad, and I were going to need to figure out a way to stop it." Peach finished the story with the new details.
"We talked to Waluigi last night around midnight, and he said the casino operation was already shut down. Mario grabbed evidence from the casino and escaped. They called the police, and by the time they got there, all the workers and flowers were gone. As if they were never even there. The casino righted itself, and no one got in trouble. But, we got a tip-off from a Troopa that was fired that night. The flowers were being grown on Blooper Island and prepared at the casino. So, we got the four Marios to come with us." Birdo looked confused and worried. Daisy removed the burden and explained what happened after all that.
"The seven of us flew to Blooper where we were directed to talk to Boshi. We went to Yo'Ster and found Yoshi and Boshi. Boshi showed us where the place was, but beforehand he made Toad smoke a deadly amount of strong pot. When we finally got there, the Mario's entered, and we were kidnapped at gunpoint. Boshi had sold us out to them. We still don't know where Mario, Luigi, Toad or Yoshi are, but we were held prisoner in Wario and Waluigi's apartment with the two of them. We escaped by blowing the place up, and then they abandoned us. Then, we crossed a long forest and came here. We had to come this way, or else snipers would have gotten us." A rush swept over Peach and Daisy. They didn't know it, but they had been through a lot in the past 36 hours. Birdo closed her eyes, sipped some of her drink, and then stared at the floor.
"After all that... you're still looking beautiful." She squeaked. "But, I think I might be able to help you and send you on your way safely. I received an email one month ago from an old colleague. The boss of his gang, Shy Guy, told me that opportunity was knocking. He said that the old pros were getting back together to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom. He said once people realized that the only way to avoid the illness was to succumb, the Koopa Troop would be able to start an everlasting empire. I told him to stuff it. He was a recluse, but one smart enough to know he shouldn't have to do with Bowser. His biggest mistake was telling me that a special and deadly chemical was being extracted from a large root at the center of the Shy Temple. The same chemical used to infect the normal flowers, turning them black." She said calmly and snidely. Daisy had never really been kidnapped by Bowser's men, let alone in person. She hadn't been as close to such danger as Peach, but she did know one thing. Hearing his name in the same conversation as her own was the worst thing to happen to her all day.
"Wait, stop!" Peach demanded.
"Explain Bowser." Daisy said. They were thrilled to learn how to stop the flowers, but they couldn't continue the conversation without learning where Bowser was, what he was planning, and how to get as far from him as possible.
"Sure, ask away." She remained with her cool. "When Shy Guy says the old pros, he means himself, Goomba, King Boo, and Koopa Troopa. They were the top generals for King Bowser back in the nineties and were known collectively as "Bowser's Baddies." They were ruthless and ingenious." Peach and Daisy gulped. There was a man who worked for Bowser, who was emailing a woman, who was in the same room as Peach and Daisy. They could smell death. Birdo, however, could not. "He said he was based in the Shy Temple on Shyster Island. If you plan to stop this flower epidemic, I suggest you attack it at its source. I'll provide you a safe transport back to Mushroom, but you must promise not to tell anyone that you even spoke with me. I'll call my driver, and he'll take you through Flarch, across the Mushroom Kingdom, and straight to Toadtown. He's a good man. And thorough." Peach and Daisy were overwhelmed by how hospitably Birdo was treating her old enemies.
"Really, Birdo, you don't need to..." Peach tried to show her manners, though she was completely wrong in what she was saying.
"Please, Peach," she repeated. "He's a good man. And thorough." The princesses let their smiles unfold. They were unsure of what to say.
On the car ride home, they sat tensely and quietly in the black Cadillac. Though they trusted Birdo, the alert driver in the front seat and the tinted windows were hardly enough to calm the royal targets. Peach spotted black vans, Troopas in SWAT-like uniforms, and even a few men patrolling rooftops. Daisy almost screamed with anger when they passed Goomba's bustling casino for the third time in two days.
Peach and Daisy were far too tired to finish the walk to Toadtown, and decided to head to the business headquarters and check in with the Chancellor. When they remembered that the entire town was covered in dark vines, they forced themselves to find their way to the nearest resting- place available. They went to Peach's castle. Dragging their feet across the small stone bridge, they silently entered the castle, switched the light on, and locked the door tightly. They climbed the stairs with moods that could fry a lava moat. When they reached Peach's room, they looked each other in the eye, kicked off their sneakers, and collapsed facedown on Peach's bed. They slept like a pair of Rip Van Fish.
A castle. It was a strong and rectangular castle. The moon had come out, and its light was so strong that it cast a backlight on the edifice. Only the two torches at the front door could be seen. Behind the castle was a high precipice over a roaring ocean. The ground in the front yard was hard as a parking lot. Obviously, the princesses were reluctant when they intruded. They stood with rubber knees on the front porch. Daisy lifted the knocker and banged it lightly against the door a few times. It echoed loudly. Promptly, the rubber in their knees turned to jelly. There was a fat-looking W hanging over the double doors. Also, on each side of the door, there was a gold statue depicting a familiar man striking pretentious poses.
"Wario's..." Peach went lightheaded. "If he finds out we were here, he'll get us for sure!" Daisy's vision darted in different directions, looking for a bush to hide in. Wario was long gone, but they were still afraid of his dwelling. Something clicked in Daisy's head and she let a smile erupt.
"Hey Peeeach. Wario doesn't live here anymore." Diasy said in a singsong voice.
"But..." Peach said with glassy eyes and her hands at her cheeks. Daisy covered Peach's mouth with one finger.
"He lost it to a bookie. Remember?" Peach's face grew to match Daisy's. She shrieked with joy and jumped up and down. Then, she thought.
"So, I wonder who-" she turned her head to the door as it creaked open. They saw a girl they hadn't met in quite a while.
The new owner of Wario's castle was a lot like Yoshi, while at the same time quite different from him. As said before, Yoshi was an activist, and this girl was an entrepreneur. Her hands and feet had white reptilian claws, and her pink skin was fine and smooth. She had a large circle of white in the area of her belly and chest. A large red bow decorated the top of her head. Her eyelids were shadowed with purple, and her lashes batted when she blinked. She had a large diamond ring on her finger and a round funnel-like mouth. Like Yoshi, she was born about twenty years before the Marios, but still was the equivalent to a teenager due to the great longevity of the two species. Like the Yoshis her species had many different types. Plain pink, burning red and green, ice blue. But, she was just a plain pink female. She served the foreign dictator Wart as the matriarchal leader of her kind. She also helped Bowser, King of the Koopa. She was experienced in foreign relations and fighting. But for now, she had become very independent. She sparked a relationship with Yoshi and took time to work on her golfing and racing skills. Despite her prominence, she never lost the little girl look of innocence and young charm. It was by coincidence that she won Wario's castle in a high-rolling bet. Peach and Daisy were shocked.
"What's going on, cuties?" She greeted the girls with delight.
"BIRDO?!" Daisy and Peach nearly fell over.
The princesses waited in the living room while Birdo was in the kitchen fetching three cosmopolitans. The couches they sat on were pink and yellow. The thick flaming torches on the walls were now calm candles and chandeliers. The center Wario statue was now a coffee table with a vase of roses on it. Every inch of the evil castle was changed. The walls were still black and gold, but the wood finished banisters and new lighting and smell was clearly feminine. Peach and Daisy didn't even need to say it. They smiled at each other quietly thinking about what Wario and Walugi would say if they saw their home like this. Birdo came out and set the drinks on the table. Daisy picked hers up and sniffed it. Birdo chuckled.
"Daisy, don't be afraid. I don't answer to those criminals anymore. I wouldn't hurt you."
"So... what happened? What have you been doing?" Peach had a hard time catching up with all of this. She still couldn't forget the time Birdo almost broke her nose with a high-speed compact egg, right before she threw Birdo off a cliff. What she said in response made Peach think her mind was being read.
"Well... the first thing I did was clear my head. I couldn't go on with the things I had done and tried to do. I made my peace with the Marios, the people of Mushroom Kingdom, Sarassaland, and the world leaders." It made sense to Peach now. Birdo had written her a letter of formal apology about a year after what had happened, but she didn't take it very seriously. She thought Birdo was only trying to get into the good graces of anyone with clout. Now, she realized Birdo was sincere in what she said. Peach just sat and listened further. "I took a trip to Yo'Ster Isle. Part of it was because I served as an ambassador for Mushroom for a short time. I was also there for vacation. That's where I met Yoshi. He made me the woman I am today." Peach and Daisy were dazzled by Birdo's story. They were proud of her, yet they also envied her benevolence, discipline, and success. "And... as I think you already now, this is Wario's castle. I won it when I bet on the fate of Dinosaur Land. Of course, it took years to find it since the address Wario submitted was fake, and he left only a photograph of his home. The only thing left to change is the outside. I can't stand looking at those stupid statues. But, I won't bore you with my life story any further. Please, tell me if there's anything I can do to help you."
"Okay. We aren't really sure," Daisy explained, "if there's anything you can do to help us at the moment, but we'll explain to you what's been going on since yesterday. See, these black flowers popped up in the main castle town of Mushroom Kingdom, Toadtown, and everyone had to be evacuated. We got put in a hotel in Flarch, and we heard from an investigation team that Mouser's men were growing the flowers at Goomba's Greedy Gala. We decided Peach, Toad, and I were going to need to figure out a way to stop it." Peach finished the story with the new details.
"We talked to Waluigi last night around midnight, and he said the casino operation was already shut down. Mario grabbed evidence from the casino and escaped. They called the police, and by the time they got there, all the workers and flowers were gone. As if they were never even there. The casino righted itself, and no one got in trouble. But, we got a tip-off from a Troopa that was fired that night. The flowers were being grown on Blooper Island and prepared at the casino. So, we got the four Marios to come with us." Birdo looked confused and worried. Daisy removed the burden and explained what happened after all that.
"The seven of us flew to Blooper where we were directed to talk to Boshi. We went to Yo'Ster and found Yoshi and Boshi. Boshi showed us where the place was, but beforehand he made Toad smoke a deadly amount of strong pot. When we finally got there, the Mario's entered, and we were kidnapped at gunpoint. Boshi had sold us out to them. We still don't know where Mario, Luigi, Toad or Yoshi are, but we were held prisoner in Wario and Waluigi's apartment with the two of them. We escaped by blowing the place up, and then they abandoned us. Then, we crossed a long forest and came here. We had to come this way, or else snipers would have gotten us." A rush swept over Peach and Daisy. They didn't know it, but they had been through a lot in the past 36 hours. Birdo closed her eyes, sipped some of her drink, and then stared at the floor.
"After all that... you're still looking beautiful." She squeaked. "But, I think I might be able to help you and send you on your way safely. I received an email one month ago from an old colleague. The boss of his gang, Shy Guy, told me that opportunity was knocking. He said that the old pros were getting back together to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom. He said once people realized that the only way to avoid the illness was to succumb, the Koopa Troop would be able to start an everlasting empire. I told him to stuff it. He was a recluse, but one smart enough to know he shouldn't have to do with Bowser. His biggest mistake was telling me that a special and deadly chemical was being extracted from a large root at the center of the Shy Temple. The same chemical used to infect the normal flowers, turning them black." She said calmly and snidely. Daisy had never really been kidnapped by Bowser's men, let alone in person. She hadn't been as close to such danger as Peach, but she did know one thing. Hearing his name in the same conversation as her own was the worst thing to happen to her all day.
"Wait, stop!" Peach demanded.
"Explain Bowser." Daisy said. They were thrilled to learn how to stop the flowers, but they couldn't continue the conversation without learning where Bowser was, what he was planning, and how to get as far from him as possible.
"Sure, ask away." She remained with her cool. "When Shy Guy says the old pros, he means himself, Goomba, King Boo, and Koopa Troopa. They were the top generals for King Bowser back in the nineties and were known collectively as "Bowser's Baddies." They were ruthless and ingenious." Peach and Daisy gulped. There was a man who worked for Bowser, who was emailing a woman, who was in the same room as Peach and Daisy. They could smell death. Birdo, however, could not. "He said he was based in the Shy Temple on Shyster Island. If you plan to stop this flower epidemic, I suggest you attack it at its source. I'll provide you a safe transport back to Mushroom, but you must promise not to tell anyone that you even spoke with me. I'll call my driver, and he'll take you through Flarch, across the Mushroom Kingdom, and straight to Toadtown. He's a good man. And thorough." Peach and Daisy were overwhelmed by how hospitably Birdo was treating her old enemies.
"Really, Birdo, you don't need to..." Peach tried to show her manners, though she was completely wrong in what she was saying.
"Please, Peach," she repeated. "He's a good man. And thorough." The princesses let their smiles unfold. They were unsure of what to say.
On the car ride home, they sat tensely and quietly in the black Cadillac. Though they trusted Birdo, the alert driver in the front seat and the tinted windows were hardly enough to calm the royal targets. Peach spotted black vans, Troopas in SWAT-like uniforms, and even a few men patrolling rooftops. Daisy almost screamed with anger when they passed Goomba's bustling casino for the third time in two days.
Peach and Daisy were far too tired to finish the walk to Toadtown, and decided to head to the business headquarters and check in with the Chancellor. When they remembered that the entire town was covered in dark vines, they forced themselves to find their way to the nearest resting- place available. They went to Peach's castle. Dragging their feet across the small stone bridge, they silently entered the castle, switched the light on, and locked the door tightly. They climbed the stairs with moods that could fry a lava moat. When they reached Peach's room, they looked each other in the eye, kicked off their sneakers, and collapsed facedown on Peach's bed. They slept like a pair of Rip Van Fish.