DAY ONE

The price for a ticket on the Excess Express is very high. Mario was very surprised that Peach somehow was able to get tickets aboard. Many people dream of riding the Excess Express, but could not afford a single ticket even after saving money for twenty years. Much of the money goes toward the delectable meals served aboard the train. Much of it goes toward the dazzling decorations inside the train. There are chandeliers in every room, and candles are always neatly arranged on the tables in the dining car. There are eight rooms for passengers to sleep in during the three-day journey.

Mario and Peach were assigned to stay in Room 5. It had very nice orange and brown decor. The nice color combination made Mario giddy. Peach was disappointed that there wasn't very much pink, but there really wasn't much she could do about it, so she did nothing. There was a nice bunk bed in one corner of the room, across from a small, but very comfortable couch. Everything was fastened to the floor or walls.

A few moments after the train departed, the conductor made an announcement over the P.A. system. "It's lunch time. Please head to the dining car for our Chef Shimi's fabulous meals." Fortunately for Mario and Peach, their room was nearest to the dining car.

The dozen passengers aboard the train filed into the dining car. The bright yellow atmosphere was very relaxing. Mario and Peach got a nice table next to the window. Mario said, "Well, this is a nice train."

"Yes," said Peach. They watched the scenery quickly rush by through the window. Lush green meadows, and purple mountains in the background. A perfectly blue sky, with a few clouds for decoration.

After a few moments, the waitress with the purple hair brought them their food. "Mmmm," Mario said, "Mushroom gravy!"

Peach stared at it. "It looks a little... tasty." She hesitantly picked up her spoon, and took a sip.

It was tasty. Very tasty. She and Mario devoured it all.

"Why, this is wonderful! It's the tastiest thing I've ever had! It's delish!" Peach said in amazement.

"Oh, yes," said Mario in agreement.

After eating it all, and licking their fingers, they agreed to go to the kitchen to ask for seconds.

"Can we please have more--" Mario started asking, but he stopped because the chef was sobbing.

"What's the matter, Chef Shimi?" Peach inquired.

"Somebody stole my favorite pot. Without it, I can't make any more meals."

"Why can't you use another pot?" Mario inquired.

"It's the only one I brought," said Chef Shimi. "Mario, and Princess, could you please find the pot? I last remember it having more mushroom gravy in it."

"Okeydokey!" said Mario.

Mario and Peach left the kitchen to search for the pot, but Peach noticed a brown liquid speckled on the ground. She bent down to taste it. "Mmmm... mushroom gravy! This stuff is delicious even when you eat it off the ground!" She and Mario followed the trail of mushroom gravy into Room 3.

"YOU!" Mario shouted as he pointed at the fat Toad with mushroom gravy dribbling from his lips. "Where's the pot?"

"Ummm..." mumbled the fat Toad, "I don't have anything." He sounded a little dubious, as if he were lying.

Peach walked up to him and slapped him. "You stole the entire pot so you could have the mushroom gravy all to yourself, didn't you?" She slapped him again. "I couldn't get any seconds, and here you are, getting sevenths!" She slapped the fat Toad again, exited the room, and headed back to Room 5 to cry.

"How dare you make my girlfriend cry!" said Mario. He gave a piercing stare to the fat Toad. The fat Toad reluctantly handed the pot back to Mario. Mario looked into the pot. Darn, licked clean.

Peach and Mario took the pot back.

Chef Shimi was thrilled to have his favorite pot back. "Thank you very much. If it weren't for you two, we'd be eating raw mushrooms for three days!" As a reward, he gave Mario a P-wing.

"Oh, thank you," said Mario.

Several hours passed. The sun was setting, and Peach and Mario were in their room, gazing out the window at it.

"It sure is pretty, Mario," Peach said.

"Mmmm-hmmm," said Mario. He never was one to get very emotional about a huge ball of gas sinking down behind a bunch of mountains far away. "It's very orange."

"Yes, it is," Peach replied.

"EMERGENCY!" the conductor's voice shouted through the P.A. system. Mario and Peach stared up at the speaker in the ceiling as if they expected to see somebody in it. The conductor's voice was very urgent. "The engineer has been shot!"

"Mamma-mia!" Mario screamed.

"Oh no!" Peach screamed, "Who's steering the train?"