Chapter 5: Sleepless in the Night-time city

Two whole minutes of falling from no where, Mario and Daisy finally fell to the ground. Or so they thought……

"Where are we?" Daisy rubbed her head in pain from the previous fall that had just happened.

"I really don't know…."Mario got up from the "ground" and just stared at the scenario.

It seemed like an average city. Deep in the depths of nighttime. Ambulances were heard from a distance. You could street gangs roaming the streets looking for victims for there

acts.

"Seems like the old NYC only more……..uglier." Mario whispered to himself under the cold air.

Daisy on the other hand was trembling. She was not used to seeing barren wastes and under developed cities. Her kingdom Sarasaland, was furnished and was never seen dirty.

"We got to get out of here." Daisy went up to Mario and stared at him.

"I wish it was that simple….."Mario looked into the stars and starting marching inside the city.

"Where are you going? "Daisy asked.

"To investigate." Mario waved goodbye and headed inside the city.

'Well you can't leave me here! "Daisy turned around to see a little cat come up to her purring.

"Well hi little cat!" Daisy bent down to be face to face with the cat and smiled at it.

But the cat didn't seem to like the smile and hissed at Daisy.

"EEEK! "Daisy looked at Mario who wasn't too far from her. "Mario wait up!"

Meanwhile with Peach………

Peach marched out of the crowds. Still frozen and wondered what to do next.

She thought maybe see if anyone was not frozen but thought again only she and the employers know about this. But wait! Shadow was is an employer and he's good so maybe going to Shadow would give more pieces of info to her.

It was worth a shot. After all, any lead on this would help her. Even the smallest bit of information could be turned into the most important information of all.

She walked up the door that had a sign saying Working. Please come back.

Shadow

Peach didn't care. She used all her might to break the door. Weirdly she did.

"That was weird." Peach thought to herself.

She saw Shadow signing papers and things for the tournament .Even though it was a plot to capture all of the Mario people, it was still a tournament and papers and requirements were needed to be signed.

Shadow jumped to the sound of the door breaking. A few of his papers fell to the ground.

"Oh let me help you." Peach bent down to pick up the papers. Shadow did the same.

"What do you want?" Shadow asked Peach.

"Answers for starters." Peach shrugged. "Look Daisy lost the game and Mario went to save her.

Shadow immediately got up from his chair. "Are you serious?"

"We have to do something." Peach whispered.

Shadow grabbed Peach by the hand and dragged her out of the room.

Some head turned to the sight of this. Thinking Peach was getting kidnapped.

"HEY!" A koopa called.

Shadow turned his head towards the koopa glaring at him.

"What?" Shadow angrily asked.

"What are you doing with her?"

"Do you know who I am?"

"Don't care.

"I'm Shadow."

The koopa just opened his eyes widely and started at him for a minute.

Shadow turned around and continued on his path.

They ran and ran until they were outside the stadium.

"Why did you do all that?" Peach screamed while trying to catch her breath.

"Because there are cameras in my room. He could have been listening.

"Oh. Now that there's no camera, what's going on?" Peach clenched her fists in anger.

"All I know is this was intentional. And that who ever wins will have to battle John in a tennis match. If John wins, the loser will be trapped like everyone else. If that person wins," Shadow lowered his head.

Peach just stood blank. She had no clue what would happen. But then it hit her.

"No" Peach covered her mouth with her hand.

"Yes they will be trapped. It's a lose lose situation.

"Not it isn't…that is if Mario wins." Peach smiled.

Shadow was confused.

"This man made a star that if that person who wins the tournament and has the star equipped to them, everyone will come back."

Shadow was a little confused but he got the message and smiled back.

He looked into the sky and thought about it. Maybe Mario won't win. Maybe he will but Tim will beat him.

"Shadow listen you can say he won't win but all you're doing is saying we will lose. But Mario maybe can win. So instead of looking at the glass half-full look at it half-empty."

Peach's words were encouraging and it looked like this may turn out alright. But even Peach had those thoughts he may not win. But she shook it off. Shadow should too.

Meanwhile with Mario and Daisy……

The two were just roaming the city seeing what kind of place this is.

Suddenly, a man with a broken face( literally) popped up.

"IT LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE LOST AND ARE TRAPPED HERE FOREVER!HEHEHEHHEHEHE. WELCOME AND ENJOY YOUR STAY FOREVER!" The man just disappeared.

"EEK!" Daisy jumped right into Mario's arms. "Sorry"

"This place isn't too appealing." Mario looked around. A lot of criminal acts were being held on what seems to be like newcomers in this town.

The duo walked around the city for quite a while when they came to a conclusion this city is wack.

"I want to get out of here!" Daisy screamed at the top of her lungs. She put wiped the tears of her eyes and bowed her head down. "If only I was a better tennis player." Daisy whispered under her breath.

Mario went up to comfort the princess.

"Don't say that. You're an amazing player! It's not your fault you're here." Mario looked into the sky with determination to get revenge on Tom.

He looked back at Daisy and smiled. She smiled back.

Suddenly the sound of a door was heard and then stepped out an elderly man, with a cane. He fixed his glasses and used his cane to signal for Mario and Daisy to come in.

The duo looked at each other. Both nodded in approval and entered the little house.

"Welcome to our home!" The elderly man greeted.

"Umm…..who are you?" Mario asked.
"I'm the man who made that star." The man winked at Mario. "My name is Stanley. Follow me!"

The man walked to a locked door. He opened it with his tennis key.

There beyond the door was what seemed to be a major work station going on.

"This is our head quarters." Stanley told Mario and Daisy.

"For what?" Daisy asked looking over at some people running around with filing papers.

"Well we were once in that tournament. But we weren't lucky. I went head to head with Tom and lost.

"So instead of adapting to this weird city, you made a H.Q for tournament players who lost." Mario explained.

"Wow you sure are sharp with your academics." Stanley told Mario.

"Right." Mario riddled with Stanley not saying academics had nothing to do with it.

Stanley showed the two around the place. Showing the history of the palace and what they do.

"So anymore questions?" Stanley asked.

"Yes give me info on this star." Mario took the star out of his pocket and showed it to Stanley.

"Mario some things in this world were not made to be known. All I know of it is it was made for the purpose of this tournament. To save us.

"But.." Daisy butted in "You made it."

"You could say that. But look at it like this. I was sleeping one night knowing that the next day the tournament would start. That's when I saw it. The stars were as bright as before and gave me a hidden picture. A star. I didn't know what it meant but I did know this tournament was not made to see who the best tennis player is, But for another purpose. I got up and the stars formed to one big star and came straight to me. That's how I got this star."

Mario and Daisy stood there in shock. So much was unknown about this star yet it had so much power.

"Stanley listen I didn't loose a game yet. Daisy did and I tried to stop her from falling. How do I get back." Mario asked Stanley with anticipation.

"Well usually you wouldn't be able to get back but since you have the star.." Stanley snatched the star from Mario and light started to come form the star. It went on Mario and Mario started to disappear.

Stanley shot the star back to Mario.

"Good luck Mario!" Stanley and Daisy shouted over to Mario.

Mario did the thumbs up sign and then disappeared.

"Tennis Tournament stadium."

Mario was then visible and was back at the stadium.

"Gotta find Peach." Mario though and off he went to find Peach.

"

Tom's lookout"

"Sir Mario is back." A guard told Tom.

Tom was staring at the tennis court and turned back and looked at the guard.

"Where is Shadow." Tom asked.

"We don't know."

"Why don't we check."

Suddenly the black board in the room turned over and there stood cameras focused on Shadow. You could see him with Peach running across the Stadium.

"Get the betrayer dead or alive"

DUN DUN DUN cliffhanger. Read and review and I'll continue. Oh ya I don't own Nintendo.