Escape to Sarasaland
They stood in the docking bay of the flagship, deep within the ship. All the technicians and combat-ready sailors at work amazed Peach. Zelda was equally amazed by the huge machinery and metal rooms that were everywhere on this boat of steel.
"There she is, girls," Daisy smiled confidently. There was a rosy, sleek, futuristic-looking vehicle hanging from cables above the water. It had no propeller or wheels, only a powerful-looking booster in the back. The booster looked like a flower bud that had not fully bloomed yet. It was about the size of a large car.
"What is it?" Zelda asked.
"That's our ride out of here," Daisy said, pressing a switch on the wall. "I call it the Red Petal." The cables lowered the vehicle into the water, where it floated on the surface. Daisy pressed a control device in her hand and the cockpit opened. There was one seat in the front and a large back seat. Daisy hopped into the driving seat and grabbed the steering wheel. "Hop in!" Zelda cautiously followed Peach into the craft, not trusting these machines she had encountered. So far, a plane had crashed, a boat had talked back, and a submarine had led to another continent entirely.
"Princess Daisy, you are clear for launch," one technician said over the intercom. The docking bay doors opened and the sounds of explosions outside became louder. "Be careful, Your Majesty."
"Buckle up!" Daisy said, pressing various buttons on a control panel. Racing music soon emanated from the surround-sound speakers, startling Zelda. "Relax. It's just a tune for the moment. Remember this song, Peach?"
"It sounds like something from a videogame you brought with you one time," Peach said thoughtfully, despite the loud, rocking music.
"Video…game?" Zelda said, unaware of what they were talking about.
"Mute City," Daisy grinned, turning the ignition on. The boosters powered up and the craft raised inches above the water.
"Don't tell me you based this on…" Peach began. She was cut off when the machine suddenly rocketed forward, through the short tunnel, and out into the battlefield.
"F-Zero!" Daisy laughed, swerving around the cannon fire.
"Isn't this a bit fast!" Zelda yelled, pushed flat onto the seat.
"It's just the way I like it!" The car surged through the water, easily outrunning Bullet Bills. It cruised through a hole that was in one ship and out the other end. When it reached the enemy lines, a flurry of Bullet Bills were shot directly at it. Daisy swerved and the missiles were forced to turn around to follow the car because of its pure speed. It soon lost them in the distance and began to draw fire from the close range cannons of various enemy ships. In effect, the ships filled each other with holes in a futile effort to lock on to the F-Zero-based machine.
"Ha ha ha, suckers!" Daisy laughed, once the machine had blazed off out of the war zone. She glanced in the rearview screen and saw several high-speed Bills flying toward them. Sensors also indicated similar projectiles underwater. "Say Peach, what kind of missiles are those?"
"They look like the same ones we had to deal with on my plane," Peach said, looking back. "They're very fast and won't lose track of you no matter what. The underwater ones must be Torpedo Ted versions."
"Who names these things anyway?" Daisy said, turning the craft slightly. "Fortunately for us, there's a minefield ahead of us."
"Minefield!" Zelda exclaimed, familiar with that term. "My Goddesses, are you mad woman!"
"Like a fox!" Daisy said, fully accelerating the machine. Soon, floating, spike-covered bombs could be seen bobbing in the ocean. Zelda screamed as Daisy nimbly swerved around each and every one of them, missing them by a little as a few inches. Some were knocked into one another and began to explode. A chain reaction made the entire section of the sea go up in a ball of water, smoke, and flame.
"You're insane!" Zelda screamed.
"It totally worked, didn't it?" Daisy smirked.
"Um, actually…" Peach said, glancing back. The Smart Bills dived out of the clouds above and continued their pursuit. The Torpedo Teds popped out of the water and began to skid along the surface.
"Well, that sucks," Daisy frowned. Suddenly, dolphins leapt out of the water and smacked the torpedoes' sides with their tailfins. The disrupted torpedoes flew into one another and exploded. The Smart Bills moved higher to avoid the dolphins. Soon, the dolphins dropped out of view and could no longer be seen.
"What nice dolphins," Peach said.
"Too bad they didn't take out the other two," Daisy cringed, pressing a button on the wheel. The craft suddenly surged forth, even faster than before. The Smart Bills could not boost as fast, but they stayed close behind.
"This is exactly how it was on the plane," Peach said grimly.
There was suddenly a whistling sound from up ahead and several black objects could be seen.
"Not more!" Zelda cried, already sick of this ride.
"Those aren't Bills," Daisy said, squinting. "Those are Sarasian Giras!" The Bullet Bill look-alikes bypassed the craft and the Smart Bills swerved out of the way to not get hit. Suddenly, a black racing yacht blasted past them all and turned around, giving chase.
"That's the Black Rose!" Daisy exclaimed.
"Syrup's ship!" Peach squealed.
As much as the Smart Bills tried to dodge, they were unable to escape the constant barrage of Giras being fired out of the Black Rose.
"She did it!" Peach cheered. The Black Rose zoomed alongside the Red Petal and revved its engines.
"So you wanna' race, huh?" Daisy, said revving her own engines.
"Goddesses, no!" Zelda cried. "I'm feeling ill already!" The two vehicles jetted away, leaving only waves and the roar of boosters in their wake.
The two boats docked into the bay of Muda, one of the four divisions of Sarasaland. It had might as well be called Water World because there were numerous ponds, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and docks. The bay itself was mostly just wooden docks and a few scattered islands. There were saucers hovering about, presumably a part of the military. Since Peach and Zelda had not eaten a full meal in a while, Daisy and Syrup took them to a restaurant.
"So, have you two met before?" Peach asked, as they ate.
"Unfortunately," Syrup said.
"We go way back," Daisy said teasingly. "Isn't that right, Maple?"
Syrup grabbed Daisy by the collar from across the table and seethed, "Don't call me that, shrimp!"
"Maple, Maple, Maple!" Daisy laughed with a stupid grin.
"I said don't call me that!" Syrup shook her.
"You're sisters, aren't you?" Zelda said cleverly.
"How'd you know?" they asked.
"Why else would a pirate save us?" Zelda answered. "Plus, you bicker like siblings."
"But that means," Peach said, raising an eyebrow, "Captain Syrup is a princess."
"Maple's the Second Crowned Princess," Daisy said.
"Shut up!" Syrup snapped.
"Is that true?" Peach asked.
"Yes," Syrup sighed. "Even though, I'm the oldest, I never wanted to be stuck in a boring palace ruling over who cares what. So, I went off on my own to become a pirate. Syrup was a nickname that I had taken. It was going all well and good…and then…Wario showed up."
"Bye bye, pirate crew," Daisy teased.
"Your parents had no problem with this?" Zelda asked.
"No, but they're dead," Syrup shrugged apathetically as a phone began to ring.
"That's me," Daisy said, taking out her phone. "Hello…..Really? Hmm….Okay…….Tell them we'll come when we can." She switched off the phone and turned to face Peach. "Hey, Peach, I've got some good news."
"What is it?"
"Some of our international stations came across Mushroom Kingdom refugees," Daisy said.
"Really?" Peach said, filled with joy. "That's great!"
"Yep. All of them should be located within the next few hours. They're all being taken to Chai, where they'll be cared for. We can go see them in about a day. Right now, we should go to Birabuto. That's where we can send Zelda home."
"That's good to hear," Zelda said. "Our journey is almost over."
"We can leave right now if you want to," Daisy suggested.
"I'm satisfied," Zelda said, wiping her mouth.
"Yeah, let's go," Peach agreed.
"I guess I'll see you all later, then," Syrup said.
"Don't tell me," Daisy smirked. "Going out on the high seas again before you lose your sea legs."
"Wrong, shrimp. I'm going straight to Chai. I haven't been there in years. Besides, a Koopa Army on the move is a good enough reason for me to go get spoiled like the princess I am."
"Hey, I just noticed something," Daisy said, pouring out a few coins for the bill. "We're all princesses here. Isn't it neat?" Zelda and Peach took on somber expressions. "What? What's wrong?"
"I'm…not a princess…anymore."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm…a queen," Peach sniffled, beginning to cry.
"Your father didn't die…did he?"
"No," Peach said, breaking down.
"Bowser forced her to marry him," Zelda said in quiet anger.
"It was either that or watch you suffer!" Peach wailed.
"Ouch," Syrup winced, walking away. "Awkward…"
"Wow…brutal," Daisy said, biting her lip. "Um, let's move on out. The sooner we get this teleporter stuff done, the sooner we can head for Chai."
The drive to Birabuto, via Red Petal, was relatively quiet except for the hum of the engine. Zelda had insisted on turning off the music, which was just noise to her. The vehicle was able to pass over both land and water, so it eventually passed onto the beach and onto a road. It wasn't long before the area became more arid and desert-like. The ground became rocky and sandy, and the air seemed to be hotter and dryer. Daisy had agreed to drive slower for Zelda's sake, but felt that the mood was a little too tense. She decided to try and make some small talk.
"So, how do you like Sarasaland so far?"
"It's nice," Peach said distantly.
"Just as strange as every other place," Zelda added.
"It's a great place to get a tan," Daisy said, showing off her golden-brown arm. "It's a total pain to bleach my skin when I go to the Mushroom Kingdom."
"Why do you do it?" Peach asked.
"It makes me feel like I'm not a total outsider," Daisy replied. "I mostly just copy off of you. I felt totally out of place when I first visited at that tennis tournament, but that's the way I usually dress at home. Only now, when I visit your kingdom, I wear the big dress, the crown, the gloves, and the makeup."
"You don't have to do that," Peach said. "Treat my home like your own."
"Are those pyramids?" Zelda asked, looking at the horizon.
"Yeah, why?" Daisy said.
"It's just that…there's so many things in this world that I've only seen in books. It's like a strange fantasy land: flowers give one the power of fire, coins help one breath underwater…"
"And mushrooms make you bigger and stronger," Daisy added. The road had become a dirt road and the pyramids became more numerous. Daisy veered off the road and toward a particularly distant pyramid. As they neared it, they could see that it was the sort of pyramid that looked like a series of steps and had a flat top. A large wall was surrounding the inner part. It became apparent that the Red Petal was speeding up to get there faster. Daisy pressed a few buttons on the control panel a beep sounded.
"What was that?" Peach asked.
"A security code."
A panel rumbled open at the base of the pyramid. The car zoomed into the dark tunnel, with neon lights illuminating the darkness. It came out into a hangar, where dozens of military vehicles were stationed. Several Nokobons, essentially Koopas with bombs for shells, marched up to Daisy and saluted.
"We were expecting you, Your Majesty," the one in front said. "Are you ready to see the professor?"
"Lead the way," Daisy said, hopping out of the craft. As they walked through the base's chambers, both Peach and Zelda marveled at the impressive architecture. Most of the rooms were massive and had hieroglyphics on the walls. There were many other staff, some that looked oddly similar to the Mushroom Kingdom's variety, and others that looked completely different. There were occasional Pakkun Flowers popping out of pipes in the same way Piranha Plants would. At just about every door or entryway, there was a pair of Gao, sphinx-like tigers, acting as sentries. Eventually, they reached a huge room full of circular pads. There were giant spiders hanging from the ceiling, high above each pad. The lighting was relatively dim, letting them hide in the shadows. In fact, the only light was the calm glow emanating from the differently colored pads.
"Are those supposed to be there?" Zelda asked cautiously. She was speaking of the spiders hanging ominously on the ceiling.
"Those are the Suu," Daisy said. "Don't sweat over them. Just a little extra security." The Nokobons led them to a green pad and everyone stood on it. Zelda still felt uncomfortable standing under the Suu. They reminded her of Big Skulltulas, which hung in a similar fashion.
"Are you all ready?" a Nokobon asked.
"Totally," Daisy said for the others. The center of the pads turned black, leaving a green rim.
"It looks like a pipe," Peach said, looking at the familiar shape and color.
"The technology is based on warp pipe mechanics," a Nokobon said. The black area seemed to rise out of the pad and envelope them all. It reminded Zelda of something she had heard twice in this world so far.
"The darkness shall consume you," she whispered to herself. It was so dark, they could see absolutely nothing. It had indeed mimicked a warp pipe. When the black mist sunk back into the pad and the darkness disappeared, they were in a completely different room. The ceiling was extremely high up. The floor was made up of a series of stone platforms and metal catwalks, which connected to other stone platforms, doorways on the outer edge of the room, or the central platform. All that was below the platforms and catwalks was a black abyss. On the central platform, there was a blue ball of energy floating above a circle of control panels. The sandstone that made up the entire pyramid was blue from the light that radiated from the ball of energy.
"Ah, you're finally here!" a voice called. It was small old man, with a single tuft of white hair, a thick pair of glasses, and a lab coat. He stood on the other side of the room, beckoning them to approach the central platform.
"Everyone," Daisy said, "meet Professor Elvin Gadd."
"Thank you," he said. "I can take it from here, gentlemen." The three Nokobons gave a salute and exited through the teleporter. "Now, I hear that someone needs to use this magnificent creation of ours to get home."
"That would be me," Zelda said, gazing into the unstable ball of energy.
"Very well. Now, you wouldn't happen to know the dimensional and vector coordinates of your world, would you?"
Zelda looked somewhat confused as she said, "No…"
"Hmm."
"What's up?" Daisy asked. "Something wrong?"
"With coordinates," Gadd explained, "the teleporter would be able to send her home instantly. Now, we'll have to rely on tracing her energy signature to her home."
"Is that bad?" Peach asked.
"More like inconvenient," he said. "Since there are theoretically an infinite number of dimensions, its possible that she would never get home in her lifetime…May I ask exactly how did you get here?"
"I was sent here by mistake," Zelda said. "An evil sorcerer named Ganondorf attempted to send me to the Dark World, but a friend interfered and used her magic to alter the destination. According to Peach, I ended up in the Dark Land instead."
"Excellent!" Gadd said, relieved. "That means that our dimensions are relatively close. It is most likely due to the centralized position of this world. It is not difficult to travel to other worlds simply by using warp pipes. I believe your dimension is one of the exceptions though."
"What do you need to trace my energy signature?"
"If you would just step over to that panel and press your hand onto the imprint…" There was indeed a panel with a lit hand imprint on it. Zelda stepped over to it and did as told. "The computer will begin a search through the closest dimensions. It will know it is your home if your data appears on the screen."
"How long will this take?" Zelda asked.
"I'd say…a day or two."
"Peach," Zelda said. "I don't want to hold you from seeing your loved ones as soon a possible. Perhaps you should go on without me…"
"That's nice of you," she replied, "but I'm staying with you until you get home. Chai is the safest place they can be right now, right?"
"Right," Daisy agreed. "In the meantime, we can crash at my desert palace. Then, you can lose those awful clothes."