Dislcaimer: None of the characters from the realm of Nintendo, including Mario characters, belong to me.

Chapter Three:

After what seemed like hours, someone finally unlocked the closet door. It was none other than King Toadstool.

"Sir!" Toad cried. "The Princess! She's gone! Bowser got her! Please forgive me, sir!"

"Calm, down, young Toad." The king said kindly. "If Bowser has gotten her again you can hardly be to blame-unless you were hiding in there." A slight twinkle shone in his eye at that, for he knew Toad would not do such a thing.

"No, sir, I wasn't hiding."

"Then calm down and tell me all about it."

So Toad took a deep breath and proceeded to tell the king what had happened. When he had finished, the king was silent for a moment, deep in thought.

"Well," he said presently, "there is only one thing to do. We must inform the Mario brothers of this immediately. Only they can get her back. Go to them, Toad, and tell them what has taken place."

"Yes sir!" And Toad set off.

It wasn't too far to the Mario's home, and Toad soon reached it. It was quiet. Too quiet.

"Mario! Luigi!" He yelled. No reply. The front door was open.

Normally Toad would never walked into another's house without an invitation, but Toad figured this was important enough to be rude just this once.

The house was empty. Toad came back out and looked around the yard. No one. He went around back. Maybe they were out back with Yoshi.

Toad found Yoshi, but no Mario brothers. "Where are they?" Toad asked Yoshi, wishing it could speak.

"Hippa!" Yoshi cried, almost as if it could understand him.

"I wish you could understand me, and I could understand you." Toad told Yoshi sadly. "But it looks like I'm going to have to go after the princess myself." Toad started to leave.

"Hippa!" Yoshi was trying to follow him.

"It's going to be dangerous." Toad said to Yoshi. "I don't think Mario would want me to take you."

"Hippa!"

"After all, he would be worried if he didn't know where you had gone."

"HIPPA!"

"Well, maybe I could leave a note." Toad told Yoshi. "How does that sound?"

"Aoew!" Yoshi said, and Toad was sure it was happier now.

"Well, let's go, Yoshi. You and I have to rescue the Princess. Wherever she is."

And the two unlikely adventurers set off on their quest.