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

Chapter Eighteen:

Peach sighed. The wedding would be tomorrow, and she had no choice in the matter. She sat restlessly. If only Toad would make it, but that was unlikely. How could he make it through the forest, and if he did, how could he make it inside the castle. She turned back to look out the window.

The guards were doing something weird outside. Briefly Peach wondered what was going on.

A light tapping sounded at the door.

Anna slipped behind the door as Peach opened it.

It was Toad, and . . . a shell-less koopa?

"Princess!" Toad exclaimed. "We've come to rescue you! hurry!"

Peach doubted that Anna would try to stop her, but she hesitated. She didn't want to cause trouble for the magikoopa. Then she remembered something.

"Mario! Luigi! They're trapped somewhere in the castle!" She exclaimed.

"But where?" Toad wondered.

"We don't have time to look for thim." The magikoopa spoke. "They could be anywhere."

Suddenly Anna came out from behind the door. "I know where they are. I'll show you, Princess, on one condition."

"What's that?" Peach asked nervously.

"Take me with you."

"Of course."

With the help of a little magic, the four stole through the castle like shadows and entered the dungeons. In the deepest darkest area of the dungeon were Mario and Luigi.

"Princess!" Mario called. "How? What?"

"Later." Hissed the Black Ninjakoopa. "We don't have time right now." He turned to Anna. "You have a key, I hope?"

"Of course." She pulled a ring of keys from her robes and quickly found the correct one. "Stole them this morning." Se explained to Peach. "Just in case."

Mario and Luigi were soon free.

"Let's go." Hissed Black Ninjakoopa, looking about nervously.

"All right." Mario agreed. "But we need to take care of Bowser."

Anna and Black Ninjakoopa looked stricken, and Luigi said, "Shouldn't we make sure they're safe first, Mario?"

Mario sighed. "Fine. You're right, of course, Luigi. We need to get out of here."

And the group made their escape.