This chapter was more surprising to write up than I originally imagined it to be. Hopefully, I dealt with the issues that come up within it correctly. If not, I apologize in advance; you'll understand as you read it.
Now then, we're joining Luigi, Peach, and the rest of the Mushroom gang for this chapter. Enjoy!
...
[Luigi]
Our journey back to Peach's Castle was somehow more silent than the journey back from the island. Though, the rain had made up for our somber mood last time. This time, however, the sun shimmered bright in the sky, oblivious to our latest struggles.
Though she still led the way home, Peach seemed different this time. Her shoulders were lowered, and her pace was slower. Instead of firmly holding her Royal Scepter up, she led it dangle in her lowered grip. Peach's head was normally held high to match her poise, but now it was tilted down, watching where her feet fell.
The rest of us were affected as well. Yoshi would walk with a skip in his step, but now had his feet firmly shuffling across the ground. Daisy seemed more concerned with her clothes than she truly ever was. Even Toadette moved slower and tugged on her braids rather than letting them flow in the wind.
Quietly, I fixed my cap and watched the castle come back into view. My mouth kept opening on instinct, looking to diffuse the tension. Considering that I had caused a bulk of it, however, nothing came out and I would shut it each time.
Several Toads cheered and clapped as we marched back onto the castle grounds. While Peach and I remained stoic, the others waved and smiled, a little less exposed to the encouragingly warm reception and delighted audience.
Peach guided us to her throne room, where Toadsworth awaited us.
"Princesses! Masters Luigi and Yoshi! Welcome back." He nodded to Toadette, who waved slightly. "Glad to see you're all back in one piece. I trust things went well at the Glaciers?" No answered right away. "Or…perhaps not?"
"We took care of it." Peach's voice was hollow, still stuck on her actions.
"Are…you certain?"
"Yes, Toadsworth. We wouldn't be back otherwise."
"Ah, right then." He gazed at the rest of us, twirling and pulling his mustache. Tapping his cane, Toadsworth nodded. "Would you like me to get the five Toads that accompanied you prior? They're feeling much better now."
"Please do."
Silently, Toadsworth bowed and walked off to gather the quintet. Toadette walked to Peach's free hand and grasped it. Daisy folded her arms and glanced out a window. Yoshi came over and rested his head on my shoulder, and I gently petted his nose.
"Is this it?" Daisy abruptly blurted out. "Are we going to let this do us in for the rest of our time saving the Mushroom Kingdom?"
"It's not exactly something we can shrug off," I murmured.
"Fine, I get that, but we can't let this leave us moody the whole time." Daisy strode back over. "This is war, there's a 1-Up shortage, and it will have unfavorable outcomes. We need to get that into our heads and keep on rolling."
Each of us turned to look at her, save Peach, who stared absently at her throne, head still tilted down. Yoshi grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly, smiling at me. Toadette still held Peach's, but nodded to Daisy.
"Ok, then starting now, we leave the sad attitude behind. We're moving forward, got it?" Daisy placed her hands on her hips as we nodded. She then turned to Peach, who hadn't moved. "That includes you too, Peach."
"I'll get over it."
"You need to get over it now."
"But I was the one—"
"Peach." The blonde princess turned to face her ginger counterpart. "You did it to save us. War is filled with hard choices like that. Acknowledge it, learn from it, accept it, and move on."
They stared into one another's eyes before Peach slowly nodded to Daisy. She smiled at Peach and relaxed her shoulders.
"Good. So, where are we headed next?"
"The Forests, I believe."
My heart dropped as my eyes widened. "W-Where?"
"Forests," Peach repeated. Everyone watched as I began to quake in fear. "Oh, come now, Luigi. After everything we've been through so far?"
"H-Hey! W-We all h-ha-have our f-f-fears!" I continued to shiver as Yoshi hugged me, only to start shaking himself. He let go and tried to rub my back instead.
"Mm…I suppose that's true." Peach relented and sighed.
"Wait, since when are you afraid of forests, Luigi?" Daisy questioned.
"It's n-not the f-f-forests, b-but what's in them," I explained through my stammers.
"Luigi isn't overly fond of ghosts, and they tend to thrive in the forests," Peach clarified. She turned to me and smiled. "We'll be fine, Luigi. You won't be alone this time and we won't have to deal with that many ghosts."
"That's w-what Ma-Mario tells me, a-and then w-we deal w-with all k-k-kinds of s-spooky ha-happenings," I trembled.
"And you've gotten through all of them," Peach soothed. "We'll be fine."
"She's right!" Yoshi nudged me, still trying to calm me down. "We'll be with you, Luigi!"
Recalling that he wasn't fond of ghosts either, I slowly nodded and gained control over my shaking.
"O-Ok." I sighed. "But the Forests are still the creepiest in the Mushroom Kingdom."
"I won't argue that," Peach giggled. "It's not somewhere I like to travel either."
We turned as Toadsworth walked back in with the five Toads, each cheering and running over to greet us.
"Princess Peach!"
"We're so glad you're safe!"
"And the others are ok too!"
"Toadette was with you guys?"
"Did you help with the Glaciers?"
"Hey, cool it!" Toadette ordered.
"Everyone's fine," Peach laughed. "Toadette did great work with us. And the Glaciers are no longer under Bowser's control."
Again, the quintet cheered and clapped for us.
"Boys, come on, settle down!" Toadsworth stamped his cane to the floor and the five fell silent. "Better."
"So, what's going on next?" asked the Red Toad.
"Once we're ready, we're taking off to the Forests," explained Peach.
Exchanging nervous glances with one another, the five Toads turned back and nodded.
"Just how creepy is this place?" Daisy asked. "Luigi's worried, they're worried, and now I'm getting anxious about it."
"The Forests? Certainly not somewhere I'd travel to willingly," mused Toadsworth. "Please take an extra amount of caution going there." He paused and picked at his mustache again. "Then again, considering the Princess is armed with that," he pointed at her scepter, "I suppose you'll do just fine."
"Actually…" Peach lifted her Royal Scepter and stared at it. Then, she held it out for Toadsworth to take. "I'm going to leave it here, this time around."
Some of the Toads gasped, while Daisy and I exchanged bewildered looks with Yoshi and Toadette. We turned back to see that Peach hadn't moved, still holding the wand out to her steward.
"Leave it?" Toadsworth shook his head. "Princess, of all the times to suddenly rethink your strategies, when you're going to—"
"I know where we're going and I know that magic could be helpful there. Daisy also has her rings with her, so we can fall back on those." Peach exhaled heavily. "But I need to give it a break. The Glaciers were…taxing."
Toadsworth eyed Peach with a mix of suspicion and worry, but nodded. He took the Royal Scepter into his free hand and Peach hesitated briefly before letting it go. She folded her hands together and let them sit in front of her.
"And now I'm filled with a dreadful amount of worry once again." Toadsworth sighed as he observed the rod.
"Don't be, please." Peach looked back to the rest of us. "I've got a lot of support by my side now, and we'll be fine as we go."
"Ah, yes, that reminds me: there was a visitor, waiting for you in the gardens, Princess."
"Visitor?"
"It's…um…Ma…Mi…" Toadsworth scratched his head and sighed. "It's Birdo. I instructed a few Toads to serve…'her,' until you returned."
"What was all of that stumbling for, Toadsworth?"
"Well, Princess, uh…Birdo's an elusive character. How should I refer to such?"
"Toadsworth, it's simple: you call her Miss Birdo, like you would anyone else. And in spite of her questionable past, we will treat her fairly until proven otherwise."
"But—"
"That's the end of it, Toadsworth."
He nodded and we followed Peach outside. Considering Birdo's spotty background, I'm impressed that Peach would be so lenient about the pink dinosaur with her red head ribbon. Then again, I'm not quite sure that anyone knows how to deal with her.
In the back of Peach's Castle, various flowers and bushes were decorated about the courtyard. Near the fountain in the middle, Birdo sat at a small table while several Toads bustled back and forth to her, bringing various dishes of food for her to inhale while she sharpened her nails.
"C-Can we get you anything else, Birdo?" asked one of the Toads.
"No, I suppose I'm satisfied for now." She studied her nails and rubbed them for a moment before handing the file to another Toad. "Thank you."
"O-Of course, M…Miss Birdo."
"Oh, you Toads are just the cutest things!" Birdo giggled.
"Birdo!" Peach cried out, fed up. "What are you doing here?"
Jumping up from her seat, Birdo fixed her bow and happily bounced over to our group.
"Nice to see you too, Princess." She winked at Peach and blew a kiss from her funnel shaped mouth for the fleeing Toad servants.
"That didn't answer my question."
"Relax, darling. I'm just here for a quick visit, checking in on…" She eyed each of us, halting her gaze on Yoshi and I. "…Things."
"Why the sudden interest?" inquired Daisy.
"Daisy dear!" Birdo clasped her hands together. "I'm always interested in the Mushroom Kingdom's affairs. Why, we have such nice venues for shopping here."
"Shopping?" Peach shook her head. "There's no chance that you're suddenly interested in what we're doing simply to save shops."
"You usually talk about how they can be rebuilt easily," added Toadette.
"Ooh! Hush, Toadette!" Birdo nervously giggled. "Come on, we usually go to those places together, don't we?"
"Birdo, you're evading, again," snapped Peach.
"Fine, it's not for the venues." Birdo stretched and rolled her shoulders. "To be honest, I've heard some lovely bits of news from…how do you call them? 'Impudent scoundrels?' Yes, quite the buzz from Bowser's little patch of the kingdom, hmm?"
"Buzz?"
"Oh, didn't you hear the news from over there?" She fixed the ring on her finger, undaunted that we hadn't heard anything.
"What news?"
"Delicious bits that even you'd kill to hear, Princess!"
Birdo laughed, not noticing that she had inadvertently struck a nerve.
"What news?" Peach's hands tightened into fists. "Birdo, just what do you know?"
"Dear oh dear," Birdo giggled. "You truly haven't heard."
"Heard what?" Everyone else could tell Peach's patience was gone. Though…I suspected Birdo was also aware of this. "Out with it, Birdo!"
Birdo wagged her finger. "Fair warning: I'm just a messenger, so don't hate me for it."
"Just tell us!"
"All right." She shrugged and sighed. "Word from Bowser's Castle is that the Koopa King himself is in love with Mario."
My eyes burst wide open as if the words hung out in the air before us. Quickly, I looked to the others, checking their reactions. Yoshi's seemed to match mine: eyes open wide as he turned to stare at me. Toadette clasped her hands over her mouth. Daisy's arms seemed to hang a bit looser and she shot Toadette a perplexed expression. Toadsworth and the five Toads exchanged varying faces of shock and bewilderment.
Peach, however, took a moment to collect herself and folded her arms. "That's it?"
Confused, Birdo tilted her head and studied Peach. "I should be asking you that! With that bombshell of a reveal, I'd certainly expect a stronger reaction, especially from you, Princess Peach!"
"Please." Peach shook her head as the others began to relax. "It's a lie, or just slanders that someone cleverly threw out against Bowser."
"They're not!" Birdo protested. "These are actual reports that have been running rampart from Bowser's Castle! And they've claimed that Mario reciprocates!"
"That's absurd. Mario would never date an enemy to the Mushroom Kingdom, let alone the greatest enemy to us all. That would be treason to everything he stands for."
I bit my lip as a shiver traveled down my back. If there was a chance for me to tell them the truth, that Birdo's information was correct, it was long gone now.
"Treason? Please! It's such a romantic drama that's ensuing and you'd—"
"You have been filled with nothing but nonsense in your head," Peach huffed. "Unless you have anything truly useful to offer us, I suggest that you take your leave, before I have you escorted out."
Taken aback, Birdo glanced at Yoshi and I, and then to Daisy and Toadette. "One of you must believe me!"
Yoshi and I glanced at one another, silent. He seemed to study me, perhaps realizing that I knew the correct answer.
"Sorry, Birdo, but I'm going to have to side with Peach on this one," murmured Toadette. "It's a funny story, but that's about as far as it gets, I think."
"Well, I'd like to believe you, Birdo, but they're right," Daisy agreed. "Mario's not the type to suddenly fall for Bowser, nor fall for him at all. And I don't think Bowser's even remotely interested in Mario unless he's killing him or using him as leverage against us."
Desperate, Birdo looked to the five Toads, who all nodded in accord with Daisy and Toadette's statements. Toadsworth picked at his mustache, unsure of what to add in.
"But…you must…" Birdo's head dropped and she slowly shook it. "Fine, if that's how it is." Her picked herself back up, annoyed. "You're confident now, but just wait. The truth will come out in time, and you'd best prepare for it."
With a huff, Birdo roughly knocked past Yoshi and I, storming from the courtyard. I rubbed my arm and watched her head back through the castle, with Toadsworth and the other Toads chasing after her.
"Honestly, how can either of you stand spending time with her?" Peach questioned. "Birdo can be nice sometimes, but when she's like this, she's an absolute—"
"Powerhouse."
The girls turned to look at one another, and then to me.
"Luigi, what—?"
"Birdo's strong, right?" I glanced at Yoshi, who nodded. "And here she was, just deciding to stop by and get involved within everything."
"Um, I don't think she was, really," contested Toadette.
"Ok, probably not." I shrugged. "But think about it. We could use her on our side."
"Like that? Not a chance." Peach shook her head. "She's all hung up over lies."
"No, she's…that's not the point." Taking in a deep breath and releasing it, I tried again. "Look, Birdo's a solid option to turn to. If we get her to cooperate with us, she could be a strong asset."
The others studied me carefully, and then stared at one another, conviction wavering.
"Really, what's the harm in letting her join? We have to double check our supplies or watch each other's backs a little extra? We're already doing that enough as it is. If she somehow gets persuaded to join Bowser, we'll have to deal with her as an adversary, and Birdo's not exactly as easy to defeat as she used to be."
"Asset or adversary…" Peach isolated. "Good point, Luigi. See if you can stop her and bring her on board. Meanwhile, Toadette, I want you to gather the five Toads and take them with you."
"Am I going somewhere?" Toadette asked. "I mean, I suppose I'm going somewhere either way, possibly always going somewhere, but in regards to specific…not important, you know what I mean."
"I'd like you six to travel to Bowser's Castle."
Toadette's mouth dropped open. "W…Where?"
"Bowser's. On his own, Red Toad rescued—"
"He has a name," interrupted Toadette.
"Oh. Right. Well, either way, he single-handedly managed to rescue Mario. If all six of you work together, you may be able to help Mario escape once again."
"But Princess, we've tried rescue operations countless times with you, and Bowser's forces are almost always prepared." Toadette trembled. "What if we fail?"
"You won't fail." Peach smiled encouragingly. "I believe that the six of you can prevail together."
Though less confidently, Toadette smiled and nodded.
"Good. Now, Luigi, you hurry up with Birdo, while the rest of us prepare for the Forests."
"Actually," Yoshi piped in, "I think it would be better if I went with Luigi."
"That's not necessary," I intervened. "I think I can handle talking—"
"To Birdo? You?" Yoshi chuckled. "Are you forgetting who she actually likes to deal with?"
"So maybe I should get her?" Daisy offered.
"No, I need to go over a few things with you." She shot a quizzical look at Peach. "Good things, I think. You'll want to process these with me."
"If you insist."
"And I do." She beamed and returned her attention to Yoshi and I. "Luigi, he's right. Birdo is so much happier around Yoshi, and she pairs up with him whenever she can. If you want to persuade her to our side, he's your best option to convince her."
Yoshi grinned brightly while I bitterly nodded. I needed to talk with Birdo alone.
"Very good. All right everyone, let's get to it."
Toadette, Yoshi, and I nodded, racing back inside. We hurried through the corridors and to the front door, just in time to watch Birdo storm out as the six Toads shook their heads. Toadette stayed behind to talk with them while Yoshi and I rushed after Birdo, straight down Toadstool Road.
"Ok, now that she's gone," Yoshi sounded, "what aren't you telling us?"
"What do you mean?"
"Look, while Peach might have convinced everyone otherwise, you didn't even bother defending Mario or shutting down that rumor." I nearly tripped as we neared Birdo. "What's the truth?"
Instead of answering him, I tugged him after the pink dinosaur, still outraged from her unfavorable dismissal. Noticing that we were fairly isolated, I exhaled a bit and managed to catch up with Birdo. She glared at us and tried to keep walking ahead, but I threw Yoshi and myself into her way.
"Move," Birdo demanded.
"Wait, you're right."
"Of course I'm right, you're in my way." She folded her arms. "Now move."
"No, that's…what you heard was right. The bit on Bowser."
Birdo relaxed a bit, letting her glare fade. I glanced at Yoshi, whose mouth had dropped open. With a sigh, I turned back to Birdo.
"Please, if you don't mind, we can't talk about this openly."
"Why not?" Birdo snapped. "There's no shame in hiding their relationship!"
"They're enemies!" I hissed. "Or…supposed to be."
"That still should…oh, whatever." Birdo dropped her arms and rolled her eyes. "Fine, let's…go over there."
She pointed to a few trees that were distanced from the road, not far from the pond, and the three of us walked over to them as a few Toads passed back and forth along the way, paying no mind to us as we disappeared behind the trunks.
Leaning against a tree, Birdo crossed her legs and folded her arms behind her head. I sat down on the ground, while Yoshi plopped down beside me, a little rougher than even he expected.
"Take it easy, Yoshi," giggled Birdo. "It's been a while, hasn't it, cutie?"
"Um, yeah. A little while." Yoshi scratched his cheek, which looked a bit pink to me. "Besides this stuff, uh…how…have you been?"
"Same old each day. A bunch of folks ridicule me over the way I look, a bunch more question my gender, and I brush them all off while trying to live a life I like." She sighed from her more solemn attitude, and tossed her head back. "They're annoying, but I don't let them keep me down. There are better things to bother me than those that outright hate me."
"Sorry to hear."
"We all have our struggles." Birdo shrugged, and then turned to me, her tone back up to normal. "So, Luigi, right? Mind confirming that bit again for me?"
"Actually, could you better explain it?" Yoshi asked. "I'm…really confused."
"Well, Birdo heard right. Bowser is in love with Mario. And…Mario loves him back." I hugged my legs closer to myself as the two dinosaurs stared at me, obviously waiting for more. "I'm…not exactly sure when or how it started, but I found a letter that my brother had written. Remember the Deserts, Yoshi? When you wanted to know what was wrong with me? That's when I first found out."
"I knew you weren't telling me something!" He practically sang over it. "And I knew that you'd tell me later, too!"
"Wait, you've known about this for how long?" Birdo questioned.
"Definitely before the word got out around Bowser's Castle." I paused to think back, fairly certain that I was correct in that assumption. "By the way Mario made it out, when he was with us before, hardly anyone knew when he told me, as Bowser didn't even want to tell his son."
"That must have changed," murmured Birdo.
"It did. By the time we ran into Bowser and before he took Mario again, Junior already knew about their relationship and lectured me over it." I recalled Junior's conviction and how he tore me apart over my differing stance. "And now, his whole castle is in on it, so it'll only be a matter of time before Peach really understands it."
"So…his whole castle knew before any of us did?" Yoshi questioned. "And yet, you knew." He frowned at me. "Luigi, why didn't you tell us?"
"Did…you not see how Peach reacted? Because she's the leader of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the way she acted reflects on and from the rest of her people."
Yoshi grabbed his feet, and he moved them back and forth with his hands. "I guess, they might be critical of that, but…Luigi, you could have told me."
"Maybe, but I really didn't want to risk it." My eyes shot back over to Birdo. "And that's what I need to ask you. I know that you'd defend their relationship and that you're keen on sharing them, but please, I'm begging you, don't tell anyone else about Bowser's real relationship with my brother."
"Honestly, I still don't understand the fuss." I opened my mouth, but Birdo held up her hand. "Your protests, I get. Anyone else who wants to cause a ruckus over this? Nope. Anyone can feel love's embrace; it's not exclusive to one gender or one type of couple."
"It's good that you think so, but I'm pretty sure a lot of other people would think otherwise," I countered, and shivered after. "Or d-don't you have issues?"
"Fair point." Birdo tugged gently at her bow, perhaps tightening it. "So, I keep quiet about them, regardless of who believes me. And…what's in it for me?"
"What? Why does anything need to be—?"
"Oh, come on, Luigi. After what Peach made me deal with?"
"Yes, that was terrible, I agree," I relented. "But…I don't have anything to give you."
"Right, so what's stopping me from—?"
"How about a date?" I blurted as my legs shot out.
"Uh…you're not that bad, Luigi, but I hardly know you all that well." Judging by her tone, I wasn't sure that was the only reason for apprehension.
"Not with me," I clarified. "Yoshi here. He'll go on a date with you, provided you keep that a secret."
"I'm doing what now?" Yoshi questioned.
"A forced date isn't any fun," groaned Birdo. "I've had bad experiences with those in the past." She paused before adding, "Besides, I can get Yoshi to date me when he's good and ready."
"You can do what to me?" Yoshi sputtered out.
"Hush, Yoshi," I muttered to him before looking back to Birdo. "Please…I already have no idea how I'm going to explain to Peach why I'm coming back empty-handed."
"Why would you be?" Birdo inquired.
"Um…I might have…told them I was…getting you to join us?"
"Deal."
"Wait, what?"
"There's always a big buzz about Mario and whoever else helps him save the day, right?" Birdo watched as I nodded. "Well then, I'd imagine that the Mushroom Kingdom would celebrate and adore anyone who restores their kingdom to peace. On top of that, bringing back Mario would get people even more delighted. And if we actually manage to eventually convince people that the relationship is good and it works out somehow, then we'll become some of the greatest heroes to not only the Mushroom Kingdom, but to history too!"
"Ah…Birdo, I don't think that's quite how it works—"
"It will most certainly work out when we're done with everything!" Birdo bounced away from the tree and tightened her fists. "Yes, this is a perfect opportunity! If I manage to help restore balance to the Mushroom Kingdom and aid the Koopa King with his relationship, I'll become a hero and a star to everyone around! This could literally be the big break I've been waiting for!"
"Break? What do you need that for?" asked Yoshi.
"It all relates back to what troubles me. Think about it: if I become one of the heroes and get recognized by everyone, people will finally have to acknowledge me for those actions! And if they're looking at that, my gender and my looks are some things they won't get hung up over so easily." She jumped up and kicked her feet about. "Oh, this could really do it! People will finally notice me for…well, me!"
"…So…"
"All right, Luigi!" Birdo zipped over, pulled me up, and roughly shook my hand. "You've got yourself a deal! No more premature reveals on Bowser and Mario, and I'll help your friends with the rest of your journey and whatever else! In exchange, I get to share the glory and credit for helping out! And not just a quick side mention, but an actual and important, noteworthy role that is quintessential, vital to what you guys do…or will have done!"
Releasing me just as roughly, I flew back as Yoshi ran over to catch me, managing to hold me up. We exchanged confused faces, and then stared as Birdo fixed her bow again.
"Sorry. Sometimes I don't know my own strengths."
"That's fine." I smiled. "We could even use that."
"Perfect! Now let's get back to the castle, grab those stuffy princesses, and be on our way!"
Proudly, Birdo marched ahead of us back to the castle. Yoshi walked close to me and leaned against me as we followed her.
"So," he whispered. "She's got a reason to keep that a secret, but what about me?"
"Do you really need one?" I mumbled.
"It'd be nice," Yoshi chuckled, his breath hitting my ear.
"Fine. How about…I get you all the fruit you can eat for a week?"
"Two weeks, and you have to bring it to me." Yoshi grinned and I tugged my cap over my head.
"Ok, deal."
"Thank you!" Yoshi wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly as we reached Peach's Castle.
"Can't…breathe…" I managed to get out, and Yoshi quickly released me.
"Hey, quit making out back there," Birdo teased as we walked back into the pink and golden corridors.
We returned to the throne room, where the Toads and the princesses were gathered once again. Everyone turned and showed slight signs of surprise to see Birdo back.
"There, see?" Peach spun about to Toadsworth. "Birdo will accompany us to the Forests, bringing us back up to five. Meanwhile, Toadette and the Toads will infiltrate Bowser's Castle to see if lightning strikes twice and they can rescue Mario once again."
Toadsworth pinched his mustache and tapped his cane. "I still don't like it," he murmured. "But I'm not going to stop you, am I?"
"Nope."
"You also realize that I can't hold the others off forever, right?"
"They should understand that I'm the princess, and that I can make decisions myself, especially if it's concerning my own actions." Peach placed her hands on her hips, satisfied with her decisions.
"Very well." He turned to Daisy, and then to the dinosaurs and I. "I'm counting on the rest of you to keep Princess Peach safe, as always."
"She'll be fine with us around," assured Daisy.
"Let's hope so." Toadsworth then pivoted to the six Toads. "As for you lot, be very careful at Bowser's Castle. Take care looking after each other, and if it's too much, get yourselves out of there."
"Don't worry, Toadsworth, we can handle this!" Toadette declared, and the five Toads cheered.
"Good. Very good." Toadsworth nodded and shuffled over to a window. "Good luck."
Everyone nodded and we departed from the throne room. The two groups made their way outside to the castle grounds and we faced one another.
"Will you need anything before you go?" Peach asked the Toads.
"To give you this," Toadette turned over the Item Bag to me. "Other than that, I think we're all set here."
"Shouldn't you take an item with you?" I offered.
"If we do that, you'll have one less." Toadette shook her head. "The six of us can take care of things."
"Wait, that's not smart," Daisy contended. "And…I've got an idea."
Taking the Item Bag and digging out the Fire Flower, Daisy held it between her hands. A soft turquoise glow encased the flower. Slowly, she pulled with both hands, as the flower was split…into two items. When the light faded, she handed one Fire Flower to the Toads, and placed the other back into our Item Bag.
"There you go, now you've got that for back-up." Daisy smiled as the Toads cheered over their additional Fire Flower. "I'd do that again with the other items, but that only works once a week, and we don't have that kind of time."
"This will be plenty for us." Toadette lifted her head and smiled. "Thank you, Daisy!"
"You're welcome!"
Toadette slipped the Fire Flower into her vest and walked off from Toadstool Road with the other five chattering Toads. We took a different direction, waving to them as they disappeared from sight.
"It'll take them some time to get to Bowser's Castle this time, without the Warp Zones," assessed Peach. "And they'll need to plan a better escape route as well."
"They'll be fine, Peach," soothed Daisy and she rested her hand on her friend's shoulder. "We should worry about the horrors that we're about to deal with."
"O-Oh d-d-dear…" I stuttered and shivered.
"Hey, you didn't mention anything about terrors," Birdo grumbled.
"Well, brace yourself for the foreboding Forests that await us," laughed Peach.
Birdo rolled her eyes as our group continued onward to the Forests, set to free another fortress from Bowser's control.
Though, now I wondered: would we be one step closer to helping Mario? Or would this only make matters worse?
...
And now there are more plots in motion as the "heroes" continue their quests!
Well, let's start this one with everyone's favorite controversial character: Birdo! He's a boy! She's a girl! It's an…um, it! Honestly, by this point, I don't think even Nintendo knows what to do with Birdo. (And they thought Sheik was the tricky case. Ha!) While her canon gender differs between Japan and the international versions in the actual Mario games, I've decided to run with her as a transgender character for this story. However, as the universal agreement is that Birdo does have a feminine manner about her and/or believes/wants to be a female, I decided that the characters will acknowledge her as such. So, if you're offended that Birdo isn't a cross-dressing male, well, that's not how she chooses to identify, so, sorry. And if I portrayed her completely inaccurately based solely on gender, my apologies. Either way, I took a long shot for representation, so…I tried.
Anyway, let's move on to her personality. In a variety of games, Birdo goes back and forth in a role as either a villain or a hero. Adapting that, I made her into a more morally ambiguous character that could play with either side to her advantage, such as scouting information from Bowser's troops and trying to gain benefits from Peach's. Some players also hate Birdo's design, not even considering the character's gender and claiming that she's just ugly. Aiming for a more sympathetic approach, I decided to translate that negative opinion of Birdo into the story and have her recognize that not only do people judge her actions, they also judge her appearance. Keeping up with her known personality, she also comes across as flirty, somewhat strong (evidenced by certain spin-offs such as Mario Kart and Baseball), femininity, and her desire to become famous, with the last one fueling her desire for acceptance.
Her relationships with characters tend to vary, as they can sometimes love her (Fortune Street) or…well, not (Super Mario Bros. 2). However, certain spin-offs indicate that she's on friendly terms with Daisy, can be friends with Toadette, may have something of a rivalry with Princess Peach, and has a strong, positive relationship with Yoshi, sometimes considered romantic, or otherwise super friendly. Again, I tried to bring that over, with Peach being wary of Birdo, but also willing to have her around, and Birdo likewise getting annoyed with Peach, but also being able to tolerate her. And with that, I'm done talking about Birdo, who I've discussed way more than a secondary/tertiary character should be talked about.
Other stuff! Toadette and the Toads are now joined together and are totally prepared to take Bowser's Castle by storm! …Right? I mean, just one Toad did it before…even though he had a lot more available to him…but they've got this! …Right? Meanwhile, Luigi's gang is off to the Forbidden For…wait. No, just the Forests. While I specified ghosts within the chapter, there are other species that live there too. However, Luigi has an extra special focus toward ghosts, and by that, I mean probable phobia. Oh, and Peach is no longer using that Royal Scepter! Crazy, right? We'll see how long that one lasts. Daisy, meanwhile, still does have her magic with her. And Toadsworth is a big panicking mess, as always.
Quick bounce back to the relationship business: yes, Birdo revealed it. Surprise! And while Luigi could have confirmed it, Peach's reaction caused him to backpedal on that decision. Except for…Yoshi! The helpful dinosaur has been hanging around the green plumber for so long that he should be the first one to get full confirmation on the relationship. (And he was the most likely to believe Birdo without knowing, but I digress.) Meanwhile, everyone now has knowledge of the relationship, but what will it take to get the truth out? And more importantly, how will they react once they understand? Yoshi was the easiest to deal with. The others? Well…you'll see.
So, wow, I haven't blabbered this much in ages! …Blame it on Birdo, of course. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) But, cheer up, next chapter bounces back over to Mario and Bowser again! If there's anything else you'd like to know, feel free to send me some questions or comments. Reviews and messages are the best way to do that, and I do love them, because that shows you care, and helps the story. And…that'll do it for now. Thank you for reading!
Oh, almost forgot: new poll on my profile and Tumblr for this story! Vote if you're interested! Thank you!