Wanda made more than five-hundred and twenty-four blocks. The total number so far was a lot higher than that, but Daisy only started counting five-hundred and twenty-four blocks ago. Five-hundred and twenty-five now.

Wanda groaned as she kept at it. Her pace slowed more and more as the day dwindled and the crew grew antsy. It was like standing in line to not drown.

"Don't give up Wanda!" Daisy said. "We're almost there!"

"Yeah!" a crewman said. "You can do it!"

"The blocks behind us are disappearing," a fighter fly said. "So yeah, pick up the pace."

"You wanna make the blocks?!" Wanda said, her voice cracking. "This is way harder than it looks y'know!"

"Don't listen to him! I believe in you!" a tokotoko said. "Also please hurry. I am made of stone."

"Augh," Wanda said as she carried on, her wand swings growing sloppy.

The block bridge crept closer to the shore of Pi'illo Island. Apart from being their salvation, it did not look that special. The usual forest, mountain, castle, and desert locales. Did every kingdom have to have a desert? It felt like you could not huck a rock on this planet without hitting some sandy ruins.

Wanda gave out just a few yards before they reached the beach shore. She dropped like a rock and Daisy lunged to snatch her out of the air before she fell in the water.

"Is that it?" Waluigi said. "Couple more and you're done."

Wanda replied with an unintelligible gurgle.

Waluigi took off his shoes and dropped off the bridge into the ankle-deep water. "Good enough, I suppose."

Daisy jumped down to join him and Wanda burbled something else.

"Don't worry," Daisy said. "You just rest. I'll carry you."

"You're going to carry her like that?" Waluigi said.

"What's wrong with how I'm carrying her?!" Daisy said, holding Wanda out by the waist like a rag doll.

"You need to make sure her head is supported!" he said. "Haven't you ever held a baby before?!"

Daisy scoffed. "Have YOU?"

He looked insulted. He swiped Wanda from her and cradled her gently in the crook of his long arm. Wanda curled up in comfort with a gentle smile.

"See?" he said. "Amateur."

Daisy felt the white-hot fury of being upstaged. She clicked her tongue and stomped through the water toward the beach. "Whatever! You carry her then."

The survivors piled off and made their way to dry land, finding themselves near a touristy cobblestone port city. Some of the locals appeared to be beanish, little green people with oblong heads, but most looked like larger, floating, stuffed toy versions of sprixies. A plump yellow one stopped to gawk at Daisy and her crew.

"Oh hey," he said. "You guys look pretty beat up. Are you more refugees?"

"I guess?" Daisy said. It was certainly one way to describe them. "We just got here."

"We got a whole camp set up for folks like you! I'll show you! Come on!"

Waluigi and Daisy exchanged a bewildered glance, but the group followed the hefty pillow man toward the center of town. There was a whole shanty town of tents set up in the middle of plaza and it was crawling with shyguys, tweeters, and ninji. Daisy pointed at them in alarm.

"Minions!" she said.

"They beat us here!" Waluigi said. "Squash 'em!"

Daisy let out a battle cry and charged towards the nearest terrified shy guy to give it a nice beating, but before she could get to work pummeling, one of the pillow people threw itself between her and the bad guys.

"Stay your hand!" He was smaller but dressed in a fancy red cloak. "I will not allow you to harm these poor souls!"

"Eh?" Daisy let her combat stance droop. "Poor souls?"

She looked and saw most of them were cowering from behind cover.

"Aren't these hoodlums causing mayhem here?"

The fancy red guy relaxed. "They came to the waking world seeking sanctuary from a tyrant. It is my responsibility as Prince of this isle to ensure their safety."

"Oh, you're ROYALTY?" Daisy said, already feeling in better company. "Cool, cool. Me too, if that wasn't obvious. Hi. I'm Daisy. From Sarasaland?" No reaction. Sigh. "And if you're in charge of this place that means you're, uh… What's-his-face… uh…" She snapped her fingers; the name was on the tip of her tongue.

"Dreambert," Waluigi said.

"Yes." Dreambert offered a stiff nod. "I am the leader of the Pi'illo people. Which is why I must ask you not to cause trouble here."

Daisy held her hands up. "No, sorry! My bad! I thought they were bad guys."

"Hmph. Typical," Waluigi said. "Assuming subcon people are bad guys? Just what is your problem?"

"Hey! YOU'RE the one who told me to squash them!"

"Stop shouting!" he said, coddling Wanda against his chest. "You're going to wake her."

"Ugh, whatever!" Daisy stomped up to the middle of the shanty town. "Okay everyone, I just learned an important lesson about not making assumptions based on appearances! There's no need to make this into a thing!"

The refugees peeked out from their hiding places but remained unconvinced. Daisy turned toward Dreambert.

"You said something about them running from a tyrant?"

"Most of them arrived the other day," Dreambert said. "From what I understand, the frog sorcerer Wart and his gang have returned. I have sent some of my men to check on the situation in the Dream World, but none have returned."

"That's PERFECT!" Daisy said.

"Is… it?" Dreambert said, perturbed.

"We're just the people you need. Me and Waluigi here are already on a heroic quest to trounce this Wart guy. Help us get to Subcon and we'll take care of him for you."

"Thank you, but there is no need for that," Dreambert said. "This matter is extremely dangerous, and I plan to send for Mario to aid our neighbors in Subcon."

Daisy tensed.

"Okay, about that, listen—"

Waluigi held his free arm across to stop her. "No. Let me tell him."

"Uh?" Daisy stepped aside, confused.

Waluigi put on a grim face. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but I have terrible news. Mario is dead."

Dreambert recoiled in shock. "What…? No, that can't be true."

"It was quite tragic, really," Waluigi said. "The legendary Super Mario felled by a single goomba. I saw it myself. It's strange to think he would make such a rookie mistake. It was the most humiliating defeat I've ever witnessed."

"Wait that's—" Daisy started before Waluigi elbowed her, giving her a look. "OH. Ohh. Okay. Yeah. I was there too. And then he like, tripped and fell down a pit too. Into spikes! Yeah! I've never seen a more gruesome Game Over in my life."

"Okay that's enough," Waluigi said. "His Highness doesn't need to hear ALL the grisly details."

Dreambert floated in the air, beside himself at this news.

"And… you're sure it was Mario? I'm sorry. I just can't imagine him failing like that. There must be some mistake."

"Yeah, the mistake that killed him," Waluigi said. "A lesson in hubris. No one is immortal, etc. It's up to us to pick up where he left off and carry on his legacy."

"That's right!" Daisy said, brainstorming things to remember. "And on his dying breath, he asked me and Waluigi to stop Wart on his behalf!"

"He whispered that?" Dreambert said. "All the way from the bottom of the pit?"

Daisy hesitated as the rickety tower of lies started to creak.

"…Yes."

"But what of his steadfast brother, Luigi? While not ideal, surely he can—"

"Flu," Waluigi said, interrupting. "Out with the flu. Very contagious. Not an option right now."

"I see." The prince looked down, floating in the air consumed with a noble grief. It took a moment for him to find the strength to raise his head again. "If it was true that Mario entrusted you with his quest, then I am honor bound to help."

"Awesome!" Daisy said. "And just so we're clear, it's Daisy and Waluigi who are going to do the day saving, okay? You're going to want to write that down to avoid confusion."

"Hey, Princess?" A gao sailor said. "If you're busy with your shenanigans and it's all the same to you, me and the other crew members were thinking of getting in line for the charity soup kitchen they got here. They're serving minestrone and that's just too good to pass up."

"Sure, knock yourself out," Daisy said. "Have fun."

The crew waved goodbye as Dreambert led Daisy and Waluigi off across the island and toward a castle that loomed on the horizon. They followed the winding staircases into the palace. The halls of the castle were populated with more pillow people as well as shelltop toads and brock blockmen all trying to look busy in their sleepy government jobs. Daisy was not impressed. She did not spot a single sporting event organizer or game show studio and it struck her as pathetic even for a kingdom as backwater as this.

Dreambert opened the door to some inner sanctum of the castle, where a large and mystical bed was kept. Luminescent turquoise bedsheets gave off a dancing ethereal light. The purple blackboard was carved deep with mystical runes. Daisy gave the mattress a shove and the bed adjusted its firmness to her exact preference. It was a very inviting bed.

"Subcon is a sacred place," Dreambert said as he closed the door. "In my day, before my people were resurrected, it was formless place of power where wild dreams became wishes. I understand our cousins the sprixies and the Star Spirits saw fit to give it shape. To cultivate it like a garden, to nurture the best dreams to become reality."

"We didn't ask for a history lesson," Waluigi said.

Dreambert looked wistful. "Forgive me. I was just thinking on how my people were tasked with protecting it. Perhaps if we had been here then Wart would have never found his way there."

"You're right," Waluigi said with surprising anger. "You should've been there. Now stop wasting time and open the way in."

Dreambert took a deep breath. "I'll act as the conduit. One of you will need to stay behind to sleep and act as our anchor to the waking world."

"Oh good, we can just use Wanda then," Daisy said.

"Buh?" Wanda said, stirring in Waluigi's arms.

"Shh," Waluigi cooed. "It's fine. We got this. Go back to sleep."

Wanda resumed dozing and Waluigi gently sat her down on the bed. She settled and looked exceedingly comfy. Dreambert went POOF and turned into a luxurious red pillow.

"Have her sleep on me and the portal will open."

"Uh, okay." This was getting a little weird, but Daisy rolled with it. She slipped Wanda's little noggin onto the Dreambert pillow and a swirling portal opened over the bed with a magical WHUM sound.

"Stars be with you!" Dreambert said, soft enough to not wake Wanda. "My duties prevent me from escorting you, but I am counting on you to honor Master Mario's dying wish!"

"Got it," Daisy said. She exchanged a nod with Waluigi, and the two took a running leap into the Dream World.