MS MOWZ

It took her around 3 hours to get from Petal Meadows to Rogueport. She had almost come face to face with a Blooper and dealt with two grabby Paragoombas while on the pipe trail - nothing that her love slap couldn't fix. The climb down the castle wall had worn her out a little, even though she was a professional climber - courtesy of her days exploring the Dry Dry Ruins with Moustafa – and she couldn't wait to get home. She exited through the pipe and arrived at the east part of Rogueport; most people frowned at the thought of this rotting, crime filled, godforsaken town, but Ms. Mowz called it home, and had come to love the place.

She had come to Rogueport about 15 years ago. She had been born on the outskirts of a town called Decalburg, on the east side of the Mushroom Kingdom. She had no clear memories of her parents - a weird illness had taken her mother and her father was a thief who went out their loft one day and never came back, probably caught by the police and was rotting in a jail somewhere she thought. Alone in the world, Ms. Mowz had to learn to take care of herself - she began pickpocketing when she was just 5. It was around this time of her life that she was taken in by a commune of Craws, homeless lowlifes like herself. From a Craw named Raymond she had learn the art of fibbing and conning, "business stuff" as he called it. By 11, Ms. Mowz had become one of Decalburg's top con artists and thieves (she personally liked the term "business woman" better), by 15 she was one of Decalburg's most wanted and by 20, of the Mushroom Kingdom's.

She had assembled quite the fortune by fibbing, conning and stealing from endless individuals; Toads, Koopas, Goombas, Boos, the list went on and on. Unfortunately for Ms. Mowz, the richer she became, the greedier her buddy Craws got. One dreaded night, she woke up to Raymond, along with several of his buddies, holding a knife to her throat. They tied her up and did everything they wished to her, things that shouldn't be done to anybody and then some. For four days Ms. Mowz almost wished for death. "Ye just need to sign that pretty lil stack of cash o'yours to us, then it'll all be done", one Raymond's henchmen told her. She had no option but to sign down to the last coin of her fortune to those bastards. On the fifth day, they drove her down to the docks and tossed her badly beaten body in the water. Ms. Mowz was sure she would die that day. But she didn't. A family of Cheep Cheeps found her just in time, untied her and helped her to shore. Since she had nowhere to go, the family of Cheep Cheeps took her in and healed her wounds. It was a slow, painful process. Living with this family of fish, Ms. Mowz had learned something important: Raymond and his henchmen had spread the rumor that she was dead. This also came as a good piece of information, as she was now free to rebuild her life.

After her wounds healed, Sushie, one of the Cheep Cheeps whom Ms. Mowz had grown close to, bought her a blimp ticket to Toad Town. There she took a day-long train ride to a place called Dry Dry Outpost - a small town in the middle of the vast Dry Dry Desert that housed more Mousers, or so she had heard. Once she got there, she managed to get a housekeeping job at a local inn. The pay was shit but it would help her as she got back on top. It was on this inn that she met the most handsome Mouser she had ever seen. Tall (for a Mouser), with beautiful grayish green skin and long whiskers, Moustafa told her all about his archeological expeditions and of the gang he was leader of. "Honorable thieves", as he called them. Ms. Mowz was smitten. She quit her job at the inn and went to live with Moustafa. They would go on many expeditions to the desert together and it was him who taught her all about rock climbing and hiking. For once in her life, Ms. Mowz felt happy. But the happy days didn't last long; one day, Moustafa met a self proclaimed fellow explorer. A middle age Koopa from the town of Pedalburg who had spent most of his life traveling through the Mushroom Kingdom, Sarasaland and even the Bean and Waffle Kingdoms. Kolorado was very respected in the archeology world, and after they met it was like Moustafa didn't have time for her anymore. To make things worse, Kolorado now joined them on their expeditions. Ms. Mowz had come to resent him in a way. On a fated Monday morning, she woke up to find that Moustafa wasn't in his bed. He hadn't even left a note and she later learned, from a Dryite Toad, that him and Kolorado had gone to a "very important mission" regarding some ruins. Ms. Mowz was furious, but her anger dissolved when she got even bigger news that night: She was pregnant.

She couldn't wait to tell Moustafa, oh he'd be so happy! She began looking for baby names and practically couldn't keep still the rest of the day. But nor Moustafa nor Kolorado came back that night. Nor the next day. Nor the next. Nor the next. Word of mouth had it that they had been "swallowed by the desert". Some said they had gotten themselves lost and starved to death, others that it was the heat that killed them, others even claimed the ghost of King Maousto had killed them. Whatever the real reason was, Moustafa wasn't coming back. once again found herself alone, but the child inside her gave her strength and courage. She took her old job back at inn with an addition: she went back to her conning ways. Memories of Decalburg helped her become more careful, thus more sly and sneaky. Eventually, she was able to assembly another, fortune, albeit smaller, and decided to leave The Outpost. From Maura, a Dryite Toad and close friend, she learned of a town called Rougeport - a blooming, prosperous trading port with many work opportunities; the ideal place to raise a child. Even though Ms. Mowz was still grieving Moustafa, she liked the idea of the place. A big, busy town also meant more people to con and stuff to steal.

Her and Maura took the train to Toad Town and once there, bought two passages for the ship that would take them to their new home. Three days later, they finally arrived. Rogueport was a calm, easygoing town filled with sailors, and merchants. They settled into a small apartment in the west part of town, the low income zone. Shortly after, Maura got a job as a maid in a wealthy household on the other side of town while Ms. Mowz worked at a local store. After the baby was born – a beautiful male mouser she named Sheek – her and Maura moved to a bigger apartment in the same building. Ms. Mowz eventually took two jobs; saleswoman at The Lovely House of Badges, a badge store in the main plaza, and at the town's request center – where she got paid to literally solve problems and find stuff for others. Ms. Mowz eventually adjusted to her new life, the pain of losing Moustafa began setting in; all her energies were put into raising Sheek. But the arrival of the Robbos and the Pianta Syndicate made everything worse for everyone. Crime rates went up, the trading market stopped and the merchants left. Instead, pirates, rapists, gangs, thieves, murderers and the scum of society came. Rogueport, once a promising town, became a rotting godforsaken hellhole that housed the worst of the worst. Ms. Mowz eventually was forced to take a third job – thief. Her past made her somewhat of a known figure among the town's underground (pretty much eveyrone living there) and she began taking thieving jobs. But this was good as it gave her an extra income, which went to her son's education and she was even able to buy The Lovely House of Badges, which she renamed the Lovely Howz of Badges. Maura quit her maid job and began working at the store. Despite the hellhole they lived in, Ms. Mowz and her son were happy.

It had begun to rain when Ms. Mowz arrived into Rogueport. People were running left and right, an elderly Toad with an empty eyesocket was selling newspapers which announced the return of the Pedalburg Festivals and the death of a dragon.

"The Koopa that was with that mustached man was mentioning something about killing a dragon…", thought Ms. Mowz to herself. Could it be the same?

To get to The Lovely Howz of Badges, she had to cross the east side of town and get to the main plaza. It was packed to death; Toads, Goombas, Daysees, Koopas and other species ran and bumped into each other looking to protect themselves from the rain. In the balconies of one of the town's most well known brothels, a female Toad pulled her dress down and flashed her wet, saggy breasts to the crowd; "want some o'these boooys?".

When Ms. Mowz finally arrived, she was met by Maura; "about time you got here. Someone called from the request center regarding a mission".

"I'll get back to them later. Did you get Sheek from school?"

"Just like I said I would, I dropped him off with his friend, that Daysee, what's him name - Tracee?"

"Haysee", corrected Ms. Mowz. "How were the sales today?"

"We sold out all the FP Badges. Last one was bought by a short man who came from afar. Had a funny mustache" giggled Maura.

Ms. Mowz frowned, "Was his name Mario by any chance?". Maura didn't know. Still they had made quite the bundle, but they were out of FP Badges and had to get more. Ms Mowz asked that Maura contact their supplier tomorrow – some weird rat guy from the docks.

"The Shy Guy downstairs told me that were rumors of a treasure. That people are coming from all places to find some legendary treasure. Something to do with that legend of the hundred year door.."

"Thousand year door", corrected Ms. Mowz.

"Yes! Thousand year door! Silly me tee-hee. If you ask me that's a load of bullshit. The Shy Guy told me that people want to open it, cause that's where the treasure's allegedly at. Oh well, let's close up so we can get home".

Ms. Mowz remembered the mustached man she had seen at the castle, Mario. He was saying something about finding Crystal Stars, which, according to legend, were needed to open the Thousand Year Door. But that's a myth. The door doesn't exist…

"Or does it?", she asked outloud.

"You said something, dear?", asked Maura.

"Not at all. Come one, let's close up and get home".

They left the store and took a nearby bus that took them to the west part, leaving them just a few blocks away from their building. Sheek had been staying with a friend from school, a Crazee Daysee named Haysee, him and his parents were from Flower Field. They were nice people Ms. Mowz had met before. Sheek was a quiet little mouser who despite his appearance and demeanor was nice, smart and hard working in school. Ms. Mowz was very proud of him. She made dinner for Sheek, Maura and herself (she was quite the cook). Afterwards, she helped her son with his homework and left him in his small room playing. Maura was cleaning the kitchen.

"Do you believe the rumors?", asked Ms. Mowz.

"Excuse me?", Maura was caught off guard. "The treasure. Do you believe it could be true. The thousand year door I mean?".

"Oh Mowzie. If that old legend were true, that door would've been found already. People have looked everywhere and have never found it. Still, I believe it makes for an interesting story". Ms. Mowz was deep in her thoughts, until the phone rang. It was ol' Spoopy from the request center. She had forgotten to turn in the badge! She changed her clothes, kissed Sheek (he was to be at bed by 9), grabbed her umbrella and rushed down the door.

To get to the request center, she had to go further west – which meant two bus rides. The rain fell harder. There had been a murder in Toadstool St. (another gang fight) and the police was investigating, or whatever those lazy, corrupted fucks did. Ms. Mowz got off the bus, which was driven by a stern faced old Goomba and walked to her second job. On the way, she almost bumped into another Goomba, this one was just as old, had glasses, white hair and was mumbling to himself something about needing to help his best student. For a second there she thought she'd heard him say Mario but he entered his building before she had the chance to ask him. She entered the request center through the backdoor, which was in a back alley. In a corner, a Bandit had his way with a purple haired female toad.

The request center was a square shaped building divided by a wooden wall with a small hatch window. Next to the hatch, was a bulletin board; people would come in with their requests which are then assigned among the employees. Since Ms. Mowz was one of the bests, she always got the toughest. Luckily this also meant a bigger pay. On the other side of the wall was a desk with a chair and computer and a small bathroom. The owner, an old Raven by the name of Spoopy, was waiting for Ms. Mowz.

"About time you got yer pretty ass in here. Hand over the badge!"

Ms. Mowz handed the badge to her boss, receiving a bag of 250 coins in exchange. "A fine job indeed Mowzie. You are one of the best in here, that's why I have a new mission for you".

"What!? Another!?", Ms. Mowz expected this one to be her last mission of the month; she had agreed with Spoopy that he would give her two weeks off, in exchange for two more extra missions. This had been her third.

"Yes, yes ehr…. There's this rich Boo girl that is looking for this very elusive badge. I got the location and all just need you to go and get it. It's a day long trip, you take a ferry to this town and once there you take your pretty self to this forest. Some mystical place south from here".

Ms. Mowz shrugged, "I suppose if I want to keep my job I'll have to take it. You're a real pain in the ass Spoopy, you know that?".

"Ehrr… That's what I've been told". He half chuckled, half coughed. "When can you leave?"

"Friday. I want to say goodbye to my kid first. That OK!?".

"Ehrr… Yes that's fine, fine indeed".

"What's this place called?", asked Ms. Mowz as she was getting ready to leave.

"Boggly Woods. The Big Tree in Boggly Woods".