So, um… Yeah… The interrogation is totally not happening yet, because plot. But you know the routine: Johnny is jailed, the plan went kaput, and the Koopalings are delivering presents… Er, coming to town… And then, there is the same cast… You guys came for the story, so let's get to it!

-o-

Lockdown!

Location: Makeshift tennis courtyard on the training grounds, Desert Hill

Time left: 3 hours, 25 minutes

…

Daisy huffs calmly as she holds onto her racket with both hands, as some sweat trickles down her cheeks. The doogan warden, feigning repose even though he's just as weary, pretentiously stands with his racket in one hand and bouncing the tennis ball on the other. The other soldiers, comprised of the diverse fauna of the Mushroom World, cheer on vigorously as they surround the court from a distance of about a yard. The warden licks his lips and stops bouncing the ball.

"I must say, milady, this has been the best game I've ever played," compliments the doogan warden, "But sadly, only one of us can break this tie. I won't hold back any longer. Best of luck to you, Princess."

"Just bring it," replies the princess, earning a pleased smile from the warden, "I'm ready for ya."

"That's what I like about action girls," the warden breathes out, just as he bounces the ball once and throws it into the air, ready for his final service. He clears his throat in preparation for a loud grunt.

Suddenly, the doogan vice warden interrupts the game. "Warden, sir!" He salutes.

The warden, just as suddenly, loses focus, which causes him to miss the ball and growls loudly; a loud, complementary gasp roars through the crowd of soldiers present. Furious, he shoots an irritated look at the vice warden accompanies by a silent snarl.

"Tanuki! This had better be good!"

"My apologies, Warden, but we have a level Red Alert. Two suspects have breached our premises and are now under custody."

The warden is now less angry, but still somewhat serious. "And who would it be, vice warden?" begins the Warden sarcastically, "The Scourge of Desert Hill and his sidekick?"

"Affirmative," Tanuki replies nonchalantly, silencing the now deadpan Warden. A chilling, desert wind blowing across the courtyard accompanies the silence.

Vice Warden Tanuki continues. "I have a green Yoshi under custody of some soldiers and the bounty hunters, and Morton is being sent to the tank to be the shark pirate's food."

Daisy drops her racket and places her hands over her mouth. Some soldiers and the warden look at her. 'Oh noes!' she thought, 'Yosh is in trouble! And Morty's pork chops!'

"Is something wrong, milady?" asks the warden.

"Um, ah… Uh… A-CHOO!" she quickly replies. She sniffs a little, and begins to rub her nose with her fore arm, but she remembers she needs to act a little more dignified, so she just grabs her right forearm behind her back. "I think, I uh, got a bit… cold…" Everyone buys it.

"You're right, princess," replies Tanuki the vice warden doogan, "This isn't a place for a princess to be in."

"Look here, Tanuki," interjects the warden sternly, earning a confused look from the vice warden.

"Sir?"

"Don't you dare change the conversation on me!"

'The warden's serious now!' he thought, standing in attention and gulping while the warden fiddles with his mustache.

"Hmm… We've never had a breach before… And the Scourge… I'm surprised you of all doogans gave him a capital punishment. But it doesn't matter; I would have issued the same sentence eventually, so why not now? The king will understand once I present our report."

Tanuki clears his throat. "I don't mean to go on a tangent again, but, uh, the princess…" He points at Daisy, making the warden turn his head. She is pretending to be shaking. "Like I said before, his isn't a place fit for her. However, she could sit in while we interrogate with the Yoshi guy, and go from there."

The warden rubs his furry chin approvingly. "Hmm… Excellent idea, Tanuki! Let's hurry, then! The entire jail will be in lockdown effective immediately."

The vice warden replies, "I'll mobilize the troops at once, and escort her highness to the changing room."

As soon as he finished talking, the vice warden shouts orders to the entire battalion present, while the warden heads toward his office.

…

Location: Locker room, inside the jail

Time left: 3 hours, 15 minutes

One travel to the locker room later, Tanuki waits outside the locker room as he did beforehand as Daisy begins changing back into her yellow and orange dress. She took a liking to the racket she was loaned for the game ending in a stalemate. It fit her hand like a glove and everything about the feeling of it was just right, so she picked it up before leaving the game area. However, she is feeling a bit uncomfortable…

'That's just great, I'm all sweaty and stuff!' she complains as she put on her dress. The cloth of the dress is sticking to her skin. 'And what is worse, the warden kissed my hand again! But Yosh and Morty are in trouble. I'll get you guys outta here, I promise!'

…

Time left: 3 hours, 7 minutes

Daisy opens the door, but before she could walks out, several doogan soldiers fell inside, their tails wagging rapidly and panting in excitement. Just then, Vice Warden Tanuki appears and clears his throat loudly, causing those soldiers to yelp and quickly stand in attention. Daisy bolts out of the locker room.

"For shame!" begins the Vice warden, "WE'RE IN A CRISIS, AND THIS IS HOW YOU ACT!? YOU ALL HAVE 5 SECONDS TO GET TO YOUR STATIONS, ON THE DOUBLE!"

"SIR, YES SIR!" they yell in unison, and almost instantaneously disappear in a flash.

Tanuki looks at Daisy with a mortified expression. "I apologize again. I leave for a few seconds and this happens. It reflects the very reputation…"

The princess interrupts as she rubs her hands nervously, glancing to the sides. "That's cool and all, but… Can we just go? The soldiers here are giving me the creeps."

"Yes, ma'am. Please walk in front of me. This way, to my office…"

…

Location: Hallway near Johnny's tank inside the jail

Time left: 3 hours, 3 minutes

While Tanuki escorts Daisy swiftly towards his office, she looks around and notices the hallway to be dark, with some cracks on the floor and burnt electrical hardware occasionally emitting sparks. She stares at the ceiling and stops walking, spotting a missing component to the vent system. Suddenly, Tanuki yelling at something interrupts her thoughts.

"Such a simple task, and you still haven't accomplished it?"

She sees Boris, a Bandit soldier, standing still as his hand stretches toward a button out of his reach, located on the wall next to Johnny's tank. Boris turns around quickly, fumbling with his weapon at his chest before standing silently in attention. Tanuki, already upset and embarrassed by his underlings' behavior, sighs and shakes his head. Both he and Daisy walk towards him

"Well? What do have to say for your self, soldier?"

"Sir! My apologies, sir, for not completing the task sir. It will not happen again, sir!"

"Again?" scoffs the vice warden, "You do realize that any small mistake can ruin any operation? Get this through your mind: The first time is the only time. There are no next times."

Daisy sees the Bandit soldier shaking a bit, then looks at the shark pirate; he's still chained up from his flippers and pelvic region, his head hangs barely underwater, his face is sunken and his chest quivers slowly from his breathing. She looks back at the hallway they came from; a dark figure approached, but she couldn't tell what or who it was. She turns her attention toward the vice warden, who is still reprimanding Boris.

"Um, Vice Warden Tanuki?"

Tanuki stops, and clears his throat. "Yes, milady?" he asks calmly.

"What does that button do exactly?"

"It closes an automated, metallic wall, which covers the tank from this side. It's for heating the tank at noon and for hiding the shark's feeding frenzy…"

"Ooooh…" Daisy thinks silently for a few seconds. "But… If it's just to cover that, then there's no need to yell at the poor soldier then."

"I appreciate your concern, ma'am, but at this rate, I'll find more incompetence in this place and we'll be the laughing stock of the kingdom."

"Maybe you should have asked a taller soldier, then?"

Tanuki can't reply immediately. "Touché," he says under his breath. "Still," he continues audibly, "This is a code red emergency. Your safety is at risk and we must get answers from this Yoshi creature as soon as possible."

Daisy tries to prolong the argument, but a deep voice booms from behind. "Tanuki!"

"Yes, warden, sir?"

"Have you contacted the bounty hunters yet?"

"Negative, sir, we have just arrived here. We are ready for your next orders."

"I just need to know certain details, Tanuki…"

Daisy sighs and walks around the small room in front of the tank as the other two have an extended conversation, when suddenly, she beams in enlightenment. While the warden and Vice Warden Tanuki are distracted with technicalities and planning, Daisy goes over to the tank and taps on the high impact glassy surface a couple of times.

"Johnny… Heeey, Johnny! Wake up!" she whispers, but nothing happens. "I hope he ain't dead yet…"

Boris desists in pressing the button as soon as he sees the princess trying to talk to the shark pirate, and walks over to her. Daisy becomes wary of Boris' presence; right then, the conversation between the wardens starts to get heated. The bandit soldier lifts up his mask, leaving Daisy dumbfounded for a few seconds, before laughing and pushing Boris' left shoulder playfully. She talks to the bandit soldier before going back to the wardens, leaving Boris saluting in place.

Sarasaland's princess approaches the wardens while the Warden himself is saying, "Tanuki! You worry too much! I, Warden Leroy, swear we will not fail"

Daisy snickers when she hears the warden's real name, making both doogan wardens stare at her. She shrugs as if nothing happened. They leave towards the cells. Johnny opens his eye again, having heard everything, and closes it again.

-o-

Both the warden and vice warden didn't have names before, so that's going to be their names from now on. Apparently, grunting is a thing in tennis. Google will tell you all the details. Also, stay tuned for the interrogation, which will happen…, in a chapter near you.

PS: Bandits are the masked characters introduced in Yoshi's Island that actively try to steal baby Mario. Doogans are a canine species introduced in Paper Mario. (Should have stated that earlier, but… better late than never.)