Chapter 8: Keep Your Friends Close and Your Acquaintances Closer

AN: I apologize if this chapter isn't detailed enough. I will try harder in the next one. I hope this chapter is as good as the last one.

Mario and his gang, which consisted of himself, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Victor, Anita, Professor Professor, Starfish Buggy, Gardevoir, Ninetales, Bennita, Julius, Ri, and everyone's Pokémon, had barely made it out of the Chain Chomp attack alive. One of Victor's legs was now badly injured and had to be bandaged. As Luigi and Gardevoir were carrying the stretcher which had Victor in it, Luigi started to realize something.

"Mario?" Luigi sounded. "I just want to ask. How long 'til Victor's leg heals?"

"I don't know." Mario answered. "It'd probably take a few days before it can be used again."

"What?" Victor shouted out in shock. "I'm useless right now?"

"Yes," replied his godmother Gardevoir. "Now don't try to move it until it's regained strength."

"Can't we just go to the Kingdom of Drawings and ask Her Majesty for the nearest room in her castle?" Bennita suggested.

"I don't know," Peach responded with a seemingly well-thought out answer. "I'm not sure Princess Santana's going to answer your suggestion right away, Bennita. Besides, we're still looking for someone to tell us where Doctor Doctor is."

"Actually, I think it's a good idea." Yoshi jumped up. "We need a break, anyway."

"I agree that it's a fine idea," Ninetales said. "Master Starfish Buggy, if you would be so kind…."

"Don't worry," Ri cut in. "Me and Julius'll lead the way."

So they followed Ri and Julius to the Drawing Kingdom. The Kingdom of Drawings was, like the name had told all, created with nothing but colorful, rich pencil sketches and drawings of Toads, Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Boos, and other creatures. There were realistic-looking paper trees, a big paper manor, and even the sky looked elaborately painted.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" Luigi pointed to a Paragoomba colored in rainbow being chased by a seemingly human boy with a giant green pencil. The eraser was pointed at the Paragoomba and the boy had an evil grin on his face.

"He's going to erase the thing!" Gardevoir realized. Gardevoir let go of her side of the stretcher and ran to stop the boy.

"Where are you going? The stretcher'll fall over without someone to hold the other side!" Luigi yelled.

"Not now. I've got to save her!"

Gardevoir tackled the boy and pinned him down to the floor.

"What are you doing with that pencil?" Gardevoir asked the boy, giving him the third degree.

"It is just for fun." The boy answered. "So what? It's not your fucking business!"

Gardevoir grabbed a hold of the boy's shirt and pulled him near her.

"You listen to me, boy. You were scaring that poor thing with wings, chasing her around like that with that giant pencil. You try it again and you will not be happy with the consequences."

"OK. Just don't kill me, please."

Ninetales stepped in and signaled Gardevoir to put the boy down.

"I suggest you leave, son, before you do anything else," Ninetales warned, but with a much gentler tone than Gardevoir's.

The boy walked away, dropping his pencil in the process.

"Thanks, magic fox and magic being." the rainbow Paragoomba suddenly said.

Gardevoir yelped.

"Oh my God, you're talking," Gardevoir replied. "And you're welcome. What's your name?"

"I am known as Goombanita, but I'd rather be known as Rainbow, like I am colored."

"I am Gardevoir," Gardevoir began. "These are my friends, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Victor, Anita, Professor Professor, Starfish Buggy, Ninetales, Bennita, Julius, and Ri."

"Some friends you got, huh?" Goombanita questioned.

"Yes, they are. We are looking for a woman that Bowser kidnapped and we're on our way to rescue her."

"You are? Is she another princess?"

"Uh, no. Actually, she was with my group, more specifically a prisoner."

"What does you group do?"

"I don't think you're supposed to know. Now, where's the princess of this kingdom?"

"She's in the paper manor. Why?"

"Well, we need to stay at her manor and take a break. You think she'll mind?"

"I don't know. Ever since Prince Manuel's birth 2 years ago, Princess Santana has developed into a loner or something like that."

"Is Prince Manuel her brother?"

"No. He's her son."

Gardevoir had a shocked expression. Surely, that couldn't be the reason why there were seldomly visitors in the manor anymore.

"So maybe she's trying to protect her son from intruders."

"Allow me to talk to her, Gardevoir. She's my best friend."

So the gang followed Goombanita to the paper manor where Princess Santana was. When they went inside, the paper manor had a luxurious collection of Victorian-era furniture, wallpaper, flooring, and decorations. The chandelier, with its petite tanzanite crystals and platinum metalwork, seemed a bit much from how Starfish Buggy would later see it, but this was a princess' manor after all, so you'd expect everything inside to be prestigious. The floor was actually a stony overlay of all the stars and constellations in the sky, which also held up the moon in all its shining silver glory. As for the walls, they were a collaboration of people in their finest dresses and garments that reigned before the current princess Santana. The ceiling had painted stones, which were all colored in shades of pink, red, orange, and yellow.

"Dear God, look at this place," Anita murmured to herself in awe.

"Yes, it's majestic." Goombanita replied. Apparently, she had overheard Anita.

"Now what do we do?" Gardevoir asked.

"Santana!" Goombanita shouted.

"Goombanita?" a voice came. From behind the thick rust-colored metal door, a tan princess with coarse coal-black hair, fiery-colored eyes, a purple dress, one glove which stood out, a silver crown, and big purple orb earrings came out. She set out her eyes at who was behind Goombanita.

"Oh my gosh… This is Princess Santana?" Gardevoir asked, luststricken.

"Yes, I am Princess Santana," replied the princess. "Goombanita, my friend, can you explain why you called me over here?"

"Uh-huh. Princess Santana, these people are a rescue team going after one of their own. They are Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi, Victor, Anita, Gardevoir, Ninetales, Bennita, Julius, Ri, Professor Professor, and Starfish Buggy." Goombanita explained.

Princess Santana started to snicker.

"Starfish Buggy? Starfish Buggy?" Santana asked twice.

Then she went into hysterical laughter.

"Yeah, it is funny," Luigi remarked.

"Anyway, Goombanita," Santana finally said after she halted laughter. "Why did you bring these people here?"

"Well, they need to take a break from searching for the hostage. Well, that, and Victor's leg is pretty bad." replied Goombanita.

"In that case, just take the spare room across Manuel's."

"Thanks, Santana."

That night, while everyone was sleeping, Goombanita suddenly awakened and shook Gardevoir slightly.

"Gardevoir?" Goombanita spoke.

"Huh? What?" Gardevoir stirred from the shake, sounding half-asleep. "Why are you up?"

"I want to ask: Can I join your party?"

"I guess so. A flying monkey would be helpful. Now go back to sleep."

"Yes'm."

And with that, Goombanita laid her head on Gardevoir's neck and fell back asleep instantly. Almost immediately did she also blush, as if she had intense romantic feelings inside.

The next day, something woke up Gardevoir, but this time it wasn't Goombanita.

"Momma!" a little boy's voice shouted.

Gardevoir, once again, woke up, looking at Manuel, who looked exactly like Princess Santana (well, almost, anyway) and was dragging around a white cotton plush bunny on the floor.

Princess Santana responded immediately to the beckon and entered the room where her guests were sleeping.

"What's wrong, son? Tell me." Santana asked her son in her kind, soft tone.

"Mommy, there's intruders here," Manuel replied, pointing to Gardevoir.

"It's all right, sweetie. They're guests of mine." Princess Santana assured him.

"Is it time for breakfast?" Gardevoir asked, noticing that the others were just now getting up from their slumber.

"Yes. Come downstairs. After this, I wish you luck to finding your prisoner."

"OK."

After breakfast, Princess Santana said goodbye to her guests. While her visitors were starting to leave, she noticed Goombanita was leaving with them.

"Goombanita?" Santana asked. "Where are you going?"

"I offered to join their party last night and they accepted." Goombanita replied. "Wish me luck, friend."

"All right, Goombanita," Santana said. "Luck!"

Now the gang had another member under their wing. Now that they were closer to completing the journey for their kidnapped prisoner, they had to consider that some things that would result next would be unpredictable than previously.