Chapter Three
Suspicions

It was a clear morning in the Mushroom Kingdom. The sun shined, brightly in the cloudless sky. The only evidence left from the storm the night before were the puddles on the dirt roads, and the wetter than normal morning grass.

Toadsworth was walking casually in the town area where the Goombas lived. He was thinking about the night before, that Goomba who seemed scared to death of his nightmare. "Maybe I should go check on him," he said to himself. He proceeded to walk towards Josh's hut. Upon arrival he knocked on the door. "Pardon me," he began "just wondering if you are better from the events of the night Mr. Goomba. He waited, and received no response. He opened he door to find the lights off, and that Josh had left. "Peculiar," he thought to himself. "No Goombas are ever out that early. Maybe he just went for a little stroll. I suppose there is nothing better to do when you can't sleep." He noticed the footprints left in the mud. "Yup he most certainly left." He continued walking around town when he saw that seven more houses left 9 more footprints all going in the same direction. "Holy Cheep Cheep breath!" he exclaimed. "This isn't good." Toadsworth immediately turned around, and began heading towards the castle.

Toadsworth arrived at the castle door to turn around, and see the king on a walk with his young daughter Princess Toadstool Peach. Toadsworth immediately ran over to them. "Your highness," he said out of breath addressing the lady, "and your majesty," he said addressing the King. "I fear we have a threat to our security."

"Whoa hold your Yoshi feet General," began King Toadstool. He then turned to his daughter and spoke calmly, "Could you please go inside sweet pea I believe this news needs to be discussed between two people with experience in this matter before anything is confirmed."

"Yes daddy," said the lady sweetly as she left the grounds, and entered the castle.

"What seems to be our predicament General?" King Toadstool began with his interrogation.

"Your majesty," Toadsworth began, "upon investigation of the Goomba village I saw ten sets of Goomba footprints heading towards the Shy Guy Mountain area. Sheriff Todd, and I had previously been into one of the Goombas' homes, because we had heard some ruckus. The Goomba must have been faking a nightmare because he probably knew we heard him. Now looking back it was rather foolish of us to fall for Josh's trick seeing…"

"What?" bellowed the king in his rage. "You let that sneaky little leader of these Goombas go free? He has led boycott after boycott against us, and you didn't find that suspicious?" the king began to cool down. "Of course Goombas will never make it past Shy Guy Mountain they stand no chance. There is no need for panic General; forgive me for my outburst."

"No need to panic?" Toadsworth asked rhetorically. "It is obvious by far that we have pushed the Goombas beyond their breaking point. I fear rebellion your majesty. Josh is a smart Goomba; he wouldn't go through Shy Guy Mountain without a plan. I fear he seeks an alliance with the very powerful Koopa army."

"The Koopas have been extinct for twenty-five years!" Retorted King Toadstool.

"That is only a rumor," Toadsworth said. "Do not forget I fought in that battle. I commanded the armies. I know some Koopas got away. I know the prince who should now be King was able to flee along with some of the army. I was there I know what I saw. People refuse to believe me. They could very well survive on their own. They went off in the same direction that the Goombas headed off for hours ago; towards the only uninhabited place in this world that anyone knows of; a place where the weakened Koopa army could hide; the desert.

"Okay considering this worst case scenario what are our options?" Asked the king impatiently.

"Option A," began Toadsworth, "the option I endorse is giving equal rights to all Goombas. Or option B, which I strongly oppose, is prepare for war."

"Prepare for war," began the King. "And that is an order."

"With all due respect your majesty…"

"I said prepare for war damn it. I wont repeat myself again," the king said bitterly."

Toadsworth sighed, "As you wish, your travesty."

The King ignored the wise crack, and walked into his castle.

Toadsworth arrived at the training grounds of the toadstool army. Toads were lined up firing their poison mushroom cannons, or the cavalry on the back of Yoshis with swords in hand. They were far below average fighters, but loyal nonetheless.

Toadsworth picked up a megaphone, and raised it to the height of his mouth. He began, "May I have everybody's attention please." The training ground fell quiet, and Toadsworth continued, "A threat has arisen in our kingdom. I fear that we may soon be under the attack of a rebellion of Goombas. They do have valid reasons for their rebellion, and under normal circumstances I would side with them, however we need to defend the innocent people of this kingdom. We must stand together, and try to resolve this peacefully as possible. If we cannot make peace war is our answer. So I ask you: are you willing to fight in the defense of the civilians, so that they might live a better life?

A high-pitched chorus of yeses came from the army of toadstools.

"Then prepare yourselves my brothers in arms," Toadsworth began motivationally, "from here until war starts the training intensity becomes greater."

A loud high-pitched roar came from the army. They were ready, ready to fight.