I've posted a lot today, and I'm not prepared to stop. Here comes the next part, mostly backstory and filler, but essential. Relax, I have a ton of time today. I might bust the entire story out. Who knows?

Disclaimer: Brynn, does not, in fact, hold the rights to Nintendo or any Mario© affiliates... Though she'd like to...

As Maria cleaned up the house, her mind wandered. Watching Luisa clean was like watching her mother. Her mother...

She was a cheerful woman, clad mostly in shades of yellow. Her face was gentle and loving, and her laugh was like the soft tinkling of bells. She would do all sorts of things with her young daughters, take them around the small city and its outlying neighborhoods, climb huge hills with the girls on her back... she did everything she could to make her daughters feel exceptionally happy and loved.

Their father didn't seem to exist. Maria met him exactly once, the week when he came back to apologize for leaving their mother. He was a gruff, rugged man, piercing black eyes. She didn't know why he was there at the time, but she mostly stayed in the woods or at her friend's houses while he was there. He left just as abruptly as he had come, and many months later Luisa was born.

One day, their mother was taking them up a hill to watch the sunset when she collapsed and rolled down the hill, smashing into a tree. Luisa ran home to get one of the magic spotted green herbs that could heal nearly anything. But Maria stayed there, clutching her dying mother. She was only six at the time, hardly old enough to give anything but confused and worried tears. "Keep your little sister safe Mari." her mother said, stroking her hair. "Keep going to school, enroll your sister next year and keep going on." she sighed, whole body shaking. "I'm sorry you will have to grow up so fast. Just keep each other safe."

"Yes Mama."

Those were the last words she had said since.

Maria shook her head to keep the thoughts from going on, to the time her and her sister nearly starved, when she broke her arm from falling in the well. No one was able to know about their predicament. No one could know.

So, I hope you appreciate the backstory.

Keep reading, keep reviewing and "keep going on!"

(That was cheesy, I know. Not cheesy enough for me to erase it though)

~Brynn