Hi guys and gals! I'm back with chapter 15! Bad news. This will be the last chapter I post before school starts. It starts tomorrow! Now I will only post updates on days off. Like Sunday.

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Need I say more?

Chapter 15: Searching

"I think we found some of that family." Pauline murmured. She simply stood for a moment, shell-shocked.

"Lady! Something wrong down there?" the Pianta's voice snapped her out of her stupor.

"Koopa!" she shouted up.

"What?"

Pauline almost face-palmed. This time try using complete sentences, girl. "There's a Koopa trapped down here. I think he's Darklandian!"

"Say what?! You think so?"

"He looks really hurt, too. He needs help!"

"Don't move, lady. We'll come to you," then the Pianta shouted in another direction, "Louie! Moe! Put those pipes down and get your tails over here! Debbie, call an ambulance — we got an emergency!"

Sooner than Pauline expected, the rubble in front of her was moved away, revealing the Pianta and two Sumo Bros.

The Pianta walked up next to her. "Whoa," he said, giving a low whistle. "You ain't kidding about that Koopa."

"Great gallopin' Gulpits!" one of the Sumo Bros. exclaimed. "That's a Dragon-Koopa!"

The Pianta snorted. "No, really Moe?" he said sarcastically. "I thought it was a Blitty."

Both Bros. glared at him. The one now known as Moe started forward, "You know what, Dewey—?"

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Pauline shouted. All three workers looked at her, somewhat surprised. "Do you really think yelling at each other will get us anywhere?" she lectured, going into manager-mode. All three of the company had the decency to look ashamed as she continued. "This Koopa needs help — now get to work!" Before waiting for a response, she herself went to move the unconscious Dragon-Koopa.

Unfortunately, she was too weak to do it by herself. Acknowledging this, the Pianta, now known as Dewey, ushered her aside while the two Sumo Bros. tried to move the Koopa. They quickly found that his carapace was stuck in concrete behind him.

"Wow, this guy's wedged in there good," Moe remarked as he and his brother pulled. Soon the spiked shell popped out, and they carried the Koopa towards a manhole.

Pauline brushed a stray hair aside as she sighed in relief. Everything's going to be fine. She looked at the hole that the Koopa's shell had left in the wall. "I wonder how he got in there?" she wondered aloud.

"Dunno," Dewey shrugged. Pauline jumped; she had forgotten he was still there. Suddenly the Pianta's eyes narrowed. "Hey, wait a minute…"

Pauline looked at him. "What?"

Dewey pointed at the space in between the two slabs of concrete. "It's empty back there."

Pauline looked. Sure enough, there was empty space beyond the hole, not just rubble. For some reason, Pauline found it suspicious. I wonder… Her gut told her to look, so she peaked inside the space.

The sight of another unconscious Dragon-Koopa caused her to gasp. "Wait! There's one more — look!"

*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*

As the two Dragon-Koopas were hoisted onto stretchers, Pauline gave a report to a police officer.

"And that's all you know?" the officer pressed.

Pauline nodded. "I know it isn't much, and I'm sorry."

"No need for an apology. Any and all information helps." The officer saluted. "Good day, ma'am." With that, he took his leave.

I need to get to work. Pauline turned and started to head to the toy company. However, she stopped upon spotting the Dragon-Koopas. Koopalings, she recalled. She was tempted to go with them to the hospital.

Pauline moaned slightly. I really want to know if those two are okay. But I'm already late enough as it is…

She looked at them again. The medical team was loading them onto the ambulance. They weren't a pretty sight to behold.

Pauline's brow set firmly. Her decision was clear. It's what Mario would do.

She quickly walked towards the ambulance. As a medic was closing the door, she called out, "Wait! I'm coming with!"

*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*

Pauline spent the entire trip to the hospital staring at the Koopalings. She took in every little detail she could.

The one with the pink shell was a girl, if the accessories were anything to go by. Bow, shoes, necklace, bangles, eyelashes, lipstick. All that screamed "girl" without question, although many of them were ruined. She looked mostly fine from the waist up, except for a few bruises where concrete had likely fallen on her. However, both her legs had been crushed; the medics had confirmed that.

The other Koopaling Pauline guessed was a boy. Something about him just seemed to give off a masculine vibe. His entire body was scorched, save for his blue shell which has been stuck in the concrete. His blue hair was a mess, going all over the place. It was also missing completely in one spot, which looked weird. His elbow was slightly swollen. Pauline feared what that meant.

Their names… Pauline thought. I think the blue one's name is… oh… some musician… Bach? Handel? No, that's not it. What about the girl? I'm pretty sure it's O-something. O'Malley? O'Neil? No… Mario's letters might be able to tell me something. Pauline sat up straight. Mario's letters! That's it! That's how I know about these guys; Mario wrote to me about them! If only I could remember what he said…

Suddenly the back doors opened, jarring Pauline from her thoughts. The Koopalings were quickly carted out.

"We're here?" she wondered aloud.

A medic looked at her, "Yes."

"Where are the Koopalings going to be?"

"We are now taking the Dragon-Koopas to room 4 in the D-wing on the sixth floor."

Pauline nodded. "Room 6-D4. Got it."

I need to know more about these guys so I can help them, she thought. I'll go back to home and look for the letters. But what if something happens here? Pauline bit her lip.

"If something happens, can you have someone call me?" she asked the medic.

The medic stared at her for a moment. Then, she nodded. "Okay."

"Thanks." Pauline got some notepaper out of her purse, wrote something down, tore it off, and handed it to the medic. "This is my number. Give it to whoever can reach me."

The medic smiled. "I promise I will."

"Thank you." With that, Pauline started walking home. "Good thing the hospital's close to home," she said to herself.

After a block, she remembered something. Oh no! Work! Okay, um…

She got out her cell phone and dialed her secretary.

She got an answer on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Nadine, it's Pauline. Something big has come up and I won't be able to get in today."

"Oh my! What happened?" Nadine asked.

"Have you been paying attention to the news?"

"Yes! I wonder how that sewer tunnel collapsed?"

"Not local, international," Pauline corrected quickly. "You know, Dark Land?"

Nadine gasped, "Oh! Do you know something?"

"Two Dragon-Koopas showed up in that collapsed tunnel, and my gut tells me they're Koopalings. You know, Bowser's kids."

"Yes, go on."

"Well, I can't be sure that they're really Koopalings until I can find some info on them. Mario sends me letters every so often, and one of them happened to be about the Koopalings, complete with photos. So I'm on my way to my apartment to find those letters."

"Is this really so important that you have to skip work, Pauline?" Nadine teased.

Pauline furrowed her brow. "It's what Mario would do."

Nadine sighed on the other end, "Alright. Go. You have my blessing."

"Thanks, Nadine. You're the best. Bye." Pauline hung up just as she walked into her apartment building.

The search for Mario's letters had begun.

Sorry it's so short! I'll try to do better next time.

And about the construction workers' names? I just pulled them out of a proverbial hat. No puns or anything. Same with Nadine, who I picture as being a Noki.

Thanks for reading!