Chapter 7: Parting of the Ways


Merriment of all kinds filled the airship's deck as a toad band fueled a marvelous dance and feast with their vibrant music. All four yoshis gorged themselves on fruit and empty Koopa shells while the toads enjoyed soup, vegetables, and pasta. A quartet raced four dishes over to the humans who sat nearby.

"Dinner's ready! Princess, your grilled cheep cheep!"

"It smells delicious, thanks!" Peach rubbed the purple toad's head which turned him scarlet.

"Princess Daisy, your cheep cheep salad." A toadette handed Daisy her bowl and the athlete poked the fish meat with a nervous smiled.

"Thanks."

"Relax, it's just fish." Peach assured her.

"Yeah, it tastes fine, we've had it plenty of times." Luigi added. His stomach growled with Mario's when the wonderous smell of fresh pasta filled their senses.

"And pasta for our Italian plumbers!" The toads placed two steaming bowls of spaghetti before the brothers. However, Mario's joy faded when he saw little mushrooms mixed in with the noodles.

"Mushrooms…"

"Yep! Our specialty!"

"Great." Mario sighed, but his empty belly forced him to down the pasta. Other toads recounted the humans deeds in the Grass Land and Desert hill in vivid detail to their companions who had been transformed during the battles.

"And then boom! Mario and Luigi blasted their way through a whole brigade of Koopas, one after the other! I've never seen anything like it!" The toads and toadettes' eyes widened with sparkles in the centers. Peach and Daisy tried to hide it, but they too lost themselves to the retelling.

"Sounds like you two had quite the time in Desert Hill."

"Ahh, they're exaggerating Peach. We just go the job done like good plumbers." Mario's humility turned Peach a little scarlet and she had to look away. "I'm more interested in how you two led a rebellion in the Grass Lands."

"We just lit the spark, the toads were fantastic." Peach assured Mario, but he doubted this was true.

"Apparently you left quite the impression on them, Daisy." Luigi grinned and gestured to a few toads and toadettes who played soccer on the deck with a Koopa shell. Despite their spirit, the little men and women struggled. Even so, it warmed Daisy's heart and she reminisced on the wonderous feeling every time she played with her father.

"They're adorable."

"Aww, they got nothing on you." Luigi almost choked on his pasta. He did not intend to say the words out loud, but a rush of self-confidence after their recent victory proved too much. The compliment caught Daisy off-guard and she turned redder than Peach had. "Uhhh, I mean. You're uhh, very pretty." Luigi struggled to keep himself from shaking, but somehow the fiery enthusiasm from Desert Hill forced him to keep eye-contact with Daisy.

"Thanks." She muttered, too afraid to look his way.

"Plus, you know. Your mad soccer skills, you inspired them! You're an inspiring person!" Luigi's attempts at flirting filled Mario and Peach up with inner laughter. However, Daisy looked away to keep Luigi from seeing her bright red face. She had no idea why an Italian plumber made her stomach dance and heart flutter, but it did.

"Aww, my little bro. He's growing up." Mario rested his head on his hand but did not notice Peach lean closer.

"I can see why she likes him. He's bold, brave, resilient, and never gives up. Any girl would be lucky to have someone like that." After she finished, Mario sat up straighter and turned a little red.

"Yeah, that's my brother."

"I wonder where, he got it from?" Peach added and sat a little closer.

"Who knows. I've looked out for him my whole life, it makes me wonder if he even needs me anymore."

"Aww, come on. You're the Mario Brothers, you two are best as a team." Peach assured him and Mario's smile warmed.

"Yeah, we do. Who knows, maybe you've got something similar with Daisy." Mario gestured to the athlete and caught Peach by surprise.

"What? We've only known each other for a few days. Plus, she's going home after this. I, I'm not her, friend."

"You must have had friends before." Mario's happiness faded with Peach's as he saw her expression.

"Not really. The toads are my family. Before Luigi, I don't think I ever had someone I considered a friend." Peach looked back at Daisy and thought of how well they worked together. She also thought of all the things Daisy had to learn, not to mention what she could teach her. Peach grew more intrigued with the game of soccer every time she saw it.

"Hey, hold on. Before Luigi you never had a real friend? I'm not you're friend?" Mario tried not to smirk as he asked, but Peach had no qualms and beamed back at him.

"You, my friend, I wouldn't say that." She giggled.

"What would you say then?" Mario almost saw it coming, but it still made his insides jump when Peach put her hand on his.

"Well." Peach leaned closer. When Luigi and Daisy saw this, their mouths dropped and soon all four Yoshi held their cheeks.

"Princess!" The mood shattered like a vase when it hit the floor as a toad came between Peach and Mario with a map in hand. "We're getting closer!" The toad looked around at the barely restrained fury on Mario, Peach, Luigi, Daisy, and all four yoshis' faces. A few nearby toads and toadettes likewise scowled at him. "What?"

"Nothing." Peach sighed and cleared a space for the map.

"The Sky Lands are closer, then we have the Seaside. How should we proceed?"

The four humans looked over this map and turned to each other. The brothers glanced at each other while Daisy and Peach did the same.

"We'll split up into groups of two again. Mario and myself will free our sky colony."

"Right! Daisy and I can handle the seaside!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Sounds good!" Daisy added.

"Let's-a go!"

"Yoshi!"


Miles away, Bowser sat before his piano inside the Airship flagship and played even with his eyes closed.

"Peach, you'll be mine! It is only a matter of time! Peach, don't you know! How far I will go! Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, I need you! Peaches!"

"Bowser!" Morton Jr. snarled and shook the deck with his stomp.

"What!?" Bowser snarled back, and both Koopas huffed out smoked.

"Bro, I can appreciate your musical talent. But don't we have more important things to worry about, like I don't know. Finding Peach!" Morton breathed a little fire as he shouted. However, Bowser sprung up and emphasized his greater size.

"Our troops are searching under every mushroom for her! She won't escape me this time! And when I do find her! Ohh, we're gonna live happily ever after!" Bowser clasped his hands together with a lovestruck expression while Morton rolled his eyes.

"Right, but more importantly, we'll unlock the Chaos Heart's true power. I can see it now, the whole world made exactly the way we want it!" Morton made a paintbrush from the Chaos Heart and drew on a map, which transformed into a dark and desolate landscape marred with rivers of lava. "Each of my Koopalings will be lord of his own land!"

"Yes, lord, under my future child with Peach!" Bowser almost floated as he thought about it while Morton raised an eyebrow.

"Right."

"King Bowser! Prince Morton!" A blue-shall captain raced in and panted as he pointed behind him. "My Lords, the Koopalings!"

"What about my kids!?" Morton gasped as he saw Iggy, Wendy, Roy, and Larry carried in on stretchers. Each was heavily bandaged with bruises and other visible injuries.

"What happened!?" Bowser cried out in similar horror as he looked over his nephews and nieces.

"Father, uncle Bowser, forgive us, we, we." Larry braced himself.

"The humans, they defeated us." Wendy groaned. Both monstrous Koopas now shook with fiery rage.

"They dare lay their hands on my nephews and niece! That's it Mario, Luigi, you're beyond dead now!" Bowser breathed fire into the air while Morton held his children in his arms.

"Oh my Koopalings. I won't let them get away with this!"

"Hold on!" Bowser's face contorted with a mixture of fear and opportunity.

"They went to protect their colonies. Which means the others are-"

"No! Morton Jr.! Lemmy! Ludwig!" Morton yelped.

"Easy, little bro. Now we know exactly where Peach will be. One or the other." Terrible grins emerged across the Koopa Brother's faces and they roared together.