Disclaimer: All assets of the Mario Movie belong to Nintendo and Illumination.

Chapter 9: Vulnerability

Mario smiled as he got out of his bed. He had eaten a quick meal provided by the princess's Toads, of whom he learned her name was Peach, which was an interesting name to her. Was she named that because she loved peaches? He shrugged. Eh, who knows. What mattered now was that he was finally gonna go with her to the Jungle Kingdom, and maybe even see some more of this world. He was already enthralled by Toad's description, but being able to see the places up close sounded so exciting. He could even take some photos to show Luigi and heck, after he was rescued, they can go on a tour, with Toad as their guide, of course, even if he hadn't been to any of the kingdoms, but the plumber didn't care. What Toad did for him helped solidify the trust of the people. Heck, they even chanted his name, not once, but twice once when he completed the obstacle course, which was the hardest thing he had ever done. Sure, he took track and field in high school, so he had an edge that way, but still. But he had the skills necessary to stop Bowser; all they needed to do was to get the king's favor, which Mario wouldn't mind helping. After all, if they did rule against her request, then they better be prepared for a harsh reality check from the plumber. He certainly was one to make his thoughts known through words and other methods alike.

He walked outside as Peach and Toadsworth greeted him. "Ah, you're finally awake," Toadsworth said. "Good to see you, Master Mario. I trust you got some sleep after your stunt this morning, which was a jolly good show. I'm never gonna get over that."

Peach smirked. "Well, you might have to because Mario and I are about to leave."

"Not without me!" The trio glanced around at the sound of the voice. "There's no way in heck I'm missing this!"

She rolled her eyes. "Look who it is: Mr. Prankster and Mario's best friend."

"You betcha I am!" Toad declared. "Mario's my bestest friend ever!"

"But are we really?" Toad whacked Mario's arm. "The heck?! It was just a joke!"

"I am, and you know it! I wanna go! I wanna see the world! Where are we gonna go see first? Bob-omb Battlefield? Tostarena? Yoshi's Island? Even the High Cliffs?!"

"This juncture isn't a sightseeing tour!" Toadsworth hissed, whacking his cane on the ground. "And last time I checked, you weren't invited, so scram!"

"I didn't ask for your opinion, old hag! I was asking the princess!"

"Old hag?! Mind your tongue, riffraff! Don't you dare use such language in front of the princess!"

"Ahem." All turned to Peach. "I believe I can speak for myself." She turned to Toad. "Toadsworth's right. As much fun as a sightseeing tour sounds, we simply don't have the time for it. Bowser's gonna invade soon, and we need to attack him before he does that to us. Instead, we're gonna travel by boat there. I already hired a sailor who could take us there. It'll be a day's journey, but we should be there by tomorrow."

"Really?! Come on! I was looking forward to seeing the kingdoms up close! Such a bummer!"

"You realize that this journey is dangerous. We don't know if we're gonna encounter some of Bowser's troops. We have to leave while we can. Besides, what assets do you bring to the table? How can you prove yourself useful on a trip like this?"

"Easy!" He pulled out his bag, pulling out certain items. "As you can see, I have everything we need to make meals. Pots. Matches. Preserved food. Even Power-ups like Ice Flowers in case we do run into those gnarly beasts. I always like to come prepared. I can be our provider. Just let me come." Mario smiled. He sure was prepared for every contingency. "Look! I even have a map!" He held up a piece of parchment as Peach examined it.

"Well, this is the Jungle Kingdom, alright. It's official. You're coming with me. And in return, I'll give you more trivia on stuff you hadn't known of the kingdoms as we pass by them. We're bound to see some, regardless."

"OK. Better than nothing. We're going on an adventure, yeah!" he sang as he jumped in the air.

"OK, calm down now."

"Master Mario." As the two walked away, Mario turned to Toadsworth. "I understand that you have a lot on your shoulders, but I just ask that you keep the princess safe. Just keep an eye on her for her safety. I know she can defend herself, but she can only do so much. She's been through a lot. That's all I ask."

He nodded. It was definitely a sign of trust if Toadsworth was willing to put Peach's safety in his hands, but he had a feeling he didn't have to do too much, but still. Peach has only done much considering how long this conflict has lasted, so he would take his wish seriously. "I promise."

"You're in my debt. Thank you. Now, go join them before they leave you behind." Mario nodded and took off.

"And if we look to our left," Peach said as Mario gazed at the ever-expanding ocean in front of him, "We can see the Beanbean Kingdom." He glanced at the landscape, which was pretty small to where they were, but Toad glanced at the landmass with a pair of binoculars he had in his bag. It was pretty impressive that the princess could divulge that information from so far away. She probably knew that based on coordinates. Well, this was the princess, so he wouldn't expect anything else. "The Beanbean Kingdom is a monarchy ruled by Queen Bean and her son, Prince Peasley. I'm willing to bet you didn't know there were kingdoms based on food, Mario."

"Actually, Toad already told me that. Sorry!"

She glanced at Toad. "Really?! I wanted that to be a surprise for Mario! Why'd you have to steal my thunder like that?!"

"That's because you were too slow on the draw," he said cheekily. "Better luck next time!"

"OK, fine. How about this? Did you know that the cities are based on various laughing expressions like Guffawha Ruins and Teehee Valley to name a couple examples?"

Mario shook his head. "No, actually. Sounds interesting."

Toad stomped his foot. "Gosh dang it! I knew I was forgetting something! Dang it!"

Peach huffed playfully. "Better luck next time." He stuck his tongue at her. "I'd watch your actions, mister. We're still in Mushroom Kingdom waters, and I could punish you right now if you aren't careful."

"I fear nothing."

"Sure. We'll see just how brave you are when we meet the Kongs."

"Bring it on! I can take whatever they throw at me!" Peach chuckled.

Mario glanced at her. "I'm curious. What's the Jungle Kingdom like?"

"That's gonna stay a secret for now." She glared at Toad. "I wanna tell him about that kingdom when we get there. You'd better not have said anything about it."

"Actually," he said, "That was one that went over my head. So many kingdoms and places to keep track of."

"Well, we still have time to pass. Let's test your knowledge. Let's see who's more knowledgeable, a princess of royalty or a prankster."

"You're on!" And so the two played a game of knowledge with each testing each other about every kingdom and parts of the Mushroom Kingdom, which Mario found enjoyable since he could be entertained and learn more about this world. It was a win-win! Well, almost. The only thing missing was Luigi, but Mario was gonna change that once they arrived at the Jungle Kingdom.

The day quickly changed into night as Mario stared at the sky, glancing at all the stars. Were those stars a whole different world? Just the existence of different worlds seemed strange to the plumber at first, but as Mario got to learn more of this wacky world, the more that thought became believable, and it all started with that weird, cloudy void. Was that how all kinds of worlds were connected, and anyone could go practically anywhere if they so pleased? It didn't seem too far-fetched, but he could never understand how such a place even existed. It made him wonder how many ended up getting lost in a different world, maybe including Peach.

He couldn't help but wonder just because of how she alluded to his species when they first met. But how would she know the name of her species when there weren't any humans in this world? The only explanation was that she wandered from another one into this one. That also begged another question: was she from his world, from Earth? While it was possible, he didn't have any way of knowing without asking her, and that was something he wasn't sure he wanted to do. "Hey." Peach walked to him as they leaned against the deck as they glanced at the ocean before them, reflecting the stars above. "Can't sleep, huh?"

"No. I can't stop thinking about how vast this world is. I mean, who would freaking guess that the bean kingdom has a soda brewed by being told jokes, and that people legit get paid for that? Such a strange world you live in."

"Of course. I grew up here for most of my life, which proved I had much better knowledge than that Toad."

"You do realize he beat you, right?"

"By only a couple points! He got his information from the library for crying out loud! I for one learned that knowledge slowly throughout my life. Surely that must amount to something, right?"

Mario chuckled. "Touché."

The princess sighed. "To be honest, I wish I could show you these parts instead of telling them. I just wanted to see you smile and your reaction. I wanted to show you my favorite part. Picture this: it's night and you're in a field of these beautiful orange and yellow flowers called Fire Flowers. In the middle of the field stands a giant, curly tree, its branches covered in these beautiful evergreen leaves. At night, it's so beautiful to see how those Fire Flowers light up the whole area. It's one of my favorite sights in the whole Mushroom Kingdom, and I hate that I can't show that to you because we're in a race against time. Bowser's gonna destroy my kingdom with the Super Star, and I can't have that. I just want this war to be over."

"How long has this war been going on?"

"Over a decade. At first, our relationship was peaceful. Bowser knew of my appearance and had taken an interest in me, but I just wanted to be on friendly terms with him. I had just become their princess, and I was in my teens, so I had no interest in a relationship. Toadsworth always said it was important to keep a good relationship with neighboring kingdoms, which I strived to do, but Bowser had other plans. Over the next couple years, our relationship started to change. Bowser had started to become desperate for my heart, so when he asked me to marry him, I said no. I told him that we were acquaintances, nothing more."

"So, back then, he wasn't angry all the time?"

"Not at first. We were genuine friends, but as he matured, he started wanting to invest in a relationship with me, especially when I wasn't ready for one. He asked me countless times, but over-and-over, I told him no. That was when his interest grew into desperation. His methods of proposal grew more desperate and dangerous when he started getting my people involved. He often kidnapped me to which my soldiers struggled to rescue me tons of times. Truth be told, my people aren't physically trained as Bowser's or even Cranky Kong's armies. My people live a simple day-to-day life. That's the basis of who my people are: charismatic and kind. We don't spread or encourage violence because we aren't violent people, which was why they were the perfect targets for Bowser. It came to a point where I needed to train myself in order to put a stop to his schemes. That was why I made that course, the one you completed. I built that with my bare hands because I was tired of seeing my soldiers die for me just for me to live another day. And guess who trained them?"

"It was you," Mario said.

"Yep. All me, because I was tired of feeling so weak, so fragile that I couldn't do anything to free myself. But this conflict has been going on for so many years, and I just want it to end! I hate having my people suffer for me! I hate it!" She took a deep breath. "That's why I'm gonna convince Cranky Kong that I need his help. I can't do this by myself anymore. That monkey is so stubborn and can't, or won't in his eyes, look at what happens beyond his border all because he says he shouldn't be involved in affairs that aren't his responsibility. They have one of the strongest armies in the world, but he refuses to lend a hand to those in need."

"So, to me, it sounds like you tried asking for his help before, but he refused." Peach nodded. "Then why go back? Has anything changed since the last time you asked him?" She shook her head. "Then why-"

"What other options do I have?! Tell me, Mario, what else can I do?! I've tried everything I can to stop Bowser, but there's nothing I can do but ask for help, especially when he has the Super Star! I know he's gonna ask me to marry him again or else he will destroy the Mushroom Kingdom, and I can't say yes because then he'll have control of both kingdoms, making my people's lives a living hell! I don't know what else to do at this point!" Mario sighed. He thought the princess was a fearless warrior for her people, which she was, but clearly that wasn't the full picture. She was struggling to get by, and no one wanted to help her. She had to put on a mask of sorts just to keep her people assured, to keep some sort of hope in their eyes that she was still fighting after all these years when she probably cried during a lot of nights.

"I'm-a sorry."

She chuckled a little. "First time I've heard some sort of accent from you."

"It comes out from time to time." He paused. "May I ask a question?"

"You just did."

"You know what I meant!"

"Of course. Go ahead."

"You're not from here, aren't you?"

"Your intelligence never ceases to amaze me." She sighed. "Truth be told, I don't know where I come from. All I know is that I stumbled upon this place when I was a toddler, yelling for my mom and dad, but they didn't come. I was alone and scared, but Toadsworth and the other Toads heard my cries and took me in. I was only three or four at the time. But over the next 20 years, they taught me their ways of living and I even had to teach myself some things, and when I was ready, they made me their princess. That was probably why I trusted you so quickly: because you were a human. For all my life, I've been certain of two things: my name and that I'm a human. The rest is blank for me. But there's something that I do know." She glanced at the stars. "There's a huge universe out there with thousands of galaxies, and they're all counting on us. We have to stop Bowser at all costs, which means we need Cranky Kong's army so we can strike before he does."

"And we will." Mario touched her shoulder. "I meant every word of what I said. Even if I have to fight for his army, so be it. My brother and this world are counting on us to get his army." He clenched his fist. "That I know for certain."

"Well, I'm hoping that things have changed, but knowing Cranky Kong, he won't be easy to persuade." She kissed him on the cheek. "Good night, Mario. Thank you." He blushed as she walked below deck. Did she just kiss him? It was a bit bizarre coming from her, but he didn't think too much into it. Regardless, tomorrow, he will recruit the Kong Army.

Thanks to Tq3942, Bernie Jandro 02, and MarioandSonicfan for favoriting, following, and/or commenting on this story!

Now this is the biggest departure from the movie, so let me explain. In the movie, there's a montage of different scenes of the trio crossing different kingdoms on their way to the Jungle Kingdom, but I figured it would be easier for them to go by boat. On a timescale, they would have to cross many of these areas in at least a day to match the timing of the movie. Plus, these kingdoms are separated by water, so sure, they could've used Warp Pipes for travel, but to be honest, I didn't want to drag the pacing of getting Mario's reaction to every kingdom, but I also knew that I needed to create a scene worthy enough of its replacement, so I really hope I did that justice. And to make sure they didn't totally go unnoticed, I did at least mention the scenes so they would be acknowledged in some way.

Plus, we had even more Mario and Peach bonding for the potential of a possible relationship, something I truly wish the movie expanded upon. I mean come on, Nintendo and Illumination! It was right there! Oh well. That's why I'm doing this rewrite, to correct the mistakes of the movie, and based on the positive feedback, it seems I've been doing a good job, so I thank you all for your support as we go through this story.

Long rant aside, it's been quite a while since we saw either our evil turtle friend or our favorite green plumber, so we'll see them in the next chapter.