A/N: The next few chapters are where the plot really takes off! I'm sorry for so much world building and rambling - I promise it'll kick of soon!
Peach carefully held onto Mario's arm for the sake of not getting separated, though Mario was quite fond of the contact in on its own. She clinged close to them as they gained a few bitter stares, but otherwise were not interacted with.
At first, it was as crowded as it had been during her first day here; Peach and Mario had to awkwardly shuffle around the mostly-short crowd and deal with bitter stares from those who could see them eye-to-eye. Yet, the further they walked, the streets quickly became quieter and quieter. They had eventually wandered quite far from the main streets to a point where the only sign of life were the houses with lights on.
After a few turns, the large street became closer to an alleyway, though still large enough for many to pass through. Countless buildings and homes rested on either side of the path, though the doors were far taller and wider, as if accommodating for koopas of larger sizes.
Even though she had been in the Dark Lands for two days, the outside world still amazed her. Hell, even the dark alleyway was fascinating. While it was...eerie, it was also inviting in a gothic way. In the Mushroom Kingdom, she rarely saw anything of the sorts.
Normally, any human would be terrified wandering the Dark Lands at night, yet, oddly enough, she felt safe clinging on to her company.
"Here we are," Mario called out proudly as he gestured to the building on their right. Peach hummed as she looked at the large establishment, not expecting it to be as intimidating as the buildings around it, especially since they were going to eat dinner in it.
She silently rolled her eyes at herself, however, as she shouldn't have expected anything else, considering where they were.
It was a victorian building covered with obsidian and red stones, as most of the Dark Lands seemed to be. It seemed to be several floors and double as a house for the owners and it was a bit more rundown and older, as many of the surrounding buildings seemed to be.
Cutting off Peach's thoughts, Mario carefully held open the heavy door for his guest with a cheesy bow. Peach flashed a thankful smile in his direction before stepping through the large set of doors.
The second she walked into the small building, she was met with loud, casual chattering and a rush of an amazing aroma that made her mouth water instantly. Smells of basil and other herbs filled the air, and Mario's eyes glazed over in a content satisfaction as he stood beside his guest.
The inside of the diner was far more modern than the surrounding shops and buildings, but that's what seemed to give it its charm. She was unable to pinpoint where such a look had come from, but she enjoyed the bright red colors and modern twists.
From the outside, it had looked like any of the other buildings: rather gothic and menacing, if not scary. Yet, on the inside, it seemed harmless. Welcoming, even.
Pictures of places Peach had never seen decorated the walls. One specifically caught her attention: it was a large bridge crossing a massive body of water. It was black and white, resting in a large wooden frame. She cocked her head in curiosity as she realized the owners of this diner were from somewhere she had never been.
Well, that wasn't surprising, seeing as she had rarely even left the Mushroom Kingdom.
Peach's smile quickly faded, however, as she turned towards and examined the countless tables and booths and what they hosted. Mario looked over his shoulder at her, clearly expecting this sort of shocked reaction from her.
Both humans and koopas sat among each other, and far more humans were here than Peach would have expected were in the entire Dark Lands sat in the tiny diner. Even more, they were getting along; laughing and holding conversations. It had been generations since she had even heard of so many humans and koopas together without strangling each other.
Even when the two kingdoms were in temporary peace a few years ago, bitterness still lingered. Yet, in this casual diner, all was...fine. It was nice, but left Peach on curiously skeptical as she stood in the doorway.
Suddenly, the kitchen's doors kicked open as a short woman shoved her way through them. She carried two trays of food in her hands, balancing them effortlessly as maneuvered through the main area. Impressively fast, she dropped off countless plates to a large table. Once the group of koopas smiled in satisfaction, she dusted off her hands and turned on her heels with the trays tucked under her arm, heading back to the kitchen.
However, while turning, she caught a glimpse of Mario standing in the doorway.
"Heya, Mario! I'll be with ya in juuust a second," she called out through a slight accent Peach couldn't identify. She placed the trays down on a large cart before turning back towards the familiar face.
However, once close enough to see Mario's guest, she paled.
"Hello, Daisy! Glad to see you're as busy as ever," Mario greeted with a smile. He noticed her shock and quickly assumed she hadn't realized he had brought a guest, and thought they didn't have enough room for two people. Looking around the restaurant, he continued. "Do you happen to have room for two more?"
Peach, too, took the shock in that manner. It was dinner time, after all! It was understandable if they would need to find somewhere else to eat. But, something about the way the woman was looking at her made her a bit uncomfortable. Had she recognized her?
Daisy shifted her weight as she had a puzzled look on her face. But, as if coming to a conclusion, she clapped her hands together as a smile plastered on her face.
"No, no! You two are fine! You really think I'd turn down our best customer? Luigi'd kill me!" She stated with a small laugh. "This way, you two."
Daisy gestured for the two to follow as she lead them to a table set up for two people. As they walked, her face seemed to be scrunched up as she was clearly deep in thought, but the two guests paid little attention to it as they arrived at their table.
It was a small wooden table with a red tablecloth draped over its surface. Two menus were laid out and two cups rested next to them. A small candle was lit between the two seats, resting beside a tiny vase with a single flower within it.
It was charming, especially so that it resembled a lot of restaurants Peach had been to in her old town.
The two quickly sat down as they hungrily eyed the menus.
Daisy smirked at their clear hunger. "Guessin' you want the usual?" She asked while pulling out a small notepad. Mario eagerly nodded as Daisy scribbled down his order. She eyed Peach curiously for a few seconds before continuing. "What about you?"
Peach hummed in thought for a few moments as Mario recommended his personal favorites, most of which were either nearly all of their pasta or pizzas. In the end, she decided to get what Mario was getting: a 'classic' spaghetti. Not only did Mario's description sell her, but the surrounding tables that had that order easily convinced her.
"Sounds good. I'm sure you'll like it!" Daisy reassured after Peach decided. With a quick wink to her two guests, Daisy turned around and called over her shoulder. "I'll be right back with your food!"
Mario and Peach smiled in her direction before she disappeared behind the kitchen's doors. She rushed away a bit quicker than one normally would, but the two simply laughed and assumed she was just as busy as ever.
However, as soon as Daisy pressed her back against the doors, she quickly muttered several rushed curses under her breath.
"Ha! Knew you were nothin' but a stupid wimp!" Morton snickered as he pridefully lopped a small stone in his hand. "You give up yet, loser?"
Roy groaned as he rubbed his head in pain.
"I ain't! You just got a lucky shot!" Roy huffed as he threw his shades to the floor in frustration. They were shattered from being hit, but broke even further after hitting the stone floor. However, he didn't seem to care. "Aimin' for the face is cheap! You're just playin' unfair an' you know it!"
Morton's head reeled back in laughter at the large red spot between Roy's eyes.
"That's what a dumb loser would say! Maybe you shouldn't have-"
He was cut off as a large pebble hit him straight in the jaw, replacing his booming laugh with a cry of pain. He stumbled back a few feet before regaining his balance and angrily glaring at his brother.
"What happened to not hittin' in the face?" Morton cried out while he rubbed his jaw. He was fuming while Roy laughed, hoping to hide any fact that he was still in pain. "I thought you said headshots were cheap, you stupid idiot!"
At the insult, his muffled laughing paused.
"I ain't no stupid idiot! You hit me in the head first!" Roy grumbled in defense as he bent down for another rock. "You're the one who wanted to play this dumb game, so quit your cryin'!"
"Yeah, but I didn't know I'd be playin' with an idiot who can't even dodge rocks!" Morton quickly mocked his brother and picked up a handful of stones, ready to pummel his brother.
"Yeah, yeah. We'll see who's an idiot when you're black an' blue!"
With their hands full of rocks, ranging from pebbles to literal bricks, they threw insults followed by the heavy stones. Each throw was followed by a nasty remark, resulting in the other brother throwing the next rock twice as hard. With their pride on the line, both were far more smart as they evaded every throw.
The two arched their arms back, about to throw one final rock each, before Ludwig and Lemmy hastily bumped past the them, knocking the rocks onto the floor.
"Where are you nerds off to?" Roy questioned to Ludwig, who simply ignored him. Rolling his eyes, he turned to Lemmy. "Thought it'd be your bedtime by now or somethin', Lemmy"
"My bedtime is eight! It's only six," Lemmy huffed proudly over his shoulder, resulting in a wave of laughter from the two older koopas who had found a new method of entertainment.
Trailing behind Lemmy and Ludwig, Morton chipped in.
"You off to do some o' dat pansy music stuff?"
Ludwig frowned.
"It isn't pansy, and no, I'm afraid not. You meatheads are clearly finding your prehistoric brains entertained by literal rocks, so I doubt my intentions are any of your concern."
Morton and Roy scratched their heads as they looked between each other. Lemmy simply nodded in agreement with his older brother, even though he only vaguely understood him.
"Naw, we were just throwing rocks for fun," Roy defended with a shrug. Ludwig shook his head, seeing as that was what he had just said, but remained silent as they walked down the tunnel. "But you two seem ta be doin' something interesting. What's goin' on?"
"Helpin' papa," Lemmy casually stated as he tried to fabricate a serious tone. "You see, we're off trying to be resp- respons- reeespons-"
"Responsible," Ludwig quickly corrected. "Lemmy seems to have turned over a new leaf," he stated proudly, earning a wide smile from his younger brother. "I'm eagerly waiting for you two to reanalyze your priorities, as your younger brother has. You are welcome to join us if you will behave."
"What's in it for us?" Morton questioned with an arched brow. "You just off bein' goody two shoes for no reason? I don't see the appeal in that jazz." The two large koopas crossed their arms in doubt.
Lemmy's serious facade broke instantly as he started bouncing up and down, pure joy spilling from his small giggles. Clearly, he had been eager to spill what had happened earlier.
"Papa praised us! He said we did a good job!" He stated proudly. He turned to Ludwig in hopes of him agreeing, but was met with silence. "You know what it means when he's happy, right?"
Ludwig groaned in disappointment. Was this Lemmy's intention all along?
Roy grinned as he rubbed his claws together. When their father was in a good mood, it meant spoils and, well, not getting yelled at. Looking over his shoulder, he eyed his broken pair of shades as they got smaller in the distance. Maybe he could get a new pair? He always thought he'd look pretty swell in a blue pair of shades.
Yet, that wasn't actually Lemmy's intention. While getting prizes and toys was great, that praise from earlier made him feel a whole lot better than any of that ever had. Though, maybe a new ball wouldn't be that bad if it came into the picture.
Lemmy knew that Roy's greedy tendencies would get the best of him, which seemed to be doing the trick as he could have sworn to see dollar signs in his eyes. For once, he had one upped his brother.
"I'm in," Roy stated confidently as he looked over his shoulder as Morton. "How 'bout you, rock face?"
Morton rolled his eyes.
"Nah. Don't need anythin'," he muttered boredly. Clearly, he was disappointed in what the small group was off to do, and didn't have any interest in tagging along. Turning around, he called back over his shoulder, "I'll catch you dorks later. Don't have too much fun bein' lameos"
Lemmy and Ludwig sighed. Two brutes were two too many, anyways. Maybe one could be to their advantage?