(A/N: Here we are with Chapter 5. In that last chapter, we stayed with Princess Peach. Now we shall rejoin Mario and see what he's been up to since he left Peach's Castle!)
Mario and Cappy were having a pleasant and quiet conversation with each other as Mario made his way to Toad Town. Cappy was still resting on Mario's head as his trademark red cap. It seemed to be his favorite place.
"So, Mario, do you think Daisy's giving Bowser a difficult time?" Cappy asked.
"I'd like to think so. I'm sure that while Daisy might be acting like a sweet little innocent, like Peach, she did say she was going to have the kind of fun that is no fun for Bowser. And even if he does suspect that something is up, he won't find out why Peach is acting that way until it's-a time for the wedding." Mario replied.
"What do you think Daisy is doing to him right now?" Cappy wanted to know.
"She's more than likely putting him through the kind of torment Peach has been wanting to give him but never had the guts to do. Daisy's a tomboy, you know, so she's not the kind of girl who'll take crap from anyone." Mario said.
"I know you said that Daisy slugged Bowser far, far away. Now if she can do that, she must be one of the toughest and strongest princesses who ever lived." Cappy said.
"That might be true, Cappy. Daisy is pretty good at holding her own against villains like Bowser. In fact, she considers him a mere pushover. However, there was only one villain she had some trouble against, but I haven't really seen that villain since I took him out in the Space Zone." Mario said. (A/N: A little call-back to "Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins".)
"So, Daisy has been captured before?" Cappy asked.
"Sì, but just once." Mario replied.
"By who? I don't think it was Bowser if she thinks he's a pushover..." Cappy said.
"You're right about that, Cappy. The only villain that Daisy couldn't defend herself against was not Bowser, but a puny, wimpy-looking, purple alien named Tatanga." Mario said.
"Really? But if he's just a puny little wimp like you said, then however did he manage to best a tough princess like Daisy?" Cappy asked.
"I honestly have no idea how he did it, and neither does Daisy, so I will advise you not to ask her about it. She hates thinking about that moment when he nabbed her and told her all about his fiendish plan. I know she appreciated that I came to rescue her, but still..." Mario said.
"I understand. No one wants to think about bad stuff like that. But just what did Tatanga want with Daisy, anyway?" Cappy asked.
"You're not going to be surprised by this, Cappy. Tatanga went to Sarasaland, hypnotized all the people there, and kidnapped Daisy so he could, you guessed it, marry her!" Mario said. (A/N: That's what the manual for "Super Mario Land" said.)
"Oh, come on! How stupid do the villains have to be in order to think that they're automatically going to win the hearts of the princesses they kidnap? Or that the princesses are going to be compliant and submissive? I don't think Peach was willing to comply with Bowser's wish, and I'm sure that Daisy was anything but when Tatanga had her." Cappy said, a little frustrated with the way villains act when princesses are involved in their evil plans.
"Non lo so. I don't know, Cappy. But after I rescued her, Daisy told me that she would never let Tatanga, or any other villain, try to get the better of her ever again. She'll make them regret trying to do so. And she has stayed true to her word. Bowser never had a chance to try anything when she saw him for the first time." Mario said as he and Cappy arrived in Toad Town.
The Toads who were out and about in the town were really glad to see that Mario had returned to the Mushroom Kingdom. They figured that if he was back now, then he must have rescued Princess Peach from Bowser's clutches. And if that was the case, they all wanted to know: what had Bowser done this time? They had seen that his airship was decorated for some special occasion when he showed up, so he obviously had more than just kidnapping Peach on his mind.
Mario really hated to talk about what Bowser's plan was, but he told them what it was, and of course it made them freak out. It was understandable, though; the thought of their kind, sweet, and beautiful ruler getting married to someone she (and all of them) hated more than anyone else was absolutely horrifying, and too horrible to imagine!
As Mario told them what Bowser's plan had been, a thought occurred to him: would Bowser have wanted to marry Peach if he found out that she was already engaged to marry someone else? He might not want to marry her until he got rid of her husband-to-be first, but if Mario was the one to whom she was engaged...
"Okie-dokie. I think it's-a time for me to do what I should have done back when Bowser lied through his ugly yellow teeth to Bowser Jr." Mario said to himself.
"I'm sorry, Mario, what did you say?" Cappy asked, having heard some of what Mario was saying.
"I was saying... that I have an errand to run here in Toad Town, and I'd really like to take care of it before going back home to Luigi, if that's okay with you." Mario said.
"Sure. And I can understand that. You might as well get that errand taken care of as long as you're here. Plus, once it's taken care of, you don't have to worry about it anymore." Cappy said.
"That's right. Now let's-a go!" Mario said, and he made his way over to the Toad Town jewelry store.
"Okay, what are we doing here?" Cappy asked as they entered the store.
"We're here to browse." Mario said as he looked around.
"Browse? For what? You want to get some jewelry for Peach?" Cappy asked in a whisper, seeing some Toadettes looking at the jewelry in there and not wanting to disturb them.
Mario was glad Cappy was keeping this conversation quiet. He really didn't want to attract any unwanted attention. Especially because he didn't want anyone here to find out what he was up to and relay the information to Peach.
"Sì. And not just any kind of jewelry, either. I want to get her un anello di fidanzamento, an engagement ring." Mario replied in a hushed voice as he found where such rings were displayed.
"An engagement ring! So you're planning to marry Peach yourself, huh?" Cappy whispered.
"Yes, kind of. I've been wanting to ask Peach the big question for a while now, and I know I would be a good, loving husband to her, which is what she deserves." Mario began.
"That's true. I saw how much you and Peach love each other, and how you respect one another. If the princess must marry someone, I think it should be you." Cappy replied.
"And I also had a thought: what if Peach was already engaged to someone else when Bowser said he was planning to marry her? Would Bowser have attempted to marry her if that was the case?" Mario asked Cappy, still whispering as he looked at the rings.
Cappy thought for a moment before answering the question, whispering, "Well... I don't think he'd want to marry Peach right away. First, he might want to find the man she's engaged to, so he can kill him. With her husband-to-be out of the picture, he wouldn't have to worry about anyone else standing in his way, and he could have Peach all to himself."
"I get that, and I can totally see Bowser doing that. But the bigger question is: what if I was the one to whom Peach was engaged?" Mario asked, keeping his voice quiet enough for only Cappy to hear.
Cappy quickly put two and two together, then asked, keeping his voice just as quiet, "Mario, you're not going to ask Peach to marry you in hopes that Bowser will leave her alone, are you?"
"No, Cappy. It's-a not like that. I want to marry Peach not just so Bowser will leave her alone, but because I really do love her with all my heart. I can promise her that my heart will always belong to her. I gave her my heart a long time ago." Mario reminded him in a whisper.
"I believe you." Cappy whispered. The way Mario wanted to save her was proof enough of that.
"Now the news that Peach is engaged to me might really shock Bowser, and that might tell him that he has no other choice but to just give up and let Peach go. He's never truly beaten me before. He knows that he can try all he wants, but he will never be able to defeat me." Mario whispered back, browsing among the rings.
"But what about when he...?" Cappy started in a quiet voice, remembering when Mario was sent flying from Bowser's airship, landing in the Cap Kingdom.
"That was just a cheap shot with his stupid hat, Cappy! Bowser doesn't get that lucky every time!" Mario promised in a loud whisper.
"Okay, sorry. You know best." said Cappy, still whispering.
"I'm sorry for getting upset, buddy. I just hate thinking about what Bowser did to me..." Mario whispered back as his blue eyes scanned the rings for a 3rd time.
"That's completely understandable. You did say there are things people don't like to think about earlier on, and I should have remembered that. I accept the blame." Cappy replied, still whispering. Then, sensing that Mario might need help finding a good ring for Peach, Cappy decided to look, too.
As the pair of them looked at the rings on display, Cappy whispered, "Wow... I see a lot of nice-looking rings in there, Mario. How are you going to pick just one for Peach?"
"I don't really know, Cappy. A lot of those rings would look pretty on her, but I have to pick just one, and it has to be the right one." Mario replied.
"How do you know which ring is going to be the right one?" Cappy asked.
"I'll know it when I see it. It has to be one that I know she's really going to love." Mario replied. But then he must have found it, for he exclaimed in a whisper, "Aha!"
"What is it? Did you find the right one?" Cappy asked quietly.
"Yup! That one! Right there! That's the ring I'm getting Peach!" Mario whispered, pointing at a 14-karat gold band set with a heart-shaped ruby.
"Wow! That looks really beautiful! I think Peach is going to love it as much as she does you!" Cappy replied in a hushed voice as he looked at the ring.
Before Mario bought the ring, he asked the jeweler in a quiet voice if they had that particular ring in Peach's size.
"Oh, we sure do!" the jeweler happily replied, also whispering. Then he realized how quietly they were talking, and he asked, "Why are we whispering?"
"I want that ring in Peach's size, because I'm thinking of asking her the big question real soon, and that's the ring I'm going to give her when I do." Mario whispered.
"You're really planning on marrying our princess?" the jeweler asked in an incredulous whisper.
Mario whispered, "Sì, but don't you dare tell anyone about what I'm planning to do. I want to surprise Peach, and I don't want anyone to be spreading rumors that get back to her before I can ask her."
"Don't worry, Mario. My lips are sealed. No one else will know what you're up to until you and the princess announce it." the jeweler promised as he took the ring and placed it in a black velvet box. Then he handed the box to Mario, who paid for the ring easily.
"Grazie. Thank you." Mario replied as he took the box and placed it in his pocket.
"Happy to help, Mario! Good luck!" the jeweler said, waving to Mario as he left the store.
"Well, that didn't take long at all!" Cappy said, his voice back to normal when they were outside the store.
"And now that that's been taken care of, I think I'll call Luigi and let him know that I'm coming home." Mario said, and he pulled out his red smartphone.
At Luigi's Mansion, Luigi was in the kitchen. He had cooked lasagna for lunch, and he had just taken it out of the oven when he heard what sounded like the "Super Mario World" title screen music. Realizing that the sound was coming from his smartphone, he knew that he was getting a call from Mario. He quickly set down the food, removed his oven mitts, pulled his bright green smartphone out of his pocket, and answered it.
"Hello?" Luigi answered.
"Hey, bro! It's-a me!" Mario replied.
"Mario! It's-a so good to hear your voice again, bro! Did you save Peach from Bowser yet?" Luigi asked.
"You bet I did! I wouldn't be calling you if I hadn't done it." Mario said.
"Buon punto. Good point. Can you tell me how it went?" Luigi asked.
"I'll tell you all about it when I get home. I'm on my way there right now." Mario said.
"Great! I can't wait to see you again, and to hear about what happened!" Luigi said.
"Just promise not to kill me when you find out what we did to save Peach..." Mario thought. But instead of saying his thoughts out loud, he replied, "I know. And when I get back, I'll have un nuovo amico, a new friend, with me."
"A new friend? Who?" Luigi asked, surprised at this bit of news.
"Someone who wanted to help me to save Peach from Bowser, but for a different reason. You'll meet him and learn his reason for helping me when we get to the mansion." Mario responded.
"Okie-dokie. I'll see you soon, then. And just so you know, you'll find me in the kitchen. I fixed some lasagna for lunch. It's-a got to cool before we can eat it, but at least you and your friend will get to have some. If he likes lasagna, that is..." Luigi said.
"Sounds good. See you in a few minutes, bro." Mario said.
"Bye." Luigi said, ending the call and putting his smartphone back in his pocket.
"Buh-bye." Mario said, ending the call, too.
Then Luigi turned off the oven and set the timer on the microwave. He had to let the lasagna stand for a bit before he and Mario could dig in.
"Luigi fixed lasagna for lunch. You don't mind that, do you?" Mario asked Cappy as he put his red smartphone away.
"I'm cool with it." Cappy replied.
A few minutes later, Mario was walking up to a big mansion, and he said, "Well, Cappy, what do you think of the place I call home?"
"Whoa... Is this really where you live?" Cappy asked, his eyes wide as he looked at the mansion. It was huge!
"Well, it's actually Luigi's mansion, but because he's such a nice brother, he allowed me to live here with him, and I accepted the offer. We call it our 'Super Mario Bachelor Pad'." Mario replied as he walked up the steps that led to the front door.
"That's so cool! Have Peach and Daisy ever been here before?" Cappy asked.
"Sì. When the place was built and Luigi and I moved in, Luigi decided to have a house warming party, and he invited Peach and Daisy to it. They both showed up, and it was a lot of fun." Mario said.
"How did he get this mansion?" Cappy asked.
"I'm sure he'll be glad to tell you about that if you ask him nicely." Mario replied as he opened the door.
Mario entered the foyer, then he went down the first floor's hallway. He came to the door, opened it, and walked into the kitchen/dining room, where he saw Luigi sitting at the table, waiting for the timer to beep, indicating that the lasagna had stood long enough, and was ready to be eaten.
"Hi! Hey, Luigi!" Mario called out, getting his brother's attention.
Luigi turned to see Mario, and he smiled at the sight.
"Mario! I got really worried when you sent me that text, saying that Peach needed rescuing, but I'm relieved that you saved her." Luigi said, getting up and running over to Mario, giving him a big hug.
"I'd do anything for my princess..." Mario said, returning Luigi's hug.
"Are both of you okay?" Luigi asked in concern.
"Yeah. We're okay." Mario said, putting his brother's fears to rest.
Cappy saw the bond that Mario and Luigi shared. It was really sweet.
"Oh, that's good..." Luigi said, but he trailed off as he realized that Mario was alone.
"What's up?" Mario asked.
Luigi said, "Well, that's funny. You said you were bringing un amico, a friend, with you, but you're alone. Where is your friend? Is he shy?"
Mario quickly explained what had happened to his cap, and how his new friend was from the Cap Kingdom. That friend was presently acting as his cap.
"His name is Cappy, and he's a Bonneter. I must warn you that the Bonneters look a little like hat ghosts, so don't freak out when Cappy shows you what he really looks like." Mario said.
"If he's a friend of yours, Mario, then I'm sure he's going to be a friend of mine, too." Luigi replied.
Cappy relaxed when he heard that. That made his eyes show, and Luigi noticed. He hadn't really expected to see anything like that happen. It made him feel scared.
"M-Mario... y-your cap... it has..." Luigi said, at a loss for words.
"Lo so. I know, Luigi. Those are Cappy's eyes you're looking at. But Cappy isn't going to hurt you. I promise." Mario said. He looked up at his cap and said, "Cappy, please show my brother what you really look like."
Cappy disappeared from Mario's head and assumed his Bonneter form, saying, "Ta-da!"
"Ohhh boy..." Luigi replied, not knowing what to say. He was glad that Mario was kind enough to warn him about this, but even so, he still wasn't prepared to see what Cappy really looked like.
"Don't freak out! Stay calm. Look, Mario and I were working together because not only did that stupid fiend capture his pretty girlfriend and destroy his cap, he also attacked my homeland and kidnapped my sweet little sister, Tiara!" Cappy explained.
"What did Bowser need your sister for?" Luigi asked.
Mario and Cappy quickly told Luigi what Bowser's plan was, and Luigi had to facepalm when he heard it.
"Again?! Seriously?! When is that idiota going to learn that Peach never will love him enough to marry him?!" Luigi asked, annoyed that Bowser was trying it again.
"Hopefully, he'll have learned his lesson by now. This is the 4th time Bowser has tried to marry Peach. And you know what they say: The 4th time 'round is the last time 'round." Mario said, referring to some of the last words in the song "Shooting Shark" by Blue Öyster Cult.
"What?! This is the 4th time Bowser tried to marry your girlfriend?! Are you freaking serious?! What happened the other 3 times?!" Cappy asked, flabbergasted.
Mario and Luigi quickly told Cappy about the events of "Do You, Princess Toadstool, Take This Koopa...", the "Super Mario Adventures" comic, and the beginning of "Super Paper Mario" to Cappy.
"Wow... Bowser sure is persistent. If the 4th time really is the last time, then I think he'd better learn to face facts." Cappy replied.
"Yup." said Mario.
"So, what else happened, bro? Can you tell me how you finally managed to save Peach from having to marry someone who doesn't really love her?" Luigi asked.
Mario and Cappy said that they got the idea to trick Bowser.
"Again? You tricked him again? And it worked?!" Luigi asked, surprised.
"Sì, but I wasn't about to ask you to help me do it, because I'm not sure you could've pulled it off for a third time. Also, I really didn't want to ask you to throw away your dignity like you did when we were at Joke's End." Mario replied.
"Grazie. Thanks, Mario. I really didn't want to dress up like Peach again, and I hate the thought of leaving Doggy at home all by himself." Luigi said.
"Who's Doggy?" Cappy asked.
"Luigi's ghost dog, whom I mentioned to Daisy when she saw what you looked like. But he's a very good and friendly puppy; he won't hurt you. Speaking of Doggy, where is he?" Mario asked, not seeing the dog in the kitchen. The animal never strayed far from his master's side.
"Last I checked, he was in my room, taking a nap on my bed." Luigi replied.
"I could go check and see if he's still there, since I feel like I need a shower after that adventure, and since your room is right near the bathroom..." Mario said.
"You can take a shower if you really need one, bro. But first, I would like to know who you got to play the role of Peach when you tricked Bowser." Luigi said.
Uh-oh! What is Luigi going to think when he finds out who they got to trick Bowser? Don't ask me, 'cause I'm only going to tell you to stay tuned if you wish to find out!