Bam! Chapter 9! Technically chapter 10 if you count the prologue, but that's not important. This one is where a few more key characters are introduced, so enjoy!
-Joost

Shattering the Stars
Chapter 9: Plumbing's Their Game

A small, brown, chestnut shaped creature scampered around the ground, walking forward absentmindedly. He didn't really know why he was out in the field, knowing that his king didn't really have any schemes planned. Beside him was an orange flower, also enjoying the afternoon.

Suddenly, the creature felt an immense pressure on his head. A boot had stomped down and then quickly bounced back up into the air. He was rendered unconscious, imaginary stars circling his head as another pair of boots came by, jumping in between him in order to avoid causing any more harm.

"Come on, Weege! We're losing daylight!" An accented voice said, followed by a resounding 'Wahoo!' as the person behind the voice jumped through the air graciously.

"Bro! You know we have plenty of time!" The one behind the first shouted, scuttling through the air and landing on a brick platform, skidding to a stop due to the poor traction of his boots. He was always weary of where he jumped, preferring to not fall down any pits.

The brothers engaged in a friendly race against each other, trying to see who'd reach town first. They were always excited to receive a letter from their friend, although strangely it lacked the offer of cake this time around. It didn't matter. They sped through the thin forest, expertly weaving their way past the trees and enemies hidden in their branches. The pair smiled at the frail attempts to catch them as the sun began to set, orange rays peeking through the leaves.

More and more cobbled bricks lay floating in their path, signaling their arrival to the kingdom they so adored. Signs of civilization beckoned them towards the stairway that led right to the flagpole, victory in hand. The red-capped hero took the first jump, clinging onto the tip of the pole firmly, waiting for his brother. The green one appeared right on time, almost overshooting his jump. He reached out and grabbed the flag, almost tearing the tender fabric, but he made it. Together, they slid down the pole and beamed as they celebrated. They had made it.

"See, we didn't need to rush, bro!" The green fellow said as he moseyed his way towards the junction point. The quaint, humble castle greeted them modestly, allowing them entrance into town.

"Hey, we've never been late yet, so let's not break that streak, alright Luigi?" The crimson-colored plumber replied, hands on his hips as he tipped his cap for the officer behind the junction desk.

"Pleasure seein' ya', Mister Mario!" The officer said, smiling broadly. He waved the brothers off, letting them bask in the sunlight that blanketed Toad Town.

Mario, Super Mario to be exact, smiled as he admired the view. His brother, the cowardly, yet caring Luigi, stood beside him, forming the perfect duo. So rarely had they been seen apart, the only time they could recall being when that dastardly ghost concocted a ruse to lure them into his twisted funhouse. But the taller of the two, Luigi, stepped up to the challenge and saved his brother, earning some much-needed respect throughout the town.

"Man…" Luigi sighed, "I never get tired of this view."

"Agreed, Weege, but we can't stare for long. The princess called us here for a reason," Mario stepped forward, leading the way to the heart of Toad Town. At its opposite end was the castle, the splendid home of the princess the plumber spoke of.

"Yeah, why'd she write to us, anyway? She didn't even bake us a cake," Luigi was too used to Peach's offers of sweet, baked confections, so to have a letter without such a tantalizing bid only perplexed him.

"Something about some strangers, hang on," Mario dug around in his overall pocket. "Lemme see what she wrote exactly." Grabbing the folded letter, Mario pulled it from his denim garments and read it silently. "Ah, here it is," Mario cleared his throat, his tone changing to a higher pitch to act as the princess's voice, "'The guards apprehended three strange travelers, who claimed to be on a mission of sorts. What they speak of concerns me, as it's not of the usual problems.'"

"So it's not Bowser?" Luigi asked.

"Doesn't sound like it. Besides, you know him, he's not the one for hired help," Mario folded the letter back and stored it away in his pocket. Breaking out into a jog, he and Luigi ventured through Toad Town and reached the castle gate in no time. Guarding the grand door, two Toads, blue and yellow, stood silently.

"Hey! Bucken-Berry! Ala-Gold! Been a while!" Luigi greeted the two Toads warmly; the brothers having not seen their old friends for some time. These two Toads in particular were special, having been promoted to royal guards after joining Mario and Luigi on an adventure to save the princess some years ago.

The pair of Toads fought not to greet the brothers as friends, their oath to service stating that they mustn't speak casually until after their shifts. The yellow, Ala-Gold, only nodded in response to Luigi, tilting his head to his companion.

"Letter?" Bucken-Berry asked, his voice filled with resolve. Mario gladly gave the letter to the Toad so he could inspect it. They always needed to make sure the handwriting matched. Not long before had enemies arrived with forged letters, all to gain admittance to the castle in order to snatch the princess away for their king.

"Alright, fellas, go on in," Bucken-Berry said, tapping his spear on the ground twice. On command, the door behind him opened for the brothers, and he and Ala-Gold stepped aside to let them continue. As the red and green duo walked past them, the yellow Toad slipped Luigi a letter.

"Hm?" Luigi felt the object being placed into his pocket. He opened it and smirked as he read it to himself, being sure to tell Mario of Ala-Gold's plan to meet up later for a hang-out.

The Mario Brothers casually walked down the castle halls, smiles lining the bottoms of their moustaches as they neared the throne room. Peach was surely to be there, ready to discuss who exactly had come all this way with talk of 'missions' and the sort. Mario eyed his sibling confidently, who easily returned the glance. As they approached the door separating them from the royal throne, their smiles intensified. The hero clad in red put both hands on the doors and pushed them open.

"Ah, there you are," Peach greeted them sweetly, the trio standing before her throne turning to face the brothers. "Boys, these are the Mario Brothers I spoke of. They'll be here to help you."

Mario and Luigi tensed up, not recognizing the strangers who stared at them. There was a tall, blonde swordsman dressed in a striking green, a stout, pink thing by his feet, and a speck of purple light hovering by the warrior's shoulder. Were these the travelers Peach had written about? Weren't they apprehended?

"So this is 'Mario'? No offense, but I pictured him being taller," Link commented.

Hours before, while the sun shined from the top of the sky marking it noon exactly, a portal opened in the middle of the forest. Out stepped Link, Kirby, and Tael, the trio examining their surroundings. Everything seemed still, a layer of calmness soothing them as the calls of birds and chirps of insects filled the air.

Something was different about the lush environment, however. Among the trees stood large, towering mushrooms, far bigger than any of the three had ever seen before. Normally fungi of this nature would be a nuisance to the forest, but these mushrooms helped more than hindered, being just as useful as the trees, perhaps even more.

Link gasped at the strange mushroom-filled land he and his friends had stepped into. "What is this place?", he asked himself, wandering forward to take in the scenery. He hadn't expected to be thrust into such a vibrant world after seeing the grey, desolate land of Cappy Town.

"I'm not sure, but at least we don't have to look far for help," Tael pointed out the jagged horizon, a town in the distance cutting through the blue. Seeing the city was a pleasant change of pace, the three relieved for not needing to search around for hours on end.

"Poyo! Poyo!" cheered Kirby, excited for the adventure ahead of him.

A chuckle came from Link's lips. Even if he still didn't quite get Kirby yet, he found the happiness contagious. As the pink puffball jumped for joy, Link felt the urge to as well. Seeing a city so early was easily the best thing to happen to them upon arrival in this strange land, because it meant that luck was on their side. Perhaps the heroes of this world could help with the dilemma looming over them like death itself.

"Come on, let's go," Link said with resolve, starting the brisk journey through the foliage-fungi forest. Dense branches blocked the way, so the Gilded Sword swiped through them with grace, clearing a path forward. In a way, he felt like those adventurers he and Romani read about in books when they were young, even though he outclassed them tenfold.

"Pooyyooo…" Kirby cooed with wonder, taking in the lush, lavish nature of his surroundings. He ran up to and inspected every minute thing he saw, the rocks, the trees, the fauna, everything.

Link smirked as he watched Kirby run past him, another chuckle coming from his mouth. So much about the pink puffball perplexed Link, from his stoic past and childish demeanor, but it didn't change how he looked at him now. He admired how even after all Kirby had seen, the smile he wore was genuine. It was difficult for Link to smile at times, his own past haunting him as he pressed on. Memories of tyrants slain, friends long gone, and blood splattered along his body cursed him to never truly be the same.

"Hey! Earth to Liiiink!" Tael hollered again, waving in front of Link's face. The hero blinked, snapping out of his recollection.

"Wha-huh? What? What is it?" Link stuttered.

"We're out of the forest, you don't need to keep swinging your sword," Tael pointed to Link's hand, his arm still swishing around, striking nothing. Link turned back to see that he was at least a good few meters away from the edge of the forest, twigs and leaves scattered around as a result of his hacking away.

"Oh, sorry," Link rubbed the back of his neck, sheathing his sword. The field in front of him wasn't as vast as Dream Land, but he'd estimate only half a mile away stood the town. "Alright, seems like we're almost there," Link said softly.

As the trio marched through the fields and towards town, Link couldn't help but reflect on all he'd seen and compare it to Kirby. Or at least what he knew of Kirby at that point. Link's battles with the wicked oppressors of his past, and Kirby's fights against the abstract, yet horrid, Dark Matter, both swarmed his mind like mosquitos on a humid, summer day. Images of horror were something both warriors were accustomed to, and the feeling of pain was no different. So often did they hide behind their own shields, protecting themselves in their shells, that they almost forgot what it was like to be free. However, Kirby had learned and mastered the art of breaking away from his darker thoughts, while Link still fought, trying to understand the technique. He'd broken free before, but with the shadow of Shatterhand, the trap ensnared his once again.

"Link…" Tael started firmly, bringing Link's attention to him. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"No, don't give me that, I learned from Tatl that you often play coy," Tael crossed his arms. "There's something wrong, I can see it in your eyes. That look when you're lost in thought, it's impossible to miss."

"There's nothing wrong, Tael," Link replied, keeping that old, stern look on his face.

"Poyo?" Kirby had turned to face his companions, overhearing the argument. Link huffed, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.

"Kirby, not now, this doesn't concern you," Tael snapped, leading to Kirby just repeating his word.

"Guys, please, I'm fine, I was just thinking about…" Link trailed off.

"About what?" Tael tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, pulling off that signature annoyed glare, a trait more commonly present in his sister than him.

"Nothing…"

"Poyo!"

"No, Kirby, I'm not going to-" Link froze, his eyes widening and jaw going slack. Had he misheard Kirby? No, impossible. He couldn't have misheard Kirby, as he actually heard Kirby! "Say… Say that again."

"Wha- Poyo?" Kirby repeated, confused.

Link and Tael glanced at each other, riddled with shock. He actually understood Kirby. He had asked if he would spill the beans, a phrase the Star Warrior had learned from his friends back home. But it wasn't the phrase that caught their ears, it was his words. By some twist of logic, the argument between Link and Tael somehow allowed the former of the two to finally comprehend what the pink puffball was saying.

"Can you-" Link faced Tael, wondering if he too could hear what he did. "Tael, can you understand him now?" Tael shook his head, the 'poyo' still landing on his ears, unlike his friend. "Wait, wait… Okay, fine, I'll tell you, alright?"

"Okay, I was just thinking about the past… About everything that we've been through, you know, Tael?" Link admitted. Tael's scorned annoyance faded away as the memories he locked away resurfaced. "About all the fights, losing Skull Kid, everything, and how Kirby has been through similar, yet he… he still remains happy." Link sighed. "It just feels unfair."

"Poy…" Kirby waddled up to Link and sat down, and on instinct, Link did the same. Kirby placed his paw on Link's arm and hugged him. An infectious but solemn warmth came with the embrace, friendly enough to make even the coldest soldier smile. Link wasn't stronger than the hug and melted with relief.

Link looked at Kirby and bent down, hoisting Kirby up and into his lap, the hug never releasing. "I'm sorry, Kirby, I'm just a worried old man," Link muttered.

"Hey, you're not that old, Link," Tael commented, flying down to sit on Link's hat. Once again, they were just a group of friends.

"Well I feel old, Tael," Link laughed heartily. "I feel like I've been through everything, seen it all, but I'm only twenty years old. We've seen so much, all of us, yet there's still a lot of life left to live." However, that aching feeling at the bottom of his heart led his to speak without thinking. "I just wish that the others were here."

"Me too," Tael said.

"Poyo!" Kirby chirped. He had said 'life will change!' and Link hoped it would.

"Hey! Who are you?!" A new voice came from in front of the group. They all looked up to see a bizarre little man with a strange, rounded cap on his head. Was it a cap? They couldn't tell, but he wasn't alone, five other folks just like him approaching, brandishing spears.

"Here we go again…" Link mumbled, getting flashbacks of his first encounter with Meta Knight and his students on the outskirts of Cappy Town. This time, however, he didn't want to be separated from his friends and detained so unceremoniously. "Alright, guys, put your hands up," Link ordered.

Link, Kirby, and Tael rose and held their hands high, showing to the men that they meant no harm. The six little fellows surrounded the trio and kept their eyes locked on them. Two noted Link's sword, shield, and satchel, and Link willingly removed them, letting them fall to the ground. After that, the men eased up, convinced that whoever they were dealing with didn't want to fight.

"So what do we do, Link?" Tael whispered, hovering by Link's shoulder.

"Well, these guys seem to be guards, so let's appeal to their protective nature, shall we?" Link suggested with a weak smile. Tael, having no better plan, nodded with agreement, gesturing to let Link do his thing.

"Uh… hello, gentlemen," Link started, putting his hands down and speaking with a calm voice. The short, stubby guards stared at Link, unsure what to think of his strange appearance, as to them, he resembled the man they saw as a hero, only much taller and with pointed ears. "We assure you our intentions here are purely honorable."

"Oh yeah?" One of the guards spoke up, gripping his spear tightly. "What's yalls names, hm?"

"That's kind of the thing, fellas, you probably won't know our names, since we aren't from around here… At all," Link said, "However, my name is Link Dotour, and these are my friends, Tael," Link gestured to the fairy, "And Kirby," Link did the same to Kirby. Aside from Link, Kirby perplexed the guards the most, never having seen a creature quite like him before. "We come from a very far world in search of help."

"Help?" Another guard perked up. "Why didn't you say so?"

"Not so fast," the guard next to him interrupted, obviously his superior. He wore a sturdier outfit compared to the others, had a deeper voice, and a much more serious complexion. "Prove it," he demanded.

Link, Kirby, and Tael glanced at each other, inwardly asking one another if they should lead with the most compelling fact first. Kirby smirked deviously, eager to see the surprised faces. Tael scoffed and turned to Link, who shared a similar smile of mischief. For a moment, a child-like hunger for adventure entered Link's mind, and before Tael could protest, Link pulled out the Ultra Sword.

"You all might want to stand back, I don't want to hit any of you," Link warned, holding the massive blade firmly. The guards backed away and Link slashed with the sword, opening up another portal that quickly closed after the onlookers witnessed it splendor.

"Well I'll be!" A younger guard exclaimed.

"We come from another world," Link reiterated, "And we need help. I see a castle by the town just over there, so I guess you have a monarch?" The guards nodded at Link's assumption. "Good, may we please meet with them? None of us want to alarm, but it's a matter of great importance."

"Y-yeah, sure," The leader of the guards said, still somewhat reeling in shock at what he'd seen. The blinding flash of the portal stained his eyes, leaving remnants whenever he blinked. Suddenly, the guard remembered the manners taught to him by the princess, and stretched his hand out for Link, Tael, and Kirby to shake.

"By the way, I'm the prime lieutenant of this group, we're known as the Toad Squadron," said the man as Link shook his hand. "Call me 'Commander Toad'."

Link tilted his head, "Toad?" he asked, "Like the amphibian?"

Commander Toad just looked wildly at Link as he shook Kirby's hand, the prospect of his name being mistaken for an actual toad almost amusing. "Hah, no, but my children often joke about that," he said, hiding a smile.

Much later, Link, Kirby, Tael, and the Toad Squadron made it to the castle perched along the wide hills of the countryside, meeting with the town at its feet. This was the second castle of another realm Link had come across, yet he wasn't at all tired of it. It looked far different from Castle Dedede or even Hyrule Castle, and he was glad. His journey across the multiverse hadn't grown stale in the slightest.

"Ay! It's us! Let us in!" Commander Toad yelled to the guard on duty as he and the others grew closer. He groaned at how the guard was asleep, noting to reprimand him.

"Ah! Sorry, commander!" The dazed guard replied, jumping out of his sound sleep. He quickly pushed the grand, double doors wide open, allowing the squadron inside. As they passed, the commander waited up, standing by his lazy subordinate.

"You, my friend, are relieved of duty for the day. Go home, get sleep, that's an order. I'll have Bucken-Berry and Ala-Gold take over," The commander said, looking deeply into the guard's eyes. He had dark bags underneath his lids and a fatigued frown along his face, a telltale sign of insomnia. "Spend time with the family, you hear me?"

"Y-Yes sir, sorry sir," The guard replied, taking his leave. The commander watched as the man left for home, lowering his head.

"Good grief," the commander commented, smiling. He then returned to his squadron, making sure his Toads led the travelers to the princess's throne room. "Alright, boys, we're trusting you with speaking to the princess herself. Just… make sure not to touch anything while you're in there, got it?"

"Understood," Tael answered, Link and Kirby smiling agreeably.

With that, the sextet of Toads bid the trio of foreigners farewell, letting them through to the throne room. The area was splendid and pristine, a cloudy pattern painted along the walls and on the ceiling, with what looked like a depiction of the sun at the center of the canopy, which seemed to beam down on a spot sitting before the throne. On the throne sat a woman, clad in a bright pink dress with curly blonde hair, almost like Link's just much cleaner. A crown adorned her head as she smiled gently on her visitors.

"Greetings," The woman said, "My name is Princess Peach, and welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom,"

Link knelt before the princess, the honorable gentlemen side of himself coming out. "It's a pleasure to meet you, princess. My name is Link, and these are my friends, Kirby and Tael."

"It's wonderful to make your acquaintance, you three," Peach said formally, looking to the two highly dressed guards standing by her throne. "Oh, boys, there's no need to be so tense," She leaned in on the right and whispered, "Look, they aren't armed, so lighten up!"

"Sorry princess," the Toad said, softening his grip on his weapon. The opposite guard did the same, letting go of his breath that he was unknowingly holding. They simply weren't used to visitors that didn't want to kidnap the princess.

"So, tell me," Peach stood up from her throne and slowly descended the stairs, walking up to Link and the others, "What brings such a varied group to the Mushroom Kingdom?" She clasped her hands together, waiting politely for an answer from Link, as he looked the most senior of the three.

"It's difficult to explain, Your Majesty," Tael began, trying to think up of a sensible way to describe their predicament. Link looked equally puzzled, knowing that he couldn't just whip out the Ultra Sword again, conjure a portal, and explain the whole deal of Shatterhand. It'd be far too blunt, especially in front of the regal monarch of the land.

"You see, we're not really… from here," Tael explained, alluding towards his, Link's, and Kirby's vastly different backgrounds. "We come from worlds, no, realms, different from this one. It's not exactly in space, but beyond that…"

"No need to explain further, I understand," Peach said plainly.

"Exactly, so the place we come from-" Tael paused, shocked, "Wait what?!"

"A different realm, you said? Yes, we have situations like that here all the time," Peach put a hand to her mouth and giggled lightly. "Versions of myself and friends of mine visit to engage in sports, events, and the like. Say, a younger version of myself, one that became a nurse, and more. It's quite fun!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Link butted in, trying to make sense of what the princess just described. "You… You just allow variants of yourself and others to travel here? J-Just like that?"

"Well it's mostly harmless. We try not to let things get heated, they don't mess with too much here, all that. However, we've never seen a version of a person we… uhm…" Peach examined Link and Kirby more thoroughly, reinforcing the fact that she didn't recognize them in the slightest. "Yes, we don't let versions of people we're unfamiliar with come here, that's where we draw the line."

"Poyo poy-poyo?" Kirby asked, leading to a confused look from Peach.

"He's confused about the idea of just letting your variants casually play sports," Link translated, also rightly perplexed by the notion. Peach again laughed, thinking it was no big deal.

"As I said, it's mostly harmless. It's all for fun for both parties," Peach said reassuringly, hands on her hips. But then a question of her own sprouted in her head. "However, now I'm curious, why are you so concerned about it, Mister Link? Is there… something wrong about the idea that has you worried?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, because of-" Link bit his tongue, withholding the threat of Shatterhand. Worried thoughts invaded his mind as he wondered if he had doomed this land by traveling here. If these people had such welcoming neighbors in the realms, would it attract Shatterhand? Did he already know if this place, but let them be due to their so-called 'harmless' traversal to and from realms next door?

"Of what, Mister Link?" Peach looked at the Terminian quizzically, frowning at the thought of a secret being kept from her.

"Of… uh…" Link stammered, contemplating whether or not he should delve into the purpose of he and his group's arrival here in this unsuspecting universe. He had no choice but to do it, hating himself. "Because there's a threat creeping through the realms."

"A threat?" Peach wiped away her more relaxed attitude and grew as serious as she could be, straightening her posture and holding her hands together. As laid back as she seemed before, it left like a startled rabbit, making way for an attentive look from the woman.

"Yes, a threat. A man, to be exact," Link clarified. While he truly didn't want to discuss the man he loathed, he needed to if he were to gain any more help on his quest. "He goes by the name of 'Shatterhand', and he travels from reality to reality, finding any significant civilization and doing as he pleases, leaving it in ruin and its defenders dead. At least, that's what we've been able to deduce. We don't know why he's truly doing it, but I assure you, he is very real."

Peach absorbed the information carefully, her critical mind working wonders thanks to her advisors. Link waited for a response, hating that he had to come to his own conclusion on what exactly Shatterhand was up to. All he'd seen was the remains of his influence, but Peach could almost tell that it was all he could give her. The princess snapped her fingers, one of her servants, a pink Toad with braided… hair? It was hard to tell if the things on their heads were their heads or not.

Princess Peach thought long and hard about what to do, pacing back and forth as the pink Toad awaited orders. It was clear this threat had nothing to do with that troublesome Koopa that came to kidnap her weekly. This was something far bigger than Bowser, and the only ones she knew she could count on were the ones she always did. The plumbers, the pair of valiant brothers that, with one of them, she was much more than just friends with. She trusted them with the world, and this seemed to be bigger than that considerably.

"Toadette, have Toadsworth send out a letter to Mario and Luigi as soon as possible!" Peach said, facing the Toad next to her. Toadette took out a notepad and jotted her directions down.

"What should the letter say?" Toadette asked.

"Have it beckon them to the castle as usual, but also say that the guards came across a trio of travelers," Peach said, thinking, "Oh, and that they revealed some stunning information while speaking with me! Alright?"

"Those exact words?" Toadette added, clicking her pen.

"It doesn't matter, just make sure it gets to them immediately. Have Toadsworth write it himself," Peach said, her mind racing, not caring if the letter was completely accurate. Link's words stuck to her like tree sap on a hot summers day, seeping into her mind and having it run around in a panic.

"Yes ma'am!" Toadette saluted, running off out of the room to meet with Toadsworth.

Peach sighed, shaking her head while getting lost in thought. She slowly returned to her throne and sat down, fist on her cheek, thinking about the vague idea of the man called Shatterhand. Fears started to well up inside, the possibility of a man coming to her kingdom and destroying it with ease, much more ruthlessly than Bowser ever could. By now, she didn't really see the King of the Koopas and a threat, more so just a nuisance that was solved by the end of the day. This, however, excreted a more viscous sense of danger.

"Mario and Luigi?" Link asked.

"Hm? Oh! Yes, Mario and Luigi!" Peach realized that her guests didn't even know of the brave pair of plumbers that were dedicated to the Mushroom Kingdom's protection. She giggled at the thought of the brothers meeting these strange, new travelers. "They're brothers who help defend the kingdom! They're just wonderful, trust me. I think you'll get along with them nicely."

"I hope so, because we'll need all the help we can get," Link remarked, thinking about the unseen presence of the madman he, Tael, and Kirby were after. He wondered if the brothers would be set to assist them. "Some more help would be much appreciated, princess, if we're to stop Shatterhand."

"They will, I can feel it," Peach said confidently.

"Hmmmm…" Mario huffed, processing the heap of information just dumped onto him. Luigi held a similar expression as his brother, the two almost a mirror image of one another. "I'm not sure, we'll need to think about it…"

"We?" Luigi asked, surprised. He was fully convinced and down to help out the three travelers. Oddly enough, he felt confident about being able to handle the matter as long as Mario was there too, but now with his brother skeptical, he grew nervous.

"Weege, c'mere," Mario said, pulling Luigi aside for a tactical huddle. He spoke quietly, just loud enough for his brother to hear him. "I don't trust 'em, bro. Something's not right about these guys."

"You don't trust them? Why not?" Luigi whispered, the brothers peeking out from their crouched stances to ensure none of the strangers were listening in. "I trust them. They seem really concerned about this guy, so we should help them! Besides, it beats dealing with Bowser every week."

"Yeah, yeah, but just something about the taller one puts me off, alright? I've never seen anyone like him before, have you? And the pink one, he keeps staring at me funny," Mario glanced at Kirby, the Star Warrior eyeing his hat as if curious on what it tasted like. It creeped the plumber out.

"To be honest, I thought you would've felt the same as me. I was about to join them on the spot!" Luigi's whispering was poor, the excitement getting the better of him.

"Really though? Why would you do that?" Mario asked, unsurprisingly used to his brother being so brash. Ever since the whole mansion kerfuffle, Luigi had gained a new sense of adventure, which unfortunately had the common result of getting him injured. The whole piranha plant parade thing was painful to watch, but the green man insisted on joining their song.

"Okay, fine, but maybe we should get to know them first. We'll be able to see what they can do and maybe you'll come around," Luigi suggested, smiling wide. Mario just rolled his eyes, but the idea could work.

"Alright, alright, you win, Weege, but I'll be paying attention to them," Mario relented. He could never win an argument, but such was life as brothers. The pair left their huddle and stood side by side, facing the travelers. "Okay, here's the deal, we wanna get to know you three before we set out on any adventure. Say a couple of days, give or take, just to earn some trust, got it?"

"Well, for me, I already trust you, but this guy is being a stic-" Luigi pointed his thumb towards his brother before being elbowed in the hip.

"Shush, Luigi," Mario warned, irritation lining his lips.

Link, Tael, and Kirby looked at each other with concern. While they were happy that they had met the Mario Brothers, the fact that one of them didn't really trust the three was downcutting. Trust wasn't an easy thing to come by now, Link only coming to trust Kirby happening almost by chance, since if he never decided to relax at home with the pink puffball, he likely would still think low of him. However, they needed to take what they could and continue on.

"Absolutely, thank you, Mario. Thank you, Luigi," Link said humbly. "But now, princess, there's one more problem that we need to sort out," Link nervously turned to the princess who sat on her throne. "Sleeping arrangements? It's almost dusk and we have nowhere to rest."

"That's not a problem, Link. I'll phone the inn and set you three up with some rooms. No need to pay for room and board, you are guests to our land, after all," Peach smiled as she stood up from her throne to head to one of the adjacent rooms to find the telephone. Link was confused at the word 'phone', but he brushed it off.

"Poyo! Poyo!" Kirby chirped, excited to see what kind of food was in store for him in this new land.

"Thank you again, princess," Tael added.

"Hah, it's nothing, really. Anyways, the guards will lead you around town to the inn," Peach's guards stepped away from the throne and joined Link, Kirby, and Tael. "Please, make yourselves comfortable here. Oh, and feel free to call me 'Peach', there's no need to be formal."

"Alright, Peach," Link said with a smile as the Toad guards led him and his friends out, Mario and Luigi following.