Minmei's Palace

On Daisy's side, the festival is loud and cheerful, even Daisy wanted to be a part of the festival party at night, leading her to sigh.

Holding Daisy's hand, Azalea is able to calm Daisy down while walking along with her towards the door.

As 2 faceless rice hat guards split and let 2 princesses in, Daisy is the first to move quicker while walking and clench her fists.

Finally at the throne room, hiding behind the curtain is Minmei, who's been watching the festival, raising her head and looking at Daisy with calmness behind those eyes.

"Princess Flora." Minmei calls from behind the curtain.

"Hey, Minmei! You know why I'm here?" Daisy cheerfully speaks.

"A proposal is it?"

"Yeah. I was thinking if we could have dinner during the festival. Y'know, I thought it could be a meeting between both princesses." Daisy asked.

"A meeting you say? Hm… I couldn't say no to that. Alright. We'll prepare a feast. Is your sister here as well?" Minmei asks while revealing herself out of the curtain.

"Duh! Of course she's here with me. She's just waiting outside for us."

Finally, Minmei raised her arm as she let her guards go and prepare a meal for the princesses.

At the dining room where the side is exposed with breezy air and loud cheers in the festival, Daisy, Azalea and Minmei are surrounded by faceless guards while eating together.

"So if I can tell, what's the relationship between those outsiders and you two?" Minmei asks while biting a dumpling.

"Oh! Mario and Luigi are friendly people. They even accepted our request to help us save our empire." Azalea answers with confidence.

"Really now? So why're they here?" Minmei squints her eyes out of curiosity.

"W- Well…" Before Azalea explains, Daisy raises her arm and looks straight into Minmei's eyes with a serious look.

"I heard their mother has been there since before we were born. She was actually the first outsider that entered our world before Mario and Luigi." Daisy explains.

"But that doesn't excuse blowing up and threatening my kingdom." Minmei snaps which had Azalea and Daisy standing up from their seats and the guards raise their katanas out of hostility.

"Hold it!" One guard yells.

"Zip it! Listen, Minmei, what Bowser said to you is actually slanderous. He falsified the evidence in order to take advantage of your kingdom." Daisy points out what Bowser's been doing to Mario and Luigi earlier.

"Do you have proof?"

"I'm the one in charge! Don't forget, you're part of the Sarasaland Empire!" Daisy becomes harsher as she snaps.

"That's right! Minmei, what's going on with you? Why're you turning against us like that?" Azalea asks out of worry, realising that things around Sarasaland are falling apart.

"And that's what I hate about your country." Minmei's tone is also sharper as she growls. "Cultivated by your father and no one cares for the death of our old king. We're struggling because of you."

"What? But I was keeping all the countries safe." Daisy halts out of confusion.

"Are you now!? We've been hiding from you for decades, wishing to bring back our independence from your clutches! I used to work as a waitress until I was chosen to be the gong-zhu… I don't know what to do after being on the throne, so what I did is make a deal with King Koopa as he's the only one I could trust."

"You chose your fate. One day, Bowser will make you one of his slaves, in other words, you'll be marrying him against your will." Daisy is now revealing the very thing Mario said to her earlier.

This caused not just the guards to gasp in shock, but Minmei to quickly stand up after hearing what Daisy warned about.

"That's a lie."

"Is it? Maybe this'll prove what you needed." Daisy reveals her phone, showing what Mario has recorded.

The sounds and yells from those involved in the Mushroom Kingdom incident, leading Azalea to gasp, shocked about what happened to Mario and his friends.

Minmei sinks herself back down on the seat while lowering her head.

"In other words, King Koopa is lying this whole time. I guess my instincts were right about not trusting him." Minmei grunts while clenching her dress and then looks at Daisy and Azalea. "We must speak to the outsiders. My army is unfortunately following what I ordered earlier."

"But can you tell them to postpone their hostility?" Azalea suggests.

"I can't. They're so dedicated to the point of ignoring my orders despite being faithful and trustworthy." Minmei said as she admitted defeat after being proven wrong.

"Then we'll stop them before things go out of control. We'll ensure the outsiders' protection." One of the faceless guards said while nodding.

"Thank you. Don't kill them, but disable their activity." Minmei ordered.

"Yes, gong-zhu." The guards nod and then leap out of the princesses' sights.

"You two, come with me. We'll arrange a meeting together." Minmei finally leaves the dining room as the Flora sisters follow Minmei from the dining room.

But what about Mario, Luigi and Suuko?

Outside in the alleyway, a masked kunoichi approaches Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong and Suuko with needles on her hands, stopping as she can tell Mario, Luigi and Donkey Kong's hostility towards her.

"Outsiders…"

"You knew what we're doing. How?" Luigi asks in fear of being hunted by a kunoichi.

"We're trained warriors. You think we won't secure our kingdom. Unfortunately for you guys, all of you will be our prisoners." Said The kunoichi named Fang.

"Oh yeah! We're not afraid of you!" Donkey Kong slams his fists while preparing to fight one kunoichi.

"Yeah! We beat a koopa once, so we'll beat you guys no problem!" Suuko grows 4 more arms as she's prepared to beat one kunoichi.

Luigi stands in his karate pose as Mario clenches his fists.

"Red outsider, you're the eldest of the group?" Fang asks while twisting one needle with her fingers.

"Yeah. So wh-" A boot to the face as Mario crashes onto the bin, causing Fang to leap off and land in front of Mario himself.

"Mario!" Luigi exclaimed.

"Why you!" Donkey Kong charged as he swung his fist, leading Fang to jump and place at least 12 needles on Donkey Kong's back, making him collapse in a split second. "Ow."

Before Luigi picks up a plank and swings it, Fang kicks the plank and pushes Luigi towards Mario while he's getting tripped.

Before Fang takes her time, a can hits her head, making her turn towards Suuko, who is carrying a bunch of garbage.

"You know I don't beat up children." Fang sighs.

"Heh!" Suuko smirks as she has the chance to throw as much garbage as she could, making Fang approaching Suuko with the speed of sound. "Eh?"

Finally, Suuko collapses after getting karate chopped from behind.

"So I'm going easy on you." Fang concludes and picks up a broken glass as she approaches Mario.

As Mario tries to pick himself up from the bin, he gasps as the medallion drops out of his pocket.

Then Fang gasps.

"Sunstar… Outsider, where did you get it from?"

"Ngh! Who wants to know?" Mario grunts as he stands back on his feet, picks up and puts his red cap on.

"It's one of the oldest items held by the immortal beings. Tell me, where or when did you hold on to Sunstar?"

Mario spits and rubs his chin while glaring at a kunoichi.

"I'll let you go if you tell me." Fang finally admits while dropping a glass shard and puts away the needles.

To Mario's surprise, Fang is being sincere as she pulls out all the needles from Donkey Kong, letting him move his back as he groans.

"Ooh! My back!"

Mario lowers his head and then looks at Luigi, who is standing back up and lowers the plank out of concern.

"Lu." Said Mario.

Luigi nods and then stands right in front of Fang.

"The medallion… I had that when I was a baby." Luigi answered.

"You? Just like Gong-zhu?" Fang asked.

"Who?" Mario, Luigi and Donkey Kong halt as Fang turns around and explain Minmei's history.

"Minmei-gong-zhu, she holds her own medallion that is Draco Crown, the thing she and her father kept for a long time. A long time ago, Gong-zhu and I were roommates that study together about the world, but Gong-zhu wants to live as a waitress in the Chai Kingdom's restaurant. After she was chosen, she remembers the risk of exposing the medallion to the public, knowing what she feared and it hindered her dream job. I, along with other kunoichis, worked as her soldiers to protect her and her kingdom."

"I know it may sound dumb, but are you or your princess rejected by Peach?" Donkey Kong interrupts while asking.

"Excuse me?" Fang stops out of confusion.

"Yeah, because it wouldn't be a surprise if you're actually another one of Peach's rejected ones." Donkey Kong points out.

"Now that you think about it, DK's right. Did you?" Luigi agreed after remembering what Peach does to others as the prince mentioned earlier.

Fang sighs while clicking her tongue and shakes her head horizontally.

"We're never in a relationship with the princess of Mushroom Kingdom. Gong-zhu, me and other kunoichis are focused on our own dreams and familial relationships. Your princess is never our concern." Fang confirmed the relationship between her, her friends and Peach.

"Ah. I see."

"Hrm! So that's how it is, Miss. Fang!" A familiar, yet menacing voice called, shocking the Mario bros and Donkey Kong after witnessing the very creature that's been after them for a week.

"No way…" Mario gasped.

"Hii!" Luigi shrieked.

"Is that how you repay me, kunoichi!? We made a deal!"

"Gong-zhu may have, but no kunoichi breaks their love for their own country. King Koopa, you're the one responsible for blowing up part of our kingdom." Fang turns towards Bowser while revealing a kunai in front of Bowser's face.

"Hmph! You and what army, masky? All you have is a bunch of losers you totaled!" Bowser laughs.

But little did he know that a bunch of masked kunoichis appeared out of the shadows while protecting Mario's gang.

"King Bowser Koopa of the Darkland, you're under arrest for the manipulation of our gong-zhu, vandalism, fraud, assault, kidnappings and attempted murder. A war criminal like you should be judged for all the horrors you committed." One of the kunoichis called while she and others raised their needles.

"Hrm! Koopa pack!" Bowser roars as a bunch of koopas and others are holding different weapons like a bunch of gangsters after appearing behind their king. "ATTACK!"

"Go. See Gong-zhu and stop all this madness from getting to you." One kunoichi orders while dashing along with others like real ninjas.

Now it's Mario's group and Bowser as Mario, Luigi and Donkey Kong are now on their guard.

"Mario, it's been a while. Same goes for Luigi and your pet ape. Tell me, you wanna see the princess?" Bowser chuckles while taunting Mario's group.

"Bowser. I figured you say that. Once the ladies capture you, you'll admit to all your crimes." Said Mario.

"Hehehehe. You think I would fold? I will not." Bowser concludes while charging his fire breath.

While Luigi picks Suuko up from the ground, the Mario bros nod and run by leaving Donkey Kong behind and charge towards Bowser.

Before Bowser fires, he's unfortunately pulled back by Fang and a fellow kunoichi that causes his fire to burst upwards, making him yell.

"Gwah!?"

"Go. Now." A kunoichi ordered.

"Okie dokie!" Mario and Luigi finally passed as they left the alleyway together through the festival party.

After letting Bowse go and leaving Donkey Kong with him, the kunoichis leap in order to face the army.

"Grr…"

"Now it's just you and me, you big fat turtle!" Donkey Kong laughs after taking off his disguise.

"Don't get cocky, monkey boy! You already lost once and I'll do it again!" Bowser roared.

"Come at me then, Bowser! This is for Pauline!" Donkey Kong punches his own chest like drums while howling and then charges forward by raising his fist.

In the end, Bowser and Donkey Kong are going all out on each other.

With the brawl going on, the kunoichis are now guarding the Mario bros from the other guards that are trying to arrest them.

At the city square, Mario and Luigi are jumping onto one of the carts as they're this close to the same dancers they saw earlier.

"Bro."

Mario shushes while avoiding contact, knowing that he, Luigi and Suuko are targeted.

Now that they're close to the palace, Mario and Luigi nod, pick up Suuko and leap out and run upstairs together.

What stops them is a bunch of faceless guards diving down, making the bros turn around and run back down the stairs.

But more are downstairs as the twins brothers are surrounded.

"M- Mario!" Luigi stutters out of fear while standing behind Mario.

"Tch! Mama mia…" Mario had realised that it's over.

But, those upstairs are marching past the brothers, making those downstairs gasp, stopping Mario and Luigi from raising their arms.

"Gong-zhu is waiting for you." One guard speaks out while raising a katana.

"Oh. Um…" Luigi stops himself as Mario quickly runs.

"Thanks. Let's-a-go, Lu." Mario grabs Luigi's arm while running into the palace as the final stretch.

"Okay."

As many guards are looking at each other, one guard points with a katana out of hostility.

"What are you doing, brother!?"

"Gong-zhu's orders are absolute. You should know that, Fei." One guard answers and then points to Other guards to block the entrance.

With a bunch of guards going against each other, the Mario bros are in the palace thanks to those that are willing to guard them.