Chapter Four.
Soon it was night, and Theodore had made a fire. Starry sadly sat by the fire and sighed. "What are we going to do? How can we save our friends?" She asked. "I, I don't know. I wish Mario and Luigi were here. If anyone can get us out this mess, it's them!" Theodore said, sadly. Then sat by the fire with her. Then they saw a light in a distance. "What's that?" Starry asked, going to investigate. Both Starry and Theodore peeked around a Mushroom stem towards the lake and saw a rowboat in the middle of the lake. "Okay, this will do, drop him here!" A soldier said, pushing statue Mario overboard, he splashed into the water and sank to the bottom. "Well, that takes care of him. Let's head back and get a drink!" He said, laughing while rowing back to shore. Once out of view Theodore and Starry approached the shore. "Did you hear that they dropped someone overboard!" Starry said, as Theodore jumped into the water and dived down. There he found something hard at the bottom. Theodore grabbed it and brought it to the surface and then to the shore. Only to realize he saved a statue of Mario. "What a statue. I risked my life for a statue ugh!" He angrily groaned, walking away. Starry looked at the statue and felt a living soul trapped inside. "Theodore, Theodore!" She said. "What?" He asked angrily. "Sorry, Sorry!" He apologized. "What is it?" He asked. "It's not a statue. Its someone who has been turned to stone!" Starry said. "What? Turned to stone? You mean to tell me this is really Mario?" He cried, panicking. "What? What are we going to do, what are you going to do?" He panicked. Just when Starry reached out and touched one of Mario's fingers and a light glowed between her finger and his. "What? Starry?" Theodore cried, just when Mario turned back to normal. Mario fell to the ground weak and in a daze. He moaned. "Mario, you're okay!" Theodore said, relieved. "Ugh Toad?" he said, still weak and dizzy. "No Mario, it's me, Theodore!" He said, holding him up. "Theodore ugh!" Mario moaned while Theodore held up a weak Mario and looked at Starry. "Starry how, how can I, how did you do that?" He asked, staring into her blue eyes.
An hour later and Mario sat by the fire. "Feeling better Mario?" Theodore asked. "Yeah, thank you. So, tell me what's happened?" Mario asked. "You were turned to stone!" Theodore said. "Stone. I remember now. What about the Princess?" Mario asked. "If I know Venetia, she's already turned her to stone and taken over her kingdom!" Starry said. Mario had a worried look on his face. "What are we going to do Mario?" Theodore asked. "Simple we're going to find a way to stop her and save Princess Peach!" Mario said. "I, I don't know if I can do that Mario!" Theodore said. "Why not Theodore?" Mario asked. "Because I'm not a hero like you are Mario. I've never been on an adventure in my life. I'm just a store owner!" Theodore said. "Listen Theodore. Before I came here, I was just an ordinary plumber trying to make my way in the world, and just because I face danger doesn't mean I'm not scared, sometimes I'm terrified. But I believe in myself, and you have believe in yourself, she does, and so do I!" Mario said, as Theodore smiled. "Thank you, Mario!" Theodore said, as they stayed by the fire.
Back at Peach's castle, Venetia sits on Peach's throne, with stone Peach nearby. "Aw, this is the life, I should have done this years ago!" Venetia said, relaxing with her pet Plague star. When Ivar walked in. "Excuse me my Lady, but the ship is ready to depart to the next kingdom!" he said, bowing. "Excellent Ivar, summon the guards to move Princess Peach to the ship!" She ordered. "Yes, my Lady!" Ivar said, bowing again before leaving to get the guards.
Back at the camp Mario, Theodore and Starry were ready to head back to Toad town. "Ready to go Theodore?" Mario asked. "Yeah, just got to put out the fire! Theodore said, carrying a bucket of water to the fire and was about to pour it on the fire when he heard and saw the bushes near him moving. Starry who frightfully hid behind Mario. While Mario watched the bushes move. Then out came Yoshi. "Yoshi!" Mario said. "Yoshi it's you!" Theodore said, as Mario ran to him "Yoshi, hey boy, where have you been?" Mario asked, getting licked. "Yoshi, Yoshi!" He said, pulling on Mario's arm. Then he ran ahead and gestured to them to follow. "What's the matter with him?" Theodore asked. "He wants us to follow him!" Mario said, running ahead. Theodore quickly poured the water onto the fire putting it out, then rushed to them. Yoshi led them deeper into the Mushroom Forest. Yoshi would stop and wait for them to catch up before moving on. "Yoshi, where are you taking us?" Mario asked, following him. "Yoshi, Yoshi!" Yoshi said, moving on. Then they saw it, another camp site. "Huh? Another camp!" Mario said, seeing Yoshi ahead of them. "Yoshi!" He said, waving to them to come. Mario, Theodore and Starry entered the camp and saw a lot of Star toads. "Yoshi!" one of them cried, as she and the others gathered around Yoshi and petted him. "Oh, hello. Who are you?" one of them asked. "Hi, I'm Mario and these are my friends, Theodore and Starry!" He introduced. "Hey, she's one of us!" She cried, as the others came and gathered around them. "Mama Mia!" Mario said, looking at all of them. They looked at Theodore as well. "You're a strange one!" one of them said. "Why do you have circles on your hat? Another asked. "I'm a Toad!" Theodore said. "We're Toads too. Can you turn into a star like we can?" Another asked. "Uhm no!" Theodore said. "Oh!" another said. Starry looked at all her friends then she saw a statue sitting not far from them. Starry walked up to the statue and realized who it was. "Lord Rayner. What happened?" Starry asked. "Venetia turned him to stone when he refused to tell her where our princess was!" A Star toad guard said. "Venetia wants to kill our Princess!" A Star toad said. "Kill your Princess? But why? Mario asked. Because our Princess has a power that make her immune to Venetia's spells. Our Princess can also reverse her spells and make us Immune!" A Guard said. "Really? Wow!" Theodore said, staring at the Statue.