CHAPTER 2
Princess “Peach” Toadstool sat on the balcony of the Mushroom Castle, looking over a lengthy scroll while the sun beat down upon her. Her thin eyebrows were furrowed as she read the names:
Sir Mario Edmondo
Sir Luigi Edmondo
Sir Merlon
Princess Daisy of Sarasaland
Prince Peasley of the Beanbean Kingdom…
It was the first time that a guest list had to be used for the party at the castle, much to Peach’s disdain. Instead of opening the doors to all who were willing to attend, guests had to be a highly regarded individual in society or a member of royalty to get in. The common citizen was relegated to the festivities on the street “for security purposes”.
Peach thought the plan was rubbish, and had argued against it from its conception. Toadsworth, her perpetually paranoid advisor, had tried to explain to her that greater security was necessar, due to Bowser’s tendency to attack during celebration, but why take such a risk after losing a war?
Lt. Aaron Sigel
Parakarry
Lady Bow
Mark Knocker
Yoshiro Mata of the Lavalava Tribe
King Fret of Jewelry Land…
In the end, even as princess of the kingdom, the opposition from advisors and even the Mario Bros. was too great to quell, and the guest list was enacted. To add insult to injury, Peach was asked to read the list of over two hundred guests and give her thoughts on those attending.
It was too much to handle. Rolling up the scroll and setting it aside, Peach got up and walked inside her bedroom. It was a spacious area that contained a queen-sized bed, a fireplace, body-sized mirror, and a closet of different dresses. Everything inside the room was either a bright pink or a flaming red, but Peach didn’t mind.
She plopped down upon her bed and heaved a large sigh. In recent times, it felt as if everybody was trying to restrict her freedom until there was nothing she could do without having to get approval. Perhaps it was the fact that she could always count on Mario to rescue her from Bowser’s grasp, but she didn’t understand the fear held by her peers. It all seemed trivial in her mind and wasn’t worth panicking over. She just wanted to get away from it all and dream.
There came a knock at the door just as Peach was about to fall asleep. She grumbled to herself before calling, “Come in!”
Toadsworth hobbled inside, a crooked cane keeping him on his feet. He looked to be his usual self: impatient with the festival’s preparations and paranoid about the slightest mishap.
“What do you think you’re doing?” the aging Mushroomer snapped. “Lying in bed in your formal attire? You’ll wrinkle it, and you can’t go out in public with wrinkles!”
Peach rolled her eyes. “You seem to do that all the time.”
The joke flew over Toadsworth’s head, and he continued his tirade. “But you’re a princess! You need to give off an aura of elegance and beauty. And lately, the only aura you’re giving off is one of stubbornness!”
“Cut to the chase. What do you want?”
“I only came to inform you that Sir Mario is here to talk to you for a few minutes,” Toadsworth said. “Afterwards, I’d prefer that you let us know whether the guests on the list are suitable… assuming, of course, you chose to read it in the first place.”
“Don’t worry, I did,” Peach said. She got to her feet and headed to the door. “Where is Mario, if I may ask?”
“He’s in the main hall. He had a package of sorts, so I assume it’s something for the festival.”
Peach wondered what the package’s contents could be, before deciding she’d have to see for herself. Even if Mario had supported the guest list and the various other precautions set, he was still her boyfriend and, more importantly, savior.
Toadsworth opened the door for Peach and allowed her to step into the hallway. It was early in the morning, but already servants were scurrying to and fro and preparing for the Festival of Heroes.
Peach walked down the hallway while Toadsworth followed, presumably to make sure she didn’t hurt herself. As they got closer to the main hall, the flow of activity increased, hallways crowded with busy servants. Everybody was too busy attending to their duties to step aside for their princess and her ailing advisor.
After descending three flights of stairs, the duo arrived in the main hall, a cavernous room that sent hushed conversations ricocheting from wall to wall in a booming echo. It was the hub of the Festival of Heroes preparation, where servants placed most of the decorations, tables, and ingredients until they could be properly stored. Plenty of foreigners were idling about, having arrived early for the ball.
Mario was easily identifiable in the crowd, standing on the sidelines in his bright blue overalls and fiery red cap. He held under his left arm a large package, a bright, blue bundle wrapped in a red ribbon. Standing around him were Prince Peasley and Princess Daisy, engaging in conversation with the short plumber.
Peach signaled towards Toadsworth to leave before approaching Mario, putting on a genuine, if not weak, smile. “Good day, Mario.”
Mario turned to face Peach, a smile creeping across his face. He walked up to Peach and kissed her gloved hand. “It’s great to see you, Princess.”
“There’s no need for formalities,” Peach said with a giggle.
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
“A handshake is fine.”
Mario gave a small shrug and shook Peach’s hand. Princess Daisy watched with a grin etched on her face.
“You’re going to greet your boyfriend, yet pay us no heed?” Daisy asked. “Gee, thanks.”
Peach smiled and turned towards Daisy, her snide friend from Sarasaland with a penchant for tomboyish behavior. Even as a princess, she didn’t act like one, but that was her appeal.
“Hello, Daisy,” Peach said, “and the same to you, Peasley.”
“We were just talking about when you’d come, actually,” Mario said.
“More specifically, whether you’d come or stay in your room to snooze,” Daisy said.
“I can’t blame you for wondering that,” Peach said. “With all the work that needs to be done, I’d love a long, uninterrupted nap.”
The foursome shared a good chuckle before Prince Peasley took the conversation in a different direction. “Well, we didn’t really want to pull you away from whatever it was you were up to, but there’s something we’d like to give you.”
“Wait, so you mean that it wasn’t just Mario who wanted to give this to me?” Peach asked, gesturing towards the package.
“Yes and no,” Mario said. “I was the one who intended to give it to you, but I met these two while waiting and they were quite interested in getting involved.”
“I’m only here to see the reaction on your face,” Daisy said, “and nothing more.”
“Like I’m going to believe that,” Peach said, playfully prodding Daisy in the side before being handed the package by Mario. Seeing it up close revealed it to be surprisingly big and spherical. “Is this a gift?”
“You can see it as one, I guess,” Mario remarked. “Go ahead and open it.”
Shrugging, Peach grabbed the “gift’s” ribbon and ripped it off, afterwards unwrapping the blue paper and revealing a curious surprise.
The object inside was rough and gray, resembling a small boulder. Cracks emitted a dull, red glow from the core, signifying that it was hollow. On top of that, it seemed to be vibrating slowly, filled with unidentifiable life. Peach had never seen anything like it.
“What… is it?” Peach asked, her voice a mere whisper. She understood it was something exciting from the smiles of the other three, but she failed to understand its significance.
“It’s the equivalent of a trophy,” Mario said. “Proof of our victory.”
“What victory? You’re really confusing me, Mario…”
“It’s a Koopa egg,” Daisy said. “And it’s our key to ending the fight with the Koopas for good.”
~~~
Defonil had gone from a stuffy office to the claustrophobic trunk of a police car, wrapped up in a fetal position as the wheels below moved over bumps and depressions. He felt the beer churning in his stomach, sending a wave of nausea over his mind. The wailing sirens didn’t help much either.
Regardless, he kept his mind focused on the fact that he had managed to escape imprisonment and that in a few moments he would head out of town and leave Lieutenant Sigel and the big, drunk Mushroomer from the bar in the past. He wouldn’t have to appear in court and could travel where he pleased without being followed by police officers.
But I’m not there yet, Defonil thought to himself. Can’t put my guard down.
The police car came to a sudden halt, the force sending Defonil’s head into the wall. He clenched his forehead in pain and listened as the car doors swung open and the sirens fell silent. Footsteps moved away from and towards the car.
“What’s the problem, Officer?” he heard a voice ask.
“We’re from Sammy’s Carriage Co. We’re just bringing some guests to the castle for the ball tomorrow.”
Castle…? Defonil felt his happiness waver. He doesn’t mean…
“Sorry,” the first voice said, “but we didn’t expect you to come in police cars.”
“Due to the unexpected demand for transportation, we called Lieutenant Sigel to request usage of his vehicles. Thankfully, it turned out for the best and we were able to borrow a few cars.”
“And the sirens…?”
“We needed a way to get through traffic, of course.”
“That’s odd,” a new voice said. “Sigel normally doesn’t give away police property so easily.”
“Well, Greer, it’s clear that they’ve got guests with ‘em,” the first voice said. “This isn’t a joke.”
Greer, the third voice, scoffed. “Guess ol’ Sigel turned over a new leaf after all. Come on, Waite, let’s lead them inside.”
“Right,” Waite replied. “Now, guests, if you’ll please follow us, we’ll take you inside the castle.”
There was a swarm of footsteps, fading away as the guests walked towards what was apparently the entrance to the Mushroom Castle. For Defonil, that was bad. The castle was at the very center of Toad Town, and he couldn’t sneak through town without getting spotted.
The only thing he knew for certain was that he couldn’t leave the castle’s perimeters. But then how was he supposed to avoid being caught? Castle guards were a whole new world compared to police officers.
“Are there any more guests to bring to the castle?” the guy from Sammy’s Carriage Co. asked one of his co-workers.
“Nope. I think that’s all we need these cars for.”
“Then let’s take these back to the station.”
Defonil unleashed a series of hushed profanities as he heard the car doors open and close, the engines revving. The last thing he wanted was to go back to the station, where an infuriated Sigel would be waiting.
Acting on impulse, Defonil kicked the trunk open as the car began to move, rolling out onto the gravel road. As soon as his footing was regained, he rushed into the nearby bushes as the police cars sped into the distance.
Without a form of transportation, he was stuck at the castle.
The gate had been left open by the guards, Waite and Greer, and Defonil took full advantage of it. He slipped into the castle’s front lawn, a scenic garden filled with flowers, statues of the kingdom’s previous kings, and a large fountain, slipping from bush to bush.
Where in DAD’s name am I supposed to go? he pondered. He couldn’t stay outside with a team of armed guards around, and the only way into the castle was through the front entrance, and that was suicide. On top of that, the windows were barred.
Defonil looked around, hoping that a stroke of luck would bestow upon him a solution to his problems, much like it did earlier in the form of a phone call from Sammy’s Carriage Co. and an invitation card; a back door, un-barred window, or something…
Something caught his eye. Five stories up was a balcony overlooking Toad Town, and the stones below it were uneven; a perfect combination for sneaking in.
Wasting no time, he took his chances and ran towards the wall. He grabbed two stones that jutted out, hoisting himself above the ground. He heard his old bones creak, but adrenaline kept him going. His left arm shot up and groped for a higher stone, finding it and latching on. His right followed suit.
The cycle continued for about two minutes. Whenever Defonil felt like he was going to fall, he tightened his grip until his fingers started to bleed. With persistence and high stakes, he soon managed to climb onto the balcony.
By yet another stroke of luck, the balcony was connected to an empty bedroom. The elegance and bright colors signified that it belonged to a member of royalty, which was better than a guard or servant. He’d hide there, and if the room’s owner returned before he could find a way to leave town, he’d keep them silent until he was miles away from civilization.
Defonil opened the glass door, stepping inside and taking in his surroundings. It was big and filled with the smell of perfume. It likely belonged to the Princess Peach the Mushroomers spoke so highly of. That was much better than a prince, king, or whatever else the Mushroom Kingdom had. A female wouldn’t put up as much resistance.
Without anybody to stop him, Defonil plopped onto the princess’ bed. The soft mattress was soothing to his scales, providing him comfort after a day of booze, bar fights, and an escape from the cops. He didn’t intend to stay in bed for more than a minute, but his eyelids failed him, and he was soon sleeping like a log.