Part 02
Everyone stood and looked in shock at the sight. No one knew what to say. No one knew what to do. They just stood there in awe, not moving a single inch. Finally, Peach broke the silence.
Peach: I’m calling the police!
She was about to leave, then she paused.
Vivian: What’s wrong, Peach?
Peach: I just remembered. That creepy spirit... she told me that we were trapped here until...
Peach didn’t have to finish the sentence. Everyone understood. The situation could no longer be considered a prank. It was now a crime. Peach looked up at the clock. It was 8:30 in the morning.
Goombella: Hey, Peach!
Peach: ... Yes?
Goombella: Do you think we should try figuring out when they went missing?
Peach thought for a second. When she looked up, everyone seemed to be in agreement with Goombella’s idea.
Peach: Yes... yes we should... I-I just can’t believe that Mom would come back and do this to us.
King Toadstool: Now, now, sweetie. Your mother would never do anything of the sort. She loved you, your sister, and all of your friends very, very much. She would never do something this horrible!
Daisy: Dad’s right. This is obviously an impostor! I say we hunt them down right now and teach them a lesson!
Toad: Calm down, Daisy! We’re all mad about this. But we won’t solve anything by hunting them down and thrashing them. They could accuse us of doing all this, and they’d have evidence that we beat them up. We don’t have proof that they did anything. Only the police will be able to give all the answers. The law will return, we just have to believe we will win and break through this spell.
Everyone was stunned by Toad’s speech. No one had heard him say anyhing so powerful. They all agreed.
Daisy: ... You’re right, Toad. I’m sorry. I was just a little upset at someone pretending to be my mom.
Toad: It’s ok. We all get a little hot under the collar sometimes.
Luigi: I say we leave this place right now, though. It’s giving me the creeps.
King Toadstool: Yes, it would be best if we left. We must keep this scene preserved for the police when they arrive.
They all left the library. Peach, Vivian, Luigi, and Goombella went to inspect the vandalized hallway while the rest went to the castle’s lobby.
Luigi: Hey, Goombella, how can you guess when the paint was painted?
Goombella: I look at how far the paint has dripped and make a bunch of complicated calculations. It’s too hard for you to understand, though.
Luigi: What’s that supposed to mean?!
Luigi ran towards Goombella with fists flying, but Vivian put herself in between them.
Vivian: Now, now, no need to fight. We’re all in the same situation right now. We have to look out for each other!
Luigi: You’re right, Vivian. Sorry, Goombella.
Goombella: Like, no need to sweat it! ^_~
Peach: Goombella, about how long after they were kidnapped do you think this was painted?
Goombella: I’d say anywhere from one to five minutes.
Peach: Because according to your calculations, this was painted between 7:05 and 7:10 this morning.
Vivian: So that means that they were kidnapped in between 7:00 and 7:05 this morning.
Peach: I’m starting to get a bit of a headache, I’m going to go get some medicine.
Luigi: Fine with us!
Peach looked at the time. It was 8:50 in the morning. She held her head as she walked away. She walked through the lobby on her way to get some medicine.
Birdo: How’s the investigation going?
Peach: We figure they were kidnapped at about 7 AM, so we were probably all still asleep when it happened. We figure the symbol was painted about five minutes later.
Yoshi: Yoshi and the others are sorry that your party is getting ruined. :(
Peach: It’s ok...
Daisy: Peach, you ok?
Peach: Yeah, I’m fine. I just have a little headache.
Just as she said that, the clock struck 9. When the clock struck 9, a plea for help cried out. However, no one would hear this cry, for it was drowned out by the sound of the clock.
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong,
ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-doooooooong.
Part 03
Peach found some aspirin and her headache was gone before she knew it. After chatting about various different things with the group in the lobby, she checked the time. It was 9:45 in the morning. Then she remembered Goombella and the others.
Peach: Oh my gosh!
Birdo: What is it, Peach?
Peach: I forgot about Goombella and the others! I’m sorry, I have to go.
She ran to the hallway that her room was in. However, it was abandoned. She started running through various halls. She couldn’t find them. She stared to panic, but when she got to the hall by Daisy’s old room, she saw a series of sparkles.
Peach: I have a bad feeling about this.
When she got closer to the bedroom, she saw green paint splattered and smeared all over the wall.
Peach: ... Another vandalism?
When she got up to the door, there was another “Symbol Splatter” on the door. This time, it was a bottle with a skull and crossbones on it, probably representing poison. [i]“Have you solved my little riddle from last time?”[/ circled the hideous drawing. When Peach opened the door, she saw Goombella was lying on the floor with a huge bump on her forehead. After staring at Goombella on the ground, she looked up and saw Queen Toadstool. She smirked at Peach.
Queen Toadstool: Are you enjoying my little game? I spared Goombella this time, but don’t think I won’t come back for her when you least expect it. Only eight of you remain. Will you survive? No? That’s what I thought. See what happens when you don’t listen to your mother? You did this to yourself, Peach! You did this! And to think your friends thought you cared about them! Ahahahahahaha! Ahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahahaaaaa!
With that, the Queen disappeared. Peach was hurt by what was just said to her, so hurt that she collapsed to her knees and began sobbing. She was sobbing so loudly that everyone from the lobby came running in. Then Peach looked up. She saw Goombella getting up, and she saw the other six from the lobby behind her. She was very happy when she remembered she wasn’t alone. She realized that she, her friends, and her family were all in this together, and that if they stuck together, they could overcome anything.
Goombella: W-where am I?
Daisy: You’re in my old room. Do you remember what happened to Luigi and Vivian?
Goombella: I-I remember that that spirit showed up and attacked us. She took Luigi and Vivian, then hit me in the head with a baseball bat... but that’s all.
Peach: Hey, Goombella, do you know what “imabel” means?
Daisy: “Imabel”?
Peach: Remember when we first found Mario, Toadsworth, and Parakarry back at the library? The letters “I”, “M”, and “A” were painted on the door, while the items that were left behind by the three had the letters “B”, “E”, and “L” engraved in them.
Daisy: Oh yeah, I never thought of putting the letters together.
Goombella: “Imabel”? I believe that that is from an ancient Birdo language.
Birdo: I learned some of an ancient Birdo language... but I just need some time to think...
Toadette: Why don’t we all go back to the lobby?
Peach: Yes, that sounds like a good idea.
They all went back, and when they arrived, the clock struck 10.
Yoshi: It’s been three hours since this started.
Peach: I know. I can’t believe how horrible this has become. It’s all my fault.
Toadette: It’s not your fault. No one could have guessed this was going to happen.
Peach: I was warned last week by that spirit that I shouldn’t have the party, but I defied her. And now she’s making us suffer.
Daisy: Hey, Peach, it looks like Birdo remembered something!
Peach: Did you, Birdo?
Birdo: Yes! I remember. “Imabel” isn’t a word, but “Lebami” is. In the ancient Birdo language, “Lebami” was something you said when something wasn’t real or was a big act.
Peach: So...
King Toadstool: I think our little spirit friend just admitted that she isn’t really the Queen.
Daisy: I told you, Peach! I told you Mom wouldn’t do this!
Suddenly, a gentle voice came out of no where.
Voice: Thank you, sweetie. Thank you for clearing my name.
Peach: ... Mom?
Suddenly a sweet-looking angel appeared.
Angel: Yes, it’s me, sweetie!
Peach and Daisy: MOM!
The ran up and hugged her.
King Toadstool: So were you waiting for them to figure that out?
Queen Toadstool: Yes. However, I can’t stay long. I can only use so much power to break through the magic barrier surrounding the castle. There is one thing I must tell you though. You need the power of the Stars to defeat this imposter. And you must do it before midnight tonight.
Peach: Why? What is this imposter trying to do?
Queen Toadstool: I do not know. But I can tell you that as of now, all of your friends that have gone missing are fine. However, if you all get captured, I doubt that will remain the case.
Daisy: So you’re saying that she’s planning on rounding us all up in one location and she’s going to kill us all at once?
Queen Toadstool: That is what I believe.
The Queen started to fade away.
Queen Toadstool: It looks like I’ve used up all my time. It was nice seeing you all again. Farewell, and good luck.
The Queen disappeared. Peach looked up at the time. It was 10:15. She started to wonder when the next crime would be committed.
Yoshi: Peach, do you know where the Power Stars are kept?
Peach: Yes, why don’t we all go there together?
The went up to where the Power Stars were kept. However, she was shocked to see what had happened.
Peach: ... What happened here? SHE HAD THE NERVE TO STEAL ALL OF THE POWER STARS? No wonder we can’t touch her! She has all of our power! That WITCH!
Toadette: She stole the Power Stars?
Toad: If only Mario was here. Last time the Power Stars were stolen, he got them back within a day.
Peach: Who’s to say that we can’t do it ourselves? I’ve saved Mario, Luigi, and a fraction of Toad Town from Bowser before!
Yoshi: Peach right! We can do it ourselves!
Birdo: We all have unique powers! We can use them to stop this imposter.
Peach: That’s right! Now let’s go!
Other 7: Yeah!
Peach checked the time as she left, seeing it was 10:35 in the morning. The group goofed around and had fun on the way back to the lobby, so that stalled them a little. In fact, it took them 20 minutes to get back to the lobby, twice as long as it took them to get to the Power Star chamber.
Daisy: So where should we start?
Peach: We still have some Stars that we hid in case something like this happened.
Goombella: It’s been a while since I’ve been crimefighting. I’m actually pretty excited to take on this imposter.
Peach: What do you think, Dad? Dad?
She looked around, and as she did, the clock struck 11. At that time a demonic laughter came booming out of nowhere. It was clear that the Fake Queen had struck again.
To Be Continued...
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