Mario Mario - Blog Posts

Firey Love Through Burning Sands Chapter 6: Meet & Greet

Mario and Luigi didn't know what to expect when they were brought inside the city gates.

The Koopas that were inside the city were a bit of a shock when they first arrived, considering the fact that the only Koopas that they had seen at that point were all from Bowser's kingdom. But out of all they had seen, nothing had prepared them for seeing other human beings. For the past month, Mario thought that he, Luigi, and Princess Peach were the only humans ever to see the land beyond the green pipe. But not only did Sarasaland seem to have human royalty, but they also had regular citizens and military members that were currently walking alongside them.

The city itself reminded the brothers of a documentary about ancient Egypt that they watched in middle school. Although the part of the city that they had passed through had a wall and gates, the entire city seemed to stretch out for miles without end. There was a big river that passed through the city, and the group crossed a gigantic stone bridge to pass it that was decorated with carvings of flowers and strange dinosaur-like creatures. Crossing to the other side, the group made their way closer to the city square as the sound of music and chatter began to grow louder with each step.

"We're almost to the palace," Daisy shouted over the noise, "You might want to stay close. It gets pretty busy on Market Day."

The occupants of the city were hard at work buying and selling wares at the bazaar. Humans were seen fixing musical instruments and cooking delicious-smelling food and snacks, the Bunbuns were weaving fabrics and silks from threads that shimmered like gems, Toads were busy with constructing new stands and repairing roads, and Koopas were seen forging metalworks and jewelry, but as they passed by, the Mario Brothers began to notice that a lot of the citizens were beginning to stare and whisper the closer they got to their destination.

"Princess Peach has returned."

"Who are those little people with her?"

"The red one looks feral."

"Ha, the green one looks sickly. What are they feeding that poor thing?"

Normally, Luigi would shrink at the comments. After all, he was the more timid brother, the one that avoided any sort of confrontation, the one afraid of his own shadow. But right now, he was currently too interested in the princess that was currently dragging him through the square.

She sure is strong, Luigi thought to himself with a blush.

Meanwhile, Mario found himself falling in step with Peach, determined to get a question answered.

"Hey Peach," he asked, "How do you know the queen again?"

Peach tensed at the question, trying to find a way to answer before Daisy interrupted.

"You've seen her fight before, right? Well, where else did you think she learned combat? Her kingdom's Toads?"

Toad gave an offended yelp.

Peach gasped, taken out of her tense state at her friend's jest.

"Daisy! That's not nice."

"What? You know I'm right! At least the Toads that live here are able to use a sword."

Mario took in her words. The Toads of the Mushroom Kingdom, bless them, were more of the "panic and run" type, from the regular citizens up to the guards that surrounded the pink-and-white castle. Not to say that they weren't protective of her. By what Peach had told him, Toad himself was willing to be tortured for her when Bowser invaded her kingdom after he and DK had been stuck in that gigantic eel. But he knew that whatever fighting skills she had to complete that training course that he couldn't even get through on his BEST go-around was not the doing of the Toads.

At least not from there.

"Huh, so is she, like, your teacher? I mean, that's cool, y'know? You're still able to get advice from her when you need to. But why haven't you mentioned her?"

"We're here."

Peach blanched as they suddenly stopped.

The white marble of the palace gleamed in the afternoon sun as the group entered the palace, the white stone now turning into shades of orange and yellow as they headed towards another set of golden doors that were guarded by two Bunbuns, the door itself decorated with a giant lotus blossom design. The Bros and Toad couldn't help themselves as they ooh'd and ahh'd at the sight before them.

Peach, meanwhile, felt her palms grow sweaty from nervousness. Although it was true that she was raised by the Toads when she first arrived in this land, it was the Queen of Sarasaland who taught her how to be a leader. All of the training to become the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, all of her combat skills, her knowledge of power-ups, all of what made her a princess came from her.

And what had she done with that wisdom?

Oh, only put two whole kingdoms and her friends in danger!

Daisy, sensing her distress, let go of Luigi's hand and stood next to her.

"You ready?"

Peach stayed silent as she straightened her posture.

"Not really." She finally answered before turning to her companions.

"Okay, I know you probably have a lot of questions about, well, all of this. And I must confess that I haven't been very... transparent. But when we get in here, I'll be doing most of the talking."

The Bros and Toad stared at her in confusion before slowly nodding their heads.

"Alright Daisy, we're ready now."

Princess Daisy nodded her head, signaling the guards to open the doors.

The group followed the princess as she entered the throne room, taking in the sights surrounding them. The entire room was the same orange-yellow color scheme as the rest of the palace, but accented with green and white inlays as you got closer to the actual throne. The throne itself was golden, not unlike King Cranky's own throne in the Jungle Lands, but above the throne were white silk drapes, and at her right hand was an orange and yellow cushion with golden tassels around the edge.

It was then that they noticed the woman sitting on the throne.

The older woman sat with her back straight, her eyes seeming to stare directly into their souls as she scanned the room before turning her gaze toward Princess Peach.

Princess Daisy, leading the charge, walked towards the steps before kneeling on the ground at the very base. The four companions followed suit, with Daisy nearly causing Luigi to topple over himself as she dragged him down to the floor and Mario being pushed down by Peach as she sank down.

"Bayete, Indlovukazi," Daisy spoke up, "Your visitors have arrived."

The queen paused for a moment, her gaze switching between the princesses and the plumbers, a tiny smile gracing her lips before motioning for Daisy to sit on the cushion and for Peach, Mario, Luigi, and Toad to stand up.

"Welcome to Birabuto; I take it your journey here was a smooth one?"

Princess Peach smoothed her skirts as she answered.

"Yes, your Majesty. And I would like for you to meet my friends, Mario, Luigi, and Toad."

The queen's gaze was unwavering as she noticed their body language. Mario and Toad had placed themselves directly in front of her former student, becoming a living shield. Luigi, who for whatever reason was still on the floor, floundered his way next to his brother, almost knocking the three of them over to join the protection squad. Daisy couldn't help but give an amused giggle, making Luigi break out in a deep blush.

"So, you must be the Super Mario Brothers and that brave Toad boy that saved the universe. You have my respect and my thanks. Now, let's cut to the chase, shall we?"

Peach cleared her throat.

"Yes, um, as I had stated in my letter, we have had some problems with the king of the Darklands that resulted in him finally being captured and taken into custody inside the Mushroom Kingdom."

"Hm, I do recall meeting with the council members that were involved in that whole ordeal. But what does this have to do with Sarasaland and our Power Star? "

Council? Mario thought to himself, Did the Toad Council visit Sarasaland?

"Your Majesty," Peach stated, "Bowser has escaped from his confinement, and it's my belief that he will attempt to take Sarasaland's Power Star and use it for his plans for world domination.

Unbeknownst to the others, Taraji's blood ran cold in her veins, the images of last night's vision practically swimming in her mind.

"Go on."

But before Peach could continue, Mario interrupted.

"Wait a minute, the Toad council met with you already?"

Princess Peach's cheeks turned bright red as a wave of second-hand embarrassment crashed into her. In hindsight, she should have seen this coming, especially when they met with King Cranky. Luigi and Toad looked on anxiously as the queen held the red plumber's gaze before answering.

"No. Princess Peach, just how much have you told your companions about our ways?"

"Well, I...haven't mentioned everything to them."

Peach couldn't help but give a nervous chuckle as her teacher gave her a pointed look.

"A half-truth by omission is still a full-on lie. But that is a discussion for another day. In the meantime, you all will stay here for the night and rest. Tomorrow morning, the council will arrive, and we will convene on what our next steps are going forward."

With a clap of her hands, a couple of her servants gathered around the throne room.

With little room for argument, the servants quietly led the four of them out of the throne room, the door shutting behind them.

"Take our guests to our spare bedrooms. Dinner will be prepared in a few hours."

Later

Princess Peach tossed and turned in her bed, her mind racked with dread.

Dinner had been a rather quiet affair, as was any dinner that was made by the queen herself. The table was filled with rice and beans, a savory stew filled with meat and vegetables with nshima to scoop it up and eat with, and even (to her surprise) malva pudding, all of her favorites. But she couldn't even stomach it. Even the few bites she forced down her throat turned sour in her gut as that pit of despair grew larger and larger.

The council members were all arriving tomorrow in order to figure out how to capture Bowser and what to do with him in order to pay for his crimes.

Again.

And it was all her fault.

Giving up on going to sleep, Peach got up from the bed and began to pace the room, feeling guilty as the queen's words replayed in her head.

A half-truth by omission is still a full-on lie.

Does it even count as a lie? She thought to herself before shaking her head.

As a ruler, she was honor-bound to be an honest and wise princess, whether it was between other leaders or with the common folk. She had learned that from the best, after all.

But she didn't mean to keep Sarasaland or its ruler a secret. It just...never came up in conversation between her and the Mario Brothers. And why she didn't go to Sarasaland when this whole problem began?

It was...complicated.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door.

"Come in."

The door slowly opened to reveal Taraji, her hair in her bonnet and dressed in her white nightgown and robe as she smiled at her former student. Behind her stood Daisy, dressed in an orange tank top, shorts, and matching bonnet. Peach, ever the formalist, curtsied.

"Bayete, Indlovukazi. Bayete, Inkosazana."

Their smiles fell slightly in concern. Peach was always the prim and proper type. Had been that way since she was a little girl under Taraji's tutoring. But that was the first time in years that she had used their official titles, and in their native tongue nonetheless, while being in just their presence. She only ever did that when something was terribly wrong.

"Peach? What's wrong?" Taraji asked, a frown on her face.

Peach blanched for a moment.

"What, me? No, nothing's wrong. Nothing at all. Why? What would be wrong?"

Daisy snorted, unconvinced.

"Yeah right! You never call us by those titles unless something's up. So, spill!"

Peach shook her head, resuming her pacing as the two other royals watched.

"I'm fine. Just... got a lot on my mind right now."

Taraji said nothing at that. Instead, she sighed as she sat herself down on the vanity seat and grabbed the hairbrush that sat on the table.

"Sit down."

"But-"

"Sit."

With a sigh, Peach sat on the floor as Taraji began to brush her hair. Daisy, meanwhile, took a running start from the door and jumped onto her bed, jostling the bedsheets into more disarray. Rolling her eyes at her sister, Taraji turned her attention back to Peach.

"Now, tell me what's really going on. Why didn't you ask the council to help you in the first place?"

"I...It's just...I just...didn't want to bother them with something that I could handle by myself."

The two of them gave her an incredulous look.

"You're kidding, right?" Daisy deadpanned.

Taraji paused her brushing.

"Peach, I know that the situation was more dire than that. If reports from the last council meeting were correct, Bowser had not only captured the king of the Snow Lands and stolen their Power Star; but he also had threatened the safety of your kingdom and your people if you refused to marry him; he had ambushed and nearly killed the king and prince of Kong Country as well as the majority of the Kong army; and had threatened the lives of your red plumber, his brother, and their homeland. And this was all something you could have handled by yourself?"

Silence.

Daisy's eyes glanced between her friend and her sister, concerned.

"Look," she spoke up, "I don't like half of those stuffy folks either, but they're there for a reason, you know that, right?"

Peach jumped up at that, a huff of frustration escaping her lips.

"I know that! But... I can't help but feel as if I'm taken as a joke. I'm the only council member that is a princess; according to some members, my rule is illegitimate since I wasn't born a Mushroom Kingdom royal; and Bowser has been so much of a constant problem, I wasn't sure that they would listen to me! What else could I do? I-"

"Ipentshisi."

Peach turned around, her eyes cast down to the ground in shame. Taraji stood up and took her hands into her own, causing her to look up.

"A good ruler, regardless of what rank they are, doesn't just take care of their kingdom. A good ruler also knows when to ask for help. Both of which King Cranky and the Penguin King should have done. And even if you didn't want the council involved, you could have at least told us. You know that Sarasaland would have stood with you, don't you?"

Peach sighed, looking back down at the floor.

"I... I guess I wanted to prove to the council that I wasn't just some 'damsel in distress'. I wanted to protect the kingdom on my own, like you do."

And there it is.

Taraji sighed, leading her back to the seat she had abandoned.

"Peach, when I first became queen, the royal council had been disbanded for over a decade. I had to learn how to protect Sarasaland on my own because I was on my own. I had no one to help me or the empire, not to mention what had transpired for me to ascend the throne."

The young princesses paused at that, looking at each other and back at the queen as she seemed to visibly deflate at the mention of that night.

"When I was able to get the council back together, I vowed never to let any new ruler experience what I had to go through. Does that mean that they are infallible? No. We are not perfect in any sense of the word, but at least you would have the security of having that support when you need it. And as for questioning your legitimacy? You may not have been born into the original royal family, and you may not have been born in this very universe, but the Great Grambi brought you here and made you the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom for a reason. Don't ever doubt that."

"I know all that, but it still doesn't answer why."

Taraji laughed at that.

"Heh, still have that patience problem, I suppose."

"Well, old habits die hard, as Mario would say."

Taraji gave another small chuckle as she recalled the little red man that seemed to be glued to her hip. No doubt that he had sworn to be her protector.

Daisy snickered.

"Oh yeah, Mr. Knight-in-Ruby-Red! Sworn to protect pretty Princess Peach! Honestly, you two would be perfect together. "

The queen laughed, a rueful smile etching her face.

"Now, now, now. Don't think I didn't see you with the green one, Daisy. You seem quite smitten with him."

Daisy spluttered.

"S-s-smitten! HA! Who says I was smitten with that guy? Nope! No smitten-ness over here!"

That sent Peach into a laughing fit.

"Oh, please! You literally dragged poor Luigi from the city gates to the palace walls!"

But in their laughter, they had failed to notice a lone figure that was spying on them from above. Though invisible for the majority of the conversation, the shapeless blob that was hovering over them sneered a malignant smirk before blipping out of the room.

The three royals laughed and laughed, their voices echoing into the halls.

Firey Love Through Burning Sands Chapter 5: Welcome to Sarasaland!

Luigi couldn't help but marvel at how the warp pipes worked.

Sure, his first experience with them caused him an insane amount of trauma, but he couldn't help but admire the engineering that made it possible. The streams of magic that flowed through them were strong enough to suck your body into its current but concentrated enough to let you safely travel to the farthest reaches of the known kingdoms (provided that you knew your way around).

After going through the pipes to go back and forth between Brooklyn and the Mushroom Kingdom, his fears about the pipes were slowly getting better, even becoming one of his favorite ways to travel. The rosy-pink clouds that surrounded the see-through walls of the warp were kind of soothing to look at.

But he sure wasn't feeling that way now.

He held onto Mario's hand and shuddered, the two of them and Toad following the princess as she guided them to the Sarasaland pipe, the ride seeming to take an eternity. The clouds that surrounded them did little to ease the pit that grew in his stomach as they passed through, the strong currents endlessly pulling at him from all sides. Mario, meanwhile, had his focus mainly on Peach, not taking his eyes off her for even a moment.

When he made the journey to win the Kong Army and save Luigi, the furthest that they had gone via warp pipe was outside of the Mushroom Kingdom's borders. Now, they were using the warp pipe to get there instead of walking the rest of the way.

Why?

"Hey princess," Mario shouted, "Where exactly is Sarasaland?"

Peach didn't turn around to look at them, instead looking dead ahead as she searched for the right pipe.

"Just beyond the Dry Dry Desert. Both kingdoms use the desert as a neutral border, so we're going through the warp to get to the main gate away from that region."

He felt Luigi's grip on his hand tighten as the smell of sulfur wafted into the pipe.

The pipe to the Koopa Kingdom was close.

Mario returned the tightened grip in an attempt to comfort his brother.

"Non preoccuparti, Luigi. Nothing can hurt us as long as we're together."

The group moved closer to the wall of the tube, not willing to be sucked into enemy territory as they passed by. After an agonizing moment, Peach's voice rang out as she grabbed Toad.

"The Sarasaland Warp is just up ahead! When I say go, we're going to make a right turn! Ready?"

The brothers took a deep breath.

"Set."

They held onto each other tight.

"GO!"

And with a sharp turn, they followed the princess and the Mushroom boy down the warp.

Here we go!

Meanwhile, in Sarasaland...

The Bela Nandi held the reputation as not only one of, if not the deadliest, army in the land but also as the only all-female military group in all of the known kingdoms. While the armies of the Jungle Lands and the Koopa Kingdom had great numbers and strength, the Bela Nandi seemed to surpass them both with their genius war tactics and stealth. And seeing as the empire was spread out between four distinct kingdoms that were ruled by the Queen, they were also considered one of the most diverse.

Among the ranks that gathered in the throne room stood Daisy, fully dressed (if not a bit winded from making a mad dash not to be late) with a golden bow in her hands as they all talked to each other, waiting for their general and fellow battle sister to arrive.

Suddenly, the doors opened.

The chatter from the Bela Nandi hushed instantly as the sound of metal clashed together. The warriors lined themselves against the walls as Taraji strode through the room, twin Ida swords in hand. Daisy and the warriors saluted her as she climbed the steps that led to her throne.

"Ukunqoba Nodumo, Bela Nandi!" The queen saluted her fellow warriors as she stood.

"Ukunqoba Nodumo, Indlovukazi!"

With a nod, her soldiers went back to formation, herself sheathing her blades as she addressed them.

"My sisters, Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom will be arriving shortly with her companions for an urgent matter of upmost importance. As to what that matter is, I am not a liberty to say for now. In the meantime, these are your assignments: Princess Daisy and Squadron One, you will be meeting our guests at the Warp Pipe Border away from the desert."

Daisy looked up at her sister, a surprised grin slowly growing on her face. She was going to lead her first assignment! Was it a small one? Sure, but it was better than being stuck in the palace.

Taraji glanced over as the princess failed to keep a stoic expression at the announcement, her own lips forming a tiny smile before continuing on.

"Squadrons Two, Three, and Four, you will be guarding our borders from here in Birabuto to the Easton Islands. The rest of you, continue with your training. We will also be anticipating more guests soon, so we must be vigilant at all times. And let's not forget, the Harvest Festival is almost upon us, so I expect all of us to be ready for that as well."

With a final salute, the army dissipated and headed for their assignments, Daisy walking with her squadron.

"Daisy, a moment if you please," Taraji spoke, getting down from her throne.

The princess froze, turning around to face the queen. Taraji placed her hand on her shoulder, studying her for a moment as doubt and worry war on in her mind.

"This is your first official assignment as my heir presumptive. I understand that you're excited, but remember that you must-"

"Be careful. I know, I know," Daisy interrupted, shuffling her quiver of arrows to the other side. "You worry too much, Raji. I'll be fine! Besides, we know Peach. She's cool."

The queen sighed, her grip on the princess' shoulder tightened slightly.

"Daisy, this is serious. This isn't a visit between friends. This is a request for aid. I am entrusting you with the safety of her and her companions and for you to lead them straight to the palace. I need you to pay attention to your surroundings so no getting distracted. And don't tarry too long. The more time it takes, the more time is wasted. Do you understand?"

Daisy dropped her head in exasperation before nodding her head.

"Yes, ma'am."

Taraji relaxed for a moment, lifting Daisy's chin to take one last glance at her face before letting go.

"Good. Now, go on. They're waiting for you."

The princess turned to leave, but not before a mischievous smirk spread on her face.

"Don't worry, sis. I'll make sure not to scare her companions too badly."

Before the queen could say anything else, her sister ran out of the throne room with a laugh, her bow clutched tightly in her hand as she nearly tripped over her feet in order to catch up with her squadron.

Taraji sighed, feeling a stress-induced migraine coming on as she plopped back down on her throne.

"UGrambi omkhulu nokhokho, lo mntwana uzoba ukufa kwami."

Near the back gates of the city, a rumble was heard as the warp pipe next to the walls expelled four beings out of its bowels. As Princess Peach and Toad landed gracefully on the soft soil that surrounded it, Mario and Luigi shot out of the tube and hit the ground with a hard thud, Luigi landing on top of his brother.

"Are you two okay?" Peach asked as Luigi scrambled off of him and helped Mario up, the latter groaning in pain.

Their eyes wandered around the area, in awe of the section that they landed in. The land that surrounded them was a jungle, not unlike the Jungle Kingdom of the Kongs, but as Mario followed the wall towards a clearing nearby, the sands of the Dry Dry Desert seemed to blow towards him. Luigi couldn't help but stare at the gates themselves, taking in the intricate design of the archways and columns that supported them. The edge of the archways had lotus blossoms and daisies chiseled into the stone, and the columns had flowering vines etched into them. The doors seemed to sparkle like gold, the knocker a giant sunflower. Peach, meanwhile, stared straight ahead, her hands trembling slightly from anxiety.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Toad exclaimed as he made a rush towards the gate.

Quick as a fox, she darted her hand out and pulled the eager Toad back, setting him back down in front of her.

"Wait a minute. Before we are allowed to enter, there are some things that you need to know first."

Mario, Luigi, and Toad paused.

"The Sarasaland Empire stretches over four kingdoms, making it one of our most diverse nations. With that in mind, there are certain citizens that might look familiar.

"Like?"

Her explanation was interrupted as the sound of a war cry echoed through the air, followed by the sound of the gates opening and archers drawing back their bows.The sudden ambush caused Luigi to screech out a startled yelp as he ducked behind Mario, the warriors circling them. Mario immediately went into a fighting stance as he began to see Bombshell Koopas, Kumos, Ganchans, Gaos, Goombos, and Bunbuns. He even saw some Toads sprinkled among the ranks that currently held them all at spear-point. But nothing prepared him for what they saw next.

Right among the thrall of turtle-like creatures and moving stone heads were humans.

Real flesh-and-blood humans like them.

"Che cazzo?!" Mario blurted out as the ring around them got tighter and tighter until Princess Peach spoke.

"Please! We seek an audience with Queen Taraji!"

The soldiers paused for a moment, looking around for a response.

"Yima phansi!" A voice rang out.

The warriors parted as a figure approached them, a bow and arrow clutched tightly in their hands. Luigi peaked over his brother's shoulder and was taken aback by the sight of who he thought was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Her skin was a light brown and dotted with freckles from her face down to her arms. Her raven black hair was twisted into cornrows that ended with an afro puff that started at the crown of her head to the nape of her neck. Her brown eyes were wide as he noticed white dots painted under them and two white dots on her forehead and chin that were bordered with yellow lines on both sides. She was dressed in a dark orange top that was decorated with daisies at the hem and flared at the bottom into a skirt whose sides were split, revealing tan pants. On her head was a delicate gold chain that wrapped around the sides of her temples and down the middle of her head with an orange jewel dangling from it. Her arms were decorated with an arm cuff on her left arm and a single gold bracelet on her right wrist. Two gold studs adorn her ears, and a small golden hoop piercing decorated her right nostril.

The brothers watched as Princess Peach's shoulders relaxed before putting a gloved hand on her chest and extending her other hand out for the stranger to take.

"Ukunqoba Nodumo, Inkosazana," She spoke.

The woman was still staring at Luigi for a moment before her face broke into a wide grin as she turned to the blonde-haired princess before her, placing her own hand on her heart and grasping the gloved arm with hers.

"Ukunqoba Nodumo, Usisi,"

Peach gave a yelp as she was dragged into a tight hug, her friend's laughter echoing into the jungle behind them.

"Peach! It has been too long!"

"I know, Daisy! And I wish we were seeing each other again under better circumstances."

The Mario Brothers and Toad all stared at the two of them, confused (and a little bit terrified) as the two royals reconnected.

"And who are they?" They heard her ask, gesturing to them.

Princess Peach stood up straight, momentarily forgetting that they were there.

"OH! Princess Daisy, this is Toad," She started, as the Mushroom boy walked up to her and shook the other woman's hand.

"Nice to meet you!"

"And these are the Super Mario Brothers, Mario and Luigi."

Mario tipped his hat to the archer, a small smile on his face. Meanwhile, Luigi gave a shy smile and a wave.

"H-hello there, your Highness." Luigi stuttered.

Daisy gave a huge smirk as she faced the green brother.

"Well, h-hello there yourself!" she giggled.

Luigi's face turned bright, tomato-red as the squadron opened the city gates again.

"Welcome to Birabuto, the capital of the Sarasaland Empire!" Daisy said, their guests gasping in awe. "Now, come! My sister awaits our arrival!"

Taking Luigi's hand, Daisy dragged him through the city gates and towards the palace, Peach, Mario, and Toad following close behind them as the gates closed with an echoing thud.

Firey Love Through Burning Sands Chapter 3: The Princess and the Plumbers

Princess Peach awoke to the sounds of panicked shouting.

After throwing on her dress, she ran outside of her room as multiple Toad guards scurried around the halls.

Uh-oh, She thought as she waded through the swarm of Toads, That's not a good sign.

As she made her way through the halls, a Toad guard bumped into her, a look of fear etched onto their face. Taking their shoulders, she stopped them from leaving as chaos surrounded them.

"What is it? What's going on?" She asked.

"Princess! We have a problem!

"What's wrong?"

They said nothing, taking her by the hand and nearly dragging her to an all-too-familiar room.

Bowser's room.

Peach felt her blood run cold as she picked up her skirts, raced towards the door, and yanked it open, quickly stepping inside to investigate. The room didn't seem that much different from the last time she was there. Nothing seemed out of place, the floor and room itself were still intact, the windows were closed, the door of the cage was open-

She froze.

THE DOOR OF THE CAGE WAS OPEN!

Open, and missing one miniaturized, infamous Koopa. A chill spread through her body as the princess realized what happened.

Bowser, the Tyrant of the Darklands, had somehow escaped in the middle of the night, and only the Stars knew what he was up to!

This is bad, this is really, REALLY bad! She thought to herself.

If Bowser had escaped, then that meant that (if he wasn't already) he could figure out how to get big again. If he figured out how to get big again, then that meant that he could go back to trying to conquer the world. Which meant another attempt at trying to get her to marry him. Which meant more chaos and destruction as he tried to raid more kingdoms for yet another Power Star.

And since they discovered the Bros' kingdom of Brooke-Land, then that meant that no one in any universe would be safe from his onslaught.

That. Can. Not. Happen!

A sudden crash was heard as Toad appeared; his frying pan gripped tightly in his hand as he barged into the palace, heaving in big gulps of air from running. He was walking into town when he saw the palace guards running in and out of the building in a panic. Surprised at the guards not even questioning his presence, he rushed over to Peach, a look of concern on his face.

"Princess! Are you okay?! What's with all the running?"

Wasting no time, she raced to her office, grabbed a pen and paper, and quickly scrawled a message before handing it to him.

"I'll explain later! Take this to Mario and Luigi! I need to speak with them immediately!"

With a salute, the little Mushroom boy ran into Toad Town.

The Super Mario Brothers were never in the habit of sleeping in, especially when there was a job to get done.

But after a month and a half of rescuing and moving into the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as going back and forth between here and Brooklyn to work and visit family, the brothers were dead tired. So, it came as no surprise that Mario was still asleep in his bed at 8 in the morning. After all, there wasn't much to worry about. This was their day off, Princess Peach and the kingdom were safe, Bowser was still locked away in that bird cage. Today, he and Luigi could just relax for a moment.

Or at least it was until he was woken up by pounding knocks and shouts at his window.

"MARIO!"

He yelped, nearly hitting himself in the face. It was then that Luigi rushed into the room, still in a green t-shirt and pajama shorts.

"What was that? What's going on?" He cried, rushing towards his brother.

Mario rubbed his eyes for a moment, turning to the window to see an exhausted Toad, his blue vest rustled from sprinting from the castle to their house. He opened the window, feelings of annoyance and concern warring in his mind as he took a once-over at the Mushroom citizen as he struggled to catch his breath.

"Toad, for the last time, knock on the door! And what's gotten you all rowed up today?"  

After a minute or two, Toad handed him the letter he held in his hand.

"Peach said that she needs to see you guys right away!"

The brothers looked at each other before Mario opened the letter, reading it aloud for all to hear.

"Dear Mario & Luigi, Bowser has escaped. I need to see you as soon as you get this. Signed Peach."

Luigi grew pale at that, shuddering at the thought.

"W-What does she mean 'Bowser's escaped'? I t-thought he was shrunk down and locked away for good?"

Mario said nothing, instead grabbing at his plumber's uniform with a rush. Luigi followed his lead, scrambling to put on his overalls and find his hat as the two of them rushed out the door, Toad already three steps ahead of them.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

With a nod, the twins raced for the castle.

Meanwhile, the Council Toads gathered together in Princess Peach's throne room, cries of worry echoing in the pink-colored halls as they approached.

"Princess! What do we do?"

"Who was on watch last night? He couldn't have gone far!"

"That's IF he didn't return to his normal size!"

"What's to stop him from trying to take over again?"

"He's going to wreak havoc upon us if we don't find him!"

The princess sat on her throne as they continued to argue amongst themselves for the best course of action before silencing them with a wave of her hand.

"I understand your concerns. And I promise all of you that I will fix this. With help from the Super Mario Brothers, we will find him and bring him to justice!"

It was at that declaration that the doors were slammed open to reveal Mario, Luigi, and Toad, all a bit winded from their trek to the castle. With Peach getting up from her throne, the Council Toads dispersed, leaving her and the trio alone.

"Peach! Are you okay?" Mario asked, worried.

The princess gave a deep sigh, rubbing her temples before taking his arm and dragging him to Bowser's former prison, Luigi and Toad struggling to keep up with them as they entered the room. The empty cage seemed to gleam at the four of them in contempt, taunting them with the fact that it wasn't enough to hold the King of the Koopas.

And it wasn't even damaged.

"Oh boy, you weren't kidding." Mario whistled in awe, his heart dropping into his stomach.

Peach growled in frustration the longer she looked at the birdcage.

"It was as if he disappeared into thin air. All of the guards swear that the room door was never opened again after dinnertime last night. And the cage is suspended off of the ground, so even if he did manage to unlock the cage himself, he wouldn't have been able to escape without jumping down and losing the Mini Mushroom power up and making himself noticeable."

Toad (who at this point had yet to see the inside of the room) was exasperated, waving his frying pan around as the pitch of his voice grew higher and higher the angrier he became. Meanwhile, Luigi felt like he was going to pass out. It was well known that he had witnessed firsthand what horrors that turtle-dragon creature was capable of. Now, his tormentor was free and probably plotting his revenge against him and Mario.

Mario, sensing his younger brother's distress, went over to where he stood, putting his arm around him to calm him.

"Hey, don't you worry, Weeg. We beat him once, and we can beat him again!"

"But that was with a Super Star! He almost killed you when we went toe-to-toe with him!"  

The four of them shuddered at the memory. If Luigi hadn't rushed in with that manhole cover, there was no doubt that Mario would have been ashes, and all of the known kingdoms would be under Bowser's control.

Mario shook his head at that, resolve in his voice.

"Well, we can find another one and kick his ass again! Right, Princess?"

Peach turned to him, her expression grim as she began to pace the room.

"I'm afraid not, Mario. Power Stars are extremely rare, and the Snow Kingdom was one of the only two kingdoms that were confirmed to have access to one. The same one that Bowser stole and the two of you used to defeat him the first time."

Mario's shoulders sagged in defeat. Well there goes that plan.

"Wait a minute, Princess," Luigi exclaimed, "You said that the Snow Kingdom was one of two! Where's the other one?"

Princess Peach stopped her pacing, realizing what he had said.

"Sarasaland. Why haven't I thought of that before?!"

With that, she raced back to her office, the brothers and Toad following behind her, the two humans looking at her in confusion.

"Sarasa-what-now?" Mario asked.

"The Sarasaland Empire is now the only nation that holds a Power Star within their borders, and now they're in danger of invasion! We need to get in contact with them right now!"

When they finally arrived at her office, Peach immediately got to work penning the letter.

Indlovukazi enkulu uTaraji,

My companions and I request an audience with you at your palace in Birabuto for a matter of utmost importance. We fear it may have something to do with your Power Star and our recent discovery of King Bowser's escape from prison.

We shall wait outside of your gates for your response.

Sincerely,

Peach Toadstool, Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom

Njengenkanyezi sakhiwe futhi njengenkanyezi sizobuya.

The letter signed and sealed, the princess went to a letter warp pipe, directed it to Sarasaland, and with a swish off it went.

Wasting no time, she led them outside towards the center of town, Toad squealing with delight at going on another adventure.

"We're going to have to take the warp pipe to Sarasaland since that's the quickest way there."

"Are you sure she'll even see us?" Luigi asked as they neared the pipe.

Peach turned to the three of them, her eyes narrowing with grave seriousness.

"She will. I pray to the stars she will."

With that, she hopped into the warp pipe; Mario, Luigi, and Toad following behind.

Notes:

Indlovukazi enkulu uTaraji: Great Queen Taraji

Njengenkanyezi sakhiwe futhi njengenkanyezi sizobuya: As stardust we are formed and as stardust we shall return.

Welcome to the stage delinquents club member Daisy Sarasland! Daisy is a very sweet it stubborn girl! One of the head cheerleaders of Fenden high how she became a member of the delinquent club? Well she’s been friends with majority of the group since she was a child and not much has changed. Even though Daisy has a reputation of being a good girl Daisy has a tendency to go overzealous. She will fight for her friends and family.

Here is the first of the main cast of the delinquents club au! Although being a very intimidating looking kid, Bowser is actually a sweetheart who has a bit of anger problem and can be a little bit too blunt sometimes… And he can’t always read the room, but he still sweet nonetheless! Bowser is the second born child of Morton senior Koopa and Fumiko however, sadly, Bowser, Brutus, Bowsett do not live with their biological parents. Bowser and Sett live with their adopted father Kamek after a series of unfortunate events lead to Kamek getting full custody of Bowser when he was 8 and Sett was an infant. Brutus and Bowser really don’t talk much… Brutus still wants Morton’s approval even after all the abuse. However bowser is happy with the little life Kamek provides for them. Bowser became friends with Logan first because of their dads being old college friends/coworkers. when Greg suggested that they make their friend group/ detention group into a club Bowser came up with the name after talking to Kamek and Sett that night over dinner and Kamek trying to be a little cheeky jokingly said’ “ so what are you 12 now officially the Delinquents club?” Causing Bowser to jump up from the table and run to where the group meet after dinner to do homework or in Greg’s case not be home longer then they have too and “ put in a motion”for the name.

Second main character bio of delinquents club meet Mario Mario jr. Mario is first born son of Charles and Donna Mario. Mario is also the oldest of his cousins. Mario, even though he’s a very carefree person has a lot of responsibilities being the firstborn son to a third generation child of an immigrant family. The Marios run two businesses in Fenden Charles and his brothers plumbing company and Donna runs a hair dresser that’s very lgbt friendly. Mario wants to be a doctor but he feels like he has to continue the family business seeing how he is the first born son and he wants his twin to be able to do whatever they want to do.

Mara doesn’t believe in your stupid sexist opinions 💯

Fem Mario mention 🤯🤯‼️

The new Mario game is looking great. :3

Art by me ^^

Venture meets mario while trying to help peach escape

Mario: what are you looking at peach?

Peach: oh nothing... (heh red shorty's)

Sorry about the lighting lol

They're just lil guys