Something is affecting the Mushroom Kingdom...

A **** wants to play in the Mushroom Kingdom..

“Luigi, wake up,” Mario shook his brother…

“Wha? Wha?” Luigi stammered.

The sun was already raising above the hill side in the distance. But the morning was deathly still.

“Shh,” Mario whispered, “Listen.”

There was just a few noises of the morning, but no sounds of anything unusual.

Luigi shrugged. Mario then put his finger to his lips again and the gestured to look over a rock they were laying behind. On the next hill over, there was a stone hut, some tents, a fire ring, and a flag pole with a Bowser flag on it. Luigi slapped his hands over his mouth to keep from shouting out profanity.

“Now wear are the Koopa-troopers?” Mario whispered.

Luigi looked around, there was no movement, no Goombas, no Koopas, no Shyguys, no Beetles, nothing… There was a strange pink cloud and with a pink warp pipe dangling over the Koopa camp.

“Where are they?” Luigi whispered.

“I don’t know,” Mario said getting back down behind the rock.

“What do we do?” Luigi whispered as he crawled back behind the rock.

“I suppose we should check it out,” Mario said.

Just then, they heard the sound of wood breaking. Mario turned and peaked over the rock.

“Luigi, take a look,” Mario whispered.

Luigi looked and saw some black things sticking out of a broken wooden crate under the warp pipe in the distance.

“What are they?” Luigi asked.

“Now we are defiantly checking them out,” Mario said starting off in a crawl towards the seemingly abandoned encampment.

Luigi was left alone for a moment before following his brother.

*

Peach woke, showered, and dressed in the fresh gown laid out for her. She arched an eyebrow as she hadn’t had her any of the Toads bring in her morning coffee. Normally she would be greeted by Toadsworth and a few others knocking and rolling in a cart with coffee, some fruit and a list of things to do for the day. Peach opened her door and stopped, her guards were missing… Toad and Toad were missing… their halberds were leaning against the wall. Luigi had nicknamed them Berny and Newfie after big guard dogs back on his world, since the brothers had trouble distinguishing between the Toads when they first arrived. Peach looked up and down the halls, there was no sign of the pair of her most trusted guards.

“Peach?” Daisy’s voice came from the hallway.

Peach turned and looked down the hall and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the fellow Human Princess walking towards her. Peach looked up and down the hallways again as the bruenette princess came towards her.

“Aren’t there supposed to be a pair of guards at each intersection?” Daisy asked.

“Of course,” Peach said, “You mean my people are missing across the castle?” Peach asked.

“That is what it looks like,” Daisy said as she reached Peach’s doorway.

Peach tried to smile at her friend despite her growing concern. She noticed that Daisy’s gown was somewhat off…

“This is embarrassing, but can you give me a tie?” Daisy asked turning around and pointing to the laces of her gown’s corseted top.

“Oh of course,” Peach said as she reached over to help her friend.

Peach was careful not to touch Daisy’s bottom as she secured the laces.

“There you go,” Peach said, “I think we should check the kitchen.”

“The Kitchen?” Daisy asked.

“That is where the staff tends to hand out when they are not at their assigned post,” Peach said, “Come on. It is this way.”

*

“No body is out here or in any of the tents. You find anything?” Mario asked.

“Just supplies, no Koopa goons,” Luigi said, “They got shelves of ‘Goomba Munch’, cans of ‘Koopa Rations’ and a case of these…”

Mario took the tube from his brother and read the label.

“King Brand Shell Wax, for that royal shine,” Mario read aloud, “What was it too expensive for Nintendo to rent the rights to the Turtle Wax brand for the fourth wall break joke?”

“What?” Luigi arched his eyes.

“Never mind, check these babies out! M-16s!” Mario said going over to the crate.

“What are we suppose to do with those?” Luigi asked.

“Well, we can blast any Koopa we come across!” Mario responded.

“Mario, we are plumbers from Brooklyn, we aren’t even members of one of ‘those families’. This is the first time you have ever held one of those,” Luigi said.

“So?” Mario asked.

“When is the last time we even watched a movie with one of those being used?” Luigi asked.

“Day of the Dead, you were so scared you almost pooped your pants!” Mario chuckled.

“And we were how old at the time?” Luigi asked.

“Fourteen, we got in so much trouble for sneaking in that late night showing,” Mario chuckled some more as he picked one up to examine,

“And we are how old now?” Luigi said.

“Ah… I see your point, still, they can’t be that hard to figure out how to use…” Mario said handing one to Luigi and picking up another.

“Isn’t it oddly convenient they are right here under a warp pipe?” Luigi asked.

Both brothers then stopped and looked up as the portal in the warp pipe above them activated with a glow…

*

“Oh, thank goodness!” The Toadettes cheered at the sight of Peach and Daisy as they entered the kitchen.

“We were so worried!” one of the started as she came over and hugged the skirt of Peach’s dress.

“We thought we were attacked!” another shouted.

“What happened?” Peach asked, “Please tell me everything that you know.”

“When we woke up this morning,” one of the older Toadettes said, “All of the men were gone, all of our fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons… Just gone… it was only Toadettes left. So, we all came to the kitchen to see who else was here.”

Peach recognized a few of them from the city outside the castle and not the castle staff.

“Are there any Toadettes left in the city?” Peach asked.

The Toadettes looked between themselves, each clearly unsure.

“Ok,” Peach took a deep breath, “Daisy and I will check the castle, organize into groups of four to search the city outside the castle and bring any more here so we can figure out what is going on and if anyone knows anything….”

There was an immediate chorus of questions, comments, and complaints. Peach raised her hands to signal she was not finished.

“I know just yesterday, I gave my blessings to a mother and her new born daughter, and I don’t see either of them here,” Peach said, “Search every home, every crib. I want a full account of who is left, and make note of any clues you encounter. Those that remain here, prepare meals, and supplies for any injured, ill or children that are found. Once we know who is here, we can start to figure out how bad the disappearances are, and then we can try to find the missing.”

“Toad’s Daughter must be scared out of her mind when her father didn’t return home this morning!” one of the Toadettes said.

“My Nieces!” another exclaimed when she thought about it.

“OK, so organize into parties of four,” Peach said, “Toadette, start making food and prepare for children… Come on Daisy, let’s search the castle.”

Peach did not need to make sure Daisy followed her. She waited until there were at the stairs to the basement.

“I am sorry to be presumptuous,” Peach started.

“I get it,” Daisy put a hand on Peach’s shoulder, “I am worried about my people too. The guys are missing, the brothers might also be missing, and the Toads, well not to be mean, but they are cowards… You must be direct and provide leadership by example for them.”

“Cowards might be a little harsh… but yes,” Peach sighed, “They can panic easily at times.”

*

Mario and Luigi slammed into the pavement of the sidewalk. As soon as they did, they heard the all too familiar Brooklyn accents around them… but none of them friendly or concerned…

“THEY HAVE MACHINE GUNS!” someone screamed.

“PUT YOUR HANDS UP!” Another called.

Before they knew what was going on Luigi and Mario are covered in dogpiles.

“NYPD, you are under arrest!” someone shouts in Mario’s ear.

*

“I hope Luigi and Mario are safe,” Daisy said as she looked in a closet on the way to the stairs to the basement.

“I am sure they are fine,” Peach said, “We just have to find them.”

“What is that?” Daisy said…