Eyes of a Frog Prince Ch. 5

Early the next morning, shortly after sunrise....

   “Thank you, and goodbye!” the trio told the Innkeeper of the Moleville Inn early the next morning. The night had been uneventful, save for the countless experiments to see if Mallow could read their minds.
   Which he did, sucessfully. They had joked with him about him being a psychopath for doing it, so he couldn’t help but call his new teqnique Psychopath, just as he called his healing rain, well, Healing Rain.
   “Its a lovely morning this morning,” Geno couldn’t help but comment on.
   “Indeed, the kind of morning Toadstool would like...,” Mario replied sadly.
   “I wouldn’t worry, I’m sure she’s safe, where ever she is...,” Mallow did his best to reassure him.
   “Hey, look over there!” Geno said as he pointed to a Snifit Trio chasing a beetle with a butterfly net.
   “Come back Mr. Beetle! Don’t you want to come to Boosters and play?” the one with the net called.
   “Yeah, don’t run away, we just want to play! We’ll take good care of you...,” the one behind him called.
   “Uh...like.... what they said Mr. Beetle.”
   Around and around they chased the beetle until it landed on Geno’s head.
   “Hey, I think he likes you Geno!” Mallow laughed as it crawled over its hat.
   “I’m not sure I like him though, so could you please get it off of me?” Geno said, slightly annoyed. Mario reached to pluck it off when-
   “Don’t you DARE touch that beetle! Its a present for Booster!” the Snifit with the net told Mario.
   “Thats right! Hand it over nice and easy!” his friend agreed.
   “Uhm, right, like they said... or we won’t be your friend!” the third said.
   “What do you need this beetle for?” Mario asked them puzzeled.
   “Booster really REALLY likes beetles, but he can’t catch his own,” the net holding one told them.
   “Thats right, he’s keeping the princess from the sky entertained.”
   “So we’re catching beetles for him.”
   “So hand it over!”
   “And make it snappy!”
   “Uhm... pretty please?”
   Before the trio could respond the beetle on Geno’s head had flown away, leaving the Snifits in hot pursuit.
   “No, come back Mr. Beetle!” the first one called.
   “We just want to be your friends!” the second called.
   “Please now?” the third one asked it.
   The moment they were away, the three friends turned to eachother, shocked.
   “Mallow! Your grandfather said Toadstool was thrown from the castle too, right?” Mallow nodded.
   “Thats right. Do you suppose that the princess from the sky is her?”
   “She has to be, I know she is! Quick, where does Booster live?!”
   “I’ll show you, I went to play there once, c’mon!”
   A short time later they were approaching the large tower rising up in the distance, where Booster lived.
   “I’ve been there before, it’s full of all kinds of trains and toys and Snifits. Booster loves kids to come and play with him. He’s a bit strange, and doesn’t appear to be too bright, but his hearts in the right place,” Mallow told them as they went through Boosters pass. There was nothing there to really bother them, save a few lone Lakitu’s floating high above, but they didn’t bother them.
   Soon they were few mere feet away from the entrance to Booster’s Tower. They saw one of two things. One was someone peering out the door. The other was Bowser!
   “Booster has such a nice place... I miss my castle,” he was muttering to himself and didn’t notice Mario, Geno, and Mallow staring at him in shock. “I miss the good ol’ days... Toadstool screaming, Mario rushing in to save her....” He turned and saw the trio staring at him, now trying not to laugh at the tears running down Bowsers face. “Oh GEEZ, its Mario and some idiots!” he yelled in surprise and terror. He muttered to himself for a few minutes, which gave Geno and Mallow the oppertunity to look at Mario, who simply shrugged in confusion. I can’t belive the fearsome Bowser of the Koopa Troop was not only crying, but hesitating to attack us.
   “YOU!! What’re YOU doing HERE?!” he turned back to them and said at long last.
   “Well, we were coming here because we heard Booster had this new princess and we wanted to see-“ Mario tried to explain, but Bowser cut him off.
   “HAH! A likely story. And as I was going to say, if Toadstool were at my castle, she’d be crying in terror thinking you’d come to save her! GWAHAHA! The thought makes me tingle in happiness, something you’d never understand.” Bowser opened his mouth to say something else, but a voice came from far above. A feminine voice.
   “Mario~!! I’m up here!” someone called. The voice caused both Mario and Bowser to become VERY shocked.
   “That voice! Its Toadstool! She IS here!” Bowser and Mario cried at once, before looking at eachother and glaring.
   “I thought she got away, but she’s been stuck HERE!” Bowser muttered to himself as he looked up high above. He cleared his throat and gave the trio his best mean guy look.
   “I’ll be returning to my castle now! If I smell you guys anymore I’ll faint from the stink!” he told them before stomping off. Once he was out of earshot they turned to eachother.
   “Think he’s faking it?” Mallow asked Mario, who nodded heartily.
   “Most definitly. He’s probably waiting for us to leave so he can go after her himself.”
   “Well, we won’t give him the chance!” Geno declared. “Allthough the Star Pieces are important, we need to save Toadstool now before Bowser gets to her.”
   “Then lets do what I do best: save the princess!”
   They ran the last few feet to the door and went to open it, only to their dismay found it locked tight. Banging on it didn’t do any good either.
   “What are we going to do now?” Mallow wailed dejectingly.
   “Don’t worry, I have an idea. Lets go back to Moleville and get one of the Moles to help us, they’d get the door open for sure,” Geno told them.
   “Thats a great idea!” Mario agreed. “Lets hurry before Bowser returns!” They turned and tried to leave, but who did they see but Boswer himself standing in their way.
   “What, you’re STILL here?! But the looks on your faces... I get it! Stand aside, shorties!” he said as he pushed them aside. Cracking his knuckles, he rammed into the door, knocking it down quite cleanly.
   “Yeah, I’m a peice of work, ain’t I?” he said, proud his “handywork” and the looks of awe upon their faces. “All this power and looks too, I know!! You’re thinking ‘A big strong guy like him would be great to have along!’ right? Right!” he said without giving them anytime to respond. “So I’m gonna do something I know I’m going to regret later.... I’ll let you weirdo’s join the Koopa Troop! You can thank me later....”
   “Allright Bowser, we’ll join the troop,” Mario told him. Mallow didn’t have to read his mind to know his reasons for agreeing with Bowser, or pretending to anyways. Not only does this prevent a fight with him, he may come of use getting back the Princess, Mallow told himself as they walked into the Lobby of Boosters tower.
   The Lobby had checkered tile floor, some stairs led to a balcony, the balcony lead to the higher floors. Along it was a lone Snifit called a Spookum, looking at some pictures up there. Behind a desk was the Snifit with the net from earlier.
   “Hello there,” he greeted them. “Booster’s busy right now, so he can’t play. Come back some other time, unless of course you want to force your way inside...,”
   “Yeah we wanna force our way in!” Bowser growled at him.
   “Then you leave me no choice....” The Snifit said. He charged up and blasted the party with Bolts, and weak ones at that.
   “Let me show you how a REAL fighter attacks!” Bowser said. Moments later Snifit was knocked out, with just one blow from Bowser. “Pathetic” was all he muttered before walking up the stairs, Mario and the others in tow. Up a flight of stairs they went, and at the top was a narrow room, with train tracks.
   “Whats the big rush?” a voice said. Momenets later in came a toy train big enough to ride, with a strange man almost dressed like Santa Claus, but with a black beard, riding it.
   “I’m Booster, and this is my famous tower of amusement,” he told them. Normally I welcome visitors to play with me and my Snifits. However, a girl fell out of the sky and into my lap recently, and quite literally too, I might add.” Toadstool! Mallow realised with a jolt.
   “And since then,” Booster continued on. “I’ve been busy keeping her happy and entertained. So I no longer have the time to play. You may continue on though... at your own risk!” Booster rode off, laughing. Running, they ran after the train, only to find a dead end, unable to follow the tracks for it was too high and narrow for even Mario to jump into.
   “This way!” Geno called and pointed to another flight of stairs. Up the stairs they went, fighting the Rob-Ombs, a more resiliant cousin of the Bob-Omb, but still vunerable to fire, that attacks.
   “Look!” Mallow called once they reached the top. Behind some curtains covering a corner was a Hammer, much more tougher then the one Mario found after he defeated the Hammer Bros. “Masher” was written on the side of it.
   “Its good,” Mario told them. “It’ll make an even stronger weapon then the NokNok Shell, thanks for finding it, Mallow!”
   Higher they went, until they found another Snifit guarding a door, the third one.
   “You wanna fight? Bring it on!” he told them. He fired the bullets Snifits were famous for at them. But Mario took him out with a single blow from the Masher.
   “Lets go! We’re not even halfway to the top yet!” Mallow told them.
   Higher and higher they went, past more stairs and Rob-Ombs, until they came to a room filled with the portraits from downstairs.
   “We’re a little under the halfway point. If we can figure out the correct order of the portraits, we gain access to the Elder Room...,” Mallow explained to them.
   “Gwaaaa! I hate these memory games!” Bowser complained. Geno studied the portraits for several minutes, before finally tapping each one, all in the correct order. The last portrait spit out the Elder Key.
   “Wow Geno, you’re GOOD at those,” Mario complimented him as they opened the door. Geno blushed.
   “It was nothing, just a little task.... All Stars are good are remembering,” he told them as they entered the room.
   Inside the room was a lone Chain Chomp, looking quite sad. Mario tried to walk up to it, but it began to bark like mad, driving him back. Bowser stared at it, the Chomp stared back.
   “Guys, she’s a bit shy. Look the other way, will ya?” Mario, Geno, and Mallow looked at each other quizzitivly before looking towards the wall. They hadn’t been turned for more then a few moments before Bowser called back to them.
   “OK, you can turn around now!” They looked back towards Bowser and the Chomp, only to see the Chomp was gone.
   “She’s been locked up ever since she took a chunk out of Bowser,” he explained. “So now she wants to help us stir up a little trouble, gwahahahaha!!” As he was talking, he wipped the Chomp out of his shell and swung her around.
   “Sounds like a plan to me,” Mario told Bowser and the Chomp as he pocketed her again. “Now, lets get going!”
   Leaving the Elder Room and Hall, they went up another flight of stairs, only to find a big opening, with no apparent way up to the next floor, several stories up. In fact, the room was empty, save a Thwomp on a teeter totter.
   “I remember this.... You jump onto there-“ Mallow gestured to the teeter totter, “and you go up THERE.” He pointed up to the next floor. Bowser cracked his knuckles.
   “Well, if thats the only way, then lets do it!”
   “On the count of three!” Geno said. “One... two... THREE!” At three, they all jumped onto the teeter totter and went flying up to the next floor. They managed to land without any real problems.
   Up the next flight of stairs they went, until they entered a simple square room, with the door on the far side.
   “This floor is normally used as the game board room, but I bet its boobytrapped now...,” Mallow warned them.
   “Tough break kid! My little Chomp pal will take care of the traps!” Bowser said confidantly.
   Indeed, the floor was booby trapped with Fireballs if they stepped on the wrong tile, but they made it to the other side without any real injuries.
   The next flight of stairs, however, was guarded by Chomps.
   “Go get ‘em, girl!” Bowser yelled as he threw his Chomp to the other Chomps. Quite a Chomp fight unfolded, all the Chomps snarling, biting, and barking at eachother. I don’t think I’m though enough to be a Chain Chomp! Mallow told himself as he watched them fight. It was close, but in the end Bowser’s Chomp was victorious.
   Up the stairs they went into the next room, which had more train tracks.
   “Chugga-chugga! Hooouuuoooo!! Chugga-chugga...hooooonk!” Booster imitated train sounds as he pulled in on the tracks. “This is my own personal railway, like it?”
   “It really seems to go everywhere....” Mario had to admit.
   “Hmm, indeed! I’m quite amazed you made it this far! Yes, you are quite an amazing team! But since you’re here, perhaps you can clear up something for me. My bride-to-be is chanting ‘MARIOHELPMEMARIOHELPME’ over and over again. Is she showing her happiness?” Booster pondered this. “Hey WAIT A SECOND! Maybe ‘MARIO’ is some other guy! What if one of you is this ‘Mario’?! Trying to take my bride away? Take THIS instead!!” Booster said angrily as he began to throw Bob-Ombs.
   Running, they left the room and up another flight of stairs, to a hallway with a door at the end. Cautiously they entered the room only to find it empty, and filled with toys and games, and a cage filled with beetles.!
   “This must be Boosters room!” Mario said as he walked up to the lone door at the end.
   “Mario!” Mallow and the others heard Toadstool cry in joy when Mario went up to the door. “You DID come to rescue me! I’m so happy, I was lonely up here. But now that you’re here....”
   “Ugh...,” Mario shook the door and banged on it. Bowser rammed into it, but it wouldn’t budge.
   “I think we need Boosters spell to undo the lock on it, but I don’t know what it is!” Toadstools muffled voice entered the room.
   “I’ll think of something,” Mario reassured her. While he was thinking, Mallow looked at all the toys.
   “Arwing models.... F-Zero racer toys... a Samus Aran doll. He even has Star Wars action figures!” Mallow wailed to Geno.
   “Whats wrong with that?” Geno asked as Mallow looked at the toys.
   “Its just I like StarFox... F-Zero... Metroid... Star Wars.... and he has all this stuff for it but I don’t!”
   “Looks like someone’s jelous!” Bowser said as he laughed at Mallow’s misery.
   “Leave him alone! He’s only a kid!” Geno defended Mallow. Bowser was about to reply when they heard Boosters voice.
   “Hide, QUICK!!” Toadstool told them as they heard Booster approach. In the corner of the room was some curtains. Quickly, they ran over to them and ducked behind them. Moments later they heard Booster and the Snifits enter the room.
   “Boss, shouldn’t we be concentrating on the girl?” the first Snifit said.
   “Right!” they heard Booster reply. “Now about the girl in my life who thinks I should marry her...,” If Toadstool wants to marry him, then I’m a Goomba’s uncle! Mallow couldn’t help but think at Boosters last words.
   “Well now? Speak up!” he told them.
   “A wedding ceremony would make a great PARTY!” the second Snifit piped up.
   “Ah a party! We haven’t heard one of those yet. It could be lots of fun! So...what IS a party anyways?”
   “He really IS an idiot....” Bowser muttered. Mario kicked him and shushed him to be quiet. Bowser looked like he was ready to kill him when the third Snifit began to speak.
   “...you drink punch and eat CAKE! ...I think” he told Booster.
   “Hmmmm drink punch.... Eat cake.... Sounds awfully complicated! I don’t know if I can muster the energy to conjure a party. But anyways, lets walk through the ceremony once! REHEARSAL TIME!!” he called. There was much shuffling of feet.
   “We will now begin the ceremony,” the first Snifit was heard to say. “Walk down the aisle with the beautiful bride-to-be.” There was more feet shuffling as Booster and a Snifit pretending to be Toastool walked foreward.
   “Wait...,” Booster stopped walking abruptly. “Mario should show up now to ruin the fun, we should rehearse that too! Someone, go get the Mario doll!”
   The Snifits apparently scurried around, but they couldn’t find it.
   “It isn’t here,” the Snifits told Booster.
   “Of COURSE its here!” Booster stamped his feet. “You lazy idiots couldn’t find water if you were fish! ....Its behind those curtains! Number One, you go and look!”
   Everyone jumped at this. Quickly scurring, they managed to avoid the curtain the Snifit looked through.
   “It isn’t here,” he reported after looking through them all.
   “I wouldn’t go and lose my Mario doll, you idiot! Number Two you looked too!”
   It was a bit cramped now hiding behind different curtains, but once again they avoided being seen.
   “Nope, it isn’t here,” they replied after each looking seperatly, at the same time, through the curtains.
   “We can’t give up! Its GOTTA be around here somewhere!” Booster growled in reply. “Number Three, join them!”
   If it was cramped the first two times, it was nothing to the third time. Somehow, Mario sat on Bowsers shoulders, and Bowser held Geno and Mallow each as he dodged the Snifits as all three searched the curtains. In the middle of their searching however, Booster stopped them and without warning, opened the curtain where a very shocked Bowser, Mario, Mallow, and Geno were.
   “Wait a second!” he called. “Its right up there! I found the Mario doll!” he said pointing to the top of the curtain where it was. “But... we’ll NEVER be able to reach it up there! Oh! The sorrow! What am I gonna do?!” Booster began to cry, causing the Snifits to panic at this.
   “Mario, I think we should help him,” Mallow said simply.
   “What FOR?” Bowser said. “He’s been annoying the living daylights out of me all morning! Lets leave it there!”
   “That wouldn’t be right...,” protested Geno. “Look at him cry like that. He might even forget he was after us if we give it back to him.”
   “You do what you want,” Bowser grumbled. “But when he throws more bombs at ya, don’t come crying to ME for help!”
   Mallow climbed to Mario’s shoulders. Mario jumped and Mallow grabbed the doll in one easy try. Hopping down from Mario’s shoulders, he went up to Booster and tapped him on the shoulder.
   “I belive this is yours,” he told him as he handed him the doll.
   “Goodness, you’re so kind! Thank you for getting me my doll. I’d like to reward you, here,” he handed Mallow a sack full of Coins in return. “May happiness follow you all, where ever you go!” Booster turned back to his Snifits. “All right! Enough is enough! Forget the rehearsal, lets get on with the show!”
   At his words, the Snifits assembled single file behind Booster, who stood before the door holding Toadstool.
   “Okay, here’s the Password! ‘Tsukasabearmimirusubaru!’” At the strange password, the door opened and they all filed out, but now before Snifit Number Three paused to look at Mario, the doll, and back at Mario again before going out the door too.
   “C’mon!” Mario called to his companions. “We’re going after them too!”
   The fighting heroes ran out the balcony and peered over the edge, looking for Booster.
   “Not so fast!” a voice called behind him. Turning, they saw two identicle jesters, one balancing on a ball, the other juggling some knives.
   “I am Knife Guy, and this is my brother Grate Guy!” the one with the knives told them.
   “Stick around.... You’re not going ANYWHERE without a fight!” Grate guy told them.
   Knife Guy began the battle by tossing knives at everyone, causing them to put their dodgng skills to the test! Bowser countered by throwing his Chomp at them, keeping him preoccupied while Geno charged his Geno Beam, and fired it at him.
   Meanwhile, Mario was jumping on Grate Guy’s head while Mario slammed his cymbals together on his head inbetween jumps.
   “These guy’s are tough, brother!” Grate Guy yelled to Knife Guy after a while.
   “Tell me about it, they double teamed us, lets double team THEM!” At those words, Knife Guy jumped on top of Knife Guy, and they began to perform a seris of strong magic moves: they were much tougher then anyone encountered in the tower!
   But Mario, Geno, Mallow, and Bowser were far too much for them. Soon they laid in a crumpled, unconcious heap. Once they were taken care of, the fighting heroes peered over the edge. Far below they could make out a trampoline.
   “Booster must’ve jumped I know he did!” Mario said. “And we’re going to jump to! C’mon!”
   “Mario, don’t you think it’d be... safer to go back down through the tower?” Geno tried to plead with him. But Mallow had caught onto Mario’s point.
   “Don’t you see? It took us an hour to go through there... We’ll be too late! We’ve GOT to jump!”
   “You got guts kid, I’ll jump too!” Bowser agreed. Geno sighed.
   “Outnumbered, I see. Guess I have no choice but to jump too.”
   One by one they jumped down from the balcony and landed on the trampoline. Once they all landed, they took off down Booster’s Pass.
   “The only way to Marrymore is up Booster Hill. Its quite a large hill, but its not too far from here, lets hurry!” Mallow told them as they jogged onward. At the bottom of the hill they met up with Booster and his Snifits, Booster carrying a pleading Toadstool.
   “Uh-oh! Its Mario! We didn’t plan on this.... Mario, you and you’re friends aren’t invited to our wedding. Besides, we still have to rehearse.... I’ll be happy to race you to the wedding hall, but..... you’d BETTER not get in my way!”
   “Whatever you say...,” Mario muttered.
   “Ready!” yelled Booster! “Get set.... GO!!!”
   Everyone took off, running up the massive hill, dodging the barrels Booster conjured and threw in their way. I.... am NEVER going out for Track! Mallow couldn’t help but tell himself as he ran up the hill. Although in the end Booster and the Snifits beat them, they still made it up the hill, terribly out of breath though.
   “At least... we made it...,” Mario panted as they entered the small town of Marrymore.
   “Speak for yourself...,” Bowser gasped for air as they slowly entered the town.
   Mallow had to admit Marrymore was a beautiful town. If I ever get engaged, I’m DEFINITLY getting married here! He thought to himself as he looked around.
   As they began to walk up to the chapel, a Toad woman blocked their way.
   “And WHERE do you think you’re going?” she demanded as she stood in the path.
   “The chapel, where else?” Mario replied and tried to get around her.
   “Not dressed like THAT you aren’t! I want you to march around right now and buy respectible clothes in the hotel! Off you go!”
   Bowser growled and was ready to slug her, but the others pulled him away and into the Marrymore Hotel.
   “And how may I help you today?” the Toad behind the desk asked them.
   “Errrr, we want some clothes for the... chapel please,” Mario told them nervously.
   “Ah, of course! We got some nice things right here!” he replied happily as he pulled some clothes out from behind the desk.
   “I have a bad feeling about this...,” Mallow muttered to Geno as they watched.
* * *
Soon after....

   “AUGH! I can’t STAND wearing this thing!” Bowser wailed as he came out of the dressing room in a suit identicle to the others that Mario, Geno, and Mallow now donned.
   “I hear you Bowser.... I feel like a penguin!” Mario moaned as he adjusted the tie.
   “Sir, don’t you have any... normal clothes?” Geno asked the Toad.
   “You mean for after the wedding? Of course! We sell HAPPY clothes!” he told them cheerfully as he pulled out different clothes and shell even, each one with with a smiley face tag upon it. Mario carefully examined the clothes before replying.
   “We’ll take ‘em!” he said as he paid for the suit and clothes.
   “I am NOT wearing anything called a Happy WHATEVER!” Bowser hissed angrily as they left the Hotel, walking up to the Chapel.
   “Forget it Bowser,” Mario replied. “They’re very durable and will make good clothes for after we leave!”
   Bowser opened his mouth to reply, but was intterupted by screams. As they watched, a whole procession of Toads were kicked out of the chapel by a Snifit, with the bride and groom last.
   “Sorry,” Snifit Number One told them. “But Boosters wedding is in progress now! We’re barricading the door, so don’t even bother to try to sneak inside.” He slammed the doors shut as soon as he said that.
   Mario walked up to the now sad bride and groom, in disbelief.
   “Raz? Raini? What happened?!” Its Raz and Raini! I can’t belive I didn’t reconise them! As he watched Mario talk to the couple.
   “Mario, its just terrible!” Raini wailed. “Here we are in the middle of our wedding when some nutcase with a totem pole face kicks us out!”
   “I had a girl with him that looked like Toadstool too! Whats going on?” Raz asked Mario.
   “Theres no time to explain! Tell me, is there any way into the chapel besides the front door?”
   “One, I belive...,” an old Toad woman piped up. “Its kind of hidden, but it leads to the basement, where a famous Koopa chef bakes cakes. You can get in from there.”
   “Thank you very much, ma’am!” Mario hurridly thanked the woman before rushing off, the others in tow.
   With a little searching, they managed to find the door the woman told them about and entered it, finding themselfs a set of stairs. Going down into the basement, they saw two Koopa’s whipping up a giagantic cake.
   “Zee groom-to-be ordered somezing special! Vait until he zee’s THIS!” the chef muttered to himself as he worked on the cake.
   Ignoring the chef and going up another set of stairs they entered the main hall.
   “Halt!” Snifit Number One called to them. “You LOOK like Mario and his friends.... but the doors shut tight! Listen Mustache, you and you puppet, marshmallow-cloud, and overgrown turtle friends can go take a hike! Make like Mario and jump outta here” he told them.
   “I AM Mario!” Mario said, his voice full of annoyance.
   “Uh-oh.... We have a problem. I’d better go tell Booster!” The Snifit turn and ran to the door, only to run into it, quite literally, and bounce back.
   “It won’t budge.... Say, wanna help me bust the door down?!” he asked them. Bowser smirked and cracked his knuckles.
   “My specialty! On the count of three! One... two.... THREE!!” At once everyone ran, breaking down the door. While Mario and the others skidded to a stop, Snifit Number One crashed right into Snifit Number Two, who was in the waiting room, and both of them went flying into the next room, the Wedding Hall itself!
   “Booster sir! Mario and co. are here!” Mallow heard them say.
   “You clowns! You don’t break down a door when entering a room!” Booster scolded them. “Shut it! SHUT IT NOW! Move it, MOVE IT!!!” he screamed.
   “Mario! Is that you Mario? I’m in here! Hurry, I’m scared!!” Toadstool managed to call before the door was slammed shut and locked tightly.
   “They have no idea what they’re up against! I’ll break this door down easy as pie!” Bowser said confidently before ramming up against it. The door shook but didn’t budge.
   “Grrrr OPEN YOU STUPID DOOR, OPEN!!!!!!” Bowser roared angrily.
   “Calm down Bowser!” Geno told him. “I’m sure if we all ram it together it’ll open.”
   “Hey, thats a great idea! Glad I thought of it!” Geno sighed in exasperation. He’s hopeless... was all that Mallow could think.
   “Remember now, on the count of three. One... two... THREE!!!” All at once they charged the door, which flew open. Not only did they hit the Snifits and cause them to go flying, they also rammed into Booster and Toadstool, who also went flying to the other end of the aisle!
   “Owww! Watch what you’re doing...,” Toadstool moaned and got up. “Great... Now I lost my shoes, my brooch... and my crown! And I’m getting married to some freak!” Toadstool finally lost it and began to cry, right in the middle of everything.
   While Booster did his best to calm Toadstool, the party slowly rose from the floor and dusted themselfs off.
   “Well, at least the door got knocked down, what next?” Mario wondered aloud.
   “Look!” Mallow pointed. “Toadstool looks like she dropped some things.... The Snifits are getting them for her.”
   “Not if we get them first! C’mon, lets grab Toadstools things!” The group seperated and quickly got the things back from the Snifits before dashing up to Booster.
   “Hoho! Here they are!” Booster said happily as he handed Toadstool her missing things. “Hey, WAIT a second! You’re Mario! So, come to crash my wedding, eh?”
   “Mario!” Toadstool cried happily as she set her crown on her head, stepped into her shoes, and placed her brooch on her chest. “You came to save me!” Turning she saw the others, including Bowser.
   “EEEEEEEK!” she screamed. “Whats BOWSER doing here?!”
   “What a waste of time.... and I have bigger fish to fry, besides all this. Just hurry it up and lets go!” Bowser growled impatiently.
   “Don’t worry,” Mario did his best to reassure her. “He’s pretty well reformed, he won’t bother you or anything.”
   “Well, I suppose I AM in good hands when you’re around.... So he’s a kiss for my hero!”
   “Oh isn’t that great!” Bowser muttered before they had even moved. “You’re going to kiss HIM when I was the one who saved your skin!”
   “What about me?” Booster cried. “I want a reward too! I’ll take a kiss. Give me a KISS!”
   “Stop it please!” Toadstool pleaded. “All this jabbering makes me confused.... Mario, lets start with you!”
   Toadstool began to walk foreward, when Bowser pushed her out of the way, eyes closed.
   “Oh no ya don’t, Mario! I’M going to kiss her first, not you ME!”
   “Not if I kiss her first!” Booster had come around from the other side, his eyes closed too as he moved in. With Booster, Bowser, and Mario with their eyes closed, not one of them noticed as they kissed not Toadstool but MARIO!!!
   “Feels like... SANDPAPER!” they called out as they both kissed Mario’s cheek. All three opened their eyes at the same time, and at once realised what must’ve happened. Each of them screamed and wiped their faces off.
   It was too much for Mallow and Geno to bear, they both fell over laughing. Even Toadstool was beside herself in laughter.
   “Now thats one for the scrapbook!” she commented once she had calmed down enough. “Come on now, lets get out of here before anything else happens...,”
   Turning, the team began to leave the Wedding Hall when who should come in, but the chef and apprentice, a giant, yet digusting looking, cake in tow.
   “We made the most amazing cake!” The apprentice called. “Just wait until you taste it!”
   “Oh, just forget it,” Toadstool told them. “The wedding is off, theres no need for it anymore.
   “No need for zee cake? But ve vorked zo hard on it.... Ve half vorked all morning on zis cake!” the chef appeared heartbroken, but it instantly turned to anger... towards Mario and the others.
   “YOU FOOLS!”
   The Chef and his Apprentice began attacking everyone, save Toadstool, who took cover in a bench. However, their punches were not much of anything, though Mallow suddenly noticed the cake move.
   The Apprentice must’ve seen it move too, for he poked the Chef until he turned towards him angrily.
   “Vat yo do want?!”
   “Chef Torte! The cake MOVED!” the Apprentice said nervously. Torte looked at the cake, then back at the Apprentice.
   “Vat are you talking about?! Ist NOT moving!”
   “But-“
   “Silence! Attack zem!”
   “But I KNOW it moved...,” the Apprentice muttered as he went back to throwing punches at Mario and the others.
   However, a minute later the cake again moved. Running over to Torte, he poked him again until he turned towards him.
   “VAT?! Vat ist it zis time?!”
   “Chef Torte! The cake moved again!”
   “Shut up! Zee cake ist NOT moving, ZEE?!” Torte replied angrily as he pointed to the cake. However, this time everyone saw it, the cake moving.
   “Zee cakes alive! RUN!!!” Turning tail, Apprentice and Torte both ran out of the hall, with the Apprentice heard yelling “See? I was RIGHT!” after him.
   “Looks like we’ll have to fight the cake too,” Mario said nervously as the cake advanced on them.
   With their guard on, little by little they distroyed the possesed cake using their specail attacks, though for a cake it had powerful magic. Finally when only the bottom section of the cake was left, Snifit Number One went up to it.
   “Maybe we should wait...,” he said as Number Two and Three approached him.
   “This IS Booster’s wedding cake...,” Number Two agreed.
   “Booster’ll have a fit if we nibble on it!” Number Three added. Booster walked up and hopped on the cake.
   “Hey, Number One! Where’s my cake?!”
   “Booster sir,” the Snifit began to reply. “We’re 70% positive that the object you are standing on is the cake.”
   “THIS things a cake?” Booster looked down at it and hopped off. “Well, everyone! Here’s the stumper: how do we eat this? I say we BOIL it!”
   “Way too messy!” Snifit Number Two replied. “Why don’t you swallow it in one gulp?”
   “WHAT?! In one GULP? That’s easier said then done... lets do it!” Booster stood back and opened his mouth as wide as he could, waiting for the cake to be tossed in, like a log into a fireplace. He’s nuts, was the only thing Mallow could think as he watched the Snifits toss the cake into his mouth, and Booster swallow it.
   “Mmmm... Delicious! Its so good it makes me want to cry!” Booster managed to choke out after swallowing it. However, he stood up and patted his belly, a grin on his face.
   “Well, the wedding is officially over! And it was a complete success too! Lets go home and catch BEETLES!” Booster said happily as they left the chapel.
   “Its been a strange day, no doubt, and its not even ten o’clock yet...,” Toadstool said as she came out from the bench. “Come on, lets go home! Although I almost married that... THING, I do hope someone marries me someday,” she said with a smile as they left the Chapel and Marrymore, heading back to Mushroom Kingdom!
* * *
Several hours later....
   “Well! We’re finally back!” Mario happily announced as they arrived in the main Mushroom Kingdom town.
   “Seems like it was only a few minutes ago since I was finishing my errand,” Mallow couldn’t help but say as they walked through the town. He also noticed everyone running and hiding once they saw Bowser walking with them. And although the guards hesitated, they allowed them back into the castle.
   “Mario!” Toad said once they got inside the castle. “It looks like you’re in one piece! Welcome back!” Then he noticed Toadstool standing beside him. “Puh-puh-puh....PRINCESS TOADSTOOL!!”
   “I’m finally home! And with Mario and some wonderful new friends! They saved my life,” she said smiling.
   “Quickly! Lets go to the Chancellor!”
   Toad lead them through the castle to the Throne Room.
   “Chancellor!” Toad began excitingly. “The...the Princess.... She’s BACK!!”
   “Thank goodness!” the Chancellor cried happily. “This as truely been a nightmare! I’m a nervous wreck....”
   “I know I worried everyone, and I’m sorry,” Toadstool told everyone. “But I’m fine! I can take care of myself! With a little help from Mario, of course!”
   “I can’t take ALL the credit, we help eachother,” Mario replied, reffering to Mallow, Geno, and Bowser.
   “Mario, I really hope you know how thankful we are!” Toadstool told him. “But, please, tell me one thing at the very least.... How in the world can you trust... Bowser?”
   “Because I have to trust him back!” Bowser guffawed, making all the Toads notice his presence and run for cover.
   “MARIO! What are you doing with.... with....?” The Chancellor couldn’t say it as he looked between Mario and Bowser. “WHATS GOING ON HERE?!”
   “Relax everyone, he’s harmless, you have my word,” Mario tried to reassure everyone.
   “Puh-perhaps...,” the Chancellor replied nervously.
   “Bowser, perhaps YOU should tell us your story,” Toadstool addressed Bowser. “What did you mean when you said you had ‘bigger fish to fry?’”
   Forgotten once again.... Mallow thought glumly as he watched Bowser hesitate to say what he had gone through. Quickly, Geno, Bowser, Mario, and Mallow had a conference for a few minutes before Mallow walked up to the Chancellor.
   “Excuse me, Sir... I’m going to help Bowser explain, and the others will comment too if they wish, is this allright?”
   “Of course it is! Please, go ahead!” the Chancellor said, nodding his head.
   “Allright, well, its like this.... The Princess, Bowser, and Mario were thrown in different directions after a terrible explosion.... Something HUGE crashed through the Star Road high above Bowser’s Keep... and went RIGHT into his Keep! It was a giagantic sword! Now Bowser’s Keep has been taken over by a bunch of cretins who work for some creep named ‘Smithy.’”
   “They’ve thrown me out of.... I mean... I decided to take a vacation from my Keep and they took it over! They CAN’T do that to ME! Anyways, I was working on a plan to get my home back when Mario and these whimps came up to me and BEGGED to be in the Koopa Troop! I had no choice but to let them in. It was pathetic I tell you,” Bowser told them.
   “What the-? Thats NOT true!” Mario protested.
   “Its alright Mario, we know he’s stretching the truth,” Toadstool told Mario before turning to Mallow. “And...Mallow was it? How about you, why are you with Mario, you seem quite young.”
   “Well, you see, I was raised in Tadpole Pond by Frogfucius, and the other day, Mario helped me get back a Coin a crook stole from me, and I helped him defeat a creep named Mack here in this very spot. Anyways, I took him to Tadpole Pond so Grandpa could give him advice, and he told me I was adopted.... So I’m with Mario to find my real home.... And my parents.... Thats why I’m helping him.”
   “Why thats just terrible! I hope you find your real parents soon!” Toadstool told him.
   “Thanks, so do I...,” Mallow replied, keeping the sadness out of his voice the best he could.
   “And...Geno now. Why are you with Mario?”
   “The Star Road of Star Haven has been distroyed. I’m here to fix it. Mario and the others are helping me to search for the Star Pieces. I need them to repair the Road....”
   “Star...Pieces?”
   “The Star Road plays a key role in granting our wishes. Unless we find all the Star Pieces and fix the Star Road, we can kiss our dreams goodbye!” Mallow explained.
   “WHAT?! This is horrible news! Dreadful! ....Isn’t it?” At the Princess’ words, everyone in Mario’s party facefaulted.
   “Indeed, for example... Say, Bowser kidnapped you. Without the aid of the Star Road, you’d probably never be rescued!” Geno told her.
   “Actually, that sounds pretty darn GOOD to me!” Bowser piped up. “Lets just forget these Star...things!”
   “Fine Bowser, then you can kiss your precious Keep goodbye then!” Toadstool replied scornfully.
   “HUH?! WHAT?! Lets see... Mario can’t rescue the Princess without these... Stars! But if he DOESN’T get them back, I don’t get a home either, but on the other hand.... AUGH! Run that past me again!”
   “Ugh! Just IGNORE that idiot! I don’t think I could take a world without wishes.... We need to go and find those Star Pieces, NOW!” Toadstool declared.
   “Princess!” The Chancellor cut in. “You CAN’T be serious! You’re not THINKING of joining them, ARE YOU? This is sheer madness... You’re a princess! What will everyone think?!”
   “I DON’T care! Let them think what they want, they need my help! And besides, everythings so... hopless right now,” Toadstool sighed. “I’m tired.... I think I need to lie down in my room a while.... Mario...Mallow...Geno...and Bowser, you too.... Good luck!” she told them before walking out of the Throne Room.
   “Now then! Thanks to Mario, the Princess is back! I now declare this date to be known forever as.... Hey, wait a minute! You don’t suppose....” The Chancellor trailed off.
   “What is it Chancellor?” Mario asked him.
   “You don’t suppose it was this ‘Smithy’ who attacked our kingdom? If thats the case, we have no reason to rejoice.... In fact, I’m afraid to say this, but please Mario, on the behalf of all of us, PLEASE defeat Smithy! Its the only way we shall ever live in peace again.”
   “Don’t worry, you can count on us!” Mario told the Chancellor before they turned and left the Throne Room, and exited the castle. They had not gone far when-
   “Mario!” Toadstool called to them as she floated down from her room via a parasol.
   “Toadstool, what are you-?”
   “Please, you really belived I was going to lay down? I only said that because arguing would’ve gotten nowhere. Trust me, I WANT to go with you all.”
   “But won’t they notice your absense if you leave like this?” Mario questioned. Toadstool simply smiled.
   “Don’t worry, I got it all worked out. They won’t even know I’m gone! So please, I can honestly help... I have good healing moves, AND I’ll be good!”
   “Okay! You can come with us, I’ll even make sure Bowser is good,” Mario agreed with, the others nodding.
   “Great! Lets find us a Star Piece. But.... where could one be?”
   “We haven’t head about one in a while,”Geno admitted. “It could be ANYWHERE.”
   “Unless.... we ask my Grandpa!” Mallow suddenly realised. “He’ll know where one fell! C’mon, lets ask him!”
   “Its a plan then! We go to Frogfucius!” Mario said happily. The party of five turned, and left Mushroom Kingdom, a new goal in mind.
* * *
Much later, towards sunset....

   “Where did Frogfucius say the Star was again?” Mario asked Mallow as they approached Marrymore that evening.
   “Star Hill, which is not too far from here. We can still make it, can’t we?”
   “I’m afraid not...,” Geno shook his head. “Its very late, we’d never make it to an Inn from Star Hill after getting the Star Piece, and who knows what will be lurking in the dark. It’d be best to stay in the Marrymore Hotel tonight,”
   “I guess you’re right,” Mallow was inclined to agree.
   “I’ll get us a room,” Mario told them as they walked into the Hotel. Shortly afterwards, they had a private room to themselfs with five beds and a delicious meal of chicken.
   At first Mallow was lively with everyone else, talking, telling jokes, laughing, eating heartily, but he eventually became sullen and quiet, staring out a window at the stars.
   “Something is bothering you,” Geno said as he sat down next to his friend. “Come now, we Stars know these things, tell me.”
   “Well, its just.... I don’t know what I am anymore,” he said with a sigh. “Everyone knows Mario and Toadstool are people, you’re a doll in appearance, and that Bowsers a Koopa.... But what am I? I don’t want to be called a marshmallow anymore!”
   “Well, I have to admit, you do look like one sometimes. But don’t get sad, and let me tell you something.” Mallow looked at Geno as he began to talk. “Stars don’t age as fast as everyone down here does. I am approximatly fifty-three years old, but by Star standards, I am not much more then a teenager. Anyways, Stars know everything that goes on down here from Star Haven. Yes, you too. So we knew when you were born, and when you were.... lets say ‘sundered’ from your family. So I know what you are, Mallow,” Geno told him. Mallow looked at him in shock.
   “If you know what I am, why haven’t you told me? Do you know where I come from? Who are my parents?!”
   “Calm down now. Yes, I know the answers to your questions. But I won’t tell you. You see, the guardians of the Star Rod, when you were sundered, looked a little into the future to see if you needed our help or not to return home. And it was forseen you would make it home without the help of the Star Rod, so we let it be. So we know what it is that you are, but it is not us to tell you,” Geno explained to him.
   “But when will I return home again?” Mallow asked after a minute of quiet. Geno shrugged.
   “Who knows for certain? All I can say is have faith, you will return sooner then you think you will.” Geno patted his arm a little before getting up and walking back to the others. Mallow looked at the window again.
   Sooner then I think.... I hope you are willing to have me back again, Mom, Dad. Where ever you are....
* * *
Somewhere far, far away, not too far above the clouds....

   “Two days now we’ve been stuck in here...,” Queen Nimbus said with a sigh as she sat on one of the cots. King Nimbus sat down nervously next to her.
   “You’re getting more afraid too, Skyheart?” he asked her. Queen Nimbus nodded.
   “Indeed I am. Valentina is working Garro beyond his limits, it sounds like. And those Bandits working in our palace.... And then theres what she said about killing us! I feel like we’re being punished for wanting to have a child, Cumulous. I don’t know what do do anymore....” she covered her face with her hands and allowed herself to be hugged by her husband.
   “Have faith Skyheart.... Mallow will come.... He’ll HAVE to come. We wished for his return.”
   “Yes, we did.... Lets just hope that he comes in time. And that he has enough faith within him to belive we are his family....”
   The true rulers of Nimbus Land huddled together fearful, and yet, hopeful.
* * *
Very early the next morning, in Marrymore....
   “Its not even sunrise yet! Why do we have to be up this early?” Toadstool complained as they left the Marrymore Hotel.
   “I already explained this already, because I had a dream last night, that if we wait any longer, Smithy will regain the Star Piece upon Star Hill instead of us,” Geno simply told her.
   “He’s right you know, we can’t afford to let the enemy gain many, especially since they know now they’re important,” Mario agreed with Geno. “And if there are seven of them, as Geno told us before, we already have three of the seven. Getting this one too will put us more then halfway there, and might give us an advantage, somehow.”
   “Oh, I see, like the home team advantage?” Bowser asked them as they walked along. Geno pondered this a moment.
   “I suppose like the home team advantage. Let me put it this way, the more Pieces we have, the more power we’ll gain. Physical, and magical, the same will work for the enemy, even with just one. So the more Pieces we regain the stronger we become,” he told them.
   The team walked along in silence after that, until a slope rose before them, bathed in an almost unearthly light.
   “This is Star Hill,” Geno told them as they began to go up the gently sloping, but tall hill. Wishes, which were transformed at the Star Road, fall here, and vanish in a bright, beautiful explosion when they are granted. But... It appears the wishes that there were transformed before, and a little after, Smithy distroyed the Star Road. So all the small stars that appear to have a face upon them still have an ungranted wish.”
   “Thats terrible! Is there anything we can do about it?” Toadstool asked him. Geno pondered this.
   “Perhaps. Some of these wishes may be gained by ourselves if we listen to them, a simple touch of a star will replay the wish.”
   “Grandpa said a Star Piece had fallen here somewhere. It seems like the perfect place for a Star Piece to fall....” Geno smiled at Mallow.
   “Yes, it is indeed perfect, and yet ironic. Come now, lets find that Star Piece!”
   Mario and the others walked along the Star Hill, with Mario touching each star he saw.
   “I wish Mallow finds his true family...,” a soft, echoing version of Frogfucius’ voice came from one, causing Mallow to smile.
   “I hope my baby’s cute!” a womans voice came from another.
   “Can’t wait to start a family!” a mans voice came from the one next to it.
   “The hunger! Oh, I need FOOD!” Belome’s voice came from one farther up the hill.
   “I vant to be a vald class baker,” Chef Torte’s voice from from a different one.
   “I wish I looked more like the frog I’m supposed to be. I also wish I wasn’t such a crybaby...,” Mallow’s own voice came from one.
   Immidiatly Boswer snorted and began to laugh loudly. Toadstool giggled a bit, and even Mario couldn’t surpass a chuckle. Mallow became furious.
   “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, SPYING ON OTHER PEOPLES WISHES?!” he angrily screamed at the others, bringing them into a shocked silence. Turning, Mallow stomped off away from the others, thunder growling in the distance as he stopped some ways away from the others, staring at a star.
   “Hey, are you allright?” Geno asked him a short time later as he approached. Mallow shook his head.
   “No one was supposed to hear that wish! And you were all laughing back there, it proves that no one should’ve heard it.”
   “I wasn’t laughing,” Geno told him as the others walked over, unbenownst to Mallow.
   “Really?”
   “Really. So tell me why you’re sitting in front of this star and not one of the others?”
   “I’m not sure...,” Mallow replied, puzzeled. “I feel drawn to it, as I felt drawn to Grandpa’s wish.”
   “Well, listen to it! It might hold the reason why you’re drawn to it.”
   “I’m not sure if I should....” Mallow said doubtfully. Geno patted his shoulder and smiled at him.
   “Hey, its OK. If a Star is telling you it all right to do something, then you may do it. Trust me,” Geno told him. Mallow stood up and nodded to show he understood he understood just as the others walked up to them.
   “Hey, we’re sorry.... It was very wrong at us to laugh at your wish,” Mario told him. Toadstool nodded in agreement, and even Bowser grunted a sorry. Mallow shook his head.
   “I’m the one who should be sorry, I blew up at you guys...,”
   “You have every right to be mad at us, Mallow. We behaved not like friends should,” Toadstool said to him. Mallow smiled.
   “We’ll go along in a minute, but first Mallow wants to hear this wish, he feels drawn to it,” Geno told them. Mallow smiled sheepishly at them before touching the wish.
   “Oh, please let Mallow find his way home...,” two voices, male and female, came from that wish at the same exact time. Mallow stared at it shocked, he had heard those voices before in the past! And yet, he had never heard them before, but he had no doubt who it was.
   “This wish! Its... its from my Mom and Dad! They’re...they’re wishing for me to come home!” Mallow became overcome with sadness, feeling guilty they he was doubting their wanting to have him come home, and for a moment, thought he was going to cry.
   No! I can’t let myself cry! Especially not after their hearing my wish. No one can grant that wish for me, nobody except for myself. Just like how I will be the one to grant my parent’s wishes. Mom.... Dad.... I’m coming home soon, where ever you might be!
   “Mallow are you alright?” The voice of Toadstool and the others cut into his thoughts. Mallow turned to them and nodded.
   “Yes, I’m fine... Come on, lets go find the Star Piece now!”
   Turning from the wish they turned to go farther up the hill, though Mallow turned towards that wish one last time.
   I promise.... Mallow turned from the wish one last time, and followed his friends.
   Farther up the hill, Mario listened to a few more wishes as the reached the summit.
   “I want to be a great plumber like my brother, Mario!” the voice that had to belong to Luigi, Mario’s younger brother, came from one. Hearing that wish brought him to tears.
   Bowser, naturally was about to laugh, but the looks of Toadstool, Geno, and especially Mallow silenced him.
   And near the top, they saw it, a purple Star Piece. Dashing foreward eargly to claim it, the Star Piece began to circle him and everyone else, just as the three others before him did, before falling into Mario’s hands, spinning rapidly, and vanishing.
   Moments later, the sun rose, bathing the lands in a beautiful dawn light.
   “Thats four, three more to go. Where to next, I wonder,” Geno said aloud. Mallow pointed to over the crest and down below, where in the distance they could see a town by the sea.
   “Seaside Town, its full of shops there. Grandpa says he went once to visit with some old Toad there, who’s as wise as he is. I bet he’s seen a Star Piece!” Mallow told them.
   “Sounds like a plan to me,” Mario said. “Lets get going!”
   Over the hill they went, and began the journey down the other side and to Seaside Town and beyond, where more adventures awaited them.