Let the tale begin!
Now that the prologues are finally done, we get into the good part of this thing.
Introducing two new 'characters' to the Marioverse... they get a rocky entrance! Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom...
Late at night, and they were at it again.
Angry words floated up from a relatively deserted street corner. He was contemplating leaning against the wall to show that he was done listening to her scream. Letting his mind wander, he spotted a peculiar looking piece of graffiti amongst the bricks. Looked sort of like some old video game symbol.
She didn't let him give it much thought. She pushed him slightly, and he stumbled back a step or two.
"Don't hit me," he growled.
"What?" She shrieked. "Like this?" She gave him another shove, expecting him to fall against the wall. Instead, the wall quivered and resembled something that looked oddly like a portal seen in science fiction movies. Her eyes widened at it.
Right as he was falling back, he grabbed both her wrists. Instead of hitting a hard concrete wall, he found himself falling through space. She fell into the passageway with him. No one heard either one cry out from the surprise.
The wall solidified back into brick before anyone else noticed.
***
He held onto her wrists so tightly that his nails were digging into her skin. She didn't seem to notice. They had both looked down and saw nothing below them to catch their fall. The air around them rushed both cold and hot, varying in shades of black, blue, and purple. He had finally settled on shutting his eyes tight and holding onto her, while she flailed and tried to slow the descent.
"Oh God!" She yelled, unable to say anything else.
"Dani, we're gonna die," he yelled back, worriedly.
"Don't say that, Brandon," she murmured. "Oh God, don't say that."
He opened his blue eyes and wished he hadn't. The ground suddenly was coming into view. He dug his nails in more into Dani's arm. It drew blood.
"Agh!" She yelled. "Let go, damnit!"
"No!"
She saw the ground and braced her body. "Oh my God..."
There was a horrid sound, and then silence.
***
Brandon stirred first, after what seemed to be eternity. "Damn," he growled quietly, sore, "I'm still alive? What the hell?" He got up and looked around, repeating himself. "What the hell...?"
The sky was a strange shade of blue he'd never seen before, and the ground was lime green with dark green stripes. The clouds had smiling faces. The trees didn't move much, and all looked the same.
"No fucking way," he breathed. "It looks like some sorta Mario game..." He blinked. "Dani!"
She was still unconscious on the ground at his feet. He kicked her softly with the toe of his shoe, but she didn't stir. He wasn't inclined to care much for her at the moment anyway; she had gotten him into this mess. Nearby he saw a little block with a question mark on it.
"It's a damn Mario game," he concluded. "And I must be dreaming." Nearby a few Goombas strolled through the bushes. He shook his head. "When do I wake up?"
Suddenly a large shadow loomed over him. Startled, he looked over his shoulder.
"You are awake, boy," the huge creature spoke in a low roar. "But not for long."
Despite himself, the teenager was shuddering. He stepped back a bit, looking at the creature that had to have been twice his size. Remembering where he was, he knew who it was. His eyes went back to the little block with the question mark on it.
"I ought to thank you," Bowser seemed to taunt. "You brought me to the girl. I've been looking for her for quite some time now, you know. Fifteen years."
Brandon looked at his unconsciou girlfriend. "Dani?" He was confused.
Bowser shook his hand dismissively. "But I'm not generous. You don't get to live." He inhaled deeply.
Brandon was paralyzed, not knowing what to do. His eyes widened in horror as the first flicker of fire erupted from Bowser's mouth. He yelped a bit and covered his face with his hands. Suddenly a blue beam flew in front of him, deflecting the blast.
"The hell!" He cried out, jumping back. He looked and saw Dani on her feet, glowing blue. "What in the world?"
"Leave him alone," Dani screeched, throwing an orb of blue light.
Bowser laughed and deflected it with a flick of his wrist. "Just like your father... spunky little brat, aren't you?" He threw his hand forward and slashed the girl across the face. She shrieked in pain, and Brandon winced at the strike. The teenaged boy ran to the question mark block while she was fighting.
Dani growled as blood poured from her face. She jumped up and became airborne. "Damn you!" She yelled angrily, throwing more orbs of varying color. "You leave us alone!"
Bowser roared with laughter. "You don't know how to control your abilities, do you?" He grabbed her by the waist and hurled her violently to the ground.
Brandon smashed the block and gained a flower. "Oh great," he muttered. "A stupid flower..." He shook as Dani smashed into the ground.
Bowser thought she was unconscious, so he turned his sights back to the younger human. "Picking flowers, boy? Isn't that a little pathetic?" He pulled out a onyx and ruby wand, charging it up. "Let me erase the humiliation of that from you..."
Dani got up slowly and saw the charging wand. "Hell no," she cried weakly, springing into the air once again.
Brandon stepped three steps back before he felt like he was grabbed by two invisible men. His blue eyes were wide and distant at the charging ruby stone. Out from it poured a strange blood-colored streak. Like someone watching a trainwreck, he couldn't take his eyes from it. Suddenly, the girlfriend he was once quarreling with was standing before him, bracing herself.
"Dani, don't do it!" He screeched at her, but it was much too late. He looked away as her agonized screams flooded the air.
He was dropped by the invisible forces, and his knees buckled. Dani had crumbled, in a lifeless heap, at his feet. He grasped the flower and looked up at the monster with fiery blue eyes. "Damn you," he murmured distantly as he rose to his feet.
"Ohh, I'm scared, little boy," Bowser laughed.
The angry young man caught sight of what looked like a Bob-omb. He smirked and ran in its direction. "How do these things work?" He shook the flower and it seemed to disappear into his hand. "Ha!" He cried enthusiastically. He slid across the ground and rolled, grabbing the Bob-omb.
Whoa, I did that? He thought to himself, then shook it off. "Check it out!" He yelled, getting Bowser's attention. He pointed a finger and launched a small fireball from it. The fuse of the Bob-omb was lit, and, with all the might he could produce in his body, he threw the dangerous creature in Bowser's direction.
The Bob-omb's blast was massive, firing the evil lizard high into the air. Brandon was knocked back a few feet, tumbling and rolling to his feet. He looked up at the air where Bowser had last been seen, then shook it off and saw his lifeless girlfriend laying in a crater.
"Dani!" He ran towards her. He shook her violently, but nothing happened. Whatever he had been so angry with her about before was far off in his mind. He growled a bit in desperation and shook her again. "Wake up, damnit! Wake up!" He heard the sound of a running motor and looked to see what looked like a mushroom driving a go-cart.
"It's a Toad," he told himself softly, then got up. He ran over and fired a few fireballs from his palm, scaring the Toad into braking.
"What's your deal?" The frightened man asked.
Brandon pushed him from his seat. "No time! See that girl? She's going to die if I don't get her somewhere. Now stop wasting my time, damnit!"
The Toad tumbled out as the rude boy put a girl into the backseat and sped off. However, as the Toad got up, his eyes widened at the sight of the girl.
"She's returned..." He breathed softly.
***
Brandon struggled to maintain control of the vehicle. "This is what I get for never playing those racing games with Dani in the past..." He complained softly. He shoved the gas pedal to the floor and yelped with it blasted off at well over 300 mph. "Oh hell!" He cried, pushing both feet on the brakes. The machine swiveled to the right, and he slammed his eyes shut, shouting and swearing. He slammed the gas pedal, and the vehicle jerked forward.
He blinked and calmed his mind long enough to notice the car's reaction. So he slammed the pedal again while holding the brake. It jerked again. He twisted the wheel the opposite way the car was swerving. He released the brake and the car lunged forward in the direction he wanted. He couldn't help but grin at this accomplishment, but then remembered why he'd stolen the vehicle to begin with. With a basic handle on driving in the weird new world, he sped through streets--and city sidewalks--until he reached a big stone building. He was so awestruck by the place that he crashed right into a tree. Surprisingly, it didn't seem to hurt either the car or the tree.
He got out of the vehicle, trembling from the adrenaline rush it had provided. He wobbled a bit and shook his head a few times, trying to clear his mind. "Damn," he murmured to himself, then looked up. He flagged down another Toad.
"You have to help me," he begged. "My girlfriend... she's..."
The Toad took one look at the girl and seemed to panic. "Medic!" He shouted. "Toadsworth! Sir! Come quickly!"
Brandon found himself pushed out of the way by dozens of men who were half his height. They were swarming over Dani as if she were some sort of magnificient creature. Of course, Brandon knew she was amazing... but how did they? The next thing he knew, he was being shuffled into the massive stone structure, these short little creatures holding both his arms tight as his sides.
***
He was tossed into what looked like some sort of prison cell. "Hey! What the hell is this about?" He demanded.
"You're accused of kidnapping Lady Danielle!" One of the Toads pointed an accusing finger at him.
"What?" He looked quite puzzled. "What are you talking about?" The Toads walked away and left him alone. He looked around his new surroundings and paced a moment or two. Then, not knowing what else to do, he sat down.
"What did they mean by calling Dani... what do they mean I kidnapped her? This whole place is screwed up." He complained to himself, trying to figure out what sort of crazy ordeal he'd fallen into. "Speaking of Dani, where did they take her to? God. I hope she's okay."
When they came back for him an hour later, they found him tossing a fireball up and down boredly. This puzzled them slightly, as no simple civilian should have been able to juggle fire without causing great injury. A few Toads rushed in and cuffed his wrists behind him.
"The Princess wishes to speak with you, criminal," one of them spoke angrily.
"I'm no criminal," Brandon retorted, frustrated at how he was being treated.
He was led down a long, dimly lit hallway, then up a set of stairs into what looked like the main foyer of the castle. Despite his frustration, he had to take a moment to admire the facilities surrounding him. The place was huge. He was nudged forward and taken up another set of stairs to the second floor. Standing there was a woman in a flowing pink gown, looking at him with concerned but gentle blue eyes. He blinked, unsure whether to believe what he was seeing to be true.
The woman stepped towards him. His eyes widened as he swore he saw a slight resemblance to Dani in the woman's face. She finally spoke, her voice soft, beautiful, and melodious.
"You are accused of kidnapping my daughter, sir. You are also accused of attempted murder."
The voice was so soft he temporarily lost his train of thought. "I would never," he spoke timidly, unable to help the shyness in his voice. "I... I'm not from here."
"Where are you from, then?"
He shook his head, completely confused. "I don't know..."
The woman tilted her head and actually smiled. His knees buckled. "Sir, I don't believe you are capable of the accusations set upon you." She nodded to the Toads. "Let him go." To him she said, "I apologize for your reception. My subjects are very protective."
He nodded as they released him. "It's okay. Where's... where's my girlfriend?"
"Who?"
"My girlfriend," he explained. "The girl I brought here..."
"My daughter?"
He finally had to ask. "Who are you...? Where am I? What's going on?"
The woman smiled. "Sir, you're in the Mushroom Kingdom. I am Princess Peach, and you have just reunited me with my long lost daughter, Danielle."
***
"So let me see if I have this straight," Brandon was talking to one of his former captors, who was suddenly very friendly and kind. "I'm inside a video game, and my girlfriend is actually a character?"
"A video game?" The Toad laughed. "You're awfully strange. This world is very much real. And you're funny to think that you're actually Lady Danielle's boyfriend. She is royalty! She is Princess Peach and Mario's daughter!"
He shook his head. "I'm waiting to wake up. I swear I'm dreaming."
"No, you aren't. This is all very real. You've done a great thing, though, reuniting the Princess with her daughter. Lady Danielle has been missing for fifteen years. We really thought the worst!"
Brandon got up. "I think I'm going to walk around for a bit..."
"Don't get lost..."
He went outside and wandered the courtyard, his hands buried deep in his pockets. The courtyard was beautiful; the grass was lush and green and the hedges were beautifully trimmed. The flowers were well taken care of by multitudes of Toad gardeners who were always on the move. He was impressed by the large fountain and admired the handiwork of whoever had constructed it. Nearby a few Toad children were playing tag. Maybe it wasn't so bad to be here, after all. It was kind of peaceful.
He just wish he knew how Dani was doing.
"Hey," a voice caught his attention. He turned around and found himself face-to-face with a human male wearing green.
"Luigi?" He asked, seeming a bit awestruck.
"That's me," the man nodded and walked over. "I've never seen you around. I didn't know there were other humans in the kingdom. Nice to meet you! Who are you?" He held out a gloved hand.
Brandon shook his hand after a moment's hesitation. "I'm Brandon. That's my name, anyway." He didn't really know how to introduce himself in this world. What if there was some twisted custom he didn't know?
Luigi seemed to laugh. "That's what I wanted to know. What brings you to the Princess' castle?"
The younger human looked at his shoes. "I apparently found a missing royalty."
Luigi's eyes widened. "Stars above," he murmured. Brandon decided this must be the equivalent of "Oh my God" on Earth. "Brandon, walk with me. There's something you need to know."
Introducing two new 'characters' to the Marioverse... they get a rocky entrance! Welcome to the Mushroom Kingdom...
Late at night, and they were at it again.
Angry words floated up from a relatively deserted street corner. He was contemplating leaning against the wall to show that he was done listening to her scream. Letting his mind wander, he spotted a peculiar looking piece of graffiti amongst the bricks. Looked sort of like some old video game symbol.
She didn't let him give it much thought. She pushed him slightly, and he stumbled back a step or two.
"Don't hit me," he growled.
"What?" She shrieked. "Like this?" She gave him another shove, expecting him to fall against the wall. Instead, the wall quivered and resembled something that looked oddly like a portal seen in science fiction movies. Her eyes widened at it.
Right as he was falling back, he grabbed both her wrists. Instead of hitting a hard concrete wall, he found himself falling through space. She fell into the passageway with him. No one heard either one cry out from the surprise.
The wall solidified back into brick before anyone else noticed.
***
He held onto her wrists so tightly that his nails were digging into her skin. She didn't seem to notice. They had both looked down and saw nothing below them to catch their fall. The air around them rushed both cold and hot, varying in shades of black, blue, and purple. He had finally settled on shutting his eyes tight and holding onto her, while she flailed and tried to slow the descent.
"Oh God!" She yelled, unable to say anything else.
"Dani, we're gonna die," he yelled back, worriedly.
"Don't say that, Brandon," she murmured. "Oh God, don't say that."
He opened his blue eyes and wished he hadn't. The ground suddenly was coming into view. He dug his nails in more into Dani's arm. It drew blood.
"Agh!" She yelled. "Let go, damnit!"
"No!"
She saw the ground and braced her body. "Oh my God..."
There was a horrid sound, and then silence.
***
Brandon stirred first, after what seemed to be eternity. "Damn," he growled quietly, sore, "I'm still alive? What the hell?" He got up and looked around, repeating himself. "What the hell...?"
The sky was a strange shade of blue he'd never seen before, and the ground was lime green with dark green stripes. The clouds had smiling faces. The trees didn't move much, and all looked the same.
"No fucking way," he breathed. "It looks like some sorta Mario game..." He blinked. "Dani!"
She was still unconscious on the ground at his feet. He kicked her softly with the toe of his shoe, but she didn't stir. He wasn't inclined to care much for her at the moment anyway; she had gotten him into this mess. Nearby he saw a little block with a question mark on it.
"It's a damn Mario game," he concluded. "And I must be dreaming." Nearby a few Goombas strolled through the bushes. He shook his head. "When do I wake up?"
Suddenly a large shadow loomed over him. Startled, he looked over his shoulder.
"You are awake, boy," the huge creature spoke in a low roar. "But not for long."
Despite himself, the teenager was shuddering. He stepped back a bit, looking at the creature that had to have been twice his size. Remembering where he was, he knew who it was. His eyes went back to the little block with the question mark on it.
"I ought to thank you," Bowser seemed to taunt. "You brought me to the girl. I've been looking for her for quite some time now, you know. Fifteen years."
Brandon looked at his unconsciou girlfriend. "Dani?" He was confused.
Bowser shook his hand dismissively. "But I'm not generous. You don't get to live." He inhaled deeply.
Brandon was paralyzed, not knowing what to do. His eyes widened in horror as the first flicker of fire erupted from Bowser's mouth. He yelped a bit and covered his face with his hands. Suddenly a blue beam flew in front of him, deflecting the blast.
"The hell!" He cried out, jumping back. He looked and saw Dani on her feet, glowing blue. "What in the world?"
"Leave him alone," Dani screeched, throwing an orb of blue light.
Bowser laughed and deflected it with a flick of his wrist. "Just like your father... spunky little brat, aren't you?" He threw his hand forward and slashed the girl across the face. She shrieked in pain, and Brandon winced at the strike. The teenaged boy ran to the question mark block while she was fighting.
Dani growled as blood poured from her face. She jumped up and became airborne. "Damn you!" She yelled angrily, throwing more orbs of varying color. "You leave us alone!"
Bowser roared with laughter. "You don't know how to control your abilities, do you?" He grabbed her by the waist and hurled her violently to the ground.
Brandon smashed the block and gained a flower. "Oh great," he muttered. "A stupid flower..." He shook as Dani smashed into the ground.
Bowser thought she was unconscious, so he turned his sights back to the younger human. "Picking flowers, boy? Isn't that a little pathetic?" He pulled out a onyx and ruby wand, charging it up. "Let me erase the humiliation of that from you..."
Dani got up slowly and saw the charging wand. "Hell no," she cried weakly, springing into the air once again.
Brandon stepped three steps back before he felt like he was grabbed by two invisible men. His blue eyes were wide and distant at the charging ruby stone. Out from it poured a strange blood-colored streak. Like someone watching a trainwreck, he couldn't take his eyes from it. Suddenly, the girlfriend he was once quarreling with was standing before him, bracing herself.
"Dani, don't do it!" He screeched at her, but it was much too late. He looked away as her agonized screams flooded the air.
He was dropped by the invisible forces, and his knees buckled. Dani had crumbled, in a lifeless heap, at his feet. He grasped the flower and looked up at the monster with fiery blue eyes. "Damn you," he murmured distantly as he rose to his feet.
"Ohh, I'm scared, little boy," Bowser laughed.
The angry young man caught sight of what looked like a Bob-omb. He smirked and ran in its direction. "How do these things work?" He shook the flower and it seemed to disappear into his hand. "Ha!" He cried enthusiastically. He slid across the ground and rolled, grabbing the Bob-omb.
Whoa, I did that? He thought to himself, then shook it off. "Check it out!" He yelled, getting Bowser's attention. He pointed a finger and launched a small fireball from it. The fuse of the Bob-omb was lit, and, with all the might he could produce in his body, he threw the dangerous creature in Bowser's direction.
The Bob-omb's blast was massive, firing the evil lizard high into the air. Brandon was knocked back a few feet, tumbling and rolling to his feet. He looked up at the air where Bowser had last been seen, then shook it off and saw his lifeless girlfriend laying in a crater.
"Dani!" He ran towards her. He shook her violently, but nothing happened. Whatever he had been so angry with her about before was far off in his mind. He growled a bit in desperation and shook her again. "Wake up, damnit! Wake up!" He heard the sound of a running motor and looked to see what looked like a mushroom driving a go-cart.
"It's a Toad," he told himself softly, then got up. He ran over and fired a few fireballs from his palm, scaring the Toad into braking.
"What's your deal?" The frightened man asked.
Brandon pushed him from his seat. "No time! See that girl? She's going to die if I don't get her somewhere. Now stop wasting my time, damnit!"
The Toad tumbled out as the rude boy put a girl into the backseat and sped off. However, as the Toad got up, his eyes widened at the sight of the girl.
"She's returned..." He breathed softly.
***
Brandon struggled to maintain control of the vehicle. "This is what I get for never playing those racing games with Dani in the past..." He complained softly. He shoved the gas pedal to the floor and yelped with it blasted off at well over 300 mph. "Oh hell!" He cried, pushing both feet on the brakes. The machine swiveled to the right, and he slammed his eyes shut, shouting and swearing. He slammed the gas pedal, and the vehicle jerked forward.
He blinked and calmed his mind long enough to notice the car's reaction. So he slammed the pedal again while holding the brake. It jerked again. He twisted the wheel the opposite way the car was swerving. He released the brake and the car lunged forward in the direction he wanted. He couldn't help but grin at this accomplishment, but then remembered why he'd stolen the vehicle to begin with. With a basic handle on driving in the weird new world, he sped through streets--and city sidewalks--until he reached a big stone building. He was so awestruck by the place that he crashed right into a tree. Surprisingly, it didn't seem to hurt either the car or the tree.
He got out of the vehicle, trembling from the adrenaline rush it had provided. He wobbled a bit and shook his head a few times, trying to clear his mind. "Damn," he murmured to himself, then looked up. He flagged down another Toad.
"You have to help me," he begged. "My girlfriend... she's..."
The Toad took one look at the girl and seemed to panic. "Medic!" He shouted. "Toadsworth! Sir! Come quickly!"
Brandon found himself pushed out of the way by dozens of men who were half his height. They were swarming over Dani as if she were some sort of magnificient creature. Of course, Brandon knew she was amazing... but how did they? The next thing he knew, he was being shuffled into the massive stone structure, these short little creatures holding both his arms tight as his sides.
***
He was tossed into what looked like some sort of prison cell. "Hey! What the hell is this about?" He demanded.
"You're accused of kidnapping Lady Danielle!" One of the Toads pointed an accusing finger at him.
"What?" He looked quite puzzled. "What are you talking about?" The Toads walked away and left him alone. He looked around his new surroundings and paced a moment or two. Then, not knowing what else to do, he sat down.
"What did they mean by calling Dani... what do they mean I kidnapped her? This whole place is screwed up." He complained to himself, trying to figure out what sort of crazy ordeal he'd fallen into. "Speaking of Dani, where did they take her to? God. I hope she's okay."
When they came back for him an hour later, they found him tossing a fireball up and down boredly. This puzzled them slightly, as no simple civilian should have been able to juggle fire without causing great injury. A few Toads rushed in and cuffed his wrists behind him.
"The Princess wishes to speak with you, criminal," one of them spoke angrily.
"I'm no criminal," Brandon retorted, frustrated at how he was being treated.
He was led down a long, dimly lit hallway, then up a set of stairs into what looked like the main foyer of the castle. Despite his frustration, he had to take a moment to admire the facilities surrounding him. The place was huge. He was nudged forward and taken up another set of stairs to the second floor. Standing there was a woman in a flowing pink gown, looking at him with concerned but gentle blue eyes. He blinked, unsure whether to believe what he was seeing to be true.
The woman stepped towards him. His eyes widened as he swore he saw a slight resemblance to Dani in the woman's face. She finally spoke, her voice soft, beautiful, and melodious.
"You are accused of kidnapping my daughter, sir. You are also accused of attempted murder."
The voice was so soft he temporarily lost his train of thought. "I would never," he spoke timidly, unable to help the shyness in his voice. "I... I'm not from here."
"Where are you from, then?"
He shook his head, completely confused. "I don't know..."
The woman tilted her head and actually smiled. His knees buckled. "Sir, I don't believe you are capable of the accusations set upon you." She nodded to the Toads. "Let him go." To him she said, "I apologize for your reception. My subjects are very protective."
He nodded as they released him. "It's okay. Where's... where's my girlfriend?"
"Who?"
"My girlfriend," he explained. "The girl I brought here..."
"My daughter?"
He finally had to ask. "Who are you...? Where am I? What's going on?"
The woman smiled. "Sir, you're in the Mushroom Kingdom. I am Princess Peach, and you have just reunited me with my long lost daughter, Danielle."
***
"So let me see if I have this straight," Brandon was talking to one of his former captors, who was suddenly very friendly and kind. "I'm inside a video game, and my girlfriend is actually a character?"
"A video game?" The Toad laughed. "You're awfully strange. This world is very much real. And you're funny to think that you're actually Lady Danielle's boyfriend. She is royalty! She is Princess Peach and Mario's daughter!"
He shook his head. "I'm waiting to wake up. I swear I'm dreaming."
"No, you aren't. This is all very real. You've done a great thing, though, reuniting the Princess with her daughter. Lady Danielle has been missing for fifteen years. We really thought the worst!"
Brandon got up. "I think I'm going to walk around for a bit..."
"Don't get lost..."
He went outside and wandered the courtyard, his hands buried deep in his pockets. The courtyard was beautiful; the grass was lush and green and the hedges were beautifully trimmed. The flowers were well taken care of by multitudes of Toad gardeners who were always on the move. He was impressed by the large fountain and admired the handiwork of whoever had constructed it. Nearby a few Toad children were playing tag. Maybe it wasn't so bad to be here, after all. It was kind of peaceful.
He just wish he knew how Dani was doing.
"Hey," a voice caught his attention. He turned around and found himself face-to-face with a human male wearing green.
"Luigi?" He asked, seeming a bit awestruck.
"That's me," the man nodded and walked over. "I've never seen you around. I didn't know there were other humans in the kingdom. Nice to meet you! Who are you?" He held out a gloved hand.
Brandon shook his hand after a moment's hesitation. "I'm Brandon. That's my name, anyway." He didn't really know how to introduce himself in this world. What if there was some twisted custom he didn't know?
Luigi seemed to laugh. "That's what I wanted to know. What brings you to the Princess' castle?"
The younger human looked at his shoes. "I apparently found a missing royalty."
Luigi's eyes widened. "Stars above," he murmured. Brandon decided this must be the equivalent of "Oh my God" on Earth. "Brandon, walk with me. There's something you need to know."