Chapter 5:

~Luigi of the Pipes~

"What's going on out here?!" Luigi yelled, rubbing gingerly at his freshly bruised shoulder.
"He... I... then...." the Shygal stuttered, unable to form words because of her exasperation and exhaustion. Mario stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Slow down. Now, what are you and the gray guy doing?"

"He... was trying to capture me! I gotta... gotta tell you guys something important. You are the Mario Bros., right? Not some kind of evil impersonators?"

"Uhh..." Luigi stuttered. "I'm 99.9% sure that I'm Luigi Mario, if that helps."

"Luigi...." Mario groaned. "Yes, we're the Super Mario Bros., alright. Now what..."

Before Mario could finish, the door swung itself back into place. Luigi, still on the door, was pitched into the previous room. He crashed into the table with a sickening crunch, then slid to the floor. Hydraulico ran to Luigi's side, but that was all Mario could see as the gray Shy Guy replaced the door.

"Mr. Mario," he sneered, "so good to see you..."

This, Mario realized, wasn't a Shy Guy at all. He reminded him more of those Bandits he had seen while exploring Dry Dry Desert. He was the right waist length and such, and the mouth of the mask twisted to reveal his emotions. Currently, it resembled a sinister grin.

"I'd love to have you guys around, but my orders are otherwise. So I'll just hurl you into an alternate dimension now. Mwa ha ha ha!"

The Bandit reached behind him, but apparently didn't find what he was looking for. In fact, he found nothing.

"No! Where'd I put that stupid shield?! Eh, no matter. Didn't know how to work it anyway. So I'll be taking that Shygal now..." The Bandit held out one of his hands for emphasis.

Mario looked at the cowering Shygal, then back at the malevolent Bandit. "I don't think I can do that," the noble plumber said, putting his fists to his hips.

"Oh? Then I'll have to take her..."

"By force?"

"Noooo, by surprise!"

Before Mario could react, the Bandit threw an odd device to the ground. It hit with a blinding flash. When Mario's eyes cleared, both the Bandit and the Shygal were gone.

"Perfect..." he muttered. "Just perfect."

Mario sighed, opened the door back into the meeting room, and walked over to check on Luigi.

~Lzn64~

If he hadn't been so worried about the current situation he found himself in, Mario would have laughed at the sight of his brother. Luigi was muttering to himself as he pulled his bruised body off the floor, his hat askew on his head, his brown hair in disarray, and a generally venomous look on his face.

"I hate doors," The green-clad plumber announced as he pushed his hat back to its custom spot on his head.

"Right now I'm more concerned about Bandits," Mario replied. "C'mon, I want to know what that Shygal had to say... and why that bandit didn't want her to say it!"

Luigi nodded, and the two dashed out of the room. They ran right by Peach and Daisy, who had decided to come investigate, nearly knocking the two baffled princess over. Daisy sent them a sour glance, and Peach sighed, knowing the two better than her cousin.

"It's one of those hero things," Peach explained with a smile.

"Right. What do you think they're in such a rush to rescue this time, then?"

"Hey, I'm not psychic. If you want to know that, we'll have to follow them..."

"Not likely," Daisy muttered. "Besides, I'm in my best dress."

"Well then, we wait," Peach said, shaking her head. Some people had no sense of adventure.

~Meanwhile...~

Mario and Luigi rounded several corners and sped down multiple hallways, startling a number of studious Pionpis and Chibobos. However, they were too far behind the Shygal and her captors to know which way they had gone, and so were forced to stop and ask some of the pupils for help.

"Did you see a Shygal and a bandit or two run by here?" Mario called to a startled Chibobo, who was carrying a stack of books balanced on its head.

"Well... sure. They were headed to headmaster Smith's office... I bet she did something really bad."

"What?" Luigi asked, clearly confused at that answer.

"Well... headmaster Smith is the boss around here. The Bandits carry out his orders, since he never leaves his office, and boy, do they like to give detentions," the chibobo muttered, obviously having experienced this liking once or twice firsthand.

"Oh... so, where is this office, then?" Mario asked casually, many suspicions already surfaced in his mind. Headmaster Smith, eh?

"Down this hall, up the stairs, to the left. You'll see it."

"Thanks!" Mario called, and started off.

"Just one more question..." Luigi addressed the chibobo, as his brother took off.

"What?"

"Why on earth do you have a stack of books on your head?"

"Well, how else am I supposed to carry them?" He snapped, turning around to head toward his next class. Luigi stifled a bout of laughter and ran in the direction that had been indicated.

Like the helpful chibobo had said, the door was hard to miss. If you first overlooked the extraordinarily wide frame of the door, the large sign depicting the words "Headmaster Smith" were the next clue. The bros, needless to say, picked up on both distinguishing features. Mario reached toward the door knob, intending to pull open the door, but was surprised as the door opened on its own.

Out popped another chibobo, this one wearing a very distinguished cap, which ran right into the legs of Luigi, sending them both tumbling. Mario blinked at this, and gasped as a familiar face dashed out, followed by an incredulous bellow.

"THAT THING BIT ME!" Howled the strangely familiar voice.

"I'll get 'im, boss!" Came the nasal whine of what was undoubtedly another bandit. There was then a curious clatter and a female cry of anger, and not long after, the shygal Mario and Luigi had set after tumbled out, closely followed by a horde of Bandits.

"I hate kids!" One of them yelled, grabbing for the scurrying shygal. He dove for her, missed, sprawled out on the hall floor, and managed to trip up the remaining bandits behind him.

The entire company lay on the floor, groaning and yelling insults at the bandit that had tripped them up. Mario spared them a single glance of amusement, shook his head, scooped up Goombario and the Shygal, and took off down the corridor. He had to think about what he had heard...

He sent a backward glance over his shoulder to make sure his brother was on his way as well, and after seeing him grab up the chibobo almost unthinkingly and dash toward him, returned his concentration to running forward before the bandits could recover themselves.

Both plumbers burst into the room that Peach and Daisy were waiting rather impatiently in minutes later, the children in their arms.

"What in the name of the Great Star...?" Peach gasped, seeing the dishevled company.

"Where have you been?!" Daisy cried, crossing her arms.

"Ask them," Mario advised, setting the shygal and Goombario on the floor. Luigi dumped his catch as well, and turned to lock the door, just in case.

"Are you.... Luigi?" The small black chibobo asked in awe, staring up at the plumber, completely oblivous to the fact that he was in the presence of two princesses.

"Uh...actually, yes, I am," Luigi said proudly, crossing his arms.

"NO WAY! My name's Chibobuigi! I was named after you!"

"Oh... well, er..."

"You're my HERO!" The Chibobuigi yelled, almost bursting with joy. Goombario, nearby, laughed at his friend's excitement, knowing that he had probably been the same way when he had first met Mario. Luigi wasn't sure how to act in the face of this declaration, so he just smiled at the chibobo and tried to look cool.

Mario chuckled at that, then turned toward Goombario, who was standing near him, and the Shygal, who was looking small and left out.

"Hey, Goombario! Didn't expect to see you here, of all places..." Mario said truthfully.

"I could say the same to you! I'm studying here as a foreign exchange goomba! Goompa decided that I wasn't getting enough scenery in that little village... and plus, I just complained so much after being shut in after that awesome adventure, that when he saw the ad in Toad Town... he couldn't resist sending me!"

"Wow, sounds like you're starting to have your own adventures, then," Mario praised him. He sent a nervous look at the door, knowing the bandits could be coming back at anytime. "So... who're your friends... and what's going on with Mr. Smith?"

Goombario nodded, took a deep breath, and informed them all of everything the three had heard. He also introduced Heidi, who had shimmied over to the two princesses, and seemed to be getting along rather well with them.

"Well, that's just unacceptable!" Daisy exclaimed after hearing the tale. Mario and Luigi exchanged glances. Daisy on a tirade, here they went... "Imagine, the headmaster of my kingdom's most prestigious academy threatening the lives of his students! Sending Bandits, of all creatures, as proctors! Bandits! And that Croco... we must get back to that castle to ensure the safety of Maple and Plum at once!"

Mario blinked. She was right. If they didn't get back soon, those two princesses were going to be kidnapped, and then they were really going to have an ordeal on their hands...

"But... what about Mr. Smith...?" Goombario asked timidly.

"We'll be returning to the Academy soon enough," Daisy replied in a steely voice. "I'll have this "Mr. Smith" straightened out... but Plum and Maple will be arriving soon... their safety comes first."

"We're heading to castle. Got it," Peach sighed. "You said that it was a while off... how do we get there tonight?"

"Why, Pon shall fly us, of course," Daisy smiled.

"And you two better watch out, too," Mario advised, following the princesses out in search of the elusive Pionpi.

"I know, I know. But, now that we know we're targetted..." Peach shrugged.

"Right. You guys coming?" Mario addressed the three students.

"You betcha!" Goombario exclaimed, dashing after them. Chibobuigi nodded excitedly and took to following closely after Luigi. Heidi shrugged and made her way beside Princess Peach, and as Daisy led the way through the Academy, started a frienly conversation with her.

"Watch out for the bandits," Luigi piped up as they walked. "I'd imagine they're sort of angry at us right now... and I'd be willing to bet they've got orders to keep us away from the castle."

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