Chapter 15:

~Luigi of the Pipes~

Mario looked between the wide grins of the Pionpi and the Mandar, then glanced over at Luigi.

"If you'll excuse us," the red-capped plumber began, "could we go outside and stretch our muscles a bit?"

"Oh, do go ahead," the Pionpi said in an irritatingly happy voice.

Mario nodded and stood up, then walked out the door. Luigi watched his brother leave, looked at the two giddy creatures beside him, and rushed out the door after Mario.

"I don't trust them," the taller brother said after he closed the door to the small hut. "They're... too happy."

"I know, I know," Mario replied. "But they did feed us."

"Poison, no doubt."

"Don't be such a pessimist. The important thing is that there are people willing to help us, no matter what their intentions might pertain to."

"I don't know why anyone would want to help scum like you," a deep voice growled to the left of the brothers.

"We certainly wouldn't," another, nasly and higher-pitched voice added from the right.

"Well, this is just perfect," Luigi moaned. The brothers turned around to face their respective doppelgangers, Wario and Waluigi.

"What's the matter Mario?" Wario chuckled. "You actually look saddened at seeing me!"

"You think?" Mario responded.

"The only reason we'd want to see you," Luigi added, "is if you actually planned to help us in a more constructive manner."

"You want us to help?!" Waluigi choked.

"Fat chance," Wario added. "Remember the last time we offered to help?"

Mario thought back. Was it the Great Star event? Or maybe it was when they were trying to recover the Golden Goomba statue. Or was it trying to get that tennis ball off Peach's castle roof? "No, I can't remember."

"Well, every time we help you we end up looking like total idiots! So don't even bother asking this time."

"If you insist," Luigi sighed.

"Heh," Waluigi snickered. "Normally we'd stay and annoy you..."

"...steal from you..."

"...even bruise you guys up a bit..."

"But we're too busy now. Those ancient pyramids in Birabuto are supposed to be loaded with treasure. So we'll be on our way. After you, dear brother."

"No no no, after you Wario."

The duo waddled off, mumbling and laughing about the riches they planned to snag. Mario and Luigi stared after.

"I hope they don't make it through the swamp," Luigi said. "And if they do, I really hope they get cursed in those pyramids."

Mario tried to repress his laugh, but found doing so harder than expected. "Now Luigi," Mario chuckled, "just because they're greedy, dumb, and rotten, doesn't mean they're evil. We shouldn't think that way."

"Yeah yeah..."

The two brothers looked back toward Wario and Waluigi, then walked back into the little hut.

---------
Meanwhile
---------

"Well," Sparrow started, "back to work with the four of you."

"Wait wait wait!" Daisy yelled. "What are you doing while we do all this work?!"

"Why, I'm stealing from the rich to give to the poor."

"Stealing?! But that's..."

"Wonderful!" Maple interrupted.

"That's not what I meant! Stealing is wrong, one way or another!"

"Wrong? What are you... oh, that's right. It may be wrong in this fantasy society where the four of you are princesses, but in this community, it's welcomed. For myself, anyway."

"Why would anyone welcome you to steal their money?"

"It keeps the balance of power. No one group in the Endless Forest is ever stronger then another, thanks to me. Money tends to corrupt people, after all."

"It doesn't corrupt me," Daisy mumbled quietly. "But than again, I guess I never let anyone in the palace. I know some people, like Croco, will steal... but will they all?

"And did I really need to add another balcony to the castle? How many people could I have housed with the money I spent on that?
"I... I... I didn't do anything wrong!" she screamed suddenly.

The eyes of the room turned to look at her.

"Uh, would you excuse me please?"

Daisy ran out of the small room. Peach sighed. If Mario didn't come soon...

~Ditto McCloaker~

Peach sighed and went outside after Daisy, whom she found sitting on a hollowed and dark green moss-covered log. Privately cursing the filth encrusting the hem of her dress, she sat down next to Daisy.

"Daisy, it's all right. Don't let that mad bird get the better of you, okay? He's as nutty as this whole place."

Daisy looked up at Peach, and Peach was surprised to see that her face wasn't distraught at all. In fact, she almost seemed ready to burst out laughing.

"Oh, Peach...! Don't be so ridiculous!" she said, biting her lip to keep from bursting out with glee. "That was just to get me out of there. I mean, even if I do spend a bit, all I have to do is spend less on myself when I get back. No problem. I'm not THAT stupid."

Peach joined her in a laugh, amused at how easily the situation had been defused. Finally, the spirit of temporary freedom from their captivity set in.

"How are you going to?" Peach said with a mischevious giggle. "All you talked about back at the castle was all your little pet projects. What are you going to drop to free up the time and money, eh?" She punched her old friend in the arm.

Daisy's chuckling however, seemed to choke in her throat for a second, and her large blue eyes suddenly seemed puzzled. She chuckled slightly as the unintentional significance of Peach's words seemed to hit her.

"Um, well... Oh, I don't... um... what will I not do?"

"Yes!" said Peach, still giggling, unaware of the effect she had had on Daisy. "What will it be? Putting off the new observation tower? Or the Sarasaland yacht? Or perhaps you'll wait to have those new rare flowers planted in your northeast garden?" she went on and on, naming several of the dozens of projects Daisy had so giddily prattled on about. Her propensity for splurging was well known. Her little mind was seldom at rest, and as a result, she did have a tendency to take up almost all of the Kingdom's resources to satisfy such whims. Of course, saying that she'd have to be a bit more conservative was one thing, but she suddenly couldn't think of anything she was willing to let go or even put on hold. She'd never been faced with such a notion.

Quickly, however, she put it out of her mind. She chuckled girlishly with Peach again. "I don't know. I'll find the time and money somehow... I guess...!"

The two prattled on in their stolen free time, the two princesses lost in the usual conversation of their long-lived friendship, sharing secrets, talking about clothes, the likelihood of escape, and of course, the limbs resounded with giggles as they talked about the Mario brothers. A little over an hour passed in this pleasant fashion until the footfalls of their bright-eyed and smiling captor came falling through the brush, bringing with it the cheery promise of more labor. The two exchanged sighs and stood up peacefully and followed without requiring so much as a shackle.

"At least he's not as boorish as Bowser." whispered Peach to Daisy, with a resigned shrug.

"Or Tatanga," replied Daisy, nodding in an understanding fashion. An odd bond of frienship, but then, ever since their early princess training as children, their friendship had always been built on what they had in common.

As they were led back to camp, a muffled sound came from within the log they were sitting on. As they retreated in the distance, they were observed from a pair of eyes peeking from a hollow knob protruding from the side of the fallen log. Finally, the log began to vibrate and resound with scratching sounds from within as a tiny black form managed to squeeze out. It hesitated as they disappeared, and then it scurried off quickly in another direction, it's stealthy retreat becoming nothing more than the occassional glimpse of an exceeding agile black streak leaping from tree to tree and the tell-tale rustle of leaves. Very few people can successfully track a retreating ninji.

~Meanwhile...~

Perhaps because of their tripidation at their hosts, the Mario Brothers slogged throuh the swamp for about ten minutes before getting away became less of a concern. Perhaps that is why it was only at this point that Luigi stopped, and Mario went on for another five steps before turning and realizing his brother wasn't moving.

"What's the matter, Luigi?" he said.

Luigi just turned blankly to Mario. "Where are we going?"

Mario opened his mouth to answer, and then shut it. He sunk his chin on his chest and twisted his mustache, tapping his foot. He then looked up blankly at his brother.

Luigi pursed his lips and nodded, and thrust his hands in the back pockets of his dingy overalls. "Looks like we could use some directions. Or a map."

"Yep. We sure could." said Mario, looking at the ground.

"Yep." said Luigi, kicking a pebble.

Sullenly, they headed back toward the strange inn. They stepped back into the shack to see the grinning Pionpi come out of a side door, covered in what appeared to be in soap bubbles.

"We were wondering..." Mario said, as he and his brother walked in and curiously cast a glance into the room the pionpi had emerged from. Inside, they saw Wario and Waluigi sitting in a bathtub, covered with bubbles, sitting, staring silent and nervously back at him as the Mandar enthusiastically scrubbed them with two giant brushes. Mario and Luigi, almost sympathetically, gave a tiny wave to the guys. Wario and Waluigi, their faces not moving an inch, simply gave slight nods.

"...were wondering if we could get some directions how to get to Chai Kingdom."

"That is a long distance!" said the pionpi in an exaggerated voice. You will need maps. You would also probably appreciate transportation for a trip that far." he said, reaching into a nearby rack of brochures and pulling out a pair of large fold-out maps."

"Do you have any?" asked Luigi.

"No, sorry!" said the pionpi in an overly apologetic manner. "Perhaps in the next kingdom you pass through. That would be the best place to ask!"

The brothers nodded, and then headed back to the door. Before they left, they sent another sympathetic glance at the snidely Wario brothers getting scrubbed. Mario headed out, but Luigi couldn't help but ask.

"What's the deal with them?" he whispered.

"They were very dirty." replied the pionpi with apprehension in his voice. "'Get rested and clean.' That's the motto of the Pionpi Houses across the land!"

Luigi said nothing, just nodded, and hurried out of this strange version of the Toad houses back in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Outside, Mario unraveled his map. Luigi pocketed his and peeked over his brother's shoulder. Their eyes both went wide.

"Mama mia!" they both said in unison as they beheld all the myriad of land masses that made up Sarasaland.

"Where are we?" asked Luigi.

"Here," Mario pointed on the map to Salla Swamp. "Hmm... according to this, the adjacent land to this is Birabuto Desert Kingdom.

"That's where you started your last adventure here, wasn't it?" asked Luigi with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, technically, yes, but we're on the far side of the desert. I was able to land on a nearer part, here," he said pointing at the map, "last time. We'll have to trek a longer distance starting here." he said, putting his finger on a place sadly much farther away.

"However, there would appear to be a town close to the edge, and that pionpi said there might be some kind of transportation available there." said Luigi. "What's the town? And who lives there?"

Mario squinted at the name. "Furai Town." He looked up at his brother baffled. "I wonder what people live there?" He looked back at the map, but all he could see was a crude sketch of some sort over the map.

"Looks almost like one of those old fighter flies we encountered long ago." said Luigi.

"Yeah," said Mario, scratching his head. He shrugged and struggled to fold up his map, and then lost patience with it and jammed the crumpled thing in his pocket, and joined his brother's side as they continued to march across the swamp.

"Oh well," said Luigi. At least we know where we're going."

"Yeah," said Mario. "We can get back to Chai through the mountain tunnels of Easton. They should be safer than last time... of course," he said with a smirk at his brother, "it wasn't a very difficult adventure to start with."

Luigi shoved his brother in the arm and marched ahead. Things were beginning to look up.

~Meanwhile~

"What do you MEAN we can't get back to Chai this way?!" cried Chibobuigi.

"That's what I said" said the unhelpful stone face. "The caves have long since filled in, since Hiyoihoi was defeated. You can't get to Chai through them. You'll just have to take the LONG way."

Chibobuigi slunk over to his friends, who were busy taking their Batadon wings off, and he gave them the bad news.

"Moe the Moai said we'll have to take the long way to Chai. The tunnels are impassable."

"Hey, don't sweat it, kids. It's just a couple a kingdoms, til you can enter Chai from the other side of Sarasaland." said Moe, taking off his shades.

"Oh no." siad Heidi.

~Lzn64~

"Ugh... it's so cold here... I can hardly stand it!" Kooper cried, rubbing his hands together as a light snow drifted down on the trio.
"Chin up, Kooper. I daresay this snowball-type chap knows where we're going," Kolorado replied through chattering teeth. "Eh... isn't that right?"

"I don't have anywhere to go..." The folorn flurry responded, his ice skates scratching along as they traveled on the frozen ground.

"Surely you know of someplace that two poor koopas can get a bit of relief?"

"Yeah... I can't stand all this snow and ice!" Kooper agreed.

"Yeah, I know... No one can stand being around me..."

"No, that's not what I meant at all..." Kooper sighed. "Flik, don't you know the way out of the tundra? We need to get to the Chai Kingdom."

"If I took you there, I'd melt..." He said despondently. "But it's not like anyone would care..."

"Well can you just give us directions, then?" Kooper asked, trying to keep his voice from an exasperated shout.

"But first, dear boy..." Kooper managed, his body wracked with chills, "Can't you show us to some shelter?"

"The only thing we flurries have are snow houses..." Flik said, for once being a bit helpful. "But I don't have one, since no one wants me to stick around..."

"S-snow houses?" Kooper groaned. "Well... I guess it would get us out of the wind."

"Now, as a highly regarded explorer, and a renowned archeologist, I offer my own very humble opinion..."

"K-kolarado?" Kooper asked, looking at him worriedly. "You look kinda blue."

"I say, dear boy, that we follow this rather depressing lad to WHATEVER house he wishes to take us to, snow or not!" He placed a hand on his pupil's shoulder for balance. "Or I believe I may keel over from this boundless frost!"

"Right! Er... hang in there, Kolorado!" Kooper said, trying to be positive. "Flik, can't you take us to one? An abandoned one? Something?"

"I guess... if I don't get thrown out of the village first..." Flik said, kicking at the snow with his ice blades.

"There's a good lad!" Kolorado chattered. "Though I must say, walking through this snow really takes it out of you..."

"No kidding," Kooper muttered, making a face as he sank into a snow bank to his shell. He pulled himself out, having trouble moving his numbed legs. "This is the pits."

"Well, if you can't walk, you can go ahead and have a ride," Flik sighed. "Everyone walks all over me anyway..."

Kolorado and Kooper looked at eachother, rolled their eyes, and looked back to the flurry.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer, old bean," Kolorado said after a moment's debate, and then he plopped himself on the flurry's head.

"Uh..." Kooper said, at a loss.

"Go ahead..." Flik sighed. "I don't mind..."

"....all right," Kooper shrugged, climbing onto the flurry with Kolorado.

"A bit of tight squeeze, eh?" Kolorado muttered as Kooper climbed in front of him. "I say, your shell could use a bit of a tune-up, now that I see it up close, Kooper my boy..."

"Sorry..." Kooper muttered, trying not to slip off the icy head of Flik.

"No worries, Kooper... every son ends up riding on their father's lap at one point in their lives... I just wish you weren't so big when it had to happen... Oof."

"Everybody on, then?" Flik asked sorrowfully. "Hold on..."

"To what?" Kooper gasped, nearly tumbling both him and Kolorado off into the snow as Flik started off.

---------Meanwhile---------

"There now," Sparrow said, gesturing for the princesses to follow him. "Lets not run away like that again, eh? We have lots of work to do still!" He brought with him Plum and Maple in tow, each lugging a rusty shovel.

"We?" Maple asked, rolling her eyes. "Don't make me laugh."

"Why not? Laughing is bad in your fantasy world then?" Sparrow asked, genuinely shocked.

"Never mind..." She muttered, shaking her head. Getting through to this guy was impossible.

"Hm, well. In any case..." Sparrow tossed Daisy and Peach their own shovels and flapped up into a tree, looking down at them from a branch. "I need you all to find something for me, buried in this clearing somewhere. It's very important! Good luck, I'll be back to fetch it at sundown... and watch out for creepers~!" He called cheerily, launching off the branch and flapping away.

"Wait!" Peach cried, peering up into the trees. "What are we looking for?"

"Who cares?!" Maple shouted, throwing her shovel into the dirt. "I'm sick of doing his dirty work."

"I'm just sick of being dirty." Daisy muttered.

"Well... what's keeping us here, anyway?" Plum queried. "We know where the Ninjis are... and that strange bird said they could help us..."

"He also said we couldn't trust them," Peach noted reasonably.

"That guy probably doesn't trust anyone," Maple observed. "After all, he doesn't believe us."

"Right! And anything's better than this, anyway," Daisy pointed out. "Maybe those ninjis have a shower we can use..."

"Ninjis? Do you girls even know what those ARE?" Peach giggled.

"Of course not. Let me guess, you do?" Maple asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Well, yes, actually," Peach smiled. "They're black star-shaped creatures. I've seen two sects... one of them serves in Bowser's army. The other group helps out in Starborn Valley in my kingdom. I'm not sure what YOUR Ninjis would be like, Daisy," She giggled, and everyone turned to the yellow-clad princess.

"Well... I don't know either!" She sighed. "I guess I should get to know the inhabitants of my kingdom a bit better..." She shrugged and smiled sheepishly.

"Is it settled then?" Plum asked, tossing her shovel next to Maple's on the floor. "We're ditching that dodo and heading out on our own?"

"It's about time," Maple muttered.

"Yeah, if it gets me out of this sweaty labor stuff, I'm gone!" Daisy proclaimed, tossing her shovel with the others.

"And we'll never find the others if we're stuck here for the rest of our lives," Peach reasoned. "Let's get out of here."

And so the four princesses crept out of the clearing, leaving nothing but a forlorn pile of shovels and a hapless sparrow behind.

"He said the Ninjis lived to the south, correct?" Plum spoke as they walked through the Endless Forest.

"Yes, that's it exactly. A hollow tree," Daisy confirmed. "Although that hardly sounds refreshing... it's better than digging holes all day."

"You ain't kidding," Maple agreed.

"Argh... sometimes I hate wearing a dress!" Peach snapped as she caught onto a protruding branch, much to the amusement of the others.

"Which is why I stick to casual clothing," Maple grinned. "I wasn't looking forward to dressing formal for that speech."

"Me, either," Plum giggled, helping Peach up.

"To each her own, as I always say," Daisy smiled. She then proceeded to trip on her long dress and fall over, much like Peach had done just before. Maple and Plum doubled over with laughter, and Peach sympathetically helped Daisy to her feet.

"At least we're refined," Peach teased them, raising her chin with feigned condescension.

"You can stay refined; personally, I'd rather not be tripping on myself every few steps," Maple giggled, poking her tongue out at Peach.

"We'll see how well you keep your feet when I'm pushing you over," Peach retorted, flexing her biceps. This sent Plum and Maple into gales of laughter, and after a moment, Peach and Daisy joined in too.

"I never realized how much I missed girl talk," Peach said thoughtfully, still chuckling as the four travelled through the forest. "I guess hanging around with the guys so long, I just forgot about simple pleasures like this."

"Hanging out with the guys, huh?" Maple snorted, winking at her.

"You know what I mean," Peach smiled, slapping her arm playfully. "Mario, Luigi, Toad and even Yoshi... not much girl talk there!"

"WE'RE FREE!" Maple shouted, to humor her.

"Ooh, might not want to do that! The creepers might get us!" Daisy whispered, eliciting several grins and giggles.

"Right, creeper my foot," Plum muttered.

"He probably just saw a spider one day and freaked out," Maple agreed.

"But..." Peach interrupted thoughtfully. "I think we should be a bit more careful... I wouldn't want HIM finding us again, in the very least."

"Yes, I hate to admit it, but she's right," Daisy grinned, ducking a swipe from Peach. "If there really are no creepers, then I at least want to avoid the one who made them up." She shuddered involuntarily at the thought of doing any more manual labor.

"Sort of makes you feel for all our servants, no?" Plum mentioned nonchalantly. Peach and Maple agreed with murmurs, and after a moment, Daisy joined in.

"I wonder where this hollow tree is, then?" Daisy said quickly, to change the subject, if nothing else.

"Sparrow said it was south," Plum shrugged.

"Yeah, but how do we know that's where we're headed?" Maple realized, stopping in her tracks.

"Because, silly," Peach smiled, "Moss always grows on the north side of trees!"

"Oooh, look at miss adventurous over here!" Maple teased, grinning at her.

"I try," Peach smiled, tossing her hair back.

"Are you sure that's how it goes?" Plum said doubtfully, following the other 3 hesitantly.

"It's better than wandering aimlessly through the woods," Peach observed.

"I hope to get out of here soon! These blasted leaves keep falling in my hair!" Daisy exclaimed.

"Well, it could be worse," Plum shrugged.

"Yeah, we could be digging in a clearing..."

"...for something we didn't even have a visual for!" Peach shook her head, finishing Maple's observation.

"Right."

"I wonder how far south we were supposed to go?"

"If we've missed it I'm going to be very upset."

"Well, how would we know we missed it, if we don't know where it is?"

"Or what it looks like..."

"It's a hollow tree, Plum. I know what that looks like," Daisy sniffed.

"Oh, really. When did you ever stray outside your palace to see one?" Plum teased her, ducking as Daisy responded by tossing a clod of dirt at her.

"Ooh, Daisy touched dirt! Voluntarily!" Maple exclaimed, feigning a heart attack.

"Hush, you," She said, blushing. "We had better be almost there."

--------Meanwhile--------

"Oh, and ladies, I nearly forgot!" A cheery voice echoed through the empty clearing, as Sparrow returned to it. "That thing, it looks like- eh?"

He flapped his wings in confusion, glancing at the pile of shovels in the center of the clearing.

"Ah, I see. The 'princesses' went for a walk..." He chuckled to himself. "I hope they don't run into any creepers before they get back! Nasty scene indeed... though I think I'll wait here for them. I can't have my workers running out on me without permission!" He looked about a bit and added, "And to think they went for a break without even doing anything first... well, that's what you settle for when help is scarce, I suppose!"

So saying, he set himself on a branch, unaware that his workers were not planning on returning.

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