-
They were able to make it through dinner the night before without any arguments, granted that was because everyone felt a little awkward and did not even say much to anyone. Mario and the princesses did eat slowly at first until they were used to biting and chewing with their snouts and sharp teeth.
Luigi wasn’t certain how they are going to make it through breakfast. He already could tell Mario was going to be angry due to Shivers insisting on waking up everyone at an early hour.
“Don’t you all sleep the day away,” Shivers sand in a cheerful tone as he flew through each and every room that was occupied by one of the guests. “You don’t want to miss out on breakfast. There is stuffed French toast with bacon and eggs on the side and plenty of fruit.”
“If he wasn’t already dead I would kill him,” Mario grumbled. He was standing in the doorway, dressed in nothing save for the shell on his back. “Who wakes up at this hour anyway?” He yawned.
“I do,” Luigi was already up, showered and dressed when Shivers made his morning announcement. “Not going to wear anything?”
“I’d send Toad to get some clothes,” Mario scratched his head between his horns. “But I don’t think anything would fit me, besides I don’t have to worry about anyone seeing anything.”
“As long as you don’t get too excited,” Luigi reminded him.
“I guess that is one benefit of this form,” Mario stared at his claws. “Don’t know what else is good about being a Koopa.”
“Heightened physical strength,” Luigi raised one talon. “You also have heightened senses, protection on the back, claws and fangs, and as you know you can breath fire.”
“I won’t need an flowers.”
“Nope,” Luigi gave his brother a light pat on the head. “You don’t smell as bad either.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t get mad,” Luigi held up his hands in defense. “You couldn’t really help it. All humans smell like that. Didn’t you notice it on Gadd?”
“Yeah, but I thought it was old man smell.”
“Old man smell?” Peach stepped out of her room. She was wearing a larger lavender gown that and her blond hair and horns were wrapped up in a towel. “Mario, did you say something rude to the professor again?”
“I didn’t tell him he was stinky,” Mario turned to face her. He closed his eyes and his nostrils twitched. “Hmm, Peach. You smell better than breakfast.” The end of his tail wagged back and forth.
“I did use an apricot scented sugar scrub in the shower,” Peach said as Daisy and Wendy emerged from their rooms. “And I borrowed Daisy’s lavender scented shampoo and conditioner.”
“That isn’t exactly it,” Luigi placed a hand over his snout as he laughed. Both Peach and Daisy did have nice scents, but they could not compare to Wendy’s natural fragrance.
“Are they adapting?” Wendy asked she looked Mario over. “Not wearing anything?”
“Not unless I want to rip it,” Mario told her. He backed up against Peach. “You are not checking me out?”
“Relax,” Wendy chuckled. “I’m a married woman. Although I do think you are much better looking in this form.”
“You two are not going to get jealous?” Mario turned back to the princesses.
“Well I wasn’t,” Peach addressed him in a teasing tone. “But you did say two. I didn’t know you had a crush on Daisy.”
“I don’t,” Mario blushed. “I mean she is pretty in both forms, but I’m not attracted to her in that way.”
“Where are you?” Shiver’s voice carried through the hall before the ghostly butler appeared before them. “You food is going to get cold if you stand around and-“ His eyes widened when he stared at Mario. “Why are you not wearing anything?”
“How many times do I have to say it today?” Mario asked.
“Hopefully you will be able to put something on,” Shivers circled around him. “I’m certain I would be able to find something that would fit you.”
“Couldn’t it wait until after we breakfast?” Mario asked. “I’m starving.” He gave his stomach a light pat.
“You don’t want it to get cold,” Luigi reminded him.
“Of course,” Shivers nodded. “Please enjoy your breakfast, but after Mario, you will get dressed.
-
It was Daisy who had decided for the girls to step out after breakfast and relax by the creek that was located behind the mansion. It was in part of the woods where there were less trees and had some sunlight stream in.
“I wonder what Shivers has in mind for him,” Wendy said as she ran Peach’s brush through her blond hair. She loved how soft it felt in her claws, how it shone with each stroke of the brush and felt a little bit of envy.
“I wonder if it is a sheet with a hole cut out for his head,” Daisy kneeled at the damp bank and peered into the creek. “I don’t think I’m bad looking for a reptile.”
“You are both very pretty,” Wendy gave Peach’s hair a few last strokes with the brush. “Iggy was drooling over the two of you last night.”
“He was?” Peach asked. She had her tail curled forward and she was trying to tie on a bow. “He didn’t say much during breakfast today.”
“He was exhausted,” Daisy lowered one toe in the water while closing her eyes. One toe submerged and she opened one eye. She submerged her entire foot and opened both eyes. “I thought it would be freezing.”
“Then why did you stick your foot in?” Peach asked. She had tied the knot on the bow.
Daisy shrugged. “I’m not certain.” She put her other foot in. “It feels cool, not exactly cold, but cool, and it is autumn.”
“I think our skin is stronger,” Wendy slid back and admired her work. “I guess we are more resistant to temperature shifts.”
“So you were saying, Daisy,” Peach let go of her tail and swung it around. “Mario is going to wear a sheet?”
“With a big ole hole in the middle,” Daisy giggled. “He would look like a ghost, well a costume ghost.”
“Or more like a guy wearing a ghost costume,” Peach corrected.
“What do you think?” Daisy had removed her feet from the creek.
“I am certain there is some spare clothing that is just lying around that no one uses,” Peach stared into the water. “Thank you, Wendy.”
“You don’t have to mention it. I have always been envious of both your hairs as well as Daisy’s.” Wendy said. “Dru never lets me play with her hair. Tethys has allowed me to brush it and braid it, but that was it.”
“I’m the odd woman out,” Daisy said. “I wonder what I should do with my tail? Should I also tie on a bow, or maybe slip on a flower chain.”
“They make bangles for tails,” Wendy said. “I wore one to the ball.”
“I remember that,” Peach smiled. “It was silver with a sapphire.”
Wendy nodded. It was her favorite tail accessory, and she would only wear it to special events. “They make them in gold, brass, silver, copper, white gold, pink gold, and platinum and Daisy could have a jewels in the shape of a flower on hers.”
“That would look pretty,” Daisy looked over her shoulder. “Wait, where is my tail.” She spun around revealing the stump that used to be her tail. The spikes on her shell had also diminished in size.
“What’s wrong with her?” Peach asked.
“I’m not certain,” Wendy turned to Peach. The blond princess had earflaps that were growing and forming around her ear holes. Her thick fingers hand grown to the usual slender shape of human fingers. “Your hands.”
Peach stared at her hands as a fifth finger grew. “They like human hands.”
“You are changing back,” Wendy turned toward the mansion. “Mario is changing back, and maybe Luigi.” She tried to hide her disappointment. She loved Luigi as a Koopa, but she knew she was still going to love him, and accept him as a human.
-
“What did I say?” Luigi ran after his brother. “What did I suggest to you earlier today?”
“Not one word Weege,” Mario held the sides of the oversized bathrobe to his chest as he continued to run back to his guest room. He was almost human. He only had his horns, now shortened to little stubs, sharp fingernails and a few patches of scales on his arms and legs.
“If you had called Toad earlier, then he would be here right now with your clothes.” Luigi said.
“I said not another word,” Mario ran into the room and closed the door behind him.
“Is there a phone in there?” Luigi leaned against the wall next to the door. He wondered why Mario had turned back into a human and he was still a Koopa.
“I have my cell phone,” Mario answered. “And yes, for your information I am going to call Toad.”
“If he rides on Yoshi then he will be here in a blink of an eye.” Luigi placed his hands behind his head. “Shivers is on his way.”
“To bring me more clothes?”
“No,” Luigi said. “He is going to tell professor Gadd what had happened.”
“What about the girls?” Mario asked. “If I turned back into a human, then that means that both Peach and Daisy are human.”
“And unlike you they actual had something decent to wear.” He inhaled deep when he thought he was able to detect Wendy’s scent. He was not imagining it. He could smell Wendy.
“Shivers,” Wendy called out. “Luigi.”
“We are in the hall of the guest rooms,” Luigi called back.
“Where is the med kit?” Wendy asked.
“Med kit?” Luigi ran to the foyer. Peach and Daisy were seated on the floor; both were holding their ankles and staring at their feet. “What had happened?”
“Once we started to change back we headed back here,” Peach explained. There were a few visible pink bumps, the size of a head pin on both of her feet. “We didn’t make it.”
“Ant bites,” Daisy explained. “Not to mention pebbles, rocks, burrs and Wendy nearly tripped on a root.
“Are you okay?” Luigi turned to his wife. “What about our egg?”
“I’m fine,” Wendy ran a hand over her belly. If there were an egg developing inside he wouldn’t be able to tell.
“Iggy and Professor Gadd are on their way up,” Shivers floated towards them. A white box with a red cross printed on top was in his arms. “And here is that med kit that you need.”
“Thanks Shivers, could you tell Mario that if Toad hasn’t left yet, to also bring shoes?” Luigi opened the kit. What they needed was antibiotic medicine and bandages for the cuts, and antihistamine cream for the ant bites. “Are any of you allergic to ants?”
“No,” Daisy said. “Just citrus, and only if I eat too much.”
“Only to that laundry detergent, Toadsworth likes,” Peach said.
“What about splinters?”
“None,” Daisy said and winced when Wendy dabbed a little of the medicine on some her cuts.
“I think I have one,” Peach held out her hand. “I can get it.” Luigi handed her the tweezers.
“Where is Mario?” Wendy had brushed on the last of the medicine and handed the bottle to Luigi.
“He’s in his guest room,” Luigi brushed medicine on Peach’s feet. Most of her cuts were on the bottom of her feet and the bites were on the top of her feet. “Shivers managed to find him a large bathrobe and he is hiding incase the barn doors open up.”
“Oh my,” Professor Gadd had approached them with the silence of a cat’s footfall. “Shivers had mentioned Mario had turned human.”
“As you can see,” Daisy placed another small bandage on her feet. “We are human again.”
“Except for Luigi,” Gadd chewed on his bottom lip. “This is hard to explain, considering we don’t know exactly what had gone wrong with the machine in the first place. “I did make an interesting discovery. Luigi, do you remember that blood sample you gave me?” He waited for Luigi to nod. “I examined it while Iggy went over the readings. Some of your blood cells were mutating back into a human.”
“What does that mean?” Luigi asked.
“It means you will eventually turn back, you just need a little time,” Gadd said.
“That blood sample wasn’t in the machine,” Wendy dabbed some of the pink medicine onto a cotton ball. “The spell was permanent, unless.” She sighed and shook her head. “Those two. They weren’t in perfect sync.”
“I’m sorry, Wendy,” Luigi said. He had no idea when he was going to change. He did know he was going to use what remaining time he had to appreciate his current form.
“It was fun while it lasted,” she shrugged. “You are handsome no matter what your form is, Koopa, or human.”
“Thanks,” Luigi said. Daisy sighed and smiled. “Is the medicine working?”
“Oh yes,” Daisy wiggled her toes. “I don’t know if I should be walking barefoot around here.”
“You should wait until the medicine has dried before you get up,” Gadd said. “Then something to cushion the soles of the feet.”
“I know where some spare slippers are,” Shivers bowed before he vanished.
“This isn’t too series,” Peach helped Luigi with the bandages.
“No, it isn’t,” Gadd shrugged. “But you should still rest.”
“You are almost as bad as Toadsworth,” Peach rolled her eyes. “I didn’t sprain an ankle or stub a toe, and neither has Daisy.”
“Let me help you to the couch, Princess,” Luigi grabbed onto the bottle of lotion. “Mario can’t be here to carry you.”
“Good lad,” Gadd gave him a pat on the head. “I’d carry Daisy, but with my age and my back it is next to impossible. I’ll send Iggy up.”
“Good idea,” Wendy smiled. “I am certain my brother would love to be prince charming.”
Luigi raised an eyebrow at her. She was implying something. “This is just until the next morning and then you can return to your castle.” And then he and Wendy can return home.
-
The tang that clung to the smoke of Dark Land had become a familiar and almost welcoming scent to Luigi, as did the warm and hard earth beneath his clawed feet. When he gradually returned to his human form he was going to have to wear shoes again, unless he wanted the soles of his feet to become nothing but blisters and calluses. He would have to adjust to the scent of the air and possibly buy a few bottles of eye drops. There was a reason humans did not live in Dark Land for a reason.
“I almost wish I bought a camera,” Wendy and picked several of the wildflowers that grew in Boo woods and put them together into a nice bouquet. The blossoms had started to wilt when the sky had grown thicker.
“A camera?” Luigi kept his eyes on the chain chomps curled up against their wooden blocks. They opened their eyes and the sound of their footsteps and went back to sleep when they saw it was Luigi and Wendy.
“To take a picture of everyone when they were Koopas,” Wendy answered. “It would have been fun to look back on those images. I wouldn’t give Daddy a picture of Peach, who knows what that would do to him, but he would have gotten a laugh out of Mario.”
“I don’t think he would ever stop laughing. He might have even wondered if my brother had also changed sides.”
Wendy shook her head. “Nah, he would never think something like that, even if Mario had said he was switching sides. There has been bad blood between the two for many years and he would be suspicious.”
“I don’t know how your father would have seen Daisy,” he looked u into the sky when he heard the familiar sound of a Paratroopa set on nosedive. “He never gave her a second look before.”
“She wasn’t his type, besides I think Iggy has an interest in her.” She straightened her back as the Paratroopa, no correct that, as the Parakarry landed in front of her. “How many?”
“A few letters,” the Parakarry said. His shell was a deeper shade of blue than the others and instead of goggles he wore sunglasses. “One is for your brother Lemmy, another is for Kammy, and the last two are bills.”
“Thank you,” Wendy took the letters from his hand. “I don’t know if we have any outgoing mail.”
“Oh don’t worry,” the winged Koopa readjusted his mail pouch. “I do drop offs here at the front of the castle.” He pointed to one of the towers on the right. “I do my pickups here.” He gave her a salute. “I’ll see you here tomorrow.” With a few beats of his snowy white wings he took to the air again.
“What kind of bills?” Luigi was a little curious. He did have some wealth, he came across coin boxes in the Waffle Kingdom, not to mention the money he made from plumbing, then there were the promotions for various juice boxes, Mcshrooms, and sneaker adds from his tennis and soccer skills. If there was a way for him to help out he would.
“Cable and electric,” Wendy placed the flowers under her arm as she looked over the mail. “Kammy’s letter is from Larry, and he is in some place called New Sharp, in the country of Harmony.”
“I never heard of that place before,” Luigi said as they crossed the drawbridge. There were more Chain Chomps, guarding the doorway, the ends of their chains were held by Sledge Brothers.
“It’s the country east of the Mushroom World,” Wendy explained and handed the mail to Luigi. “It was a country a few centuries ago and then they had a revolution of sorts and now it is run by a democracy.”
Dru and Tethys were standing in the foyer, both were clutching onto their designer purses and they seemed to be waitng for someone or something. “See Dru, I told you she would be back soon,” Tethys said. She had her flaxen hair done up in two buns on the top of her head.
“Ludwig told me you would have been back about an hour ago,” Dru’s voice was almost a whine.
“You two are going shopping?” Luigi’s tail flicked to the side. He had a feeling they want to include Wendy and was happy they were patient in waiting for her.
“Yes,” Tethys nodded. “We are both going to need some new clothes.”
“New clothes,” Luigi repeated. No matter what the species, women were the same.
“Maternity clothes,” Tethys rolled her eyes. “Men don’t ever think.”
“We also need to get some baby things,” Dru added. “Clothes, blankets, strollers, baby carriers, those sort of things.”
“I better go and get my purse,” Wendy turned to Luigi. “Could you deliver the mail?” She gave her husband a kiss. “I won’t be long.”
Luigi took that to mean it will be several hours before she returned home. “Have fun.” He kissed her back.
-