Super Princess Peach

Ch. 27, Pt. 1

For the Wigglites, the next day was a very busy day. The day of the Eruption Festival. There was thick traffic through the prison corridor, with Wigglites passing back and forth, carrying all sorts of assortments of items: from weapons to food to firewood to soap. Peach vaguely wished that she could have a bar of that soap. The effects of her last bath at Shriek Mansion had long since worn off, and she was sure that she smelled as bad as her subjects. 

"Hey!" Toadore yelled several times during the day at passing Wigglites. "Gimme some of that food! Come on! Wha...did you just laugh at me? You better have not or I'll peel off!" 

"Toadore!" Captain T snapped. "Stay strong! We'll be out of here soon!" 

"How can you be so sure?" Toadrian asked. 

"The princess guaranteed it." 

"The princess's plan is crazy," Toadore grumbled. Toaddette shot him a glare, and he frowned and didn't say anything else.  

For the toads, the day was long. Sounds of the festival progressing thrummed heavily in their ears and noses - the tantalizing smells of cooked meats and bread, the sounds of laughing and dancing and chanting, the boom of the Wiggler's voice as he commanded and shouted. The smell of food was especially horrible, and the hallway was flooded with it, making everyone, including Peach, whimper with hunger. 

Keep your composure! Peach thought to herself when this happens. These are your people. You've got to save them! When she thought this, she cupped the Calm Stone in her hand and had it calm all of her subjects once again, to try and keep up their morale.  

Night descended upon the volcano castle light a dark sheet, and tension rose among the toads. Toadrian and McToadley had explained to Peach that the sacrifices were given during the Eruption Festival during the holiest hour, which was midnight. 

Toaddette seemed to be thinking along the same lines that she was. "It's almost time," she whispered to Peach. The two were cramped against the back wall of their cage, holding hands with anxiety. "Are you ready for this, Princess?" 

Peach gripped her hand. "I have to be." 

A toad in the cage beside them suddenly stiffened a few minutes later. "Hey!" he hissed to Peach and Toaddette. "There's a squad of natives coming this way!" 

"Okay, everyone!" Peach whispered. "Do we remember the plan?" 

"How can we not?" Toadore grumbled. "It's hard not to remember the plan that will grant us express tickets to heaven." 

"Toadore!" Captain T snapped, and Toadore quieted. "Yes, Princess, we know the plan. Men! Get your feelings under control! We're about to break out of this prison cell!" 

Just then, a large group of Wigglites appeared before the cages. One had a key in his hand. 

"Ulli uni uwifi," he said. The only word Peach caught was "uwifi". Volcano. The Wigglite began opening the cages, reaching inside, and thrusting the toads into the hallway. The other Wigglites would then bind their hands and shove them into a line, despite the protests by the toads. 

"Keep your filthy hands off of me!" Toadore snapped as a Wigglite bound him. "Or else, I'm going to peel off like - " 

Captain T kicked him, and Toadore yelped, but quieted afterwards. 

When Peach and Toaddette were thrust out of their cages, a Wigglite grabbed Peach and said in English, "You at end." He lugged Peach towards the back of the line of toads, directly behind Toadonelly, and tied her to the long rope that connected all of them together. 

Great, I'm at the end, Peach thought bitterly. Best for last, I suppose.  

When every toad was out and tied to the Wigglites satisfaction, the one at the front of the line tugged the rope, forcing the toads' spaghetti legs into action. Peach herself was unsteady from sitting for so long. They were pulled down the long prison corridor, until they reached the door at the end. A Wigglite thrust it open, and the toads were lugged through. 

Instantly, hot air blasted Peach's face, and she was partially blinded as they were pulled onto a tiny cliff that fell down into the boiling sea of lava below. Peach scanned the cavern, and found that they were directly east of the Wiggler's throne, where the Wiggler was sitting with a tall, ornamental hat adorning his head. Separated on another cliff west of the Wiggler's throne was a miniature coliseum that didn't wrap around the entire arena like traditional ones did. Hundreds of Wigglites filled the stone benches, each chanting and cheering in Wigglish. 

Toader wrinkled his nose. "That guy's nose is big," he said, nodding towards the Wiggler. Peach wasn't sure if he'd said that to lighten the mood, or if he was just going hysterical from fear. In any case, no amusement was shared by the other toads.  

Toaddette's head was swiveling around, her eyes huge with fear. Poor thing, Peach thought. She wanted to soothe them all again with the Calm Stone, but she forced herself to remain still and conserve her energy. Stick to the plan, stick to the plan... 

"Welcome, the to-be-sacrifices from the Mushroom Kingdom!" the Wiggler called over to them, grinning from ear-to-ear. "What long faces! Don't fret. You should be honored. You are the very people that are going to make the Fury Volcano Region flourish and thrive for another decade or so." 

Several of the toads growled, and a few made very rude gestures at the Wiggler. The leader of the Wigglites didn't seem to mind. 

"Especially with the Witch as our last sacrifice," the Wiggler said, smiling still. "I have a feeling that we'll be very well off when we sacrifice her. Not only will the eruption make this region more plentiful, but Vibe Island will be rid of its latest threat. Bowser will be proud of me." 

Peach glared at him. "Bowser's lied to you!" she snapped. "That Kamek guy was right not to join the VIHC! All he wants is power. He's using you to get rid of me because I might be a threat to his power!" 

The Wiggler paused, and for a moment, his smile disappeared. And then reappeared with lightning speed, so that Peach wondered if it have even disappeared in the first place. "Ah, I see that you're in on it," he said. "My dear, Bowser would not lie to us. Why, he asked us to help him! He created the VIHC to try and warn us of the dangers of you and your Mushroom Kingdom friends. Why, you've burned two regions of Vibe Island, and now the Hoo and King Boo are missing, and Petey is still gravely injured, though he's recovering." He shrugged. "Not that you wanted to know. Anyway, dying like this, to help another region flourish, should be an acceptable enough punishment for you, Princess Toadstool. Whether you take it with dignity or not is no skin off my nose." 

Toader snorted, obviously recalling his earlier comment on the Wiggler's nose, and the Wiggler ignored him. He turned towards the Wigglite audience on the other side of the fiery cavern. He raised his hands and began to speak dramatically in Wigglish, obviously announcing the beginning of the sacrifices. The Wigglites screamed and cheered their approval. 

While the Wiggler was distracted, Peach reached into the hem of her dress and clutched her Joyful Stone, cupping it in her hands. Hopefully, to the Wigglite guards that were watching, it would seem like she was giving a last prayer before her death. I need you to create a sort of funnel, she thought fervently. An invisible funnel of air, down below us where the coal room is. Shape it so that when a toad gets caught in it, he will slide into the coal room. 

As she finished thinking her command, a mysterious wind blew throughout the cavern, sweeping hot air over the toads, and seeming to funnel down towards the pool of magma below. I hope this works, Peach thought. If it did, then they would be able to escape without the Wigglites or the Wiggler even knowing that they had.  

The Wiggler had finished his long opening speech, and he turned towards the toads. "You may begin!" he told the Wigglites.