Love in the Oddest Places (bowuigi story)

Chapter 11: Acquainted at Last

 
           Luigi tried to reach for the painting again, but Mario yanked him back again, rolling his eyes. He knows Weege hates the cold, but one would think their mission would override that. With a sigh, he pulled Luigi through the tunnel. The brothers walked through the tunnel; the clicking of their cleats and Luigi’s teeth chattering resonated through the hall. Mario could faintly hear chirping and braying; guards must be nearby. He started walking faster (despite Luigi’s protests not to).

As they continued forward, Mario remembered everything Peach told him about the kingdoms; the two talked quite when Luigi was having that terrible fever. He remembered learning about the monumental gates of ice that protected Frigid Metropolis, the Cool, Cool Castle, and other important locations.

He hopes they are still standing.

 
           Damage reports indicated that a massive section of the gates was melted away by Bowser; parts of the palace had been melted as well. For the sake of the citizens’ well-being and theirs, he hopes they can fix this. Stars know what the penguin folk were feeling. Mario and Luigi reached an exit and found themselves outside. However, the outside was a stark contrast to the ice cave behind them.

  
          The Glacial Gates stood in ruin before them. Craters on the icy floor littered the village; once made of bricks, cabins sat in destroyed heaps. Chunks of ice and crystals were splayed through the capital like shattered glass. Mario stepped forward, stupefied. The destruction was shocking to see in person. He heard Luigi gasp beside him.

The excitement he felt was replaced by anger. How could someone destroy a beautiful place like this and scare its innocent citizens? He looked at his brother and noticed his lip was quivering.

“This is horrible.”

“That is an understatement, Hero Luigi.”

  
          They turned their heads to the new voice. A penguin with navy feathers stood to their right. The avian adjusted the spear on his back and saluted. “Normally, I’d give a warm greeting and regale you with wondrous tales of my home but…” he turned to look at his broken home.

Mario shook his head. “No, we understand.”

The guard bowed his head in gratitude. “Thank you for understanding. My name is Izotz, I am going to be your attendant.”

Luigi blew into his hands. “Are we going to see the king?” he asked.

“Sadly, no. An emergency has come up and the king had to attend to it,” frowned the penguin. “I was instructed to give you a tour of the Cool, Cool Castle before you set off to the sites.”

 
           The twins nodded and gestured for Izotz to continue. They followed the soldier through the side of a mountain and walked down a set of stone stairs… Wait, what?

  
          As they turned the corner, the “mountain” transitioned into a tower and then into a full-blown castle with domed ceilings. More white crystals illuminated the building, giving it a diamond-like appearance. Mario shielded his eyes, “What’s that glowing stuff near the towers?” he asked, pointing a gloved hand to an odd yellow glow floating around.

Izotz looked up. “Ah, Star magic. Our Power Star is reconstructing the palace,” the penguin waved a flipper dismissively, almost like it wasn’t that impressive.