Super Mario Sunshine

Chapter 30 - Mother of the Prince

The clanging of metal filled the air as the mecha's huge jaws snapped closed, sealing off the only chance of escape. A brief, harsh buzz from somewhere overhead rang out annoyingly; and for a moment the entire cockpit was plunged into blackness.

Peach screamed.

In spite of herself, she stumbled backwards only to bump into the wall, eliciting another small cry.

Then, almost too suddenly to handle, an ugly white light flooded the room. Holding back a gasp, the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom stood motionless on the spot and stared as her new captor became visible, standing at the small control panel before them and very emotionally punching buttons.

Now Peach did take a step or two forward. "No, stop! You... bad boy! Open this thing back up now!"

The child who shared her space in the cockpit snorted and kept pulling levers. "No can do, mama. I told dad I would get right back once I picked you up!" With this, the metal floor suddenly lurched under their feet, a muffled rumbling as from an engine sounding below; and in another moment, Peach knew with a sinking feeling what was true.

They were already off the ground.

Backing away now, the worried girl stared helplessly as the small machine in which they stood rose ever higher, taking them further and further away from the ground... and anyone who might help.

   No... this thing can fly?!

Only minutes after she had been witness to a terrifyingly explosive battle on the amusement park rollercoaster, Peach had been on what could only be described as a miniature rollercoaster of her own: the shock of realizing that this 'Shadow Mario', the true plague of Isle Delfino and Mario's look-alike, was none other than Bowser's son.

   Her longtime royal rival, and kidnapper to the first degree, all of the sudden had a grade-school-aged kid.

   She'd had maybe two minutes to process it all as she tried to glean the boy for information, but clearly the time for negotiations was past. Before she could hope to make a move, he had cut the conversation short, sealing the two of them inside the large head of the Bowser mecha after nearly frying Mario. Now her opportunity for a speedy escape was gone, dropped away just like the amusement park below she knew they were leaving fast behind.

   With her seasoned familiarity with kidnappings, she found it admittedly odd to be taken by someone who was a good deal shorter than she was for a change. For the first part of the day, it was Shadow Mario, a perfect doppelgänger of her shorter friend. While she'd been perfectly aware it was a ruse, a disguise of some sort, it was still startling to be picked up and tossed over the shoulder of a figure so like that of Mario's — twice. Whatever he had been, he was certainly still strong.

   But now that ruse was over. Now, they could finally see him for what he truly was: a spoiled koopa boy who couldn't have been over nine or ten years old.

   When he'd first shed his shadowy disguise, Peach had thought she was hallucinating in the sun. But soon enough sights and sounds couldn't deny what was obvious; the child had to be a relative of King Bowser's.

   Standing rigidly by the wall as far away as she could from the koopa, she turned to observing him now attentively. He was still a little thing, even shorter than his Mario disguise, though definitely thicker and brawnier too. He had a similar build to a relatively average koopa, but despite his average size it was apparent he would not stay that way. His short, stubby arms and legs were already tough with yellow scales that promised to be fire-resistant; unlike normal koopas he already possessed a set of sharp white claws that she had only seen in one other koopa before. His flaming tuft of red hair, gathered into a ponytail atop his green head, could only remind her of the same. Even his little snout and knubby horns, rounded and harmless now, promised to become ferocious someday.