>Sal
"We had a good run,.didn't we?"

>Lily
Just generally get her attention, if she won't respond, call her Peach.

>>29589655
>>Talk to Sal

So... you aren't going to go crazy and start speaking french and collecting random objects right? You did have that mask on for a long time...

>>29589947
You walk behind the couch and turn your attention to Sal.

"So... you aren't going to go crazy and start speaking French and collecting random objects, right? You did have that mask on for a long time."

He looks at the mask on the table and shakes his head. "Nah. Unlike your girlfriend," he says, and you know he's grinning under the mask, "I'm not a weirdo."

>>29589921
You move to the other side of the couch and talk to Lily. "So, how're you holding up?"

"Mineminemineminemine..." she mutters.

"You're acting a little weird, Peach."

She blinks, and frowns as she looks around the room. She's still mumbling, but she seems in control now.

"I... I need some---giveitbaaack---time alone. Can you let me be---mineminemine---for a while?"

You back away, giving her a reassuring nod.

>Talk to the Drum Koopa
>Call Bowser
>Check out the weapons and power-ups

>>29590317
>>Talk to the Drum Koopa

Hey Green Shell. Shine my shoes.

>>29590317
>Check out the weapons and power-ups

Okay, so she isn't completely gone. Let's check out weaponry since plan A is kinda a wash now that we don't have the mask for the Yoshi mask cult.

http://www.mariowiki.com/List_of_items

Hey guys, Koopa and Shyguys can use items.

Just look at the paper mario series and mario kart.

>>29590525

We should totally get tennis rackets and challenge the Mario Bros. for best of 7 sets. I love Mario Tennis.

>>29590366
You walk to the Koopa by the window, and on closer inspection you can see that he's wearing sunglasses and a rasta hat.

"Hey, Green Shell! Shine my shoes." you command with a point at your toes.

The koopa looks at your shoes and shakes his head. "Nah, mon. Get one a dem Goombas up he'a, dey set you up. I play da steel drums when Mario and Luigi are goin' troo one of ou'a battlefields. Reggae raise da spirit, ya?"

"I guess it does."

>>29590372
You take a look at the weapon rack. It's covered in power-ups. On the top rack are a regular Mushroom, a Mini Mushroom, and a Tanooki Leaf. On the second rack, you see an orange mushroom with a propeller on it, a mushroom that looks like it's made out of stone, and a shiny pair of cherries.
On the bottom rack is a mushroom made of coiled metal, an Ice Flower, and a balloon with the letter P on it.

>>29590525
Karts is karts. And this isn't Paper Mario for some reason.

>>29590620
Oh, forgot choices.

>Pick powerups (one for each)
>Call Bowser
>Wait for Mario and Luigi

>>29590620
>and a shiny pair of cherries.

Give to Lily. Clone angst intensifies.

>>29590620
Alright, we can still manage some sort of fake villain plan. The mini-mushroom will let us shrink someone to do any stage effects we need unnoticed, and the cherries will be handy if we need to demonstrate 'cloning' powers.

A fair fight is not a good plan.

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>>29590661
Take an Ice Flower for ourselves (the ice motif matches our blue shell), and give a spare Mushroom to Sal. Lily...can just sit for now. She needs to "detox."

>>29590678
The original plan was to set up a fake shop and scam the Mario Bros. for everything up to and including the shirts on their back, and/or send them off on a red herring goose chase.

I heard there was a lot of ruckus at that there Comet Observatory a little while ago...

>>29590799
The fake item shop might still work, but we need to come up with a really convincing lie to get them to think she's been stolen from Bowser and kidnapped by someone else.

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>>29590799
>>29590873
Hell, thinking on it, Koopa intelligence would probably have heard about the Observatory getting trashed by now. Leo would find out, and when the brothers come a-knockin', hold it over their heads.
>The princess? Oh, she could be anywhere; it's not like she's got places to go. But me? I'd be a little more worried about what's going on back home right about now. I hear your friends from the stars aren't doing so good right now...

>>29590887
The Comet Observatory is in DEEP SPAAACE. They don't exactly keep tabs on it.

>>29590799
You grab an Ice Mushroom and bite off the bloom. You shiver, and your shell goes lighter blue as you feel a chill throughout your body.

Sal comes over and looks at the selection. "Huh... wow, these are all pretty good. I think I'll take, uh, this one." he says as he hefts up the rocky mushroom and bites into it.

Pebbles puff around him, and his cloak goes light gray. His mask appears to be carved from rough stone.

The phone rings.

>Pick it up
>Leave it

>>29590887
Perfect! We already have a villain over there who is looking to take over the world. Let's subtlety imply that they're now keeping peach with them, and that will give us time to work on more delay plans.

>>29590926
There's a difference between the Observatory and the Comet Observatory? Then which did Darryl and Tanoomba rampage through?

>Check caller ID

>>29590926
>Pick it up

Might as well. Might be Kamek with details on that mask.

>>29590963
(There's no difference, but Bowser doesn't keep tabs on the Observatory. Trust me, we'll get there.)

You reach for the phone, and look at the little screen. It reads "K-Dawg" in pixellated LED letters.

>>29590980
You pick up the phone and put the receiver to your ear.

"This is Leo Koocaprio."

"Koocaprio, it's Kamek. I haven't had much time to study the mask, but I've flipped through some ancient Shy Guy holy texts in my library, and... I'll explain when Mario and Luigi get there tomorrow. Just try and keep, uh, Larry's mind off it for now, alright?"

"Got it. And it's Lily."

"Don't care. Oh, and before I go, Mario and Luigi should be there tomorrow morning, so wake up early. Goodnight."

Click.

>Discuss plans with Sal and Lily
>Go to bed
>(Other)

>>29591128
>Discuss plans with Sal and Lily
See if we can think of a way to still do a convincing fake villain plan.

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>>29591128
Lily's out of it, so Sal is gonna have to do a really hard sell of whatever red herring plot we're gonna do. Plus, we don't really have a bunch of items to scrounge together on short notice--
WAIT
GENIUS STRIKES ME
>grab a Mushroom
>grab a hard conch shell from the beach outside
>jam conch shell inside mushroom so it's hidden
>Mario bites it, and he chips a tooth
IT CAN'T FAIL

>>29591128
>K-Dawg
Kamek, why do I have a feeling that you're the one who wrote that?"

Anyway, discuss plans with Sal and Lily.

>>29591128
>I'll explain when Mario and Luigi get there

...Alright, so does this mean that Kamek is going to request their help or that Kamek is going to show up and give us a "Magic Boost"?

Regardless, it's time for a meeting.

>>29591185
>>29591272
You pull up a stool and sit down in front of Sal and Lily's couch.

"Alright, I just got off the phone with Kamek. Lily, you're out of the picture. He doesn't want you doing much while that, uh, thing's still on your mind. Sal, you and I have to work this out."

Sal looks back at you with a nod. "So, what's our plan?"

>"Well?"

>>29591313
(Magic boost.)

>>29591335
I should be more specific.

>"Well I think we should still do our fake concession stand idea."
>"Well I think we could trick them into going after someone else, like Bowser never kidnapped Peach."
>"I think we should just take them on when they get here."
>(Other)

>>29591387
>"Well I think we should still do our fake concession stand idea."
"We could sell fake tips, like nonexistant hidden blocks."
As comprehensive as it would be to misdirect the brothers away from Bowser, it's hard to sell against the fact that all of Town Town watched him sweep her away, even if she looked willing.

>>29591498
There's also >>29591261

>>29591498
"If we did the fake concession stand idea, we could sell fake tips. Like hidden blocks that aren't really there."

Sal nods. "Yeah, that sounds good. But what if Mario and Luigi are still on track? I'm sure they've got extra lives from all those coins. This will only work once, Leo."

You cross your arms in thought. "It'd buy us some time. I'm sure that we could still just fight them once they get here. We've taken on a few foes in our day, right?"

"Yeah, but not Mario and Luigi! We need to get rid of them or they'll wipe the floor with us!"

>"What if we sent them on a wild goose chase to find Peach?"
>"Let me think..." (Other)
>"I'm going to bed. We'll work this out in the morning."

>>29591694
>>"What if we sent them on a wild goose chase to find Peach?"
Just tell them Bowser renumbered the worlds and now Yoshi Island is World 5 or 4 1/2 or something. The Bros. can't be that bright, or they would have upped Peach's security detail ages ago.

>>29591694
"Well I guess we could hope that Lily's feeling well enough to do the send them on a wild goose chase thing.

Let's not kid ourselves here, we can't outfight the plumbers, which leaves either outsmarting them or just making peace with our impending buttwhooping."

>>29591694
>"What if we sent them on a wild goose chase to find Peach?"
I got it. The Mario Bros. will work their way to the top of the castle, and they'll find the final arena completely trashed and Leo and Sal knocked loopy.
>BLAZIN' BULLET BILLS! You just missed 'em, Mario! We were keeping an eye on the princess here, but some weird guys just came and grabbed her before running off! They went somewhere that way, towards Pipe Land or something, I dunno.

>>29591694
"To be honest, I'm not sure what to do but hope Kamek is going to come through for us."

>>29591779
>>29591786
"We could give them a red herring and send them off on a path to a fake Peach. What if we ran a perfectly legitimate item shop, and they'd come here to find the arena trashed and us knocked loopy? We'd make them think that someone completely different had kidnapped Peach."

Sal seems to be in full support of this plan.
"That sounds like it could work. Even if it doesn't, we can always hope Kamek will pull through."

>"Good talk. I'm going to bed."
>(Other)

>>29591968
>"Good talk. I'm going to bed."

"...so are you just gonna... keep being made of stone all night?"

>>29591968
>"Good talk. I'm going to bed."

>>29592002

"Because I'm going to keep being cool all night."

>>29592002
>>29592007
"Yeah, good talk. I'm going to bed." You stand up and walk toward one of the beds by the wall. You turn back to Sal. "So are you just gonna... keep being made of stone all night?"

Sal nods his head.

You keep in awkward silence for a second or two before climbing under the sheets.

You fade off to sleep, with Lily's mumbling in the background.

+ + +

You're about to bite into your sandwich when there's a knock on your door.

"Who could that be?" you wonder aloud, pushing your chair back and toddling to the front door. You open it up, and the morning light of Toad Town shines inside. A Toad, carrying a messenger bag, holds out an official-looking letter to you.

"Letter from the Castle to Sergeant Blueford!" he chirps as you take the letter. You thank him, and close the door when he walks off.

You are Blueford Toad, one of the highest-ranking officials in Princess Peach's court. You and your partner, Yelmont, have accompanied Mario and Luigi on more than one of their globe-spanning expeditions.

>Open the letter
>Take a walk
>Finish your sandwich
>(Other)

>>29592230
>Finish your sandwich
A letter can sit as long as it likes, but this reuben sandwish waits for NO ONE.

>>29592230
OH SHIT.

WE DEALING WITH HIGH TIER FUCKERS NOW.

>>29592230
>Finish your sandwich
PRIORITIES

>>29592347
>>29592460

You decide that the letter can wait, and you place it on the table as you sit back down. You reach for the unfinished half of your sandwich and keep eating it. It's your breakfast, and no letter, no matter how pressing, interrupts Blueford Toad's breakfast.

Once you finish, you look at the letter. It's in an envelope sealed in brown wax with Toadsworth's crest. Toadsworth, as you recall, has been taking over in lieu of Peach while the Mario brothers rescue her.

You open the letter, and struggle to read Toadsworth's flowery handwriting.

"Dear Sergeant Blueford,

Yesterday evening, a particularly peculiar occurance happened. Readings from the Castle Seismograph went absolutely mad, originating from a point somewhere in Yoshi's Island.

I humbly request that what with Mario and Luigi's absence, you and Sergeant Yelmont go there in their stead. Please report to the castle if it does not conflict with your schedule.

Yours truly,
--Toadsworth"

>Go to the castle, this could be serious.
>Take a walk around town, it's your day off. You're sure as heck not going off on one of Toadsworth's little worries.
>(Other)

>>29592550
>Go to the castle, this could be serious.

Guess we have work to do.

>>29592550
>Go to the castle, this could be serious.
Duty calls. The "Toad Who Conquered Sub-Con" has a reputation to keep.

>>29592609
Unless you're talking about THE Toad.
Accounts are generally a little sketchy when people talk about the Sub-Con campaign.

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>>29592595
>>29592609
You head on through Toad Town, past the shops and homes. You greet people on the street, though some of them are still very frightened and paranoid since Peach's kidnapping. At the castle, the guards raise their spears and give you a short bow as you walk in.

You go up to Toadsworth's office, and sitting outside on a comfy-looking chair is your old partner Yelmont. He's drinking a coffee from the same shop where Peach got kidnapped.

"Hey, pal!" he calls. "How's life been treating you?"

You shrug. "It's been good, I can't complain."

Toadsworth's secretary gives you a wave. "You can go in now, sirs."

>Talk to Toadsworth
>Catch up with Yelmont

>>29592753
The Toads are just the cutest damn things.
>Talk to Toadsworth

>>29592753
>Talk to Toadsworth
Let's get to bidness.

>>29592781
>>29592808
You and Yelmont walk through the imposing mahogany doors of Toadsworth's office and are immediately awash in an overwhelming feeling of stuffiness. The smells of old books fill your nose, your eyes are assaulted by all the shades of muted brown, your ears are blasted with quiet classical music, and the walls of bookshelves are an eyesore.

Toadsworth sits at a large desk in the middle of the room. "Ah, sirs! Thank you for coming in, have a seat!"

You sit down in the two armchairs opposite his desk. "So, you said something about Yoshi's Island?" asks Yelmont with a sip of coffee.

"Yes, that I did. You see, master Yelmont: Yoshi's Island has been experiencing tremors recently, and our fellow Toads who live near are reporting massive environmental change. I believe that these events could be tied to Bowser or other nefarious perpetrators."

Yelmont looks on with interest. "And do you want us to investigate?"

Toadsworth gives him a pointing finger of agreement. "Yes, these changes could be dangerous, and with Mario and Luigi gone, you two are the most well-equipped men for the job."

>"Tell me more."
>"Alright, I think we can handle this."
>"I'd prefer to stay home, it's my day off."
>(Other)

>>29593035
>"Alright, I think we can handle this."
Should be fine.

>>29593035
>"Tell me more."
When did these tremors start?
Do we have any eyes on the island?
Any standing hypotheses on what's causing them?

>>29593118
"When did these tremors start, exactly?" you ask.

"Yesterday morning, the same time that the climate change occurred." Toadsworth answers.

"Do we have any eyes on the island? Any hypotheses on what's causing the tremors?"

Toadsworth shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. That's why we have to send you two."

You cross your arms and thing, and then shrug. "I suppose that's it. How are we to get to Yoshi's Island?"

Toadsworth gets out of his chair and ushers you and Yelmont to the window. "We've got a pipe to take you to the outskirts of Yoshi's Island in Donkey Kong Country. It should have you there in no time."

>"Uh... I have some more questions." (Write)
>"I guess that's it. Yelmont, let's go."
>(Other)

>>29593301
>"I guess that's it. Yelmont, let's go."

>>29593330
"I guess that's it. Yelmont, let's get to the pipeyard." you get down from the chair and walk back outside. Yelmont follows you, sipping his coffee as you head out of the castle.

"So I hear there's a bit more to this kidnapping than the usual, eh? People are starting to say that Peach has Stockyard Shindig from all her kidnappings."

"I certainly hope not," you say, passing the stationery store. "Plus, it's hard to imagine anyone just falling for Bowser like that. Especially the princess."

Yelmont shrugs, tossing his coffee in a park trash can as you walk into the pipeyard. Inside, a gray-capped, pudgy mechanic Toad waddles up to you.

"Good mornin', Mr. Blueford an' Mr. Yelmont! Toadsworth was tellin' me you'd show up 'round now! Y'all are headed for Yoshi's Island, right?"

"That's right," you agree. He points you at a vibrant green pipe behind a sign with a Yoshi egg on it.

>Go down the pipe
>Maybe this is a bad idea.
>(Other)

>>29593553
>Go down the pipe
Never let it be said that Bluford and Yelmont couldn't handle a bunch of Yoshis.

>>29593553
>Go down the pipe

>>29593644
You hop down the pipe, hurtling through the cramped and otherworldly darkness inside. You and Yelmont have passed through pipes like this before, so you're used to them.

You open your eyes and step off the pipe, and you're on the outskirts of the Yoshi's Island jungle. The jungle doesn't look like it did when you last saw it. No, the ground is cracked and dry, the plants are dead, and the air inside it is full of dark violet haze.

Metal towers spindle skyward from the jungle, crackling with electricity.

You have a bad feeling about this.

+ + +

((Sorry guys, something really important just came up... I have to call this thread here. I'll be back tomorrow, but right now I very desperately have to leave. I'm sorry.))

>>29593766
So endeth Chapter 6 of Mushroom Kingdom Quest.
I promise that tomorrow and Sunday's chapters will be full of excitement, and extra long.

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>>29593787
I've just caught up with this quest and wanted to say I've quite enjoyed it! You might want to modify the OP though, as it doesn't reflect all the different stuff going on.