Chapter Text
“Okay, here we go… Build up the charge…. Move it to the fingertips… Hold…and…release!”
Peasley leaned back slightly, with eyes wide in amazement, as green energy arched between Luigi’s fingertips. The Beanish prince laughed softly as his shock fell away. “Oh, how wonderful!”
On his part, Luigi flushed softly while still maintaining the continuous charge. “It’s really nothing more than a party trick.”
“You’re showing amazing control over your powers. That feels like something more than a simple trick! You’re doing so well.”
A little flustered from the praise, Luigi couldn’t hold back the sudden surge of energy. Causing him to give a small yelp of surprise as he quickly cut off the flow. Peasley instantly reached out to collect Luigi’s hand in his own. Despite the human’s noise of panic.
“C-Careful!” Luigi said frantically, “T-There could still be some discharge.”
“You won’t hurt me, I know it. But are you okay?” Peasley asked, thumbs gently rubbing over the other’s knuckles.
“Y-Yeah, I’m not in pain, I can’t really be hurt by my powers. I was more surprised than anything. Sorry for worrying you.”
Peasley just laughs softly, “As long as you’re okay.”
“I am, promise… I’m really glad you came.”
“Of course, why wouldn’t I! I get to help build relations with other kingdoms, see new lands, and I get to be with you? Sounds like the perfect way to spend the next few days. Do we know which kingdom we’re going to?”
“Peach and Daisy are supposed to be announcing today. I’m just hoping it’s somewhere calm and quiet.” Luigi pouted slightly at Peasley’s soft laughter.
“If you find a place like that, please, let me know.”
“Don’t tease!”
“I’m not, I just find that idea charming but not very achievable. How about this, when my kingdom is fit to have visitors, you come by and I’ll show you around my peaceful kingdom?” Peasley smoothed out Luigi’s shirt before leaning forward to place a kiss on the human’s cheek. Laughing softly seeing the flush.
“Do we…have a possible date for this visit?”
“Not for a while, unfortunately. Opening up our borders could lead to a lot of possible issues, ones that the council wants to plan for. But the moment it happens, you will be the first invited. You and your brother, of course. A-And Peach, I believe that would be fair.”
Luigi smiles watching as Peasley becomes flustered. Reaching out to take the beanish prince’s hands in his own. “Promise?”
“Of course… I promise, my Little Flower.”
Feeling his cheeks burn, Luigi nervously ducked his head, but his smile grew.
The quiet moment between the two was interrupted by Luigi’s name being called out. Both looked back as Wario walked over to where they sat. Who waved over, offering a sheepish smile as he drew closer.
“Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds. But Peach and Daisy are ready to announce their decision. I’m making the rounds to get everyone.”
“Really, that was kind of quick.” Luigi commented.
“I think they’ve known for a while. If the numerous letters were any indication. They just wanted to hold us in suspense. Come on you two, chop chop. Let’s see what they have to say about their great plan.”
Peasley stood first, offering a hand to Luigi. Who took it happily. Both ignoring the rather dramatic sigh and rolling of the eyes from Wario before he led the way. The meeting room was already filled with the rest of the steadily growing group. With Peach and Daisy at the front of the table, a covered board behind them. The rest clustered around the same table.
“Hey,” Mario cautiously started, “what were you two up to?”
His worried expression brushed away as Wario ruffled his hair.
“Calm down, Mini-Me. Everything was PG when I got there, with a safe distance apart.”
Peasley couldn’t help but laugh softly while Luigi groaned in embarrassment. The beanish prince quickly cleared his throat as Mario sat himself right. “I assure you Mario, I have nothing…nefarious planned. Luigi just wanted to show how advanced his control is over his ability now.”
With a raised brow and narrowed eyes, Mario looked towards Luigi. Who merely let out a small sigh. “Mario, please, nothing happened.”
“...Alright.”
“Is Mairo done having a protective brotherly worry attack?” Daisy asked, arms crossed with a teasing smirk.
“Let me worry about my brother in silence.”
Peach waved her hands to quickly dissuade the building argument, smiling weakly. “Okay, how about we get to our meeting point.”
“Fine.” Daisy grumbled weakly.
“Thank you. Now, Daisy and I have given it a lot of thought. As well as built a list of good and bad points for the kingdom we’re going to go next. I’ll just ask that you keep an open mind as we talk through this. Our next place is going to be a big one.”
“Why do I have a feeling we’re going to hate it.” Waluigi said dryly.
“No comments from the peanut gallery, please!” Daisy said before dramatically grabbing the cloth, flashing the group with an excited smirk. “We’re pleased to announce that we’re going to…”
Pause for dramatic effect.
The cloth is pulled off in a large arch, Daisy moves back to allow further viewing of the board. That hand a large list of pros and cons on either side, with a title written at the very top.
“The Jungle Kingdom!”
All turned to Waluigi, who had suddenly stood up, with his hands raised.
“I’m out.”
“Waluigi-”
“You two can not be serious.”
“What problems do you have with this?”
“Oh, I don’t know. How about the fact that Cranky Kong is insane! Even before he pulled away all those years ago.”
Peach frowned, “He’s not crazy.”
“Well, he’s certainly not someone to trust either! He left the moment he could, even though he has the strongest army we’ve ever seen and complained the loudest about being prepared. If he was really that concerned about ‘safety’, he would have stayed. No matter how annoying it got around here.”
“Don’t you mean dangerous?” Luigi asked.
“No, annoying. Cranky left because he couldn’t stand how no one jumped to the quick conclusion to panic like he did. He was annoyed we were doing what we thought was the best thing.”
“I, uh, I kind of agree,” Mario spoke up, “Nothing I’ve heard about this guy sounds…great.”
“But we need numbers and strength, and that’s what the Jungle Kingdom has!” Daisy argued back.
“We won’t word our reasoning like that,” Peach quickly said, “We’ll have better counterarguments for this stance. But we do need power in numbers, which the Jungle Kingdom has in spades. They’re a strong kingdom to have on our side. We just…have to convince them.”
“Yeah, nothing says ‘welcoming’ like ‘we just want your shiny toys - please give’. There’s no way he won’t figure out what we want.” Waluigi added on.
Daisy huffed, “Okay, what do you recommend?”
There was a pause to contemplate, until Luigi spoke up. “How about we’re ready to listen to his concerns?”
“What do you mean?” Peach asked.
“If I remember correctly, Cranky Kong pulled away before because he felt no one was listening to what he had to say about the situation. Now with Bowser back, if we go with the stance of listening, we might be better accepted?”
“So, we butter him up before we make our request.” Daisy clarified, leaning over.
“Um, sure, in a way.”
“Cranky is going to be paranoid, regardless of what we say,” Wario argued, “Isn’t he more of an ‘action speaks louder than words’ kind of person?”
Peach hummed softly in thought, eyes eventually flickering up to the bean prince. “Peasley, what are your thoughts on this?”
Seemingly surprised by the sudden question and attention brought onto him, Peasley shifted in his seat before answering with, “I…don’t have much to weigh in on this. To be honest, I was hoping to learn more than anything else. The BeanBean Kingdom hasn’t had a need to build connections like this for…eons. I don’t believe I have much to offer.”
“Nonsense, you have plenty to give in this conversation! As a kingdom that went into self-exile, you’ll be a perfect companion to the Jungle Kingdom. Obviously the silence was broken when you heard about these two,” Peach gestured to Mario and Luigi, “but is there another reason for this movement?”
Peasley bit his bottom lip, silent for a few moments as he thought. “...May I speak freely?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t feel that anyone here knows what they’re doing.”
“Ouch,” Daisy huffed, “we’re trying.”
“I know! I know, I didn’t mean for that to be a negative comment, i-it’s more of an observation. But if I’m understanding this meeting correctly, this is the first kingdom that you, Princess Peach, have reached out to.”
“I..suppose so.” Peach was a little flustered when Daisy gently pushed her out of the way to stare Peasley down.
“Excuse you, she reached out to the Desert Kingdom.”
“No, you brought yourself here and she returned you. Which incited the conversation about building the alliance again.”
“Also got us to do your dirty work over that crumbling building.” Wario muttered.
“My kingdom reached out on our own accord.” said Pealsy, frowning softly.
Daisy’s glare hardened, “Well, how were they supposed to know they could contact you?”
“They weren’t! It’s just-” Letting out a huff, Peasley tried to relax his form as he started again. “This was not supposed to be a slight against your planning. I’m very well aware of the trepidation when there’s a need for a first good impression…and with the weight of so much on your shoulders.”
At that, Luigi reached out to place a hand over Peasley’s clasped ones.
“There is a need to build up our strength back,” the beanish prince continued, “However, the Jungle Kingdom, King Cranky Kong, might not be the best first step with this plan, princesses. Is there another area, maybe a town or city, that we could do a trial with?”
Peach sighed softly, “I hear your concerns, Peasley, but I’m worried about time. It’s been thankfully quiet for some time now.”
Wario loudly cleared his throat.
“From Bowser, specifically, point understood Wario. We don’t know what he’s planning next or what new weapon or tool he’ll have at his disposal. This is not something we can just take our time with. We need to act swiftly. So no, we’re not able to do a trial elsewhere.”
“...Fine,” Peasley started, “I will…attempt to strike up a conversation with the King. Maybe my perspective will help him see that a restructure, a reconnection, wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
“Thank you Peasley, I’m sure you’ll be able to sway him.”
The prince only offered a nod.
Waluigi gave a heavy sigh. “We’re really doing this, aren’t we.”
“Heck yeah we are!” Daisy cheered, gently shaking Peach in her excitement. The other princess laughed back.
“W-Well, not quite yet,” Peach said quickly, “We still need to write a request to visit. I’d rather not have traveled all the way just to be told ‘no’. I’ll have Toadsworth help me write out a request. Hopefully, we’ll have a response before the end of the week.”
The group departed shortly after, Peach leaving to go find her caretaker with Daisy following close behind. Wario and Waluigi bid their farewell, saying if they had a few ends in the kingdom to tie up before they left. Especially if the group was going to be gone for a while.
Mario was about to suggest that he and Luigi help, only to find his brother watching the retreating back of the prince. Worry written over the younger twin’s face.
“...How about I join you two?” Mario offered, smiling sheepishly as the other pair of brothers looked back with raised brows.
“You sure? It’s not the glamorous work of hero tasks.” Waluigi teased.
“Ha ha, if you forgot, we were plumbers by trade before all of this. It’ll be fine. I’ll meet you both outside in a second.”
A shrug shared between them, Wario and Waluigi made for the front door. Once left alone, Mario turned back to Luigi. Who was looking confused.
“Why aren’t I joining you?”
“Because I have a feeling that head of yours is focused around a certain prince at the moment.” Mario argued.
Luigi flushed, looking away. “Maybe…I’m just worried. Peasley didn’t sound super confident back there. I don’t think he was expecting to be this involved with what we’re doing quite yet.”
“He was aware that being part of this team meant contributing, right?”
“Well, yes. But I think everyone keeps forgetting that he’s not had interaction with anyone outside of his kingdom ever.”
“Peach said-”
“I know what Peach said,” Luigi frowned, “We’re aware of it, but not to the finer details of what that really means. His first time building a political connection was with us, and we were desperate for it. Now we’re throwing him to a king that had not the most friendliest reputations? This is big, Mario. Really big.”
Offering a warm smile and a side hug, Mario gently shook Luigi’s shoulders, saying, “You’re the best, Lu.”
“W-What?”
“Always thinking about others. You’re right, as usual. Go ahead and go check on him. Stay for as long as you need, I can handle Polterpup tonight. You just focus on getting that prince out of his own head, yeah?”
Luigi gave a small smile and a confident nod, “Yeah, I can do that.”
“Good, now check on him.”
“Right!”
“And keep it PG!”
“Mario, STOP!” Luigi glared after Mario as his brother ran off. Cheeks burning as he turned to follow Peasley’s path. He did a few rounds of deep breathing to calm back down as he made his way towards the guest rooms. Feeling a little more at ease by the time he’d reached the door.
Shaking off the last bits of nerves, Luigi reached up to knock twice on the door. “Peasley?”
There was a sound of some slight shuffling before said door opened. Peasley peeking out with a look of confusion. “Luigi? I thought you were with your brother.”
“I wanted to check on you. Can I come in?”
“Oh, sure, of course. Please…” Peasley opened the door further, stepping to the side to allow the human in.
As Luigi entered, his eyes traveled around the guest room. Smiling seeing Peasley’s items neatly tucked away. “We should get you a permanent room here.”
Peasley flushed softly, “Really, w-why?”
“Oh, well, I mean,” Luigi flustered, “Daisy should have one too. B-Because you two are going to be helping us a lot moving forward! So, it might be good if you had a room that you knew was here. O-One less thing for you to worry about, right?”
“Look at you, planning ahead.” Peasley smiled, reaching out to take Luigi’s hands.
“Well, I try… But I’m not here about that, I wanted to ask if you’re okay.”
“Of…course… Why wouldn’t I be?”
Luigi frowned softly when Peasley’s smile faltered, the beanish prince unable to look at the other. “Peasley…are you nervous?”
“Maybe…a little? Perhaps it’s selfish for me to say this, but I just wanted to see the world beyond the BeanBean Kingdom border. See how other royals interacted, get some ideas for myself on how to carry myself. I’m used to people just trusting me, I’ve never had to ‘prove’ myself. But now, I’m supposed to sway the views of an, apparently, very stubborn king? What am I supposed to say? What can I say?
“You’re good with your words,” Luigi attempted to calm the frazzled prince, “If needed, we can plan out what you can say. Kind of like acting it out. Would that help?”
“Possibly…I just don’t want to make this worse.”
“You won’t! Having different points of view gives us a stronger stance. You’ll make this work, promise.”
Peasley's smile returned to its soft nature, “Promise?”
“Yes…my Sugar Bean.”
“Sugar beans aren’t a thing!” The prince laughed, more than happy to be pulled into a strong hug by Luigi.
“Yes it is, it’s what you are!”
“You are ridiculous.”
“Only for you…”
_____________________________
While Toadsworth wasn’t thrilled with the fact that the Jungle Kingdom was the selected area of focus, he too understood it would be the best place to start. The letter for said kingdom took a few days to write. Mainly for the fact that everyone kept putting their own points onto it. As well as having a worry in making sure the letter didn’t sound too desperate or direct.
In the end, the message they sent was a bare bones request to visit for a casual means.
The reply came far faster than any of them were expecting, or really wanted. Said letter only containing one word.
‘Now.’
“Well, how comforting.” Waluigi muttered weakly when the group read it over.
There was nothing to it, other than to pack up as quickly as possible. The group heading out the next morning, as soon as they could push Wario into one of the carriages.
Unlike on the trip to the Desert Kingdom, where there was a bit of a nervous feeling among the group, this trip put everyone on edge. None of them were able to maintain a conversation for longer than a few seconds before it was dropped. All sitting quietly in their corners, staring out the window, as they seemed to down in their own thoughts.
Except Wario, who’s snores were a constant reminder he had a reprieve from this.
The rolling green hills were slowly but surely replaced with heavy foliage that became denser the further they traveled. Think vines of vibrant green and purples that wrapped around deep brown trunks. Trees so high that none in the traveling party could see what the colors of the leaves were. The leaves they could see belonged to the numerous bushes that filled in whatever empty space they could cram themselves into. Each one seems to offer a different shape and color.
Even with the shading that fell over the paved path and the traveling party, the group could feel the heat coming from the other side. The carriage cooling system working overtime to keep said heat out. Their path wound and curved around in a way that made it hard to make certain turns.
The wonder of it all came to a halt when the carriages stopped. All doing their best to peer out the windows, before needing to brave the heat waiting for them. Wario finally woke up when the change in temperature was so sudden. All letting out small noises of complaints as the heat washed over them, realizing it wasn’t just heat. There was humidity as well.
Attention eventually traveled over to the tall barrier that blocked their path. A pair of towering double doors made from the same dark wood that surrounded them. Each door held the carvings of multiple primates that flowed and moved around the available space. The group could just barely make out areas of paint from the deeper areas carved out.
Toadsworth recovered first. Straightening out his bow tie and clearing his throat, the elder Toad addressed the rest. “Shape up now. It’s very doubtful we’ll be given a welcoming reception. We need to be on our best behavior. No arguing, no powers unless necessary, we’re going to be as diplomatic as possible. Understood?”
There was a collective nod of agreement among the group.
That was all Toadsworth needed before facing the double doors once more. Giving two hard but sharp knocks before stepping away. Said doors let out heavy groans as they slowly opened. A large gorilla, dressed in a red dress suite of all things, walked out. Having a guard, somehow larger than the other, on either side. All looking down on the group. Both from the size status and because it was clear the group wasn't welcomed.
Peach, only snapping out of her stupor when Toadsworth gently tugged at her dress, stepped forward. “I, Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom, have requested an audience with King Kong.”
“We’re very aware as to why you’re here.” The ape dressed in red answered, “You may address me as Koko. Your carriages and Toads will be taken care of as we discuss your terms. I will ask the rest of you to please follow.”
“I thought you said this kingdom was crazy? They seem reasonable, if not a little stuck up.” Mario whispered to Waluigi.
“Sure, the kingdom and their king, not the people. They’re just good at adapting.”
“What? How does that work?”
“You’ll see.”
The question was answered relatively quickly when the group entered the kingdom proper. The current area is relatively empty with the trees framing the openness. In the distance, there were a number of treehouses spotting around among the foliage with bridges connecting between them all, crossing in the air.
But what caught everyone's attention were the karts. Well-built, brightly painted, decked out with some heavy equipment go-karts. Holding enough room to have a single driver and seats attached in the back. The pathway they were resting on were nothing more than planks of wood, placed as close together as possible. Any gaps filled in with strips of wood. Lines painted on that the twins feel were very crudely drawn street lines.
As Koko and the guards took the driver’s seat for each cart, Mairo and Luigi looked over to Waluigi. Both having a look of disbelief.
“What is this?” Mario asked, voice cracking a little.
“Cranky Kong is obsessed with go-karts, a bit of an adrenaline junky. Could say he sees every opportunity as a challenge. Hope you two have strong stomachs, because they don’t believe in walking here.” Waluigi teased as he and Wario claimed the furthest kart, with Daisy bringing up the rear.
Luigi’s worries were put on pause when hands gently gripped his upper arm. Looking over to find an extremely nervous looking Peasley. “W-Were you aware of this?”
“Nope…how about you sit with me?”
The beanish prince nodded quickly, “Y-Yes please…”
Mario gave his twin an understanding smile as Luigi led himself and Peasley to the middle cart. The red-cladded hero walked to the front kart, where Peach and Toadworth were already sitting.
“Not going to ride with Luigi?” Peach asked with a smile.
“He’s taking care of Peasley right now.”
“For someone who’s very adamant about not leaving those two along, you do it a lot.”
Mario frowned softly at the comment, “Luigi was supportive when you and I were… Well, when I was…”
“When you had a crush on me?”
“Hey, I still do,” Mario smiled hearing Peach laugh softly, “I may not like the idea of Luigi dating someone, but I also need to be there for him when I’m needed. Which also means I need to give him room.”
“No matter how much it makes you squirm?”
“Yeah…”
“Are we ready back there?” Koko asked. After getting an affirmative call back, she gave a nod. “Alright. Hope you all have a good grip.”
“Wait, what-” Mario’s question was cut off when he was practically flung back into his seat. Reaching out to grab the bar placed before him in desperation. Unable to turn his head, Mario could only see Peach’s hands do the same.
The rush of wind made it impossible to hear anything. Even the roar of the engine had been reduced to nothing more than background noise. They passed by numerous other karts racing around their own, only appearing as colored blurs going the opposite direction. Truthfully, everything was nothing more than swirls of colors that temporarily took solid shapes when they were far away. Allowing them to catch brief glimpses of the huts spotted around the edge of the wooden street, appearing to be more shops than homes.
The group let out a collective gasp as they suddenly turned left.
Congested huts turned into a wide valley of ‘streets’ and a collection of trees spotted around randomly over the deep water. Mario relating this area to that of some kind of highway. Nothing more than wooden streets having a large number of other karts darting around.
With every kart they passed, Mario was uncomfortably reminded that none of the streets seemed to have guardrails. No way to keep the vehicles on the road if they went too far over the edge. How was this place liveable?
It took a while, far longer than Mario wanted it to be, to reach the castle. Or what he assumed it was the castle as it was the largest, grandest piece of architecture he’d seen from this area yet. A large primate face carved out of the mountain side that seemed to glare down at the approaching party. The bared teeth slowly opened to the deeper parts of the mountain.
Before Mario could take in any further details, the carts drifted to the side before coming to a halt. Mario and his other companions collided against each other from the sudden stop. All needing a few moments to collect themselves, stomachs churning as they took deep breaths, eventually departing from their seats. Eventually shuffling away slowly as they tried to relax their tense muscles.
“That was horrible,” Mario whispered, Toadsworth letting out a small groan of agreement.
“I hope to never do that again,” Peach weakly replied, “Who would ever enjoy something like that?”
The princess’ question was answered by a jovial laugh that echoed loudly in the carved out cave. Eyes darting to Daisy as the first guess, only to find the desert princess standing on wobbly legs and looking pale. Attention moved away as the laughter grew once more, finding Peasley doubled over as he desperately clung to Luigi. The prince’s hair was windswept, cheeks a deep blue as his face was scrunched up in absolutely glee.
“Guess Peasley would be that person.” Mario answered in awe.
Finally able to calm down, Peasley let out a heavy but contentful sigh as his shoulders dropped. Beaming over to Luigi, “Oh goodness, that was thrilling!”
“Y-You…really liked that?” Luigi asked. Hoping he didn’t sound offensive as he was overly surprised by this reaction.
“Yes, that was amazing! I’ve never experienced anything quite like it, the BeanBean Kingdom has nothing like it. Think we could ride it again?”
“I-I…think we have to? To leave?”
One of the guards grunted as they passed by the duo, “Good to see at least one of you knows how to have fun.”
Luigi looked back to Peasley in surprise, to which the prince just giggled further. “So, you’re okay?”
“Better than okay, to be honest,” Peasley replied as he started straightening out his hair, “But I suppose that’s going to be something to discuss further at a later time. We do have royalty to meet, and I don’t think letting them wait would be a smart idea.”
Still a little stunned by this revelation, Luigi could only watch as the beanish prince joined the front of the group. Said human breaking out of his surprised stupor when Daisy landed a pretty hearty slap to his back.
“Got yourself a keeper there, Greenie.” The desert princess smirked.
“W-What?”
“That bean prince seems to be a bit of a daredevil. Prim, proper, and knows how to have a good time? That’s the whole package right there.”
“How about we worry about Luigi’s love life later, yeah?” Waluigi casually suggested as he grabbed Daisy’s upper arm to pull her away.
Luigi looked over when Wario wrapped an arm around the younger twin. Said human weakly whispering out, “I thought he would have hated that.”
Wario just laughed softly. “Well, you can’t predict everything. Peasley’s going to be experiencing a lot of firsts. I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a new side to this prince. Take interest in what’s going on, just don’t overthink it.”
“Right.”
Being shepherded in by Koko and her guards, the group turned their attention to the long throne room. Possibly more of a hallway with how long it truly was. Even with being inside a mountain, there were thin openings at the very top of the curved walls that allowed sunlight to pour in. What couldn’t be illuminated by the ‘windows’ were covered by numerous burning torches. The pathway the group walked on was nothing more than tamped down red dirt that crunched softly underfoot. The walkway lined with further guards, dressed in heavy armor and carrying spears.
At the very end was a tall backed throne carved out from the same stone that surrounded them. Colored with vibrant reds, greens, and golds that seemed to gleam, even if there was no lighting directly hitting it. Rest on it was the oldest chimpanzee that the twins had ever seen. Appearance helped along by a large, gray beard that draped over his lap. A pair of small spectacles resting on the bridge of his wide nose, still needing to squint at the approaching group. A cane made from knobbled wood resting at the base of the grand seat.
Truthfully, the only way it could be determined that this primate was the king was from the large golden crown. One that was precariously perched atop of his head.
The assumed King Cranky Kong leaned further forward. Both to get a better look and to grab his cane. “Well, well…what a sight for very sore eyes.”
“U-Um…” Peach cleared her throat before offering a low bow, the rest quickly following after. “Mighty King Kong, we have asked for an audience with-”
Cranky Kong gave a laugh as he slid from the throne, waving his hand. “Goodness, child, you are certainly your father’s daughter. So focus on formalities. Though I suppose that’s more from the person who’s still raising you.”
Toadsworth’s face grimaced as a hand was placed on his shoulder.
“You old Toad,” Cranky laughed, “how are you?”
“I’m well, sire. Good to see you are still young at heart after all of these years.”
“Sure, sure, you still seem stiff as usual. And young Peach, last time I saw you, you only came up to my waist. On a good day when I wasn’t hunched over. Now, you’re taller. Unfair, but expected.”
Peach tensed up a little when Cranky gently gripped her chin, tilting and turning her head.
“All of Dahlia’s looks, I see,” the king quietly commented, “Not that it’s a bad thing. Mat wasn’t much of a looker. Never knew what Dahlia saw in that mushroom mess. Eh, but what are you going to do about it? Nothing at this point.”
Before anyone could comment on this, Cranky had moved on. Squinted eyes turned to Daisy and Peasley. “And you brought back up of the royalty variety, good for you. I remember you, Daisy, little firecracker you were. But with your scars and build, I would guess that you still are. Good. Love a woman who can take anyone down.”
Daisy’s huff was ignored as attention was turned to Peasley now. Who tensed up immediately. Same as Peach, the prince’s chin was gently grabbed onto, Cranky moving Peasley’s head around. Said prince tense as he was examined.
“Aren’t you a curious one…” Cranky mumbled, “From the BeanBean Kingdom, for sure, but a representative? No…wrong outfit. To well maintained and created… A prince .”
Pealsey leaned back the moment he was released, a little started as the king laughed.
“A BeanBean prince ? Oh, I’ve missed a lot, apparently. Did the queen need to adopt?”
“N-No, I’m from royal blood.” Peasley commented back.
“Royal blood?” Cranky sounded very surprised, “Actual royal blood? That would make you the first prince born in…centuries? A few centuries?”
“Y-Yes sir.”
“Ha! And how does that feel? First male made of blood after the last ‘natural’ king caused a number of casualties. What an act to follow. Your citizens must be standoffish, people can be so superstitious. Must feel a little awkward.”
“N-No,” Peasley cleared his throat, “No, my citizens trust me.”
“Oh, sure,” Cranky gave Peasley’s a sympathetic pat, “Sure, sure happy to hear you so… confident in your people. That’s a good word.”
As Cranky moved on, Pealsey looked fearfully over to Daisy, whispering out a small, “What?”
The desert princess gently shook her head, wrapping an arm around the other in hopefully a comforting manner. “Don’t…think about it. It’s fine, you’re fine.”
Cranky Kong shuffled over to Wario and Waluigi next, pushing his glasses up and he peered at the brother’s with a small look of displeasure. “I remember you two… Familiar faces, troublemakers. I recall the stories Toadsworth would grumble about when we held meetings.”
The brother’s frowned over to Toadsworth, the elder Toad not looking back.
“We’re not sure what you’ve been informed, but people do change.” Waluigi calmly argued back. Only to frown when Cranky just laughed, hard, at that comment.
“Child, actions speak louder than words, and your past actions have said plenty. If you don’t believe that, prove me wrong. Either way, what are you two doing here? Shuffling along looking for entertainment?”
Wario gripped onto his brother’s shoulder to keep Waluigi back, the oldest calmly replying with, “We’re mentors and advisors for the Heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom.”
That got Cranky into a steam of ruckus, mocking laughter. One that lasted not only a few minutes, but caused the brother’s cheeks to turn a dark red in indignation and humiliation. “You two, mentors ? Advisors? What are you advising on? How to ruin your reputation in three easy steps? Hilarious.”
“You can’t talk to them like that!”
Cranky’s teasing smirk fell to an annoyed scowl as Mario and Luigi pushed their ways between the king and the other brothers. The twins glaring at the king with the remainder of the group tensing.
“Mareio,” Wario whispers quickly, “I wouldn’t-”
“And you two must be the so-called heroes.” Cranky said slowly, leaning on his cane, clearly uninterested.
“So-called? I think the number of times we’ve battled against Bowser would give us that title. You remember Bowser, the person you so desperately wanted to fight against before? We’ve actually faced him.” Mario said back.
“Don’t get your ego inflated anymore than it already is,” the king gave a warning growl, “I was dealing with this Koopa and his family long before you were even born. With the stature of you two, I can only assume you’re only alive because of sheer, dumb luck. Seriously, how short can one get?”
To prove his point, Cranky dropped his hand on top of Mario’s head to ruffle it, the human letting out a disgruntled noise. Only for Luigi to push it off, doing his best to glare at the king as he pushed Mario behind him.
“You don’t talk to people like that.” The younger twin said tersely.
“Yeah I do, I’m the king.”
“That doesn’t mean you get the power to belittle people! You’re rude and arrogant!” Luigi faltered slightly as Cranky leaned forward, teeth bared. Mario instantly pulled his brother behind him.
“Be mindful of your words, human, you’re here asking for my favor. I have all the cards. If you don’t like how things are run here, you’re more than welcome to leave. I have not invested interest in your little party.”
“We’re here trying to rebuild the bonds that you helped break-” Mario’s argument was cut off at Cranky snapped his teeth at him.
“ I did no such thing! I left because King Matsutake was too stuck up his own ass to realize what was going on.”
“His wife was sick and dying!” Luigi stated, still behind his brother. “I understand that there were kind of major things to worry about, but-”
“Kind of major things? Kind of! The ‘heroes’ who fought Bowser sees that Koopa as a kind of problem. Great to know what kind of people we’re leaving our future to.”
“At least we’re trying something-” Mario huffed as he was cut off again.
“Sure, now you’re doing something, it took the Mushroom Kingdom long enough. Had to have their princess captured twice and then we decided to put our heads to good use. Even then , if I heard correctly, others still had to make the first move.”
Peasley flinched slightly when Cranky Kong pointed his can to the beanish prince.
“A self-exiled kingdom had to push everything forward! They took the first steps! The Mushroom Kingdom being what Bowser is after, I don’t get it. Never understood it, never will. You’re all children trying to fix the problems of your parents without even knowing what they’re supposed to be doing. The blind leading the blind and what not. This is a disaster waiting to happen.”
Cranky huffed as he hobbled back towards his throne, face scrunched up into a deep scowl. “Get out.”
Peach felt her heart skip in panic, stepping forward to follow the king. “But-”
“Get out! Until you can show that you actually want to build a connection, I have nothing for you.”
“That’s unfair!” Daisy argued back, “How would you suggest we do that? If fighting Bowser isn’t enough to tell you we’re serious what is?”
“Sir, if the Mushroom Kingdom falls by Bowser’s hands, you know he won’t just stop there. The Jungle Kingdom is in as much danger as any of us. If you ignore this now, it could make everything worse.” Peasley argued back.
“I want action!” Cranky banged his can down, turning back to glare at the group. “I want to see your attempt to find a way forward.”
“And this isn’t it?” Daisy frowned.
“No, this is your plea to have power without knowing how to wield it. I’m not helping you fix a damn thing if you’re just wanting numbers.”
“We’re not just looking for power,” Peach pleas, “We just…there’s strength in numbers, right? We need to build a strong front against Bowser, to show him we’re not afraid. You were angry when…when my father didn’t take your words seriously. Well, I am! I want to hear from you, to let you help with defeating that Koopa and his kingdom.”
Cranky slowly shook his head, frown still in place. “Princess, I hear you, but it’s not enough.”
“If it’s action you want, then let us show you!” Mario called out, Luigi nodding behind him. “What can we do, right now, that shows you we mean what we say? Let us show you we’re more than ready for this.”
Contemplating the red-cladded twin’s words, Cranky gently tugged at his beard. Letting out a low hum before a smile broke out over his face.
“Well…if you’re offering. There’s one thing that could be offered as a challenge, if you’re willing. If you’re both willing.”
“We can handle it.”
“Very well, if you’re determined to prove yourself, I issue a challenge. Steeped in tradition as a way for any member of the Jungle Kingdom to prove themselves. You two must prove yourself in the Great Ring of Kong!”
Before either Mario or Luigi could answer, hands were quickly wrapped over their mouths. Peach giving a quick “Just one moment please!” before the collective group huddled together. The twins only released from Waluigi’s grapes when the group could whisper.
“What was that for?” Mario asked.
“Do not agree to this.” Daisy hissed out.
Peasley frowned, “What’s going on? What is King Kong talking about?”
“The Great Ring of Kong is a challenge set for their fiercest warriors,” Toadsworth voice quivering in panic, “The challenge is unknown to the party taking up the gauntlet, namely you two. You’re not going to know what’s to be expected until the time of and the King can set it up to be anything.”
“T-That seems wildly unfair,” Luigi shivered.
“It’s not supposed to be fair,” Wario grumbled, “It’s about pushing you to your limits. Seeing what you can put yourself through for the entertainment of others.”
“I told you, daredevil, in every capacity.” Waluigi frowned.
“So, what, we’re not supposed to take it?” Mario voiced, “I’m assuming that’s why everyone’s in a panic right now.”
“We don’t know what he’ll have planned. But if he’s already in a foul mood, it can’t be good. I mean, it probably wasn’t going to be good to begin with, but now it’ll just be worse.” Toadsworth advised.
“But he’s giving us a chance to prove ourselves now! We don’t have time to really go back and forth in hopes of getting in the good graces of everyone. We need to strike now.”
“Not at the expense of your health,” Peasley frantically whispers, “We didn’t plan for something like this. If we need to take a few days to think something out-”
“I don’t think days are going to be enough,” Daisy argued, “I think this crazy guy wants us to do something drastic. Like, I don’t know, take over some of the Dark Lands to show we mean business.”
“If that’s the case, this Ring of Kong might be the kinder alternative.” Luigi said weakly.
“But it also might be the worst thing for you two to experience.” Toadsworth frowned.
“We don’t really have that many options…” Mario looked over to Peach, “What…do you think, princess?”
“...I don’t like this, but…” Peach let out a heavy sigh, “It might be our best option at the moment.”
“Then let's do it.”
Cranky Kong watched the group disperse with a prideful smirk on his face, head tilting to the side as they approached his throne once more. “Well, I hope whatever the conversation was, it was well worth it. It’s rude to whisper in front of company, you know.”
Mario ignored the comment. Looking back to Luigi, who gave a silent, but determined nod. “...We’ll take you up on your challenge.”
That got the king’s full attention. “You’re agreeing to the Great Ring of Kong?”
“Yes, we’re agreeing.”
“Excellent to hear! Now we’ll get to see what your little kingdoms are made of. I’ll need about an hour to get it all ready for you. And I’m sure you’ll need a bit of a power talk that’s not held through harsh whispers with your little party. My guards will take you to a vacant hut to regroup and plan as best you can. They’ll collect you later.”
Cranky Kong shuffled his way out of the throne room, his laughter seeming to grow the further he went. Clearly giddy over what was about to happen.
“Well…what an unfortunate turn.” Waluigi unhelpfully commented.