Bowsette’s Princess Lessons Chapter 2.5: Partners For Life

 Bowsette’s Princess Lessons Chapter 2.5: Partners For Life By Yu May

[Author's note: this chapter was originally published as a stand-alone side story. It takes place before the events of Chapter III of Bowsette's Princess Lessons, so it functions as a bonus "Chapter 2.5" for that series.]

Christine Goombella chewed the rubber eraser of her pencil, straining her eyes against the dim light to make out her chicken scratch in her tattle journal. She was a bright-eyed, rosy-cheeked Goomba girl. But unlike the hordes of overworked, underpaid Goomba mooks that served as Bowser’s cannon fodder, Goombella had a fair complexion and fair hair, which she usually kept tied up in a practical ponytail.

“Dear Tattle Log…Well, I shouldn’t have worried about today’s party being boring! No sooner did we all sit down to reminisce about our old adventuring days with Mario, when someone unexpected showed up behind us! You can imagine my surprise when–”

Goombella felt a breath of cold air tickle her as a faltering voice whispered behind her ear. “Christine? Are you okay, honey?”

Goombella’s blond ponytail stood on end. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

As Goombella hopped into the air, ready to dive bomb the assassin who had snuck up on her, she flicked on her archaeologist helmet lamp and turned to face her attacker.

Just in time, Goombella recognized Vivian, who shielded her eyes from the bright light. “Kyah! Don’t hurt me, Goombella!”

At the sight of the shadowy figure, Goombella fumbled to dim the blinding light. “Vivian? Whew! Sorry, but I thought you were, like, a Ninji assassin or something.”

Vivian tossed her pink hair lightly and giggled, as her shadowy form took on a more solid shape. With a snap of her fingers, Vivian produced a flickering candle flame at the end of her index finger. “Easy mistake to make. I’m sorry too. The light was so dim in here, I must have blended into the shadows. The old gang from Rogueport are all pitching in to get a room at the inn for tonight, and we found out Mario’s friends from the Star Rod Affair are staying next door! We’re thinking of having a boys’ and girls’ night so we can swap stories! Would you mind?”

Goombella’s eyes went wide. “Oh? That sounds rad! Count me in! …Uh, you’re part of the girls’ night, right? You know you’re welcome with us!”

Vivian pretended to pout. “Oh, and miss all the boy’s juicy gossip? And what if the boys have a pillow fight without me?” As a living shadow, Vivian’s physical features were rather ambiguous, making it hard for people trying to identify Vivian as a man or woman at first glance. When Goombella had first met Vivian, she’d assumed Vivian was a woman based on “her” feminine mannerisms, and that first impression had stuck with Goombella ever since. 

But anytime Vivian was questioned on whether he/she was indeed a he or a she, Vivian would only giggle, give the questioner a peck on the cheek, and tell them not to worry about it…man or woman. 

Goombella cocked her head, unsure if Vivian was being sarcastic. “Uh…your call?”

Vivian blushed and dropped the teasing hint to her voice. “Don’t worry about it, Goombella. I prefer to sleep in the shadows anyway, but we’re missing our best story teller! You’re not planning to hole up in the reading room all night, I hope?”

Goombella glanced at her makeshift office in the Mushroom Inn’s communal lobby. The book shelves were mostly stuffed with generic books on Mushroom Kingdom tourism. The most interesting one she’d found was titled The Art of Cooking Delicious Home-Baked Goodies For War by Tayce T. Toad.

“No! Just want to get my facts straight on everything that happened today. What a ride, right? I was expecting a total snooze-fest, but no sooner did we all sit down and start to talk about the old days when we were all adventuring with Mario–”

“Then a whole, brand-new adventure with Mario jumped out at us?” 

Vivian and Goombella both bobbed their heads along with one another, their mutual excitement building. Goombella forgot to use her inside voice. “I know! It was just like when Mario came to my rescue in Rogueport! He hasn’t changed a bit! …Only, we didn’t exactly have an adventure with Mario, did we? He was kind of running all over the place fighting on his own, without us…”

Sensing the melancholy in Goombella’s voice, Vivian held back her girlish excitement. “But, Goombella, you can’t blame him for that. It was a surprise attack after all, and we had enemies on all sides. He didn’t have time to reach us with all that was going on!”

Goombella shook her head, embarrassed to realize that Vivian had read her like an open book. “Oh, I’m not blaming Mario! It’s just…too bad. We were, like, so close to getting to fight alongside him again, but, like, it’s like–” Goombella trailed off, feeling a lump in her throat. She had a bad habit of repeating the word “like” when she got flustered.

Vivian nodded. “It’s as though, if only we were a few seats closer, he’d have seen us in the melee and asked us to join him again? If only things could have played out differently?”

“Yeah! You get it! It’s like fate was playing a little joke on us!”

Vivian held up another finger, using her power to create a shifting flame in the shape of Mario and Peach with one hand, contrasting it against two flames in the shape of Goombella and Vivian with her other hand. “Well, that’s one way to look at it. But that’s not the only way to look at it. In a way, we did get to help Mario and Peach again. We fought as best we could, in the time and place we found ourselves in. The fact that Mario was on the opposite side of the collapsed pillar from us for most of the fight doesn’t change the fact that we were all on the same side.”

Goombella sighed. “I know that. It’s just easy to forget sometimes...Thanks, Vivian. You always know just what to say.”

Vivian bowed her head. “Well, I had a good teacher. Blond bombshell. Big, goofy smile. Has a way with words. Practically a walking thesaurus. Maybe you know her?”

Goombella bit her upper lip as she searched her memory. “...Your sister, Marilyn?” Marilyn was blond, and had a goofy smile, though Goombella had only ever heard her say the word, “Guh!”

Vivian surprised Goombella with a peck on the cheek. “I meant you, silly!”

Goombella glanced at her own ponytail. “Oh…Well, I feel totally, completely blond at the moment! Uh, I’ll join you guys in a bit. I really have to get my thoughts down before I lose them!”

“No rush! I know you writers need your ‘me time!’ But if you need a break, come find us. And don’t stay up too late straining your eyes!”

Goombella blinked as she examined her dimly lit surroundings. “Yeah, the sun’s starting to set! Think we could find a lamp? If I set it right–” 

Vivian flipped a switch on Goombella’s hat, turning her helmet flashlight back on.

Goombella looked up, suddenly remembering its existence. “...here? Huh, another blond moment. I'm on a roll today, aren’t I?”

Vivian sank back into the shadows away from the blaring light, and glided toward the door. “I wouldn’t change one hair on your head for the entire world, Chrissy! Have fun journaling, dear!”

“Thanks, Vivi!” Goombella felt much better as she turned back to her journaling, and the words seemed to flow. She recorded everything that had happened from the morning she’d arrived in Toad Town. 

Goombella was mostly interested in recording any relevant details about their attackers, planning to write up a report for the Rogueport News Bulletin (moonlighting as a journalist had proven to be a profitable side-hustle while she was completing her graduate degree in archeology at U-Goom).

However, Goombella had learned to always tell a story from the beginning, and found herself writing down all sorts of details about her friends, her Tattle Log functioning as much as a personal diary as a professional journal:

“The party had started out awkwardly when I found myself seated across from Goombario, who was quick to introduce himself as the first goomba who ever helped Mario on an adventure. Whoever planned the party must have seated all of Mario’s old adventure partners together, and I do mean all of them. I actually met Prince Mallow of Nimbus and Geno of Star Road. No one’s seen them in Mushroom Kingdom in years! Anyway, I think Goombario is still a bit salty about Mario not inviting him to Rogueport after their first adventure together…” 

As Goombella’s pencil flew, it was as though the whole party was being reenacted on a little stage in her mind’s eye…

…

Goombella was seated across from Goombario, who was regaling the table with a thrilling account of how Mario had barely survived a thousand-foot drop from a flying castle, crash-landing in the backyard of his childhood home in Goomba Village. “So, the point of a good Tattle Log is to keep a record of all your enemies’ strategies and weaknesses, right? And you know Mario is a hopeless book keeper! It was destiny! My parents named me after Mario after he liberated Goomba Village from King Koopa, and now it was my turn to help him! It was the moment I’d prepared for my whole life!”

Goombario’s little sister, Goombaria, rolled her eyes, before flashing a wink at Goombella. “By being a tattle tale?” 

Goombario flushed, before fixing his blue cap in a huff. “By informing him of what we needed to know about the enemy! There’s no shame in being a good tattler!”

“Tattler” was originally a slang expression for the few Goombas who had sided with Mushroom Kingdom, against the overwhelming army of Goombas loyal to the Koopa King. Over time, it had taken on new meanings, with Mushroom Kingdom Goombas taking pride in their role as informants and record-keepers in the war against the tyrannical Koopa King and his minions. “Tattle Logs” were anonymously published records detailing a Goomba’s adventures as well as crucial intelligence on their opponents. Tattle Logs were widely circulated and discussed by Goombas, eager to advance the cause of the Mushroom Kingdom, and pick up some juicy gossip while they were at it.

“Ooh, just like a spy behind enemy lines. Such a dangerous young man!” cooed Ms. Mowz, batting her eyelashes at the young Goomba. 

Goombella hid her annoyance at Ms. Mowz’s shameless flirting. Her relationship with the masked mouse thief had been hostile at first. Things had slightly smoothed out between the two after Mowz had agreed to become Mario’s ally. Over time, Goombella had learned to ignore Ms. Mowz’s seduction act, so long as she wasn’t using it on Mario. And Ms. Mowz had learned to not use her seductive femme fatale act on Mario, at least not in Goombella’s presence.  

If Goombario had known Ms. Mowz a little better, he would have known she flirted with every man she met. As it was, her compliments gave him the confidence boost he needed to continue his tale. “Precisely, ma’am! And accuracy is everything! I’ve kept up with some of the Tattle Logs published after my adventure with Mario, and they’re just not up to scratch! I’ve heard someone claim that Lakitus threw pipes! Isn’t that hilarious?” 

Goombella sipped on a Chuckola Cola to hide her nerves. She had made that blunder in her early adventuring days, only for her embarrassing typo to spread like wildfire. Fortunately, she’d written it anonymously, but “Lakitus Armed with Pipes” had become a Goomba in-joke that haunted her to this day. “Does he know I’m the one who wrote that? Is this his way of torturing me? Or is it just a coincidence?”  

Goombario spun in his chair, his blue cap almost flying off his head as he spotted an old friend enter the dining hall: a Koopa with a blue shell and red scarf. “Kooper! Over here! I saved you a spot!” 

As Goombario ran off, Goombaria sighed knowingly, her red ribbon bobbing back and forth as she shook her head. “You’ll have to excuse my brother. Once he gets started telling his old Mario adventure stories, he forgets to stop long enough to take a breath.”

“He seems…nice!” added Goombella.

“Oh, he’s great once you get to know him. And he’s the best big brother in the whole world. Just wink at me if he’s being too much and I’ll tell him to shut up.”

Goombario rushed back to the table, practically dragging Kooper in tow. After making introductions to everyone else at the table, Goombario froze when he turned to Goombella, “And this is…uh, Goombette?”

Kooper beamed and offered Goombella a fist bump. “Goombella! Haven’t seen you since Koopa Tech schooled U-Goom at Basketball. You guys have no hands!”

Goombella returned his fist bump with one of her invisible hands. “We’ll get you back in track and field! When you knock a Goomba down, we get back on our feet! Goooo Goombas!”

Somewhat deflated, Goombario looked back and forth from Kooper to Goombella. “You know each other? But how?”

Kooper gestured to his scarf, which had a stitched patch for the Koopa Tech archeology department. “We’re both students of Professor Frankley. He was a guest lecturer at Koopa Tech to discuss his work on the Thousand Year Door archeological dig.”

Goombario pounced on this. “Oh! I’m going to be a freshman at U-Goom next year, majoring in archaeology! Maybe we’ll get to have Professor Kolorado as a guest lecturer?” 

Kooper shrugged. “Not likely. After his misadventure at the Dry Dry Desert Pyramids he doesn’t want to do any archaeological work that involves leaving his office at Koopa Tech. I think the loss of his father hit him hard. Though you’ll probably have some classes with Goombella here!”

Goombario gave Goombella a second look, noticing her university ascot for the first time. “Oh? Let me guess, are you…a sophomore?” 

“Well, I’m actually not–”

Goombella fought to find a moment to interject, but Goombario kept right on talking without coming up for air. “I got an academic scholarship, on the advanced track, so I’m planning to take the upper level courses right away!”

Kooper tapped Goombario on the back, “Uh, dude?”

Goombario’s chest swelled. “So, even if you’re taking 201 level courses, I’ll probably see you in class next semester! I can help you out on your homework, if you want! …Yowch!” Goombario hopped on one foot as his little sister stepped on his toes.

Goombella shuffled her own feet. “Well, I’m in the graduate program at U-Goom. But I’m Professor Frankley’s Teaching Assistant, so I’ll definitely see you in his classes! …Um, I’d be happy to help you with your homework, too?” She winced as she heard herself utter the last words, realizing too late that it sounded like a retort.

At long last, Goombario was at a loss for words. 

They were rescued from the awkward pause when more of their old friends arrived. Goombella felt immense relief when she saw her old travel companion Koops arrive with his fiance, Koopie-Koo, and she was pleased to discover they knew Kooper from Koopa Tech. “It’s a small world, after all!” she thought.

Ms. Mowz flirted with all the men as they arrived. Every. Single. One. Though she spent most of her time on a stoic, silent young man with wooden features. Goombella had to strain her memory before recalling his name: Geno, the Puppet Warrior of Star Road.

A cute bob-omb girl with blond hair approached Goombella, gesturing to the two empty seats to Goombella’s left. “Pardon me, do you mind if I save this seat? I’m expecting a date.”

Goombella beamed as she recognized Bombette. “I don’t mind!” Mario had introduced them once, briefly, and told Goombella the story of how he’d rescued Bombette when she was being held prisoner by the Koopa Bros., a team of four teenage ninja koopa troopas. “Yet another girl Mario has rescued, without asking for a reward,” mused Goombella. 

Goombario’s friend, Spike the Lakitu, bonded with Goombella’s friend, Gonzales Jr. the Yoshi Kid, over their shared interest in mohawks. Spike’s cloud companion struck up a conversation with Prince Mallow of Nimbus and the matronly cloud spirit, Madame Flurrie, about the politics of meteorology. 

Three of Mario’s older partners arrived together. Goombella didn’t know them intimately, but she recognized Parakarry the Parakoopa, Watt the Sparkle, and Sushie the Cheep Cheep.

Goombella could have sworn she heard Madame Flurrie talking to the empty seat resting between them, before a female Boo appeared out of nowhere, cackling deviously, and nearly scaring Goombella out of her socks. Madame Flurrie bellowed with laughter at the sight, and quickly introduced Goombella to Lady Bow the Boo, a sensationally spirited spirit, who shared Madame Flurrie’s love of dramatic entrances, on and off the stage.

With a sigh of relief, Goombella spun in her chair, only for Vivian to appear out of nowhere on her other side, scaring Goombella half to death for the second time in a row that afternoon. With a squeal of terror, Bombette lit her fuse by mistake, and the explosion launched her 30 feet into the air, before she landed right back on her seat. The tablecloth was singed, and Vivian was safely hidden in the shadows, but Goombella was knocked senseless.

Lady Bow had to slap Goombella a couple times to wake her up. “Don’t worry, she’s not dead yet! I’d know if she was!” giggled the ghost.

Bombette offered a flood of apologies. “I’m so sorry! I can get a bit jumpy…”

Vivian was close to tears. “No, I’m sorry for not announcing myself earlier. Um…are you saving this seat for someone? I can move to another seat!”

“Not to worry! There’s another empty seat right here I can save for my date. You and Goombella are old friends! Please don’t move on my account!”

Vivian bit her fingers. “Well, you should know that I am a fire spirit.”

Bombette glanced nervously at her ponytail, which doubled as an explosive fuse. “Oh…Well, what if you and Goombella just switched seats? Would that be okay?”

Lady Bow and Madame Flurrie chortled with delight, before Madame Flurrie engulfed Vivian in a hug. “Excellent! Get over here Vivian. We’ll make for quite a trio! Three spirited ladies, we!” 

Bombette bounced in place as she embraced Goombella, “Ha! Well, Goombella and I will be the Blond Bombshell Duo!”

Goombella felt some relief as she switched seats, no longer sitting right next to a slap-happy ghost, though also aware she was now sitting right next to a walking, talking, kiloton blast. 

Having finally shaken off his embarrassment, Goombario caught Bombette’s eye. “Say, Bombette, who is your date, anyway?”

Goombella wiped the last remains of ashy debris from her face from the earlier explosion. “Yeah, we’re short a seat. We need a spot for Admiral–”

“Bobbery!” squealed Bombette.

The whole table went silent as Bombette dove to plant a kiss on the face of a salty old sailor. Like Bombette, Bobbery was also a Bob-omb, but his weather-beaten hat and thick silver mustache could not have provided a sharper contrast. Both were probably older than Bombette.

Ms. Mowz broke the silence. “Why, Admiral Bobbery! You naughty cradle-robber, you! If I’d known you were lonely, I’d have happily volunteered to be your date!”

Bombette’s ponytail/fuse started to smoke, dangerously close to lighting. “Hey, back off, sister! And, what are you implying? I’m an adult, and for your information, I asked him out!”

Ms. Mowz curled her tail into a heart shape. “Oh, I would too! But then again, I am a shameless gold digger!”

Bombette’s fuse sparked alight. “Gold digger?”

Bobbery’s mustache trembled as he scoffed. “Bah! Never mind her, Bombette. Ms. Mowz is that way with everyone. It’s part of her charm!”

Bombette flashed Bobbery a look. “Her charm? And what about my charm? Ooh, that does it! Now I’m putting you on the spot, Admiral! Name one thing you find charming about me?”

Bobbery didn’t hesitate for a moment. “Your temperament.”

With a soft “ftttz” the spark went out of Bombette’s fuse. “Oh, I can’t be cross with you, Admiral!”

The whole table erupted in cheers for the happy couple. Goombella couldn’t stop smiling, even when she felt her cheeks hurt. Everyone who met Admiral Bobbery knew he was a gentle, kindly old soul. But only his closest friends knew he was a widower of many years, and still felt the loss of his wife and true love, Scarlette.

There were days when Goombella thought of Admiral Bobbery, living alone in his old house with his memories, and worried for him. The thought of him having someone special to share that old house with, and make the house into a home again, was a great comfort.

The sound of the laughter caught Goombella’s attention. Mario dropped by their table, clapping them each on the back and talking about the old days as if they’d never left one another. It was infectious. No one could be around Mario, and not respect him. 

Whenever Mario was nearby, Goombella had a sense that an adventure was waiting right around the corner. He made everyone feel special when he was around them. He always seemed to remember your bravest moments, even when you’d forgotten them, or hadn’t even realized that bravery was something you were capable of. 

Goombella always felt stupid when she thought about the time she’d picked a fight with a group of rough-neck Goombas who were cat-calling her, but when Mario told the story to raucous cheers, she heard the story in a new light.

An elderly Toad on the Council of Elders, who Goombella recognized as Toadsworth, cleared his throat and began addressing the assembly. Realizing he had lost track of time, Mario casually excused himself and made his way to the head table.   

But as she looked at the faces around her, Goombella felt a sudden melancholy fall upon her. 

She saw the faces of hundreds of people Mario had risked his life to help before he’d even met her, and hundreds more he’d gone on to help after saying goodbye.

For her, the adventure in Rogueport had been a life-changing experience. But for Mario, it was just one adventure among many. To her, Mario was the man who had stood between her and dangerous thugs who had meant her harm, when she was nothing more than a stranger to him. (Sure, she’d hidden behind him and roughly demanded his help, but he had still offered his help valiantly.) 

She wondered if Mario even remembered that was how they met. To him, it must have been a completely normal day.

Goombella snapped out of her reverie to find Vivian giving her a knowing look. “It was hard, saying goodbye, wasn’t it?” 

Goombella caught sight of Mario settling his seat beside Princess Peach and King Toadstool. “I miss those days, Vivian. I miss him.”

Vivian adjusted her hair, which usually covered her shining yellow eyes, so that she could meet Goombella’s gaze. “I miss him, too.”

 

Goombella reflected about how she’d had a girlish crush on Mario from the moment she’d met him. How that crush had deepened to a love. And the more she understood the man, the more she loved him. “Do you ever wish we could go back, and…say something different? When we said our final goodbyes?”

Vivian giggled. “Sometimes, I think about what I’d do if I could go back…but you know, Mario always pushed us to go forward. And who says that was our final goodbye? We just saw him!”

“You know what I mean, Vivi. When the adventure ended, we all had to go home. Sure, we see him again from time to time, but…it’s not like before. I know that you can’t turn back the clock, it’s just strange, seeing him. Took me right back to Rogueport.”

“Are you happy, Goombella, with your life as an archeologist?”

Goombella felt as though she was suddenly awake after dozing off. “Oh! Of course! I love my work, and the students are great! I’m sorry, Vivi, this is supposed to be a party, and I’m totally killing the vibe.”

Vivian shook her head. “Don’t be sorry. You felt a longing. It can be a sweet feeling, or it can gnaw you up. You can’t choose your feelings, but you can choose what you do with those feelings. I should know.”

A thought suddenly occurred to Goombella, and she felt like a heel for not asking sooner. “Say, Vivian, are you doing okay with your sisters? They’re not mistreating you again, are they? Is Beldam keeping her promise to never hurt you again?”

Vivian stiffened, then smiled. “Thank you for asking. Things are much better now. Marilyn and I have really bonded. Beldam is still her cranky old self, but she can’t hurt me anymore. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I’m stronger than her now, and we both know it. But in her own way, she’s become a kinder person. I think getting free of the Shadow Queen’s influence helped us all see how our lives could be different, especially Beldam.”

Remembering the horror stories Vivian had told about her previous life with her sisters, Goombella wasn’t sure she was ready to forgive them, even if Vivian already had. But the grace  and confidence in Vivian’s voice set Goombella’s mind at ease. “That’s good to hear. But if anything changes, you call me. Remember, you always have a home if you need it.”

“I will never forget!”

After sharing a meaningful look with one another, Goombella and Vivian’s eyes both turned to find Mario. Peach was offering him a small bite of the cake she had baked for him. Vivian raised her voice just enough so the rest of their friends sitting next to them could hear. “They look so happy together, don’t you think?”

Goombella nodded. “They do, don’t they? Makes me feel happy just watching them.”

Goombella felt the pang again, but this time she didn’t find herself wallowing in the thought of what could have been. The past did not exist. She had had an adventure. It had all turned out well. And who knows, maybe there was another adventure right around the corner.

A terrific explosion ripped through the stone wall behind the Royal Table. As the tall stone pillar began to collapse, Goombella saw it hurtling towards Mario and Peach. Pointlessly, they all shouted out warnings, but Mario had already sprung into action. As Mario scooped up Princess Peach and dove to safety with her in his arms, Goombella saw the pillar slam into the ground, separating them from her sight. An army of Bowser’s minions charged through the hole in the wall, and over the sound and fury of battle they could make out Bowser himself flying high into view, bellowing orders. 

“We’ve got to help! Those guys will mop the floor with the Toads!” barked Goombella.

Four enemy Koopas leapt dramatically from the smoke and debris on their side of the pillar, each a different color and wearing ninja bandanas: the Koopa Brothers! Slamming a boombox on the ground to play their kickass theme song, the eldest of the brothers launched into his carefully rehearsed monologue. “Mario? Come out and fight, dude! We, the Koopa Brothers, have returned! We have trained day and night, night and day, preparing for the moment we would meet again and exact our spectacular (and long-overdue) revenge!” 

The other three Koopa Brothers took up the cry of “Revenge!” before catching sight of Mario’s old adventure partners charging toward them. 

“Aw, man!” whined the eldest Koopa Brother, before Goombella’s headbonk attack came smashing down onto his skull.

…

Goombella made a couple final marginal notes before closing her Tattle Log. She was sure some of the information could come in handy later. So what if she missed her chance to fight side-by-side with Mario at the party? There were still plenty of ways she could help her old friends right here and now. Sure enough, Goombella had lost track of time, but she hadn’t missed the start of the girl’s slumber party.

“So, what do you think, girls? Shall we have Vivian and Lady Bow be our spies on the boys?” teased Ms. Mowz, kicking her feet behind her.

Lady Bow laughed wildly. “Gweeah! Heh! Ha! I bet those boys are having a merry pillow fight in their pajamas even as we speak!”

Bombette’s fuse started to smolder. “Mmmm. I wish Admiral Bombery would smack me around with a pillow!” 

Watt, who was still at the age where she believed boys had cooties, was the most vocal objector. “Yuck! I don’t want to hear about their silly pillow fights, or their silly pajamas!”

Goombaria chimed in. “Yeah, anyway, the ones Goombario always wears just have little pictures of Mario all over them. That’s it! There’s nothing special about ‘em!”

Vivian blushed madly at the thought. “Oh, it wouldn’t be right. I couldn’t invade their privacy like that!”

Sushie, who was a mother herself, shushed the younger girls calling for a spy operation. “Now, now, how would you girls feel if the boys sent a spy over to watch us? Don’t you dare make Vivian do your dirty work!”

Madame Flurrie was torn by her memory of her wild, younger days. “Oh! I wouldn’t mind being spied on again, just once. Yes, during my long career on the stage, many a time did I catch the wandering eye of a voyeur following me to my dressing room! Ah, I would be cross with the lad who had such pluck. But, in my younger days, it was a simple matter to have my revenge, and spy upon my spy in turn! …But Sushie is right. I can’t condone making Vivian do it for us. The vile deed, if it is to be done, must fall to a woman of more experience!”

Ms. Mowz interrupted Madame Flurrie’s monologue with a cold chuckle. “Feh! If you’re planning to squeeze through the air conditioning vents, I already tried that. You wouldn’t fit…even in your younger days!”

Koopie-Koo, Koops’ bride to be, put a supporting arm around Vivian’s shoulder, before whispering conspiratorially. “Don’t let them peer pressure you, Vivian! Though…I am dead curious what my future husband is getting up to right about now. You know, I am Koops’ fiance! Suppose I gave you permission to spy just on Koops, and just for me?”

Goombella sensed that the crowd was close to turning in favor of sending a spy. Goombella wouldn’t have minded the silly idea so much if it was anyone other than Vivian being drafted as the spy. But Goombella could tell Vivian was strongly opposed to it. “Vivian, don’t listen to anyone else. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do!”

Vivian held both her cheeks. “Thank you, Goombella! Though to be honest…I was a little tempted to try, before any of you said anything!”

Goombella’s eyes went wide. “Really?”

As Vivian silently nodded, all the girls started giggling madly, even Sushie, who was still struggling valiantly to be the voice of reason in the room. “Now, now, if I was you girls’ mother, I’d spank the whole lot of you! Ha, ha!”

Ms. Mowz cackled mischievously. “I knew it! We’re corrupting her! Soon she’ll be one of us bad girls!”

Lady Bow, who had teasingly suggested the idea of spying on the boys in the first place, hid her face as she blushed mad red. “Oh, my! I was only joking about spying! I never thought anyone would actually take me seriously!”

Goombella was laughing too hard to argue. This was just what she needed. A silly little adventure to take her mind off the crazy day she had just survived. Goombella was half tempted to volunteer herself for the spy mission. But Goombella’s better nature won out. “All right! That does it! If any of you spy on the boys, I’m tattling on you! So there!” 

Ms. Mowz cracked her tail like a whip. “Goombella! You spoil sport! You stool pigeon! You…rat fink!”

Goombella stuck out her tongue. “So what if I am! Can you imagine how horrible it would be if one of the boys tried to get in here while–”

There was a ferocious banging at the door, before it burst open. They’d forgotten to lock it! A shadowy form charged into their room, a man! The ladies all squealed and covered themselves, momentarily forgetting that they were all dressed in tasteful and modest sleepwear, all appropriate for a game rated E for Everyone. 

 Goombella nearly jumped out of her pajamas as the strange man lunged for her, shouting, “Quick! There’s no time! Come with me, right away!”

She reached for her helmet and shone her flashlight at the intruder, blinding him momentarily and halting his charge.

It was Mario! Happy to see him alive and unharmed, the women immediately forgot their fury, and swamped him with hugs and kisses.

Mario spluttered as every inch of his face was smooched. “Wha? Mamamia! No, not now! Where’s Goombella?”

Goombella’s jaw went slack, before Mario gently pressed her cheeks between his hands. “Thank goodness you’re still here! I need you, Goombella!”

It all happened so fast. 

Before she knew it, Goombella was being swept off toward Castle Toadstool, Mario hurriedly explaining something about needing an archeologist, about the fate of the entire Mushroom Kingdom being at stake, and about ancient scrolls. Goombella dimly registered the world around her as Kooper rushed out of the boys’ bed room, followed by Goombario, eager to help, and then the whole crew. Mario waved for them all to follow, but as he carried Goombella in his arms, she knew that adventure had come calling for her again.

[End of Chapter 2.5]