RPG Don't Shoot The Goombas

[Queen Asuka]

[color=hotpink][size=1]"If the two of them think they can just escape and go somewhere without me...."

She muttered the rest under her breath and silently crept behind Mario and Pikachu.

She followed them down the brightly lit corridors that made up this level of her castle. But as soon as they began to get closer to the dungeons, the lights dimmed and the air got a bit stale. The dungeons were never used, so she imagined whoever was downthere wasn't very happy.

She watched as the two of them reached the main door, the three guards standing watch there looking very perturbed. They were sweating and holding their weapons uneasily.

"Are you sure you want to go in there, Mr. Mario? He's a very dangerous person..." the guard said shakily.

Mario just nodded solemnly and the guard reluctantly moved aside and let him and Pikachu through. She watched as he shut the main gate back behind them and bolted it three separate times. That was unusual and she began to regret ever coming down here.

"I don't want to know who is behind that door..." she said silently.[/color][/size]

[Charles]

He soon fell asleep after beginning to watch the tapes of his old films. He was awakened by the ringing of his doorbell. Upon hearing it, he dove below the coffee table in front of the couch.

?Just take whatever you want outside,? he said while covering his head with a gold plate he had gotten in Zurich once as a souvenir. ?There's nothing of value in here!?

The doorbell rang again. Assassins were awfully persistent, Cage thought. They were polite at least. Your common sloppy contracted killer would bust in through the windows and jump on your head or sting you with a speed dash. This one was courteous, and probably alone, so Cage went to answer the door, holding a frying pan behind his back he retrieved from the kitchen for protection. He crept up to the door, and the bell rang a third time. He opened the door, and hurled the frying pan towards the person on the other side before he even had a chance to see who it was.

Trish had been in the area ever since she was ousted from the [i]Devil May Cry[/i] cast in favor of Lucia. She was 24 now, and was selling insurance door-to-door to make ends meet as she tried to find a job for herself within the video game industry. Not many jobs needed a blonde who couldn't play volleyball, so here she was at this oh-so-swank mansion outside of Utica.

She was very good at selling insurance actually. It wasn't like the product was very good, just a moderately good life insurance plan. Her main device to sell insurance were her looks. Many the customer was had by a bat of her eyelashes or soft fingering of her lips as she watched the person look over the information packet she had along with her. She had rang the doorbell of this place three times, even though it looked deserted. She turned to go back to her car, parked at the foot of the stairs, when she heard the door open behind her, and turned her head just in time to not see the frying pan hurtling over her head.

Johnny Cage let out an ?eep!? as the pan barely missed her head and crashed into the fountain across the drive from his house, cracking the brass of the bottom water bowl. The nymphs at the top that spouted water were unharmed. She turned around to greet Cage, and he nervously shook her hand, expecting her to kill him any moment now that he had shown belligerence.

?Hello there, Mr...? she looked at a clipboard. ?Cage, Mr. Cage. I?m here today to ask you how your loved ones will be provided for when you've left this world.?

Hmm, this was a new approach. At least the people didn't hide their mission objective anymore. They assumed victory already if this broad was here trying to sell him insurance.

?I don?t know, I don?t really have any loved ones.?

?None at all?? she asked, tilting her head down and looking up at him with penetrating pity-filled eyes while adjusting her black plastic angular glasses.

Just a ruse, Cage thought. Trying to lure him into her trap with her feminine wiles. It wouldn't work! Besides, he had been dead once already and that hadn't stopped him from coming back!

?Nope, none. Now, if you?ll excuse me, I?m trying to avoid being killed.?

?I beg your pardon? Someone's trying to kill you? Who??

?All of you! The whole blasted planet!?

?I?m not trying to kill you.?

?But you know of their plot, yes??

?What plot??

Hmm, she must be out of the loop, and also in danger!

?Quickly! Inside!?

He grabbed Trish by the arm and yanked her inside, slamming the door behind them and locking it quickly. She quickly wrestled herself from his grasp and tried to become part of the anteroom hallway wall to get away from this madman.

[center][color=blue][b][i]Meanwhile[/i][/b][/color][/center]

The Mushroom Kingdom was a colorful place. The sky, stretching behind perfectly rounded hilltops, was a brilliant blue, and the clouds smiled joyfully. Fields of fiery red flowers danced to and fro in time with looping whimsical music that seemed to emanate from the planet itself. Miles of golden plains mirrored the sun's brilliant glow.

The 16 bit festival had attracted the most popular of characters and even those who had only enjoyed fifteen minutes of fame, such as Aero the Acrobat. It was one of the only sanctuaries left undisturbed by the aftermath of war. All of the mushroom people were busying themselves with their usual chores. Everything was good. All was peaceful despite the lingering presence of war in other lands.

One of these mushroom people was weeding his bomb garden when a strange looking fellow approached. He was too tall to be one of the mushroom people and he didn't look very happy.

[color=blue]"Well, hello there, my name is Bip"[/color] the small mushroom man said, brushing his hands against his vest so that he may shake hands with this new acquaintance.

[color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said.

[color=blue]"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Stars. What brings you to the Mushroom Kingdom."[/color]

[color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said.

[color=blue]"Yes, I agree it is a very nice day. Are you going to the festival?"[/color] Bip said.

[color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said.

There was a slight awkward pause, but Bip smiled at his obviously shy new friend and tried to continue the conversation.

[color=blue]"I see that you're not from around here. You'll love the Mushroom Kingdom. The Princess and Mario are so nice,"[/color] Bip said

[color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said, somewhat agitated.

[color=blue]"What's that you have in your hand?"[/color] Bip said.

[color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said, presenting Bip with the slip of paper.

[color=blue]Oh yes, this is Mario. He's the guy I was telling you about. He shacks up with the Princess even though they're not married. They live in the castle," [/color] Bip said.

[color=red][b][i]S.T.A.R.S[/i][/b][/color], the stranger said, stepping over Bip, flattening him like a pancake.

[color=blue][size=1]"Have a nice day,"[/size][/color] Bip said.

[Solo Tremaine]

Fox climbed down the stairs towards the dungeons of the Princess castle. It felt like he was starting to grow again now, which was a relief. He'd already had to avoid being trodden on by a large ape and being eaten by various potted plants dotted around the castle.

Ahead of him, he could see the Princess disappering around a corner. What was she doing down here? Surely she'd be much safer upstairs dealing with the festival. It wasn't so much the fact that she was a woman (he'd already been reprimanded by Krystal for not letting her fly and Arwing), but the fact that she was a figurehead to the entire 16-Bit population. If she were to be attacked or injured, the whole Kingdom would descend into chaos.

He ran after her, slowly feeling himself regain height and speed. He was still only about three quarters of his usual height, but at least the mushroom was wearing off now.

He knew why he was here- to find why Sephiroth had attacked him. Perhaps it was just being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he had to know. There was little he could do about it, save for blow his brains out. He didn't care if it took three years for his laser fie to penetrate the Next-gen's thick skull, he wanted justice.

He rounded the corner just as the door slammed shut, with the Princess. Mario and Pikachu inside th cell. The three guards looked at Fox, then at each other, and shook their heads.

"I'll wait outside, then..." he said quietly, folding his arms and leaning against the wall.