Super Mario Bros. Fan Fiction ❯ Monarchs, a Mayor, and a Manic Seafarer in the Limitless Aqua ❯ Part 1 ( Chapter 1 )

It’s not fair. That was the voice that kept echoing in Daisy’s head. It was the same voice that had echoed numerous times regarding her status as a secondary Mushroom Kingdom character and how she was left out of the starting lineup of Mario Strikers Battle League, among other games.

Why would Nintendo short-change me like this? Especially knowing my history?

It was one thing to be left out of the major titles Nintendo produced in terms of games: Daisy had gotten used to being excluded from the typical platformers, RPGs, and similar games that had always been Nintendo’s bread and butter sellers, as it was something typically rewarded to Mario and his date, Peach. And though irritated that her date Luigi began getting games of his own with the Mansion series without her appearance in those games, she always was supportive of his efforts (even if he wound up being called a ‘wimp’ given his portrayal in those games). But Daisy had become a staple for Nintendo’s Mario Kart series, Mario Party series, and its sporting games whenever they were produced since she was reintroduced to the world with Mario Tennis 64. The latter had always been something Daisy had enjoyed participating in, as she was very athletic and had a tomboyish streak to match it. But with her exclusion from the latest Mario Strikers entry, being beat out by Rosalina of all characters, it felt like a slap in the face regarding her status and her value in the general Mushroom Kingdom entertainment sphere that Nintendo depended on.

What must I do to convince the Nintendo higher-ups that I mean as much as the other female characters in the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse? Do I have to get myself involved in non-traditional mediums to get my name known? Will I have to sell out to other franchises in Nintendo’s catalog to build up my name recognition? Would it be necessary for me to…

“Your majesty!” A voice called out, snapping Daisy out of her train of thought. Half slumped in a chair for the past half hour or so, taking a break from some of her administrative duties (though she was merely the figurehead of a constitutional monarchy), she immediately straightened up and looked to the side, seeing her postmaster minister in the doorway. Apparently, Daisy had forgotten to close the door and lock it.

“You do realize that you can knock on the door, to let me know of your presence.” Daisy said, annoyed by the entire situation.

“I did.” The postmaster minister said, shrinking a bit under Daisy’s gaze, which was hard to do given that he – like all Toads – was already quite small. “You didn’t hear me knock on the door twice over, so I figured I would call out to you.”

Daisy sighed in resignation; it wasn’t something she could adequately get mad over, nor did she want to. “Fair enough postmaster. I take it that you have mail for me?”

“Correct, your majesty. A fair amount of it, in truth. With your permission, the other postal workers in the castle would like to bring it into your chamber.”

“Permission granted.” Daisy replied, a bit surprised that there would be a need for other postal workers to bring in physical mail. Usually there wasn’t much that came in each day. Whatever the case, the postmaster minister nodded and then went away. After his departure, Daisy got up and began pacing around the room, looking out the castle windows and wondering if this mail was in response to her inquiries only a week beforehand.

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In the week or so after she had learned that she wouldn’t be in the initial lineup of Mario Strikers Battle League, Daisy became a despondent wreck that seemed inconsolable. Even reassurances that she would almost certainly be a part of a DLC package later on could not bolster her spirits. She spent an entire day lying in bed and wouldn’t allow anyone into her personal chambers for days thereafter, something that deeply worried her ministers, attendants, and other workers in the castle. In fact, her only real correspondence beyond her chambers were in the form of memos and other writings, meant for mailing and whatever administrative decisions fell upon her shoulders. Whatever memos distributed within the castle were kept short, oftentimes left to ‘yes or no’ responses regarding whatever tasks needed her input, political or otherwise.

Her other writings, however, were formal letters to virtually every other part of the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse asking for assistance/support in her time of need regarding her ‘depleted’ status in the Metaverse and hopes that she could be given greater influence in its upcoming games, even if they were limited to the sporting variety. During this time, there were hints of wanting vengeance towards Peach and Rosalina, for cheating her out of even this lowly position of existence. Yet at the same time, she practiced some level of restraint, out of memory the last time she did so: she had remembered some time before, wanting to regain some of her past self, that parallel universes collided with both her past and present self, creating more problems than what she and others anticipated and almost creating an existential paradox where nearly everything could have been destroyed. She remembered the hurt she had caused for herself, as well as for Peach and Rosalina, and knew that she could never go through that again. If there WAS some way to get back at them, she would have to do so in such a way that would not cause them any more anguish than what she was experiencing at the moment. Daisy just didn’t know what that would be.

As it was, Daisy felt like she was making a long-shot effort to get noticed in the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse, one that expanded in various ways and then whose expansions were quickly forgotten. Compared to these pocket-realms, she was considered a high-level character who had tenure in Nintendo’s entertainment portfolio, one that would be eagerly used at any time to promote their standard bearer and its related characters. Still, Daisy knew she had to make the effort. Merely wishing for something to happen, as effective as it was in the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse, would not work this go-around. She needed to take action on her own accord.

After the letters were sent, she would sink into a semi-stupor, trying to make sense of her status and what happened… and her actions thereafter. Daisy wondered how this ‘getting back’ at Peach and Rosalina would be better than the last time, and if it was to work out in a way that it wouldn’t result in a negative sum result. All the while, she brooded over her situation and how unfair it all felt. Even though the week that went by was exceptionally cheery in terms of its weather, there was an atmosphere that was definitely overcast, and everyone felt it; workers in the castle became tired more quickly, to the point that coffee and tea was being made almost constantly, instead of just the usual early morning and mid-afternoon periods. Someone even hinted that they were using more of those drinks a day than they normally would for half a week.

In such a state of gloom, Daisy might have forgotten to eat and drink had it not been for the usual chiming of the clock, which indicated when to had something to keep her going. Mostly she got by with some tea and some crackers, the most she could stomach on a regular day given her sloth and not caring about what she ate and drank (which was par for the course given that Daisy was technically a fictional character). She didn’t have much of an appetite anyway.

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All of this, however, was washed away when Daisy learned of the ‘significant’ amount of mail she received. Curious on what it was, she went off to a standing desk off in the corner of the room, preparing her rollerball pen to respond to the inquiries that had been made. It’s probably nothing more than the usual requests from the territories about some sort of nonsense they can handle. These documents can be easily sent out the same day. That was the thought Daisy typically had in the back of her head.

Soon enough, a pair of postal carriers came in. One of them carried the usual stack of envelopes, a bit thicker than normal but otherwise not that unusual to see. But the second postal carrier produced a fairly sizable box that, at least by the looks of the carrier, was quite heavy. Then again, for most Toads they found limits to what was heavy very quickly. Daisy was naturally concerned by this. “Did you make sure the box was scanned for any threats?” She asked the carrier, fearful that they may have forgotten and that someone was perhaps making an attempt of assassination.

The carrier replied, “I can assure you that we have scanned it thoroughly, your majesty. It appears to be money with a long letter included in it.”

“If you could please, I’d like for you to open it outside of my presence in a secured location. Once we can determine that this isn’t a threat, the contents can be brought back to this room for examination.” Daisy said. “I need to go through the rest of this mail first anyway.” The postal carrier with the box nodded and made his way back downstairs, struggling with the weighted parcel as he did. The other postal carrier, after noticing this, turned to Daisy and said, “Here is the rest of the mail, your majesty. I ought to help my co-worker.” Daisy nodded, and took the letters offered, to which the postal carrier left to tend to his co-worker.

As expected, much of the mail was the same usual discussion points from greater Sarasaland territories, though there was some uplifting letters that had come in too from the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse, telling her to keep her head up and on straight and that they would try to put in a good word or two for her purposes. Some even ventured to visit her to discuss potential courses of action towards Nintendo in order to get her more of the recognition that she deserved. Daisy was about ready to begin writing the responses when the postal carriers returned with the open box, this time being moved around on a cart. “Here are the contents from the package.” One of the postal carriers said. “It came from a place called Rogueport. In spite of the reputation of that place, it does not appear to be malicious.”

The commentary of the postal carriers spiked Daisy’s interest. She only knew that Rogueport was part of the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse and, like much of it, fell through the creative cracks once the story it centered on was completed by the Nintendo higher-ups. In particular, Nintendo had decided to push the boundaries on appropriateness with Rogueport, perhaps as a way to appeal to a wider audience beyond kids and those who were kids at heart, and afterwards felt a little off about doing so. They were happy to let it fall into obscurity, which explained why Daisy thought it would be an appropriate candidate for reaching out for support. But she didn’t expect a heavy payment, as if someone was paying a bill: a large bag of coins was present, enough for a few extra lives. There was a note included too, as a formal letter. Daisy quickly looked over it:

Greetings. I have gotten your letter recently, and as an individual who has been out of the limelight for some time, I fully understand your feelings about being ignored. Especially given your past appearances in Nintendo games. As it stands, I may have some use for you and your talents, but I would rather not tell you in this letter should it fall into improper hands. Instead, I want you to come to Rogueport where we can meet in person and discuss the proposition. This letter will act as proof that you have come to see me, so don’t forget it! The money I have provided you ought to be enough to provide you travel to Rogueport; afterwards the letter will provide you a pass on free lodging at the Dreadnought Hotel, as well as for transportation to my place and for drink/food for your stay. Other details I will handle as they come up. And do bring along a security detail; while the overall crime statistics have improved dramatically in the nearly two decades since the ‘unpleasantness’ blew up, Rogueport’s reputation still remains rough and I want to ensure of your safety while you visit and conduct business with me.

I hope to see you in the next week Daisy.

C.S.

“Wow.” That was about the only word that Daisy could say. At the same time, she thought, If this C.S. person is willing to pay for me to come out to Rogueport, then it’s a lead worth pursuing. Especially if Nintendo is willing to push me to the artistic margins like they have. I better let the ministers know about my plans. With that, she took both the letter and the money, and then proceeded down to the main floors of the castle.

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Much of the ministry in charge of external affairs were, like much of the castle employ, were in a bit of a flat mood. They were well aware of Daisy’s letter writings, and while they decided not to talk her out of it, they all thought of it as a major waste of energy. They had been mostly handling some of their own backlogs on their tasks when Daisy came knocking.

“Minister Certi. I have travel plans I need to make effective immediately. Tell the primary and secondary security details to prepare as soon as possible.” Daisy announced. Certi, a Toad that was considered middle-aged by the standards of his ‘species’ (though it was irrelevant given his status as a fictional character), looked up from his work and half smiled, pleased to see his monarch in a good mood for once. “That’s good to hear that you want to get out, your majesty. I believe that a little time out of the castle will get you into better spirits.” After taking a drink from his tea, he then proceeded to ask, “What will your travel destinations be?”

“It will be Rogueport, Minister Certi.” Daisy replied. The answer caused Certi to freeze up suddenly, almost as if he had a major internal complication that spoke of his imminent demise. A long pause followed, which annoyed Daisy considerably. “What? Is there something so different about me traveling to Rogueport that it makes people freeze up?” she requested. To this, Certi turned his head with a sense of disgust and dread towards Daisy and said, “Yes. Didn’t you know what happened to Peach when she went there nearly a generation ago?”

“I don’t believe it will be a problem for me, Certi. As I have stated before, I will be bringing along a major security detail. And I’m not expecting you to come along with me.”

“I’m still not fully convinced about your safety, your majesty. Even without the risk of demonic possession, Rogueport got its name for the rampant criminality it has been said to continue on for generations. To have royalty show up in such a place, even with the security detail you plan to bring along, would be irresponsible for everyone.”

“I don’t care.” Daisy replied. “I’ve already made up my mind on this decision, and the sooner travel begins, the better.”

“But what would goad you, of all people in this Metaverse, to go out to such a place?”

“This letter, as well as payment for me to come out to Rogueport.” While saying this, Daisy produced the letter and the bag of coins for Certi to examine. Eager to figure out what was driving this princess into wanting to get into travel, Certi looked over the money, rubbing the coins gingerly to make sure they were legitimate, and not just some metal that was pressed into the form of coins and dusted with a type of brassy dust paint. They were the real deal. Then Certi looked over the letter, becoming disconcerted with what he read. After finishing, he looked up at Daisy and said, “Are you sure you want to make a trip based upon a random letter you received? I have no clue who this C.S. person is at all.”

“I sent the letter off to the municipal government of Rogueport, Minister Certi. That is a safe channel to send letters to when making official inquiries, as you are well aware.”

“Your Majesty, I don’t believe that Rogueport has a central government. At least according to various sources, it’s basically ruled by competing organized crime groups and street gangs.”

“When was this information gathered Certi?”

“Back from Peach’s security agents after the demonic possession episode.”

“A lot can happen in roughly 18 years’ time, Certi. I’m sure that at least Mario has cleared up enough of the mess that it shouldn’t be a problem by now. Or it may be less of a problem now than it once was, due to the attention it got when it did.”

“Even so it still seems like a bad idea from my perspective. Plus it feels almost like another spite-ridden idea you got into your head to get back…”

“YES IT IS!” Daisy half-shouted in interruption. “How can it not be!? Especially knowing how much tenure I have in the Nintendo company profile and how many base appearances I have made!? If I’m so important in the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse, why then would they leave me out of the initial Mario Strikers Battle League roster!? They should have looked back on the past titles and could have figured out how important I was for the game!!” Certi began to shrink from this tirade; he knew that Daisy was not a person to argue with even when she was in a good mood, and given how sour she had been for the past week, it was best not to challenge her. Daisy, having noticed this, flatly said, “If Nintendo won’t direct make use for me, I will make indirect use out of them by exploiting them! And this is the safest way to it, as far as I know!”

Certi didn’t agree with this assessment, knowing how much the fans with the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse were making as big of a stink about Daisy’s initial lack of presence with the Mario Strikers Battle League game as she was (though were doing so in a more artistic slant). Plus he was nervous about what kind of trouble Daisy could attract for herself: he was well aware about the parallel universes episode she engaged in, which couldn’t have been more disastrous for the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse if it could be imagined. But he knew that nothing was going to change Daisy’s mind at this point. With that, he meekly replied, “If you feel the need to go on this trip, then do take all the precautions that your security team recommends. And do come back intact.” Daisy merely nodded, took the letter and coins, and was out the door. From there she stopped by the in-castle barracks, which housed her security detail. She then proceeded to tell the personnel of her plans and to prepare mobilization for her security’s sake. The main guard on duty was fine with this, as he was used to orders of this detail. But when Daisy mentioned Rogueport, he shuddered a bit, saying it would take extra time to prepare and that it would be a longer trip than expected, though it did have a skyport it could use. This was agreeable to Daisy, and let the guards prepare for the trip. With nothing now standing in her way, Daisy felt it was appropriate to send an appropriate response back to Rogueport and the mysterious C.S. individual. Her reply was to the point:

Thanks for your support C.S.. I will be in Rogueport in the next few days via the skyport. I do not need a fancy reception for my presence. And I look forward to meeting you to discuss plans further.

Daisy

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After a day’s preparation, the trip was a go. Daisy, along with two dozen guards and a half-dozen assistants, packed up the dirigible that would be made for the trip. Certi and the others watched over the scene with concern: upon making her announcement that she was making a trip to Rogueport, the castle was thrown into a tizzy. Though much of it was based on an incident from nearly a generation ago, there nevertheless was a consensus that she was being irresponsible in making a trip to such a seedy place in the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse. Unfortunately, knowing how stubborn Daisy was when she had made up her mind, no one had the heart to fully protest and find some way of keeping her from leaving on this trip. All they could do was keep their fingers crossed that she didn’t cause the same amount of trouble for herself and others like she had for the parallel universes episode. At the same time, they were preparing for the inevitable outcry from the families of those joining Daisy on her trip: getting a position of work at Daisy’s castle was considered an honor but also was considered relatively safe; to put individuals in danger was something that much of Sarasaland would find intolerable.

Daisy was well aware of these feelings, but at the same time she was unmoved. Her exclusions from Nintendo’s recent athletic lineup was too much for her to care about her employ and her subjects as she normally would. She was going to Rogueport to meet up with the mysterious C.S., and that was final. As the dirigible took off, she could see much of the employ of the castle with mournful looks in their eyes, in spite of the fact that they were smiling. Daisy then thought the following: I swear, if my castle employ is acting as if I am about ready to be sucked into a black hole, I can only imagine how much more ‘popular’ Nintendo characters’ employs must treat them like priceless relics.

The trip out to Rogueport was rather dull, all things being considered. Daisy along with her traveling companions flew over much of Sarasaland, seeing stuff they had seen a number of times when air travel was considered a necessity. When they eventually reached the ocean, everyone save for the pilots largely stopped looking outside of the windows. Many played with the various game materials that were provided on board, while others merely read over whatever texts they brought along for the trip. Daisy spent much of her time going through her head how she would meet with the mysterious C.S. individual; there was no intelligence on who this person was knowing that it was technically part of the greater Mushroom Kingdom, and while Peach was keen on sharing developments within the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse for mutually shared protection, there was always a number of noteworthy security gaps where places she had been to were quickly forgotten, something that was suspect for a monarch that chronically was being abducted by a massive, mutated snapping turtle creature.

Daisy went over the details of Rogueport that she knew of: it was a town that, in millenniums’ past, was centered on a once-prosperous kingdom not unlike the Mushroom Kingdom. But for reasons that appeared to be an internal squabble within the aristocracy determining governance over the land, a major cataclysm erupted between the ruling family and a sorceress which almost completely destroyed the capitol. Ultimately the sorceress, named the Shadow Queen by outsiders, was defeated but not destroyed, and was sealed off in what remained of the castle of the city via a magical door. Because the damage to the capitol was so extreme, what survivors took whatever belongings they could and fled the place, never to return again. No one knew exactly when individuals began to resettle the geography, but everyone knew exactly WHY they fled to these ruins: nearly all were convicted criminals or those that had dubious histories, and with rumors that the ruins were cursed, they made new homes among the geography as a way to protect themselves from the authorities. What few others that came were treasure-seekers, hoping to find riches from the wreckage, but never finding anything of monetary value. Over time, the people that stayed and stayed alive long enough began to convert much of the ruins into a sewer system – as much of it sat underwater to varying degrees – and began building dwellings above it, creating Rogueport proper. Over the centuries, it had become equally labeled a libertarian paradise and an anarchist cesspit due to the fact that there was no real government ruling the place; the closest thing to an actual government was organized crime families and street gangs that came and went depending on their fortunes.

Peach wound up getting involved in the affair when individuals that were somehow connected to the Shadow Queen found a way to crack the seal on the magical door: a map on the keys to which kept the door in place was located, but could only be accessed by a ‘pure-hearted person’. She was able to access the map, and in the process was abducted by the same individuals who planned to use her as a vessel for the Shadow Queen’s return. But thanks to a switcheroo that only Peach could pull off unconsciously, the map was mailed off to Mario, who intervened to rescue her and who ultimately destroyed the Shadow Queen. After that misadventure, Peach smartly decided to stay away from Rogueport.

It had been a long time since anyone had mentioned anything about Rogueport outside of that episode. And mostly it was in a hushed tone, as if all of it was a terrifying story that, even with the repeat abductions Peach had been victim to, was particularly out of place knowing the dark tones surrounding the overall situation. Yet Daisy was unmoved: though she wouldn’t say it to anyone’s face, but she had more of a backbone than Peach had and was not afraid to make her case known to any potential abductor or criminal. She had more of a security detail along with her anyway, so she felt more confident about making her rounds in this place for the 2-3 days she expected to be there.

As Daisy sat down in a recliner, trying to deduce what was the best plans for her stay would be with such limited information, a guard came in, a little confused for no reason at all: “Your majesty, we are going to be landing soon. Though…”

“Though what?” Daisy said, wondering if something was amiss that she wasn’t aware of.

“I’m not sure if we are truly landing in Rogueport. The pilot insists that the coordinates are accurate, but the view is very different; it does not appear to be some run-down town along a largely unremarkable coastline. It looks like we are landing in the midst of an actual city!” Daisy, puzzled about the report, got up out of the recliner and followed the guard out of her room to the corridor where the windows to the outside were installed. Upon looking out, she was stunned by the scene that presented her, indeed the entire population of the dirigible: instead of a largely ramshackle town that somehow managed to have a skyport, there was a surprisingly well-maintained city that was surrounding it and a local train station. It definitely wasn’t what Daisy was expecting, and she began eyeing the front of the dirigible, but the guard said, “I’d rather not do that, your majesty. The pilot has already received a dozen questions about the location, and is quite irritated.” Not wishing to challenge the guard on that idea, Daisy then said, “I’m going to get myself prepared for the initial visit. I expect dignitaries to see me up front, and they will request the letter that they sent me as proof of my identity.” And so she did, making sure that she was in as a presentable stature to whoever was doing the greeting (not that she had to do much outside of applying some fresh makeup and some light perfume).

Once the dirigible had secured its landing, half of the security team went out, followed by Daisy and the attendants, as well as the remaining half of the security team. Daisy tried not to draw attention to herself, not knowing exactly what awaited her when she got out of the dirigible and how the population of what was now a mystery city would react to a monarch in their midst. It was mystifying though: how was it, that a town that was as ramshackle in terms of both its form and its attitude, had grown up so suddenly in nearly a generation’s time? It doesn’t make sense that a place like Rogueport could grow that fast, Daisy thought as she exited the dirigible. I can understand a place shrinking that fast due to economic downfalls and restructurings, as well as social conflagrations. But growing at this rate would take something else that would require something that would only be found in a video game, and even then probably would be through some sort of cheat code or mod. I can only hope that it isn’t something that would be on the same level as the Shadow Queen. For the first time, Daisy was having some doubts about this visit.

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Once everyone had gotten onto solid ground, the group moved gingerly towards the skyport holding areas while the luggage was being sorted out. Upon making sure the area was secured by the guards, Daisy entered and was met by some other Toad-like guards that seemed a bit dingy compared to her own. They also appeared slightly more… malicious in the terms of their atmosphere, as if they were about to attack at any moment. Daisy, upon seeing this, became increasingly uncomfortable as she approached what appeared to the leader of the group, almost as if he was a gang leader. She did her best to keep as straight of a face as she could when facing the leader, producing the letter that had been sent to her. At this, she said “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Here is proof that my presence was requested.”

The leading guard half-smiled when he saw this, and in a cockney-sounding voice, stated “It’s almost as much of a pleasure for ya to make ya way off to our place. C.S. wasn’t expecting ya to show up knowing our past; I daresay ya have more backbone than most people do.” Daisy didn’t know how to react to the commentary; it was definitely a compliment, but it also felt condescending in a way that spoke of something suspicious. What that could have been was unknown to her.

“Any rate, I betcha want to this C.S. individual is. It may be the biggest question on ya mind.” The lead guard continued. To this, Daisy nodded somewhat meekly, not typical of her personality. “That will be for tomorrow. For now, we will take ya and ya entourage to the hotel ya will be staying in. I will let ya security detail examine the busses while we check over ya luggage. And do remember to take off any metal stuff when going through the detector and X-Ray.”

“X-Ray!?” Daisy exclaimed, horrified about the implications regarding such a device, even if it was for security purposes.

“Well, it’s more of a body scanner than anything else. We shouldn’t let ya run around with weaponry hidden in or on ya, in case ya want to try to pull a fast one.”

“That is ridiculous!” Daisy exclaimed, half-outraged by the commentary and with her mind still on the implications. “You are telling me, of all people in the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse, that I have to walk through a device that is going to give all of you a peep show of me without my clothes on, just to see if contain some sort of weapon for a future cavity search, or otherwise to exploit me for some sort ‘free-loading’ session in your spare time? It’s absolutely obscene! Plus there are enough people on fan art websites that already create such ‘views’ of me for their sickening pleasures; I don’t want the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse to be following in this stead!”

“Madam, it’s a necessary security requirement. C.S. is very insistent that we check over people and things to ensure that there is no extra weaponry beyond what official security personnel brings along enters Rogueport, or otherwise leaves it.” The guard said, eyeing her with a sense of intimidation. “We cannot allow anyone in or out of the city without passing through it. Besides, ya guards and attendants are going through it as we speak. And they aren’t making as big of a stink as ya are.” The guard then pointed towards what looked like a major scanning terminal, where one of the Toad guards from Daisy’s travel group, after passing on his metal armaments and other equipment, stepped into a booth; soon thereafter a picture appeared on a small screen in front of the Toad guard from the other group who was speaking into a microphone, telling the person to turn in one direction after a minute or two. After about five minutes, the Toad guard that had entered then exited, taking his armaments with him.

“OK.” Daisy said, feeling defeated by the entire thing and knowing all too well that she wouldn’t be able to visit C.S. unless she went through the scanner. “But I’m going to log a complaint to C.S. about this. This is NOT how anyone treats royalty!” The guard she spoke this to was unmoved.

Daisy proceeded to stand in the same line as the guards and the attendants did, stewing the entire time. This is absolutely indecent! Daisy thought as she and the rest of the line moved forward, bit by bit as each person moved through. I know how these machinations work. In spite of their stated purposes, they are primarily set up to exploit those who are considered the ‘attractive’ types for secret peep shows that can be passed on to others. Well, if they are THAT keen on seeing me in my totality, I will make it explicit to their intentions and see how long it takes before the people watching me have to go shower at least. THEN maybe security will come to realize that objectifying people in the name of security is still considered obscene! Soon enough, Daisy came in front of the scanner booth, and after taking off her brooch, crown, and earrings (as all had metal in their makeup), she stepped into the booth.

Once situated inside, she began looking around the plain looking booth. But before she had much of a chance to absorb her surroundings, a voice from a speaker above stated, “Madam, if you could turn towards your left.” Daisy dutifully did so, and in a split second realized that the speaker was in the same wall as the scanner portal. Taking advantage of this, she then pressed her chest to the screen and sarcastically shouted, “OK, how do you like the view? Does it make you feel more like a man to see such a BALLOON ARRANGEMENT?”

“Um… uh… Madam, this isn’t helping…” The guard said, clearly becoming uncomfortable by this sudden display, something he did not expect. Goaded by this reaction, Daisy then turned around and then pressed her butt into the scanner image. “Oh I’m sorry, maybe you would prefer a ride instead? You’d be more than comfortable riding on my CABOOSE! It’s got plenty of padding!”

“Madam… I… really don’t believe that this is professional…”

“WELL NEITHER IS SEEING ME NAKED FOR SECURITY PURPOSES!!”

“Uhh… OK, I’ll give ya a pass. The metal detector wasn’t activated by anything suspicious anyway.” With that a lit-up arrow sign appeared inside the booth, and Daisy exited. Waiting for her was a bin containing the décor she took off, which she put on nonchalantly. During this time, she eyed the guard watching over the security scanner; who seemed very shaken by the display that had taken place. Satisfied that she had gotten him rattled, Daisy moved on to meet with the others. As it was, some of the guards were whispering to each other about what transpired; Daisy, already a bit worn down from her escapade, let them chat.

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Soon enough, everyone in Daisy’s travel group had gone through the X-Ray scanner and was given clearance. During this wait, besides the murmurs regarding Daisy’s experience with the security look-over, they were bedazzled by what they were seeing outside the skyport windows, along with the skyport itself: much like when they were in the process of landing, they were expecting a basic landing spot, as well as rather rough facilities. What they got was every bit as polished as any place they had been to when Daisy had made her travel rounds through Sarasaland, and that the surroundings appeared every bit as polished as the skyport. They did note – with considerable bemusement – that they had to go through an excessive security process to get to this point, something that even without Daisy’s surprising reaction was disconcerting.

After the last person from the travel group came out and got situated, the lead guard from before came out. “It seems all got through scanning OK, in spite of one… complication.” he said, eyeing Daisy. She decided not to retort, knowing that she could send her complaint directly to C.S. – whoever that was – and get a better explanation to the episode. “Now we can tend to getting ya to the hotel where ya all will be staying at for the visit. We have provided a bus to get ya all to your destination; I and the rest of the security group will shadow ya to ya destination. Further instructions will be provided upon ya arrival and ya settling in your rooms. As everything has been loaded up, we can move on to our destination. Follow me, if ya please.” Moving to the right, the guard leader directed the group towards what appeared to be a private hallway (with Daisy in the middle), which then lead out to a covered parking lot. Inside was a bus and a half-dozen police cars, the former finishing up with luggage load-up. Once that was done, Daisy motioned to one of the guards in her group to check over the bus, and a half-dozen guards then began scrutinizing every centimeter of the bus that they could see. After about ten minutes, they gave Daisy the OK, and she and the rest of the group boarded the bus while the other security group either got into the police cars or otherwise returned to the skyport complex.

The bus in itself was up to the standards of large carrier buses that Daisy and the others had been on before. It was clean, comfortable, and above all else functioned properly. In a way it was the first time Daisy and the rest weren’t wowed by something in Rogueport. But that would change as they began to go through the city: everything on the ground level seemed to surprise them as they saw it, with Daisy perhaps being the most surprised. It just is weird. She thought as she went through a part of town that Peach told her had an open gallows in the public square, but now merely had what everyone would learn to be a commemorative plaque describing its historical importance. This Rogueport is absolutely NOTHING like what I was told it would be. It doesn’t appear to be a crime-ridden cesspit at all, but some hyper-secure place where people flipped their approach to eliminating criminality as much as possible. Even with that dumb x-ray scanning nonsense, they seem to care about their city, and not wanting it to go to seed, or any more to seed if what C.S. says it has become. Indeed, it would almost be as if they would want Peach to come back and STAY with them! And she would accept it readily! Well… maybe not the x-ray scanner part. But then again… when she was being held captive on the moon, she did say that she walked around naked, albeit invisibly. Geez… now I don’t know what to think about her and Rogueport any more.

All of this musing came to an end when the bus stopped in front of what looked like a brick wall fortification. Daisy wanted to know what the holdup was, and looked out the windows. It was a considerable wall, about three meters tall, in front of a gate that had two large anchors flanking it. But more significantly than that was the building around it, which Daisy could see pointing upwards: it was about ten meters tall and was a beaming fortress, almost as if someone had taken apart a wooden-hull ship and rebuilt it in a form of a sky-scraper (even though it was fairly obvious that the entire building was made out of concrete and that this nautical theme was a facade). It didn’t take much guessing that this was the Dreadnought Hotel Daisy and her group would be staying in.

Once the gate fully opened and the lead police car was granted permission to enter (to which the bus could then go forward), Daisy saw a substantial botanical garden surrounding much of the premises, as well as what looked like to be a significant meditation vista, all while keeping with the general nautical theme. It was every bit as impressive as anything seen within the garden at her castle, as well as other castles. The scene was whisked away a few minutes later, however, as the bus and the police cars headed to a nearby parking garage, which was much like the parking garage that they had left about 15-20 minutes before. After staying parked for another five minutes, to which the local guard detail went about to inspect the area, one of them announced to Daisy’s group that the place was secured, that they could leave the bus, and to make sure the letter that was showcased earlier was present. With letter in hand, Daisy and half of the guards got off the bus and gingerly made their way out to the hotel while the attendants and the remaining security personnel handled the luggage.

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It was soon thereafter – exiting the connecting stairway – that Daisy and the group entered a large hall that appeared to house some conference rooms on both sides. The hallway itself was vast, with plenty of room for groups of people to go in one direction or another, and as it was there was a small group coming in the opposite direction, being lead by a guard who opened a door and guided them in. Beyond the groups moving in and out of the hallway, the nautical theme continued in earnest: the walls and trim resembled the insides of a wooden hull ship, much like it did outside, though there were more obvious details that were now easy to see, like twine rope borders on the signs regarding the conference rooms and lanterns hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the corridor. About the only thing that didn’t feel like being on a wooden hull ship was the floor: it was carpeted, though its color matched that of the wall.

As impressive as this hallway was, it was nothing compared to the lobby that Daisy and her group stepped into. It was massive, almost as big as the reception area that Daisy had back in her castle. Flanking each side of the entrance to each hall was a replica lighthouse, which provided light to the area alongside numerous lantern chandeliers hanging overhead, all of which looked like captain’s wheels but with lanterns hanging from the pin-holds (she noticed nine of them in the square room). On the floor of the lobby was a set of four octagonal lounge couches, all of which looked like steel-rimmed barrels that were molded into sitting spots, situated in such a way that filled in the chandelier gaps if it was being viewed from the ceiling. All around the wall parameter were paintings of famous naval vessels and seafarers from generations’ past, all offset with large planter pots that showcased whimsical ocean scenery and where tropical flowers were growing out. In between the lounge couches and directly in front of the hallway entrances both where Daisy had come from and opposite of her were a pair of winding staircases, which wound off to the walls and lead up to a mezzanine, which seemed to house a small library with some chairs and tables to sit at and read. This mezzanine was located above the front desk, which stood out in a state of dazzling opulence: the top of the counter was of a white marble, and the paneling beneath it was a deep mahogany carved with an incredibly detailed seafaring scene. Behind the desk was a large, encapsulated waterfall whose sound provided a relaxing din to the atmosphere and whose aroma soothed the nostrils with its saltiness.

To all of this, Daisy thought, About the only thing missing here is some random person playing an accordion as background music.

Outside of Daisy and her entourage, as well as the front desk receptionists, the only people in the lobby was the Rogueport security detail, which was standing sentry at the various entrances to the lobby. It was clear that they had shooed away anyone that wasn’t necessary for the hotel’s functionality as a protective measure to Daisy’s welfare. Not wanting to think about that too much, Daisy and the group headed to the front desk, where a Toadette with a slightly nervous look on her face was waiting. “I take it that you must be Princess Daisy of Sarasaland.” she said.

“That is correct. Here is the document that I was told to present to you.” Daisy replied, handing over the letter that has launched the trip. Upon reading through it, the receptionist returned the letter and said, “Everything appears in order! Welcome to the Dreadnought Hotel; I will provide you with the keys to access the rooms for your stay. One moment please.” The receptionist along with two others then went back behind the waterfall, almost certainly looking for the keys to the rooms. While this was going on, the remaining security personnel and Daisy’s attendants came in with the luggage on numerous carrier rigs. The attendants were every bit as amazed with the lobby as Daisy had been, though the security personnel remained blasé about the scene, as per their training.

After what wound up being close to ten minutes (as per the announcement of the wall clock signal above the front desk), the attendants came back with a large pile of key-cards. “Please forgive the wait, Daisy. We had a lot of cards to program.” The head receptionist stated. Daisy merely nodded and smiled, not wanting to put the staff ill at ease. A little more relaxed from this gesture, the receptionist then said, “You have been given access to the hotel’s penthouse suite on the top floor. All of your attendants and security personnel have been assigned rooms on the floor below. If you have any questions, feel free to call us.”

“Thank you. Now if you could point be towards the elevators, that would be great.” Daisy said. “It will naturally take too long to get everything up the stairs.” To that, the receptionist responded, “There are two sets of elevators on each side of the front desk area. Both inevitably leads to the destinations you are looking for.” Daisy then nodded, and the group began searching for the elevators. Once found, they split up: Daisy’s group that was in charge of her belongings and her welfare would take the elevators on the ‘port side’ up to the penthouse, while everyone else would take the ‘starboard side’ elevators up to the floor below for their resting spots.

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Upon boarding the elevator with two security guards, two attendants, and one rig of luggage belonging to her (the nautical theme continued in the elevator but minimally), Daisy proceeded to the penthouse floor, simply labeled P. After a long but thankfully uninterrupted trip to the top floor, Daisy and her small group made it to the penthouse, where Rogueport guards were waiting in earnest. One of Daisy’s guards then approached them with the key to the penthouse, and getting a positive nod, was admitted entrance to look over the place. After another ten minutes of exploring, they returned and motioned Daisy and the attendants to enter.

The penthouse suite was vast, containing a massive seating area that could have accommodated a dozen people at once, all centered around a massive home theater setup that was similar to what Daisy had back at her castle (even if it went unused most of the time). Adjacent to it was a kitchenette that was fully stocked with numerous supplies that stretched the definition of what was considered a ‘kitchenette’, and nearby was a dining room table that could have seated up to eight people with its octagonal design. There also was a small upright piano in one of the corners, in case someone brought in a pianist to provide music for the atmosphere, even though the technological setup meant that people could bring in their own music already made and played elsewhere (upon closer inspection, it was an electronic piano that was programmable). And there was a sizable bookshelf containing about a hundred books, all of them of the various classics from generations’ past; along the binders appeared to be stickers showcasing that these belonged to the hotel in general and the penthouse suite in particular. It was clear that some people had tried to take the books with them, something that aggravated the hotel management into taking action to prevent that, or as much as they could knowing it was Rogueport.

Daisy then proceeded to the bedroom. Compared to the main area, the bedroom was less busy, but still contained a king-sized bed, a few end tables, and a telephone (though there was a telephone in the main area). A chest of drawers, a massive desk set for work purposes, and a luxury recliner complete with an ottoman stool filled in the space. It was much like Daisy’s bedroom, though with a definitive nautical theme, much like the rest of the hotel. Adjacent to it was the bathroom, which contained a full-size walk-in shower area, a toilet-bidet combination unit, and one of those ‘swim spa’ jacuzzis, alongside an obligatory sink and vanity area. It was also noted that there was a second door that lead to the main area, though both were equipped with locking mechanisms to keep people from entering randomly, and there were some signs reminding people to lock both doors when doing ‘business’. Well, at least they are given caution to people’s decency here. I wished they would have done so at the skyport. Daisy thought as she saw the signs.

Exiting the bathroom, Daisy went to the guards and said, “Well, I guess we can call ourselves settled for the moment. I’ll let you two stand outside and watch over the place until I can give additional orders. I and the attendants will begin unpacking.” One of the guards nodded and replied, “Very well then, your majesty. Let us know if anything changes.” With that they left to the area outside of the penthouse suite, closing the door behind them. Daisy then turned to the attendants and said, “I guess we better start unpacking. We have a lot to prepare for the meeting tomorrow, whenever it is.” The attendants nodded and soon the sounds of unzipping traveling bags were filling the air. Soon Daisy was putting away some of her cosmetics and getting some of her dresses and other clothing articles stashed away in the bedroom, with attendants helping her as needed. It was during this time that, while she was laying out the dress in which she would wear to the meeting with C.S., a note was spied resting on the pillows of the bed. Surprised that the guards didn’t notice this, Daisy retrieved the note; it was in the same writing style as the letter that started the trip:

I’m immensely pleased that you could come out to Rogueport on such short notice. Now that you are here, I’d like to have the meeting with you at 2:00 PM tomorrow. My security detail will once again provide transportation, expected to arrive at 1:00 PM. If you are planning on having lunch beforehand, try to eat light. Otherwise, I don’t expect too much from you for the meeting; I mostly want to support you in your time of despair and loneliness. Just make sure you practice proper safety when being out in the hotel: don’t go anywhere without your security personnel, eat your meals in the penthouse suite, and so on. I know that this is probably old hat for you by now, but I want to ensure of your safety as much as I can while you stay here for the time being.

C.S.

I guess I have made this person’s day, whatever it is. Daisy thought. But I don’t know if going through that x-ray scanner was worth it, all things being considered. At least the hotel room is well put-together and there are ways to keep myself entertained within the room.

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As it was, Daisy was in as little of a mood to do much of anything, except unpack. Though she did pack relatively light for this trip, not knowing how long she would be in Rogueport, there nevertheless was much to bring out of the luggage bags in terms of clothing and other details, and making sure that everything was in proper order took some time. Once everything that felt necessary to be brought out was put into place, Daisy felt the need to lie down for a bit and rest on the bed. She also turned on the electronic piano, getting some of the music programmed on it to play something that could relax her nerves for the moment.

What a weird day it has been. Daisy thought as she listened to the piano play some soft music that was part of a ‘relaxation’ play list. Here I am, in a place called Rogueport, and yet… it doesn’t feel ANYTHING like the Rogueport that I was told existed. It’s all built up and heavily secure, almost to the point that it is stifling and devoid of sentient dignity. How is this possible, knowing it’s history and its ill repute that this C.S. person is so obsessed over? I mean, I have to believe that elements within the greater Mushroom Kingdom Meatverse is like this: things change significantly over time if they are ignored for long enough. But I cannot imagine them changing THIS much! It almost feels as if everything was scripted, that someone has been playing some sort of a joke on me and are trying to exploit me. Well, if they want to offer support to me on getting into Mario Strikers Battle League, I’d be more than happy with that. Anything more than that, and I may have to reconsider my options. It’s not something I want to encourage knowing what I did to settle scores with Peach some time ago, and in this case I don’t want her to suffer anymore than she already has with her repeated abductions. Then after a few minutes, Daisy then thought, Now I’m hungry. I hope they have something I can munch on in the suite. Upon getting up, she went ahead and checked some of the cabinetry. Inside was a variety of treats, including a tray of brownies that had some yellow and orange daisies frosted on top of them. Daisy smiled upon seeing this, firmly believing that they were made specifically for her, but at the same time felt it was better to save the sweets for after supper. That got onto her mind about what she should have for supper, and so she decided to change into a more casual outfit and see if there was a restaurant built into the hotel (if there was a penthouse suite, there certainly had to have been a penthouse restaurant).

After putting on a casual sun dress alongside a sun hat and some dark sunglasses (taking off her crown in the process), Daisy announced to the attendants, “If you could please fetch the guards, I would like to head down to the base floor so I can see if there is a restaurant where I can order food from.” An attendant nodded, and soon went to fetch the guards. A minute later, the two guards returned and one of them asked, “You said something about a restaurant here, your majesty?”

“Correct. I would like to see if there is one in the hotel, so that extra travel will not be needed to get supper.”

“You do have a point. One of the other guards not officially on duty mentioned that there was a restaurant around one of the corners, to the right and behind the front desk and nearby the conference rooms.”

“That works for me. I would like to visit it, if possible.”

“That can be arranged, though we were told that you were not to eat there for the duration of your stay as a safety measure. Food prepared there will have to be brought up to the penthouse.”

“That is fine. I would like to look at a menu and make an order for this evening.” The guards nodded, and with that they headed back down to the main lobby.

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Upon reaching the lobby floor, Daisy and the two guards arrived to a place with more bustle than expected. At around 4:00 PM, there were now several Toads and other creatures milling about, requesting their reservations, going to meetings, or otherwise visiting the mezzanine. Security guards were in all corners, monitoring every person and every action that seemed out of place. The seemed especially intent keeping an eye for every person who approached the front desk, in case someone wanted to start making trouble. Noting this, Daisy and her guards were quick to find any sign that there was a restaurant set up in the place. Upon noticing a sign posted on one of the staircases pointed out to a restaurant behind and to the right of the front desk (as the guards had mentioned), Daisy made her way to what looked to be the restaurant corner.

At least, that what it appeared to look like. But when on closer inspection, the place appeared closed, with a sign that stated that it would re-open at 5:00 PM. There was a Toadette waiting by the entrance, perhaps there to note to potential guests about the place’s closure. Spying Daisy and her group, she said, “Good afternoon. The Dreadnought Hotel Restaurant is closed until 5:00 PM. If you have a reservation for a table, please do stop by in the next hour or so. You can also call in for a supper order to your room, if you would prefer that.”

“Actually, that was something I was planning on doing.” Daisy replied. “You wouldn’t happen to have menus available for tonight’s supper, as I will be needing room service.”

“There should be a menu list up in your hotel room, alongside the telephone listings book.” The Toadette replied. “But I can provide some menus for you and the others in the group to take back to the rooms. One moment please.” The Toadette went underneath the obligatory felt rope barrier (which wasn’t hard to do given her relatively short stature), and disappeared behind a screen which would have lead to the restaurant proper; only a dimly lit silhouette noted her appearance. At this, Daisy wondered, I think that they have to have two or three ropes of this sort to tell guests not to enter. Toads and Toadettes can easily exploit this system with just one. It was the first time Daisy had noticed a potential security flaw in this super-secure city. She then eyed one of her guards, to which he said, “I’d rather not try my luck on this, your majesty, if that is what you are implying.”

Soon thereafter the Toadette re-appeared, with three fold-out menus. “This is our standard menus for the different times of the day. Try to reserve your meals as soon as possible so that the line cooks will have the necessary materials to make the meals to specifications.” Daisy and the guards nodded, and soon thereafter were on their way, though with a smirk about shoving one of the guards underneath the rope to see if the staff would notice. Not that she would do so in her current state of dress, as she didn’t want to draw attention to herself.

Figuring that there was a little time to peek around the place, she decided to go to the opposite side of the front desk nook, where the first set of elevators was located and where the gym and pool were located. In both cases, they were blocked off with the opaque glass block walls, as a way to prevent prying eyes from looking at guests. Considering all of the ‘stories’ floating around objectifying Peach and other ladies in the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse, it was probably wise to do so. As it was, Daisy didn’t have a swimsuit as part of her luggage, nor did she have any other exercise clothes on her, so it wasn’t as if she was missing out. She wasn’t expecting to be spending much time in Rogueport anyway, and so moved along.

Daisy then went up the mezzanine, which housed a private library. While by no means anywhere near as big as that in her castle, or in many other libraries she had visited, she nevertheless was impressed with the considerable stockpile of books and magazines that was supplied therein. And as it was, there were a few people sitting at some of the tables – some academic types but also business types – that were busy reading and taking notes, in between drinks of coffee and/or tea that they had brought from their rooms. There were security personnel in this place too, most likely to keep people from stealing books (as it was, there were signs that explicitly stated that the books and magazines were hotel property and were NOT to leave the mezzanine).

After a few minutes of this exploring, Daisy and the guards returned to the penthouse, the latter looking over the menu copies they were given while still standing watch. Upon her entrance, the attendant said, “Your majesty, while getting things put away in the bedroom, I discovered a menu in one of the end tables for the hotel’s restaurant. We won’t need to go out to get our food!”

“So I have noticed, and have been now told twice.” Daisy replied, somewhat annoyed.

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Eventually, the time came where everyone placed their order for supper. Daisy got what was called a ‘Garden and Ocean Pasta’ mix, which consisted of mixed seafood and vegetables with angel hair noodles in a creamy tomato sauce, complete with a multi-grain herb bread with herbed butter and a chef’s salad with a house special dressing (it appeared to be a mix of blue cheese and thousand island). Attendants and guards got various other dishes, with most of the men getting a sirloin meal while the women mostly getting a chicken parmesan meal. To make sure the food was prepared properly, some of Daisy’s guards went to the kitchens to watch the line cooks put together the meals, which must have been an aggravation to everybody in what was already a tense environment.

The meals were, by all means, incredibly scrumptious but also incredibly filling. Daisy herself felt as if she had decided to swallow a few bricks for supper, knowing how filling the meal was (combined with the sparkling juice drink that was provided alongside it). Afterwards, all she wanted to do was go to the bathroom and then go to bed, as all of her energy seemed dedicated to digestion and elimination.

As she dozed off, a dream came up into the back of her mind: Daisy found herself in an environment that seemingly was in a place and time much different from her own. Everything seemed antiquated, from the streets to the buildings, and yet everything appeared fresh from the coloring on the buildings and the flags to the smell of the foods in what appeared to be open cafes and markets. The place as a whole appeared abandoned, as if everyone has disappeared into thin air, yet it also was noted that there was evidence of recent habitation: stockpiles of pottery and tools carefully arranged at a marketplace stall, without a hint of dust, was duly noted, as was some meats hanging on racks in what appeared to be a butcher’s shop. From all of this, Daisy was drawn to one particular building: a domed place that stood out from the horizon; it didn’t appear like a castle, but might have been a temple of some kind. Without really being aware of it, Daisy felt as if she was moving through the empty streets towards this temple, as if she was iron and the temple was a magnet. Eventually, she stopped in front of a large door that was of a pale wooden color, and was covered with etchings of various scenes from history that appeared important: the most significant of these scenes – which took up the majority of the door’s etchings – was scenes of an exodus of some sort, with numerous triremes and galleys sailing away from something and crowded with people. As Daisy examined the etchings, she noticed the door slowly begin to open into the building. Eventually the opening was big enough for her to step inside, which appeared dark but nevertheless had what appeared a faint light coming from overhead. Without giving it much thought, Daisy went in.

After going through a short corridor, Daisy found herself in a dimly lit, octagonal space as big as any ballroom Daisy has ever been in. Despite the lack of light, which shone in through some stained glass windows from up top, she could see distinctive decorations and murals, much of it of an oceanic nature, creating the appearance of some sort of temple dedicated to the ocean. Directly in front of her was a massive alter that was wedged into the corner, and in front of it stood someone, the only other person besides Daisy in this place. Once again, without giving much thought to the surroundings or her actions, Daisy moved towards this person until they were barely a meter apart from each other.

The individual at the altar must have noticed this, for they turned around. The individual was a woman with very short brunette hair, a face that appeared serene yet also spoke of seriousness, and a surprisingly sensuous figure that was draped in gray vestments that appeared casual in nature. She seemed to stare at Daisy behind some yellow-greenish eyes, as if there was an illegible excuse for her presence in this place. The awkwardness of the situation was clear to see, yet Daisy appeared to be in no position to say anything.

Suddenly, the doors that Daisy had entered from shut violently, to which Daisy turned around, stunned. She began to make her way back to the door in haste, but as she did, she noticed that first the temple seemed to stretch out, and second that the floor began to feel wet. Upon looking down, Daisy noticed that water was coming up from the floor and had quickly overtaken her ankles and were moving up her knees. In the dress she typically wore, Daisy naturally was terrified and began moving with the utmost quickness in the hopes she would somehow escape before the flooding water made it impossible for her to run, and she was not keen in trying to swim in such garments (even though she had been tasked in doing so in Mario Party games). Daisy continued to make her way down the corridor, which continued to be longer than initially imagined, and all the while the water continued to rise up to her knees, and then up to her waist. Just as it was beginning to get too deep to run in the water and it made more sense to swim through it, Daisy reached what appeared to be the end of the corridor. But instead of seeing the door she had gone through, Daisy was confronted by a large sculpture of a human man, clad in heavy armor. It appeared as if the water was coming from the sculpture, though she was not sure exactly where, as Daisy could sense that water was coming out of every pore of its exposed surface. As she pondered what she was seeing, at a quick glance the sculpture moved its head towards her and appeared to glare with what appeared to by ruby-red eyes.

It was then that Daisy was startled into wakefulness.

Not wanting to disturb the guards that were stationed in the penthouse, Daisy lay awake for a minute or two, gathering her surroundings. It was still very much dark in the bedroom, the canopy and the drapes obscuring whatever little light was in the penthouse bedroom and shining out the windows (or would be if they had not been blocked off by the drapes). Getting up slowly, Daisy pushed aside the canopy curtain, slowly made her way out of bed, and peeked out the window from behind the drape. She saw the city somewhat glowing with the lights of the streets and of maybe one or two buildings – they may have been hospitals, for all she knew – that were still in operation. There was no sign of anything that hinted at her dream, which was a slight relief.

Daisy soon sauntered back to bed, once again careful not to make noise that would alert the guards. Laying back down again, she thought over what she had witnessed in that dream, but could not make anything from it. Of course, being more realistic about how humans operated than most of her own kind cared about, she had to believe that it was just psychological leftovers from days, weeks, months, and years gone by. But where would all of this have come from? Daisy thought as she stared up at the canopy. I don’t remember anything like that abandoned city I have seen in my life, much less the details therein. And I would have remembered a woman like I had seen in the dream, especially knowing how few humans exist in the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse. But it has no importance to me at this time, nor can I imagine a time where it would be relevant to me. I mean, if this was part of a new Nintendo game I could be a part of, that would be perfectly fine with me. Yet it didn’t appear like anything explicitly that would have its basis in the Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse. Instead, it all appears like some sort of randomness that I would be shoe-horned into. And for no reason whatsoever! It almost feels like a glitch to get me to move to another dimension. I may have to write to Nintendo about this, especially if they are trying out new game ideas and using me as a test subject for more popular characters to take over later.

Daisy somewhat drifted back to sleep, but didn’t fall into deep enough of a sleep to start dreaming again.

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Upon waking up in full for the morning, Daisy halfway stumbled out of bed and into the main area, where some of the guards and attendants were making the necessary trades of duty. Waiting for them to complete these exchanged, she then said, “Let me wake up a bit before I order some breakfast. I didn’t sleep as well as I could have.” No one said anything so as not to put her in a bad mood.

After making some coffee and therefore getting herself a bit more awake, Daisy proceeded to read through what she would get for her breakfast, and ultimately decided on some mixed fruit multigrain muffins. She had a feeling that she would have something more to eat when she met up with C.S. in the early afternoon, and didn’t want to stuff herself ahead of it. Once she had her muffins, Daisy then proceeded to clean up and prepare herself for the meeting. Much of this was merely getting dressed, but she also practiced her speeches in front of a mirror, trying to figure out what was the best way to approach the mysterious C.S. individual; as she had no idea what to expect, she practiced greetings for both a man and a woman, as well as other assorted details. Mostly, Daisy wanted to concentrate on the business dealings of the meeting and what C.S. could do to help her, and as it kind of sat in her head, she already had a few ideas of what this help could be. At the same time, she ran over some security procedures with the guards that would accompany her on this trip in case something went wrong (though unlike Peach, things rarely went wrong to the point that an abduction took place).

Perhaps with that same thought process, Daisy was hoping that she wouldn’t be wrapped up in Peach’s business again much like with the parallel dimensions episode. Even though it felt incredibly distant now, and that there was potentially little chance of her escapades swallowing up anyone else like she did in the past, Daisy was nevertheless worried that there would be something coming up which would ensnare her friend and cause more trouble for both than it was worth. Having noted these feelings, Daisy knew that she had to be prepared for anything and how she would have to explain to the greater Mushroom Kingdom Metaverse about what mess she got Peach into.

Perhaps so busy with her preparations, Daisy didn’t bother to order lunch but instead snacked on a few light food items, trying hard to keep the food particles from staining her dress and other clothing elements. At last, at around 1:00 PM, a sharp knock on the door leading outside of the suite came. It was one of the Rogueport guards, who said something to one of Daisy’s guards, who then turned to Daisy and said, “Daisy, the ride is here. We better get going.” Daisy then nodded and made her way out the door, with a half-dozen of her guards and a half-dozen Rogueport guards in tow, and out to the parking garage where the bus she had ridden to the hotel was parked. After a check-over from Daisy’s guards, everyone entered and the bus took off.

Daisy then looked out as she saw some of the same scenes as she did the day before, though with more people walking about (likely getting back to work after their lunch break). Though now the bus was turning into a completely different direction, and with it the scenes of Rogueport turned a bit more serious… and sinister. The buildings appeared more administrative but also more militaristic, as barricades and checkpoints were clearly noted and security personnel looked out with a stronger sense of diligence than what appeared to be normal. They were the only people about in this sector of Rogueport, and there didn’t appear to be any sort of liveliness that had been observed elsewhere. While Daisy and the guards took in these sights with a sense of discomfort, the bus stopped suddenly. Soon thereafter, the bus driver then said, “My apologies. We have stopped in front of the security wall and are waiting for clearance. Please have all documents ready for observation.”

Daisy quickly got out the letters from C.S. that had started this trip, among other papers that were believed pertinent to the visit, and the guards did the same. Out of curiosity, Daisy then walked to the front of the bus to get a better look at the security wall. What she saw astounded her: it was a massive wall that appeared twice as high as the wall surrounding the Dreadnought Hotel, and it appeared to be made out of some strange concrete material that she had never seem before, one that seemed especially strong and imposing. At its base was rolls of razor wire connected to rods in a three-dimensional abatis pattern to dissuade potential assailants from trying the scale the walls, which was also lined with a razor wire fence at the top. The gate that lead into the compound was even more imposing: it was part of a massive watch-tower structure that appeared to have a full platoon of security personnel waiting up top with three machine gun ports and a pair of what appeared to be anti-tank howitzers, and the same could be said about the pill box fortifications flanking the doorway, with each having two machine gun ports and one anti-tank howitzer installed. This was definitely NOT the place to infiltrate, and it made Daisy wonder why Peach didn’t install such fortifications at her castle knowing her abduction history.

Soon after stopping, a pair of guards from what appeared to be one of the pill boxes emerged and approached the bus. Producing a bullhorn, one of the guards said in a cold tone, “Papers please.” One of the Rogueport guards who was on the bus then turned to the rest and said, “Everybody, please present all necessary security documents so we can continue. I will take them out to the guards to see.” All dutifully did so, including Daisy, who presented her letters from C.S.. Soon after all of the papers were collected, the guard then placed them in a clear plastic bag, opened up a window, and tossed it out to the guards to catch. Once in hand, the same guard with the bullhorn said, “Thank you for your cooperation. We will begin analyzing documentation shortly. Due to the size of the document load, this may take some time. Please try to be patient, as C.S. takes security measures very seriously.” The two guards left soon thereafter, returning to some opening that was part of the wall structure but was out of sight from the bus.

All of this only intensified Daisy’s curiosity and dread. Is such a large stronghold necessary? Even in Rogueport? I mean, I know that this place has a bad history, but I can’t imagine it being bad ENOUGH to have essentially a military HQ looming over the entire city! Plus it doesn’t lend itself to being very inviting to people in the city, knowing that there could be some sort of super-harsh reprisal if rioting occurs for some reason. And how could such a place be built in Rogueport in such a short time period? Between the expenses and time, I see something like this still in the midst of construction. Unless this C.S. person is some sort of magic user, which would explain a lot. But then again, I would have known about some sort of magic user of this ability.

After much pondering, the guards that had taken the plastic bag returned and brought it out to the bus window on a pole, on which it was quickly retrieved. Then the guard with the bullhorn said, “Thank you everyone for your cooperation. We will now open the main gate and let the bus into the parking garage. Further security instructions will be provided upon entering the building.” The two guards once again left as before, and soon after their departure the door opened slowly. Once the door was fully opened, the bus moved forward and into the compound.

Upon entering, Daisy and the rest of the group was treated to a scene that was much like outside: a war-zone like landscape where the three-dimensional razor wire abatis design outside the walls continued inside. There also appeared to be scattered machine gun nests and mortar pits, and upon looking up at the watch-towers she saw what appeared to be anti-aircraft guns. Trying hard not to think that she made an absolutely awful mistake by coming out to this place, Daisy looked at the building that she was heading to. Like with everything else in the complex, it was absolutely massive and made with the same drab concrete material that imposed itself with a sense of foreboding towards anything that wanted to go against it. There was no windows in the building, but instead had numerous weapon slots containing all of the fire-power displayed elsewhere, and stood about 20 stories tall. There also didn’t appear to be an obvious entry-way to the building, more likely than not to be another security feature for the place. Not long as Daisy noticed this, the bus turned away from the main building and what once again looked like a covered parking lot off to the side.

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Entering the now familiar enclosed parking lot scene, Daisy and the rest of the guards slowly exited the bus and made their way into the complex. Compared to what was seen at the Dreadnought Hotel, the entirety of the hallways were very drab: the same concrete mixture walls as before, though the trim was somewhat lighter in tone, and with a darker-toned carpet. Outside of a few planters with what appeared to be orchids growing out of them, washed in the light brought about by LED track lighting above and up lights from below, and security cameras at every corner, there was nothing to note as Daisy and the rest of the guards went down one hallway, turned left, and went down another. Eventually, they found themselves in what looked to be a lobby, albeit one with another X-Ray scanner. Upon seeing this, Daisy shouted out, “Oh no, you are NOT going to make me go through these machines again! One peep show is enough for the likes of you all!”

“Madam.” A guard said, trying to look as professional as he could with this situation (and clearly knowing what happened recently with Daisy. “Our boss takes security matters ultra seriously. She wouldn’t be too pleased with us if we let even someone of your stature come in without a security check.”

“That’s not the point!” Daisy exclaimed. “The point is that I want to maintain some semblance of decency when I’m in Rogueport, indeed anywhere, when doing business! Yet here you expect me to be a model for some perverse fantasy in the hopes that others in your line of work get sprung out when off duty! And if it is true that you are working for a woman, she wouldn’t ask to objectify me through going through such a lurid display!”

Then a strong female voice from what was a speaker-box mounted by an unassuming door barked out, “The woman does have a point! Besides, if I actually wanted her to display herself for security purposes, I’d want to watch it! Just let her through the machine and we can get down to business.”

“Uh… I don’t really agree with this idea.” The guard said. “We know your protocols dealing with visitors you ask to come out here, and I want to keep with that consistency!”

“I hear ya clearly! But given all of the details from yesterday, I would do her a disservice if I didn’t give her a pass. Besides, she doesn’t appear at all threatening; just cranky.” The voice said.

The guard felt defeated from what was said by this mystery woman, for he then said, “OK, I will let her go ahead.”

“Thank you. And in this case, make sure it’s only Daisy. Woman talk stuff is going to be taking place here.” The voice replied.

All of this alarmed Daisy’s guards, who then raised a chorus of protest over this decree. To that, the voice then shouted out, “I get ya and ya concerns; my security personnel get all bent wicked whenever I prepare my own food! But I assure ya all that we will just talk for a short while, and then we will be traveling to the education district!” After a short break, a clicking sound towards the door in the lobby was heard, and the voice then said, “Daisy, I have unlocked the door for ya. I will unlock the second door after ya pass through the first. We have much to discuss.”

Daisy, feeling a little nervous, went through the X-Ray scanner and to the door, which she was able to open without effort. In front of that was a second door in between a small hallway that could hold about three people at one time. She looked back at her guards and merely said, “I’ll be fine.” Then she proceeded into this short hallway, second-guessing herself for saying that and thinking, This is a big mistake. I know it. After the door closed behind her, the voice from the lobby said, “I’ve unlocked the door ahead of ya. If ya please, do come in.” Daisy obliged, and entered.

The scene now was a completely different one compared to the hallways she had seen in the compound, as she now stood in what was essentially something similar to the suite in the hotel she was staying in. Basically a cross between an office, a kitchen, and a dining room, it was big enough to hold about 25 people at one time, though it looked as if no more than eight people had ever been in the place at once. The room also looked different in its coloring: it looked as if everything was made out of different wood tones, with the floor, walls, ceiling, and trim all having a driftwood color of various shades, the kitchen cabinetry and dining set having a teak wood color, and what appeared to be the desk – albeit a large one that was off to the side and seemed shielded from possible attack – in a cherry wood color. Security cameras were all around the place, as expected from such a secure compound, though it didn’t necessarily make it any more imposing than what has already been seen on this trip. Daisy took it all in without really thinking about it too much, that is until the woman said, “Daisy, ya can come over to the desk. Nothing’s going to get done just standing there.”

Daisy went over to what appeared to be the front of the desk, though it was so high up that she couldn’t see anyone up there. She was about so say something when the woman then said, “Let me come down from there; it will only take a few seconds.” Soon there was the sound of heavy boots moving down a staircase that was apparently built into the desk, and from there a door from the front of the desk opened, revealing the woman that had made this trip happen.

End Of Part 1