Super Mario Sunshine

Chapter 3 - Hero On Trial

   Princess Peach bit her lip nervously as she stared at her hands in her lap, wringing them in a very uncharacteristic way as she had been for the past five minutes. Finally, when he couldn't take her discomfort for a moment longer, Toadsworth placed his tiny hand on hers and met her troubled gaze.

   "Please, Your Highness," he implored. "I beg you to relax. Master Mario has done nothing wrong, so it has to turn out alright. You'll see."

   With a small sigh she lifted her head and looked into his eyes in earnest. Her face was a bit pale; as if the moment they had taken Mario away they had also taken half the life out of her. Seeing her sorrow was almost enough to make the older toadstool weep, but such a thing would have been highly inappropriate. They were here to make a good show for Mario, and the best Toadsworth could do was to put on a good face for the princess herself!

   Peach finally allowed a small smile. "Oh, you're right, Toadsworth," she said, letting her gaze travel over the chairs around them filling with people. "I'm just so shocked that they would... are they really not aware who he is?"

   "I don't know, princess," Toadsworth said. "But it must be a misunderstanding."

   Ever since the deputy and chief of police had arrived unexpectedly on the runway, the past hour had gone in a blur of events for Peach and her court. It was just as she had feared: one thing after another. But so far this vacation had not been going at all as she would have imagined.

   The police had been quick and blunt. Flashing their badges, they had hurriedly announced that 'the man with the water pump' had been declared a wanted man and was to be caught on sight. Apparently they'd received a call from someone there on the airstrip, which had made Peach near to furious at first. Only with Toadsworth's careful talking had she managed to calm down and stand back as the piantas handcuffed and hustled the hero away, looking as startled as she felt, off the airstrip and onto the dock where the police boat was waiting. It was all over and done with in just a couple of minutes, with hardly an explanation for any of it.

   Peach didn't think she would ever forget the last sight of them shoving Mario's surprised figure on board and the boat taking off. It was like something to remember from a nightmare; it seemed too terrible to be real.

   Things had happened so quickly from there that Peach, distraught with confusion and worry, didn't even remember them. Once Mario was gone they had hurriedly been brought to the island on the next available boat at the request of another officer, where upon landing they were immediately taken to the Delfino courthouse without even a single chance or desire to look around their destination. And there, for the past twenty or so minutes, the princess and her six toadstools had been anxiously waiting in the chairs in the front row, watching the place fill with piantas in business suits.

   Of that, at least, she was glad; there wouldn't be any long waits for the trial. Of course, she had been horrified to discover that a trial was even taking place, and especially that she and Toadsworth appeared to be Mario's only defendants; but the police seemed to think the case of utmost importance that the trial was to be held immediately. Peach could only imagine what kind of terrible confusion was brewing. Here she was, about to defend Mario against a crime she knew positively nothing about! The police hadn't even said why they had taken him in the first place; what were the charges?

   Upset at the whole ordeal, Peach crossed her arms and tried to swallow the thoughts. Toadsworth was absolutely right; whatever it was, Mario was innocent. The police were just horribly mixed up, and as soon as she had her way with them they'd all see that. Perhaps they were confusing him with another man with a water pump – that must have been it.