Prologue

   “So you’re telling me you just got back from some kind of fantastic adventure?” The toad leaned forward over the table, resting his elbows on the lacquered wood and raising his eyebrows.
   The man sitting across from him nodded eagerly, smiling. “Actually, I just started it,” he said. “I’m only stopping here on the way to Rumblebump Volcano.”
   The toad reached into an inside pocket of his brown suede vest and pulled out a notebook and a pencil, licking the point and putting it to a fresh sheet of paper before glancing back up at the stranger and smiling amiably. “Well sir, if you’ve got time, I’d love to hear about it. My name’s Truss T, and I’m a writer… but lately I’ve been fresh out of story ideas. Maybe if your story is good enough, I could make a book of it?”
   The man stared at him in disbelief. “You’d want to write a book… about me??” he said finally in a breathless voice. His blue eyes widened; he looked startled and a little nervous, as if expecting someone to jump out and yell ‘Gotcha!!!’
   Truss nodded hesitantly. “I mean, if it’s all right with you…”
   “Of course it’s all right!” the man replied hurriedly, reaching up and adjusting his bright green cap- a nervous habit, Truss assumed. “I’m just… a little surprised, that’s all. Nobody ever…” he trailed off, looking embarrassed. Suddenly he cleared his throat, regaining his composure in an instant and smiling again. “Yeah, I’ll tell you all about it, if you’ve got time- it’s kind of a long story.”
   “All the time in the world!” Truss laughed, leaning back in his seat. “But first things first, kid; what’s your name?”
   “It’s Luigi.”
   The toad lowered his notebook and looked up at him incredulously. “Wait- Luigi Mario?”
   “Yeah…”
   “Mario’s brother? As in, the famous Mario Brothers, that’s you?”
   “That’s right!” he said brightly, looking extremely pleased (and a little surprised) to be recognized so favorably.
   Truss whistled, raising his eyebrows and silently thanking the stars that for once things were going his way. The writer had been coming in to Podley’s place for ages, looking for his long lost muse. As soon as he’d seen the mustachioed stranger standing by the counter and looking like he was bursting to tell someone, anyone, something, he’d felt that maybe, after years of nothing, he was going to get a break. And now his instinct to buy the guy a cola and ask him to sit down was paying off; sure it wasn’t Mario, but so what? Demand was going up for underdogs, anyway. The readers were falling in love with the unsung heroes. If he could get Luigi’s story in print- provided it was any good- it could easily become a best seller.
   “Well, Mr. Luigi,” he said, taking a swig of Chuckola Cola and raising his pencil again, “Let’s hear your story.”
   Luigi nodded, beaming, and began. “Well…”

Chapter One: A Letter from… Who?

   Well, it was a nice day in the Mushroom Kingdom; it had been a little uneventful, but that’s okay, we’re pretty much used to it. My brother and I were in sitting in the kitchen talking when we heard a yell from outside- “Mail call!” It was our mailman- er, mail koopa, anyway- a paratroopa called Parakarry. He rattled the mailbox—he’ll knock it over one of these days, if he keeps it up— before flying off.
   “I’ll get it,” I said, pushing back my chair and getting up. I usually get the mail, if I’m around- even if Mario’s closer. I guess I like the chance to get some fresh air. So I went outside and opened the mailbox, and sure enough, there was a letter inside. At a glance I could tell it was from Princess Peach- the elegant handwriting on the envelope was so familiar to me I didn’t even need to read it. It was to Mario of course- that too I guessed without hardly looking as I carried the letter inside. It was surprisingly thick, as though there were several sheets of paper folded up inside, and I wondered why she’d written such a long letter.
   “It’s for you,” I said as I reentered the kitchen.
   Mario got to his feet, looking at me expectantly. “What’s it say?” he asked, assuming- rightly- that I would want to read it out loud. A strange habit, I guess, but we all have them, don’t we?
   “I’ll read it to you,” I said as I broke the seal, pulling a single sheet of familiar pink stationary out of its envelope and unfolding it. The note didn’t even take up the entire page, and I wondered what else was in the envelope as I began to read:

“Hello there, Mario!

I am now on holiday, traveling in the Mushroom Kingdom. In my travels, I came into possession of a mystical map… a treasure map, actually. It was inside a box I got from an old merchant in a town called Rogueport. But since it would be too difficult for me to try to go find treasure all by myself… I thought you could help me hunt for it! You will, of course, won’t you?

I’ve included the map with this letter, so please bring it with you when you come. I’ll meet you at Rogueport. (That means you MUST come!)

~Peach~”

   Giving him the letter I reached back into the envelope and pulled out the second sheet of paper. “Look, there’s a weathered old map in here! This must be the treasure map!” I said, handing it to him carefully- it looked really old, like it might crumble if I wasn’t careful with it. Mario looked it over curiously, and then nodded. “Well,” he said, smiling as he glanced up at me over the papers, “I guess I’m off again.”
   “All right. Go on, I’ll take care of the house,” I replied with a smile, trying to hide my disappointment. I don’t mind staying at home, I guess… but a treasure hunt did sound like fun, and it does get lonely just ‘guarding the home front’ all the time- not to mention boring. But I don’t want to make my bro feel bad, so I don’t usually let on, you know?
   So anyway, Mario left with the map and I was left alone- again. I decided to pass some time by making myself a snack. I’m not a bad cook, actually, and I can usually improvise things pretty well- looking in the refrigerator I grabbed the only fruit we had; a Keel Mango and a Peachy Peach. I had set them on the counter and was just looking for a knife and a blender when I heard the tell-tale rattling of the mailbox and Parakarry’s mail call again. Frowning slightly I stopped what I was doing and went out to get it, wondering who it could be. We hardly ever get mail, so I was a little surprised that we were getting another letter so soon after Mario had left with one.
   Everything about the letter in the mailbox was unfamiliar; the smooth, crème-colored envelope, the crisp handwriting, even the postmark- Waffle Kingdom to Mushroom Kingdom by way of Express Paramail. “Waffle Kingdom?” I murmured curiously as I opened the envelope. I’d never heard of the Waffle Kingdom before. But it was addressed to both of us- Mario and I, I mean- so I went ahead and read it. The letter inside was to the point, but with an air of urgency about it:

“Sirs!

I am a cabinet minister in the far-off Waffle Kingdom. Our land has been attacked by the Chestnut King, who took our Princess Éclair. I ask, nay, BEG for your assistance! The Waffle Kingdom needs your skills. I humbly request your prompt response, sirs.

Sincerely,
Crepe”

   …Or something like that.
   “But I’ve never even heard of the Waffle Kingdom!” I said out loud, frowning. I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised; most people have heard of us, or Mario at least, and if anything goes wrong they usually call on the Mario Bros… or just Mario.
   As I stood there in the yard with the plea for help in my hand, it suddenly occurred to me that this was my big chance- my time to make a name for myself and stand alone as a hero. I was excited… but a little nervous. I’ve only ever done anything like this alone once, when I had to rescue Mario from these ghosts… but that’s another story, it’s not important. Anyway, I have to admit I hesitated for a bit, weighing out the pros and cons. In the end, however… in the end I decided that that kingdom needed a hero- whether I’d heard of them before or not- and that with Mario gone, I was their only hope. “I can’t leave a whole kingdom in danger,” I decided resolutely, and prepared to set off.
   I was just about to leave when I remembered my snack, and hurried back inside to put the fruit away and write a note to myself about it. “Whip up a Keel Mango and a Peachy Peach to make a Fruit Parfait,” I scribbled hurriedly, pinning the note to the fridge with a magnet. I grabbed my keys, locked the front door on the way out, and started on my way to the Waffle Kingdom.

   “The only problem,” Luigi said, taking a drink of cola, “Was that I had no idea where the Waffle Kingdom was.”
   “Really?” Truss said, grinning. “Didn’t they send a map or something for you?”
   He shook his head. “Nope. There were some instructions written on the back of the letter, but they were really vague and didn’t actually make much sense. So the first order of business was figuring out where I had to go.”

=The Lost Chapter=

   I wandered around for a bit, asking anybody I met if they’d ever heard of the Waffle Kingdom. Nobody had- the only lead I got was a guy who sent me down Main Street, where I found a dessert shop called The Waffle Kingdom. I was doubtful but I didn’t want to write off any possibilities, so I went in and asked after Minister Crepe, Princess Éclair, and the Chestnut King- just in case.
   “Well,” said the girl behind the counter, frowning a little and looking over a menu, “Our crepes are only available during breakfast time, but we do have chocolate and Boston Crème filled éclairs. I don’t know anything about chestnuts, but there’s a King Candy special dessert package,” she said with a polite little smile. “Can I interest you in any of that?”
   I sighed, shaking my head. “No, you don’t understand. I’m looking for people,” I explained.
   “I’m the only one here at the moment,” she said doubtfully. “The manager’s gone out to lunch. I’m sure there’re plenty of people outside though.”
   “No, no, I’m looking for a person whose name is Minister Crepe,” I said, slowly, though by now I was pretty sure I was going nowhere here. Clearly this wasn’t the Waffle Kingdom I was looking for.
   “That’s a strange name,” she remarked airily. “I guess if you really want, I could make a Crepe Plate for you, but it’d take a minute…”
   Well, just to be polite I bought a mint chocolate chip waffle cone before I left, just as clueless as when I’d come. I sat down on a park bench to eat my ice cream, feeling dejected. Usually it was a lot easier getting started than this; figures that the one time I’m on my own is the time I could really use some help. “I’ll never find it,” I said, feeling pretty pessimistic.
   “Find what?” said a voice from somewhere behind me; I jumped, startled, and looked around. It was Russ T; the owner of the library and our resident bookworm. He must have been taking a walk, or maybe just reading- he had a book under his arm as he came around and stood in front of me curiously.
   “The Waffle Kingdom,” I said with a sigh. “No one’s heard of it. And I don’t mean the dessert place,” I added quickly as he started to point back down the street.
   “Ah. The Waffle Kingdom is quite obscure, isn’t it?” he remarked, adjusting his spectacles and making me wonder again how a person with now visible nose could even wear glasses in the first place.
   I looked up at him hopefully. “You know about it?”
   “Of course! I even have a map. It’s in this book, conveniently enough.” He flipped open the book and pulled out a somewhat rumpled sheet of folded paper and gave it to me. Excitedly I pulled it open and studied it; it showed a smallish kingdom on the other side of the sea; it included several smaller islands and landmasses. To my surprise, at the edge of the map- on the other side of the Waffle Kingdom/Mushroom Kingdom border, was a large area of land with a port on its south edge labeled Rogueport. “You’d get there by sea,” Russ T continued. “Waffle City is there by the coast- that’s the capital.”
   “May I keep this?” I asked, looking up at him hopefully.
   He nodded. “If you need it, of course you may! I don’t have any use for it, besides a bookmark,” he said with a shrug.
   I thanked him and tucked the map in my pocket, and headed to the docks on the west side of town, where I hired a boat. They hadn’t heard of the Waffle Kingdom, either- but when I showed them the map the captain nodded and said he’d be glad to ferry me.

=End Lost Chapter=

   So anyway, one really long boat ride later I was in the capital, and it was a scene of mass hysteria, let me tell you. The city looked devastated, and so did the people; most of the houses had been destroyed and everyone was busy rebuilding. Kids skirted around me nervously, but I heard some of the adults whispering tings like “I think that’s him!” “Is it really?” “Weren’t there supposed to be two?” “He looks like the princess!” It made me nervous, entering the city amid whispers and stares. I couldn’t decide whether I liked the attention, or if it just plain freaked me out…
   When I got to the palace an old man rushed out of the front doors to meet me. He was very tall  for a toad and really thin; he wore a sort of robe that hung loosely off him. A long white mustache was growing nearly down to his knees, which struck me as a weird way to wear a mustache, but I’m not one to judge. I could only assume this was Minister Crepe.
   “You must be Luigi!” he said as he hurried up to meet me and shook my hand with surprising strength. “But where is Mario?”
   “He was busy,” I said, somewhat indignantly, but he didn’t seem to mind as much as I was afraid he would.
   “Ah, well then, come this way sir,” he said. “Minister Crepe is expecting you.”
   I blinked, taken aback. “I-is he?”
   “Of course! Come, he’s inside.”
   Confused, I followed the old man into the castle, where a small group of people were gathered, talking in worried tones. When they heard us enter, however, they looked up and smiled, looking hopeful, and another man stepped forward. He was younger than I’d expected, in fact- probably somewhere in his forties- smartly dressed in a cherry silk shirt and brown slacks. “Ah. Luigi?” he said, pulling a monocle out of a pocket in his tawny waistcoat and peering at me through it.
   I nodded but didn’t dare say 'Minister Crepe'- not wanting to jump to conclusions again. “You sent a letter asking for my brother and I. Mario’s busy,” I added, seeing him glance around quizzically.
   “Ah, yes. Well. I am Minister Crepe,” he said, nodding curtly and then, as if as an afterthought, smiling politely up at me. “I cannot tell you how pleased we are at your promptness to respond. Our fair kingdom is in dire straights without the princess,” he said with a sigh. He looked tired and drawn, and I felt sorry for him. “But all will soon be well again, now that you are here!”
   “I’ll do my best,” I said modestly, trying not to look too pleased with myself. “Where do I find the Chestnut King?”
   “That’s the problem,” he said wearily. “We have no idea.” I sighed, wondering if the whole adventure would be like this. But before I could express my doubts he went on; “However, we do have something that is sure to help. There is a legend, a legend passed down through hundreds of generations of Wafflers; the Legend of the Mystic Compass.”
   I waited for him to elaborate. He didn’t. “Oh?” I said, raising my eyebrows and looking at him questioningly.
   The minister nodded and at last went on to explain. “Not many of the facts remain to us, Luigi. Long, long ago, the mysterious device known as the Mystic Compass was broken into seven pieces by an ancient curse, and the pieces were scattered throughout the lands. Two of the pieces ended up here, in the heart of the Waffle Kingdom- the two most vita pieces; the base, which has been carefully guarded deep within this very castle, and the arrow- a glittering gem-like piece. That piece,” he said with a knowing look, “Was craftily hidden in a place where it was constantly overlooked; embedded in Princess Éclair’s tiara.”
   He paused. I think he wanted me to say something about how clever that was, but I was too busy wondering what any of that had to do with anything to speak up, so he cleared his throat and continued. “Legend has it that each piece of the compass will point to the next. Therefore, it stands to reason…”
   “Eventually it’ll point right to the princess!” I said with a grin as his speech at last took meaning. “But… how? Without the arrow…”
   “Ah, well, we’ll have to see,” he said impatiently, waving it off as unimportant. “However we must remember that this is a magic item. It is sure to work in mysterious ways. But I doubt that the lack of the needle will hinder its ability to direct you.” He turned towards the cluster of others, presumably the rest of the Royal Cabinet, and signaled something. They came forward in a knot, ceremoniously bearing between them a large ornate chest which was decorated with swirling patterns and ancient runes in a language I couldn’t understand. Crepe stepped forward and lifted the lid of the gilded casket- it looked extremely heavy… or maybe he just wasn’t very strong. When it opened, a golden light spilled out, and everyone- including me- gasped.
   Crepe, however, didn’t flinch. Instead he simply reached inside, pulling out something small and round on a chain. It reminded me of a pocket watch, and I had to wonder why it needed such a big box to rest in as he solemnly brought it forward. “This,” he said gravely, “Is the base of the legend. Take it; it will sense your hero’s spirit and activate for you.”
   I was nervous now as he held out the gleaming round piece, which was hollowed out on one side where the rest of the compass clearly had been, long long ago. He was handing me a legacy; a piece of another time, of an ancient world. And now, too, I was beginning to feel doubtful; hero’s spirit? After being left behind so often, I was beginning to wonder whether I even had such a spirit. If I was worthy of this responsibility. “Take it,” a voice whispered. I gulped, swallowing back my uncertainty and fear, and took it.
   As soon as I had it in my hands the piece lit up, glowing with its own light. It made strange patterns on the walls and the floor; when I looked I realized they were the same runes I had seen on the box. But I didn’t look for long; I was too busy watching the compass piece. I had had it lying across my palms, but now it began to hover over my hands, glowing brighter than ever. And then, suddenly, it was whole- or at least, it seemed whole. Where pieces had been missing I could now see the face of the compass, translucent and glowing, as thought hardly there- like a ghost. Then something really unexpected happened; my map came slithering out of my pocket and floated up under the compass, unfolding itself. As I watched in astonishment the arrow appeared and started to spin, and when it stopped it was pointing south, indicating a large island near the very bottom of the map. When I looked closer I saw that it was actually pointing to a volcano on that island; the Rumblebump Volcano. Then, as unexpectedly as it had begun, the light faded and the compass and map fell, now lifeless, into my waiting hands.
   Quickly I looked around to see who had whispered to me earlier, and was a little unnerved to see that no one was near me but Crepe, and it hadn’t been him. The cabinet members were all whispering and muttering amongst themselves now, staring at me in amazement; but none of their words were clear enough for me to understand.
   I was still puzzling over the mysterious voice when I was startled by Crepe’s. “South,” he said matter-of-factly. “The next compass piece is on the Pudding Continent. I trust that you will be embarking immediately. Yes?”
   I nodded, folding up the map and stowing it in my pocket. I pulled out my handkerchief and carefully wrapped the compass piece in it, and then put that in my pocket as well. “Yeah, I’ll leave right now.”
   Man, they really gave me a hero’s goodbye as I was leaving the city. Apparently word travels fast over there; everyone had heard about the compass piece and how it had lit right up when I touched it. I walked the streets surrounded by cheers and awed stares, and I have to admit, it was nice for a change. I don’t get that very often, see… in fact, a lot of times people don’t even remember my name. Hahaha…
   Anyway, I headed down to the harbor and got onto my boat, but when I mentioned where we were going the captain said we’d better stop at Rogueport to resupply, and take a short break. Well I figured, a break couldn’t hurt, right? Besides, if it’s as far south as it looks, it’s bound to be really, really hot. We’ll need extra water and things, right? So we headed here first. And here we are,” Luigi concluded with a smile.
   Truss shook his head. “That’s quite a tale, my friend,” he said, but he sounded impressed. “A bit of a slow start, I must admit, but a lot of good books start slow, right? Besides, it sounds like it could get really interesting. Hey, do you think you’ll be headed here once you’re done at Rumblebump Volcano?”
   “I dunno,” Luigi said with a shrug. “I guess it depends on just where the next piece points me. But most likely I will, why?”
   “Why?” he repeated, surprised. “Why do you think? I told you, your story has promise. I’m gonna start drafting the first chapter right away. But I can’t write a novel with just a beginning; I want to know where your adventures take you, kid!”
   “Really?” He still looked like he hardly believed it. “Well in that case, of course I’ll come back! How… how can I contact you?”
   The toad shrugged. “The same way you did today. Just come in here- I’ll be around. I’m a regular here at Podley’s. I’ll by your drinks, and you can spin yarns. Deal?” He put a small hand out across the table, and Luigi enthusiastically shook it.
   “Deal!” he said brightly.

((To Be Continued….))