I've Got the Strangest Feeling This Isn't Our First Time Around

32

As Mario and Luigi rejoin Pauline by the camera feed, she tells them,

"Behold: pink Toad. Out and about."

Mario and Luigi take a seat on the couch with Spike as they look.

A pink Toad with mushroom braids is wandering around her bookshelf before she finally pulls down a book and turns towards the window.

But then unexpectedly, she seems to be looking right at them, smiling, waving, and holding up the book she's holding, and gesturing to come inside.

"Did she just--" Luigi starts.

"Invite us over to read a book with her?" Mario finishes, prompting the whole team to look at Mario expectantly.

"No!" Mario says, knowing damn well what they're thinking.

"Come on!" Spike argues.

"I'm not going over to her house." Mario won't even entertain the idea.

"Pretty please?" Pauline says. "There are worse ways to work a case."

"She knew Toad was watching her, so obviously she's okay with it." Luigi adds.

"And where is Toad again? Right, petrified." Mario says.

"If you won't, I will." Spike stands up.

"Oh no you don't." Pauline moves to stop him.
"Oh now you want me?" Spike jokes.

"Don't flatter yourself." Pauline rolls her eyes in disgust.

"You wouldn't even have to do anything." Luigi points out. "Just stay long enough to find out what she knows about Toad."

Mario stands up and starts to go, then stops himself, "What if I'm walking into a trap?"

"Toad's aren't known for setting traps, are they?" Pauline asks. "And besides, what possible trap could that even be?"

"She knows Toad's spying on her." Mario starts. "Doesn't like it."

"Oh no, she absolutely hated it." Pauline says sarcastically. "Go on."

"She has friends. Scary friends." Mario says. "And they're there with her waiting to jump me."

"Free for all?" Spike pipes up.

"Spike, I cannot stress this enough, shut up. " Pauline snaps.

"And you don't have to worry about a trap anyway." Luigi assures Mario. "Toad cared about her. Maybe she cares about him too?"

"That's supposed to convince me to go?" Mario says, clearly not convinced. "I can't manipulate her like that."

The knock on the door thankfully spares Mario from having to justify himself further, so Spike says, "Scuse me." And starts for the door.

But no way is Mario gonna let Spike answer his own door for him, so Mario promptly follows and gets there first, looking through the peephole.

And turns back to the rest of the team as he informs them, "It's her."

"My time to shine." Spike starts, but Mario somehow shoves him back.

"No, absolutely not." And snaps his fingers. "Bedroom. Now. All of you."

Pauline and Spike comply, but Luigi just stands there with his arms out in confusion, but Mario just shakes his head, pointing to the bedroom, his meaning clear, so Luigi stomps his foot once, to show his frustration, but eventually also heads to the bedroom himself.

That done, Mario turns back around and opens the door.

"Hello?" he asks nervously.

"Hi there!" the pink Toad says brightly. "Didn't you used to live in that house in my neighborhood?"

"I did." Mario nods. "But now I'm here."

"Huh." The pink Toad seems thrown by that for a moment, then says, "Why didn't you come by? I invited you!"
"I...know." Mario says slowly. "Guess I was...not sure you know exactly who I was."

"But I do!" the pink Toad insists. "You've been using that Lakitu to watch me for months! You don't need to deny it, I already know."

"I'm...sorry?" Mario winces, kicking himself.

"Oh please, don't." The pink Toad waves it off. "I read to kids at the local library. People staring at me is part of the job."

"Oh." That's about all Mario can think to say. "Then why did you come over here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she says. "To say thank you!"

"For spying on you?" Either Mario's missing something, or he had this Toad pegged all wrong.

"For all my new books!" the pink Toad clarifies, the confusion in Mario's eyes clearing immediately. "When they started coming in bulk, I had no idea who was sending them or why. Until I realized the Lakitu camera could see all my empty bookshelves."

"I...guess I did." Mario nods.

"Trust me, I will find a way to make it up to you." The pink Toad promises. "I just wanted to see you for myself and say thanks."

Then she grabs him in a tight hug, telling him, "You'd make a great hero. Anytime you wanna come over and talk books, you know where my house is.", then walking away.

Mario slowly closes the door, letting out a long breath as the team rejoins him.

"Toad was never a Peeping Tom." Mario says. "He was a Toad, through and through, and he's a shining example of who Toads should look up to."