Chills of Autumn

Mario moved to grab onto Wario's arm to help him up again but was roughly pushed back.

"I don't need your help." Wario growled an arm wrapped around himself as he stood.

"We should just leave you here." Daisy retorted. "You don't deserve any help from us."

Peach sighed, "Wario please let us help you." She stepped forward, "How badly are you hurt?"

"What exactly happened?" Yoshi asked curiously.

Everyone gave Wario an expectant look and he grumbled, "Nothing. I just stumbled onto my axe running through the corn, just the edge."

Peach looked at Mario, "We have to get out of here soon, he needs a doctor."

Mario nodded in agreement but gave Wario a suspicious glance, which the man met with a smirk. Soon everyone was moving again, Wario sticking to the front of the pack, trying to prove that he was just fine on his own. Peach felt her heart pick up beat every time he stumbled, just to relieve her by righting himself the next moment.

When they reached another bend in the corn the wind suddenly picked up and there was rustling all around them. Everyone kept silent, eyes flashing around warily.

Daisy heard a new rustling noise after the wind died down and quickly turned to see something rush at her, "GUYS!"

She fell back with an 'oomph' as the small figure dashed into her. Everyone ran to her and were startled to see a small yellow Yoshi sitting on her chest looking confused.

Daisy blinked at the child whose nose was only a few inches from her face, "Oh…hello."

The Yoshi sniffed and wiped a tear off his cheek, sitting up, "I'm sorry."

Luigi helped up Daisy and the Yoshi was picked up gently by Peach and sat down on the ground where he looked up at her with wide eyes, "Princess!" The child squeaked, "I'm so so sorry! I shouldn't have snuck in, it was scary…I learned my lesson! Next time I'll wait till I'm older! Promise!"

Everyone smiled at the child Yoshi except for Wario who stood off to the side looking irritable.

Yoshi bent down to smile at the child, "Hi, what's your name?"

The child grinned back, "I'm Pip!"

"Nice to meet you Pip." Peach said softly, "Now, where did you come from, what direction I mean, do you remember?"

Pip looked down at his feet, "I…I don't know, I was running bunches. I got scared and ran a lot, jus now stopped."

"Well," Daisy said, "We can start in the direction he came from, that's better than nothing."

"What about Marni? And my brother?" Miles gave them all a frustrated look "Doesn't anyone care?"

Daisy felt shame and glanced towards the toad, "I'm sorry."

Peach stepped beside Daisy, "We should move quickly."

"Maybe we can get out of the maze and contact the authorities?" Luigi suggested.

"Heh, so the great Mario is backing out, going to follow greenie with his tail tucked?" Wario snickered, "Some hero."

The two brothers glared at him but didn't say anything. Peach gave Mario a small smile.

"Okay let's keep moving." Daisy said, "I'm getting tired of standing here."

"Hey Pip." Yoshi said to the child, "How about I carry you here on out? You look a little tired."

Pip looked thoughtful then nodded, "Kay, jus don't drop me."

The group moved forward through the maze once again, uncertain as always of what lay ahead.

00oo00oo00oo00

She leaned against the side of the barn wall, her brown hair flaring up around her neck, looking around her, bored. The human woman hugged her leather jacket to herself the wind growing colder every moment.

I'm just so smart, she thought angrily, wearing a dress to this stupid festival, what was I thinking?

The girl kept one hand on her jacket and reached down an arm to try and pull down her short red skirt.

"Why hello Pauline." A smooth voice said suddenly.

She quickly looked up and made a disgusted noise, "Oh joy, it's you."

"I know, I know. Happy to see me as always." The tall thin man gave her a wide smile under his pointed mustache.

"Why is it that every time I get a chill down my back, you show your face." Pauline said dryly, hugging herself again as a strong breeze whipped up.

"I give you chills?" He grinned, "I must be a real lady killer then, does that mean you'll go out with me?"

She wrinkled her nose, "No, what gave you that idea?"

He played with the point of his mustache and moved a bit closer, "You can't deny your feelings for me."

"Eww." Pauline snorted and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a case of cigarettes, and slipped one out. She lit it and blew out a long stream of smoke, "Just leave me alone Wally."

"Waluigi."

"Whatever."

His eyes narrowed and he straightened his hat out, "Fine, your just old news anyways."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pauline snapped.

He turned to grin wickedly at her, "Mario left you, how does that make you feel sweet heart? Dumped for a Princess."

"That's all she has going for her." Pauline said coldly. "Damn ditz."

Waluigi gave her an amused look, "Getting jealous are we?"

"Why don't you jump from a very high place? The world might actually be better then." Pauline snarled. It was certainly a cold place for her now; she had been out of a job for a while. After Mario left her behind, dominos seem to roll, and she had lost her job as a reporter and now there was only a run down apartment to her name. Damned weather not helping; It was getting colder every moment.

"I could treat you well ya know." Waluigi continued. "I'd never leave my girl behind." He made a move like he was going to wrap an arm around her but she quickly stepped aside, tossing a cigarette to the ground and stomping it under her boot.

"Back off or I'll mace you, you're nothing but a creeper!" Pauline told him angrily.

"Well maybe I am." He growled. "It sure beats being a hoe like you."

Her face reddened and she screamed out an insult but he was already retreating, slipping into the corn nearby with a cackle.

00oo00oo00oo00

"We've been walking for a long time." Daisy sighed. "I'm so tired, I wonder what time it is."

Peach gave her friend a small smile, "I thought you were supposed to be the athletic one?"

Daisy rolled her eyes, "You play sports too."

Up ahead in the group Wario was getting more impatient, "This is stupid, why am I wasting my time with you morons anyway?" He stopped suddenly and turned around, meeting Mario's glare with one of his own.

"You are unpleasant as always." Daisy snapped. "Why don't you just go off on your own, like the anti social jerk you are."

"Daisy." Peach said softly, looking from her to Wario sadly. Why couldn't he try to get along…just this once?

Wario just shook his head and looked from Daisy to Mario, a look of disgust on his face, "I'm hanging out with a bunch of losers."

Daisy opened her mouth to say something but shook her head, "You're not even worth it." She mumbled.

They were currently in a wider path, almost a small clearing in the corn, two more paths leading north and east of them. Wario picked neither and just moved towards the corn up ahead, wanting rather to pave his own path.

There was rustling; no one seemed to notice but Pip who was looking wide-eyed after Wario. That noise, was someone coming this way?

At the exact moment Wario stepped forward to enter the corn, someone else stepped out, and the axe they carried sharp edge forward, was now imbedded in his stomach. The man screamed in pain and stumbled backwards, eyes bugged out. He fell back blood spreading across his shirt. The cloaked figure stepped forward and raised his axe. Nobody stayed to see where he buried it.

Everyone screamed and there was chaos as they all moved for the east entrance. Mario grabbed onto Peach's hand and pulled her behind him, Luigi doing the same for Daisy who seemed to be able to drag him faster.

"What the hell?" Daisy yelled as they ran.

"He…was right there…then he." Peach sobbed.

Pip was also crying, trying to burrow his little head under Yoshi's arm, "I don't wanna die!"

Yoshi tried to comfort the child as he ran but even he was too distracted by fear to do much.

There was a crazy killer with an axe out there and most likely he was in pursuit of them. The question on everyone's mind was this: Will we ever get out of here alive?

Chapter Five:

"I hate this!" Daisy plopped down onto the ground, tears of frustration rolling down her cheeks, "We've been running for a long time and we're still stuck in this stupid corn!"

Luigi took a seat next to Daisy and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "It can't last forever, we're all going to get out of here, and I won't let anyone hurt you."

"This day sucks!" Daisy wailed, "This was supposed to be fun! Now we're stuck in a freaking corn maze with a psycho."

Mario watched as his brother tried to comfort the Princess and turned to look at Peach who was standing with Yoshi, "Peach are you okay?"

She looked blank for a moment, as if she had been thinking about something then nodded, "I-I'm alright Mario." She looked up at the moon up above, the heads of the corn stalks waving softly in the wind, "I'm just a bit shaken up, that's all."

The red clad plumber wrapped an arm around her, "If you're cold I can give you my jacket."

Peach shook her head, her blond curls bouncing around her shoulders, eyes sorrowful, "No. I'm fine."

Poor Wario, Peach thought sadly. It wasn't fair. He may have been a little rough around the edges but inside he had to have been a good person!

"We have to keep moving Mario." Luigi leaped to his feet, "That mad man could be following us."

"Of course he is." Daisy said bitterly as she stood, "Ever see a horror film? This is so messed up but count on it to be accurate, this psycho probably researches everything so his twisted plans go exactly the way he wants. Fucked up bastard."

Peach couldn't help gasping at Daisy's language but no one said anything, they just continued their trek through the corn. The flower princess's cursing was a little thing compared to the fact that there was an axe wielding mad man possibly on their trail.

The night seem to grow colder as they walked and Peach found her teeth chattering, arms wrapped around her front. She was startled when she felt a sudden weight on her shoulders; she quickly turned to see Mario wrapping his jacket around her.

"Thank you." Peach said softly and Mario nodded, quickly returning to the front of the group. The Princess bowed her head and took in his scent. She felt a smile form on her face and her cheeks lightly flushed, though no one noticed but the girl who could feel them warm.

As long as Mario is here I'll always feel safe, Peach told herself, I will be brave for him, I must have faith. Whatever evil is at work here, he will put a stop to it.

00oo00oo00oo00

Pauline had long since wandered inside the barn, feeling a deep burning hatred for the man who had insulted her earlier.

Who does he think he is? She thought angrily. The bastard.

She scowled out loud and took a seat at a picnic table near the refreshment table, a table of toads nearby giving her a curious look.

The girl sat there for a long time feeling an urge to go after Waluigi and strangle him and at the same time feeling very sorry for herself.

Pauline bit her lip and brushed away a tear. It just wasn't fair. Mario and her had everything; they had planned so many things for their future. Of course, nothing good seemed to last, and Mario had disappeared a few months after she had finally won her dream job as a reporter.

With her boyfriend gone of course, Pauline didn't enjoy her success as much as she would have liked. Later though he had returned and told her of his adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom. He begged her to come with him to the capitol so she could meet the Princess and his new friends but Pauline had gently objected and they had settled into the old times again.

When he returned to the Ape City however news investigators had pursued Mario from the Mushroom Capitol and they greedily dug into his personal life and latched onto Pauline. Her being the sweetheart of the great super Mario had been at the top of the news for a long time, which was until he had decided to leave her behind in pursuit of this new life as a hero.

"What are you saying?" Pauline had cried when he had told her his decision.

Mario couldn't meet her eyes, "I'm sorry Pauline, but I just want to move on, I don't have enough freedom here. I don't want to just settle down and start up our business and that be the end of it. I want adventure; I felt something inside me when I went on that journey after the Princess, it was like a calling."

"That's a load of shit and you know it!" Pauline snapped, "Your just leaving me for some blond chick, what is it Mario? Do I not appeal to you anymore? Develop a taste for bimbo Princess's?"

Mario's face had turned as red as his cap and he had yelled back at her in defense of a woman she didn't know and didn't want to know. Pauline had been too upset at the time to even hear everything that he had said. This fight went on for several minutes and ended when Pauline stormed out of the room, yelling insults over her shoulder.

Pauline sniffed and laid her head into her arms on the table, remembering the plans they had. The two had wanted to open up their own restaurant; it had been a shared dream until Mario had discovered a new one -that excluded her from the picture.

"What do I have now?" Pauline murmured. "Nothing."

She looked up at the people moving around her, many laughing with one another, a few kids running about playing. Everyone seemed to be having a good time but her. Go figure.

If only I could go back in time, she thought, and keep this madness from happening. What makes this Princess so special? What does she have that I don't have?

Pauline sat up in her seat, brushing back the hair that had fallen over her shoulder. She had come here hoping to find Mario, praying that somehow they would meet one another's eyes at a place like this and then he would realize that they were meant to be together. How did she even know he was going to be here? The ever-faithful Mushroom news anchors of course.

I'm pursuing a fantasy, Pauline thought sadly, after all, I'm nothing compared to a Princess.

The girl sat there for a long time before standing. She had decided that she was not leaving until she saw Mario, why waste a trip after all.

Now I just have to find him, Pauline thought as she left the barn and walked into the chilled autumn air.

00oo00oo00oo00

"Do you think they're even alive?" Miles asked after awhile, his voice cracking.

Everyone stopped and eyes went to Mario, no one else knew how to respond.

Mario rested his hand on the Toad's cap, "Don't worry Miles, we're not giving up on them just yet."

The toad smiled but fear still shown in his eyes. What if they were too late?

The group began moving again everyone tense each time they turned a corner in the maze. Suddenly another powerful gust whipped at them and the corn stalks were rustling madly.

Daisy gasped as her hair flew into her face madly, waving her hands up to her face trying to block the wind. Soon it had settled down and they were trapped in an uncomfortable silence, they could hear nothing. This was so unsettling that the already cold air around them felt frigid, the moonlight up above shining bright down on them.

I feel like I'm in a spotlight, Peach thought, her heart pounding. She felt like eyes were on her, watching her every move.

She wasn't the only one who felt this way, everyone looked around quickly, eyes wide. Yoshi hugged Pip tighter to his chest, feeling the little guy shiver in fear.

Mario's eyes narrowed and he stepped away from the group, scanning the corn around them. The silence was like a single sound, it had its own voice and the pressure was up. No one said a word, because they were too afraid to speak, to break this eerie silence.

Soon the pressure had become too much and Daisy found herself humming a soft melody from her childhood.

There was, all a sudden, a thick rustling noise as something moved in the corn.

Daisy choked back a gasp and stepped back into Luigi who hugged her to him, his own heart beating in a fast beat that matched her own.

Mario stepped forward ready to meet their attacker, stepping protectively in front of the rest of the group.

Whoever or whatever it was surged through the corn towards them and everyone waited with bated breath, Peach feeling ready to bolt screaming hysterically into the corn.

Soon the noise was upon them and everyone tensed as a figure stepped/stumbled out of the corn.

"Marni?"

The figure blinked at the toad that had spoken, "…Miles?"

"Marni!" The toad ran forward to embrace the female toad whose eyes were wet with tears, her expression one of great relief.

Everyone watched this reunion with smiles on their faces, Peach feeling tears fall down her face. Seeing them reunited made her feel warm inside, she was so happy for the toad.

Marni stepped back, "Oh Miles I was so worried!" She cried, "I've been looking everywhere for you."

Miles wiped a tear off his face, "Marni I was so afraid when I found your scarf, are you still bleeding?"

"What?"

They exchanged looks of confusion. Mario glanced at Luigi who shrugged.

"My scarf?" Marni blinked, "Your brother, well, he was being goofy again and ran off with it. Have you run into him yet?"

Miles face turned pallid, "What? Dan…he…oh no!"

Peach's eyes widened and she looked at Mario who was already stepping forward, "Don't worry Miles, we can still find him."

Marni gave them all a confused look, "What's going on?"

"The blood..." Miles eyes were blank, an expression of shock.

Marni stepped back, "Blood?"

There was then a familiar noise, and it came from far off then grew in volume. The rustling noise had returned and something was heading their way…fast.

"Dan?" Miles said hopefully stepping towards the noise.

A blade rushed down towards him and the toad shrieked in fear, flying backwards into Marni who cried out in surprise. The two tumbled to the ground looking up in horror at the figure above them.

The cloaked person whose face was hidden in the darkness of the hood did not speak but raised his axe into the air, the thin blade long enough to cut into both toads at once.

He didn't get his chance though, Mario chose at that moment to throw himself at the mad man from the side. The figure acted quickly, almost with super human senses and turned to the side, catching Mario's forehead with the wood of his axe.

The plumber fell to the ground out cold and Luigi moved forward eyes wide in terror, "Mario no!"

"Mario!" Peach screamed.

The figure stood tall over the unconscious hero, the toads long since had escaped, currently hiding behind the Green plumber who looked ahead in horror. The cloaked person raised the blade of the axe, more than ready to extinguish the life of the man at his/her feet.

Suddenly Luigi found Pip being pushed into his arms and Yoshi raced forward with a war cry. Yoshi pushed into the figure who was sent careening backwards into the corn.

Luigi quickly handed Pip to Peach and ran forward to collect his brother. He quickly tossed him over his shoulder, grunting under the weight and looked to Yoshi, "Let's go! Hurry!"

Yoshi stepped away from the corn and towards the group, the figure suddenly rising up behind him.

"Yoshi!" Peach screamed as the axe came down.

The Yoshi turned quickly a second too late as the axe buried itself in his side. The creature let out a loud cry and fell to the ground, blood seeping between his fingers where he clutched the wound.

"No!" Daisy cried, "Yoshi!"

Pip screamed tears flying down his face and tried to bury himself in Peach's blouse, who was trying to hide him in her arms, tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Run!" Yoshi coughed loudly, "Get away while you still have a chance! Go!"

They looked one more time at their friend before running into the corn. Soon it was just the unknown figure standing over the wounded Yoshi, the wind whistling through the corn, a sad sound.

"Y-You won't get away with this." Yoshi cried, blood rushing through his fingers, his face up at the sky.

The figure did not speak but lifted up his axe to make one last blow.

"I-I'm sorry M-Mario." Yoshi whispered, his eyes slipping closed as the blade raced towards him.

Peach rocked Pip gently in her arms, his little head buried in her sweater, tears falling down her face as she gazed down at him. Yoshi was dead. It had been a shock for them all, after they had ran for a long time, they had all sat together, a few standing, too afraid to stay on the ground, every one of them waiting for Yoshi to come through the corn. That didn't happen.

"He's gone." Daisy said softly, almost in disbelief, "He isn't coming back."

"Shh, Daisy." Luigi hugged the girl, who began trembling, glancing at the yoshi in Peach's arms, hoping he hadn't heard.

"It's okay." Peach told him, "I think Pip is asleep." This was just too much for him. He's so young…and innocent.

"Whoever is doing this will pay." Luigi said angrily, "That child will never forget what he has seen."

"I know." Peach stroked Pip's head gently with her hand. The poor little thing was making small scared noises, even in his sleep.

Suddenly there was a moan.

"Mario?" Luigi bent down next to his brother, who was waking up. Everyone crowded around him, looking down at Mario with wide eyes.

"W-weegee?" Mario's eyes opened, and he gave them all a confused look. Luigi helped him to his feet, "What happened?"

He looked around at his friends, a frown on his face, "Where is Yoshi?"

Peach hugged Pip to her chest, tears blurring her vision. Poor Mario…

"Mario.

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