"Don't make so much of it," replied Luigi. "There's nothing spooky about a dark room with thunder and lightning raging outside when the power is out...did I just say those words out loud?"
"Don't make so much of it," Peach said sarcastically.
"On the plus side," said one of the Toads, "We've got a large supply of everything we need to wait as long as is necessary for the weather to calm down."
"What about power?" asked Daisy. "Any way to restore that?"
"I'm afraid not, Princess," replied the Toad. "The last electrical surge couldn't have been more poorly timed- it actually hit just as we were starting the generator, and for some reason the silly thing was charging on basic castle power. A serious electrical overload was the result. Not sure how that happened- it was a pretty blatant oversight. Apologies."
"Not your fault, Toad," Peach sighed. "We can probably light the room well enough with our flashlights and such. As long as we aren't overboard with it, I think we can afford to use the batteries."
"At any rate," said Luigi, "I want a bite to eat. Anyone else?"
"I'm going to have to pass," Daisy replied. "I'm not overly eager to eat canned mushrooms, so I'd rather wait a little longer to see if my self-control can outlast the tornado outside."
"It's a-not mushrooms," began Luigi, but the deafening roar of the wind outside drowned his voice out. Suddenly the castle seemed to lurch forward, and everyone was knocked off their feet.
"Everyone al-" Luigi began to ask, but he was quickly interrupted by a Toad's cry.
"The central inflow pipe has split! Everyone! Get upstairs NOW!"
Instinctively Luigi pulled out his flashlight and aimed it at the basement door, which the occupants began struggling towards as quickly as they could. As water began sloshing around his feet he calculated furiously. The central inflow pipe brought in the vast majority of the castle's water supply- if it split, the basement would be flooded to the ceiling in less than ten seconds. The Toads would be underwater in no more than five seconds, the Princesses and himself, seven, and even if they reached the door in time without the current blowing them all away, the water would soon make its way upstairs. The structural damage caused by the water could make the floor collapse. If it hit with full force, which was almost certain in these weather conditions, the castle would be structurally unstable on all floors within three minutes, and collapse completely within seven. Evacuation was the only chance, but with the entire castle staff in the basement it would take way too long. People would inevitably drown. With the quick eye of a professional he located the main pipe and glanced to the end where the leak had sprung. Nothing he could do about it- even from this distance it was obviously beyond saving.
It took him three seconds to figure all of this. "Everyone!" he yelled. "Swim to the door and get out of the castle! She's not going to withstand this!"
No one needed to be told twice. Donning a Penguin Suit, Luigi treaded water as he watched the slow procession. A few were having trouble holding their breath, so he swam up and down the line giving them Starmen so they could breath a few seconds. After three minutes which seemed like hours Luigi scanned the basement with his slowly failing flashlight to see if anyone was missing, then darted through the door to the top of the water. The first floor was six feet deep in water, and two Toads were desperately yanking at the submerged castle doors in an attempt to get them open. As the water kept rising Luigi looked towards the shattered window.
"That way!" he cried, as the water began bringing them level with the window.
The window was even worse than the door had been. In order to avoid the glass people had to go through single file. Luigi started to repeat the power-up process, but was stopped by Peach, who by now had gathered enough Star Power to create and hold an air bubble just big enough to help anyone who had to catch their breath. In this way everyone managed to pour out of the castle safely enough. When only Peach and Luigi were left, though, Peach asked Luigi the worst question he'd ever heard.
"You saw Daisy, right?"
He glanced at her frantically.
"We have to find her!"
"Sorry, Peach. They need you down there. Ciao." So saying he pushed Peach just to the edge of the outflow through the window, and a second later Peach had dropped gracefully into the courtyard.
"Okay, Luigi." he said, steeling himself. "You've got a princess to rescue. Now's not the time to get cold feet- why, she's not even in another castle!" So saying he glanced through the window at the heavens for just a second. Then he plunged into the water and towards the basement.
Continued next week.
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