Authors Notes: I�ve had this idea going around in my head for a few days and decided to start writing it. This is based all off my favorite poem by Edward Gorey, The Gashlycrumb Tinies or After the Outing. If I ever finish this fic, I�ll write the whole poem out for you�re enjoyment.

"A is for Amy who fell down the stairs..." The high-pitched, slightly off-kilter voice stared up it�s giggling again.

The little mushroom girl shrieked and struggled with the doorknob on her bedroom door frantically. Tears streamed down her face, eyes puffy from crying, and her glossy curls flinging about as she shook her head. "Mommy! Daddy! Help!"

The gangly mushroom man giggled once more, before tsking. "Silly little girl. I already killed them." A knife flashed in his hands and, with deliberate gentleness, ran it slowly across the girls cheek. He smiled down at the trembling young girl and knelt beside her, careful to keep the knife point just barely pressed against the skin. "Aren�t you..." The man changed his grip on the hilt, from holding it delicately between two fingers to clutching it in a tensed fist. "...just the..." He pressed it down cruelly, sharp metal easily slicing through the soft skin of the six year old child. "...the cutest little thing." The girl�s screech was suddenly amplified as the weapon carved upward and plunged straight into her sapphire blue eye.

The man pulled it out, bringing a mangled mass of blood, gel, and many other fluids along with it. The girl fainted almost right then, and would have fallen if not for the man catching her tenderly, and wrapping his arms about her in a hug. The girl cried into his shirt, tears spilling out of her one remaining sky-colored eye and blood flowing out of where the other use to be. Both soaked the shirt the man was wearing, but so was the knife pressing flat against the girls cotton pajama shirt. "It�s all right Amy. You�re not going to die this way."

He pick her up gently and opened the door, carrying her out into the hallway. The whole house was dark and a door just down the hall was askew, a small pool of blood leaking into the corridor from inside. Walking on silent feet, the man made his way to the stairwell, taking time to stare down it into the foyer of the little farm house. Then, planting a affectionate kiss on the girl�s blood stained forehead, he tossed her down the stairs, making sure to throw her just right so she would bounce on the way down.

The man seemed pleased with the twisted angle she landed in and went down to check his work. He once again knelt down beside her body, then crinkled his nose in displeasure when he saw that she was still alive. Reaching down swiftly and with a quick twist of the wrist, he broke her neck.

Snoring filled the air of the large, spacious waiting room in the Mushroom Castle, resounding off the far walls and echoing down the hallways. The early morning light shown through the giant, stained glass windows, splashing color across the marble floor and on the face of the sleeping snorer, much to his aggravation. Mario, hero of the Mushroom Kingdom and all around good guy, snorted in frustration and threw an arm over his eyes to block the cheerful light, trying vainly to stay asleep. But it was all in useless. He was awake and it didn�t look like he was getting back to that wonderful oblivion any time soon.

The rotund plumber sat up carefully, wincing as he stretched out the kinks in his neck and back. Sleeping in a chair did little for one�s spine, no matter how plush and comfortable they were. ~Couches are a lot better.~ he thought ruefully as he glanced over at his younger brother, lithe body curled up and sleeping peacefully on the only couch in a room filled with chairs. Of course he had to be nice and let his brother have the couch when they had been called to the Castle at four in the morning.

That thought put a sudden worried frown on Mario�s face, mustache quivering slightly in agitation. The mushroom messenger and been rather vague when he had come pounding at their door, out of breath and frantic almost to the point where they could understand him in their dazed shock of being woken out of deep sleep. They had just thrown something on quick. Mario - a pair of jean, a hopefully clean shirt and his still unlaced, sock less boots. Luigi - a pair of what they realized too late to be a pair of Mario�s pants, the wrinkled shirt from yesterday and the only shoes he could find, a pair of leather sandals. Mario only hoped they didn�t have to meet with anybody official. He looked slightly presentable but Luigi, with his makeshift belt the only thing keeping him from giving people a good view of his boxers and extreme ruffled look, won�t pass the inspection to get into a bar.

But whatever the reason might be for them being there, Mario wished it would hurry up and happen.

As if in response to Mario�s thoughts, the giant double doors leading into the Throne Room swung open, Toad stepping through them and walking over to the plumber brothers. The solemn look on the short mushroom�s face was enough to get Mario�s heart beating just a tad bit faster.

"Mario, thank God you could make it so quickly."

Mario opened his mouth to make some replay about there for hours, but decided against it and settled for just a nod.

"Wake up Luigi and come with me. The Princess needs to see you two."

Mario just nodded again, Toad�s serious attitude becoming infectious. He walked over to his sleeping brother and gently shook his shoulder. When that didn�t work, he rolled his eyes, lent down and yelled directly in his ear. "Hey Weegee! Time to wake up!"

With a start, almost banged their heads together, Luigi shot off the couch and rolled off on to the floor, cursing all the way down. He blinked blearily up at his slightly smug brother, running a hand through his wild, sleep mused raven hair. "Why�d ya have to go and do that for, Mario?"

Mario shrugged and gave his best flamboyant smile. "Because you weren�t waking up. Come on. The Princess is awaiting." He lend down and held out a hand.

Luigi scowled a bit, but clasped the offered hand, Mario easily lifting his much lighter sibling off the floor.

Toad had to smile at their antics as he led them into the Princess�s Throne Room.

Princess Peach Toadstool, like always, looked radiant. Golden hair done up perfectly, even though she must have been up just as long as the Mario Brother, if not longer. Slender form clad in a typical pink dress and large sky blue eyes wide with worry. Aside from a few tense lines around her mouth marring her face, she looked as beautiful as always.

The two Heroes stopped in front in front of her throne, Mario standing respectfully and Luigi leaning against his brother�s shoulder, eyeing the Princess with tired, dark eyes.

Mario spoke up first, just wanting to break the oppressive silence in the room. "Is it Bowser again?"

Peach sighed and closed her eyes briefly. "No. It�s murder."