When it wasn’t under attack by outside forces, the Mushroom Kingdom was an unusually prosperous locale. As such, it attracted its fair share of merchants, traveling either solo or in caravans, looking to share their wares with the ostensibly wealthy Toads that thrived under the rule of their benevolent Princess and her mustachioed knight in shining overalls. 

Whether spread out on blankets, carted along in trolleys, or simply sold from a nondescript sack, honest salesmen (and the occasionally not-so-honest) flocked by the dozens to the sunny meadows and brightly lit roads of the happiest Kingdom in the world. In addition to having a lot of money to spend, lots of kids to placate with colorful trinkets and useless noisemakers, the Toads were uniquely susceptible to swindlers; it wasn’t uncommon for less than savory characters to try and swindle a few coins from a largely unsuspecting populace.

Largely unaware of any of these swindlers’ proclivities, Shade wandered along the colorful rugs lined with merchandise, occasionally stopping to take a look at a particularly tasty looking mushroom, or an expensive star piece.  An adolescent koopa, and one without a shell at that, he stood out among the chatty fungi, but for the most part, they paid him no mind. As long as he wasn’t breathing fire or kidnapping princesses, the Toads seemed happy enough to share space with the youngster.

Shade perked up at the sight of a toy section, and he was grinning as he hurried over to get a closer look. He had a few coins in his pocket, after all, and these sales were his favorite place to spend them. Waiting behind a crowd of bustling women, cooing over a couple of baby toys that the koopa was too big for, it wasn’t long before he got a little impatient, and he stepped around to the other side of the blanket to start his inspection from that end.

That’s when the doll immediately grabbed his attention.

It was a rather large plush, one that sat flat on its rump with its clawed feet sticking out, and its arms hanging down. With a spiky shell and leather wristbands, not to mention a fiery red mohawk that looked like it was made out of actual hair, it was easy for Shade to tell who the toy was modeled after; the self-made King of his people, Bowser. 

Shade couldn’t help but giggle at the sight. By any standards, Bowser was exceptionally powerful, and the young Koopa had heard countless stories of the King’s might and ferocity. To see him as a stuffed animal, with cute button eyes and his trademark scowl on his face, was amusing to the boy. Careful not to stop on anything, he stepped around the other toys, briefly tipping over a blue-robed wooden doll, to approach the Bowser doll. 

“I wonder how much he is…” Crouching down, his elbows on his scaly knees, the Koopa searched the toy for a price tag and found one under its short, spiky tail. A quickly scrawled price filled the boy with dismay; twenty coins, well out of the price range of a young monster pulling in just five coins a week with his allowance. “Awww, man… I wonder why he’s so much.” 

“Darn it…” With a sigh, visibly disappointed, the youngster straightened back up and reluctantly left the Bowser toy to sit on the blanket. Less enthusiastic now, he returned to the general wares, thumbing disinterestedly through a couple of books, nudging a mushroom-themed beanbag chair with his foot. After being denied what he really wanted, everything else at the sale seemed kind of drab and cheap, uninteresting at best.

Even on the other side of the small bazaar, his attention was constantly drawn back to the Bowser doll, how well it was made, and all he could think about was how cool it would be to have a toy modeled after the King. His heart beat harder in his chest anytime he noticed another of the Toads getting close to the doll, and he surprised himself by being worried that someone else was going to snatch it up right out from under him.

Needless to say, the unheroic Toads weren’t in any hurry to buy a toy modeled after the monster that terrorized them on a near monthly basis.

From a section at the far end of the sale, though, the owner of the merchandise grinned shrewdly from beneath the brim of a brown top hat. The savviest salesman in the Kingdom, Croco had been keeping an eye on the oblivious Koopa kid, and he knew full well what was on his mind. The doll was something he was hoping to off-load, especially after his last run-in with the tyrant King, and the youngster was looking more and more like the perfect customer. 

“’ey, kid. C’mere.”

Shade looked up when he heard the purple croc speak up, and the two made eye contact for a moment. The sinister bend to the merchant’s smile, and the clever glint in his eye generated a chill at the base of the young Koopa’s spine, and he looked to his immediate left and right, a pointless gesture, because he knew full well that the sinister reptile was talking to him. 

“C’mere!” Croco insisted again, a little more urgently this time, but not angry. Shade had one more look around, and he thought about making a run for it, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to get very far. He swallowed hard, ringing the hem of his shirt in his hands for a couple of seconds, then took one more longing glance down the road before slowly approaching the shifty crocodile. 

“I-I didn’t mean to knock that doll over…” Considering the croc’s rather severe appearance, it was a safe assumption for Shade to think that he was in trouble. The little Koopa looked down at his toes again, still holding the hem of his shirt, and shuffled uncomfortably, waiting for the shrewd reptile to admonish him for his thoughtlessness.

“What doll? That ratty blue toy?” Croco sneered, dismissive of the Koopa’s concerns in a way that had Shade peeking back up at the merchant from the corner of his eye. His grin widened considerably, showing off nearly every pointed tooth in his mouth, and he stepped forward to slip one arm around the youngster’s shoulders, coaxing the boy to walk with him. “Don’t even worry about it, kid. Come with me.” 

“O-Okay…” Shade couldn’t help but be relieved that the croc wasn’t mad at him, and he allowed a small, shy smile to touch the edge of his lips as he was led along, past a couple of Toads fussing over an arrangement of fake fire flowers. “Y-You’ve got a lot of really cool stuff here, mister. I wish I had some more coins.”

“Ahh, it’s all junk…” Croco waved the compliment away with a modest shrug, but that predatory smile hadn’t diminished in the slightest. Sidestepping a passing family, and leading Shade out of their way as well, the reptile continued on his way; a slow, meandering path back to the blanket of toys, and more specifically, the Bowser doll that Shade had been so smitten with. 

“I know what you’re after, kiddo.”

“Y-You do?” Shade’s heart nearly leapt into his throat, and he had to swallow hard before he could speak again. The Koopa felt his cheeks getting warm, and he looked up at the merchant croc as they came to a halt near the blanket. Something about the conversation was making him nervous, though aside from the sinister appearance of the purple beast, it was nothing that he would be able to pinpoint. 

“I do!” Croco chuckled, a snickering susurrus of air pushed through his flared nostrils, and ducked his head lower, closer to the Koopa. His top hat tipped forward, enough to conceal one of his eyes, and he lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “You’ve got a good eye, for such a little fella. Why don’t you pick him up and bring him to me?” 

Still nervous, heart beating hard in his chest, the little Koopa reluctantly nodded his head and took a couple of steps back, away from the clever croc. He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to turn his back on Croco, then swallowed hard before stepping onto the blanket lined expertly with toys. This time, under the watchful eye of the shopkeeper, he was much more careful about knocking over any of the merchandise. 

“He’s pretty well made, ain’t he?” Croco leered, watching as the Koopa crouched to retrieve the enigmatic little doll. It was easy for him, a ruthless businessman, to discern that Shade was enamored with the toy. “High-quality stuffing, double-stitched seams brought to you by the fine citizens of Moleville.” 

“And from what I hear, that mohawk he’s sporting is made completely from the fearsome King’s actual mane.” The crocodile leaned in to whisper conspiratorially. 

“Wow, really?” Shade perked up a little, holding the doll in both hands. He was starting to feel a little bit nervous around Croco, and looking at the toy was starting to bring those feelings of desire back to the front of his mind. The dangling price-tag, though, served as a harsh reminder to the young Koopa just how far outside of his price range it was. “…I-I can’t afford him, though. It’s way more than I got.” 

“Hmm…” Croco affected an exaggerated expression, looking thoughtful and pensive from beneath the brim of his huge hat. He tapped a couple of claws to his jawline, puzzling over the situation, and took a slow look from the left, then to the right, as if worried he would be overheard, before leaning in close to the Koopa again. “How much do you have, kid?” 

“F-Five coins.” Seeing the shifty crocodile looking so conflicted brought a small swell of hope to the youngster, and he allowed himself to think, perhaps foolishly, that the purple peddler would be willing to come down on his price. The Koopa swallowed, shifting the weight of the doll in his hands and curling his bare toes in the soft grass. “B-But I can probably get some more next week.”

“Hmm – I’m sorry to say that I’m leaving town tonight, little buddy.” Croco finally frowned, looking sympathetic. Slowly, he reached out as if to take the doll from the Koopa kid, who was close to tears, by this point. The reptile stopped, though, ever the showman, and simply brushed his claws through the Bowser toy’s mane. “You really want him, don’t ya?” 

“Uh huh…” Shade sniffled, rubbing his eye with one hand, but he reluctantly offered the doll back to the shopkeeper, not wanting to be the cause of any delays or problems in the croc getting to where he needed to be. He tried to smile, but it was a little more watery than he wanted it to be. “I-It’s okay, though. Maybe I can find another when I have some more money.”

“I tell ya what.” Croco seemed to have come to a conclusion. He grinned again, tapping claws against his chin, then put his palm against the toy and pushed it against Shade’s chest. “If you promise to be a good little guy and do one favor for Uncle Croco, I’ll let this fabulous toy go for your five coins. Have we got a deal?” 

“Yeah!” Shade was immediately interested, the tears in his eyes disappearing, and hope surging in his chest. He could hardly believe it, especially after having convinced himself that someone else was going to walk away with the toy he was suddenly infatuated with. The oblivious Koopa couldn’t help but feel almost giddy, as if he’d never heard better news. “C-Could we really do that!?”

“Of course. Croco’s a man of the Kingdom, after all.” The shrewd crocodile puffed himself up, still grinning; he found himself genuinely pleased, and not to mention relieved, to be rid of the toy. It was about time it became someone else’s problem. Straightening up, the reptilian merchant smiled down at the happy Koopa. “And you’re a part of the Kingdom, my boy.” 

Money passed between the two, and Shade found himself the proud owner of just about the coolest toy he had ever seen. It didn’t occur to him to think about just why he wanted such a simple stuffed doll as much as he did; he was simply happy to have gotten what he wanted for such a low cost. Giggling, the Koopa boy immediately bounced the doll in his arms and gave it a hug before Croco stopped him with a clawed hand on his shoulder.

“Now, for that favor.” A tingle traveled up the boy’s spine, and the air around him seemed to pulse with a quick pop of energy. For a moment, Shade could have sworn that Croco’s eyes turned completely red. As soon as he blinked, though, everything was back to normal. The crocodile was smiling pleasantly at him again, and tucking the few meager coins into the sack he carried with him.

“If someone, say Bowser himself, asks where you got that doll… It didn’t come from me.”