Chapter Text
In a distant kingdom, far from the lush lands of Toad Town, a lone figure sat on a balcony overlooking a grand reservoir. This figure, clad in a golden dress with long white gloves, sipped at a cup of tea with a newspaper in her hand. The headline read "Mario Brothers End Global Conquest! Toad Town Welcomes New Hero" with a picture of Mario and Luigi wrapping their arms around a blushing Mary Pat.
“The Mario Brothers…” She set down her teacup, a smile gracing her painted lips. “Interesting. It's about time someone stood up to Bowser and his Koopas.”
“Your Highness…”
The figure turned to see a Toad approaching. Unlike the denizens of Toad Town, this one had a darker complexion, his cap covered in an amber-colored turban. His robes were off-white with a vest the same color as his turban.
“Yes, Sebas?”
“If you are interested in meeting these heroes, perhaps it's time for you to reach out. They could also help with... our ongoing issues.”
The figure grimaced. “I don't need Toad Town's help.” Then she hesitated. “Still... I am curious about these supposed heroes.”
She set the paper down, taking a long sip of tea while staring at the picture…
Toad Town
Mary Pat tapped her toes on the ground, stretching her muscles as the training course unfolded from the massive ? Block.
“I'm gonna do it this time. I can feel it.”
She punched the ? block that dispensed the Super Mushroom, shoving it in her mouth. She grew to her super size, then downed a Yoshi-Ade to wash down the taste. Crushing the empty can, she readied herself.
“You got this, sis!” Mario cheered.
“We believe in you!” Luigi called out.
“KIWI!!” Little Kiwi exclaimed, jumping up and down.
Peach smiled at MP. “Good luck!”
MP took a few steps back, got into a runner's stance, and then took off. She cleared the spikes, side-jumped up the path, and then used her Thwomp Stompers to make it over the three Piranha Plants. She avoided the spinners by timing them, making it through without getting hit. She then used the spring pad to clear more spikes and wall jump up to the next level.
“So close!” Mario was gripping the banister in excitement.
“Come on Mips!” Luigi shouted. “You got this!!”
Mips made the final jump, landing with a hard THWOMP on the bricks before resuming her run. She ran up the ramp and jumped, kicking straight through a cardboard cut-out of Kamek holding a vial. Once she landed on the Donut Lifts, she ran as fast as she could, right up to the Bullet Bill wall. They fired and Mips jumped up, using each one like a stepping stone up to the flagpole. With a grin, she grabbed the flag at the top, sliding down and landing on the large pads waiting at the bottom
“SHE DID IT!!” Both Bros. cheered.
On the mat, Mips was panting heavily, grinning from ear to ear as she held up the flag.
“I did it! I finally did it!”
Everyone applauded as they approached.
“Nice job sis,” Mario complimented.
“How does it feel?” Luigi asked.
“Like all the adrenaline in my body is gone.” She let out a long breath, practically melting onto the mat. “I'm a puddle right now.”
“Well, if you have the energy, I believe I owe you a piece of cake,” Peach remarked.
Mary Pat sat up. “Cake?”
“It's chocolate,” Luigi reported, drawing out the word.
“We told her it was your favorite,” Mario explained.
MP was on her feet in an instant. “Dibs on licking the bowl!”
“Dibs on the spatula!” Luigi added mere moments before his brother.
“Oh come on!”
“Relax, Mario.” Peach put a hand on Mario’s head. “The beater is still available.”
“There's never any of the good stuff on the beater…”
Still, he was quick to join his siblings as they all rushed inside. Peach watched them go, her expression growing wistful.
“Princess?”
Peach blinked, turning to see her steward watching her in concern. She sighed again, putting on a smile.
“It's nothing, Toadsworth. Just lost in thought.”
-X-
Everyone sat around eagerly as the castle staff set out a chocolate cake with matching icing. MP's eyes lit up, mouth-watering.
“Oh my God, this looks... AMAZING! And the smell…” She took a deep breath, her eyes practically rolling back in her head from the heavenly aroma.
“What did I tell ya?” Mario grinned. “It's on par with Ma's.”
“I'd say it's even better.” Both Mario and Mary Pat gave Luigi a look as if he had just grown a second head. “If you tell her I said that, I'll deny it. You two can't prove anything.”
All of them laughed, then clapped their hands together.
“Thank you for this food!” They declared in unison as they all dug in.
The moment she bit into her cake, MP's eyes went wide. She gasped, looking starstruck.
“This is amazing! It's so sweet and it's melting in my mouth!” She actually started to tear up. “I... I think I just took a bite out of Heaven!”
“I'm glad you like it.” Peach looked down at her slice of cake, her tone and expression becoming melancholic. “My mother used to teach me and my sisters how to bake. When I make her recipes, it makes me feel like she's still here.”
Mario blinked, swallowing his bite of cake. “You have sisters?”
“Two of them, both younger than me.”
“Where are they?” Luigi asked with a mouthful of cake. “Are they duch*esses somewhere?”
“Both of them still hold the title of Princess, but they have their own territories that they manage. My middle sister, Princess Daisy, runs the Kingdom of Sarasaland as its monarch and leader of the Council of Kings, and my youngest sister, Princess Aqua, rules the Lake Kingdom. My father gave them those territories to avoid a succession crisis. And ever since... I... haven't seen either of them.”
“I'm sorry to hear that.”
Peach just let out a sigh and a shrug. “It's alright. It was inevitable, honestly.”
At that moment, they heard a bell ring, followed by a familiar voice
“Mail call!”
“Alright MP, pop quiz time,” Mario began, giving his sister an expectant look.
“That is a Parrakarry, a type of Paratroopa.”
“Close,” Luigi reported. “Parakarry is his name.”
Mips snapped her fingers. “So close.”
Parakarry flew in at that
“Who's the mail for today?” Peach asked.
“You, Princess. From Sarasaland.” He handed her a letter sealed with a yellow-petaled flower logo, which she took with a surprised expression.
“Sarasaland… Daisy sent me a letter?”
Mario smiled at that. “Guess you're not the only one feeling nostalgic.”
Peach opened the letter, reading it:
My Dearest Peach,
I hope this correspondence finds you well. I have heard tales of the recent comings and goings of the Mushroom Kingdom, including the stories of two brave heroes who managed to hold their own against the vile Koopa King Bowser. I find myself growing more and more curious by the day and thus I am extending an invitation for both you and these heroes to come to my kingdom. Do come at your earliest convenience and I shall ensure your stay here will be most memorable.
Sincerely Yours,
Daisy
“She... actually invited me. She wants to see me.” Peach smiled at that, unable to keep the joy off her face. “Toadsworth! Pack my bags and prepare the Toad Express! We leave for Sarasaland in the morning!”
“Sounds like fun,” Mario remarked.
“I guess we better pack too,” Luigi said.
“My first road trip in an isekai world,” MP grinned. “I can't wait!”
“You went around the world though,” Mario pointed out.
“I used teleportation most of the time. So it doesn't count.”
Sarasaland
The next morning, the group was flying through the sky on Peach’s personal, pink plane. MP was looking out the window, taking in the colorful landscape below, while Mario ate some shroom pasta, and Luigi looked over a tourist brochure.
“Whoa…” MP whispered as she looked out the window. “This world is amazing! Everything’s so…colorful.”
“It’s more beautiful up close if this brochure is anything to go by,” Luigi said.
“Lemme see!” Mario cut in, leaning over to take a look.
The brochure was filled with beautiful photos. There was one depicting a desert with pyramids and a sphinx, one with tropical beaches and palm trees, one with moai statue heads, and another that looked like it came straight out of a Chinese martial arts film.
“Piraput Kingdom, Myuda Kingdom, Easton Kingdom, Chai Kingdom…Hey Princess, where’s Sarasaland?” Mario asked.
“Oh, they all are,” Peach explained. “Sarasaland isn’t a traditional kingdom. Rather, it’s an alliance of four separate kingdoms. Daisy was placed there to act as their mediator.”
“You did mention a Council of Kings,” Mario recalled. “I'm guessing she's more of a council head than an actual monarch?”
Peach nodded. “It's an accurate assessment. Unfortunately, Daisy... well…” She sighed. “Let's just say that she's never had a head for politics. She's more of an active type. Preferring to solve conflicts with her fists.”
“Sounds like fun.”
“Perhaps, but her solution to everything is fighting. Get into an argument? Fight. Want the last of something? Fight. Someone gives her a cat call from the street? Fight.”
“That last one I can see, though,” MP remarked.
“Dad put her in charge of Sarasaland to learn cooperation. How to rely on others and think things through instead of charging off on your own, fists flying. Results have been... mixed, to say the least.”
“Well, maybe it’s worked,” Luigi pointed out. “I mean, she's reached out to you, so that's something.”
“Maybe…” Peach mused.
Mario noticed her unease and approached. “Do you and Daisy... not get along?”
Peach sighed, rubbing her forehead. “We... had a falling out over how I was running Toad Town. She took issue with how I handled the Bowser problem.”
“You mean how the Koopas were running through town like gangsters?”
Peach winced before nodding. “She wanted me to be more proactive. March straight to the Dark Lands and end his game.”
“Yeah, as the guy that tried that…” Mario spoke up. “It didn't work.”
MP blinked. “Wait... are you saying my brothers had to step in and stop Bowser because you wouldn't? Because nobody else would?”
Peach winced at that. “It's not as cut-and-dry as that.”
“I mean, it kinda is. When I was with Bowser, he seemed to respect strength. I think it's why he chose to save me or whatever. Maybe if you had fought back or stood up to him, things would have been different.”
“Bowser has a near-global empire,” Peach pointed out. “His resources are endless. His armies are relentless. If I launched any assault before we were 100% ready, the Mushroom Kingdom would have been wiped off the map before we could blink twice. I was building rapport, attempting to bridge the gap.”
“And that's commendable,” Mario allowed. “And maybe in time, you could have. But letting your people suffer wasn't a good thing.”
“That's what Daisy said…” Peach replied, looking down in regret. “We argued over it. It got heated. Eventually, we parted ways and haven't spoken since.”
“It sounds like both of you had some good points,” Luigi noted. “But you were both far too stubborn to admit it.”
“I won't deny I could have been more proactive against Bowser before you two showed up. But violence only begets violence. You two defeated him, and he went global.”
“Hey, I'm not denying it,” Mario chimed in. “But you have to admit life improved, didn't it?
“Yes... it did.”
“Let's table this for now,” Luigi spoke up, looking out the window. “Look!”
They took in the kingdom of Sarasaland, an arid landscape bordering on the ocean, colorful buildings dotting the landscape. Palm trees and tropical vegetation could be seen throughout the land and on a hill overlooking everything was a massive palace. It was on par with Peach's castle, with terracotta tiled roofs and sandstone walls. The architecture made it look like a palace plucked straight out of an Arabian Nights story, complete with massive gardens and orange banners with the flower symbol from the letter.
“Welcome to Sarasaland, everyone.” Peach declared.
“Whoa…” the Marios let out.
“It is more beautiful up close,” MP remarked.
“Yeah, it’s pretty impressive,” Peach agreed.
As they landed, they stepped out, finding nobody there.
“That's odd,” Peach mused. “Daisy should be here…”
Suddenly, an arm wraps around Luigi's neck, getting him in a playful headlock
“Surprise!!”
Mario and MP were instantly on the offensive until they saw who was holding their brother, giving him a noogie.
“If I was a Koopa, your game would have ended,” the girl remarked before letting Luigi go, allowing everyone to take in her appearance. Bearing a resemblance to Peach, she had blue eyes, round cheeks, a cute button nose, and deep orange hair past her shoulders. She wore a yellow, floor-length dress similar to Peach's, but with white and orange accents, a gold crown with flower-shaped gems, short, white gloves with petal-shaped openings and orange heeled pumps, and round, green earrings with white, petal-shaped encasings.
“Daisy!” Peach exclaimed.
“Peach!”
The two embraced happily.
“It’s so good to see you,” Peach sighed.
“Same to you,” Daisy smiled. “I've... well, missed you.”
“I missed you too…”
As they pulled away, Peach turned to the Marios.
“Everyone, meet Daisy,” Peach told them.
Daisy gave a polite curtsy, then snorted and got out of it before offering her hand.
“Nice ta meetcha,” she said with a smile.
Mario took the hand, shaking it. “I'm Mario. You've already met/manhandled my brother Luigi.”
“Yep,” Daisy nodded. “Hiya.”
Luigi stumbled a bit, babbling before MP discreetly kicked him in the calf.
“HELLO PRINCESS!!” he yelled at full volume, then clamped his hands over his mouth, blushing with embarrassment as he regained his upper brain functions. “Heh…sorry.”
Daisy chuckled. “That’s funny, you're funny.”
Luigi's face turned so red that steam came out of his ears. “Um... thanks..”.
Mario just shook his head smiling while Peach chuckled.
“So... you're the guys who beat Bowser?” Daisy looked them up and down. “Hmmmm…yeah… Sorry, I mean this in the best possible way, but I thought you'd look a bit more, well…”
“Imposing?” Mario flexed, making a show of it. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”
“Right…” Daisy’s eyes then fell on MP. “Oh, who's this? One of your fangirls?”
“Ouch,” MP deadpanned as Peach put a hand on her shoulder.
“Daisy, that's their sister.”
“Mary Pat Marionetti.” MP held out a hand with a smile. “The Mario Sister.”
“Oh. Sorry, my bad.” As Daisy shook her hand, she spotted something gold on MP's cap, resting right on the brim. A golden insignia of Bowser's face. It was the pass she had received from the Koopalings. Immediately, her face fell and she released Mips’ hand. “Uh... what's that?”
“Huh?” Mips looked up at her cap, removing it before remembering the pin. “Oh, this. Long story but... um…” She put her cap back on, silently cursing herself for forgetting to remove the pin. “I have free range in and out of Koopa territory thanks to this.”
That caught Daisy by surprise. “Do you now?”
“Like she said, long story,” Mario said. “Right, Lu?”
Luigi was still beet red and swaying. Daisy's expression soured briefly before Peach quickly cut in
“So!” she piped up. “How about we sit down, catch up for a bit?”
“Yeah…” Daisy replied, her eyes still on MP’s hat. “Sounds good.”
-X-
Sometime later, the group had gathered in the dining room to eat. It was then that the Marios got to see what Peach meant by how different the two were. Peach was the perfect picture of royal etiquette and class, sitting up straight and taking carefully measured bites, which she’d cut with surgical precision. Daisy, on the other hand… was not. While she chewed with her mouth shut and didn’t eat with her hands, she leaned on the table, elbows and all, and made all manner of chomping and yummy noises as she eagerly wolfed down her meal.
“MMM! This is amazing!” she shouted with glee. “I don’t how Madame Hua does it, but the recipes she sends are divine!”
Peach looked at her in annoyance as Daisy took a drink of tea. “Must you slurp like a savage?”
“Must you critique?” Daisy countered, sighing in annoyance.
“All I'm saying is that Mom had us take those etiquette classes for a reason.”
“Oh, don’t get your lacey undies in a twist, sis. It’s lunch, not the Crown Banquet.”
"Speaking of lunch."
The group turns to see the amber turban-wearing Toad come in with a trolley of food.
"Perfect timing!" Daisy grinned. "Peach, you remember Sebas."
“Yes,” Peach curtseyed. “Good to see you again, Sebas.”
“Likewise, Princess Peach. My congratulations on your kingdom's liberation." Sebas looked at the Bros. “And my thanks to the men who made it possible.”
Mario waved a hand, dismissing it. “Anyone else would've done the same, I'm sure.”
“Oh no. Trust me when I say that there aren't many who would have the strength to do what you did.”
“Especially in Peach's Toad Town…” Daisy muttered under her breath.
“Pardon?” Peach asked.
Daisy cleared her throat. “So, how are things in Toad Town? Anything special?"
“Well, the economy is on the rise. Koopa attacks have decreased. Oh, and there's been a recent missive from Bowser, denouncing the use of mind control serums and declaring anyone who uses them in the future forfeits any protections from the Koopa Kingdom.”
Daisy snorted. “Right… ‘protections.’”
Peach raised an eyebrow. “What's that supposed to mean?”
Daisy scoffed. “Oh come now, dear sister. Don't tell me you're falling for this shiitake. He's obviously doing this as some sort of ploy to garner sympathy and make himself out as a benevolent ruler. Like he isn't doping up people left and right to make them obey.”
“You don’t know that.”
“And you do?”
“I do. He outlawed mind-altering charms and potions, and recently punished his royal vizier for their use against... a prisoner.”
“Is that what he told you?” Daisy questioned.
“We saw it happen with our own eyes, actually,” Mario cut in.
“Yeah,” Luigi agreed. “He was... well, royally ticked off.”
“Oh hurray,” Daisy said, clearly unimpressed. “After a lifetime of evil, at least Bowser didn't add brainwashing to the list.”
“It's a small victory, but no less important,” Peach insisted.
“One good deed doesn't erase his literal lifetime of villainy,” Daisy spat. “Or have you forgotten what his father did to us?”
Peach tensed. “Trust me, I haven't… But Bowser isn't King Morton.”
The Marios exchanged nervous looks, Luigi leaning over to Mario.
“Am I the only one sensing some hostility here?” he whispered.
“Nope.” Mario shook his head. “The air's so thick, you could cut it with a knife.”
“I feel like we're sitting on a landmine,” MP mused.
“Should... should we leave or...?”
Peach and Daisy continue to stare at each other, Daisy's gaze intense.
“Daisy, please,” Peach pleaded. “This is the first time we've seen each other in over a year. Can we not waste it reopening old wounds?”
“I don't believe this.” Daisy shook her head. “You haven't changed a bit, have you?”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“You're still a spineless, cowardly doormat catering to that damn lizard. I thought you finally grew a backbone, finally stood up for your people. But no. You're still the same weak-willed princess hiding from your problems and leaving the Toads to suffer.”
“What do you want me to do?” Peach demanded. “Raise an army and storm the castle walls?! Life isn't that simple! You have no idea what I had to deal with! The position I was in!”
“The position of letting Bowser do whatever the hell he wants and not lifting a finger to stop him?” Daisy shot back.
“I was in peace talks! I was trying to work on a treaty!”
“Yeah, and you know how it would have ended? With Toad Town being reduced to just another Koopa territory! How many Bob-ombs do we have to set off in your ears before your head clears, Peach?! Bowser is an irredeemable, unreasonable PSYCHO!! The only language he speaks and understands is violence!”
“That's not true!”
“Prove it!”
“You want proof?!” Peach grabbed MP, pulling her forward. “Here's your proof! Mary Pat is only here, alive and breathing, because of him! He saved her life, Daisy! Nursed her back to health!”
“What?!” Daisy exclaimed.
“It's true,” MP confirmed. “I was about to die in my world, and Bowser had Kammy open a Warp Pipe. His kids taught me about this world. Equipped me. Heck, my shoes here are from Prince Iggy himself. And you already saw my pass. I won't deny that he's a villain, but when Kamek was revealed to be doping me, he was pissed and let all of us leave in peace.”
Daisy silently took that in before sighing. “Maybe so… but like I said. One good deed doesn't change anything, and some lizard lover isn't gonna change my mind.”
“Hey!” Mario snapped. “No one talks to my sister like that!”
Daisy ignored him, turning back to Peach.
“You could have stood up to him at any time. Instead, you let him step all over you like a staircase. How long were the Koopas just marching in and demanding protection money? How many businesses were torched? How many people were bricked?” She slammed her palm on the table. “How many people suffered before these so-called Super Mario Bros. came in and did your job for you?!”
“I did what I did for the lives and well-being of my subjects!” Peach insisted. “Yes, the protection money was bad, but if I pushed back in any major way, it'd be a bloodbath! Genocide!”
“And yet meatball and string bean here beat him! Twice!! With nothing but a handful of power-ups and the clothes on their backs!”
“I wouldn't say it was easy though,” Luigi pointed out. “Just saying.”
“Lu's right,” Mario agreed. “It took everything we had to stop Bowser both times and then some.”
“They got lucky!” Peach insisted. “ Extremely lucky!”
“But they've done more for your kingdom than you have! Why Dad gave you Mushroom Kingdom, I will never understand! You're too weak! I actually go out and protect my people! Do something! And what about you? When was the last time you did more than host tea parties or bake one of your stupid cakes?!”
Peach scowled. “You can't just punch or kick your problems away without consequences! That's why Dad chose me as his successor! Why you're here! I understood that there's more to being a ruler than getting your way all the time, or beating up threats! There's actual work and administrative duties involved! The way you approach them, you'd run Toad Town into the ground!”
The Marios all tensed. Things were reaching a boiling point. They actually prayed something would interrupt before things got ugly. Just then, everything began to shake. Hearing it, Daisy let out a breath.
“Good,” She stood up. “I need something to hit.”
“What's going on?” Luigi wondered.
“You’ll see.”
Daisy then grabbed her dress and threw it off, revealing orange shorts and a tank top of a similar design to her dress. She was now somehow wearing sneakers and her hair was back in a ponytail. Luigi was thrown by the sight.
“You... always wear sportswear under your dress?”
“Oh yeah. For moments like this,” she then threw the dress to him as she went toward a suit of armor. “Hold that for me, will ya?”
She reached the suit of armor and snagged a mace from its hand. She then slung the mace over her shoulder before turning to the others.
“I think it's time for you to see how to truly protect a kingdom.”
-X-
They followed her out, seeing the source of the shaking: a tall, purple-skinned alien with pointy ears, pronounced fangs and claws, thick, black eyebrows, and a black-and-red uniform on a spaceship, looming over the castle.
“Princess Daisy!” the alien shouted. “It is I, General Tatanga of the Kaiuchuu Empire! I have come to bring your kingdom to its knees! Surrender now or be obliterated!”
“Aren't you sick of this yet, Tatanga?” Daisy asked, her bored tone suggesting this was a regular occurrence.
“The only thing I grow sick of is your insolent tongue!” Tatanga shot back. “I will conquer the four kingdoms! No matter how long it takes me!”
Daisy chuckled in response. “You wanna waste your time and keep showing up here, go ahead. But I hope you're ready to get every square inch of your purple keister kicked.” She slapped the mace in her hand. “I'm in a bad mood right now.”
Tatanga laughed. “Then prepare to be in an even worse mood after I defeat you once and for all!”
The spaceship opened fire. As Daisy dodged, Mario looked around, seeing a ? Block nearby.
“I don't know what's going on... but I know what I'm gonna do.”
He ran over to the block, punching it from below. The resulting power-up resembled a Fire Flower but was colored black and blue.
“Huh... this is a new one.”
Nonetheless, he grabbed it and was surrounded by light. When it faded, his clothes were in various shades and tones of green; it was as if he had stepped out of the screen of a classic Game Boy.
"Alright, let's see what this baby can do!" Mario focused, trying to conjure a fireball, only to create...
"Eh?" he held up a dark green bouncy ball. "A bouncy ball? That’s it?”
“Oi!” Daisy called. “Meatball! That’s a Superball! Throw it!!”
Mario threw the ball, which began bouncing and ricocheting off everything. Eventually, the ball collided with Tatanga's ship, rocking it.
'Gah!" Tatanga roared. "Who dares...?"
“Not bad, meatball,” Daisy chuckled. “Not bad at all.”
Mario gave her a thumbs up. “You should see me with real firepower.”
“No need,” she replied, jumping into the air. “You gave me all the opening I need!”
She came down with the mace and struck Tatanga in the jaw, sending him flying off of it and into the distance.
“YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME!!” Tatanga shrieked as he flew off. “Nothing can stop General Tatanga! NOTHIIIIIIIIIING!”
Tatanga’s furious screams and form faded into the distance (twinkling like a star once he was out of range).
“Keep telling yourself that, Spaceman,” Daisy said with a smirk.
“Ahem!”
Daisy turned to see Peach, tapping her foot with her hands on her hips, her expression saying, "You've got some explaining to do.”
“Daisy, who was that?”
“Oh, him? Yeah, that's Tatanga. The ‘Mysterious Spaceman’. Some freaky, weirdo alien from some nowhere part of space who's been hassling Sarasaland on and off for a while,” she leaned on her mace handle. “You could say he’s my Bowser.”
“And what?” Peach asked. “You just forgot to mention him until now?”
Daisy shrugged. “I've got it covered, Peach. What happens in Sarasaland is my problem to deal with, not yours.”
“That's not an excuse to not ask for help! I'm your sister and I would risk everything for you!”
“Forgive me if I don't immediately ask for help from the queen of running and hiding!”
“That is not what I do! I am striving toward coexistence, not endless bloodshed! Seeking a peaceful, diplomatic resolution is not weakness! And constantly throwing punches to make things go away is NOT strength!”
“At least my people aren't cowering in fear! At least their homes are safe and their businesses aren't rubble!” Daisy got in Peach’s face. “And you know why?! Because I have a spine! I'm not a coward like you! And the sooner you grow one, the better-!”
She was cut off by a hand slamming into the side of her face, sending her spinning around and almost knocking her off her feet. The Marios all gaped in surprise, seeing Daisy's reddened cheek and Peach's shaking hand, slowly realizing Peach had indeed slapped her. Peach’s anger faded into shock as it dawned on her what she’d just done.
“Oh snap....” MP grabbed her brothers and took several steps back.
“Oh, Grambi…” Peach gasped. “I'm sorry-”
With a shriek of rage, Daisy pounced on Peach like a pissed hellcat, knocking her down.
“Peach!” Mario cried.
“Princess!” Luigi screamed.
“Yep,” MP winced. “Called it.”
The two sisters wrestled, in a full-on catfight. The brothers quickly intervened, Mario grabbing Peach and Luigi grabbing Daisy. Peach breathed heavily as Daisy furiously struggled against Luigi. He got her in a submission hold.
“You need to calm down!!” Luigi insisted.
“Both of you!” Mario added as he held Peach down, leaving her to do little else but flail. “You're sisters!!”
“Family!” Luigi added.
Slowly, both girls began to pant, stopping their struggles.
“They're right…” Peach relented as they both slowly took a breath. “What are we doing? Mom would be furious that we were fighting like this.”
“Yeah, well…” Daisy replied, sounding much calmer. “She wouldn't exactly be surprised.”
“True.”
“It's what we do. Every time we meet. And nothing's gonna change that,” She pulled free of Luigi, carefully adjusting her outfit and brushing hair out of her face. “Since you came all this way, you can stay the night. But I think... it would be best if you left in the morning.”
“Daisy…” Peach reached out to her, only for Daisy to step back.
“Please, Peach... don't make this any harder.” She turned to leave, grabbing her dress and slinging it over her shoulder as she left. “We both have our own styles of ruling, our own opinions. Maybe we should just stay away from each other. It worked for this long... so why rock the boat?”
And with that, she walked out of the room. Peach slumped in defeat, shedding a bitter tear. Mario put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
-X-
Sebas followed Daisy as she walked away.
“Princess Daisy, please reconsider this action,” he pleaded.
“No,” Daisy spat. “I knew having Peach over here was a powder keg waiting to blow, but I ignored my better judgment and had you send the invite anyway. It's better this way. Trust me.”
“But Princess-!”
“Enough!” Daisy snapped, sighing. “We tried. It failed. Now drop it! You're excused.”
“... yes, Princess.”
She went to her room, slamming the door behind her.
“How unfortunate.”
Sebas perked up, turning to find the source of the voice.
“So this is where the monarchy is heading. In the hands of an angry, petulant little girl. It would break sweet Queen Gardenia's heart to see her daughter this way.”
“Who.... who's there?”
“Over here, sharp stuff.”
Sebas turned, gaping to see Tatanga at the window. “You!”
“Easy there,” he insisted, raising his hands defensively. “I come in peace. Something this kingdom is sorely lacking.”
Tatanga paced around Sebas “You know how Princess Daisy is. Quick to temper. Rash. Insubordinate. Jumping to solve every problem across Sarasaland with violence, with no regard for the laws or sovereignty of the other four. I don't know about you, Seb, but that doesn't sound like a proper mediator to me. “
“But-”
“Also, does she actually do any real work around here? I've been watching, and she spends more time in the training field than she does on her throne. When was the last time she even saw to her people?”
“I... I…”
“And all this time, she never tried to figure out why I'm here. Why I'm doing what I'm doing. Not once did she try talking to me. Just straight into fighting, and her expression… well, some would call her a battle junkie. What's to stop her from spiraling? Becoming a conqueror to satisfy her combat fix? What's to stop her from becoming the next me? Or perhaps... the next Bowser?”
Sebas paused for a moment.
“She needs a wake-up call,” Tatanga insisted. “To see that her approach is wrong. and I can help with that.”
“You want to destroy this kingdom,” Sebas countered.
“What? No! I merely want a home for my people. I'll admit my tactics were... heavy-handed, but one can only take so many beatings. But did Daisy ever take the time to ask? Find out why I'm doing this?”
Sebas mulled it over for a moment. ”And if I help you… would my people be safe?”
“I promise you that no lives will be taken by my hand,” Tatanga swore, holding up his hand in promise.
Sebas considered it, before slowly nodding. “Yes... if words won't persuade Daisy otherwise, drastic measures must be taken.”
Tatanga grinned. “So it's a deal then?”
He extended a hand and Sebas slowly took it, shaking it.
