Why Retain The Bodyguard?
By Beachchickrules
Super Mario sat, unusually quiet, at the unnecessarily long dinner table, stuffing himself with spaghetti and Italian bread flavored with garlic.
"More oregano, sir?" asked one of Princess Peach's cooks.
"No thanks," he mumbled, gazing downward at the noodles he was twirling around his fork.
Peach glanced at him from across the table, a look of expectancy emitting from her large, innocent blue eyes.
"Peach, I…" Mario began, his eyes darting around as he scratched his neck nervously. Peach patiently awaited the reason he wanted to talk to her tonight.
" I need to leave…Mushroom Kingdom…for a while…" he spoke. Peach looked slightly surprised.
"Why?" she asked calmly.
"Honestly," he said, drawing in a deep breath, "I don't think I'm needed anymore. I mean, Bowser hasn't been starting any trouble lately, especially after the debt his kingdom went into after it invested in certain trade items…"
"Oh, the poisonous mushrooms, right?" Peach asked.
"Yes."
"There were so many deaths among the Goombas from those, but honestly, that gives us more time before his next monotonous attack, right?"
"Exactly. Since I have nothing to do around her, I wanted ot return to the human world and go exploring, maybe work a little more with other plumbers…"
"Oh," Peach said, trying to sound disappointed. But she didn't really have any romantic inclinations towards him anyway. She kissed him at the end of Super Mario 64 just to be polite. After all, he did save her life countless times.
"I hope you won't mind," he said. "If you need me for anything, simply make a wish to the Star Road and someone up there will tell me to come back. Luigi will become the master plumber of your castle, if that's okay. He does have several promising trainees."
Peach was silent for a moment, wondering what life would be like without him.
"All right," she said, "I hope you have a great time."
Mario and Peach stood up from the dining table and shared a friendly hug. Both of them knew they were not attracted to one another as more than friends, and they could sense that fact as the red-clad plumber left to go live his own, independent life once more.
"Thanks, Rosemary," she said to her cook. "I'm going to my chambers now."
"Goodnight, Princess," said Rosemary as she packaged the leftovers from dinner to feed to the poor. The Princess didn't like wasting food while some living under her reign were starving. She often ordered food to be sent out to those living in the desert, where water and food could become quite scarce. Peach truly cared about her kingdom, but knew she would be okay without Mario by her side, for once. She felt her decision to let the Mushroom Kingdom's long-time protector take a break was faultless.
Princess Peach reached her massive living quarters, complete with marble flooring with exquisite rugs, a huge canopy bed decorated with dreamy sheer pink fabric and lace, a royal fountain, and a luxurious bathroom featuring a fabulous hot tub.
Peach changed out of her signature pink gown into a playful pink knee-length sleeveless dress decorated with a sparkling floral print. She removed some of her royal jewelry, but applied some rich, glistening lip gloss and touched up her eyeshadow. She looked like she was ready to go on a date…