A/N: I went through these two chapters and edited some things to help it flow a bit better… And in case you were wondering, I am working on this story still! My internet is currently shut off, so it's a little hard to get on. But I have a definite plan for this story, with the help of my buddy Luigi Legends, and I should be able to get it moving again!

You already know all the disclaimer stuff, it hasn't changed.

Brave New World

Chapter two: A Place To Feel Safe

Daisy was full of adrenalin as she and Luigi walked down the dimly-lit sidewalk. She was finally taking some initiative and going out on her own, free to spend her days however she wished. She did feel slightly guilty about including Luigi in her scheme, but she knew that he had been feeling left out of Mario's adventures lately. And besides, if he really didn't want to help her, he could have easily dragged her back to the castle and contacted her father.

Even though at the moment she wasn't quite sure where they would go, or where they would stay, she had a feeling that things would work out reasonably well. After all, what fun would an adventure be if it was all planned out, right?

The Sarasaland Princess had shocked Luigi when she had slipped out of her large yellow dress right there in the street, revealing a pair of turquoise and orange shorts and a yellow t-shirt. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and snagged Luigi's cap off of his head for good measure, pulling it backwards over her own head.

"So? Do you recognize me?" Daisy asked, twirling in a quick circle for him. Luigi paused for a moment, looking at Daisy in the dim lighting of the streetlamps.

"I don't think anyone else will, at least in the dark." He replied, shifting the suitcase to his other hand.

"Alright! Let's get moving then!" Daisy exclaimed excitedly. She grabbed Luigi's free arm and tugged, but he didn't move.

"Uh… Princess? Where exactly are we going?" He questioned. And that was a great question, Daisy thought. She hadn't exactly thought her plan out this far… getting Luigi to agree was supposed to have been a lot harder than it was.

"I really have no idea…" Daisy responded truthfully, "I just wanted to get away." Luigi restrained himself from collapsing to the ground in exasperation, and instead settled for letting out a long breath of air and running a hand through his now-exposed hair.

"Well… let's just get out of Toad Town for tonight." Luigi replied, "I have a place in mind on the outskirts, and I'll come back for my things. That is…" Luigi paused and looked bashfully towards Daisy, "If I can go with you?"

The Princess immediately perked up and nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Of course you can come with me!" Luigi looked relieved as he let Daisy pull him down the street. "And since we're gonna be in this together, I think it's alright if you call me Daisy. After all, I call you Luigi."

"Right. Daisy."

The pair then continued down the darkened street until the number of houses along the road grew thinner and thinner. It was here that Luigi turned down a small alleyway and ushered Daisy into the back door of a small brick building. A few Koopas glanced up at her as they entered, then quickly returned to their card game.

Daisy stared in awe at the room they had entered. It seemed to be some sort of old-fashioned club, with dark wooden floors that were scuffed, but clean. There were tables here and there, and a bar tucked in one corner. The shady-looking Koopas were sitting at a table nearby. On a bulletin board next to the doorway there were all kinds of fliers for different festivals and events going on. Too bad, Daisy thought, they would miss the circus next week.

The Toad behind the bar noticed the pair and hurried towards them. "Oh, Luigi! We didn't think you'd be coming in anytime soon. Can I get you and your lady friend anything?" The toad asked, looking Daisy up and down. Luigi stepped in front of the Princess, effectively blocking her from the Toad's view.

"Yeah. You think you could rent us one of the back rooms? Just for the night." The Toad grinned knowingly and nodded.

"Free of charge, of course! You're a legend around these parts! Not just for your saving of the kingdom, but your crazy card skills too! It's always an honor to have the great Luigi join our games." The Toad rambled on as he led them to a door behind the bar. "You're always welcome here, you know." He took them down a narrow hallway, to the last door on the right. "This should do it! There's a bathroom through that door there. If you need anything else, just ask." He said with a wink towards Daisy.

They were suddenly left alone as the Toad hurried back out to the bar, afraid to leave his customers for too long. Daisy walked to the lone bed and sat down, glancing around the room before her gaze returned to Luigi.

"So do you come here often?" She asked, watching Luigi set her suitcase at the edge of the bed. Luigi flushed and jerked up to look at her.

"I come here sometimes… when Mario is away. The people here are mostly nice, and actually remember my name…" Daisy suddenly felt glad that Luigi had decided to come with her. He would finally be able to get away from all the people who only knew him as, "Mario's Little Brother", or, "That Green Guy". He would finally get the chance to be himself… just like she was, too.

"Well, I really like this place. Being a princess, you never really get to go to places like this. I never even knew they existed outside of movies." Daisy explained wistfully. She ran her hand over the deep red comforter, looking in amazement at the space around her. To the average person it would have been just another hotel room; but to Daisy, this was an amazing experience. The carpet was worn and stained, and the curtains looked threadbare, but the room had a cozy feeling.

"I like it too." Luigi smiled at her. Daisy quickly looked away, flustered. Luigi's smile was so genuine, it made her heart hurt.

"Do you need anything before I go? It shouldn't take too long…" Daisy shook her head, and watched Luigi as he left the room.

"Graaah!!" Daisy groaned once she was sure Luigi was out of earshot. She threw herself back on the bed and kicked off her shoes. How was she going to endure being with Luigi for so long?! He reminded her of a lost puppy, looking for someone to care for him. And Daisy was tempted to do just that.

The door clicked shut behind Luigi as he crept back into the house. His eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness as he maneuvered around the couch and down the hallway. This was going to be difficult, he realized. Mario was an incredibly light sleeper, what with having to go at a moments notice to rescue Princess Peach. He was worried that his brother was going to wake up just as he was heading out the door and stop him. Ooh… How could he deceive Mario like this?!

He swallowed thickly, and slowly opened the bedroom door. He almost expected Mario to be standing there, tapping his foot, waiting for him to return. With his luck, it was entirely possible.

But when he opened his eyes, Mario wasn't standing there. In fact, he could hear his older brother's snoring from the top bunk. With that, Luigi gathered his courage and started going through his dresser. Clothes flew left and right as he searched for something that would adequately hide his identity. He found a simple brown leather jacket stuffed in a corner, and threw that on. Tomorrow he and Daisy definitely needed to go shopping. He gathered up the meager findings and crept out of the room as quietly as he had entered.

Mario was sure to wake up and wonder where he was. A note was definitely in order. So after filling a suitcase with his clothes, he grabbed a pen and sat down to write a note for Mario. He really did deserve the truth, but he couldn't risk the Princess getting caught. He settled for a simple, "Mario- went shopping. Be back before noon." It was all the time he could buy, since he and Mario were supposed to go to the castle tomorrow afternoon. He stuck the note to the refrigerator handle so that Mario wouldn't miss it.

"This might actually work!" Luigi thought to himself. He grinned triumphantly as he picked up his suitcase and left through the front door again. This time though, he wouldn't be coming back.

"Tonight's game sure seems rowdy…" Luigi thought as he was walking into the largely unknown gaming club. There were shouts and bottles were slammed down on the table. A feminine laughter filled the room, and Luigi immediately recognized it as Daisy's. She was standing over the Koopas, demanding her prize money.

The Koopas noticed Luigi standing in the doorway and beckoned him over. "Get this girl outta here! We're sick of losing to her!" One shouted. Daisy laughed loudly, and slammed some of her newly-won coins down on the table.

"Come on! Don't give up so easily! One more round!" She shouted, stomping her foot on the ground. Luigi quickly shuffled to her side and gathered the coins she had thrown on the table.

"I-I think it's time to head back to our room…" He attempted to push Daisy towards the hall without actually pushing her.

"What?! But-- Luigi! I was totally kicking their butts!" Daisy cried out. The Koopas all shouted angrily at that.

"She could nearly rival you, Luigi!" The Toad behind the bar interjected. That certainly wasn't helping anything, Luigi thought. If anything, it just looked like Daisy's ego was getting bigger by the second. He took the opportunity to shove the coins into her hand, then take her other and lead her to their room before she could protest.

Once they were safely inside, Luigi locked the door and threw his suitcase beside Daisy's. Daisy huffed and spun around to face him.

"Luigi! I could have wiped them clean! Why'd you make me stop?!"

"I'm sorry, Pri--Daisy. It's just that some of the people that visit this place aren't the friendliest. I didn't want you hurt, or brought back to the castle before we even leave Toad Town." Daisy's eyes softened as she listened to Luigi's explanation.

"I guess you're right… I shouldn't be so reckless. We haven't even gotten away yet!" She opened her suitcase and pulled out her pajamas. "It's getting really late. We should get some sleep if we're gonna leave tomorrow morning." Luigi stared after her as she went into the bathroom to change.

She was right, he thought; they had a big day tomorrow. They needed to cover as much ground as possible before tomorrow afternoon. Before Mario and Princess Peach discovered that they were both missing.

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A/N: So? Please review!