Sorry I took so long to work on this chapter! D:

The Chortling Mermaid: I know! :o
Thanks, here it is! :)

Lindous: Okay!
Now you can find out! :D

Wow, only two reviews.
I guess this story in APW doesn't catch the attention of many people. *Shrugs*

Words couldn't begin to describe how surprised Fawful was.

The whole house was quiet for a few moments before Fawful finally spoke.

You're…adopted?"

"Yeah."

The Beanish boy found himself at a loss for words again.

Adopted? Dawn?

Why didn't Dawn already know about this already? Had she been adopted as a baby and didn't remember her birth parents?

Why had it been kept a secret for so long?

So many questions ran through Fawful's head, but he didn't think it would be a good idea to bombard Dawn with all of them at once, so he simply decided to ask one question at a time and started with, "How come your mom…er, Princess Peach suddenly told you this evening?"

"Because, wouldn't you know it…" Dawn sighed before continuing. "I have sister who's been looking for me the past two years. A twin sister at that. It seems she's finally found me, and wants us to get to know each other again."

"Wow. Two years… She must…really care about you to search for so long."

"I guess… Anyway, Peach got this letter from her this morning."

Dawn dug into her sweater pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She gave it to Fawful who unfolded it and read it.

Dear princess of the Mushroom Kingdom,

Hello. My name is Dusk Starlight, and I have spent the last two years or so looking for my younger twin sister, Dawn Starlight.

Two weeks ago, I arrived in Mushroom City when by chance I walked past a group of high schoolers on a field trip. I was shocked when I glanced at one girl and released how much she looked like me.

I knew she had to be the sister I had been separated from when we were younger.

Not wanting to jump to conclusions and risk frightening her if I was wrong or she didn't recognize me, I quickly located the school bus the class had arrived in and did research on the school.

Sure enough, there is a student at Toad Town High under the name "Dawn". The surname, however, is Toadstool.

Knowing that Toadstool is your name, I found it very odd that the daughter of royalty such as yourself went to a public school rather than having special lessons from a tutor.

The only reason for this I could come up with was because Dawn isn't royalty like you. She's my sister, and you are the kind person who took her in when our parents couldn't care for us any longer.

If my thoughts are correct, please write back to me. I am currently staying at Podley's Place, the inn at Rogueport.

If Miss Dawn Toadstool is my sister, I would very much like to know!

Waiting hopefully, Dusk Starlight.

"I remember that trip to Mushroom City," Fawful mused. "We went to a museum and for lunch we ate at that café."

Dawn nodded, having also remembered the field trip.

"Are you going to meet her?" Fawful asked as gave the letter back to Dawn.

"I don't know yet. Peach said she wouldn't reply until I decided what to do. On one hand, I don't know anything about her. It would probably be awkward and weird if we got together. But on the other hand…it would be nice to know about my old life…" Dawn put her head in her hands and groaned. "This is all just so confusing and messed up right now. I don't know what to do!"

Fawful put one hand on the girl's shoulder. "This must be a shock to you," he said sympathetically.

"It is! I never thought that Peach and Mario weren't my parents. I don't know how I didn't see something like this coming, though. I should have guessed something wasn't right when Peach sent me to school and said she wanted me to live a 'normal life'. At the time it was fine by me; make friends, go places, no worries about the responsibilities of a young royal. But now, it all makes sense…"

The boy thought about that, and realized what Dawn was saying did make a lot of sense. How had he and their other friends not thought of that?

"What…what do you think I should do, Fawful?"

"I don't think I can answer that, Dawn. This is really something you need figure out."

"But how? I really want to meet her, but I'm afraid…"

"Hmm… Make a list of the pros and cons," Fawful suggested.

Dawn looked thoughtful. "I could try that…" She glanced up at the clock on the wall and yelped when she saw just how long they had been sitting talking. "I better go; I don't want to miss the last bus home!"

"Are you going to tell anyone else about your sister?"

"Once I get this figured out." Dawn looked over her shoulder as she ran out the door. "Bye, Fawful!"

Fawful stood on the front porch and waved at her as she ran as fast as she could to the bus stop.

"Good luck," he whispered.

"Pros and cons…pros and cons… Hmm."

Dawn paced around her room, too restless to sit down and start her list just yet.

She should have been sleeping, but she couldn't. There was just too much to think about, and her brain was working overtime.

"Let's see…I could get the chance to learn about my past. Learn why our parents couldn't take care of us, and why Peach took me in. And where has Dusk been all these years? Why did she decide to look for me? Why does she remember me, but I don't remember her?"

There were too questions that would be left unanswered unless the two sisters were reunited.

Sitting at her desk, Dawn wrote down Answers under the "Pros" column.

"But…what if she's mean? Or doesn't like my friends? Or…"

"Wow. Two years… She must…really care about you to search for so long."

Hearing Fawful's words in her head, Dawn relaxed a little. That's right; Dusk had to care a lot to spend so long looking for her sister.

Another thought came to mind, causing Dawn to frown a bit.

If she let her sister come into her life, changes were sure to come with her. Dawn wasn't a big fan of sudden changes. Maybe that was why learning she was adopted was so upsetting; it made her feel as if her whole world had gone upside-down.

Changes went under "Cons".

But what is they're good changes? A voice in the back of her mind asked.

"Please, what good changes could come from this?"

Well, you'd have a new friend, for one thing.

"She'd be family, not a friend."

Family can a friend, too. Look at how you are with Luigi and Daisy, for instants.

"Okay, okay. Fair enough."

Dawn sighed, and continued to think about the good things and bad things that could come from agreeing to meet her sister.

Princess Peach looked up from her morning coffee as she heard someone enter the dining room.

"Good morning, Dawn," she said with a smile. Then, noting the tired look on her face, asked, "Didn't you sleep well?"

"No," the girl yawned. "I was up late thinking." She went about making a fried egg. While it began cooking, she poured a glass of white grape juice and popped bread into the toaster.

Peach waited until Dawn had sat down with her juice and fried egg sandwich before asking, "Were you thinking about last night? And what we discussed?"

Dawn swallowed a mouthful of juice and started squishing her egg to break the yolk and let it spill onto the toast before answering. "Yeah."

"Honey…are you mad at us for not telling you sooner?"

"Nope, I'm not mad. Ow!" The girl quickly licked the hot yolk off of her hand to relieve the burning. "I'm just…confused. Were you ever going to tell me?"

"Of course we were! We needed the right moment, but after getting the letter we knew it was time."

"If we're twins," Dawn suddenly mused, "Then we're the same age. From the sound of her letter, it seems like she's traveling alone…"

Peach looked worried. "You're right. I hope that's not the case. I would like to write back to her as soon as I can. Do you have an answer yet?"

"I do. I thought about it a lot last night, and I think I've made the right choice."

"Well? What did you decide to do?"

Dawn took a deep breath and gave her answer.

You know, guys...I totally noticed something about APW...
Mario and Peach are married, but for whatever reason everyone still refers to Peach as "princess".

Um, oops? ^^;
A Perfect World logic = fail. (But nobody mind too much, right?)

Things to be explained: Dusk is a new OC I've been planing to use for a while now! It's great to finally work her in somewhere. :D

~Dawn