The Next Morning.

Peach had fallen asleep after her hot bath, but now she was awake and not like the walking dead. The sun was just coming up on a new day. She threw off the covers of her bed, feet sinking into the plush carpet. Mario laid on the couch across the room. She had insisted that he stay, it was a fair distance to his house and it had been late, and they tired. He gave in but insisted on the couch. Always the gentleman, Peach giggled at his behavior. She crossed over to the couch and kissed Mario on the forehead. She also just felt safer with him around and yesterday left her feeling the need for reassurance. Something she hadn't needed to voice.

The memory of just three days before played through her mind, it had been why they took a vacation to the Mario had talked her into going out for a midnight picnic on the border of BeanBean kingdom to watch the falling stars. There under the lights of the night he had asked her to dance. Then, then he had gotten down on his knees after the dance. A ring of gold and diamond in his hands.

She had said yes without hesitation. She had been waiting for it for so long. She knew that that moment ha come close before, but something had always gotten in the way.

The engagement ring felt right on her hand. Warm with a slight heaviness to it. But a good heaviness, like a coat in a winter storm.

She wished to linger longer, to start planning the wedding of her dreams, but now was not the time. Now was the time to be the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. She could be Peach Toadstool when people were safe.

She crossed over to her massive walk in closet. Slipping out of her silk nightgown she though of all that had happened since the brothers had returned that one fateful day. Due to how time flowed differently and people aged slower in the Mushroom world she had been only 18 when she had been kidnapped by Bowser, Mario and Luigi had aged a bit more on earth. Funny as according to the Yoshis she was a year older originally. She was ready to stop being a princess. It was time to be a queen. The question was how to reflect this. A less girlish color would work, but she liked pink and purple was off the table forever. She deiced a little red would work, it would work very well she thought with a smile. Red panniers a ruby brooch, ruby earrings replaced their normal counterparts. She look in the floor length mirror, pleased with the look. Still very much her, but a little more mature looking. No longer the scared girl that had been taken captive.

She exited her bedroom coming across Toadsworth who had been hobbling along to come wake her as he always did.

"Good morning Princess, you are up bright and early this morning." He said between huffs, leaning on his cane. Everyone aged slowly and Humans stopped aging altogether around 30, but toads kept aging. Professor E. Gadd theorized that this was due to the fact that toads were indigenous to the land while humans came from a different reality. In short reality stopped functioning on them over time. It did explain a number of things and there were no better answers. Toadsworth, the oldest living toad, who had been just a young toad when he had been charged with Peach's care, was coming near to his last days.

"Good morning Toadsworth. I told you you no longer need to wake me every day. You need to take it easy. Have one of the younger Toads do what you wish be done."

"The whippersnappers, while eager to work, are far to young to get anything right without proper oversight."

Peach said nothing, knowing that it was partly true, she listened as he went on and on. The Toads made up for it with willingness she though. But yes, most of them were very young and very inexperienced. The war that had been waged on her people before the brothers arrived had been costly. As Toadsworth finished she spoke up. "Toadsworth. See to Master Mario when he wakes up." She gestured to the closed door behind her.

"PRINCESS!" Toadsworth was shocked.

"Don't princess me. I'm a grown woman, I can make my own choices." Peach said calmly and coolly.

"...Very well Princess." It was clear that Toadsworth was shocked at being told anything, he was used to either being listened to or just ignored by the Princess. But he knew deep down that she was right. She was a grown woman, Master Mario a fine upstanding gentleman, and he was growing old. Times were clearly changing.

Peach could easily read the thoughts playing across his face. "Nothing happened. Mario was a perfect gentleman like always."

It was now Toadsworth's turn to be quite. He knew that this was a sign, that he was no longer needed. The Princess was her own woman now. She didn't need some bumbling old fart advising her, and certainly not telling her what to do.

"Toadsworth, your council and friendship has and always will be important to me."

Toadsworth cheered up quickly at hearing that. "I shall continue to serve as best I can Princess."

Peach continued on through the halls of the castle to her throne. There waited for her Toadette with a tray of food.

"Good Morning Princess. What can I do for you this morning?"

"Fetch the Royal messengers and a stack of stationary for a letter to each of the rulers of Pipe Maze Coalition."

"As you wish." She said with a bow, leaving the tray on a table next to the throne.

24 hours later each of the 90 leaders of the PMC, save one, had gathered in the council room of Peach's castle.

"Now that we are gathered here, will you be telling us what this is about princess?" Started

Prince Peasly of the BeanBean Kingdom.

Peach shook her head. "We are waiting for one more."

There was a mass gasp from a number of the members assembled. Only Wario the dictator of WarioWorld, and Mario who had once been elected president for life of a little island that now went by the name of Mario Land, were not taken aback. Either due to not being surprised or simply not caring no one could say.

That was when the brutal dictator of hell, the King of the Koopas, lord of destruction, Bowser walked in with a convoy of six goombas, four paratroopas, and two Bomb-ombs.

"Someone call for the biggest baddest baddie to ever terrorize the pipes?" He roared, gouts of flame appearing with every breath he took.

"Second." Peach idly said from her seat, as cool as could be.

"...What?"

"The second biggest, second baddest. It is why I have called all of you here today. As some of you may know Isle Delphino an unaffiliated island in the center of the ocean of Mushroom world, just off the coast of Jewelry Land in fact."

King Fret nodded, he was one of the only ones there who knew what this was about. They had lost contact with the island and reports of a massive monster had been coming in since and it looked like the creature was headed their way

Bowser scowled, no one was a badder baddie than he was. He considered trying to inact the last minute plan he had came up with, but there sat Mario, a fire flower sitting in a pot next to him and his massive golden hammer leaning up against his chair, just within arms reach. Now was not the time, besides the tiny reptile part of his brain told him he should listen.

Peach continued. "A monster of unknown origin has appeared, and is currently making it's way to the closest land mass to Isle Delfino. We have no word on the state of the Isle, only that last eyes on it had the creature wrecking massive havoc, and mass flooding occurring."

Prince Peasly spoke up then. "I fail to see how this is of any concern to the BeanBean Kingdom."

Peach tried not to let her disgust show. Peasly was just as bad as Bowser, just less threatening. She had come to terms long ago that when she had been first kidnapped by Bowser it was logical for so many to go their own way. Form their own kingdoms. There was little loyalty in any of them. Her father had ruled the world and half the pipes. Now she had her little kingdom.

Would they help someone in a time of need or go their own way, only for it to come back and screw them over later. She had no doubt that this creature was a threat to all, but would they see that.

"So there's some little monster running around that has your highness in a huff." Grunted Bowser, now seated in his chair.

"If by little you mean over 200 feet tall."

There was a riot of panic and noise as the rulers broke into panic. Bowser's jaw hit the floor. The tallest he had been when he had been using the power of all the power stars was 50 feet tall. He would be crushed like a bug. He felt a lot more... willing to work with them now. He couldn't have some over grown second rater crowding his turf.

Peach asked for order in the court. "Quiet please."

None listened, their ruckus continuing. Mario lifted his hammer off the ground, it wasn't really gold, it was a much sturdier but just as heavy metal that was found in Dinoland. He dropped it, letting the hammers head slam into the floor with a overpowering crashing noise. There was sudden silence as all turned to look at the source of the noise. Then they all kept turning upon seeing Mario, they turned their focus back onto Princess Peach.

"Now as I was saying, this monstrous threat is simply too large and too powerful for any one of us to face. Which means that the only way we can over come this threat is too band together and stop this from becoming a much worse problem."

Admiral Bobbery, the acting representative of Free Bomb-omb land while the special elections were held, spoke up at this. "Aye we have two choices, throw all in or get smashed separately. I for one am for the former. So I'm throwing in with those who have never done me or mine a wrong turn, I don't know about the rest of you sorry half-lits."

General White's death had caused quiet the upheaval and an increase in the fighting between the Free Bomb-ombs and the ones loyal to King Bomb-omb who was a lackey of Bowser's. The Bomb-omb buddies (Those who were still loyal to the Mushroom Kingdom) had long ago thrown in with the Free Bomb-ombs with Peach's blessing. Bobberywas a crafty old seadog and a staunch loyalist. Anyone who knew him that he had voiced his two coins for a reason. Though not all of them might have none what reasons. They were simple, he was loyal to his friends and allies and he had a knack for coming out smelling like roses out of anything. What he now saw in this situation was a way to stop the fighting in Bomb-omb land long enough for his people to recover and maybe, just maybe pull a fast one that would change the course of their history.

Peach smiled at this, she had little doubt about the schemes already filling the old bombs head. She had counted on it really. She could see each little metaphorical cog turning behind each eye of the representatives. Wario's eyes were ever spinning dollar signs, which was not metaphorical and was very literal. Mario was the only one who didn't seem to be thinking on something. Which would be wrong, Mario had a masterful poker face. It was just that he wasn't thinking up any schemes, Peach could tell that from the slight line of drool that was dangling from his lower lip. It also helped that if you knew Mario, you knew there wasn't an evil bone in his body and that he didn't so much as plan as respond intelligently.

Slowly each of the representatives of the major powers pledged their forces to the cause of taking out the monster. Though only a few had said anything about helping the people of Delfino Isle. Just Daisy, Mario, and King Fret. Understandable of course. Daisy was a good person. Mario was as well but he had almost no political power and he made sure to keep it that way, which the people of Mario land also enjoyed. As they were mostly left to their own devices and Mario only intervened to protect the people and the land. King Fret? Well he was almost as greedy as Wario, it took a special kind to create a cursed magic black gemstone just in case someone ever stole from him. More than likely Fret was planning on making a move on the island.

There was only one who had yet to say anything. Bowser of course. He had spent the entire meeting quietly grumbling. Peach batted her eyes at him "So Bowser, I take it you are too afraid of zzsomeone worse than you and are too scared to play with the big boys?"

Bowser roared, a jet of flame leaving scorch marks on the ceiling. "THATS KING BOWSER TO YOU!" He stood, raising his fist into the air. "I'll put the power into this powder keg of an army, just to show you all how it is done."

Peach just smiled, there had never been any doubt.

"And so we go to war." Said Mario.