Mr. L stepped out of the cell, slamming it shut behind him. Daisy tried freeing herself from his grip, but he was just too strong. The man grabbed her other wrist and applied great pressure. He grinned wildly as he stared into her pain-filled eyes.
"Let me go!" the princess ordered.
"Sorry, lady, but I got specific orders to keep you busy," was the reply. Daisy and him started struggling. Soon she managed to overpower Mr. L. With all her strength, she kicked him in the stomach. The Green Thunder bent over in pain, letting go of Daisy's wrists in the process. She tried running away, but Mr. L caught her and held a switchblade to her neck. "Trust me, sweetheart, you don't wanna do that," he said coldly. The princess didn't try to struggle, seeing just how severe the situation was. Mr. L looked around, then grunted in frustration. "There's gotta be a secret way outta here. Start talkin', princess!" he demanded.
"There's no way of leaving this dungeon," she answered.
"Don't give me that! You and I both know that dungeons always have a secret exit. If you value your life, you'll start talking!"
Daisy fidgeted in a feeble attempt for freedom. No such luck. Seeing no way out, she had no choice but to comply. "Fine. In that cell over there, there's a loose section on the wall."
Mr. L, with the princess close at hand, went to the cell and searched along the wall. Indeed, a section was loose and revealed a way out. The Green Thunder chuckled in satisfaction. "Let's go," he said as he dragged Daisy out. Once outside, Mr. L picked the woman up off the ground and started running into the distance.
Back inside, Princess Peach was checking on the Royal Treasury. All the coins were accounted for and the guards made a note to replace the lock on the door with a far more elaborate one. Everything seemed in order, meaning the princess could go back to bed.
As she headed down the hall, Peach ran into another woman. It was Princess Daisy, and she seemed to be in a hurry. It didn't help that the Mushroom Princess was now in her way. "Daisy, how'd things go with Luigi?" she asked. The flower princess gave her a confused look, as if she didn't know what Peach was talking about. "Huh? Oh, right, Luigi! Yeah, uh, he went back home. He's a bit shaken, but he'll be alright," she finally answered.
"I'm glad to hear it. I just finished things up at the treasury; everything is in order and all the money is safe."
"Even the rubees?"
Now it was Peach's turn to have a confused look. "Rubees? We don't have rubees here, Daisy," she said. Daisy chuckled nervously as she scratched her head. "Right, I forgot," she quickly replied.
"Daisy, are you alright? You seem a bit different."
"Oh, well, um, I'm just kinda… nervous. You know, about the Orb."
Peach gave a playful smile as a response. "Don't worry, silly. I've had the guards relocate it to a spot no one would ever think to look for it," she said.
"Really? Where?"
Peach looked around to make sure no one was listening, then whispered to her friend the location of the prized item.
Miles away, Mr. L was pacing back and forth on a grassy hill. Princess Daisy was tied up and sitting on the ground, trying to find a way out of this situation. It was no use; there was no way she could outrun this guy.
"Hey! Are you gonna tell me what you want from me now or what?" the princess demanded from her captor. Mr. L stopped pacing and looked down at her, the full moon lit behind him. "Look, all I know is that the boss told me to get rid of the next princess I run into, and that was you. Why I had to is beyond me," he answered in a rather annoyed tone.
Daisy leaned in closer to get a good look at the robber. Then she realized something. "Wait a minute! You're that guy from last night! The one who tried to steal the Crown Orb!"
"Wow, it took you this long to figure it out? Brains ain't your strong suit, toots."
"Who are you and what have you done with Luigi?!"
Mr. L threw his arms into the air in frustration. "There's that name again! Who is this Luigi guy, anyways?" he asked, now more annoyed than ever. Daisy stood up, still unable to free her arms from the binding. "Don't play dumb with me!" she yelled; "Luigi was in that cell, then when I went back, you were in his place. What have you done to him?!"
"I didn't do anything! The last thing I remember, my boss hit me over the head with my bag of coins. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in a dungeon. That's it. I have no clue where your friend went, and I don't care."
The Green Thunder pulled out his switchblade and walked behind Daisy. "What are you doing?" she asked. A few moments later, the rope fell to the ground. Mr. L held his knife at Daisy's throat again.
"I think it'd be rather rude if I kept you tied up. Now come on. The night's young."
With that, Mr. L grabbed the princess by her wrist and headed straight for Toad Town, ready to wreak chaos.
Silence. Peace. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The guards slept peacefully at their posts. All was quiet at Toadstool Castle. All, that is, except for one certain princess.
Daisy silently made her way to the kitchen, her face stoic in expression. It was nothing new for the flower princess to get up in the middle of the night and head for this room; she always enjoyed a late night snack. This night, however, she wasn't getting something to eat.
The kitchen was dark and cold at night, and this night was no exception. Daisy stepped in without making a single sound. She needed to stay quiet if her mission was to be complete. She moved towards the walk-in pantry and opened the door. Ignoring all the food, the princess walked straight to the back and placed her hand on the wall. She found a specific brick and pushed it in. The rest of the wall suddenly moved up, revealing a giant safe. Daisy entered the combination Peach had told her earlier. The door opened.
Daisy walked in and soon found what she was looking for. She picked up the Crown Orb and studied it for a minute. A ball that could grant wishes. Why did that sound so familiar…?
The princess pulled a walkie-talkie out of her pocket. "I've got it," she said with little enthusiasm.
"Excellent. Meet me outside the palace. Ciao."
Daisy put the device away before closing the safe. She walked out of the pantry as her skin reverted back to its original emerald hue.
