A/N: This chapter really gave me a lot of issues... but ultimately, I'm happy with how it turned out. The T-rating really starts up with this chapter, just to let you know. xD Also, I don't own any of these characters.

Brave New World

Chapter Nine: Can't Let You Go


A pounding on her bedroom door startled Peach out of her current reverie, and she jumped up from her large plush bed to answer it. But the knocker was apparently to impatient to wait for a proper answer, for before Peach was even halfway to the door it swung open and Wendy O. Koopa let herself into the room.

"Mama Peach," The female Koopaling sighed, walking over to the bed and throwing herself down. "I don't know what to do!" Peach frowned at Wendy, returning to her former spot on the bed beside the Koopa.

"What is it?" She asked, watching as Wendy adjusted the bow on her head.

"Well… there's, like, someone who I was hoping to impress with my totally amazing ladylike skills, but… well, Mama Peach, will you teach me how to be a lady?" Wendy appeared to be having a hard time asking for help—she was toying with the golden bangles on her wrist, and refusing to look Peach in the eye. Taking pity on the stubborn Koopaling, Peach placed a hand on her shoulder. Wendy looked up at her hopefully.

"Of course," Peach responded cheerfully. "But who is this boy you're hoping to impress?"

"Oh, he's a Koopa working in the castle! One of dad's bodyguards in training. I'll show him to you if we see him, kay?" Peach nodded in agreement.

"Alright then, what do you want to know?" Peach asked. Wendy fell silent.

"…Everything?" Peach inwardly sighed. This was going to take all day; it looked like she would have to wait on that romance novel one of the maids had given her this morning.

The pair decided to move into a bigger room to commence with their lessons; somewhere they wouldn't be disturbed by any maids. Wendy took her to the ballroom that Bowser only used for hosting formal parties, and that the Koopalings used as a secret hideout during the off season.

It was much larger than her own ballroom, Peach noted as Wendy flicked on the lights, and the chandeliers above their heads flickered to life. But then again, it had to be substantially larger than her own to accommodate the Koopa King and whomever else he felt so inclined to invite. The room was mostly empty at the moment, aside from a few tables and chairs pushed to one wall, and a TV on the opposite end accompanied by a few video games that Peach was sure were brought in by the Koopalings. Wendy led her to the table and chairs, and pulled the cover off of the table so they would have somewhere to speak.

"So," Peach began when they were both seated at the table, "Where to begin… oh, alright! Dress. You already seem to have that down nicely," Peach said, gesturing to Wendy's outfit. "A lady always wants to look her best, whether she is out in public or in her own home." Wendy nodded eagerly, leaning on the table toward Peach. "Next… poise. Actions speak louder than words, and if you want that boy to notice you you've got to act the part as well."

Wendy quickly adjusted her stance, sitting up in her chair and lacing her hands on the table before her. "Very good," Peach praised. They continued on for a few more minutes before the large ballroom door creaked open and Roy sauntered in.

"Wha'cha doin' keeping Mama Peach all to yerself, Wendy?" He asked, wandering over to the table. Wendy scoffed at him, turning up her nose.

"We're doing something important here, Roy. Could you like, go away?"

"Now just a second, Wendy. That's no way to talk to your brother!" Peach scolded her.

Roy nodded, "Yeah, show some respect!" Ignoring his sister's request, Roy found a chair and joined the pair at the table. "So what's goin' on here?" He asked, crossing his arms on the table and resting his head on them.

"Here's one for both of you," Peach looked at Wendy, then Roy. "A lady, or gentlemen, should learn to always keep their cool. Don't let people have the satisfaction of getting under your skin, and if they do, try not to yell or complain about it. After all," She shrugged. "Where would it get me to be screaming and digging in my heels against your father kidnapping me? That's certainly not going to change anything."

"That's true," Roy commented. "King Dad will never let that Mario guy keep ya from us."

"Do you… like that guy, Mama Peach?" Wendy asked, her face saying that there was no way that it was possible. Peach felt her cheeks burning, and she placed her cool gloved hands over them in embarrassment. Roy scoffed at her, and Wendy gasped. "No way, he's so totally not cute!"

"L-let's see.. What else…" Peach franticly searched her brain for another topic. "How about dancing? Wendy, dancing is definitely something a lady needs to know how to do! And Roy, a lady would have no one to dance with if there were no gentlemen who knew the steps! Come on, lets go!"

After a bit of hassling, Peach finally managed to get the two Koopalings doing some very sloppy steps around the ballroom. But after the third time that Roy managed to 'accidentally' step on Wendy's foot, the two were nearly to blows. "Alright, alright. Maybe you need to see a demonstration first? Do you have a dance instructor in the castle?" Peach asked, thinking of the boisterous Beanbean immigrant who had taught her back in Toad Town.

"Dad knows how to dance, I think," Wendy said, stepping away from her brother.

"Yeah, let's find 'im!" With that the trio left the ballroom in search Bowser, who was supposedly the best dancer in all of the Darklands, according to Wendy. They found him in the main living room with the rest of the Koopalings, watching some sport on television that Peach had never seen before.

"Bowser?" Peach asked, stepping in front of the screen. There were shouts around the room from the Koopas.

"Hey!"

"Mama Peach, we're watching that!"

"What is it, Peachy?" Bowser asked, shutting off the TV, evoking more cries of disapproval. Quite frankly, Bowser didn't care whether or not his kids were watching the game; if Peach actually decided seek them out, they had better pay attention to her.

Choosing to ignore the little pet name Bowser had taken to calling her, Peach continued. "Wendy, Roy and I were hoping you might be willing to dance with me—strictly for learning purposes," She added quickly, seeing the gleam in his eye. "In fact, all your children should learn to dance eventually; now seems to be a perfect time."

"What? Dance?" Bowser looked at Wendy who was behind Peach. All of his children had already had professional dancing lessons. What were they trying to pull? Then it clicked. "With you? Sure thing, Princess." He grinned and stood up. "Lets go, kids!"

They returned to the ballroom, and Larry managed to produce a small stereo system from his room. "Alright, kids. Pay attention to how Bowser is going to guide me around the room." Peach placed her dainty hand in Bowser's large scaly one. Biting back a grin, Bowser placed his other hand very properly on her waist, and she lifted hers to his shoulder; or as close as she could get to his shoulder, at least.

Larry pressed the play button on the stereo, and the sounds of one of Ludwig's award-winning symphonies filled the air. The couple twirled nearly effortlessly around the room, though in reality Bowser was taking great care not to accidentally hurt the small Princess in his arms.

"See, boys? With the gentlest amount of pressure you can guide a lady around the floor. And Wendy, try not to break synch with the gentleman's guidance. The best of dancers are so perfectly in coordination that they can move as one."

Bowser was in heaven. He could see Peach's lips moving, but he was so caught up in the moment that he didn't hear the words. She was so soft, so delicate, and for once he had her in his arms. The moment was ruined when Peach stopped abruptly, wrenching her hand from his grasp. She looked from the Koopalings back to him, an angry scowl on her face.

"They've already had lessons?" She crossed her arms, and Bowser couldn't help but adore the expression on her face.

"You couldn't keep your traps shut for ten minutes, could you?" Bowser grumbled under his breath.

"We're children of the royal family," Ludwig explained. "What makes you assume that our education would be any less adequate than your own was?"

Peach looked flustered at that. "Well, I—"

"Mama Peach, I just wanted you to see that Daddy can dance with you better than that stupid Mario ever could!" Wendy cut in. "Roy and me just wanted you to stay here, with us." She added bashfully.

Peach couldn't help the smile that came to her lips at those words. Of course she loved spending time with the Koopalings, but Bowser always seemed to have the worst timing when it came to his kidnappings. If it were any other time she might have actually enjoyed being with them all like this, but she had the relations between the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland to think about. And though Wendy's actions were due in part to the sweetest of motives, she would never feel that way about Bowser.

"I know, Wendy. But… I just can't do that."


Daisy's second performance was certainly less eventful than the last, but entirely more enthralling. This time Luigi was able to watch the whole thing; with no obnoxious Toads interrupting him partway through the act either. Daisy was amazing. How she was able to control the Ostros with a much grace as she was doing with only a few weeks training was beyond him. Her third and final performance of Twilight Town was even better, and when she returned to the back of the tent Carver was waiting to congratulate her.

"Ah, my beautiful star! You were magnificent!" Carver exclaimed, sweeping her up into an impulsive hug. She laughed, returning the embrace enthusiastically.

"You think so? I kind of messed up there at the end," She confessed embarrassedly.

"No, no! It was perfect!" The aging Magikoopa stamped his staff on the floor decisively. They moved out of the way as the next act was preparing to go on, and Luigi and Elaine wandered over to greet them. "I must go prepare the final act," Carver explained to Daisy before Luigi or Elaine had a chance to speak. With a nod, he took his leave of the group.

Choosing to ignore the strange ringmaster, Elaine smiled at Daisy. "That was lovely! The Ostros are really beginning to trust you… Oh—but that's not really what we're here for; Catherine and the girls wanted to invite you to a party later once we close down for the night. After all, tonight was our final show in Twilight Town!"

"I'll escort you if you'd like to go, Daisy," Luigi chimed in.

Elaine laughed. "You make it sound like we were invited to Princess Toadstool's castle! This is just going to be a little get-together with friends; there's no need for that kind of formality."

"Right," Daisy paused, considering her options. If Catherine was hosting the party, it certainly wouldn't be as tame as Elaine was making it out to be. Would she honestly make Luigi suffer through a party that was surely going to be filled with booze and rowdy circus performers? She doubted he would enjoy himself, but… "We'll definitely be there!" Daisy said happily, twining her arm through Luigi's.

In the time between shutting down for the night and the time it took Daisy to change and primp for the coming party, Catherine and the girls had made the big top nearly unrecognizable.

"This is Elaine's idea of a small party? Yeah right,"He mentally sighed. Though glancing over at Daisy, who was bright eyed as she took in the sights, he was glad that they came.

"Oh—Hey! Daisy, Luigi! Over here!" Elaine waved them over to the back of the tent, usually reserved for the animals. Instead, the area had been cleared and cleaned, tables replacing the usual stalls.

The rings where the performances actually took place were crowded with dancers; professional and otherwise. Mario had always been trying to convince him to come to parties like this. The loud, reverberating music, the inappropriate dance moves—these weren't things Luigi particularly enjoyed, but Daisy had never had the opportunity to experience things like this, so he owed it to her to at least stick around and let her get her fill of the distasteful experience.

Making their way to the relatively calmer, less packed area of the big top, Daisy grinned when she noticed the card games going on around them. Nudging Luigi in the side she said, "Hey. You think we could make some cash tonight?" She gestured to a group of burly Paratroopas playing poker.

It was something about the way she said it—or maybe her face while gesturing—that made Luigi stifle a laugh. "You sound like some kind of old Toad trying to enforce his gambling habit, Daisy."

She flushed at that, smacking his arm playfully. "Knock it off, I do not!"

"Don't what?" Elaine asked as they approached her. Daisy plopped down into the vacant seat beside her, Luigi following suit on Elaine's other side.

"Oh nothing, Luigi is just comparing me to an old, gambling Toad is all."

"That's so romantic, Luigi." He just sighed, shaking his head at the two teasing women. Catherine soon approached the small group with drinks in hand.

"So glad you could make it, honey," Catherine said with a wink to Luigi. Setting drinks in front of both Luigi and Elaine, she gestured to Daisy. "Come talk to me for a sec, Dais'?" She led the baffled princess away from the table, and into one of the back corners. "So you and your little boy toy there an item yet?" She asked eagerly.

That certainly wasn't what Daisy was expecting to come out of Catherine's mouth, and she visibly relaxed. "I… I'm not entirely sure, actually," She laughed, shrugging her shoulders. Although Daisy was positive that the younger Mario brother liked her just as much as she adored him, he was so shy that it was almost impossible for her to read him at times. Such as now, for instance, when it mattered the most.

"Well," Catherine began exuberantly, "You will be by the end of the night! I've added an… extra ingredient to lover-boy's drink there, and after a few more of those, he won't be able to keep his hands off you!" Catherine grinned, obviously proud of herself for taking such an extreme step.

"You didn't," Daisy threw a frantic look back at the table, watching as Luigi laughed at something Elaine said and took a drink of the alcohol-laced beverage Catherine provided. The Birdo smiled widely, not understanding that she'd done something bad. Daisy found herself unable to scold Catherine, considering all that she'd done for her in the past. "How about while we're at it, you get me one too? Preferably something strong."

It wasn't long before Daisy was pleasantly buzzed—and Luigi right along with her. Catherine had long since abandoned them, opting to join the dance floor with a tall, dark blue Yoshi that Daisy didn't recognize. Granted, she was having a hard time focusing after that last shot, and she couldn't seem to take her eyes off Luigi long enough to really get a good look at the Yoshi.

Elaine, who had been dutifully watching over them, stood up. "Luigi, Daisy," She waited until she had their attention before continuing. "I'm going to bed now; don't want to expose the baby to too much of this, you know? Will you two be alright alone?" She asked.

"Of course! We'll be fine! Right, Luigi?" Daisy didn't wait for an answer before standing up as well. "I was actually thinking it might be fun to try dancing…" Luigi grimaced.

"Well, alright then. Don't stay out too late!" Elaine laughed, watching wistfully as Daisy dragged her reluctant partner to the main area of the big top. Sighing to herself, she turned to leave.

It isn't fair, Elaine thought, Daisy is so… happy. That should be me. If only… if only he didn't have to go. She managed to hold back the tears until she was outside, away from the prying eyes who only seemed to be focused on her anguish.


By the end of the night Luigi and Daisy had raked in quite a few coins from the ongoing Poker games. After a bit of prodding from Daisy, and a few more drinks provided by Catherine, Luigi finally agreed to play. Daisy was amazed. She'd heard that Luigi was good at card games, but she didn't realize just how good he really was. After few games she quit playing, opting instead to watch him.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but he certainly seemed more confident in this field than in any other she'd seen him. He placed bets boldly, winning the hand more often than not. And every time he would win, he would turn to Daisy, grinning broadly, and she would feel her cheeks light up and her stomach flutter. Though that could have been the alcohol, too.

And although she was definitely enjoying herself watching Luigi take everyone else's coins, it seemed that the rest of the group was getting a little annoyed at this point. Deciding that it was best if they quit while they were ahead, Daisy tugged on his arm.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Dais'?" Luigi asked, setting his cards down on the table to place his hand over hers.

"Uh…" She quickly tried to formulate a plan in her mind, but the drinks Catherine had nearly shoved down her throat slowed her down a bit. Luigi's expression went from worried to confused as Daisy leaned closer. "I was hoping… that we could go someplace a little more… private?"

"Private? Like, alone?"

"Yes, let's go," Daisy stood up and Luigi followed suit. After a flurry of farewells the pair somehow made it past the rambunctious mass of partygoers, out into the frigid nighttime air.

"Daisy… I don't think this is a good idea," Luigi told her, his voice gruff. He pulled her off the main path as a group passed them, leading her in the direction of her room. Though Daisy wasn't resisting at this point, he held her arm in a vice-like grip.

"Why not? Are you afraid something will happen?" Her eyes gleamed fiercely, even in the darkness, Luigi noted. When she stopped abruptly, he had no choice but to stop as well. "Luigi," She took his hand that was still gripping her arm, and slid it down to her waist. "Stop fighting, already."

Their lips met in a heated exchange. Daisy leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing their bodies together. Luigi knew exactly what she was trying to do, but with his mind hazy with alcohol and lust, he couldn't find the will to fight back. Instead, he ran his hands down her waist, settling them at her hips, and slanted his lips more firmly over hers.

Daisy moaned as Luigi's mouth left hers, trailing softly down her jaw line to her neck. "Daisy. We can't do this… here," When Daisy didn't immediately respond, he pulled back, looking into her half-lidded eyes.

"Hmm? Oh, right," She responded, smiling up at him cheerfully. "Should we go to your room?" It was difficult to resist such a blatant invitation, but ultimately, Luigi knew he had to.

"No," His firm tone instantly brought her back to reality. "Daisy, I can't do this to you. Not now." He carefully detached himself from her grasp, stepping back.

She frowned. "What are you talking about? It's not like I don't want any of this."

Luigi sighed, running a hand through his hair wearily. "I know you do—so do I. But I love you too much to consider ruining our relationship so easily. You're still a princess, whether you want to admit it or not—and what if you change your mind? Your reputation would be ruined if you were involved with someone like me," When she refused to meet his eyes, Luigi put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I wish it could be different, Daisy."

"That's why we're here, isn't it? To make things different?"

"Daisy… we can talk about this in the morning," Gripping her shoulder, Luigi steered her out of the shadows and back onto the lighted path. Daisy remained silent on the short trip back to her train car.

They stopped just before the train, and Daisy crossed her arms, glaring up at him with a look of defiance. "You can deny it all you want, Luigi, but one way or the other you'll see that I'm right," With one final, heated kiss, Daisy turned on her heels and entered her room, slamming the door behind her.


The lurch of the train moving along worn tracks woke Luigi abruptly and he sat up, blinking the tiredness from his eyes. It took a second for him to register that the train was, in fact, moving, and it wasn't just his churning stomach recreating the effect. "Goomb—where are we going…?" The Ostros nearby squawked in response, watching him carefully from the other side of their cage.

"Oh. You're awake, finally. We left for Darklands this morning," Goomb glanced over at him from his spot at their small, two-person table. "Here, eat," He nodded to the plate of toast sitting across the table. Nodding gratefully, Luigi joined his Goomba roommate and accepted the now-cold toast. Goomb poured him a cup of coffee from a thermos as he ate silently.

Luigi's mind was working too quickly to even care about what he was being offered, though. They had left Twilight Town this morning, Goomb had said. Was he really asleep that long? Daisy would be furious with him! He had promised her they would talk today, but it wasn't like one day would change anything.

She was still a princess, and he was still… Luigi. That would never change. And that was the one thing that would always keep them apart, whether Daisy was happy about it or not.

After a weak attempt at conversation with his roommate, Luigi finally resigned to return to his corner of their boxcar to brood in peace. While fixing his makeshift bed as nicely as he could, his eye caught E. Gadd's forgotten letter in the corner.

With all the excitement going on he had set it aside, opting to wait until he had a spare moment to read it. Now was the perfect time, he thought, and settled in to see what the professor had to say.

Luigi had come to expect the bit of rambling from his mentor, but the contents of the letter surprised him, to say the least. Daisy and E. Gadd were exchanging letters? That explained how he found out where they were staying, Luigi mused. But the final component of Gadd's note made his stomach lurch.

Prince Peasley had learned their whereabouts.


A/N: Cliffhanger? It wasn't supposed to end this way, but things work out better like this, trust me. Don't forget to drop a review and tell me how I'm doing, okay?