Hey, I'm back! Real quick thank you to TheDisneyFan365, Shadow Antix, and MarioTale1995 for adding this story to their favorites. Much love to all of you! Haven't got much else to say here...

But anyways, please continue to review as those really help.

Without further ado, please enjoy!

Chapter 10

"Ow!" Amber yelped as I was putting her hair in a ribbon. "That hurts!"

"Sorry, kiddo," I said. "I'm a little...distracted."

"Nervous?" She asked.

"A little," I admitted. "I've wanted this day to come for a long time. Now that it's here, I'm a little freaked."

"It'll be great! We are going to the royal ball!" She said excitedly. I sighed lightly as I finished tying Amber's hair. I stepped back to get a good look at her. She was wearing a pale yellow dress that went halfway down her shins. The dress was covered in golden sparkles with a green ribbon tied into a bow around her waist. Her hair was held in a ponytail with an orange ribbon.

"You look beautiful, Amber!" I exclaimed.

"Thank you," she replied, twirling a little. "So do you."

"Thanks," I said, examining my own outfit. I had on orange heels covered by a floor length dress that was orange at the bottom and faded to yellow at the top. Kind of an ombré style dress. My crown was replaced with a thin silver headband. I had put a little bit of gold eyeshadow on and slightly pink tinted lipgloss. I'll admit, I did look nice, but will Luigi like it?

I didn't have time to think about it, however. The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Amber said, running to the door.

"Wait!" I called, but she was already out of the room. I slowly stepped down the staircase as I heard her talking to...Mario? What was he doing here?

"It's nice to meet you," I heard him say.

"You too," she replied.

"Nice to see you again, girlie," Luigi said. Hearing his voice made my heart skip a beat.

"Oh! Amber, you look so beautiful!" Peach squealed. Okay, now Mario being here made a lot more sense.

"Thank you," she said. "So do you."

"Thanks," she replied. As I heard the bros, Peach, and Amber continue to chat, I took in a breath and willed myself to finish descending the stairs. Here goes nothing.

(Luigi's POV)

I sat down on the couch, listening as Amber told us a story that her friend, Diego, told her. She looked so pretty in her outfit, I noticed. And I thought it was cute how into the story she was. I decided to take a look at my own outfit. I chose not to wear my cap; I didn't think it went with what I was wearing. I wore a black and white tuxedo with a green bow tie. The same as Mario, only his tie was red. I couldn't help but admire Peach's choice of clothing. She wore a purple dress with white stripes, a nice change from her usual choice of pink. I wondered how Daisy would look. I wondered how a girl I saw as the most beautiful thing in world could pull off looking even better.

While I was entirely amused by Amber's story, I was anxious for Daisy to come down. I nervously looked down at the red rose I held in my hand. I hoped she was as excited for this date as I was. I still can't believe I worked up the nerve, not just to ask her out, but to kiss her on the cheek. I really hope I don't blow it. I hope nothing goes wrong.

As Amber was finishing up her story, I heard heels clicking on the stairs, followed by a quiet gasp from Mario and Peach, and turned to see. When I saw my date approach, I was blown away. I've never seen her look so beautiful! She walked towards me, smiling that gorgeous smile, and my jaw dropped.

"Hi," she said softly as she stopped in front of me. I could only babble; she looked like an angel. Her smile turned to a look of discomfort as she asked, "D-Do I look that bad?"

"No!" I said suddenly. How could she even think such a thing? "Y-You look...you look...a-amazing! Enchanting, even! I don't think I've ever seen anyone so beautiful before!" That was incredibly cheesy, and although I truly meant it, I regretted saying it. At least until she giggled quietly. I looked at her to find her blushing and smiling.

"That's really sweet!" She cried. "Thank you! You look very handsome tonight, yourself."

"Thank you," I said. I took a breath and held up the rose. "Here, this is for you."

"Oh! It's so pretty!" She exclaimed.

"Not as pretty as you," I said. Her smile grew, and her blush deepened. I brought the flower up to her head and tucked it in her hair. That only made her smile more. It made me grin, too; adorning the colors yellow, orange, and now red made her look lovelier than a sunset in autumn.

"So, shall we go?" I asked the gang.

"Wait! What about Diego?" Amber asked.

"Don't worry," Daisy replied, taking her hand. "Diego and his parents are going to meet us there. We ready?"

"Yep," Peach answered. "The limo is out ready for us."

"Limo?!" Amber and Daisy asked in unison.

"Yeah, let's-a-go!" I rolled my eyes slightly at Mario's catchphrase. As we started walking towards the limo, I took a deep breath and held Daisy's hand. She smiled at me, and I could feel my heart melt.

I sat next to Daisy in the limousine, looking at her and the others. Mario and Peach were having a conversation, along with some Toads, and Daisy was playing with Amber. I noticed they were playing Rock Paper Scissors, but it had a cute little twist. The winner gave the loser's side a light squeeze, emitting a squeak and giggle out of the latter. Given that Amber's laughter was as loud as it was, I came to conclude that she was just as ticklish as Daisy. Another thing they had in common, I noted.

The only reason I picked up on any of this was because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop staring at Daisy. Never in the world did I think I'd ever see her this look this good. Almost the whole way, I was so fixated on her beauty, I could only smile and stare. Eventually, she caught me.

"What?" She asked after looking over her shoulder to see me staring.

"Oh...nothing," I blushed. "You're really beautiful."

"Aw. Thank you," she replied, blushing along with me and scratching the back of her head.

She surprised me by scooting closer to me and laying her head down on my shoulder. She picked her head up slightly to look me in the eye and smile at me, her own sapphire eyes twinkling. My heart melted all over again; holy cow, I loved her smile. And her eyes. And everything else about her.

(Daisy's POV)

There were already a lot of people at the castle when we got there. I could even see some of our friends mixed in with the crowd. Amber let go of my hand suddenly and started running off. I almost ran after her until I saw that she was headed towards Diego, who was standing with his parents at the punch bowl. They gave each other a hug when she approached. I smiled, thinking it was sweet.

We split up and spent a while talking to some people we knew. I could see Luigi chatting with Donkey Kong in the back. I, meanwhile, was talking to Rosalina at the punch bowl.

"So how are your little ones doing?" I asked.

"Just fine, thank you," she replied. She grinned and said, "You'll never guess what my little Julia did the other day."

However, before she could tell me, Peach walked up to us and gave Rosalina a hug.

"So great to see you, Rosie!" She said.

"You too," Rosalina replied, squeezing her back. She turned to me and said, "Speaking of little ones, tell me about this Amber. What's she like? Where did she come from?"

"Yeah," Peach said. "We never did really get to talk about her. Diana told me she was your daughter, but..."

"She's not really my daughter; I'm just looking after her," I explained. "She's been horribly abused by her mother and father, who'd trapped and abandoned her in an alley."

"Oh! That's awful!" Peach explained.

"Isn't it? Well, she's staying with me until I can figure out a safe place for her to go," I said.

"That's quite noble of you, Daisy," Peach smiled. "You must have your hands full, looking after a small child like that."

"Are you kidding?" I laughed. "Amber's been staying with me for two weeks and has been nothing short of delightful! I can't imagine how someone would ever treat a girl the way her parents did."

"Absolutely," Rosalina agreed with a frown. "Well, everything will work out for sure."

"I hope so. She deserves it."

The three of us spent the next few moments gossiping and laughing amongst ourselves. Suddenly, light piano cords began to play. I immediately recognized the melody: Canon in D, my favorite piece of classical music. Luigi's too. I closed my eyes, taking a moment to listen to the melody. I heard a throat clear, opened my eyes, and turned around; Luigi was standing behind me, bowing slightly with his hand held in front of him.

"M-May I have this dance?" He asked.

"Absolutely!" I replied happily.

I gave him my hand, and he took me to the dance floor. I placed my hands on his shoulders as he put his on my waist, and we began swaying to the music. Our dance started simple. He'd spin me, twirl me, then dip me. Then we'd go back to swaying.

"Where did you learn how to dance like this?" I finally asked.

"I used to take dance lessons as a kid," he said.

"So did I," I replied as I was spun, "but then I found out I had two left feet."

"You're really good at dancing, actually," he told me before dipping me.

"You think?" I asked, a blush rising to my cheeks.

"I really do," he whispered. I chuckled, flattered as he lifted me upright.

He twirled me off towards the side and when I stopped, he pulled me gently and I spun around back to him. But I never expected him to do what he did. Instead of placing his hands on my waist to continue dancing, he wrapped his arms around my body and squeezed me tightly, taking me completely by surprise.

"L-Luigi..." I stuttered. He looked at me and smiled.

"Just figured someone as amazing as you deserves all of the hugs I can give," he replied sweetly.

"Luigi...why...I-I-I don't know what to say," I stuttered, awed by his kind words.

"You don't have to say a word," he whispered. All at once, the music swelled, my heart melted, and I wrapped my own arms around him, causing him to tighten his hold on me. Maybe I really didn't have to say a word. Maybe he already knew.

We just stayed there in what was probably the best hug he's ever given me, snuggling slightly as the music calmed to a simply series of two-note chords. He pulled back, looked me in the eyes, and smiled. I smiled back, probably the biggest smile I've ever had. The music picked up slightly, drums playing with the other instruments. We immediately pulled each other in another embrace, and I laid my head on his shoulder, sighing softly; this time we were swaying to the music. Once again, the music swelled, much like the first time. He dipped me. He bent down towards me, and we rubbed noses affectionately. It may not have been a kiss, but I can easily say, I've never been happier in my life. He pulled me up, our noses still together. It seemed like an eternity before the song ended and we parted. Yet, I wish it lasted longer.

I heard light applause in the background, but I paid no mind. Luigi smiled and said, "Come with me. There's something I want to show you."

"Okay," I said, following him. He lead me up the stairs, to the castle balcony.

"I don't know if you know," he began as he pushed the doors open, "but the castle balcony has the most incredible view of the sunset."

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen the sunset from here before," I pondered. It was strange, since I was here often.

"I always like coming up here to watch the sunset, even though I don't really get the chance," he explained. "I always listen to this one song over and over again. It's short, but really relaxing."

"I bet," I said. When we finally got to the balcony, I stood in awe. The sun was just setting over the garden. The sky above it had darkened to a shining indigo. The stretch of sky surrounding the sun was an orange-yellow, and the clouds that polka-dotted the sky only added to it's beauty.

"That is amazing!" I exclaimed.

"Just like you," he said. I looked at him and blushed. He walked over to the radio and turned it on. We sat down on two lounge chairs that sat side by side and looked at the setting sun. A soft piano melody began to play from the radio. I instantly felt relaxation wash over me and began sinking in my seat as the lovely song played. The sound of the gentle breeze and birds singing nearby made it even more romantic.

We sat in silence, but it wasn't awkward at all. We just sat, enjoying the music and each other's company. I don't know exactly how long we were out there, but it was long enough to see the sun disappear under the horizon, darkening the sky and allowing the stars to shine. The moon rose, adding more light by just peeking over the horizon. I couldn't help but sigh; I've never actually seen a moonrise before, and it was lovely. I jumped slightly when I felt Luigi hold my hand. I looked at him, but he was looking at the floor, as if he was ashamed and couldn't look at me straight. Eventually he picked his head up, realizing I didn't pull away or let go. He smiled shyly at me, prompting me to do the same.

"Y-Y-You kn-know," he stuttered. "I-I've never told you this...but I think you have very pretty eyes."

"Aw, you're just saying that," I replied, turning my head away.

"No, I mean it," he said. "I-I even remember telling Mario about it." He chuckled at my blush and added, "It was the day we first met. After we went home after that round of golf, I couldn't stop rambling about you. I drove Mario nuts. I remember what I said, too: 'They were the first thing I noticed when I saw her. Brighter than the sky, deeper than the ocean, and as blue as the most valuable sapphires. The most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.'"

I gasped softly. "Thank you! That's...gotta be the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me."

For a moment, it was just the two of us in our own little world. I sighed lightly, closed my eyes, and leaned toward him. After a couple of seconds of waiting, I could feel his warm breath on the tip of my nose. I opened an eye and took a peek; his eyes were closed, and he was leaning in!

This is it! I thought. It's finally happening! I'm finally going to kiss Luigi! I closed my eyes and waited for our lips to connect.

*SHATTER!*

I heard the glass shattering, but it wasn't until I heard a scream that I sat up. Luigi sat up, too. I heard the scream again, a familiar scream. My heart stopped.

Amber.