Chapter 10

Her trembling fingers missed in their precision as Peach struggled to dial the number that she was refusing to for hours. The rings started. She counted them. One…two…three…

"Oh, if it isn't the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom!" Daisy said, in a snobby voice.

"The same can be said for you." Peach shot back. "And we're not teammates anymore."

"Oh, really?" Daisy questioned. "Who said you can resign? I'm not about to let go of a person who can help me in my plans!"

"And your 'plans' are to do what? Force me into this hotel again? Try to kidnap him again? Listen, lady, I'm not going to even think about putting him through all this again, no matter how loyal I am to you! If you saw what he did to stand up to me, you would be thinking the exact same thing!"

"Says who?" Daisy jeered. "Oh, I know! Says the person who almost broke into tears trying to capture a midget half her size!"

"How DARE you call my assistant a midget! If anyone's a midget, it's you! I'm resigning from your servitude!"

"Now, now." Daisy tried to explain. "Don't get ahead of yourself-"

"Do you accept my resignation or not?!" Peach was shouting into the receiver so loudly that Daisy had to hold it away from her ears.

"I DO!" Daisy was breathing heavily. "I do." The click sounded as she hung up. Peach dashed out of the room and up the stairs. She had only one destination in mind.

"Oh, what the- I can drive better than that!" This was Wario's exclamation as he fell back to 11th once again as he played a game of Mario Kart. "You're in last, man." He said to Waluigi. "Better catch up." Waluigi scoffed.

"The great Waluigi can always catch up!" he bragged as he acquired a golden mushroom. As he boosted, he lost control and fell into the water. "Oh, fiddlesticks!"

"Okay then, the score is Delfino Square, one, Waluigi, zero."

"Will you be quiet? I'm trying to get back on the road, here!" They entered the last lap, but they saw that Toad was oddly behind them both, yet it showed Waluigi in last. Wario pointed to the mini-map.

"Hey, what place is he in- thirteenth?" They burst out laughing as they crossed the finish, even though they got 10th and 11th. When it showed the results, though, it placed Toad in first.

"What the heck?" Waluigi exclaimed. "How is he in first? He was behind us!"

"Nope. He was so far ahead, that it just looked like it. And-" he glanced at the screen-" we played on Wifi, too."

"So he must be having a good time, huh?"

"Yeah. That's just like him." Wario said, and turned off the Wii in indignation.

A knock at the door propelled the Toads to their feet.

"Get the door." Toad said.

"No, you get the door." Toadette replied.

"No, you open it."

"You open it."

"Oh, fine." Toad said, looking to break the chain. "We'll both open it." They did so, and weren't surprised to see Peach standing outside, her dress stained with tears. Toadette motioned to let her in, and the three sat down.

"Well." Toadette turned toward Peach. "I'm sorry to say it, but you're a disgrace. Here-" she motioned toward Toad, "we have your own assistant, in tears and shaking, all because of what you did, trying to hurt him, me, and helpless citizens! You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I know all about that-" Peach tried to explain, but Toad cut her off.

"No, she doesn't! Don't listen to her! If she did know, she would have stopped this totalitarianism a long time ago!"

"Who says my ruling is a kind of anarchy?" Peach replied, indifferent. She wanted to give in, to forgive him, but something inside wouldn't let her.

"Me! I say that! Your servants say that! You don't give us any freedom!"

"Yes, I do!"

"No, you don't!" Toad was trying to stay calm, but he just couldn't. "I don't know what in the name of a Mushroom to make of you!" He sat down. "It's like you've turned into a different princess. If you'd just look at the mess downstairs from my perspective, you'd know. You shot someone, princess. I don't even think about shooting anyone or anything, no matter if they're good or bad to me. I'm that nice. If the ruler is worse than the assistant, then..." He stood up. "Then we've got a problem."

"Should I quit the game? Go back to the castle?"

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying that if you turn back to the familiar princess that I used to know, then you can stay. Otherwise, I don't want you as a competitor." Toad walked out the door, not saying another word. The two girls looked at each other, expressionless.