Note to readers: Wow! The big 20! Thanks for reading this far :3 Also, thank you for the feedback! You are all so amazing and I don't deserve any of you!

By the way... I read my fic from beginning to end again and let me just say... Gahhhhhhh! I AM SO EXCITED TO CONTINUE THIS STORY! :3 :3 :3 (I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do!)

Chapter Twenty

Kamella called the members of the Investors together the next night so she could update the League on what happened during her meeting with the Princess.

"Princess Toadstool seemed hesitant with the idea of the Oath so I allowed her 24 hours to think over our proposal. It was odd that she seemed so reluctant to make such an agreement, given her supposed 'disdain' for King Bowser… but I think that she will see reason soon," Kamella explained.

A shy guy in the room raised his hand, "What if her Highness doesn't agree to the Oath?"

Kamella shook her head sadly, "Then we may have a crisis on our hands. I don't want to alarm you all before the princess answers, but there are only two reasons why she would disagree to such a request. Princess Toadstool may have been misled to believe that a match between her and Bowser would be beneficial for her kingdom in some way OR... She may have already begun harboring feelings for King Bowser."

The crowd gasped and Mario raised his eyebrows in surprise. He knew Peach was smart enough to make her own decisions. The princess was a very sharp-minded woman and she had faithfully helped her father rule the Kingdom with great success. Mario doubted someone could mislead her so easily... But that would also mean that she might really have feelings for the Bowser after all.

"Maybe I haven't been paying enough attention," Mario thought to himself.

Mario crossed his arms and sat back in his chair. If Peach really did have feelings for Bowser then that changed everything. After all, Mario had only saved her because Bowser had taken the Princess against her will. However, if Peach's heart had changed then Bowser would smother her with nothing but affection. Mario had known Bowser for years. The Koopa King would never hurt Peach or rip her kingdom away from her. For Bowser, it had always been about Peach. Nothing else.

Mario was so caught up in his own thoughts that he barely heard the rest of what Kamella said.

"If she really does disagree with the Oath then it will be even more important for us to take swift action. In other words, we will have to compel her to sign it," the Magikoopa stated gravely.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

At 9 p.m. that night, Mario received a text from Kamella:

"Emergency Meeting! Be at the bar within the hour."

Mario got up from his chair at the dinner table and quickly scrambled out the door. Luigi watched him leave in surprise. His brother never got up from the table until after he ate every crumb left on his plate! Luigi had a feeling only Mario's 'League' could get him out the door so quickly.

"I sure hope you know what you are doing, Mario," Luigi said to himself as he looked out the window.

As Mario left the house he saw a Parakoopa stuff a big wad of mail into their mailbox and fly away. The mailbox was so full of mail that the lid couldn't shut. Normally, Mario would have left it there but storm clouds were beginning to cover the blue skies. it was going to rain soon.

"Well, I guess I can take the mail inside the house before I go," Mario shrugged. He took the pile of mail and walked towards the door. A pink letter fell out of his hands as he set the mail just inside the door.

"Huh… Pink letters are usually from the Princess," Mario muttered to himself.

Opening it, he read the contents:

Mario,

A Magikoopa named Kamella is going to try to kill Bowser. I know this is sudden and it doesn't make sense, but I need you to make sure he is protected. I will explain later.

Yours,

Princess Peach

Mario remembered what Kamella had said at the last League of Investors meeting.

"We will have to compel her to sign it."

Mario was stunned. Threatening to kill someone to get Peach to make an Oath was going too far and he wouldn't have it. He had to warn the Princess before she made any reckless decisions. Putting the note in his pocket, he took off running for the Mushroom Castle. By the time he could see the castle the sun had gone down. Even worse, he felt like someone was watching him.

When Mario finally reached the front doors of the castle, he knocked on them loudly. He knew most of the servants would already be in their bedrooms but there had to be someone there who could open the massive doors. As he knocked and waited impatiently he heard a rush of wind above his head.

*BOOM!*

The ground shook and a huge cloud of blue sparks erupted over the entire Mushroom Castle.

"Oh no... Kamella," Mario thought as he stood in front of the doors. Sensing he was running out of time, he jumped up and punched the doors. They opened a few inches but not enough to get through. On his second try, Mario ran for the doors and punched the door again. This time, they opened just enough that he could squish himself between them.

"Well, this will make things a lot easier," Kamella said as she flew through the front doors and swerved her broom around to face him. She pulled a little pink letter from her robes and swished it back and forth for Mario to see. "Maybe she'll do as I ask after I destroy you."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Mario!" Peach called. Hearing his name Mario looked back at his princess and gave her his signature smile with a thumbs up.

Kamella swung her wand and screamed, "Pay attention when you're about to die, sludge-plunging lowlife!" Sparks and fire burst from her wand flying straight for Mario. He was quick enough to dodge the attacks and even reflect some of them back at her. With another wave, blue sparks two Magikoopa appeared and attacked Mario with a flurry of spells. Mario was bleeding from his cheek from a close call but he fought on without a moment's hesitation.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Then she beat you and she tricked me into thinking you died," Peach finished Mario's tale shortly before he dragged it out much longer.

Mario had begun reenacting the whole fight scene with sound effects and fighting motions. Peach usually allowed him to tell his adventure stories, but Peach had too many questions that she wanted to ask. It also bothered her when Pauline seemed to be far too fascinated by Mario's story.

"He is really hot when he talks so passionately…" Pauline thought to herself, biting her lip a little.

"Kamella stabbed you and you started bleeding a lot. Do you remember that? How did you survive? I even checked your pulse, but you didn't have one," Peach asked curiously.

"Oh! I was worried about the blood on Mario too! When I found him, he had a pulse but his clothes were soaked in blood. The more I looked over Mario I realized he had no wounds at all. The blood wasn't his. I might even go so far as to say that the blood was fake," Pauline answered.

"And his memory was completely gone when you found him?" Peach asked thoughtfully.

"Yes. Mario remembered nothing at all from his past," Pauline answered confidently.

"So Kamella cast a spell on Mario to make him forget everything and tricked me into thinking he was dead," Peach muttered. "Blue sparks over the castle? That must be the answer as to why no one knew about Mario being gone. It definitely sounds like a sleeping spell. But that still doesn't explain why I was the only one that thought you were dead. Toadsworth was there when I found you... Kamella probably wiped his memory as soon as she realized he was there. I wonder if he remembers anything at all..."

"Toadsworth…" Mario grumbled as he scratched his head. "I vaguely remember the name but I don't remember who that is."

"He is my personal assistant. He is an elderly Toad who worries about everything and has a brown dotted mushroom cap," Peach explained.

"Hmm…," Mario hummed as he tried to remember. He shook his head in frustration.

"Mario, it's okay. You will remember soon. It just takes time," Pauline said trying to soothe him by rubbing his back.

Only then did it dawn on Peach. Pauline was being far too kind to Mario just because he had saved her a few times. There was always some other kind of interest. "Pauline, did Kamella ever try to recruit you?" Peach asked. Pauline's body noticeably tensed.

"No. And even if she had I wouldn't have ever teamed up with her after seeing the state she left Mario in," Pauline stated with disgust, then she met Peach's eyes. "Wait… do you think I am working for Kamella?"

"Kamella took Mario's memory so he wouldn't be in her way. She needed him to stay that way until she got what she wanted. She had to know that he would get his memories back at some point, so leaving him with someone he trusts would make sense," Peach explained calmly.

Pauline glared at Peach but said nothing. She knew Peach had a good point, but Mario would have none of it.

"Don't say that about Pauline," Mario frowned as he got up from his chair. "She saved my life and has been at my side night and day working to help me recover my memories. Even if I had lived after being dumped in the middle of nowhere, I don't think I would have ever remembered nearly as much as I have without her."

Peach was surprised by Mario's reaction. It wasn't every day that he took someone else's words personally. Words always rolled off of him, but apparently Pauline was different. To make things even more clear, Pauline blushed furiously when he defended her.

"I guess he remembered everything but me while he was gone," Peach thought sadly. Her heart sunk and multiple feelings began to wrestle in her chest. To think that she had dreamt of Mario and thought about him all those weeks he had been gone. Now, she not only found him alive but also living with another woman that he had told her he wasn't romantically interested in.

"Alright, Mario..." Peach said, trying to sooth the upset plumber. "Pauline, I am sorry for insinuating that you were cooperating with Kamella. However, you can't blame me for being suspicious. Truth has been alluding me for weeks at every turn and I can't be too cautious anymore," Peach apologized sincerely and Pauline nodded with understanding. Mario sat back down, content with Peach's apology.

"But that also brings me to wonder why you didn't let me know you were alive. Why the secrecy?" Peach asked.

Both Mario and Pauline became nervously silent, meeting each other's eyes briefly. Peach's heart sunk when she saw Pauline begin to fiddle anxiously with a ring on her left hand. Peach couldn't believe she hadn't put it together sooner.

"Peach, I don't know how to tell you this. I know we were kind of a couple before I disappeared… To be honest, I liked you, but I always felt like something wasn't clicking between us. When I lost everything and spent a lot of time with Pauline I found what had been missing and I… kind of…"

"You got married," Peach answered quietly.

"What?! No! I mean… Not yet, but… we are engaged," Mario said, cringing as he waited for the Princess to burst into flames of anger again. Pauline took his hand and cringed with him. Both of them had their eyes to the floor, not daring to look at Peach who sat in silence for a moment.

"Congratulations," Peach said, smiling a little at them. Both of their heads snapped up in surprise. "I mean it. Honestly, I wish I could have been there but I guess that couldn't be helped. Wow! What a shock!" she continued, smiling wider at them. Pauline broke into a smile but Mario looked skeptical.

"Mario, I am serious. I am happy for you! We never had much more going for us other than you saving my kingdom and me being the damsel-in-distress. Please don't feel bad or think that this changes our friendship. We will always be Peach and Mario, but I haven't seen you this happy for a long time and I know Pauline is the cause of that," Peach said with genuine earnestness.

Mario finally smiled back at her and nodded as he looked at Pauline with a twinkle in his eyes. He squeezed her hand. With a huge grin, Pauline got up from the couch and faced Peach.

"I know it may be a little late for this now, but I think it is time to go to bed. Peach, feel free to sleep in as much as you want. I will be sure to make extra food for when you wake up," Pauline said. Peach thanked her and yawned as she looked at the clock. It was 5 a.m.