Thursday morning found Mario stiff and tired. He stretched and groaned as he sat on the hall floor, leaning against the wall, then got to his feet slowly and knocked on the Princess's door. "Peach?"
There was a rustling of blankets inside, and the Princess came to the door and opened it. "Good morning, Mario," she greeted him pleasantly, looking bright and fresh although still dressed in her pink nightgown.
Luigi came into the hall, just as tired and stiff as Mario from staying up all night on watch. "Anything get past you?" he asked with a yawn.
"Nope. How about you?"
"Not a thing." Luigi stuck his head into the Princess's room. "You guys see anything last night?" he asked the guards.
"No," answered Bill from his place beside the bed. "We rotated in three-hour shifts, four of us awake at a time, and no one reported anything. And she's obviously safe," he finished as he gestured at the Princess standing in the doorway.
"What's all this about?" asked Peach, apparently puzzled.
Mario was taken aback. "Don't you remember? We set up this guard system around you and your rooms so the Shadow King couldn't kidnap you like he did Daisy and Éclair. Remember what Marlon said?"
Peach slowly nodded her head, although she looked as if she had no idea what Mario was talking about. "You look tired, Mario."
"I am," he yawned. "I stayed up all night guarding this door of yours to make sure it wouldn't run away!" He laughed at his own joke. "Give me about a three-hour nap and I'll be ready to leave."
"Leave? Where are we going?"
Mario shook his head. "Are you sure you're OK?" He put his hand on her forehead. She brushed it away, protesting.
"Really, I'm fine, Mario. Where are we going?"
"You and I are going to pay Yoshi a visit today. Remember?"
"Oh, yes. Toadsworth didn't remind me last night, and neither did Rachel, and it completely skipped my mind. Sorry." Peach blushed. "Go ahead and rest, Mario; I'll have the carriage ready when you are." She waved as Mario and Luigi went off to their guest room.
"Something's not right," Mario said slowly when they were out of earshot. "I can't put my finger on it, though."
"Since when does Peach wake up with what seems like amnesia all of a sudden?" Luigi put in. "It's like her memory's been partially or completely erased."
"Maybe the nervous strain she's had lately got to her, and she really did forget some things." Mario adjusted his cap. "But I still get the feeling that something really did happen in Peach's room last night."
Peach walked back into her room, which the guards had left by then, and closed the door so she could change clothes. She slipped out of her nightgown and put on her usual pink dress, of which she had several dozen. After putting her blue-jewel earrings in and placing the crown of the Mushroom Kingdom on her blonde head, she stopped in front of the full-length mirror beside the door for a moment. Reaching up, she pressed a tiny hidden button on the gem on her dress. A voice came into the room.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Shhh," Peach whispered. "The plan is a success, Lord Bowser."
"Those dumb plumbers suspect anything?"
"I don't think so."
"Good. Keep me posted." There was a click as the connection was broken. Peach pushed the button again, turning the mini-radio off, and stepped out of her room.