(A/N: I honestly can't believe that I've taken the story to 16 chapters already! You probably can, but... okay, okay, I'll start the chapter because I can see that you want to read it now.)


The following day, when Mario and Cappy found themselves in the Luncheon Kingdom, Mario said, "Well, it may be hot here, but I happen to know what outfit I'm going to wear while we're here."

"Let me guess: is it your Chef Hat and Chef Suit?" Cappy asked as he watched Mario look over the clothes.

"Sì! But I suppose that was pretty obvious." Mario said as he pulled out his chef garb.

"Okay, I'll turn away to give you some privacy." Cappy said, turning around.

"Grazie. Thanks, buddy." said Mario as he changed into his chef outfit. When he was finished, he said, "Okay, you can look now!"

Cappy looked at him and said, "Mario, you look like you should have your own cooking show on the Food Network."

"I do?" Mario asked as he looked at his reflection.

"Yeah. You do." Cappy replied.

"Okie-dokie, but it wouldn't be very fair to Luigi, though. He's the one who seems to enjoy cooking more than I do. I can cook, but not as good as him." Mario said.

"So learn how to cook like he does, and then you'll both have the show." Cappy said.

"If I wear this outfit, maybe I will learn." Mario replied.

"And maybe now we should head out and look for my sister and your girl." Cappy suggested.

"Good idea. Let's-a go!" Mario said.

So, with Cappy taking control of Mario's Chef Hat, the pair disembarked the Odyssey and made their way out into the Luncheon Kingdom.


"At least this time you don't have to worry about some stupid rabbits stealing some Stupendous Stew for a wedding that shouldn't happen." Cappy said as they walked around.

"And I don't have to try and make the sick one get sick in the stew so Bowser will get sick if he eats it. I know Peach wouldn't touch it if that happened because she's molto intelligente, very smart." Mario said.

"She sure is." said Cappy.

"I wonder what she's up to right about now?" Mario said as he and Cappy made their way to Peronza Plaza, where the Cooking Carnival was going on.

"Oh yeah, they were getting ready for the Cooking Carnival when we came here the first time. Looks like it's still going on." Cappy said.

"I'm glad we're here in time for this." Mario smiled.

"Me too." Cappy said.


As Mario walked around, enjoying the sights and smells of the Cooking Carnival, he thought he heard a sweet voice calling out to him.

"Only one person has a voice as sweet as cake." Mario said to himself. He turned in the direction that voice came from, and sure enough, there was Peach, with Tiara next to her.

"Hey!" both girls called out to Mario and Cappy.

"We found them!" Cappy cheered.

"Let's-a head on over there and talk to them!" Mario said, sounding happy as he walked over to where Peach stood.

Cappy, meanwhile, left Mario's hat alone so he could chat with his sister.

But once Mario was close to Peach, he was really surprised with her attire. Today, Peach was wearing a pink, long-sleeved shirt, blue overalls, white gloves, pink boots, and a sunhat different from the one she wore with the blouse and skirt. She looked like a farmer today. (A/N: I call her 'Old MacPeachy', even though she's very young.)

"Mama-mia..." Mario said to himself.

"Mario, is something wrong?" Peach asked. She saw Mario move his lips, but she didn't hear him say anything.

"I'm surprised, Peach. You're wearing overalls." Mario pointed out.

"So what?" Peach asked.

"I... I thought you once told me that overalls aren't your style. You told me that after I asked you about that time you and Luigi switched places on the Koopalings to free me when they were holding me prisoner." Mario said.

"I did say that. But a while back, I did get a pair of overalls for myself." Peach began.

"You did?" Mario asked.

"Yes, should the need arise for me to wear them." Peach said.

"And this was the perfect place to do so?" Mario checked.

"It is. They are suitable for this kingdom, but in spite of that, I still don't think overalls are my style. I honestly think they look more at home on you and Luigi than they do on me." Peach said.

"Well, I think you still look bellissima in them, whether or not they're your style." Mario told her.

"You really think so?" Peach asked, her face flushed. She wasn't turning red because of the heat, but because of Mario's compliment.

"Sì." Mario replied, giving her a smile.

"Aww, you're such a sweet man, Mario. You always know how to flatter me." Peach said, kneeling down to Mario's level and giving him a big hug, which he eagerly returned.


"So, Tiara, how are you and Peach enjoying the Luncheon Kingdom so far?" Cappy asked his sister while Mario and Peach talked.

"It's amazing! I've never seen so much food, especially giant-sized versions of veggies." said Tiara.

"Yeah, that detail had both me and Mario surprised when we first came here." said Cappy.

"Peach was surprised by everything, too. Mario was right about this being the perfect place to get a nice meal!" Tiara said.

"He would know. Peach might have been through here when the Broodals stole some Stupendous Stew for that sham wedding of his, but she probably wasn't here for long." Cappy said.

"You're right, Cappy. We didn't really see much of this place." Tiara said.


"I remember that when Cappy and I got here, it did not please us to see that the Broodals were already here." Mario told Peach then.

"Yeah, they came through here. And do you know what they were doing?" Peach asked.

"Sì. They were stealing some Stupendous Stew for the wedding feast." Mario replied.

"Yes, they were. And when Bowser brought it aboard, I hate to tell you this, but that stuff was making my stomach growl. I didn't know when I last had anything to eat, but then I had a scary realization." Peach said.

"Qual è stata la tua realizzazione? What was your realization, Peach?" Mario asked.

"I think Bowser's intention was to starve me if I refused to marry him, and the only way I'd get a bite to eat is if I agreed to marry him with no fuss. Because, let's face it, he got Sparkle Water, Stupendous Stew, and the Frost-Frosted Cake for the wedding feast, and he wouldn't let anyone, not even the Broodals, sample any of it until he and I had tied the knot." Peach said.

"That son of a... Peach, sometime, we've got to lock him up in your castle's dungeon and let him go without food until he promises to leave you alone for the rest of his life! Let him see what it's-a like when the shoe is on the other foot!" Mario said.

"You know, that actually doesn't sound like a bad idea, Mario, considering what he did to me. But it's going to take a lot more than starving him to make him suffer as bad as I did." Peach replied.

"Hai ragione. You're right, because he did a lot more than just try to starve you. We still need to figure out some things that will upset him like he did you, but we'll worry about that some other time. Right now, I want to concentrate on how to make you happy." Mario told her.

"If you're curious, I am happy now, because I'm here at the Cooking Carnival in the Luncheon Kingdom with you, Cappy, and Tiara, and we're all having fun together." Peach said.

"As long as you're happy, then I'm happy." Mario smiled.

"Great. Now maybe you can tell me what this place was like when you got here?" Peach asked.


"Well, some of the Volbonans were very upset, and it wasn't because of the Broodals stealing their food. You see, this giant bird known as the Cookatiel had shown up and they knew for a fact that it had an eye on the meat for their Stupendous Stew." Mario explained.

"It did?" Peach asked.

"Oh yeah. But at that moment, the meat was covered with salt, for that's how they treat the stuff before dropping it in the stew. That makes it extra tasty." Mario said, and the thought made him hungry, as he licked his chops.

"So you did something about it, didn't you?" Peach asked, giggling as she noticed that Mario was getting hungry.

"Yes, Peach, I did." Mario replied.

"What did you do?" Peach asked.

"I went over to that huge slab of meat, and... okay, this part is going to make you laugh... I threw Cappy at the meat and captured it." Mario said.

"You... captured the meat?" Peach asked, an amused smile on her face.

"Oh yeah. After shaking the salt off of it, I had the slab of meat jumping up and down, getting the attention of the Cookatiel. I can't believe I had to be a piece of meat in order to help the Volbonans." Mario explained.

"Oh my..." Peach said, trying hard not to laugh at the thought of Mario being a literal piece of meat. She was able to hold back from laughing when a sudden thought of Bowser hearing about it popped into her head. He said, "So, Mario was a piece of meat, huh? You know, Peach, if that's what he is, then I know you can do so much better. I'm better than him!"

Peach snapped to attention and continued to listen to Mario's tale of stupendous woe.

"However, the bird did not make off with the meat like the Volbonans feared." Mario told her.

"He didn't?" Peach asked.

"No." Mario replied.

"What did he do?" Peach asked.

"He did something they probably hadn't expected him to do with the meat. He dropped me into the stew, and then I ended the capture because, believe it or not, I saw a Multi Moon in the stew." Mario said.

"Well, that was good." Peach said.

"It would've been better if the volcano hadn't erupted after I grabbed the Multi Moon. The eruption blasted me and Cappy back to where the Odyssey was parked." Mario told her.

"Oh my goodness! What did you do when that happened?" Peach asked.

"I had to find another way to get to the Stupendous Stew, and I did. Then, with Cappy's help, I engaged the Cookatiel in pitched combat." Mario said.

"And you won?" Peach asked.

"Ho vinto! I won!" Mario cheered.

"Good job, Mario." Peach said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"But even after defeating the Cookatiel, sampling some of the food here, and getting plenty of Power Moons to power up the Odyssey, I still didn't get to try any of the Stupendous Stew before I left." Mario said.

"You didn't?" Peach asked, looking sad for him.

"No. And I really wanted to. Its name made it sound like it has to be good." Mario sighed.

Peach felt bad. She decided to do something about that.

"Wait here, Mario. I'll be right back." Peach said, and she began walking away.

"Where's Peach going?" Tiara asked, seeing her friend walk off.

"I don't know. She just told me to wait here, and that she'll be right back. I just hope she was right." Mario said as he watched Peach.


A minute or so later, Peach returned to Mario with a bowl in her hands.

Sure enough, the bowl contained a good amount of the Stupendous Stew!

"Per me?! For me?!" Mario asked in surprise as he took the bowl into his hands.

"Yes. I tried some before you got here, and the name is fitting. Not only does it smell good, it tastes good, too." Peach replied.

"Well, I can believe you about the smell. It too made my stomach growl when I came here. Now let's see how it tastes..." Mario said as he set the bowl on a nearby table. He took up the spoon that was in the bowl, and he was able to taste the hot Stupendous Stew for the first time.

The look on his face was similar to the one he wore when he tried one of Peach's cakes for the first time. It was delicious!

Peach read the look on his face and smiled. She'd seen that look before.

"Is he enjoying it?" Cappy asked.

"He is. I've seen that look on his face before." Peach told him.

"Are you sure that face he's making means he likes it?" Tiara asked.

"Wait for it." Peach replied.

"Mama-mia! This stuff is amazing!" Mario said when he managed to find his voice.

"I told you it was." Peach smiled.

"Grazie, principessa. Thank you, Princess." Mario said as he went back to eating the Stupendous Stew. If he wasn't with Peach, he would've been eating it as though he hadn't eaten in days. But for Peach, he used good manners and ate slowly, like she usually did, no matter how ravenous she felt.

"You weren't kidding, Peach. He really does like it." said Tiara.

"See?" Peach smiled.

"Yeah. It must be better than he thought it was." said Cappy.

Several minutes later, Mario finished his bowl of Stupendous Stew, and then he let out a loud belch. Cappy and Tiara thought that was funny, and they burst out laughing. Mario probably would've joined them, but he remembered that he was with Peach, and he said, "Mi scusi. Excuse me."

"Thank you, Mario." Peach said, glad that Mario remembered to use good table manners in front of her. He was being a real gentleman, and that's what she wanted.


"So, what you do you think of the Luncheon Kingdom, Peach? Do you like it? Hate it? Or are you neutral about it?" Mario asked.

"Between the bright colors and the delicious smells, this place is a delight!" said Peach.

"Everything here is as delicious as delicious can be!" said Tiara when she and Cappy managed to stop laughing.

"After trying the Stupendous Stew, I have to agree with you, Tiara." Mario said, which made Tiara look happier.

"But I accidentally bit into this Power Moon. It was hiding in a bowl of stew! You can take it." Peach said, and she gave Mario the Power Moon she spoke of.

"Grazie, Peach." Mario said, before realizing what she had said. His voice got concerned as he asked, "Are you okay? The Power Moon didn't hurt your teeth when you bit into it, did it?"

"I'm fine, Mario. And so is the Power Moon. No harm done." Peach said.

"That's good, Peach. If you're okay, then I'm okay, too." Mario smiled as he gave the Power Moon to Cappy.

"I don't know which dish to sample next!" said Peach.

"Neither do I. Maybe we can think it over while enjoying another bowl of Stupendous Stew?" Mario suggested.

"I think you enjoyed it more than I thought." Peach smiled.

"I did. And maybe it was so good because you brought me a bowl of it." Mario grinned.

"Aww..." Peach said as she gave Mario a hug, which Mario happily returned. Being in Peach's arms made Mario feel good.


So Mario and Peach spent the entire day at the Cooking Carnival with Cappy and Tiara, discussing the way things had gone so far on the trip.

"I'm making a lot of good memories now, Mario, and most of them are courtesy of you." Peach told him.

"Me?" Mario asked, pointing to himself.

"Yes, you. I know that if you're with me, I'll be making memories that I know I'll never forget." Peach said.

"You... you really feel that way?" Mario asked, stunned at this bit of information.

"Of course. Most of my best memories are of you." Peach smiled.

"I'm having good memories of these places, too, and I know it's because I'm revisiting them with you, principessa." Mario told her.

"Mario, you're so sweet. I couldn't ask for a better person to see during my travels." Peach said.

"I don't know, Peach. If anyone's sweet, it's-a you. You are una dolce principessa, a sweet princess." Mario told her.

"You really think that?" Peach asked.

"I always have." Mario smiled.

"Well, now that we've finished our second helping of Stupendous Stew, how about we try some of the desserts over there and see how sweet they are?" Peach asked, her gaze on a table that was loaded with desserts.

"You know what? That sounds like a plan." Mario said.

So they got up and had some desserts.


That evening, with their tummies nice and full, Mario asked Peach, "So, where are you off to next, Peach?"

"I heard there's a kingdom that's caught in a constant storm! I'd like to see that." Peach replied.

Mario and Cappy exchanged a look. That place sounded awfully familiar, like an awful place they had been to before.

"You're going there next?" Mario asked.

"Yes." Peach replied.

Mario looked nervous. The place she had referred to was none other than the Ruined Kingdom. That was where the Odyssey was shot down a second time, by a dragon Bowser was using. Did Peach know about that time? Mario hadn't seen her with him when it happened, so he didn't really know...

"That's where we fought the..." Cappy began in a whisper.

"I know. But if Peach wants to go there, I'm not going to be the one to discourage her. I can't do that, Cappy." Mario whispered.

"Is something wrong, boys?" Peach asked, noticing that they didn't seem too happy about something. She hoped it didn't have to do with the kingdom she wanted to visit.

"No, no. Everything's fine. We were just planning the route to get there, Peach." Mario lied. He couldn't bring himself to tell her about the dragon if she didn't know about it. He couldn't discourage her from doing what she wanted to do.

"Okay. So, I'll see you there tomorrow?" Peach asked.

"We'll be there, principessa. Buona notte. Good night." Mario said, giving Peach a kiss on the cheek.

"Good night, Mario. Sweet dreams." Peach said, giving Mario a kiss on the nose.

"Mama-mia! She still loves me." Mario thought in surprise as he watched Peach make her way back to her transport ship with Tiara by her side.

"Come on, Mario. Let's get going!" Cappy said.

"Oh, right. Sorry, Cappy." Mario apologized as he and Cappy made their way to the Odyssey.


"So, the Ruined Kingdom is our next destination, right?" Cappy asked once they were inside their airship.

"Yes, Cappy. That... is correct." Mario said as he took a deep breath and set a course for the Ruined Kingdom. With that done, he took off his shoes, laid down on the bed, and wondered if he'd be able to sleep. Going to the Ruined Kingdom reminded him of how they got there the first time, and it wasn't fun at all.

"But I stopped the dragon, and he said he was so...tired... when he was defeated. And Bowser hasn't shown up since Peach and I left the Moon Kingdom." Mario thought.

"Mario, if you want, we can take turns staying awake and watching for trouble. I can take the first shift, and you can take the next." Cappy suggested.

"No, I'll watch for now. You can take the next shift." Mario said as he got up and moved to the chair he always sat in.

"Are you sure you want to go first?" Cappy asked.

"Sì." Mario replied.

"Okay. Wake me when you're ready to change shifts." Cappy said, and he laid down in the other chair and went to sleep.


Oh boy, I don't think tomorrow is going to be any fun for Mario and Peach! You wanna know why? Well, you'll have to stay tuned to get your answer!