A/N: Well, here I am with a brand new chappie! Yay!

Disclaimer: Don't own any of the Nintendo characters.

Chapter 4

The next morning, as soon as the sun had just begun to peek over the horizon, shedding a dim glow of dawn's sunlight across the dew covered fields, Peach was skillfully sneaking her way out of the castle. She would have left later in the day, except for the fact that she didn't want to be seen. Because of this, daybreak, in which no one was around, was the most appropriate time. A chilly morning breeze blew in her direction, forcing her to hug her thin jacket even tighter around her body.

After she had crept off the castle grounds, her trip became almost effortless. The silent, desolate streets promised to keep her little secret so no one would ever know. It may have been true that the empty streets and lack of noise seemed unnatural and even a bit unnerving, but Peach smiled in spite of this, knowing that no one was aware that she had even left the castle. As far as they knew, she was sound asleep in the comfort of her fluffy bed, snugly wrapped in the soft covers.

A few more minutes and she finally reached the stone steps leading up to the Dojo. It was a small, wooden building that housed mats, punching bags, and any other materials used to develop fighting skills. The Master of the Dojo, an elderly mushroom that was much more adept then he let on, worked with his apprentices Chan, a buzzy beetle, and Lee, a duplighost, to teach citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom a wide variety of martial art techniques.

She creaked open the large wooden doors, revealing a dark and solemn room. She wanted to take a few more steps inside, but her fear that the door would suddenly shut behind her and imprison her inside the wooden Dojo compelled her to keep at least one foot out in daylight. A shiver ran down her spine, signifying that her instincts wanted her to leave, when out of the shadows stepped a small figure.

The figure happened to be none other than the Master of the Dojo, a white-bearded elderly mushroom dressed in a scarlet robe. Before taking notice of the girl standing before him, he pulled on a long rope, which slowly opened the drapes and instantly illuminated the entire room.

The rest of the Dojo was very simple. A couple of worn punching bags hung from the ceiling and foam mats were strewn in random corners. The place seemed old and musty but at the same time rustic with a classic touch. The place was becoming worn out from the training of a countless number of fighters. Thinking of everyone that had started from humble beginnings to transforming into superstar martial artists was so intriguing that a sensation of pure excitement arose in Peach's chest and she could hardly contain herself.

The Master finally became aware of Peach's presence, but was a bit shocked. He had never expected to see anyone like her in his Dojo.

"Princess Toadstool!" He gasped, bowing at once to show his respect. Chan and Lee were practicing in the corner, and were quick to notice the Master's actions, mimicking his bow.

"Hello, sensei," Peach replied in the sweetest tone she could muster without giving away her anticipation.

The Master returned to his standing position. "And what brings you to our Dojo on this fine morning?"

"Well, I was hoping that you could do me a favor."

The Master smiled. It was a kind, sincere smile that only further raised Peach's spirits.

"What did you have in mind? It would be a great honor to serve you in any way possible."

Peach was about to burst, but remembered to keep her composure. "It's about the Smash Brothers tournament. I wanted to enter, but I don't have much experience. I was wondering if-"

"Princess." The Master interrupted with such a smooth transition that Peach didn't even realize she had been in the middle of her sentence. "I cannot."

Peach was overwhelmed with surprise, but managed to stay calm. "Beg pardon?"

"I cannot. The Mario brothers informed me of your situation. I gave them my word that I would not permit you to fight, assuming that you sought guidance. I am truly sorry."

A dark shadow of disappointment covered her face and she was unable to speak. She could only nod mechanically and take a few steps toward the door.

So they were able to figure out what I was planning, Peach thought. I guess they know me a little too well.

Peach gave a small curtsy before departing from the Dojo with the most somber expression she had worn all day.

"Well," she said quietly to the deserted town as she walked back to the castle, "I suppose I'll just have to go out of my way to achieve my goal." A small smile played its way back upon her lips. "And do something Mario and Luigi would never suspect. The Dojo doesn't have to be my only option."

And with a tiny giggle, she kept silent the rest of the way home, her crafty scheme playing continuously in her mind, where only she, and not the Mario brothers, had access to it.

A few short hours later, Peach had done the finishing touches and strapped the pink satin pillow to the driver's seat of the royal carriage. She was unaccustomed to doing such a task as to drive her own carriage, but she was intent on making her departure as secretive as possible. Telling even one mushroom would instantly set of a chain of unwanted events, resulting in the Mario brothers discovering her intentions. Therefore, the foreign job she was about to undertake had to be done entirely by herself.

Climbing carefully into the carriage, taking certain precautions so as not to damage her dress in any way, Peach sat and took the ropes in her hand that were ultimately the only object capable of making her fancy wooden box on wheels mobile. She slowly twisted the leather in her hands, realizing she was at a loss as to what her next action would be.

"Oh, what do I do next?" she asked herself as if another part of her had the answer she was looking for. "I've been in this carriage a million times before. Why can't I remember what I have to do?"

She was eager to take off, and her inability to remember what she must do next was making her quite irritable. If she didn't figure it out soon, her means of a secret escape were slim to none. She would promptly be put under constant surveillance until her dream would be crushed like so many previous others had been throughout her life.

A sudden rush of impatience flowed through her veins and she slapped the rope down with all the strength she could force out of it. The surprised horse bucked it's hooves high into the air, its silky white mane flowing majestically on the gentle breath of the wind and Peach let out a short squeal of alarm. But there was no time to react, for as the horse's hooves touched back upon the ground, it bounded forward and raced off the castle grounds with Peach clinging tightly to the reins.

After a few minutes of bolting across the lush countryside of the Mushroom Kingdom, the horse finally slowed to a reasonable pace that Peach was more than relieved to experience again. Now that the excitement had died down, she looked at her surroundings to create a bird's eye map in her mind of where she was and where she needed to go. A few more seconds, and she redirected the path of the horse slowly and cautiously, not wanting to spend the rest of her trip dashing uncontrollably into every direction except the one she needed to travel on.

The trip would be long, for her destination was far away. The sun had not been prominent in the sky for very long yet, and it would surely be approaching dusk when she arrived in the town she had set her sights on. The journey would no doubt be arduous as well. In the carriage she had put only a few meager possessions and some food for when she became hungry. She would be crossing terrain of all different varieties and in a multitude of conditions that she may not be quite ready for. But she was not in the least bit worried. Her determination would push her to the best of her ability, where nothing was truly impossible if she tried hard enough.

As the tiring day was nearing it's end and the sun was sinking slowly amidst the panoply of colors beneath the horizon, Peach was finally coming upon her destination. She almost missed the town, for it was surrounded by a mountain, and dusk had already spread it's darkening cloak over the world, preparing it for the serene nights in which everyone was drifting through the realms of subconscious slumber. It had also been a good couple of years since Peach had set foot on these grounds, and unfortunately, her memories of her previous journey here had become a bit fuzzy. But there was no mistaking the bright blue door with the homely wooden sign hanging loosely over it, now practically unreadable from never being replaced.

With a quick smile, Peach climbed out of the carriage and opened the door, leading the horse steadily with its reins. A slight look around the entrance way, now lit with torches because no natural light could penetrate these walls, and she pushed open the second door. The smile spread further across her face as she gazed upon the sleeping town.

"Ah, Monstro Town," Peach sighed quietly, "I never thought I'd see you again."

Every footstep she took deeper and deeper into the almost forgotten town brought with it a massive amount of faded memories. They flooded into Peach's mind as quickly and as smoothly as the cascading waters of a beautiful stream, and she couldn't help but smile sweetly at her wonderful sudden reminiscence.

"Well, Snowflake, I guess we'll have to find a place to sleep for the night," Peach said softly as she gently stroked the horse's mane. She slowly observed her surroundings, and her gaze instantly fell upon one particular door.

"Come on, Snowflake," Peach cooed soothingly as she led the horse to the intended door, "I think I know a place we can stay."

The door opened, just as Peach knew it would. Inside the small room, directly in the middle of it, there was a small, ragged bed. The green and white checkered quilt was faded from age and had a few noticeable holes in various places. The only other object the room contained was a small rusty lamp that creaked eerily in the night's silence as an unnoticeable wind blew it slightly back and forth. The small chamber was simply unsettling, so it was no wonder why it was always unoccupied. And to top it all off, it was haunted by three playful spirits that enjoyed conversing with the bed's occupant, but only in their dreams. None the less, Peach counted the room's vacancy as a good omen, and knew that this was the only place she could sleep because her carriage wasn't sufficient in keeping her warm on such a chilly night; unless she wanted to wake as a human popsicle. Besides, she knew from experience that the three ghosts, or the Three Musty Fears as they liked to call themselves, were plenty friendly.

"Goodnight, Snowflake," Peach breathed as she slipped under the covers and fell easily into a blissful sleep.

A/N: Alright. Explanations are here for those who may have been confused.

First off, I'm going to be referencing a lot of places and people that appeared in Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario. One of these places is the Dojo located in Toad Town. It's a little place where the people can practice martial arts…though I don't think I really had to explain that...

Secondly, Peach runs away to a place called "Monstro Town." This is a place from Super Mario RPG that is quite far away from the Mushroom Kingdom. It is a place where monsters from all over the world have come to basically live in peace. So why is Peach here? Well, you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out.

And Peach doesn't have a horse named Snowflake, I made her up. Because Peach isn't going to walk all those miles to Monstro Town. Haha

Sorry if there's still something that I didn't explain, but you can always drop a question in your review and I'll do my best to answer!