A/N: Heh…heh…I know that's it's been horribly long since my last update, but it's finally here! Not that there's really a ton of people reading this fic anyway, but whatever. So here it is, hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter 6

Peach abruptly woke with a start to an awful noise that she perceived to be the sinister screech of a magikoopa in agonizing pain. When she had a few seconds to allow herself to adjust to her surroundings and for her mind to register where exactly she was, she realized the noise had been nothing more than an irritated neighing from her horse. It had been cooped up in the small room the entire night alongside Peach, and for the past few hours, it had been impatiently pawing its polished foot against the wooden door.

Peach yawned and pushed away a few tangled wisps of hair from in front of her face. She then focused her attention on Snowflake, who continued to whinny its high-pitched neigh over and over.

"What's the matter Snowie?" Peach cooed with the foolish smile she always wore when she was only half-awake. Snowflake paid no attention to her attempted sympathy and pawed restlessly at the door. She may have only been a horse, but even Snowflake knew that Peach was perfectly aware of the matter at hand.

"Alright, Snowflake," Peach said sleepily, the goofy grin still plastered on her face as she pulled the quilt off her body and began to sluggishly slide herself off the bed, "I'm coming."

She slowly inched her way towards the door, allowing her senses to gradually awaken to the new day. Snowflake's, however, had been awakened for quite some time now, and she let out an agitated breigh at Peach, indicating that precious time was being wasted and the cool fresh air of the outside world was awaiting their entrance.

As Peach creaked open the door, a short blast of the outside air flew into her face and she was instantly fully conscious. Snowflake quickly took off into the grassy clearing while Peach stood in the doorway, inhaling the refreshing scent of daybreak as a gentle breeze caressed her skin.

Peach looked around, admiring the picturesque scenery spread about her. The sun shined it's rays upon everything in reach, drenching the town in it's warm healthy glow. Tiny beads of dew lingered on the blades of luscious grass and lovely flowers. They glinted so stunningly in the sun's radiance that they resembled tiny fragments of exquisite crystal. The town appeared to still be asleep, for there was no one outside yet. The only sounds besides Snowflake's content neighing were the calming melodies of unseen birds as they sung their praises to welcome the new day. Peach was completely absorbed in the breathtaking scene when something brushed against her leg.

Startled, Peach let out a short yelp and looked down to see that it had been her nightgown. The breeze had blown the fabric against her shin so discreetly, she had perceived it to have been some sort of animal. And now that she was snapped out of her hypnotic trance from staring at the town, she realized that she was wearing nothing but her nightgown.

Peach let out a short gasp of surprise as her cheeks flushed and became rosy with embarrassment. She quickly looked around to make certain no one was in sight, and she dashed back into the security of the room. She would have been mortified if someone had caught a glimpse of her in such an outfit. A princess was not meant to be seen publicly in this kind of garb.

When she emerged, she was properly dressed in her traditional gown. Snowflake had been munching on some grass and had not noticed Peach's absence in the past few minutes. The town was still completely deserted.

A quick sigh of relief and Peach guided Snowflake to the carriage, where she would be tied until Peach returned from her errand. She would take no chance that her free-spirited horse might cause a ruckus as soon as her master was out of sight.

"Don't worry, Snow, I'll be right back," Peach promised. She gave Snowflake a quick kiss on the nose before departing to make the climb up the large stone steps in the middle of town.

The wooden door of the Monstro Town dojo loomed in front of her, calling to be opened. All she needed to do was step inside and the fate of her role in the Smash Brothers Melee tournament would be decided in a matter of minutes.

"It's now or never," she breathed nervously and brought her hand to the small bronze doorknob.

She stepped inside and faced the beautifully organized dojo that seemed so much less ancient than the one of the Mushroom Kingdom. The tiles on the floors were neatly polished and when Peach briefly glanced down, she saw her reflection staring back at her. There was not much equipment, but whatever was there looked completely new. There were also some bonsai trees in each corner of the room, making the atmosphere of the dojo all the more comforting. The only individual inside of the dojo that Peach was aware of was a koopa.

"Hello," Peach said cheerfully.

The koopa's eyes widened and he quickly bowed. "Good morning, Princess Toadstool. It is an honor to be in your presence."

Peach slightly blushed. "Oh, thank you," she replied with a small giggle. But her giddy feeling quickly subsided and a serious expression was once again present on her face. "I was wondering if Master Jinx happened to be in at the moment."

"Yes. I will inform him right away of your arrival."

The koopa turned and walked to a small bonsai tree, where a tiny creature no bigger than a baby goomba was meditating. He wore a crimson robe and a shock of green hair protruded from his otherwise bald head. His eyes had been closed for his meditation process, but instantly snapped open as the koopa approached.

"Master Jinx-" the koopa started, until his words were abruptly brought to a halt with a raise from Jinx's tiny hand.

"I am well aware of the princess' presence and I will see to her at once," he replied calmly. Without any hesitation, he dismounted from the bonsai tree in a graceful flip and made his way to where Peach was standing.

"It is a pleasure to once again look upon your radiant face, Princess Toadstool." he said with a bow. Although Jinx was no more than six inches tall, his voice was clearly audible to Peach, who was towering above him by over four and a half feet.

"And it is a pleasure to once again see you, Master Jinx," Peach replied sweetly, returning Jinx's bow with a curtsy.

"What brings such a resplendent woman as yourself to our modest dojo," Jinx asked, still keeping his head in a respectful bow.

"I was wondering if you can do me a favor," Peach said. Her heart was beating so rapidly she feared it would soon leap out of her chest.

"Of course, dear princess. In what way may I be of service to you?"

"I need you to teach me how to fight," Peach said as nervousness gripped her heart. She didn't know what she would do if she was rejected. Again.

A smile appeared on the tiny creature's face. "Princess, I do not believe you require my guidance. You appeared to be a perfectly adequate fighter when I last had the privilege to challenge you."

"Yes, but I wasn't fighting alone," Peach said, her hopes dropping farther with every passing second. Her dreams seemed less and less promising with Jinx's words and she was fearful that her rejection could be coming the next time he opened his mouth. "When I fought you, I was with my friends. You took on all of us at the same time. It was Mario who was able to beat you alone."

"My apologies, Princess. It has been so long since that time and my memory of that day has faded. May I ask you a question?"

"Yes, of course."

"What is the purpose of your desire to learn the ways of my dojo?"

"I want to compete in the Smash Brothers tournament. No one believes in me because of who I am. I'm sure you can relate to that, Master Jinx, and you are my last hope. Please help me."

Jinx raised his head and gave Peach a reassuring smile. "Yes, Princess, too few individuals are able to look past outward appearances. I appear weak, and I have proved to best even the most adept fighters. I would be honored to have you as my pupil."

Peach beamed and was about to burst with happiness. Finally, she would learn how to fight and be able to qualify for the tournament. She could barely contain her excitement.

"Thank you, Master Jinx!" she exclaimed. "I won't let you down."

"I know your spirit is quite strong," Jinx replied. "I am certain you shall become a wonderful fighter."

A/N: Well, there you have it, Peach is finally gonna be taught to fight! Hoorah!

For anyone who's never played Super Mario RPG, there's a little Dojo in Monstro Town (and if you don't know what Monstro Town is, I have some notes on it in one of the previous chapters) where a little dude named Jinx is the master. I estimate that he's about six inches to a foot tall. Anyway, Peach and Jinx both make some references to the game where Mario and whoever else is in your party face off against Jinx to try and beat him. Eventually you just face him with Mario alone and they rename the Dojo after Mario (I think that's what happens). Point is, Peach fought Jinx along with Mario, Bowser, Geno, and Mallow, but not by herself.

Any other questions? Comments? I'm really trying to manage my time, but school is pure evil and I also tutor and other things, so I don't have a ton of free time. But I promise to work as hard as I can as long as I'm still receiving reviews. So review!