Chapter 57 The Conclusion
"The weather looks wonderful today! Toad, it's perfect!" Peach said cheerfully, looking out from her balcony. "The guests should be arriving soon, so I better start greeting them."
It was two weeks after the showdown with Forgeron, and Princess Peach decided to throw a party to celebrate the victory. Her ankle healed nicely – the recovery sped up by her powers. She was told to take it easy though.
Mario, Luigi, Mallow, and even Daisy, were able to come. Bowser ignored her request – or the mail carrier was too scared to deliver the letter – and Geno returned to Star Haven. The Mushroom Kingdom and other lands slowly learned about the heroes' deeds, and messages of 'thank you' arrived daily.
Mario… she thought. We haven't talked much since Forgeron's defeat… It wasn't right to force Mario into that conversation either… I shouldn't think about that now! I better concentrate on today.
O0o0o0o0o0o0
After Peach's speech and a long applause, she retired to her room – letting the guests enjoy themselves. She was surprised to hear a knock at her door. Was she needed for something?
She opened the door.
"Mario," she said, slightly dumbfounded. "What is it?"
"Is it ok if I speak to you?"
"Yes," Peach answered then gestured behind her. "Come in. The weather is lovely, so we can talk on the balcony."
Outside was sunny together with light breezes, and some of the guests wandered outside, chatting and enjoying the sunshine. Peach sat at the edge of the divan, Mario beside her. They did not exchange words, but enjoyed the calming peace between them.
Mario struggled to find the courage to speak to her.
"Nice party."
"Yes, it is."
"…"
"…"
No, stay focused. Mario scolded to himself. Stay on track!
"Did you help with the cooking?"
"Yes, I did."
"…"
"…"
FOCUS!
Mario exhaled loudly as he adjusted his cap. He could mentally imagine himself banging his head against a wall.
"Peach, I came to ask something," the plumber spoke. Peach glanced at him, tilting her head curiously, her large azure eyes blinking.
She's cute when she does that. Mario thought.
"What is it, Mario?"
"Well, it's about what happened two weeks ago…"
"About the conversation in Daisy's helicopter?" Peach questioned dully.
"Oh no no," Mario explained quickly. "It's actually when… Well, when Forgeron pitted me again you…"
A chill went up Peach's spine – the image of Mario beating her still haunted her dreams. She knew the real Mario would never do that, but still… Why did Mario bring that up?
"Yes?" she said, encouraging Mario to continue.
"Well…" Mario trailed off, but he forced himself to resume. "I… Did… Peach, did you say anything just before I came to my senses?"
Her face turned a bright pink, and she suddenly became interested in staring at the floor.
"I might have," she indirectly admitted. "But that was before I lost consciousness, so I'm not completely sure."
Why not just tell him? She lectured. Just tell him how you feel… But what if he doesn't have the same feelings? Oh Stars, what should I do what should I do! I… I'll say it!
"I… Mario, I – "
"I love you, too."
The Princess froze, now she was unsure if she heard right. She glanced at him anxiously, and he returned her gaze. Mario shifted closer to her on the divan, and she felt her face lean toward his. She tilted her head to the side as the distance between them diminished…
A slight rustle of leaves broke her trace and she turned around, leaving Mario with his eyes closed to wait for her. A few seconds passed, and he opened his eyes, disappointed and confused at the same time. Peach stood up, arms crossed, and faced the tree near the balcony.
"Show's over!" she announced angrily, and she heard another rustle.
"We got busted, dudes!" Toad declared, clinging to a branch, his pointer finger and thumb almost touching. "They were THIS close too!"
"Is the mushy stuff over?" the Nimbus Prince asked behind the tree, his eyes peeking through his fingers.
"Drat, and I had the camera ready," sighed Daisy, flipping the gadget in her hand. "Imagine how much gossip magazines would pay for a picture of Mario and Peach kissing!"
"Go for it, bro!" Luigi shouted.
"Oh, Mario I apologize," Peach mumbled, embarrassed. "Maybe some other time – "
Mario, standing on the divan to match her height, tapped her shoulder. She turned around as his arms pulled her close to him. He leaned in once more, and her blush deepened. Privacy or not, he was determined to express their affection with a kiss and he did not care if the whole world knew.
"Let them watch…"
Kittykatstar says: OMFGABC123BABYYOUANDME I'M DONE! YEEEESSSS! After like… 3 years I'm DONE this fan fic! Who cares if the ending was disappointing or satisfying, I'm doooone! Will I write another story? Pffft, AS IF! But thanks for all the support, encouraging, and down right complaining when I wasn't updating! There's tons of stuff that were edited out of the story, and tons of stuff that were added in the story. Some I never got to add in, like Forgeron's past, or how the Star Road got fixed exactly, or what happened to Jazel, or Smithy's connection with Forgeron, what made Mario regain consciousness, or any other 'plot holes' or questions I did not answer. And then there's just some darn plot holes I cannot answer, period. So, there's actually MORE to the story, but I just never got to add it in. Oh fun fun. Anyway, I'm sooo happy to be finished!
