A/N: This one's a bit special since it's the first chapter not from Bowser's POV. And yes, I know it's extremely short (sorry about that), but I really just needed this little scene to advance the story. Chapter lengths go back to normal after this.

Daisy remained rigidly silent for most of the walk back. She didn't want to talk to the guards escorting them, and she certainly didn't want to talk to Mario, who kept throwing nervous, guilty glances in her direction.

She was disappointed in him, but she didn't hate him. She knew he really did care about Luigi – he might have done a terrible job at showing it, and yes, he'd made some bad decisions, but he did care. The look on his face was enough evidence of that. That didn't stop her from being disappointed in him, though.

She was also worried about Luigi, but she was confident that he'd be OK until she could rescue him. He was much tougher than most people believed and he'd survived his imprisonment so far. He just needed to hang on a little bit longer.

Ten koopatrols and three Hammer Bros surrounded them, obviously intent on following them until they were far enough from Bowser's lands that they wouldn't simply turn around and run back. When they reached the border of the Mushroom Kingdom and the gleaming white stones of Peach's castle became visible between the hills on the horizon, the escort finally left, waving and murmuring words of farewell as they started back up the road to Bowser's castle.

Daisy rolled her eyes and waved sarcastically back at them. 'Nice guys,' she muttered. Mario looked up at her in surprise. It was the first thing she had said since they'd gotten out.

'What's going to happen now?' he asked warily.

Daisy sobered, letting her expression shift into a frown. She turned towards him and seized his shoulders in a biting grip, wanting him to know that she was being completely serious.

'I'll tell you what's going to happen now,' she said quietly. 'We're going back to Peach's place, and as soon as we get there, I'm going to start making plans to rescue Luigi. And I will do it.'

He nodded, looking like this didn't surprise him.

'And,' she added, 'I might need your help.'

'My... help?'

'Yeah. I mean, I don't exactly fancy my chances at sneaking into Bowser's castle dungeon on my own. I might need some backup, and well, you're about the only person I can ask.' She curled her lip back in a sneer. 'Even if I don't exactly trust you to do it, either. Why didn't you go in there to rescue him after you found out he was still alive?'

Mario's gaze dropped to the ground.

'You don't even know?' Sighing, Daisy let go of his shoulders. It was time to cut him some slack. 'Well, I think I know. You wanted to rescue him – but Peach was having a really rough time, dealing with Bowser's demands for her kingdom and the grief of maybe losing me, and you didn't want to leave her to rescue Luigi. Am I close?'

His eyes shot up and he gazed at her with his mouth slightly open. That was all the confirmation she needed.

'Yeah, I thought so. Listen... you haven't completely ruined things with Luigi. If you see him again and explain everything, I think he might understand.' She wasn't entirely sure of this, but she knew that, if nothing else, Luigi was a compassionate person who had way too much capacity to forgive. 'You were forced to make a choice between staying with Peach – who needed you for emotional support – or risking your life saving him. That can't have been an easy decision.'

'...No,' said Mario in a low voice. 'I wanted to save him, but...'

'And you still have a chance to. When we get back, I'm going to start figuring out a way to rescue him. I'm going to get him back, no matter how hurt I get in the process – even if it kills me.' She gave him a fierce look, seeing it returned by wide blue eyes that were so weary and so much like his brother's. 'You on board?'

He nodded, quick and sharp.

'Then that's settled.'