So, even slower than usual. I'm moving into my new house in a little over a week so my life is a little crazy. Anyway, we've got some more character development here, some bitter sweet moments, and maybe even some plot development so I hope it will be worth the wait. I've got another chapter on deck so, hopefully, the next one will be faster but, with this house, no promises.

And just as the queen was about to be lowered into the lava for her crimes, Sir Koopalot came riding up on his magnificent white yoshi, smiting upon the right hand and on the left, felling all about him with his razor claws and fire breath, even, though he did not know it then, the two younger brothers of his close comrade, Koowain, where they stood beached and shell-less in protest at the execution.

Peach felt a thrill go through her as she snuggled more firmly down on her stomach. The sunlight made a warm pool on the bed and lacy curtains stirred faintly in the warm spring breeze. Being rescued was something Peach knew well and enjoyed more than she cared to admit so she couldn't help identifying with the Queen as she read the book she had stolen from Bowser, justified by the fact that there was nothing she could do at the moment. She would make sure to return it the next time she was kidnapped, even going so far as to keep it on her person at all times to make sure it would not be left behind in such an event. But she never dared read it except alone in her room, lest someone discover what she had done. But it was hard, so very hard. The book had captivated her and was almost impossible to put down so that she stayed up late into the night reading, sometimes becoming dangerously groggy at important functions the next day, and every worse, she would steal away during the day, like now, to sequester herself with her stolen book. So obsessed had she become that, now, she hardly ever felt ashamed.

Gathering her puffy pink pillow more tightly under her chest, she turned the page. And then Sir Koopalot freed the Queen from her chains and took her behind him on the yoshi and the wind was in her hair as they rode far away from that place. All that night they rode and, at the rising of the day, they halted on a hill with all the land spread out before them in the new light. And then they plighted their love, never to be apart again, as the air kindled into gold about them.

Peach sighed, drooping forward until her face rested on her crossed arms, something going round and round her stomach, almost as if it were full of little goldfish. The nurse clearly had been right, a kiss was exactly what she needed. Oh, but how? She knew absolutely nothing about kisses...other than the fact that she wanted one desperately badly. Rolling over onto her side, she grabbed the phone off her nightstand and hit speed dial.

"Oh my god, Peachy," Daisy squealed on the other end of the line. "It's been forever 'cause you got kidnapped. I didn't even get to see you at the bubulb festival and..."

"I know. I'm sorry," Peach cut in. Interrupting her was basically the only way to get Daisy to ever stop talking. "Look, I need to ask you...something," she finished lamely, feeling her face get hot.

"What is it, Peachy? I'm your best friend. You can always trust me. I'll never tell a soul, I swear I won't."

"I know. Thanks. It's like this...Daisy, have you ever been kissed?"

"Sure I have. All the time. Why, just last week...wait, why're you asking? You never been kissed, Peachy?"

"Of course I haven't. If I had I would have told you. But...see...I was hoping you could tell me how to do it."

"Oh, I see. Planning on doing it soon then?" Peach cringed at the shrewd guess. "Not to worry. It isn't nothing. So, get out one of your old dolls. One of the life-sized Toad baby dolls. Everybody had lots of those."

"Sure thing, Daisy," Peach mumbled, going over to open her closet door, the phone cradled against her shoulder.

"Did you have one the of the ones with the open mouth? You know, so you could bottle feed it?"

"Sure." Peach groped awkwardly among the shelves of toys, managing to knock some of them down on herself. "Oh, ouch."

"You okay there, Peachy? Good, get that one."

"I've got the doll. What do I do with it now?" Peach asked, glancing nervously back at her closet. Many of the toys were now on the floor in a jumbled mess, migrating forward into the room so the closet wouldn't even fully close. It would take hours to put them all back where they belonged.

"Okay, now you hold the doll up facing you and tilt it sideways so its' on an angle. Then you tilt your head the opposite way and lean in so your mouth fits with its."

"And?"

"That's pretty much it. I mean, when you're actually kissing you can move your mouth around with theirs but it doesn't work well with the doll because the doll doesn't move. Oh yea, I almost forgot, you can also put your tongue in their mouth and..."

"What? Why in the Underwear would I do a thing like that?" Dropping the doll in shock, Peach almost dropped the phone as well and had to scramble to get it back under control, by which point Daisy was already off on another monologue.

"...never heard you sear before. It's so naughty. Seriously though, guys dig the tongue in the mouth thing, except, well, maybe you should wait 'til he does it first so he won't think you're easy or something. Hey, can I call you back later? I've got a manicure appointment I need to head out to." After Daisy had hung up, Peach remained staring stupidly at the phone. Daisy was right, she had just said a curse word without even realizing it. Toadsworth would be so mortified. Catching sight of the doll lying next to her, she realized she was about to do something that could well scandalize him even worse. Felling like she was about to be sick, she picked up the doll and awkwardly angled it up to her face, but the lips were stiff and hard and it didn't feel good at all. She couldn't bring herself to put her tongue into the doll's mouth. Angrily, she tossed it back into the pile of toys, then flopped over onto her back and picked up her book again. But she had barely found her page before there came a knock on the door, followed by the familiar "It's a me."

"Come in, Mario," Peach called, frantically stuffing the book back into her pocket.

"Hi there Peach, you been a playing with your old toys?" he asked, glancing at the pile spreading from her closet door.

"No," Peach said, a little too quickly, refusing to look at him.

"Ah, spring a cleaning them? I remember when my a brother and me would a come to visit when were just babies. We would a play all day..." His expression spread into a happy, nostalgic smile.

"That was a long time ago," said Peach. It seemed like everyone just saw her as a child. So unfair and, apparently, so impossible to change.

"So it a was," Mario agreed, looking almost crestfallen. "You're always so a busy now. It almost seems a nice when you get kidnapped so we can have some down time. I'm so a sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't a mean to make light of it."

"No, it's okay," said Peach gently. "I know what you mean. I am free today though." She smiled as encouragingly as she could.

"I came to see if you were a all right. I heard you had a been to the doctor."

"Yes and he said I was fine so please don't worry."

"But I do a worry. The doctor may say you're fine but I can tell. Princess Peach, you aren't a happy. Is there anything I can do to a cheer you up?"

"Let's go for a yoshi ride," she blurted, thinking about the scene in the story that had made her feel so nice. It wasn't a white yoshi they rode on, those being incredibly rare, but one of a dark purple-blue color, but that really wasn't so important. Peach still felt nervous eagerness as she took her seat sideways, wrapping her arms around Mario's waist. The yoshi started off at a brisk trot and Peach delighted in the feel of the wind in her hair.

"Where do you a want to go?" asked Mario as they made their way around to the private entrance in the castle wall so they could slip out without alerting the guards or going through Toad Town.

"How about Shooting Star summit?" In addition to being a beautiful place, it was one location that almost insured privacy. No one ever went there except the elusive, slightly creepy mystics who lived in the house on the far side. But they almost never went outside, so she and Mario would be alone...alone like Sir Koopalot and the Queen in the story. Even when the sun was bright overhead, Shooting Star Summit seemed always to be in twilight, wrapped close in the soothing gray and purple clouds that gathered above it and Peach breathed deeply as they came under the shadow, feeling peace envelope her. The ground was covered in a carpet of lush moss and small shrubs in deep purple and pale blue so thick the yoshi's feet made no noise on it and, here and there, little pink flowers grew up on their curving stalks, brushing softly against her feet as they rode by. As the path wound back and forth up the hill, the yoshi flutter jumping easily from one ledge to the next, shooting stars came falling gently down. Shining, pearly white, they made a soft tinkling sound as they struck the ground and Peach felt her heart come into her mouth at the beauty of it.

At the summit, they dismounted and let the yoshi wander, looking for flowers and fruit, as they sat on the central rock. "It's so pretty," Peach whispered, scooting closer to Mario.

"Yes it is," he replied, but did not look at her or move closer.

"Was this where the star spirits came to speak to you?" she asked, slipping her hand into his and his fingers closed around hers very slightly.

"Yes and I'm a so glad we were able to rescue them so wishes could a come true again." A shooting star came down almost exactly at their feet, sending up a great shimmer of rainbow light as it dissolved on impact. "Why don't you a make a wish, Peach?" he asked, turning to look at her for the first time. "I bet a Twink is watching over you to make sure your wishes all come true."

Peach looked at the fading rays of the star, felt the closeness of Mario's hand around hers, gathering her courage. "I wish for you to kiss me," she blurted, then looked away in embarrassment.

"That's a an easy one. You deserve a something much bigger." She turned back towards him but kept her eyes close, not daring to watch, as he leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead, so light and fleeting she could barely feel it. But, even so, Peach's whole body tingled, rang like the sound the falling stars made. Then, she turned her face up, waiting, but nothing further happened. Finally, Mario put his hand on her shoulder, rather awkwardly, patting it like it was the head of a large dog, and, in response, she flung her arms around his neck with all the the intensity the book described. "Peach, don't a choke me," he mumbled but she hardly heard as, blind, eyes still squeezed tight, guiding herself by feel alone, she leaned in to do as Daisy had taught her.

But, before she had even really begun, she felt Mario, gently but firmly, holding her at arms length. "Peach," he said quietly, "I don't a think we should be doing this. I know a people make jokes about us but don't a be getting all serious."

"What? Why?" Peach asked stupidly, her eyes now open but carefully focused on the hands crumpled in her lap.

"Well a, you're a Princess and I'm a plumber."

"You're not a plumber," she cried impulsively. "You're a hero. Princesses and heroes go together. No one in my kingdom thinks of you as a plumber or expects you to work as a plumber. I don't see why you do it at all," she finished, frustration giving an edge to her voice.

"I happen to a like working as a plumber," Mario replied, his tone still gentle but with more hurt and anger in it than he had ever directed at peach before. "Plumbing is what I was born to do, like you were a born to be a princess, and it will always come first with me."

She couldn't think of what to say to that and, afraid she would humiliate herself by crying, decided on, "Let's go back." Slowly, they rode home over the soft purple ground, through the glittering curtain of falling stars, their beauty no longer uplifting but painfully poignant, and, inside, Peach knew her heart was breaking.