Foreword: I had a sudden and strange desire to update. Maybe if I get review, I'll have another one of those strange desires! I say "strange" because I've been busy with other stories of late. Ehem, I'm off track.

I like this one for certain reasons, dislike it for certain reasons. But I hope you enjoy it. I'm really sorry I haven't been updating, like I said, I've been busy. But summer's coming up, so that should be good news.

Disclaimer: I don't own anybody that Nintendo does. It just doesn't work that way.

Peach couldn't tear her eyes away from the mirror. Today she would be taking a step she had never taken before. She had tried to separate herself from guardians on vacations before, but never had she ventured out completely alone- and especially not lying about it. And yet, her reflection showed none of the quiet fear her heart concealed.

There she was, dressed in her "traveling" dress with matching flats hidden under its billowing bottom. The dress was a nice periwinkle blue with a very light weave but the same design as her regular pink gown, including having a prominent jewel on her chest- pink instead of the normal blue. Honestly, Peach liked it best for its abilities to make her blend in from anyone looking from afar. She honestly didn't mind all the attention, praise, and gifts she got, but when she wanted to be alone it always seemed impossible to do just that. And she despised being treated differently because of the crown on her head.

Her hands reached the jewelry piece as her thoughts did the same. Peach lifted it off her flowing blonde hair and stared at it. Sighing, Peach realized that it could be considered treason for putting her tiara away while she left the country. She let a small smile grace her features as she imagined Athorih T.'s reaction. 'Hm Hm, now what is this, Princess? Removing the only visual proof of your political position to those unfamiliar with your political position, Hm Hm? Certainly a violation of Clause 3 in Section A of Chapter 28 in Volume 4 of 'The Guidelines of Political Power in the Mushroom Kingdom'. It clearly states that 'no one political official may remove visual evidence of their position when entering an area that their power may be questioned, including, but not limited to, badges, scepters, patches, cuffs, mushroom caps, excessive adornments, and crowns.' Hm Hm, Tiaras are included, Princess. Treason is not an acceptable vacation activity for a Princess, Hm Hm!

Against her better judgment, Peach placed the crown in its case, justifying that she was already acting treasonous on many other accounts, what with her lying to practically everyone in the kingdom. A foul justification…

Peach pulled her hair into a ponytail and let it rest on her back before feeling completely satisfied. She checked the gold clock- 8:22 a.m. Peach had just enough time for breakfast. She pressed a small gold button on the wall and heard a cheerful beep of reply. "Yes, Your Highness?" the speaker beneath the button asked.

"I'd like some assistance with my luggage and some breakfast."

"We'll send some help for your luggage, milady. What would you like for breakfast?"

"Oh, I don't really care. Whatever Har T. feels like cooking up, as long as it's fast. I need to get out soon."

"Toadsworth would like to escort you to your cab, with your permission."

"Fine. Tell him he can help direct the luggage to the pick-up location while I eat."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Peach lifted her gloved finger from the button and headed toward the Breakfast Hall. As she sat, Har T., a rather tubby toad cook with his small white apron tied over his white pants that was almost completely covered by rolls of fat, placed a plate of steaming pancakes in front of Peach. Har T. flashed her a contagious smile and grumbled that they were a new recipe, especially hearty for a long day of travel. Peach unleashed a smile of her own at the wonderful little toad. "Thanks, I'm sure they're great."

A clatter of steel on tile and a squeak of surprise sounded from the kitchen. A particularly short toad donned in the same apron as Har T. and a white and yellow mushroom cap rushed from the kitchen and faced the head chef, wringing her hands nervously. "Har T.? Me…I mean I…kinda fell…I mean dropped…but it was not accident…I mean, it was accident…the blueberries from the…I mean for the...dinner." The toad swallowed a lump in her throat and sighed as if just completing a terrible task.

Har T. closed his eyes and shook his head before placing one of his large hands on the toad's back. "Then wash them again." As he followed the toad into the kitchen, Peach was left alone yet again.

I'm going to miss them all. Peach thought with a frown. The pancakes seemed to melt in her mouth as she tried to imagine waking up and not being sure if the breakfast would be good. Not being sure if it would be especially hearty for whatever she was doing that day. Not being sure if she'd have anyone begging to escort her places. As she took another bite, Peach realized she wasn't disappointed by the idea- it was, in fact, invigorating.

She finished her breakfast in silence and didn't even meet up with Toadsworth until half-way to the pick-up location. Toadsworth lifted his cane in surprise at the lone Princess. "I say, bit dangerous to go about on your own, wot!"

Peach was struck with a sudden fear Toadsworth had found out that she planned to be alone on her trip until she say the light in his eyes at the 'joke'. With good-humored sarcasm, Peach replied, "Oh yes, I was praying no one would abduct me as I walked a few yards on my own property, flanked by hundreds of guards."

"Well you never know what Bowser or some other koopa'll think of next, poppet," Toadsworth said, completely unaware of the irony of it all.

Peach smiled at her assistant as she reached her pile of luggage. She was proud to see him holding back his normal lectures before a trip, especially one she had asked him not to join.

Toadsworth however, did not share the same expression. "So Mario will meet you at the airport? And sit with you on the plane? And escort you all through Grand Canal?"

"Toadsworth, I'll be fine. Mario has never failed us before."

"Don't do anything daft, Peach." Toadsworth looked at his feet uncertainly. "You're sure these taxis are safe as a cracker?"

"It says they're the most reliable Taxi service in the city."

A large yellow van with the words "Toad Town Taxi Emporium" sprayed across it pulled up at the stop. A large toad with a humped-back and thick arms approached the Princess. If it wasn't for her long black hair situated under the cap and in front of some of her rather bulky features, Peach would have thought the buff toad to be a male. Her mushroom cap seemed to move instead of her mouth when the toad spoke, doing so in an impatient voice that didn't quite fit her image. "Miss Toadstool for 9 o'clock?"

With practiced politeness, Peach nodded and asked for help with her bags. Toadsworth, the driver, Bah T., and his koopa apprentice all bent over to pick up the princess's bulging luggage and put in the empty seats of the van. The driver had mentioned, again without moving her lips, that the trunk door was jammed. When she did so, Toadsworth looked nervous. Peach suspected it was because he feared a faulty cab, but the driver decided otherwise when his eyes wandered to her lips. "It's Botox, buddy. You gotta problem with that?"

Toadsworth shook his head vigorously. "No madam. Botox is simply cracking."

Peach sat in the empty seat, her blue dress folding neatly under her slim form. As the toad climbed into her own seat, she leaned out the window towards Bah T. and his Koopa apprentice. "Thanks for the help, handsome," the toad called out flirtatiously, but to Peach's surprise, the remark was not situated towards her buff servant Bah T. as most female toad's remarks were towards, but to his koopa friend who looked just as surprised as herself.

After a few minutes of the cab chugging down the road, Peach rummaged through her purse and found her pink cell phone. She dialed first Mario's number and waited for a few rings before his voice-mail picked up, explaining the Mario Bros' availability schedule for plumbing services. After the tone sounded, Peach said into the phone, "Hi, this is Peach, and this message is for Mario. I hopeyou're enjoying your plumbers convention with Luigi- make sure to getpicturesfor me. I hear the city is very pretty this time of year, though I'm not sure what the sewers look like." Peach giggled at her own joke and took a breath- this was a seriousphone-call, not a time for chatting."I won't be available all week, including from my cell-phone. I'm going on a bit of a vacation before our vacation seeing as the toads were all ready for my absence. No need to worry, I'll be perfectly OK, but don't try and reach me, you won't be able to." Peach paused for a second before continuing. "I'll be waiting for you at the airport on Saturday so we can leave for Grand Canal around noon. I'm excited to spend the week with you and your parents. Thinking of you! Bye." Peach hung up and sighed. The next message would be harder.

Peach rubbed her fingers on her temples as she thought through exactly what she needed to tell her servants. She saw, through the corner of her eye, her driver peer back at her. The driver pressed a button on her radio and spoke in what sounded like the infamous taxi-code. "Eagle securely in the nest. No thought of flying yet. Path still secure to destination A. Any wing flapping should induce immediate wing clipping. In and In."

The radio crackled back, "Good. Request alert of wing clipping time. In and out."

Peach ignored the ominous radio reports as the radio turned back to the regular taxi radio speak, free of bird allusions. Peach dialed the number to Toadsworth's home phone and waited as the answering machine clicked on, explaining in Toadsworth's cheery accent that he wasn't available. After the tone sounded, Peach said, "Hi Toadsworth, this is Peach. When you get this message I'll already be at my destination. Perfectly safe. I promise. No one knows where I'm going, but its not Grand Canal. And it's not with Mario. Don't freak out, he knows that I've left for vacation without him, but I'll be perfectly safe. However, no one will be able to contact me. Trust me, I'll be perfectly fine. I won't let anyone know who I am unless I have to. It'll be just like a regular vacation for regular people- a spot of me time.

"And, I'll be at the Toad Town Airport on Saturday at Noon to leave with Mario for our real trip to Grand Canal, so if the toads want to bring me fresh luggage or whatever, tell them they can do that there. And if you want to chastise me, write it on a letter and send it to Mario. He'll get it to me. Please don't worry about me; I just needed a bit of a break from everything.

"Could you tell Daisy for me? Oh, and Toadsworth," Peach placed her hand over her mouth towards the receiver, as if fearing her message would be overheard by the wrong ears. "I have the GPS. But I'll only use it for complete emergencies. Only then. And I found the bugs Securih T. put on my things so don't expect those to work. Bye Toadsworth, see you Saturday."

Peach sighed with relief and held down the "hang up" button on her phone until a few notes played and "Good Bye" faded off her cell-phone's screen. She closed her eyes for a little bit until the driver spoke up to her.

"Your Highness? The road's blocked, I'm taking an alternate route."

"That's fine," Peach replied. She already felt on vacation and just imagined the fit Toadsworth would have when he heard the message. But she didn't seem to care…

The driver spoke up again. "Interesting plans you have. Know where you're flying?"

Peach opened one eye to see if she could tell the drivers' intentions, but her eyes were glued on the road. "No," she replied and closed her eye again.

"Why don't you want anyone reaching you?"

Peach smiled. "I'm on a vacation. If I wanted to be bothered, I'd go on a business trip. Surely you know what I mean? For me it's like the difference between…say…a no-hire drive without the radio and one with? Except my 'radio' is much more persistent about me."

The driver nodded in understanding and pressed the radio button again. "Eagle is out of touch with flock. I repeat- Eagle cannot even chirp. Hawk is far away, coming to fly with eagle on week's end. Same with flock. In and in."

The radio crackled out a reply. "Wait, the Eagle isn't going to fly with the Hawk? And flock is perched? In and in!"

The driver grinned. "Precisely. Eagle left to soar alone. For a week. No chirping with flock at all. In and In."

"And….you're sure about this? In and in."

The taxi pulled over to the side of the road and stopped.

"Clip the wings and I'll explain. In and in."

"Already? Are we even at Destination A? In and in."

Peach shifted uncertainly in her chair. The radio conversation was sounding less and less like a taxi radio and more and more about…her.

"Not a vehicle in site. Looks good enough to me. Clip the wings. In and out." The driver lifted her finger from the radio button.

Peach heard an odd noise coming from behind her. Scratching, moving, and…it seemed like…a voice or two. Peach looked over her shoulder in fear as a koopling head, thick glasses on its nose and rainbow hair on its head grinned at her, a syringe in his claw. "Excuse me, miss."

Peach didn't even have time to scream.

She felt a prick and heard a squirt.

Her vision was blurring…

Her head was getting heavy…

She thought she saw the toad lift her mushroom cap off her head…

She thought she saw another head underneath it…

She couldn't tell, she was unconscious.

Author's Note: Righto, I hope you enjoyed that chapter as much as I did writing it. It gets fun from here on out- the fluff should start poking its head out in a couple of chapters.

This story isn't ending any time soon, if you were wondering. I've got so many ideas floating around where to take it, but my motivation comes from helpful reviews. Please give them! You've given a lot in the past (major props to those who've stuck with this story, and thankies to those looking in on it!) and I really appreciate it.