(A/N: Now it's time for us to see how Peach would have escaped from Bowser when they were in the Snow Kingdom. This ought to be fun! Let's get this chapter started and see what happened here!)
Bowser's airship was getting ready to leave the Metro Kingdom, where he didn't steal anything. All he did was advertise his stupid wedding all over the city and leave the Mechawiggler to absorb all the city's power.
Right now, Bowser was standing inside his airship, looking at the list of wedding supplies. The Broodals were standing before him, waiting patiently for him to tell them what they had to steal next.
"Okay, the Frost-Frosted Cake is next on the list, and it's in the Snow Kingdom, so we need to make our way over there." Bowser said to the Broodals.
"We're on it, Boss!" Topper said as he and the other Broodals saluted Bowser. Then they returned to their own airship and took off for the Snow Kingdom.
But Bowser didn't count on Princess Peach being in the room and slightly overhearing what he and the Broodals were discussing. She needed to make sure she'd heard that incorrectly.
"Pardon my asking, Bowser, but what did you say was next on the list of wedding supplies?" Peach politely asked the Koopa King.
"The Frost-Frosted Cake, Peach! It's going to be our wedding cake when we get married!" Bowser said as he folded the list of supplies and put it in the pocket of his wedding pants.
The princess looked at Bowser as though he'd just told her that he wanted to see her naked.
"I'm sorry, but... what did you say?" Peach asked, really hoping she'd heard him incorrectly.
"I said that we're going to the Snow Kingdom! The Frost-Frosted Cake is going to be our wedding cake!" Bowser said.
Peach opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She couldn't believe Bowser was this stupid! Had he forgotten that she was a wizard when it came to baking cakes? It also seemed he forgot about the time he wanted her to bake him a huge cake, despite the (smaller) one she'd made for him a different time! Why would he need to steal a cake when he could easily ask her to bake one for the big event?
"What's the matter, Peach? Cat got your tongue?" Bowser asked, noticing the way Peach was reacting to his reply.
Upon hearing that, Tiara quickly assumed her Bonneter form and looked at Peach's open mouth. Then she turned to Bowser and said, "No, you big dummy! A cat doesn't have her tongue. Her tongue is still in her mouth, where it belongs. Secondly, just how is a cat going to get inside her mouth? It's too small for a cat!"
"It's a figure of speech!" Bowser said.
"Well, excuuuuuse me, Your Majesty." Tiara said, feeling angry at Bowser.
"Watch it!" Bowser warned, frightening Tiara, who quickly hid behind Peach for safety. She knew that if he wanted to hurt her, he'd have to go through Peach first.
At that moment, Peach found her voice.
"Tiara's right, Bowser. No cat has got my tongue." Peach said.
"So what's the matter with you?" Bowser asked.
That did it.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!" Peach screamed, almost knocking Bowser over in her anger.
"Geez, Peach! What's gotten into you?!" Bowser asked, stunned. Peach never had the audacity to yell at him before.
"I should be asking you that question, Bowser! Why on earth do you need to steal a cake?! You know as well as I do that I could easily bake a cake for this wedding!" Peach yelled.
"WHAT?! Why would you want to do that?!" Bowser and Tiara asked in unison, surprised.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I like to bake cakes!" Peach said.
"I know that, but I know that you'd much rather bake those cakes for someone I got rid of!" Bowser said.
Peach remembered Mario, and how much he loved her cakes, and Bowser reminding her of his death made her chest ache.
"Don't... even go there!" Peach said, trying hard to fight back the tears that threatened to fall.
"It's okay, Peach. I've got you." Tiara replied, giving Peach a hug as best she could.
It took a moment for the princess to recover from her sadness, and when she did, she said, "What makes you think I wouldn't want to bake one for the wedding?! I baked you a cake before!"
"No, you didn't! I would've remembered you having done so!" Bowser said.
"Oh! So you don't remember losing to the Dark Star? I fixed a cake for you after that battle you lost! Birdley told me that he delivered it to you!" Peach said as Tiara took her place back on her head.
Bowser thought back to that time. Oh yeah, she did make him a cake after he lost the battle against the Dark Star. He remembered the bird bringing him the package containing a cake with decorations of Mario, Luigi, and Peach on it.
"Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that. Yeah, I got that cake." Bowser remembered.
"Didn't you eat it?" Peach asked.
"No, not really." Bowser admitted sheepishly.
"Why didn't you eat it? You didn't think it was poisoned, did you?" Peach asked.
"No! I know it wasn't, because you would never do a fool thing like try to poison me!" Bowser said.
"So why didn't you eat the cake?" Peach asked, crossing her arms.
"(sigh) Here's the deal: I was going to cut the cake into ninths and share it with the Koopalings and Jr. for dessert that night." Bowser began.
"Well, that's nice." Peach said, but she wasn't too happy about the idea of his kids trying a cake she had baked. If they tried it, they'd probably have the same reaction as Mario, and really want Bowser to marry her. Then she'd have a problem.
"Unfortunately, the kids found the cake in the kitchen that afternoon while I was resting. They cut it into eighths, and they all had themselves a slice for a snack. I never got to try that cake, Peach!" Bowser said.
"What?! I know they're just children, but that's awful!" Peach said.
"It is. The worst part is that they told me how good your cake was! Well, how am I supposed to know that?! I never got any!" Bowser said.
"Hmm... That may be the reason why you wanted me to bake you a huge cake, and why you demanded a galaxy-sized slice of cake the second time you tried to rule the galaxy..." Peach realized.
"Oh yeah! I remember that time, too! You refused to make that big cake for me because you were too chicken to do it!" Bowser said.
"I was not chicken! I really can't make cakes that big!" Peach yelled. Then she added in a calmer voice, "However, if you had asked me nicely, or told me what had happened to the cake I made you, I would have been happy to make you another one, and it would be for you only! It wouldn't be as big as you wanted it, but it would have been for you."
"What?! Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?!" Bowser asked, flabbergasted.
"Because you never once thought about telling me about what happened to that cake I made you until now!" Peach said. Then she said in a sweet voice, "Look, let me bake you just one little cake during this journey. It'll be all yours, and you don't have to worry about your kids getting into it before you because they aren't here. What do you say to that?"
Bowser thought about this. He remembered how bad he felt when he learned that his kids ate the cake Peach made him, and how angry he was when they told him how delicious it was. If Peach was willing to make him a cake now, perhaps he should let her.
"Okay, Peach. But if I let you bake that cake, then you're going to have to promise me that you will marry me without whining or complaining about it anymore. You got that?" Bowser asked.
Peach thought for a moment. She then smiled widely and said, "No problem!"
Tiara's eyes appeared on the tiara, wondering how Peach could be okay with this sort of thing!
"Great!" said Bowser, holding out his giant hand. Peach grabbed his finger, and they kinda shook on it. Then Bowser led Peach to the kitchen on the airship.
"Okay, Peach. You can bake me a cake in here." Bowser said.
"All right." Peach said as she found a plain, white apron and tied it on. It was a nice, big apron that covered her dress.
Bowser grinned and left the room, happy to know that he was getting a cake and marrying Peach with no more complaints from her.
"Peach, what the heck are you thinking?!" Tiara asked in shock as she assumed her Bonneter form.
"Tiara, I know you're probably thinking that I've lost my mind, but I haven't. You have to believe me when I tell you that I've got everything under control." Peach told her.
"But... Bowser is a good-for-nothing murderer who is not at all nice to us! Why would you even want to make a cake for someone like that?!" Tiara wailed.
Peach quickly told her about the Dark Star fiasco, and how what happened during that time wasn't entirely Bowser's fault.
"Oh. Okay, that makes sense. But it seems as though you're rewarding him for what he did to my brother and your boyfriend." Tiara replied.
"I'm not rewarding Bowser. You'll see what I've got planned when the cake is prepared." Peach said as she removed her gloves and washed her hands.
"Are you going to poison the cake, or spike it with laxatives?" Tiara asked. Those were the only good plans she could think of.
"No, because I don't think Bowser has any laxatives or poison here in the kitchen. He's probably hiding such things in his quarters, and if he is, I'm not going to look." Peach said as she grabbed a box of Devil's Food Cake mix and quickly read the instructions. She gathered the ingredients and supplies and went right to work.
While Peach mixed the batter, Tiara decided to help out by preheating the oven and spraying the cake pan with non-stick cooking spray for Peach.
"You're such an angel, Tiara. Thank you." Peach said to the little Bonneter as she finished mixing the batter.
"Just trying to be your little helper, even though I'm helping you to do something nice for a bad guy..." Tiara replied.
"Well, you're doing a great job." Peach smiled.
At that moment, Bowser walked in and asked, "How's that cake coming along, Peach?"
"Oh, I've just finished mixing the cake batter. All I need to do now is put it in the cake pan and bake it." Peach replied, pouring the batter into the pan. Seeing that batter made Bowser feel hungry.
"Ooh! That looks really good! Can I lick the bowl and the scraper when you're done filling the pan?" Bowser asked, sounding like an excited little kid.
"First, you'll have to say the magic word." Peach said.
"Um, abra-cadabra?" Bowser asked.
"No, and that was two words..." Peach said.
"Hocus-pocus?" Bowser guessed.
"Those are still two words! Here's a hint: the word I'm thinking of rhymes with 'peas'." Peach said.
"Please?" Bowser asked dejectedly.
"I... guess so. Tiara and I already took care of the beaters." Peach said. As they'd handled the beaters, Peach told Tiara about the times she made cakes back in the Mushroom Kingdom. She would usually allow the Toads (or Mario, depending on who was in the kitchen with her) to lick the beaters, the mixing bowl, and the scraper.
When Peach got as much of the batter as she could in the pan, she smoothed out the batter, then put the pan in the oven and set the timer. Then she handed the mixing bowl and scraper to Bowser before making her way over to the sink.
"YAY!" Bowser cheered as he quickly licked the scraper clean, and then buried his face in the bowl like a dog and began licking it clean.
"Look at Bowser; he reminds me of a dog." Tiara whispered to Peach.
"I wish I had my smartphone on me. I would have taken a picture of him doing this so I could post it on my social media account. My cousin Daisy would just about die laughing if she saw it. I know that Mario would have gotten a kick out of it, too." Peach whispered back, feeling sad because she saw Bowser kill Mario after that battle they had in the Cloud Kingdom.
"I'd had the perfect opportunity to escape from Bowser and rejoin Mario myself right then! Why didn't I take it?!" Peach scolded herself in her mind as Bowser walked over to her with the mixing bowl, which he'd licked clean.
"Here you go, Peach. That cake batter was really good, so thanks for letting me lick the bowl and the scraper." Bowser said as he licked his chops.
"Huh? Oh, right. You're welcome." Peach said as she took the bowl from Bowser and put it in the sink.
"Ooooh, I can't wait to try the cake when it's finally ready. Yum!" Bowser said in happiness, before leaving the room. Surprisingly, Bowser hadn't gotten any chocolate on his white wedding tuxedo, much to Peach and Tiara's disappointment. If he had, they could neglect to mention it to him, and everyone would see it and think he used his tux as toilet paper.
"Why did you do that, Peach? Why are you suddenly being nice to him?" Tiara asked, distressed.
"Because I told you that I have a plan, Tiara, and you'll be able to see what it is when the cake is ready." Peach promised as she filled the sink with hot water and dish soap so she could wash the utensils.
While the cake was baking, Tiara said, "Oh! That smells good."
"That's Devil's Food Cake for you, Tiara. Mario liked it because it's chocolate, but he never could say no when I prepared my specialty: angel food cake with buttercream frosting. He always said that it was made by an angel, which was the main reason why it was so heavenly." Peach said as she put her gloves back on.
"Sounds like it has to be." Tiara replied.
"It was. But with Mario gone, I don't think I'll ever be able to prepare that treat again..." Peach sighed, looking sad.
Later, the timer beeped, and Peach donned the oven mitts over her gloves as she took the cake out of the oven, then pricked it with a toothpick to see if it was ready. The toothpick came out clean, giving Peach her answer.
"It's ready!" Peach said.
Just then, Bowser walked in, sniffing the air, and he said, "Mmm! Something smells really good in here."
"It's the cake, Bowser, and it's done!" Peach said, picking up the cake pan and holding it right under Bowser's nose, allowing him to sniff it real good.
"I bet the cake will taste as good as it smells." Tiara said from her place on Peach's head.
"You may be right." Bowser smiled, not noticing that Peach was beginning to wobble the cake pan in her hands, and without much warning...
"OOPS!" Peach suddenly cried as she 'accidentally' flipped the pan of freshly-baked cake right into Bowser's face.
Tiara's eyes widened in shock when she saw what Peach had done! That had to be her plan!
"AAAAHHHHHH!" Bowser screamed in agony as the cake burned his ugly face.
Peach threw off the oven mitts, untied her apron and threw it aside, then hurried out of the kitchen and slammed the door shut! Then she ran for the deck of the airship as fast as she could. She had no time to run to the bride's chamber and change back into her regular attire, or even to just grab it. And she wasn't going to send Tiara to get her things, either.
A minute later, Bowser managed to grab the apron to protect his hands as he removed the scalding-hot cake pan from his face, and his face was burned! He was boiling mad now! And he yelled at the top of his voice, "PRINCESS PEACH! WHEN I FIND YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO BE SORRY YOU TRICKED ME!"
By that time, Peach found herself on the deck of the airship, and her breath stopped in a gasp. OH NO! The ship was already in... the Snow Kingdom! And it was freezing cold here, due to a nasty blizzard that was going on!
"Oh no! We c-c-can't b-be here a-already!" Peach said, beginning to shiver violently in the cold.
"Wh-wh-what are we g-g-going to d-do?!" Tiara asked, also shivering.
At that moment, Peach heard Bowser's angry voice yelling from inside the airship, "PEACH! COME HERE, YOU LITTLE WRETCH!"
Peach gasped in horror! She now had one of two choices, neither of which sounded pleasant. She could either jump ship and hide in the snow, or let Bowser find her, take her back into the ship, and quite possibly hurt her!
Without a second thought, Peach took a deep breath and jumped over the side of the ship in fear. The princess didn't bother jumping in the way that would help her land slowly. She had no time for that!
Meanwhile, Bowser was looking around the airship for the princess. He hadn't seen where she disappeared to.
"Peach! You're in hot water now, missy! When I get my hands on you, you're going to owe me a huge apology!" Bowser yelled as he threw open the doors to each room, trying to find where the princess had disappeared to. He was having trouble finding her.
"Where could Peach be hiding?! I've checked every room on this ship, and she doesn't appear to be in any of them! She couldn't have left the ship! Not now! It's below freezing out there! But the deck is the only place I haven't looked yet." Bowser thought.
While the Koopa King looked for Peach, the princess was doing her best to find a place to hide. But it was snowing really hard, and she was inadequately dressed for this bad weather and in need of shelter and warmth in a hurry.
"P-P-Peach... A-are we... g-going to... d-d-die...?" Tiara asked nervously, scared.
"I-I-I d-don't... w-want us to... d-die..." Peach replied, shivering fiercely. But she was quite thankful that she was dressed all in white. If Bowser came down here to look for her, he probably wouldn't notice her because her dress blended right in with the snow.
Before long, Peach felt like she was beginning to lose consciousness, but she could not let that happen. Not in this weather. She knew that if you go to sleep in such cold, you freeze to death. But she collapsed near a snow-bank, unable to move any further.
That's when Tiara thought she could hear something beneath the snow-bank. She listened harder, and sure enough, she realized that she was right! She did hear something! If she could get Peach to find a way down there, they could find shelter from the storm.
"P-Peach! A-are you... awake?! ! I-I hear... s-s-something!" Tiara said, quickly assuming her Bonneter form and nudging Peach hard, trying to prevent her from blacking out and dying from hypothermia.
"Huh...?" Peach groggily asked, slightly coming around.
"L-listen! Under th-that snow-bank! C-can you... h-hear it?!" Tiara asked, relieved that Peach was coming to.
Peach strained her ears to listen, and Tiara was right. Underneath that snow-bank, she swore she could hear the faint sound of... sleigh bells!
"You... y-you're right! I-I can hear... s-s-sleigh b-bells!" Peach said, starting to get her energy back.
"W-we've g-g-gotta... get d-d-down there...!" Tiara said, assuming her tiara form.
Peach eagerly dug through the snow-bank as fast as she could. The sound of sleigh bells meant one thing to her: they were really in the North Pole, and probably just above Santa's Workshop! If they found Santa Claus, he could help them out! Then Peach found an opening beneath the snow, and she fell down there with Tiara following her.
Shortly after the girls disappeared down the hole, it was quickly covered over with snow again, due to the blizzard, and just in time, for at that moment, Bowser walked out onto the deck and had himself a good look around.
"Just as I thought! Peach wouldn't be out here because she's not properly dressed for this kind of weather! But where could she be? She can't just disappear into thin air!" Bowser thought, feeling frustrated.
When Peach landed, she looked around to find herself out of the blizzard and in a snowy place with strange chubby, seal-like creatures with penguin-like proportions standing around. This couldn't be the North Pole.
"Welcome to Shiveria." one of the creatures said.
"Oh... Th-this isn't... the N-N-North P-Pole?" the princess asked.
"Nope. You are currently in Shiveria Town. And we are the Shiverians." the creature, now known as a Shiverian, explained to her.
"C-can you...d-direct me... to s-s-somewhere... w-warm?" Peach asked, still shivering. It was a little bit warmer here, but still pretty cold.
"Oh! Of course!" said the Shiverian. He picked up the shivering princess in his arms and carried her over to the Crazy Cap. He asked the Shiverian outside the shop to please open the door for him.
"My arms are kind of full." said the first Shiverian, looking at the princess.
"All right." said the other Shiverian, and he opened the door.
The first Shiverian entered the store and told the employees about Peach, and how cold she was. The employees allowed her to stay there for a while so she could warm up.
"Th-thanks." Peach replied, huddling next to the closet and shivering fiercely. But within minutes she was dozing, grateful to be out of the cold and snow and inside the Crazy Cap, where she could most likely get warm.
About a half-hour later, the door to the Crazy Cap opened, and Mario walked in, dressed like an aviator, with Cappy acting as his Aviator Cap.
"Can I help you, sir?" the yellow-capped Shiverian employee asked Mario.
"Sì. Do you have any outfits that can keep a person warm?" Mario politely asked. He was quite warm in his aviator garb, but he felt like he needed a winter outfit like the ones he and Luigi used to wear during the long, cold winters in Brooklyn, NY.
"Oh yes. Right here." said the employee in the purple cap. He showed Mario the Snow Hood and Snow Suit.
"È perfetto! It's-a perfect! How much does that ensemble cost?" Mario asked.
"15 regional coins." said the purple-capped employee.
"Regional coins? Uh-oh!" Mario said. He hadn't found any regional coins from the Snow Kingdom yet.
"Well, I'll go get those coins. What I've got on will keep me warm in the meantime." Mario said to himself. He turned to leave, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw something by the closet.
"Hmm? What's this?" Mario asked himself as he looked at the object there. It looked to be a big pile of white. Was it snow?
Curious, Mario placed a hand on the white pile. It felt cold, but it didn't feel like snow. And what's more, it moved when he touched it!
"Mama-mia!" Mario cried as he saw the object move.
Now Mario could see that the object was a person. A person who had obviously been out in that mess and was hiding out in here in an attempt to thaw out. And that person was none other than...
"Cara mia? My darling? Is that really you, Peach?!" Mario asked in surprise as he looked at the person who was thawing out.
Peach was looking at this person standing before her. She didn't recognize the outfit, but this guy looked and sounded a lot like...
"M-Mario...! A-are you... r-r-really you?" Peach asked, her blue eyes growing wide as she looked at the man standing here.
"Nella carne. In the flesh." Mario replied with a smile.
Peach immediately threw herself into Mario's arms, sobbing in happiness.
"Oh, don't cry, Peach. I'm here now, and nobody's going to hurt you as long as I'm around..." Mario assured Peach, returning her hug. But then he suddenly let go of her and said, "Wait a minute!"
"What is it?" Peach asked, letting go of Mario.
Mario unzipped his aviator jacket, then wrapped it around Peach as he hugged her.
"I want to help warm you up some more, Peach. You must be chilled to the bone." Mario said.
"I am pretty... c-cold. You're so... s-s-sweet, Mario." Peach replied as his jacket began to warm her a little.
"What happened? How did you get here?" Mario asked Peach.
Peach and Tiara told him what Peach had done.
"Way to go, Peach!" Cappy cheered, assuming his Bonneter form.
"Cappy!" Tiara cried at the sight of him, assuming her Bonneter form.
"Tiara!" Cappy exclaimed, and he and his sister hugged each other.
"Peach, I didn't know you had it in you to push una torta appena sfornata, a freshly-baked cake, right into Bowser's ugly face!" Mario said in surprise.
"And I didn't think you had it in you to jump from his airship in the middle of a blizzard." said Cappy.
"I... I wanted to... to get away from him... in the worst way, Mario. I was so... angry with him for... well... I thought he'd... killed you... after that battle in the... the Cloud Kingdom." Peach replied.
"Oh no! Cappy and I survived that, Peach. We ended up in the Lost Kingdom, but we found some Power Moons and were able to repair our airship, the Odyssey. Okay, tell a lie. It's not completely repaired, but it works, and that's good enough for us." Mario said.
"Well, the most important thing to me is that you boys survived being shot down. I thought I lost you for good this time." Peach said.
"I just hope you're going to be okay. I'd take you to my ship now, but I don't want to do that until the storm stops." Mario said.
"It's okay, Mario. As long as you're here, I know I'm going to be okay." Peach smiled.
"Quella è la mia principessa. That's my princess." Mario said.
Peach just snuggled close to Mario. He was so wonderful and romantic, and she was glad to be with him again.
"I should ask: was Bowser planning to do anything here? Was there something he was planning to steal for that sham wedding of his?" Mario asked.
"Now that you mention it, yes. He was after the Frost-Frosted Cake." Peach said.
"I knew it! I knew he was going to come after that! Only a complete jerk would have the gall to steal all the fixings for a wedding!" Cappy exclaimed.
"But... why would he need to steal a cake when he's got a cake-baking wizard like you on his airship?" Mario asked.
"That's what I wanted to know, but then I remembered the reason why. Because he's STUPID!" Peach replied, saying the last word in a rather comical way that made her friends crack up.
"But I did convince him to let me to bake him a little cake, even though I didn't have any plans of actually letting him enjoy it, for I told you what I did with it." Peach replied.
"I know. Well, sweetie, I'd love to stay and chat with you some more, but if the Broodals beat us here, they might have already literally taken the cake. I'd better go and see if Bowser was helping them by causing more trouble." Mario said.
"Good luck." Peach said as she and Mario reluctantly broke apart.
"Before I go..." Mario said. He and Peach shared a lingering kiss, to help each other warm up. Then Mario zipped up his aviator jacket and walked out of the Crazy Cap.
Mario found out that Bowser had been there, and he had done something bad in Shiveria Town. Apparently, he figured that Peach was hiding somewhere in the kingdom, and until someone had the guts to deliver her to him, he blocked the entrance to the race course!
"Of course he'd be stupido enough do that!" Mario muttered, not the least bit surprised. He hurried back into the Crazy Cap and told Peach what he'd found out, and what he figured.
"Oh no! We can't let him find me!" Peach said.
"Don't worry, Peach! I'm going to undo what Bowser did and make sure he doesn't find you." Mario said.
"Hold it, sir! If you're going into those cold places to undo the barriers, then you're going to need a warmer outfit than what you have on. Take the Snow Hood and Snow Suit now." said the purple-capped employee, holding out the warm outfit.
"What?! But I don't have the..." Mario started.
"It doesn't matter. You can pay for it when you find the regional coins." the employee said.
"Grazie! Thank you!" Mario said as he disappeared into the closet and changed into the warm outfit.
After changing into the warm outfit, Mario handed the aviator outfit to Peach, to help warm her some more. She quickly wrapped the jacket around her body and put the aviator cap on her head to keep herself warm until Mario finished up in the Snow Kingdom.
"I'll come back and take you to the Odyssey after all's said and done." Mario promised Peach, giving her another kiss to warm her up.
After undoing the barriers and collecting Power Moons, Mario had to capture a Shiverian who was afraid to race and help him win. But since the Broodals had already stolen the Frost-Frosted Cake, Mario was given a Multi-Moon as a prize.
Mario was soon ready to leave the Snow Kingdom after finding plenty of Power Moons and doing some shopping in Shiveria Town's Crazy Cap. Best of all, the storm was over, so it was time for Mario and Peach to leave.
"It's-a still pretty cold out there, but at least the storm ended after I helped a Shiverian win the Bound Bowl Grand Prix." Mario told Peach as he lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
"Thank you for allowing me to stay here and warm up." Peach said to the Shiverian employees before she and Mario left.
"No problem." the Shiverians smiled.
Mario and Peach exited the shop, and then they warped to the Odyssey with help from Cappy.
Once they were in the Odyssey, Mario quickly gave Peach a hot beverage to drink and said, "Okie-dokie. We'll go back to the Metro Kingdom now and have you looked at by a doctor. I don't know how long you were out here in the snow, so you're going to need medical attention."
"Thanks, Mario. You're the best." Peach smiled.
Bowser and the Broodals combed the Snow Kingdom after stealing the Frost-Frosted Cake and finding out that the barriers were undone, but Bowser still couldn't find Peach anywhere.
"Boss, you can say that this is none of our business, but the four of us have been talking, and we really think you should call off the wedding for now." Hariet began.
"What?! No way! I've waited far too long to do this! As soon as I find Princess Peach, we are going straight to the Moon Kingdom so I can marry her and have her as my wife!" Bowser declared.
"Yeah, but your face... it looks just awful." finished Hariet.
"No, it doesn't." Bowser lied.
"Oh, yes it does. See for yourself." said Hariet, handing him her compact mirror.
Bowser looked in the mirror, and it cracked at his appearance. His face was covered with first- and second-degree burns from the hot Devil's Food Cake.
"Whoa!" Bowser exclaimed in shock. Hariet wasn't kidding!
"Yeah, you might want to wait a while before marrying the bride. I know I would." Spewart said.
"Who asked you?" Bowser asked.
"Boss, we're bein' serious. If we were in your shoes, we'd rather wait before tyin' da knot." Topper said.
"Yeah. Besides, your face might scare the bride away." Rango said.
"Need I remind you: she's the one who did this to me! And for all I know, she's currently out here in the cold snow, frozen to death!" Bowser shouted.
"Look, just wait until your face heals up, then try looking for her again. Chances are she might have found shelter somewhere and you don't even know it." said Spewart.
Bowser thought for a moment, then said, "Oh, alright! Fine! I won't be getting married right now!"
The Broodals agreed to put everything back until then, but then Bowser said he wasn't about to pay them for anything.
"If dat's how you're gonna behave, we're not goin' to put anything back for you! You're gonna do it all by yourself!" Topper said.
"NO!" Bowser roared, but the Broodals refused to budge until they were paid. So Bowser reluctantly paid the rabbits for their work, and they started to put everything back, except they could not return the Lochlady Dress or Tiara. Bowser also knew that he was going to have to go to the Mushroom Kingdom and tell Peach's subjects that their princess was quite possibly dead.
En route to the Metro Kingdom, Mario called up Pauline on his smartphone and asked her for directions to the nearest hospital in the city. She told him where New Donk City's best hospital was and how to get there from New Donk City Hall. Upon their arrival, Mario rushed Peach to the hospital in a hurry.
The doctor who attended to Peach said that she had been brought there in good time, and as he got the princess warmed up, he suggested that she stay in the hospital overnight. Mario agreed to it, and so did Peach, who slept very well that night, knowing that she was safe as long as she was in the hospital.
However, the hospital wouldn't allow Mario to have the other bed in the room, so the plumber warped back to the Odyssey and slept on the bed in there, figuring that in the morning, he'd collect Peach from the hospital, and all would be well.
But when Peach awoke the following morning, she wasn't feeling so good. All that time in a place where the temperatures were below freezing had given Peach a bad cold.
"Is it going to be okay for me to take her home, or should she stay here for a little while longer?" Mario asked the doctor upon hearing that Peach was feeling sick.
"As sick as your girlfriend is, I think she should stay here until her cold has run its course." the doctor said.
"Okie-dokie." Mario said. He was prepared to stay in the Metro Kingdom until Peach recovered from her cold. But he did have to call Mushroom Castle and tell Toadsworth what was going on. So he did.
"Great hoogly-boogly! The princess, you say?! She's... she's alive?!" Toadsworth asked in shock when Mario told him that he'd rescued Peach.
"Of course she is. Did you think she wasn't?" Mario asked.
"Master Mario, Bowser was here not too long ago, and he said that our princess was quite possibly dead!" Toadsworth said.
"What?! Oh, I guess he assumed that when he couldn't find her in the Snow Kingdom, where she ran away from him and I found her. Well, let everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom know that Peach is very much alive, and safe. She's just in a hospital in the Metro Kingdom, recovering from un brutto freddo, a bad cold." Mario said.
"I'll get on that right away, Master Mario. Thank you so much for putting the kingdom's worst fears to rest!" Toadsworth said.
"Prego. You're welcome, Toadsworth." Mario replied.
So Toadsworth told everyone in the kingdom that Peach was okay, but she caught a bad cold and couldn't come home until her cold had run its course. And everyone prayed that their princess would have a speedy recovery.
During Peach's illness, Mario visited his princess in the hospital every day. He'd stay at her bedside from the moment visiting hours began until the minute they ended.
"If I was at the Mushroom Kingdom, in my castle's infirmary, you could stay with me as long as you wanted. There are no visiting hours there. And I'm sure the Royal Physician would let you sleep in the bed next to mine." Peach said to Mario one day.
"I know. But the doctor here saved your life because we got you helped in good time. If we waited, you could've died. And if you were in the Mushroom Kingdom right now, Bowser would most likely break into the castle, nab you, and kill me." Mario said.
"Good point, Mario. I owe you big for this." Peach said.
"You owe me nothing, dolcezza, sweetie. You know I'm willing to help you, no matter what." Mario said.
"But I was... I was scared, Mario... and I... I love you so much." Peach said.
"I know you love me, Peach, because anch'io ti amo; I love you, too." Mario said.
"I know the setting isn't as perfect as I hoped it would be, and that I'm sick as a dog, but... Mario, I need to ask you something." Peach said.
"Ask away, cara mia, my darling." Mario smiled.
Peach blushed as she looked into Mario's eyes, and said, "Mario, when I get well, and we finally return to the Mushroom Kingdom... will you marry me? I'm not asking you this to get Bowser out of my hair, but because I love you more than I've ever loved anyone, and I know I want to spend the rest of eternity with you, if you'll have me."
"If I'll have you? You're the only woman I've ever wanted! I'd be honored to become your husband!" Mario replied, a huge grin on his face.
"I'd kiss you for this, but I can't, because I don't want you getting as sick as I am. It's no fun. I feel like crap." Peach said, but she was smiling at the knowledge that Mario accepted her proposal.
"Then at least let me kiss you." Mario said. He gave the princess a tight hug and gently kissed her on the forehead, making her blush.
"Guarisci presto, mia dolce principessa. Get well soon, my sweet princess." Mario whispered as he held Peach close and rubbed her back.
"Thank you, Mario. I love you so much." Peach said, feeling safe and happy in his arms. He always made her feel that way whenever he held her.
Even though Mario hated to leave Peach's side, Cappy and Tiara managed to convince Mario to get out and try to have at least an hour of fun in the city every day during their time there. Well, he tried to have fun, but he always told them, "It's like the Beatles said in the song 'I Don't Want To Spoil The Party': There's no fun in what I do if she's not there."
Cappy and Tiara knew that there was no point in arguing with Mario. He was very much in love with the princess, and he was happier when they were together.
In about a week, the princess had recovered from her cold, and Mario could finally take her home.
"Grazie. Thank you." Mario smiled at the doctor.
"Yes, thank you, doctor." Peach smiled.
Before Peach left, though, she was able to change into a new outfit Mario bought for her while she was in the hospital. She didn't want to wear the Lochlady Dress when she got out of the hospital, and she didn't want her subjects to see her in it, either. So after she told Mario her clothing and shoe sizes, he went shopping with Cappy and Tiara, and Pauline helped him choose the clothes.
Peach left the hospital dressed in a pink blouse, a black, knee-length skirt, and black ballet flats. The outfit she wore made her look like a normal girl, rather than a princess.
"But you still look bellissima, beautiful." Mario smiled at Peach as they boarded the Odyssey.
"And now that I'm better, we can finally seal our engagement properly." Peach said.
"Good! I've waited too long to be able to do this with you." Mario eagerly replied.
Mario and the princess leaned close to each other and shared a kiss, which made Cappy and Tiara go, "Awwww!"
"Really?" Mario asked, a little annoyed with the pair.
"No, go on! Just ignore us!" Cappy said.
"Yeah! Pretend we're not here!" Tiara added.
"All right, then." Mario said. So he and Peach started kissing again, still in love, ignoring Cappy and Tiara, who were still going, "Awwww!"
But their first stop was the Lake Kingdom, for they had to return the Lochlady Dress. They also warned the Lochladies about how Peach had been wearing the dress in a very cold place and might have damaged it. But the Lochladies could easily fix it if anything was wrong with it. And they could have it dry-cleaned, too. They thanked Mario and Peach for returning the dress and offered to make it up to them someday.
Then Peach was brought back to the Mushroom Kingdom, where she made the announcement that she and Mario were engaged to be married, much to everyone's joy.
As for Bowser, he didn't find out that Peach was okay and that he was too late to have her until he happened upon her and Mario while they were on their honeymoon!
The End
Okay, that one was actually pretty long, but the important thing is that Peach didn't die after prolonged exposure to the cold in just her wedding attire. There are still two more attempts, so stay tuned!