25m Distance Between Us

Damsels in Escape

The airship's air was stale, and carried the scent of gasoline and brimstone. Princess Peach was repulsed by it, and Pauline, though she was far better accustomed to polluted air after having been born and raised in a bustling city, was disturbed, as well.

One of the things that always impressed Mario was the fact that Pauline could stand vile odors. Especially when he would return to their apartment after a day at the construction sights.

Snapping back to the present, Pauline turned to look at the resting Princess Peach.

"Hey!" She called to her.

Peach slowly lifted her head and looked towards the restless Pauline. "Yes?"

Pauline stood straight up. "We're getting out of here!"

"It's impossible..." Peach bemoaned. "Do you think I've never attempted to escape before?" She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the cage bars. "Outside that door are two gigantic Sledge Bros., and beyond that are Koopatrols. Getting out would be impossible."

"Improbable." Pauline corrected. "It can be done, we just have to figure out how."

"You can try," Peach stated flatly. "but I am 98% sure that Bowser didn't give them orders not to kill the woman in red with brown hair."

Pauline immediately realized that Bowser would have no qualms with killing her, but another reassuring thought reared its head. "Well," she began. "I think the 2% chance wins, because I would think that he would want Mario to witness my death. If he were to kill me now, not only would his wedding plans be stinted, but he would not get the satisfaction of hurting Mario."

Peach's eyes widened. Pauline was absolutely right. Perhaps it was due to all of the mind games that Bowser had played with her that caused her to see nothing but darkness in a room with a small, yet strong light.

Pauline was a remarkably smart woman. If the situation were better, Peach would have loved to invite her to the castle to have cake and tea with her, Daisy and Toadsworth.

Toadsworth. Peach could almost see him strapped to the EKG machine already, after her most recent kidnapping. Poor old steward.

"So... what do you think?" Pauline snapped her back into the Present.

"Umm... let's try it." Peach said, nodding.

A fiendish grin stretched on Pauline's face. "Alriiiight! I've always wanted to try this again!" Peach began to feel unsettled as the brunette reached inside her hair and removed a hairclip. She then moved over to Peach's cage, and spread the hairpin apart. She then inserted the long, thin, jagged end inside of the lock, and twisted it.

"The last time I did this was when Mario and I thought it would be fun to have sex inside of a junkyard in High school." Pauline bragged as she continued to pick at the lock. Peach did not want, nor need to hear this. "That lock was tougher than this one, and the Dog they had guarding the place... ugh. Poor Mario. It bit him right-umm, well, let's leave that to him if he wants to relive that memory."

The lock gave in, and the shutters clicked. Pauline pulled it right off of the cage very slowly, carefully, and silently. Princess Peach walked out of the cage very quietly, as well. "Thank you." Peach said.

"Aw, no need to thank me!" Pauline said with a flap of her hand. "Just keep things cool, okay?"

Peach was somewhat confused, but nodded anyway. "So, where did that odd monster bite Mario? You have me curious now."

"Right in the plunger."

Peach mouthed out an "Ohhhh".

"What?" Pauline said with a very wet tone. "His Dad's toilet plunger. He was going to give it to afterwards." She slowly closed the cage door. "His father was furious about it. He also wanted to know why we were both at the junkyard. You know what Mario said?"
"No, what did he say?" Peach asked, intrigued.

"We were-a just doing-a the Biology homework!'" Pauline replied, as though it were a punchline. She then burst out laughing. Peach joined in, as well, and the two ladies were cackling up a storm.

"HEY!" Came a voice from outide the cargo. "You two sound like you're having way too much fun in there! Do I hafta come in there?"

"Nah, we're good!" Pauline yelled back.

"Nah, doesn't sound like it." The voice replied. "I'm coming in!"

"Quick!" Pauline signaled for Peach to return inside the cage, opening and immediately shutting the door as the Princess reentered. She put the picked lock back on for safe measure, and kept it nearly closed, but not quite.

The knob turned and Pauline plopped back down on the floor and Peach reassumed the 'bored captive' position.

The Sledge Bro entered the room and looked at the two captives. "Keep it down in here, will ya?!"

"Hey, big Turtle guy." Pauline beckoned. "Come here for a sec'. There's something weird over here, and it's freaking me out."

The Sledge Bro. came in close to see what it was that Pauline was talking about. Little did he expect to get two eyes full of Pepper Spray.

"AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGH!" He wailed, holding his eyes, prompting the second Sledge Bro to come in.

"Cool, now there are two weird things in here freaking me out." Pauline said, smirking. She reached for the maced Sledge Bro.'s Hammer on his belt and tossed it at the second one's face. It connected, breaking his beak, causing him to fall backwards into the wall, unconscious. Blood poured down his stomach from the horrible bludgeon.

The maced Sledge Bro. reached for his hammer, but it was no longer there. Pauline grabbed Princess Peach by the wrist and ran down the hall as though her life depended on it.

For all intents and purposes, if she stayed and did what Bowser wanted, she would not be granted freedom; but death. She had nothing to lose by saving Peach. If for nothing else, it would ensure Mario's happiness.

She still didn't quite know how she felt about all of this, but that was irrelevant. She was doing it. There was no turning back now.

When she and Peach turned the corner, they were beset by a legion of Koopatrols, just as Peach had warned.

"I'm sure there's another way out!" Pauline said, looking around, frenzied.

"Ummm..." Peach stammered nervously, as she saw Bowser himself standing in the hall behind the two of them, and Kamek hovering above.

They were screwed now.

They could not jump, for Kamek would blast, and/or cage them. They could not move forward, because there was no way they could defeat over 30 Koopatrols. And now, they could not turn back.

"My, my, my." Kamek mused. "Such valiance! Such audacity! Such a treacherous Macchiavell!"

Pauline had no idea what any of these words meant, but she somehow knew that the insane, blue-clad wizard was referring to her. She attempted to again hide the fear in her eyes. Peach turned to look at Pauline, and she sighed, defeated. "I told you it was impossible." she stated conclusively, hanging her head.

"No..." Pauline said, distracted while looking for a possible escape. Her eyes darted around the hallway, and she looked at a few loose ropes on the ceiling, which were too far from her reach.

Bowser immediately grabbed Peach.

"NO! HELP!" Peach wailed, horror spilling from her throat.

"PEACH!" Pauline cried back, reaching her hand out, turning her back to the Koopatrols.

"Don't kill her," Bowser stated. "I still need her to authorize my very public wedding." The Koopatrols stood down. "But," Bowser continued. The Koopatrols readied themselves for action again. "you guys can take her to the... let's call it 'Persuasion Room'. Have fun, Kamek."

Pauline released. She began to scream and cry and wail as three Koopatrols forcibly grabbed her and rushed down the hallway.

Peach looked on with horror, hanging over Bowser's right shoulder.

"PAULINE!"

The silence that followed was louder than the screams of the Princess.