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There was nothing but clear azure skies in sight as Pauline stared out the window of her private jet. Technically, it wasn’t hers; it belonged to the New Donk City government delegated to the mayor for his or her use. Nevertheless, she took advantage of the privilege and used it for transportation for the first time since she’s been in office. A relaxed yet excited smile formed on her face as she laid back in her chair and enjoyed the smooth flight to her destination.
The week before, Pauline was visited by Mario and Princess Peach, the leader of the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach wished to speak with her about her old flame, who Pauline correctly deduced Peach had romantic feelings for. It certainly caught her off guard at first, enough for her to do a spit take since she was drinking from a bottle of water at the time. However, despite the heavy awkwardness at first, it was a nice conversation between the two women, and it resulted in her befriending the princess. Furthermore, Peach invited her to play golf with her this weekend, and Pauline told her she would accept the invitation if her schedule was open. As it turned out, her weekend was free, so she contacted Peach three days ago and happily informed her she would join her for that round of golf. The only drawback was she didn’t own a set of golf clubs; however, Peach told her that wouldn’t be a problem, and it would be taken care of when she arrived. With that settled, Peach transmitted the location of the golf course, and Pauline prepared herself for the golf excursion.
“Miss Mayor,” the pilot announced through the speaker, “brace yourself for landing. We are now arriving at the Mushroom Kingdom airport.”
“Thank you,” Pauline said after pressing the cockpit button. She allowed herself to relax as she felt the jet descend and land smoothly on the runway.
Once the jet came to a complete stop, Pauline gathered her things and made her way towards the main terminal. During the trek she observed a bunch of small humanoid mushroom creatures going about their day. She shook her head in amusement while realizing she shouldn’t have been surprised; she was in the Mushroom Kingdom after all. Upon arriving, she noticed a mushroom with a white cap and green dots holding a sign with her name on it. A small and curious smile graced her lips as she approached the living mushroom, her curiosity increasing with each step.
“Why, hello there,” Pauline greeted the mushroom after stopping a few inches in front of it.
“Hi there!” the mushroom returned the greeting in a high-pitched voice. “Are you by any chance Pauline?”
“Yes, that would be me,” Pauline answered with a smile.
“Oh, good!” the mushroom smiled, which Pauline found to be absolutely adorable. She resisted the urge to bend down and pinch his cheeks (she surmised the mushroom was male based on the voice) while cooing him with baby talk. “Her Highness sent me to pick you up from the airport and take you to the golf course.”
“Wow, that was really nice of her,” Pauline said, thankful that Peach took care of the travel arrangements because she didn’t want to attempt to find the place on her own.
“Yeah, she’s the best!” the mushroom agreed with high admiration. “Now, follow me, Miss Pauline. I’ll lead you to the kart.”
“I’m sorry, but I think I misunderstood you,” Pauline raised her eyebrows in a confused manner. “Did you happen to say kart?”
“Sure did!” the mushroom replied enthusiastically. He then eyed her in perplexment. “Have you never seen or heard of a kart before?”
Pauline has heard of karts before, but she has never travelled in one. Also, based on her admittedly limited knowledge, she thought that karts were on the smaller side and considering how short the mushroom was, she thought his vehicle would definitely be too small for her tall frame to fit in.
“Yes, I know what a kart is,” Pauline weakly nodded her head. “However, are you sure that the kart will be big enough to accommodate someone of my size?”
The mushroom stared silently at her for a moment before his face broke into a confident smile. “Oh, don’t worry about that, Miss Pauline. My kart has plenty of room for both of us. You’ll see when we get there. Now, if there are no more questions, are you ready to go?”
Pauline nodded with a relaxed smile, for she couldn’t help but feel confident that he had everything under control. “Lead the way! It’s best not to keep the princess waiting any longer.”
“That’s what I want to hear!” the mushroom leapt cheerfully. “I can carry your things for you if you’d like.”
“Oh, thank you for the offer, but I should be fine.”
“OK. Let me know if you need any help at any point. Follow me!” Without wasting any time, the mushroom worked his way through the crowded terminal. Pauline watched him for a few seconds before snapping to attention and chasing after him.
~~~
After weaving her way through hordes of mushroom humanoids, Pauline finally caught up to her chauffeur. She paused for a moment to catch her breath. That little guy was fast! She struggled mightily just to keep within distance, plus toting her items made it more difficult. She certainly regretted not taking him up on his offer to carry her things.
A loud cheery voice called out to her as she took her hands off her knees, and she turned in the direction where the voice came from and saw the mushroom standing in front of a kart wave her over. The kart was larger than she imagined; there was more than enough room for her and her items to fit in. She smiled as she approached the mushroom and the kart.
“So, what you think?” he asked exuberantly.
“Well, it looks like I have nothing to worry about after all,” Pauline conceded with a chuckle.
“See, what did I tell you!” the mushroom said excitedly. “Here, I’ll put your things in the kart.” He grabbed her suitcase and bag and placed them inside the trunk. After he finished, he stood on the side and extended his arm towards her.
“After you, Miss Pauline!”
“Oh, thank you,” Pauline said as she grabbed his hand and allowed him to escort her inside the kart. He hopped in the driver’s seat once Pauline settled in.
“You may want to hold onto something tight,” he warned. “These things are pretty fast.”
Pauline chuckled to herself as she grabbed what she hoped to be a sturdy bar in front of her. She wanted to tell him it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle but decided to heed the mushroom’s instructions. It was a good thing she did because the kart accelerated onto the road without warning. The sudden start made her scream in shock, and it felt like her heart would fly from her chest.
“Are you OK back there, Miss Pauline?!” the mushroom shouted over the roaring engine as he quickly glanced back to check on her.
“Yes, I’m fine!” Pauline answered as loudly as she could. Fortunately, the mushroom slowed down some although he still drove at a limit that would have his license revoked in New Donk City. She laughed to herself after heartbeat returned to normal.
The rest of the trip was uneventful outside of a few sharp turns on the road. Pauline was able to converse with the mushroom, who she found out he and his race are called Toads. She thought it was peculiar they were named after a wart-riddled amphibian that hopped all over the place, but she wasn’t going to question it. Most of the conversation consisted of him gushing over Peach. He gushed about her kindness, altruism, and bravery. It was obvious that he and the other Toads held the princess in high extolment. She was happy to hear that Peach was such a respected ruler; however, she couldn’t help but feel small pangs of envy bubble inside her. Although she knew she was esteemed as the New Donk City mayor, it was nowhere near the vast level of veneration the Toads appear to have for Peach if what the Toad said was true. Regardless, she still enjoyed talking with him while also taking in the sights. Twenty minutes later, they reached the front of the Bonny Greens clubhouse although it felt shorter to her.
“We’re here!” the Toad chirped happily as he hopped out of the driver’s seat. He again offered his hand to Pauline, which she gracefully accepted, and helped her out of the kart. He then grabbed her two items and placed them next to Pauline. “You need help with these?”
“No, I should be fine from here,” Pauline smiled at the offer.
“Well, if there’s nothing else you need from me, this is where we depart. It was an honor to meet and serve you, Miss Pauline. I hope you enjoy your time in the Mushroom Kingdom and the golf course!” The Toad bowed before Pauline before hopping back into his kart and immediately taking off. Pauline waved at him, and he returned the wave as he drove from her sight.
Such a jovial and polite fellow, Pauline smiled to herself as she placed her bag on top of her suitcase before taking the handle of the latter and pulling it alongside her as she made the short walk down the curved pathway to the clubhouse.
“Pauline!” a sweet feminine voice called out to her as she was three-quarters of the way towards the clubhouse.
She paused as she looked in the direction the voice came from. A smile formed on her face as she saw Peach eagerly jog towards her. Without hesitation the princess wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug which she happily returned.
“I’m so happy you made it!” Peach said excitedly. She took a few steps back before glancing over Pauline. “You look great!”
“Thanks, so do you,” Pauline graciously returned the compliment. She didn’t say it just to be polite; she genuinely thought Peach looked nice.
The princess wore the same sapphire earrings, a pink polo shirt with magenta accents on her sleeves and collar, a pinkish-white skirt with a pleated hemline that stopped halfway down her thighs, a thin sapphire belt with a gold buckle that held up the skirt, a pink and white glove on her left hand, and a pair of pink and white golf cleats. She had her hair in a ponytail held up by a sapphire scrunchie, and a gold crown with two ruby and sapphire gems apiece sat on top of her head.
Pauline reflected on her outfit, which consisted of a red sleeveless polo shirt with a zipper, black leggings held up by a thin purple belt, a red glove, a red newsboy hat with a black checkered pattern along the sides she nearly lost during the ride to the golf course, gold earrings, and a pair of white, red, and black golf cleats. She wondered if she should’ve worn a skirt herself, but she figured it was too late to do so now and besides, she can’t remember if she even packed one.
“Oh, thank you,” Peach accepted the compliment with a warm smile. “Did you just arrive?”
“Yes,” Pauline nodded her head.
“Good,” Peach said. “I’m glad there was no trouble. So, how was the trip?”
“It was nice,” Pauline answered. “The plane ride was uneventful. However, the ride here more than made up for it.”
“Oh,” Peach placed a hand over her mouth in amusement. “It appears it was your first experience in a kart. I hope the Toad I sent over wasn’t too bad of a driver.”
“Yeah, it caught me off guard at first, but the rest wasn’t too bad,” Pauline chuckled. “He was a jovial fellow. Really sweet and a pleasure to talk with.”
“That’s nice to hear. You’ll see that most of the Toads are like that. They’re really sweet, adorable, and welcoming. Sometimes I have to stop myself from picking them up and hugging the living daylights out of them.”
Pauline and Peach shared a giggle over the latter’s remarks. At least I’m not the only one, Pauline thought to herself.
“Although I can gush about my Toads all day, we better head inside and get your clubs. Besides, the other two are already here; we don’t want to keep them waiting.”
“Can’t disagree with that,” Pauline smiled and with that, the two women made their way to the clubhouse.
~~~
After taking care of the necessary sign-in procedures, Pauline and Peach made their way to the shop to pick up the former’s rental clubs. The bag was pretty light much to Pauline’s pleasant surprise, so lugging it around wouldn’t be too difficult. Also, Peach assured her the clubs were basic and easy to use, plus she would assist her in picking out the right one to use in certain situations. Although she was still a little apprehensive about the round, Pauline felt a little more optimistic since she appeared she would receive some guidance.
“Now that your clubs are taken care of, let’s go meet with the others!” Peach said cheerfully as she and Pauline made their way to the food court, where Peach’s friends were waiting.
“There they are!” Peach said as she spotted one of the ladies waving at them upon their arrival. She and Pauline made their way to the section where they were standing, and Pauline took the time to observe the two women.
The one who waved at them was a slightly tanned young woman with orangish-brown hair that curled up slightly past her shoulders underneath a golden crown similar to Peach’s, except hers had two flower shaped emeralds instead of sapphires. She was the shortest of the group although Pauline surmised that she was still taller than either of the Mario brothers. Her outfit was a bright yellow polo shirt with white accents, a white skort with yellow accents and two yellow and emerald flower shaped buttons held up by a thin dark orange belt, knee high orange socks with yellow stripes near the top, a white and orange glove, white and emerald flower shaped earrings, and a pair of white and orange cleats. A broad cheery smile lit up her face and accentuated her slightly chubby cheeks. Pauline had to admit she had a very pretty smile that could light up even the dreariest rooms.
The other woman was very tall, even taller than her, with waist length platinum blonde hair underneath a silver crown with two pink and two blue gems. The most notable thing about her hair was a large bang that shielded her right eye. She had on a pannier-styled turquoise dress that faded to white near the frilly bottom, golden star earrings, a small star brooch on the left of her chest, a turquoise and white glove, white tights, and a pair of turquoise and white cleats. She held a star-shaped wand in her non-gloved hand, which piqued Pauline’s curiosity. However, the main thing that caught her eye was that this woman was floating a few feet from the ground, making her wonder if she was some kind of wizard. The woman had a friendly yet aloof smile on her face. Regardless, she thought both women were very pretty. It also made her regret not wearing a skirt even more.
“Ladies,” Peach addressed the two with a smile, “this is Pauline, the mayor of New Donk City. She’s the one I talked about earlier this week. As you can see, she fortunately was free to join us today.” Pauline waved at them with a slightly apprehensive smile.
“Hi, I’m Daisy!” The one in yellow enthusiastically greeted the mayor.
Peach shook her head with an amused smile. “Pauline, the one in turquoise is Rosalina, the caretaker of the Lumas and protector of the cosmos.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Rosalina said with a smile.
“Likewise,” Pauline smiled back.
“And this little scamp,” Peach smirked as she placed her hand on Daisy’s shoulder, making the latter huff with a cute pout, “as she said, is Daisy, Princess of Sarasaland, although it doesn’t seem like it.”
“Aww Peach, you didn’t have to say that!” Daisy playfully whined, causing Pauline to chuckle inward.
“It’s nice to meet you, your Highness,” Pauline said as she bowed before Daisy since she was meeting her for the first time as she did with Peach. The next thing she knew, she felt her upper torso being squeezed hard, causing a breath she had no idea she was holding in abruptly exit her body. She lifted her head to see that Daisy was the reason she felt like a human sponge.
“Let’s get one thing straight here,” Daisy said with a beaming smile. “Daisy is just fine. No need for all this formal nonsense. In other words, none of this bowing or addressing me with titles such as your Highness; I get enough of that back home. Any friend of Peach is a friend of mine, understood?”
“Loud and clear,” Pauline gasped between breaths as she was still being hugged tightly.
“Good!” Daisy beamed as she let Pauline go, causing the mayor to place her hand over her chest while breathing hard. She eyed Pauline from head to toe before flashing another bright smile. “So, you’re Mario’s ex-girlfriend? Wow, you’re gorgeous!”
Pauline’s eyes widened as she felt her cheeks warm at Daisy’s unfiltered compliment. “Um, thanks, I guess.”
“No need to be modest, girl!” Daisy continued as an impish grin formed on her face when her eyes wandered to Pauline’s chest. “I bet you have to beat the guys off with a stick every time you step outside, especially with your curves and assets! No wonder Peach was concerned about you!”
“DAISY!” Peach exclaimed as her face flushed a dark pink. “Don’t you think you’re going too far? I’m pretty sure Pauline is quite uncomfortable with your words.”
“I just call them how I see them,” Daisy shrugged nonchalantly before wrapping an arm around Pauline’s shoulder. “Having said that, if you feel I’m making you uncomfortable, tell me to shut it. I’m a big girl; I can take it.”
Pauline looked at Daisy incredulously. The thought of her telling a princess to ‘shut it’ as Daisy eloquently put it was something she never considered. “I’ll…keep that in mind,” she said with an uneasy smile.
“Good. With that settled, I’m ready to launch some golf balls into orbit!” Daisy said effervescently. “I’ll meet everyone at the driving range!” She grabbed her golf bag and raced towards said driving range.
Peach facepalmed and amusingly shook her head before turning attention to Pauline. “I’m so sorry about that Pauline,” she said with a rueful smile. “Daisy is a good person who means well most of the time. However, as you experienced, she lacks a filter and can take some time to get used to if you know what I mean.”
“She is certainly a force of nature,” Pauline smiled as she shook her head. “I’m sure I’ll get used to her the more I hang around her.”
“That’s good to hear,” Peach said with an understanding smile. “With that out of the way, shall we head to the driving range? I can show you some pointers on how to swing a golf club before we hit the course.”
“I can use all the help I can get,” Pauline sighed jokingly. “Lead the way, Peach!”
“OK, as Mario would say, let’s-a go!” Peach giggled as she grabbed her golf bag.
A chuckle escaped from Pauline’s lips as she pulled the handle on her golf bag. As she did so, she spotted Rosalina with a hand over her mouth trying to hold in her laughter. She almost forgot the turquoise-clad woman was there, seeing that she was so quiet during the exchange with Daisy. Rosalina used her wand to levitate her bag in the air and follow her as she floated towards Pauline.
~~~
“You handled yourself well,” Rosalina said with a gentle smile as she placed her hand on Pauline’s shoulder. “It took me some time to get used to Daisy as well. As Peach said, however, she is a great and loyal friend who cares deeply for her loved ones. I hope you will see that someday.”
“Thanks, Rosalina,” Pauline returned the smile. “I’m sure I will at some point.” Rosalina only nodded her head in response as the three women made their way to the driving range to catch up with Daisy.
“Rosalina,” Pauline addressed the platinum blonde woman during the short trek. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
“Oh, what is it?” Rosalina asked with curiosity in both her face and voice.
“Peach said you were the caretaker of the Lumas. What are Lumas exactly?”
Rosalina’s eyes twinkled and face lit up at Pauline’s question. Her lips parted into a wide luminous smile, showing off a set of even snow-white teeth. These women have such beautiful smiles, Pauline thought to herself with some envy.
“Yes, Lumas are these adorable star creatures who live in space,” Rosalina beamed, being the most animated Pauline has seen her thus far. “They are very sweet and friendly, often the very best part of my day. You can’t help but feel positive around them. I’m sure you would love them should you see them. Maybe I’ll bring some the next time I visit.”
“I would love to meet them,” Pauline grinned. From Rosalina’s facial expressions and how she spoke about them, she knew the Lumas were something she was passionate about. Suddenly, her jaw slightly dropped, and her eyes widened some. “Wait a second. You said they live in space. Does that mean you’re from outer space as well?”
“That is correct,” Rosalina nodded her head. “I live in a space station called the Comet Observatory. It’s like a hub that connects multiple galaxies. I can show it to you some time.”
“That would be great,” Pauline said before her brow furrowed. “Going back to the Lumas, you’re their protector, so I assume they have some importance in the world.”
For the rest of the trip Rosalina explained the roles the Lumas played in the universe. One that really caught Pauline’s attention was how they transformed into planets or even galaxies once they came of age. The thought of the Lumas turning into something devoid of sentience and life saddened Pauline some. Rosalina picked up on the feeling and assured her that the Lumas know of their destiny and are glad to provide life to other living organisms. She also explained she was crestfallen when she first learned about their fates and cried when the first few had to transform, but it was the Lumas who cheered her up before their time came. Now it’s bittersweet for her.
The more Rosalina spoke of the Lumas, the more fascinated Pauline was. Although she was enraptured by Rosalina’s regaling talk, she noticed Peach smiling warmly despite not saying anything the whole time. It appeared the princess was happy she and Rosalina were getting along so well, and that made her chest fill with warmth.
Upon reaching the driving range, Pauline saw Daisy waiting for them with her arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently. The sight nearly made her laugh, but she held it in as not to risk any potential reaction.
“Geez, what took y’all so long?” Daisy complained as she mimicked a watch-checking action. “I was starting to get grey hairs from waiting. Well, whatever, everyone’s here now. Let’s start whacking golf balls all over the place.” The other women rolled their eyes before following Daisy into the building to get some golf balls.
“Pauline,” Peach placed her hand on her shoulder and lowered her voice, “I should warn you ahead of time. Daisy is, how to put this, an extremely competitive person. You will see a side of her that is very unbecoming of a lady let alone a princess. She may say some things that are unpolite to say the least. Try not to take any of it personally if possible.”
“Thanks for the heads up, Peach,” Pauline said with a grateful smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Peach nodded her head as she removed her hand from Pauline’s shoulder. “OK, time to start practicing our golf swings.” Everyone grabbed their buckets of golf balls and clubs as they walked towards the practice tees.
The four women spent the next half hour hitting golf balls as far as they could on the range. As promised, Pauline received some lessons from Peach on how to properly wield a club and strike a ball from the tee. After many unsuccessful attempts – some of which included missing the ball entirely and losing grip of her club, nearly hitting an unsuspecting guest – Pauline was able to get some nice drives in. Although she knew she wasn’t ready to challenge the professionals any time soon, she felt more confident than she did at the beginning of the day. In fact, she looked forward to playing on the course to see how much she learned.
One thing Pauline noticed during practice was Rosalina using her wand to swing the club instead of physically doing it herself. That concerned her because it made her wonder if the space wizard wasn’t above using magic to give herself an advantage such as ball placement. However, Peach assured her that Rosalina wouldn’t abuse her powers like that. To her credit, Rosalina didn’t use her wand when the ball was in the air nor on the ground, so that made her relax some.
Another notable thing was her witnessing some of Daisy’s fiery competitiveness firsthand. She held nothing back when it came to getting her reps in. She turned every swing into a competition to see who could hit the ball the farthest. Whenever someone hit a longer drive, she immediately tried to outdo it and wouldn’t rest until she succeeded. In addition, she experienced Daisy’s exuberant trash talk and celebratory dances each time she hit a far shot. There was one shot that struck a poor Koopa on his shell as he was retrieving the balls from the range, resulting in him shooting a death glare in Daisy’s direction. Daisy’s apologetic smile and wave nearly made Pauline laugh out loud, but she once again kept it in check. Eventually, the other women allowed Daisy to have the longest drive just so they wouldn’t be at the range all day, which of course came with an over-the-top celebration from the Sarasaland princess.
~~~
“So, how are you feeling?” Peach asked as they walked from the range after returning their buckets.
“I feel fine,” Pauline answered with a tiny smile. “I don’t know how I’ll do on the actual course, but I’m looking forward to it.”
“Good,” Peach smiled. “We’ll stop at the food court to get some drinks before we hit the course.”
Upon arriving at the food court, each woman grabbed a bottle of water and sat at a table while awaiting their tee times. Most of the time spent was Daisy and Rosalina trying to get to know Pauline better, with Daisy being the most inquisitive. Some of the questions were rather intrusive, but Pauline answered them as poised as possible. Daisy asked a very personal question about her and Mario’s relationship; fortunately, Peach intervened and informed everyone it was almost time to go to the golf course. Pauline mouthed a thank you to Peach as everyone got up and prepared to walk toward the first hole.
“My, my, my, what do we have here?!”
All four women turned their attention in the direction the nasally high-pitched voice came from. The source was a tall gangly man with a pink aquiline nose, sharp handlebar mustache, pointy chin, and large elfish ears. His outfit consisted of a purple fedora with a red rose and yellow, inverted, and upside-down ‘L’, a gray and white striped long sleeved dress shirt underneath a purple vest, a purple and white glove, purple pants, and a pair of purple and white pointed golf cleats. He flashed the ladies a toothy smile that looked more like a lecherous sneer, which made Pauline recoil some.
“Ugh, Waluigi,” Daisy muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes.
“I must have hit my head and landed in the Overthere because I’m in the presence of four beautiful angels,” Waluigi said. With a slight wave of his hand, four red roses materialized from thin air and into the same hand. He handed each of the women a rose, which they, except for Daisy, reluctantly accepted.
“Oh, um, thank you,” Peach said with a strained yet polite smile.
“It’s always a pleasure, my lovely,” Waluigi bowed. He then turned his attention to Daisy, who appeared to be reaching for a club in her bag. Undeterred, he wiggled his eyebrows at her before closing the space between the two.
“So, how have you been beautiful?” He flirted while reaching for her hand, which she sharply withdrew. Unfortunately for him, Daisy refused to acknowledge his presence. However, that didn't deter him in the slightest.
“Aww, don’t be like that my beloved flower, although you’re pretty cute when you’re angry,” Waluigi grinned. He waved his hand again, causing a bouquet of roses to appear. He tried to give them to Daisy, but she huffed and turned away from him with her arms crossed.
“Waluigi, you nincompoop! What do you think you’re doing?!” A deep gruff voice shouted.
Pauline and the others turned their attention to the new voice. They saw a short portly man with a large pink nose, jagged dark mustache, elfish ears, cleft chin, and perma-sneer displaying large blocky teeth waddle in their direction. He wore a yellow cowboy hat with a purple ribbon and a blue ‘W’ on it, a yellow and purple polo shirt, a purple and yellow glove, yellow and purple checkered pants held up by a black belt with a gold buckle, and green pointed golf cleats. He carried a plate stacked with garlic fries. She wasn’t a person to judge someone before knowing them; however, Pauline took an immediate dislike to this man.
“Aw geez Wario,” Waluigi whined as the bouquet of roses vanished from his hand. “I was just talking to these beautiful women.”
“Eh, whatever,” Wario nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. He opened his mouth wide and tossed all of the garlic fries inside, swallowing them whole. A loud long belch followed shortly after, making the women crinkle their noses in disgust at his lack of manners. It was so powerful Pauline pressed her hands to her stomach in an attempt to not vomit from the vapors of his rancid breath.
“Man, that was good,” Wario rubbed his rotund belly with great satisfaction before turning his attention to Waluigi. “If you’re done embarrassing yourself, our round is about to start. We have some people to cheat-” He paused when he noticed Peach and Daisy glaring at him with their hands on their hips. “Err, I meant play. That’s right play. Ah, forget it! Let’s go!” He forcefully grabbed Waluigi by the wrist and literally dragged him towards the golf course entrance where two Toads awaited them.
“Just so you know, I’m dedicating my victory to you, my beloved flower,” Waluigi said as he blew a kiss with his free hand in Daisy’s direction as Wario continued to drag him down the path.
“Well, that was rather…interesting,” Pauline said with an amused smile. She turned her head towards Daisy. “It appears that man is rather smitten with you.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Daisy said as she frowned disapprovingly. However, that was short lived as the frown turned into a grin. “Besides, there’s someone else I’m interested in, but enough about that. I’m ready to hit the course. So, who’s ready to lose?!” She grabbed her golf bag and sprinted towards the entrance.
Pauline chuckled to herself as she watched Daisy race towards the golf course. While doing so, she felt someone softly placing a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to see Peach smiling warmly at her, which made her smile in return.
“So, this is it,” Peach said with her smile intact. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I’m going to be,” Pauline answered truthfully. She felt a pack of butterflies floating in her stomach due to how nervous she was. At the same time, however, she was excited to put the practice she received from the driving range into action.
“Good,” Peach said. Her smile slowly morphed into a small frown. “However, I think we should keep an eye on Wario and Waluigi. I have a feeling those two are up to no good.”
“Yes, that would be wise,” Rosalina chimed in.
“So, who are those two?” Pauline asked.
“Oh, they’re a couple of guys who enjoy causing mischief,” Peach sighed. “Once in a while they’ll do something good, but it’s only for their own selfish reasons. You heard what Wario said, right?”
“About them planning to cheat when golfing with those Toads,” Pauline said.
Peach nodded her head. “Those two aren’t above doing anything to get the upper hand, so I want to make sure they don’t do anything to those Toads if I can.”
“I’m sure we’ll do so,” Rosalina assured her as she placed a hand on Peach’s shoulder. “However, we mustn’t forget to enjoy ourselves either.”
“Yes, you’re right, Rosalina,” Peach said as she smiled again while wrapping her arms around Pauline and Rosalina. “Let’s go before Daisy scolds us again.” The three women laughed amongst themselves as they made their way towards the first hole.
~~~
Pauline made sure to take in the sight and the scent of the cut grass as she, Peach, and Rosalina arrived at the first tee where Daisy unsurprisingly was waiting impatiently. As she did at the driving range, the Sarasaland princess had her arms crossed and foot tapping rapidly with a pout on her face.
“I swear, y’all must enjoy taking your time and making me wait,” Daisy smiled wryly. “I think I’m developing crow’s feet around my eyes.”
“I’m sure you are, Daisy,” Peach playfully rolled her eyes as she placed a hand on Daisy’s shoulder. “Although that may be an improvement.”
“Very funny, Peach,” Daisy smirked as everyone shared a laugh over Peach’s joke. Peach’s face became serious as she focused her attention on Daisy.
“Daisy,” Peach began, “did you see Wario and Waluigi when you arrived by any chance?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Daisy shook her head. “They had already teed off by the time I got here. Why do you ask?”
“I see,” Peach frowned slightly. “I just wanted to keep an eye on them because of what Wario said. I want to make sure those two don’t do anything sneaky with those Toads.”
Daisy placed a hand on Peach’s shoulder and gave her a comforting smile. “I’m sure the Toads will be just fine. However, I know how much you care for them, so I’ll certainly help regarding those two. They’ll wish they were never born if I catch them in any act.” She grabbed a club and swung it with some exaggerated facial expressions, making the other women laugh.
“Thanks, Daisy,” Peach smiled after she finished laughing. “I can always count on you.”
“You better believe it!” Daisy winked with a huge grin. “Now, I say we get started!” She turned her attention to Pauline after she placed a ball and tee in the ground. “I’ll go first. This way Pauline can see how a pro whacks an opening tee shot!”
Pauline gave her a cheeky thumbs up before turning her attention to Peach and Rosalina. The former rolled her eyes with a wry smile, and the latter shook her head in amusement. She returned her attention to Daisy who was just about ready to take her first swing. She observed the Sarasaland princess while taking mental notes on her stance and technique. After a couple of practice swings, Daisy swung the wedge as hard as she could, sending the ball flying violently through the air in a low arc. A few seconds later, the ball landed in the middle of the fairway.
“Ha!” Daisy said triumphantly while turning her head to face the other woman with another huge grin. “See Pauline; that’s how it’s done!” Pauline only nodded her head in acknowledgement.
Peach was next to take her shot. Before doing so however, she took out a pink marker and wrote a capital ‘P’ on her golf ball. “Just making sure I know which ball is mine before taking my shot,” she said with a close-eyed smile.
“Ugh, I forgot to do that!” Daisy facepalmed. “At least we all know mine will be unmarked. I’ll mark it after we finish the first hole.”
Not wanting to make the same mistake Daisy did, Pauline and Rosalina followed suit and marked their balls. Pauline wrote a capital ‘P’ with a black marker while Rosalina drew an uppercase ‘R’ with a turquoise one. Pauline made a mental note to bring a red marker next time she goes golfing.
Peach placed her ball on the tee and got into her swing stance. As she did with Daisy, Pauline took mental notes on Peach’s posture and form. From her amateurish observation, Peach had a more elegant approach than Daisy, which didn’t surprise her in the slightest. Peach struck the ball with not as much force as Daisy, and her shot had a sharper arc. Eventually, the ball landed a few feet short of Daisy’s but still comfortably in the middle of the fairway. Peach turned to face the women with another close-eyed smile, with this one being more of contentment.
“That went better than I thought,” Peach said with her smile still intact. “Rosalina, I believe it’s your turn now.”
“Yes,” Rosalina nodded her head as she used her wand to select the driving wedge from her bag and place her tee and ball on the ground. As she did at the driving range, Rosalina used her wand to strike the ball. Despite that, she didn’t use her wand to manipulate the ball while it was in the air. It landed a few inches farther than Daisy’s but in the semi-rough outside of the fairway.
“Oh well, I’ll have to do better next time,” Rosalina said with a slight shrug and smile before floating back towards the others.
With everyone taking their shots, it was finally Pauline’s turn. After placing her ball on the tee, she tried to emulate Daisy and Peach as she got into a golf stance. Upon getting into what she felt was a comfortable one and having a few practice swings, she took a deep breath as she brought her wedge over her head. She tried to recall the lessons she received from Peach at the driving range as she prepared to strike the ball. Unfortunately, the first swing didn’t go as planned as she completely missed the ball. To make matters worse, she swung her wedge so hard she nearly made herself dizzy. She felt her cheeks burn slightly while regaining her balance.
“It’s OK girl; you’re doing just fine!” Daisy shouted in support.
“Just relax and take your time,” Peach said in support.
“You can do it,” Rosalina encouraged her.
The heat in Pauline’s cheeks increased as she smiled at the encouragement she received from the women. Feeling a little more confident, she returned to her golf stance to take another shot. She slowed down her approach as she raised the wedge over her head again. With a determined look in her eyes, she swung again but not only did she whiff a second time, she lost the grip of her wedge. It flew backwards and nearly smacked Daisy in the nose. Fortunately, Daisy had quick reflexes and dodged the wedge before it could do any damage.
“Dang girl, don’t go messing up my good looks now!” Daisy joked. “I’m not trying to have plastic surgery!”
“Sorry,” Pauline apologized meekly with her face burning in embarrassment. Her head was lowered in defeat when a hand gently massaged her shoulder. She looked up to see Peach with a concerned look on her face.
“Dearie, are you OK?” Peach asked. “I understand if you don’t want to do this anymore.”
“No, it’s OK,” Pauline sighed. “It’s just that this is harder than I thought.”
Peach nodded her head in understanding. “Golf is a difficult activity to learn at first. All of us made mistakes at some point. I nearly gave myself a concussion when I took my first swing.” She chuckled at the memory.
“And I actually hit my instructor in his gonads,” Daisy laughed as she gently slapped Pauline’s other shoulder.
“I faceplanted my first time,” Rosalina smiled. “As Peach said, we’ve all been there before. However, the important thing is not only do we learn from our mistakes, we use them to become better. I’m sure you will do the same.”
Pauline smiled as tears threatened to form in her eyes. These women really are incredible, she thought to herself. “Thanks everyone, I needed that.”
“Hey, that’s what friends do,” Daisy smiled as she slapped Pauline on the shoulder again, causing the mayor to stagger some. She chuckled remorsefully at her actions. “Sorry about that. Also, I’m sorry if I make you feel uncomfortable back there.”
“Oh, it’s no big deal,” Pauline assured her. She turned her attention to her ball, which was still sitting on the tee with a renewed determination. “Alright, I’m ready to do this!”
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Daisy cheered as she handed Pauline her wedge back. “Now go show that golf ball who’s boss!”
Pauline chuckled as she approached the tee. She got into her stance more confident than before and brought the wedge over her head the third time. She brought the wedge down with determined force, and this time she struck the ball while maintaining her grip. The ball flew in a flat arc and seemed it would go a long way. However, it landed in a bunker a few yards shorter than the other balls. She sighed and shook her head with a wry smile.
“Hey, you did great,” Peach said as she placed her hand on Pauline’s shoulder blade. “Let’s go take our second shots.” Pauline and the others smiled as they hopped in the golf carts rented from the first hole towards their golf balls.
~~~
Peach was kind enough to explain the rules to Pauline as they went during the first hole. She told her what pars are, how score was kept, and handicaps. Since Pauline was a beginner, everyone agreed not to use their handicaps this round but made sure to remember them next time. Rosalina was put in charge of scorekeeping since she had the best memory of anyone.
Everyone reached the green with their second shots except for Pauline, whose shot ended a few yards short thanks to the lack of level ground in the sand trap. Peach and Daisy got birdies, while Rosalina ended up with a par due to missing her initial putt. Unfortunately, Pauline scored a double bogey thanks to her poor shots and her inexperience of using a putter.
“Oops, we should’ve had you practice putting before starting our round,” Peach chuckled apologetically.
“It’s OK, Peach,” Pauline smiled. “There’s always next time.”
The next few holes were more of the same. Pauline struggled some as she was still learning how to swing a club and where to aim. One thing she did have was guidance from Peach on which club to use per situation, which made her shots less embarrassing. Speaking of Peach, the lead oscillated between her and Daisy as both women were on top of their games. Rosalina was in the middle between Pauline and the two princesses. One notable occurrence was one of Daisy’s shots hitting a tree trunk, knocking her ball into some deep rough. To say she wasn’t pleased would be a great understatement. She unleashed a string of strong expletives from her mouth that would make the most foulmouthed New Donker blush. Pauline did everything in her power to avoid Daisy while stifling her laughter.
One thing Pauline observed was how different everyone’s approaches were. Daisy primarily focused on hitting the ball as hard and far as she could. Peach’s game was more finesse, as she relied more on aim and ball placement. Rosalina just used her wand to swing her club and accepted where the ball landed. Since she was still new to the game, Pauline didn’t have her own style yet. However, she decided she wanted to be a hybrid of Peach and Daisy. She wanted to improve her technique first, then concentrate on distance. She still struggled as she went along; however, there was an event that she would never forget.
It was during the 16th hole, which was a Par 3. After lifting the club over her head, Pauline hit what she thought was her best tee shot of the round. The ball landed on the green a few feet short of the hole but kept rolling towards it. Her heart rate increased as she watched the ball continue its path towards the hole. Her eyes widened as the ball slowed down some, and it appeared it would stop just short of the hole. It appeared to stop right on the brim; however, it tilted towards the opening before falling in, giving her a hole-in-one. As much as she tried to resist it, a huge grin broke out on her face as she placed her hand over her heart.
“Wow, that was amazing!” Peach exclaimed as she excitedly wrapped Pauline in a tight side hug.
“Congratulations, Pauline!” Rosalina smiled as she placed her hand on Pauline’s shoulder.
Pauline turned her head to Daisy to gauge her reaction, and what she saw nearly made her laugh. The Sarasaland princess’s jaw was open in disbelief for a few seconds before snapping it shut. She shook her head before a small scowl appeared in her features.
“Beginner’s luck,” Daisy muttered under her breath, causing everyone to stare at her. Daisy noticed it and rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish grin. “I-I mean way to go, girl! That was one heck of a shot!” She patted Pauline hard on the back, making the mayor flinch, before grabbing her clubs and hopping into her cart.
“Don’t worry too much about her,” Peach assured Pauline after Daisy sped her way to the green. “She’s just jealous. She has never had a hole-in-one before.”
“Oh, that’s good to know,” Pauline said as the remaining women got into their carts and made their way towards the green.
~~~
Eventually, everyone reached the final hole, which turned out to be a Par 5. According to the scores, Peach and Daisy were tied for the lead, while Rosalina was five strokes behind and Pauline not anywhere close. Everyone managed to land on the green after their third shots, causing them to celebrate together.
“So, how do you like golfing so far?” Peach asked Pauline as they drove towards the green.
“To be honest, it’s been frustrating at times,” Pauline answered. “However, it’s also been a lot of fun. I can say I really enjoyed myself.”
“That’s great to hear,” Peach smiled.
“CHEATERS!” a familiar high-pitched male voice screeched through the air.
“Uh oh, sounds like trouble,” Peach frowned as she sped up towards the hole with everyone right behind her. Upon reaching the hole, they saw Waluigi shooting daggers at the Toads who accompanied him and Wario.
“Hey, we beat you fair and square!” one of the Toads said, not flinching.
“There’s no way you won fairly!” Waluigi shot back. “No pipsqueak mushroom is better than Waluigi in golf or anything else for that matter!”
“Says the person who used underhanded tactics to put his ball in a better position while thinking no one noticed,” the other Toad retorted. “And you have the gall to accuse anyone else of cheating!”
“Grrr,” Waluigi growled as he lifted the Toad by the collar of his vest, causing the latter to gulp in fear. “I dare you to say that again!”
“Why, that jerk!” Daisy yelled as she grabbed her wedge from her bag and exited her cart.
“Daisy, wait!” Peach called out, which made Daisy stop in her tracks. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“What does it look like!” Daisy replied with anger etched on her face. “I’m going to teach that douchebag a lesson by using his head as a tee shot!”
“Hold on a minute,” Peach said. “Let’s wait and see what will happen first. If things escalate, we’ll then step in.”
“But Peach…” Daisy started.
“Hey, put my friend down you big bully!” the Toad that wasn’t being held shouted before headbutting Waluigi hard in the shin.
“Owwww!” Waluigi roared as he dropped the Toad and grabbed his aching shin in pain. He hopped around the green not paying attention to anything around him, which caused him to bump into Wario – who stood and watch the argument while picking his nose – and knocked both men into the water hazard next to the green.
“Watch where you’re going you idiot!” Wario yelled after smacking Waluigi in the back of his head, knocking his fedora off in the process.
“S-Sorry about that, Wario,” Waluigi stuttered as he picked up his hat. Since it was wet, he didn’t put it back on his head. As both he and Wario tried to stand up, the Toads stood at the edge of the pond while staring holes into the two men.
“Since we beat you, it’s time to pay up,” the Toad who headbutted Waluigi in the shin said.
“And what if we don’t?!” Wario challenged them while staring back.
“Well, then we have a problem on our hands,” the other Toad said as both Toads grabbed their driving wedges from their bags. “And by we, that means you two!”
“H-Hey, I’m sure we can work things out!” Waluigi pleaded as he and Wario backed away from the approaching Toads. Both men were able to get on their feet and ran from the Toads, who gave chase until everyone were out of sight.
“It looks like everything worked out after all,” Daisy said as she tried to hold in her laughter.
“Still, better make sure no one gets hurt, even Wario or Waluigi,” Peach frowned slightly. “But that can wait till later. We still have a round to finish.”
After the four women found their golf balls, they decided Pauline would be the first to putt. Although she improved her golf drives, putting was an area she still struggled at. Most of the struggles came from the slopes and direction. There were a few times she putted the ball straight only for it to curve away from the hole. It even cost her a few birdies. On this hole, however, it appeared the green was even, so it would be safe to putt straight. She guessed she was about fifteen feet away from the hole; therefore, this wouldn’t be too difficult for her. Upon getting into her putting stance, she tapped the ball with enough force to travel the distance it needed. The ball easily sank into the hole for the birdie and although she still finished with a high score, she was happy she ended the round on a positive note.
“Great job,” Rosalina congratulated her with a smile and pat on the shoulder. “You did well for the first time.” The other two women nodded their heads in agreement.
“Thanks, Rosalina,” Pauline smiled.
Rosalina nodded her head in return before she approached her ball. She tapped her putter with the wand and was also able to birdie the final hole. She smiled contently as she retrieved her ball from the hole.
Daisy was next to putt, and her ball was twelve feet away. With a confident smile, she hit the ball. However, she put too much power on it, and as a result the ball hit the edge of the hole before shooting a few feet left. With a frustrated putt, she tapped the ball in for an unsatisfying par. She sighed in disappointment after grabbing her ball.
Finally, Peach was up to putt. With Daisy settling for par, she would win this round with a birdie. Her ball was approximately ten feet away, so the putt wasn’t difficult in theory. Taking a deep breath and tuning out Daisy’s taunts, Peach struck the ball with gentle force. She along with everyone else watched as the ball rolled towards its destination. It landed in the hole with zero struggle, causing Peach to celebrate mildly. She took her ball out of the hole and turned to face Daisy.
“Oh, did I win?” she sweetly asked with a saccharine smile as she batted her eyes.
Daisy gritted her teeth as she stared daggers at Peach. However, she took a breath and calmed down. “Great game, Peach,” she smiled. “I’ll get you next time.”
Pauline stood and witnessed the banter between the two princesses with a smile. As she watched on, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Rosalina who wore a peaceful smile. Pauline returned the smile before both women turned their attention to see Peach and Daisy hug after their playful back and forth.
~~~
“I had a great time this afternoon, but I must head back to the Observatory,” Rosalina smiled as everyone gathered at the clubhouse entrance. “I’m sure Polari will be relieved.”
“Who’s Polari?” Pauline asked.
“He’s an elder Luma who is my most trusted advisor,” Rosalina answered. “He most likely has his hands full with the younger Lumas. I better not keep him waiting much longer. It was nice meeting you, Pauline.” She hugged Pauline, who happily returned the hug. She then shared hugs with Daisy and Peach before speaking to the latter. “Thank you for inviting me for this outing.”
“Anytime, Rosalina,” Peach smiled.
“Until next time, take care ladies,” Rosalina smiled as she used her wand to summon a large spinning star. She waved to the women one last time before entering the star, which in turn launched her into the sky at an alarmingly rapid rate.
Pauline’s jaw dropped in awe after Rosalina was out of sight, for seeing someone torpedoed into the sky in such a manner was something she clearly had never witnessed before. She was snapped out of her stupor by a hand being placed on her shoulder.
“Be careful, girl! You don’t want flies flying in your mouth, do ya?” Daisy joked as Pauline turned her head to face her. “Gotta love those Launch Stars.”
“Launch Stars?” Pauline’s brow furrowed.
Daisy nodded her head. “They’re a fast, convenient way to travel through space. They seem scary at first; however, they’re a lot of fun once you get used to them.”
“I see. So that’s how you travel into space.”
“Pretty much outside of having a spaceship. Why?”
“Rosalina invited me to see the Comet Observatory one day. It looks like I’ll have to steer myself to look forward to it.”
“It’s not that bad,” Peach said as she approached her and Daisy. “Like Daisy said, they’re a lot of fun. Having your hair flow into the breeze and watching the stars blur past you is a great experience. I have a feeling you’ll like it once you use one.”
“I’ll take both of your words for it,” Pauline smiled.
“So, what do you plan to do now?” Daisy asked.
“I’ll be staying with Peach overnight and head back to New Donk City tomorrow morning,” Pauline answered. The next thing she knew, she felt herself being crushed by a large hug.
“That’s great!” Daisy exclaimed. “I’m staying with Peach overnight as well! We can have a slumber party and get to know each other more. We’ll eat plenty of junk food and gossip about anything we can think of. This is so exciting!”
“I-I’m sure it will be,” Pauline gasped as Daisy’s hug made it difficult for her to breathe.
“Daisy, don’t you think you should let her go now?” Peach laughed as she put a hand on Daisy’s back.
“Oh yeah, sorry Pauline,” Daisy smiled as she released Pauline from her bear hug.
“So, are we ready to leave?” Peach asked.
“I’m ready when everyone else is!” Daisy answered enthusiastically.
“Yeah, I’m ready,” Pauline replied.
“OK,” Peach said as she turned to Pauline. “Wait right here. I’ll go grab my kart. You’ll ride with me.” She smiled softly before leaving to grab her kart.
“I guess I’ll meet y’all the castle,” Daisy smiled before following Peach into the parking lot.
Standing alone, Pauline reflected on the day. It was certainly one she enjoyed and honestly one she desperately needed after a pretty rough week in New Donk City. She enjoyed the golf round and more importantly, she made some new friends while doing so. She felt out of place being among these women seeing two are princesses and one being a space wizard; however, they were all very friendly and accepted her into their clique without prejudice. She was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Peach call from her kart. With her luggage in tow, she approached the kart as she looked towards what was next in her day. As she did so, Daisy stopped parallel to Peach's cart and challenged her to a race to the castle. Peach declined, stating that Pauline was riding with her. Daisy mock pouted before racing out of the parking lot, making Peach facepalm and Pauline laugh.
Speaking of Daisy, one thing Pauline would definitely ask her when she got to the castle is who was the guy she talked about earlier.