The Gift

I watched her that night, peering through balcony window, the moon concealed under dark clouds.

I hadn't meant to choose her, at first. My thoughts had been to transfer this 'gift' to one who was strong enough to handle it. Gift…I laugh when I think of this as nothing less than a curse. It was not a gift to live as I did.

As I watched her roll over in her sleep, I stared through the glass at that face and I felt hesitant. She looked so peaceful, and innocent. Did I really have the heart to do what I was about to do? Could I really make her into a monster?

I sat with my back to the glass, my heart beating fast in my chest. I was so hungry, I felt faint but hopeful. Tears rolled down my face when I thought of the future. Finally I would be free of this curse. After so long of this suffrage, I would finally be rid of it.

It will be worth it, I had told myself; I thought about how wonderful it would be to finally be able to go home to my family…to finally be able to hug my mother without wanting to tear into her body with my teeth.

"Yes." I had smiled at the thought, the moonlight shining down on my face, as if the heavens themselves approved of my decision, "She will do."

I carefully opened the glass doors leading from the balcony and into her room, my bare feet quiet on her plush carpet. I cautiously stepped over to her bed, and stared down at her sleeping form.

She was beautiful, her long blonde hair falling in soft waves over her shoulder. I touched one curl lightly with my finger, hating my own dirty black locks. Why had I picked her? Was it because I envied her? Did I hate her for who she was?

No. Not at all. It was because of what she was. She was human, like me, and we are so few in this world. This curse can only be transferred from human to human; no other species can be affected by it.

I'm sorry, I thought as I bent down, tucking my hair behind my ear, lest it fall down on her face and awaken her, but I have no choice. You have had your loved ones, and a great life. Now it is my turn.

I bent down, feeling my canines lengthen, coming out of my gums like sheathed swords. I pushed her hair back, away from her neck, and with a quick movement, my teeth were buried into her soft skin.

The girl's eyes flashed open, and she stared up at the ceiling, her blue eyes wide in fear, then they dimmed, and I knew that my poison was taking effect. She would not remember anything in the morning.

As I pulled away seconds later, my work done, I felt happiness rush through me, flooding over the guilt at what I had done. I thought of my mother, and my little sister, and how happy they would be when I returned…finally, after five years!

With a smile spreading over my face I walked quickly to the balcony doors, stopping once to glance behind me at the girl on the bed, her eyes closed now, sleeping again. Later on I would regret what I had done, but for now, I was glad. Soon I was climbing down the stonewall, and in minutes my feet had hit the ground.

I gazed up at the balcony I had left, and I thought of the hardships the girl would endure, "Oh Grambi, please forgive me." With those final words I disappeared into the darkness of the trees, never to return again.

00oo00oo00oo00

Princess Peach woke up with a long yawn. She sat up slowly in bed, brushing out her blond hair behind her with a hand, and sat there for a while. Usually she would be jumping out of bed and hurrying downstairs to get on with her day, but she felt tired, as if it was still nighttime instead of fresh dawn.

I went to bed early last night. I shouldn't be this tired. Peach yawned again, putting a hand over her mouth, maybe some coffee will help?

With a small sigh, she slipped her legs over her bed and put on her slippers. Peach went into her bathroom and brushed out her long hair, then washed her face. When she finished, the princess began applying powder and lipstick.

Soon she was in her usual pink attire, and slipping on her high-heeled shoes.

I'll probably feel more energized after breakfast, she told herself.

"Good morning Peach." Toadsworth greeted her as she stepped into the dining room.

"Morning Toadsworth." Peach started across the hall, to the long dining room table, her heels clicking as she walked. She took a seat and a servant began filling up her glass with lemonade, her usual favorite thing to drink in the morning, "May I have some coffee with this please?" Peach asked the toad server, who nodded in response.

"Coffee?" Toadsworth sat down his glass of orange juice, "My, you usually don't drink it, why the change?"

"I'm just tired, that's all." Peach nibbled delicately on a piece of toast, trying hard not to get any crumbs on her blouse.

"If you start feeling sick, just let me know." Her advisor told her kindly, forking a sausage on his plate.

Peach smiled and returned to eating her meal. When a servant brought her coffee, she thanked her and blew into the cup, trying to take away some of the heat before she tried to drink it. When it was cool enough to consume, Peach drank it all down, sighing softly when she sat the empty cup onto the table.

Much better.

After breakfast, the princess bid Toadsworth a good day, and went upstairs to check herself in the mirror. Today she was going with Daisy to the park, the girl had called her last night, excited to show her something. Probably some new sport she discovered, Peach thought with an amused smile. Daisy was the sporty one, Peach enjoyed them too of course, but Daisy loved them the most.

After putting her hair up in a high ponytail, smiling at her pale but lively reflection, the princess left her room.

00oo00oo00oo00

Daisy had a hold of her hand, the perky brunette dragging her excitedly down the sidewalk, giving her little time to admire the different types of flowers or all the unique kites soaring through the sky, little toad children hanging on, bright smiles on their faces.

"Where are we going?" Peach asked, stepping over a large hole in the sidewalk, almost losing a heel in the last one.

"This way." Daisy said, "You'll think it's cool, trust me."

Peach just rolled her eyes good naturedly, smiling as a blue butterfly tickled her cheek. The air was fresh, and she loved the feel of the wind tugging at her hair. Today is a perfect day for a picnic; I may invite Mario and his brother to one this afternoon.

"Here we are." Daisy had pulled her up to what appeared to be some sort of covered wagon cart like thing. It was made of red wood, and had a curtain over its middle where the opening was, like a wagon that sold wares. Next to the wagon was a small sign, a rock at its bottom so that the wind did not blow it over that read in fancy script: Fortunes and Fancy.

Peach gave her cousin an odd look, "Daisy…what are we doing here?"

"Just a sec!" Daisy knocked on the side of the wagon, "Hello? Miss, are you here? It's me, Daisy. We talked yesterday."

The curtain then rose and a head looked out the window of the cart. The person was an old koopa woman, with a lacy purple scarf hanging off her neck. The most interesting detail that Peach could see was that this koopa had very dark eyes, the darkest she had ever seen on a koopa, they were a midnight blue.

"You the girl from yesterday?" The koopa scrunched up her eyes, as if she had difficulty seeing, "The one who is matched with the green man."

Peach raised an eyebrow and stared at Daisy who blushed, "What?"

Daisy laughed, "This lady tells fortunes! She told mine, now it's your turn."

Count on Daisy to find something weird to do on a pretty day, Peach thought with a smile. She looked back at the koopa woman, who was examining her form from the window.

"I suppose I'll give it a try." Peach stepped up to the window, "May I have my fortune please?"

"Certainly, it cost three coins. Five for love advice on par with the future." The koopa held out a clawed hand, and Peach dropped three coins into her palm. When the woman had taken them, she left the window and returned with a small glass ball, ebony in color, with a soft green hue at the top where the sun hit it, "Alright, let us begin."

The koopa grabbed Peach's hand quickly, startling the girl who let out a small gasp. The fortune teller's hands were very cold, and she held on tight enough that her very bones seemed to be touched by ice, "Tell me your name, your full name please. Clearly."

Peach swallowed, "I am Peach Toadstool."

"Yes. Yes you are." The koopa mumbled as she stared into the orb in front of her, "Now, close your eyes, empty your mind."

Peach did as she said, feeling a bit nervous. What would the woman say? Would she make up something small and they would move on? Or would she tell her of some tragedy that would happen soon? What am I thinking? This is just fun and games; there is nothing serious about fortune telling. It's entertainment, right?

She didn't know how long she had stood there but soon she felt like she was suddenly in a dark room, maybe the sun had been hidden under some clouds? Peach shivered as a cold breeze touched her, hugging her free arm to her chest.

"Impossible."

Peach opened her eyes, a frown on her face. The koopa was staring down into her ball, a look of disbelief on her face, "What's wrong?"

The fortuneteller looked up, a grim look in her eyes, "You have a very interesting aura, it is a mixture of both light…and darkness."

"D-darkness?" Peach said with wide eyes, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Daisy stepped up, "Hey, this is supposed to be fun, don't scare Peach please."

The koopa smacked Daisy's hand off the edge of her window lightly, earning a glare from the Sarasaland princess, "Do not belittle the forces at work here. This is a serious line of work."

"Whatever lady." Daisy mumbled, an annoyed look on her face. She grabbed onto Peach's hand, "I'm sorry Peach for wasting your time. Let's go somewhere else."

"No!" The koopa quickly grabbed onto Peach's hand, her face leaning in real close. Peach recoiled as she looked into those dark eyes, they seemed to peer into her very soul, "You must listen to me. Very carefully."

Peach merely nodded, unsure of what to say. Was this woman crazy? Or was she actually trying to help her? What did she mean by darkness?

"Soon you will find something new, something foreign within yourself. You will want to hurt the ones you love…you will succeed in some ways, in other ways you will be able to fight it. Understand that there are two ways to battle this monster, two ways, do you understand?" The koopa's grip on her hand tightened and Peach bit her lip lightly and nodded in response.

The woman pulled back, a look of unease on her face, "You must discover these two ways on your own. I cannot do anything more for you, but warn you of what is to come. You will uncover many truths on your journey, there will be many struggles…but you must be strong."

Daisy placed a hand on Peach's shoulder, but the princess did not look at her, still attentive to the fortuneteller in front of her.

"You will face much pain, but no matter what, do not surrender yourself to the darkness within. If you do, you will succumb to its influence and destroy all you love." The koopa then let go of her hand, and Peach held it to her chest, still feeling the chill from the woman's hand, "Now go. I can do nothing more for you." Both girls watched as the koopa retreated into her wagon, the curtain falling over the window, leaving the two standing there, in a sudden disquieting silence.

After awhile Daisy spoke, "Okay, that was officially the weirdest thing I have ever heard."

Peach just nodded, staring straight before her, but not seeing anything…deep in thought. What did she mean by darkness? What was she going to do…to hurt her loved ones?

And why do I feel so afraid now?

00oo00oo00oo00

After the strange event that had occurred at the fortuneteller's wagon, the two girls had decided to go somewhere to relax, which in their case was a place called, "Café Allure." This place was a popular café in the Mushroom Kingdom that served the best coffee, biscuits and tea in the region. Whenever Peach or Daisy were stressed or just in need of a good cup of something hot, they would drop in for a while. Currently the two were sitting at a table near the window, a cup of tea in front of both of them.

Peach stared down at her cup, a minty scented steam flowing up from her drink, tickling her nose. She was still a bit shaken up from earlier, though the tea really did help. I don't understand why I feel this way. It was just an act…nothing more.

"Are you okay Peachy?" Daisy frowned at her from across the small table, stirring some sugar into her tea with a spoon.

"I'm fine." Peach gave her friend a small smile and sipped her tea, wincing as she burned her tongue slightly when she took in too much, too fast.

Daisy sighed and there was a clinking noise as she removed the spoon and sat it on a napkin, "I shouldn't have brought you to the park…to that loony old woman. She wasn't like that with me; I mean with the whole creepy insight thing. She just told me that I would have some stressful points etcetera, and that me and Lou are totally meant to be."

Peach smiled at that, "So you and Luigi are soul mates then?"

"Totally." Daisy winked, and both girls laughed.

"Peach, Daisy." They both looked to see Toadette walk towards their table, her braids swinging in front of her, cutely.

"Heya Toadette." Daisy waved, and scooted over in her booth, "Come sit with us."

The toad girl sat down, "What's up with you all? Enjoying this lovely day too? Toad and I are going to have a party later, you guys should totally come!"

Peach smiled, "A party? Where at? Would you like to use the castle?"

Toadette made a face, "Eh…Toadsworth kind of makes it…less fun. Last time he made us turn the music down like all the way, and we were only allowed to drink milk and tea."

Daisy laughed when she recalled that time, "Oh I remember. Wow that guy has issues."

Peach sighed, "Toadsworth is just…overprotective at times. He is only looking out for us."

"He thinks soda will liquefy our insides and loud music will put holes in our brains." Toadette giggled, "And he makes really loud 'how not to party' speeches too."

"Rule number one: no breaking valuables." Daisy laughed.

"No runs to the kitchen." Toadette grinned.

"No flooding the bathrooms."

"No tomfoolery."

"No canned drinks."

"No pointy objects."

Peach watched the two throw more rules at one another, and broke into laughter along with them. It was good to be with friends. Now she was starting to forget all about the strange fortune, and her earlier feelings of unease.

00oo00oo00oo00

After finishing up their drinks and chatting with Toadette, it was decided that they would go to Toad's house, which was a pretty decent sized house, and help prep for the party.

"We can decorate with paper lanterns. They are so gorgeous." Toadette squeaked happily as they went inside. She waved at Toad when they entered the kitchen. He was currently putting something in the oven; when he was done he slipped off the oven mitts.

"Hey guys." The toad took a seat at the table, some dough rolled out in front of him, "Just cook'in up some stuff."

"We should make star shapes cookies!" Toadette cried happily, her face lighting up in excitement, "We can put little frosting faces on them, they will be so cute!"

"Sorry to disappoint you sis." Toad grinned, "But I can't seem to find the cookie cutters."

Toadette stomped her little foot lightly on the ground, "Darn." She looked so cute when she was angry, the girls couldn't help grinning.

"How about we roll them into balls and make sugar cookies? Then we can dip them in chocolate?" Peach suggested.

"Chocolate drops?" Daisy said, "That sounds yummy!"

Peach rolled up her sleeves and sat across from toad, "Let me help you roll them. Daisy, get the baker's chocolate out of the cabinet and we can melt it."

Daisy saluted, "Aye aye captain!"

Everyone laughed and they all set to work getting everything ready for the party. Peach felt warm and fuzzy inside, she loved it when she was with her friends. I can't wait for the party to start; we haven't had one in quite some time. Peach smiled when she thought of all her friends getting together to enjoy one another's company, she thought of Yoshi's good humor, Birdo's gossip, and then her mind went to Mario.

Peach smiled as she patted the dough and rolled them in her palm, she couldn't wait to see Mario again.

00oo00oo00oo00

"Mail call." Parakarry flew to the door and knocked lightly with his free hand, trying not to lose the heavy bag on his other shoulder.

Luigi opened the door, blinking in surprise at seeing the parakoopa, "Hey Parakarry."

"Hello." The koopa handed him an envelope, "The princess wanted me to hand deliver this."

He took it from him, and sniffed the envelope, Parakarry giving him a funny look, "What?" Luigi said, "These thing's always smell good. Kind of like vanilla."

Parakarry just stared at him, shaking his head, and flew off. Luigi ran inside when he had left, letter in hand, "Mario! We got a letter."

Mario walked into the living room from the kitchen, a glass of milk in his hand, "What is it?"

They sat at the couch, Luigi opening the envelope. He pulled out the white letter, the gold trim on the sides sparkling in the light, "Dear Mario brothers, you are invited to a party hosted by Toad and Toadette, at this address on the square. There will be plenty of food so no need to bring a covered dish. No need for formal attire-just bring yourselves! This is a gathering of friends, so we hope to see you here at seven o'clock tonight! Oh and Peach and Daisy will be there, wink wink." Luigi blushed, "Signed Toadette."

Mario blinked and sat his glass of milk on the table, "Wink wink?"

Luigi laughed, "That's Toadette for you."

00oo00oo00oo00

Mario went downstairs after shaving (around his mustache of course) and putting on a dab of cologne. He was in his usual red and blue attire. He waited on the couch for Luigi who had yet to come out of his room.

Luigi entered the room a few minutes later and Mario laughed when he saw him, "Why are you wearing that?"

Luigi was wearing a pastel green tux with a darker overcoat and a little dark green tie at the center, a flower sticking out of his front pocket, "I-I well I thought since… Mario stop laughing!" He glared as he watched his brother crack up.

Mario fell off the couch, still laughing and Luigi left the room, mumbling something about his brother being 'immature' and returned minutes later in his usual clothing, "Happy now?"

The winner of my profile poll: is supernatural Peach fic!

This is my new story! I have wanted to do this for a long time. I typed this up long before I finished my first story. I told myself after I finished one of them I would post this baby up. The main character here is Peach, the POV at the start of the story was an unknown figure, the rest of the story will be in Peach's POV unless I need to add in a 'flash back' of some sort. I look forward to the challenge of this story, and I hope to make this one of my most epic fics!

This story will have lots of drama, friendship, angst, tragedy, etc. I hope this one will be as emotional as I can make it. It will also feature a variety of character pairings, and pairings will also change, which should be a fun experience for me, because I will be doing things no one else has probably done in one story alone. O.o Expect each chapter to be at least five-six pages in length, this chapter is about eight because I wanted the first chapter to be a detailed start.

I hope you all enjoy this story! Thank you for reading. :)