68Hi everyone. –Blushes shamefully- Sorry for the long hiatus! I have a few excuses, but I won't use any. I don't feel I deserve to explain myself. I feel shame for keeping you all waiting for so long. ^^ Hope you enjoy it! Another small author note at bottom, as usual.
Warning: some disturbing images in this chapter! If you're squeamish than prepare yourself.
Peach's eyes fluttered open and she released a small yawn as she sat up in bed. She looked confused for a moment, remembering earlier events, but released a relieved sigh, when she found pink sheets in her grip.
It was but a nightmare. She realized, feeling tears prick at her eyes at the images that filled her mind. Thank goodness.
With a cheery smile on her face, the princess exited her bed and went to ready herself for another bright and beautiful day. She knew it would be lovely, for the sight of the bright sunbeams that shined through the balcony window.
Once she was dressed in her usual pink gown, Peach started down the hall towards the stairs to meet Toadsworth for breakfast. Halfway down the hallway, she paused. Usually she would walk by a few toads scurrying about to perform their various duties, all bidding her a good morning, but the hall was empty.
"Where is everyone?" She wondered out loud, her pink lips in a small frown. Feeling concerned for the welfare of her toads, she feet move at a faster pace to the staircase.
She paused at the top, a slender hand lingering on the smooth wood banister. She could hear no voices below.
Peach swallowed, trying to force away the negative feelings that were bursting out from her beating heart.
She quickly raced down the stairs, crying out as a heel snapped under her weight when she came down too hard on the final step. Peach kicked her shoes off and raced towards the dining room.
Peach came to the door, and her hand moved to open it, fingers wrapped around the cold knob. She paused for a moment before throwing the door open. What she found, awaiting her, had her speechless, blue eyes wide in surprise.
Toadsworth sat at his usual place at the table, a pile of steaming scrambled eggs sitting in front of him, a coffee cup in hand. He nodded to her, a cheery smile on his face, "Good morning my dear Peach, sit down, everything is ready for you. Did you have a nice rest?"
Peach swallowed back the knot in her throat and carefully approached the table, "Y-yes. Good morning." As she stepped up to the table, she noticed that he had been correct. Peach wouldn't have to ask to be served anything, for the table was bountiful with various breakfast foods. She felt her lips moisten at the smell of it all. She hadn't realized she was so hungry until now; perhaps fear had kept it at bay?
She took a seat, looking around her at all the food, not sure where to start. First though, she felt quite thirsty. Peach reached for the goblet that was sitting off to the side of her plate and held it up to her lips.
Peach spat up the liquid, warm wet tendrils slipping down her lips to fall on the table. With wide eyes she quickly brought up a napkin to press to her lips.
The taste…. it was like metal. Realization coming to her slowly, Peach glanced at the red stains on her napkin and at the cup in front of her, more red staining the area around its bottom.
"What's wrong Princess?" Toadsworth pauses with the coffee cup to his mouth, concern evident in his tone, "Is everything not to your liking?"
Peach tried to speak clearly, but couldn't stop her trembling, "T-toadsworth…m-my cup. W-what…is this?"
The old toad smiled, sipping from his coffee, "You don't remember yesterday night? My, you had quite an argument, but all is well now."
"What?" Peach stared at him, confused, "What do you mean?"
"That green fellow, Mario's brother, came to visit. He brought your cousin, Princess Daisy." Toadsworth sat his coffee cup down gently, "Such nerve! Him and that girl tried to persuade Mario that he was in danger. Poppycock! My little Peachy couldn't hurt a fly."
"I-I don't remember." Peach gasped, furiously wiping away the stained hands on her napkin, but the red wouldn't come off.
"You took care of the problem love, that's all that matters." Toadsworth beamed at the plate sitting at the center of the table, "Those crumpets look delightful. I do believe I'll be having a taste."
Peach stood up, the chair falling back onto the floor in her haste. Her voice rose in alarm, "What do you mean?"
"Oh, you don't remember?" A feminine voice asked coolly.
Blue eyes blinked in confusion as she turned to face the speaker. Peach gasped when she found Daisy standing behind her.
Covered in her own blood.
Daisy smiled, dragging fingers down her face, paving a clear path where blood coated her skin, "Good morning Cuz."
"D-daisy!" Peach cried out in horror, "What happened to you?"
Daisy cocked her head to the side, blue eyes unreadable, "Hmm, so you don't remember? Well, how about I refresh your memory?" The girl stepped closer and Peach's eyes dragged down her figure.
Her usual sunny colored dress was stained a red-brown, from top to bottom. Blood also ran dry, down both arms, to stain white gloves pink. Peach blanched when she noticed the red marks around her friend's neck.
"Yeah." Daisy noticed Peach's lingering eyes, and reached up to touch her neck, "You're a lot stronger than you look. I didn't stand a chance."
Tears filled her eyes and slipped down her cheeks, as Peach began to sob.
"It's too late for that now." Daisy said simply, her voice still calm and controlled. She shrugged her shoulders, "All I can do is remind you. You remember what you did first right?"
The world spun around her, and Peach felt herself slip to the floor, tears blurring her vision. She wanted nothing more than to escape into unconsciousness, but something would not let her. Daisy would not leave her in peace until the story was done.
"You wrapped your dainty fingers around my throat." Daisy continued, "I tried to fight back, I was surprised at your strength. Imagine! Sporty tomboy Daisy being bested by soft sweet Peach. Talk about unlikely. Somehow you managed though."
Daisy's eyes grew sad as Peach looked up at her, "Once I was out for the count, you took a shard of glass-
-and cut into me."
Peach felt her breath catch in her throat.
"-You just kept slicing and slicing. I was redder than a tomato once you were finished." Daisy laughed, an empty sound, "Somehow that wasn't enough for you."
"You wanted to drink me dry."
Peach dry heaved when the metal taste came alive in her mouth again. She had been drinking… no!
She stumble-crawled to the dining room table and took the white tablecloth in her grip and desperately tried to scrape the taste from her tongue. Her mouth was too dry, and the taste- and the smell lingered.
Daisy circled around the table, leaning on the edge of it, "Oh and cuz."
Peach couldn't stop herself from looking up.
Daisy ran a finger down her face again, blood coating the tip of it. She held her hand up, grinning widely, "You missed a spot."
00oo00oo00oo00
Peach awoke to the sound of her own shrill scream.
"Princess, it's ok!" A female voice cried out.
It wasn't Daisy; it was a different voice, and full of concern. The girl's eyes shot open and she felt tears of relief fall down her face at the sight of the creature looking down at her.
It was a koopa female. Peach began to sob again, remembering her dream.
"It's alright Princess." The koopa said softly, grabbing up the girl's hand in her own with gentleness, "You're safe. Everything is fine, it was just a bad night scare."
Peach blinked away tears, brushing them away quickly, "Where am I?" She sat up in bed slowly, leaning up against plush pillows. This place looked familiar. It was decorated in blacks and reds, but with no windows.
"You're in Dark Land sweetie." The koopa said.
Peach then remembered. Bowser…he had kidnapped her again. So she must be in one of his guest rooms. Daisy…he also had grabbed her cousin!
"Where is Daisy?" Peach asked quickly, "May I see her?"
An uneasy look played across the koopa's features, "Well…I'm afraid that won't be possible right now."
The princess read her expression easily and her voice rose in tenor, "What happened? Is she alright?"
"Yes, she's fine." The koopa woman said quickly, "But you won't be able to see her right now."
"Thank goodness!" Peach released the air she had been holding in, relieved tears coming alive in her eyes. My dream was wrong then. Thank the stars.
The girl moved her hand up to brush her hair out of her face, and paused, "What is this?"
Peach blinked in confusion at the bracelet wrapped snuggly around her wrist. It was of some sort of cool black stone, and felt heavy when she held it up to her face. Small swirling lines and symbols ran across the stone, only visible when she moved it in the light.
"Oh, well I'll have someone more knowledgeable of such things, explain it to you." The koopa smiled and straightened up. Peach noted the maid attire and guessed that she would be attending to her during her stay here. Hopefully not for too long. Peach wanted very much to be home in her own bed.
She watched as the maid left the room, closing the door shut firmly behind her. Peach just fell back into her pillows, too weary to see if the door was locked or not. She felt too warm in her covers and tossed them off of her body. She blushed slightly when she saw she was in a white nightgown, sitting up in surprise.
Peach heard a tentative knock at the door and quickly gathered her covers up to her chest, "Come in."
The door opened and Peach was surprised to see a blue robed koopa enter the room. His name escaped her for a moment, and then she had it.
"Hello." She greeted shyly, still feeling very modest about still being in bed, "Kamek, is it?"
The magikoopa nodded once, "Yes, and how are you doing this morning your highness?"
Peach paused, "…I'm fine." She decided at last. She could be a lot worst off, she realized.
"Good, good." He ventured closer and Peach sat up straighter in bed, "I suppose you are wondering what that is, on your wrist?"
"Yes." Peach nodded, "What is it for?"
He gave her a long look that she couldn't read, "Do you remember anything of last night?"
She felt her heart pick up beat and she swallowed back the sudden dry feeling in her mouth. Peach immediately remembered speaking with Daisy. She had been about to attack one of the koopas who had entered their room in response to Daisy's tantrum. They had talked for a while…and then had gone to bed.
Peach's forehead furrowed lightly when she recalled herself getting up late at night. Events were fuzzy after this. "I woke up early in the morning…but I can't remember much else. Did I go back to bed?"
She couldn't read his expression, his eyes hidden behind shining glass, "I'm afraid not."
A cold feeling brushed up from her spine, and she visibly trembled.
Kamek saw her discomfort and quickly spoke, "It's fine now. Everything is all right. You won't have anymore problems."
Feeling truth in remembering the events that took place in her dreams, she asked, "What did I do?"
The magikoopa knew he would have to relay this information carefully, lest he cause Peach to suffer a panic attack or the like. They most certainly did not need that right now. Bowser was still very much grouchy from the events of last night, and wouldn't want any more upsets. First he had to put her fears at rest, "Princess Daisy is just fine, she won't stop asking for you."
"I didn't harm her then?" Peach questioned, looking relieved.
He paused and started, "Unfortunately she had some bruising, but it was easily fixed." He said quickly before she could speak, "It wasn't your fault of course, you couldn't help what had happened."
"I had a nightmare." Peach said, deciding to speak up about her fears, "That I had strangled…and killed my best friend." She took in a deep breath, "I-is this true? Did I really…try and kill Daisy?"
Her blue eyes were full of pain, but he couldn't hold back truth. Kamek nodded, "It appears that you were cursed. We are not sure where this curse originated from nor who could have placed it, but you are safe now."
He watched as she fingered the bracelet around her wrist, "That will keep this curse at bay until we can figure out how to get rid of it for good."
Peach bit her lip, "So, it's a curse? That makes me hurt the ones…I love." She felt tears bite at her eyes, "What an evil thing."
"Don't concern yourself over it anymore." He told her firmly, "As long as you're here and wearing that cuff, you should be fine." Supposing that Kammy really is the expert on magical jewelry that she swears she is, He thought dryly.
Peach nodded, "Alright. Thank you Kamek, I appreciate your help."
He gave her a small smile, "Of course." He bowed once and then turned to leave, "I'll have a maid sent up your breakfast. Have a nice day your highness."
She watched him leave and once he was gone, she pushed the covers away, and sat with her legs hanging over the side of the bed, a frown on her face. Peach knew what had to happen, and she wasn't happy about it. He had said so himself. As long as she was here, she was safe.
I can't risk this thing failing on me if I escape. I could kill someone. Peach eyed the bracelet.
What if Mario comes? The question popped up in her mind suddenly and she paled. No…he's hurt. He won't…
Peach clapped her hands to her mouth, a horrified look on her face, "Oh, Mario, no." She had hurt Mario…it was all her fault. She couldn't remember what had happened, but she knew she was the cause of his current state. Especially with what she had learned now.
Tears fell in a steady stream down her cheeks, and Peach stared down at her feet as she sat there. It would be for the best then, for her to stay put. If somehow, Mario or someone did come…she had to lie, had to do something. She couldn't leave.
The truth would have to come out if wasn't careful, and she wouldn't let it.
No one would want a monster as their princess….or as a wife. She wiped tears away on the sleeve of her nightgown.
I have to be strong. Everything will turn out all right; I just have to have hope.
"Stars please save me…from myself."
Hope you like this chapter. Took over an hour to type out, but I think it's good. ^^ I tried my best, let me know how you liked it! Reviews are loved, thanks for reading! Next chappie will be more on development of certain things ;) You'll see.