Hey, guys! So this is my (super late) entry to the 2015 Halloween Contest! I was inspired by Gothic horror movies like Interview With The Vampire, and Crimson Peak. So it's quite different from most horror fanfics on here, and I'm quite happy with it!

This oneshot is set in a 16th century AU. In addition, I apologize if I made anyone too OOC for anybody's liking.

The word count BEFORE author's notes is 4970, in case anyone's wondering.

I own absolutely nothing.

Anyways, please read & enjoy! :D


Peach strolled about in the food market in an orderly manner. This was a stark contrast from the normal chaos that flooded the outdoors, but she paid it no mind. She took her time glossing over the delicious food, since she had nowhere else to go afterwards. Besides, she wanted the food she selected to be perfect. She never settled for less.

She spotted a display of baking potatoes, and walked over. She grabbed a bag and reached for one. But another hand beat her to that particular potato.

"Heh, that's funny," the customer remarked.

Peach looked over to see a man standing less than a foot away. He stood at about five foot seven, with short white hair. His dark brown eyes were wide with surprise, but looked warm nonetheless. He had on a black cloak with purple and gold designs on it, and black boots.

"It is, I suppose," Peach finally replied.

The man pulled his hand away graciously. "Here, you take it."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

Peach accepted his offer, but she couldn't settle down. The mysterious man intrigued her more than she wanted to admit. Her heart beat quickened a little, and her gloves suddenly felt stifling. She wanted to rip them off to let her hands breath. But instead, she clutched the produce bag tighter.

"You're too kind," she said. "Thank you."

"Oh, it's not a problem," the man insisted. "Who am I to be rude to a beautiful lady like you over such a frivolous thing? It makes no sense."

The compliment made Peach blush.

"I apologize for making you comfortable," the man began to say.

"No, don't," Peach interrupted. "I…I've never had a man call me that before. I mean my father did, but that's it. A stranger like yourself has never said such a thing."

"What a pity for them, I say. At least you know of one who thinks highly of you, Miss…"

"Peach."

"Peach? That's a lovely name for a lovely lady. My name is Robin."

As the two shook hands, Peach felt something touch her heart. She didn't know what it was, but she liked it. She made her smile wide.

"I hope we speak soon," Robin said.

"But how will that happen?" Peach asked. "I know nothing but your name."

Robin merely winked. "Believe me love, I have my ways."

Before Peach could reply, Robin disappeared into the crowd.


That had happened six months ago. True to his word, Robin found a way to keep in touch with Peach. The two continued to run into each other at the market, where they would speak. Their conversations allowed them to get to know each other a little more each time. But Robin still kept an air of mystery surrounding him. This frustrated Peach more than she would admit.

She finally brought it up the last time they spoke. She mentioned that despite the amount of times they had talked, she still felt like she didn't know him at all.

"You're a puzzle of a man," she'd said with a huff. "I don't know what to make of you."

Robin had grinned. "What do you make of me so far?"

"An enigmatic man, to say the least."

"Oh?"

Peach raised an eyebrow. "I can see that you enjoy it."

"I won't deny it; I do. It makes me feel like I have the upper hand. But I am starting to get a little bored with playing such a part. You can see that it's rather stale."

"I'm afraid so. But now what happens? I certainly don't want our talks to end."

Robin mused this for a moment. He then grabbed Peach's hand and held it in his. He planted a gentle kiss on her ivory skin.

"Come to my castle," he said suddenly. "I'll treat you to the finest dinner in town."

Peach gasped. She hadn't expected such an invitation. While she was quite interested in the man, she never thought that she had captured his attention. But she accepted his proposal without hesitation.

This was how she ended up in this situation. She was outside her home, waiting for Robin to appear. She had given him directions to her home so he could pick her up. She had to wait in the cold night, with the moon as her only source of light. She felt chilly- and it wasn't just from the cool autumn weather.

Peach abruptly heard a horse galloping, and wheels rattling. A few minutes later, she saw the source of the noise.

A man in formal attire sat atop a horse. Attached to the horse was a large fancy carriage. Robin appeared from inside to greet Peach.

"Good evening."

"Good evening to you," Peach greeted.

Robin took her hand and kissed it. The kiss was different from the first; this one felt more formal. It was as if he'd rehearsed how to properly kiss a lady's hand. But Peach refused to complain. The gesture was so touching that she could only smile in response.

"Ready to go, love?" Robin asked.

"I am," Peach answered.

The answer allowed Robin to lead Peach to the carriage. He helped her in, and then ordered his chauffeur to go. With a sharp command, the horse began walking calmly along the cobblestone road.

"You look lovelier than ever," Robin noted. "You even smell good."

"Why, thank you," Peach replied. She played with her gloved hands to control herself. She still wasn't used to the compliments.

"Still shy over my compliments, I see," Robin teased. "It's alright. It makes you more beautiful, in my opinion."

Peach coughed to conceal a scoff. "That's ridiculous."

"I don't think it is."

Not wanting to argue, Peach rested her head on Robin's shoulder. He didn't object to this; rather, he embraced it. He played with her long blonde locks to comfort her. He even kissed her head as they rode through the night.

Half an hour later, the carriage stopped. Robin helped Peach out, and that's when she saw the castle. Calling it large would have been an understatement. The tallest tower looked like it could touch the full moon above. While the dark sky made it hard to see much, Peach could make out the black brick of the castle. There was no moat to cross, which put her at ease. She never liked the idea of having to cross a wooden board that lied above a body of water.

"It's magnificent," she gasped.

"It is, isn't it?" Robin boasted. "Now you can see why I wanted to take you here."

"Indeed. It puts my little home to shame."

"Is it wrong for me to agree with that statement?"

Peach giggled. "Not at all, considering I said it first."

Now it was Robin's turn to laugh. He grasped her hand with a tight grip.

"Come," he said. "Let's go inside."

Peach nodded before he led her inside. She tried to focus on walking to wherever Robin was taking her, but it wasn't easy. She kept swinging her head back and forth to see everything that was inside. The walls were plain, save for a torch of fire here and there to provide light. Peach thought that the castle would make her scared, but it didn't. Her mind kept thinking about whatever was to come next. She had no idea what Robin had planned, and she just wanted to know.

"This place is bigger on the inside," she remarked.

Robin's chuckle was dry. "It is. The front foyer is the biggest room in the castle though. It's a bit misleading, you see."

"Well, it's still amazing. So are you taking me on a tour?"

"I am. Once that's done, I have a little surprise for you. It's not much, but I hope you enjoy."

Peach nodded. "I know I'll enjoy it."

"You're quite optimistic, love. I think I like it."

Robin continued to lead her deeper into his castle. He showed her the many rooms that it contained, each one impressing her more than the last. The castle had an office, a library, a so-called piano room, and so much more. It took everything in Peach to not gasp every time she saw another breathtaking room. Robin's castle was one she'd only dreamt of living in since she was a little girl. So for her to actually be in one was something she couldn't wrap her head around.

A lightless tunnel suddenly caught her attention. She pointed it out to Robin, but he dismissed it.

"It's in disrepair, I'm afraid," he said, disappointed. "I have yet to get someone here to fix it. I apologize for that, love."

"Please don't," Peach replied. "I understand completely."

But even as she said that, Peach wasn't sure of his explanation. It seemed unlikely for a castle this amazing to have one part that needed fixing. She wanted to find out the truth, but held her tongue. She promptly chose to chalk it up to him wanting to add to his furtive persona.

Eventually, the tour ended at the entrance of what Peach believed to be the final room.

"I'm about to show you the dining room," Robin announced. "Your surprise awaits inside."

Peach went in to see a lavish meal being set out by a strange creature. It had blue and black fur, with a face that made it seem that he wore a mask. The creature was not human, as Peach could tell by the paws that it had where hands and feet should have been.

"Lucario, thank you for setting this out!" Robin bellowed. "And please, give my chef his regards."

The creature nodded silently, and then left for what Peach assumed to be the kitchen.

"Oh my goodness," she gasped. "This is beautiful, Robin."

"Thank you," Robin replied.

He helped her into her seat, and then sat opposite from here. Roast beef, boiled potatoes, and steamed carrots went around. A candleholder with three white candles sat in the middle of the table. A few torches lined the walls to make the room rival natural sunlight compared to brightness.

"How does it taste?" Robin asked after a moment of silence.

"Amazing," Peach raved. "My compliments to the chef as well."

"He'll love to hear that," Robin said.

At one point during the meal, a young blonde man approached Robin. He whispered something into his ear. Peach knew she would be unable to hear it, so she ignored the exchange. She simply continued eating her meal.

"Wonderful news," Robin said to the man. "I can assume you'll take care of the matter?"

The young man nodded.

"Great! Thank you, Shulk."

Robin watched him leave, and then turned back to his date.

"Is everything alright?" Peach asked.

"Oh yes," Robin replied. "That's my right-hand man, if you will. I received some business-related news that was good. But I'd rather not talk about it. Let's focus on the present, love."

Peach nodded. "Of course. I apologize if I sounded like I was intruding."

"Don't apologize. You were merely curious. It's part of human nature, you see. For example, I'm curious about you. See?"

"Is that so?"

"But of course."

Peach grinned. "You flatter me too much."

"That's not true. You can never flatter a lady too much."

Peach found it hard to finish the meal after that. Robin's compliments weren't the reason this time around. This time, it was his interaction with Shulk that bothered her. She couldn't understand why, but she didn't trust him. Every fibre of her body told her not to. But at the same time, she still trusted Robin. It may not have made sense because they didn't know each other that well. Yet Peach felt like she could tell him everything. She didn't plan on doing that tonight; she didn't want to freak him out. Yet she already knew that he made her safe enough to open up.

The meal soon ended, much to Peach's dismay. She thought that he would now send her on her way home. She didn't want that to happen just yet. She wanted to stay with Robin a little longer. It didn't matter what they did. All she wanted was to spend time with him.

"There is one more room I haven't yet shown you," Robin suddenly confessed.

"Oh?"

"The master bedroom."

Peach felt a sneaky grin grow on her lips. She fiddled with her hands to stop herself from thinking such things. But it was too hard not to.

Robin led her up a long flight of wooden stairs. They entered a large room that held a bed, a dresser, and a table. The king size bed had a plain black quilt, and the rest of the furniture was also black. It wasn't much to look at, but Peach didn't care. Its simplicity was what made it look the most beautiful.

"Would you care to stay the night?"

The question startled Peach. She looked at him with shock on her face.

"You would allow me to stay here?"

"Of course. What man sends a lady back into the night after a lovely dinner? You and I can share this bed."

Peach blushed. She didn't think that he would want to sleep in the same bed as her. They barely knew each other! But if he had no issues with it, why should she?

"If you insist," she replied.

"Oh I do," Robin said.

The response made Peach giggle. But her laughter disappeared with a sudden kiss on her lips. She was more than happy to reciprocate regardless. She slowly wrapped her arms around his back and held him close. She smiled when his hands rested on her hips.

A devious idea then crossed her mind. She slipped her hands to the front of his cloak- the same one he wore when they first met- and played with it. Robin must've gotten the hint because he stopped kissing her.

"I'm sorry," she said immediately. "I…I don't know what I was thinking. Come to think of it, I don't even think I was."

She was so busy explaining herself that she didn't pay attention to the change in Robin's eyes. But she did notice when he pulled her in for a more passionate kiss. His hand dug into her hair with a tight grip. It almost made her moan.

"You're more interested in me than I thought," Robin said.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not in my eyes."

"So you're interested in…making love?"

Peach baulked. "Is that so wrong of me? Will you think of me as a whore?"

"I could think such a thing about you," Robin said, disgusted. "Don't ever call yourself that again, love."

Before Peach could reply, Robin kissed her again. He kept kissing her as he tried to rip her dress off. She pulled away so she could carefully step out of it. Robin stared at her with a predatory glare. She looked even more beautiful in her smallclothes.

Peach helped him out of his cloak and shirt. She traced his chest and stomach with a now bare finger.

"You're so fit."

"I do a lot of sparring. It keeps me in shape."

Robin picked her up and kissed her hard. He placed her on the bed and held her gently. He began kissing her neck and jaw to tease her. It worked, as she moaned in response to this.

"Feels…so…good…" she panted.

Robin got her smallclothes off and let his index finger play with her entrance. He slowly allowed it inside her. He noticed that she was definitely a virgin, which surprised him. He didn't know if she thought that he wanted to have sex with her. So he checked.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes," Peach said between a sigh. "Please…please don't stop. I need you…I need this."

"If you insist," Robin replied in a teasing voice.

Peach was too wrapped up in arousal to care. She stroked him in a slow motion as he contemplated what to do next. The unexpected move on her part made him groan.

"Please," she begged, "please make love to me."

Robin nodded. "As you wish, my love."

He let his finger out and threw off his smallclothes. He carefully positioned himself just so, and then entered her as slowly as he could. He saw that what he was doing made her bleed a little.

"Oh, God…" she moaned. She felt a couple tears prick her eyes, but she managed to blink them away.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked.

"I'll be fine," Peach said. "Just go slow."

Robin rocked his hips at a snail-like pace. He held her hips tight as he tried to go a little faster. He grinned when he noticed Peach's moans to be louder. He knew that whatever he was doing, he was doing it right. So he decided to go even faster.

Peach felt her legs wrap around her lover's body. She dug her nails into his back and focused on the feeling of him making love to her. It was easily the best feeling in the entire world.

Like most first times, it didn't last long. They both came at the same time less than an hour later. Even though their lovemaking session hadn't been long, neither seemed to mind at all. They were too content with what they had done to care.

Robin peeled himself off Peach, having collapsed on her after climaxing. He weakly played with her now messy hair.

"That," he said, "was incredible."

"It was," Peach remarked. "Oh, it was perfect."

She climbed into his arms and quickly fell asleep. She couldn't imagine being anywhere else in that moment.


BANG!

The loud and sudden noise startled Peach out of her slumber. She looked around the room, but it was hard to see from the lack of light. So she cautiously felt the other side of the bed.

But Robin wasn't there.

Peach sat up near the edge of the bed. She felt uncomfortable in that position; naked in the castle of a man she barely knew. She threw on her smallclothes and slip, and proceeded to search for some source of light. She found a candle holder sitting on the nightstand with a small lit candle.

I wonder where Robin is, she thought as she slowly walked out of the bed.

She exited the room and stood in the hall. She couldn't remember which way took her to the kitchen, or anywhere else for that matter. But she swallowed hard and took the plunge to walk down the hall.

Since she was barefoot, her footsteps were light on the stone floor. The castle felt cold all around in an eerie manner. Peach couldn't get comfortable despite all that had happened earlier. Everything that had to do with the castle now had her on edge.

"Take care of it!"

Peach jumped. She almost dropped the torch, but she managed to hold onto it. A man's voice- someone else's, not Robin's- echoed inside castle. It didn't sound close to her, but it still scared her. She turned around and walked the other way at a fast pace.

What is going on? She thought as she took a right down another corridor.

Squeaking suddenly filled her ears. Flying…things flew above her head faster than she had been walking. She hit the floor and bit her lip to stop a scream from escaping her lips. When she looked to see what that had been, she recognized them quickly.

Calm down, Peach. They're just bats. They have no reason to hurt you.

With a calming sigh, Peach stood back up and dusted herself off. She continued walking to wherever the hallway took her. The fact that she was more than likely not alone crept under her skin and made her stomach do somersaults. She wished she had stayed in her bed after hearing the noise in the first place. But it was too late for her to turn back. She was too deep into the castle to begin figuring out how to get back to Robin's bedroom.

A jagged brick in one of the castle's walls now gave Peach an idea where she was. She was at the spot that led to the one part she'd yet to explore. She still didn't believe his flimsy excuse for why they didn't visit there. She believed that there was a lot about him that she didn't know, and she wanted to know what that was.

Maybe you shouldn't, a small voice in her head piped up. Just go back to your bed. It's safe there.

Peach bit her lip. She wanted to listen to her head, but she was so curious for what lied ahead. She swallowed hard once more and slinked down the unexplored corridor.

This part of the castle felt colder than the rest of the structure. Peach shivered more as a result. She wished that she'd thrown on a little more clothing before exploring the castle on her own. She wondered if it was cold enough for her to freeze to death. If that was possible…

No. She couldn't- she wouldn't- finish such a thought. She had to believe that she would be just fine. Nothing bad could happen here. Robin would make sure of that. He clearly cared about her; of course he wouldn't want her to be in any danger.

Where is he anyways? Peach thought with impatience.

She now reached a heavy wooden door. Since it remained shut, Peach believed it was all locked up. But the sound of a man grunting had her pressing her ear on the wood. She suddenly stumbled when it moved on her. The door had opened a crack, but it was enough for her to see that it wasn't locked like she thought. She moved away and pushed on the door harder. It wasn't easy, but she opened it enough to slip inside.

Once inside, the scent of death hit Peach's nose. It was so overpowering that it even hit her taste buds. She gagged a little before closing her nose with one hand. She wanted to run and hide, but she couldn't. She still hadn't found Robin, and she wanted to. She had to make sure that he was okay. There was no reason for his unexplained absence. Maybe this room was the reason for it. She braced herself, and went further inside the horrid smelling room.

A few steps later, the sight of decaying female bodies was in full view for Peach to see.

Peach screamed at the sight until a sharp blow to the head knocked her out cold.


Peach awoke to the feeling of something icy around her ankles. She tried to move her arms, and realized that that same feeling was near her wrists. It soon occurred to her that someone had chained her to a board of sorts. She was on her back, trying to figure out where the hell she was.

"Aah, you're awake."

Shocked, Peach looked over to find Robin approaching her. His eyes didn't look so kind anymore. He looked like he was sizing her up for something big. But Peach had a feeling that whatever that was, it was something she wanted no part in at all. She began fighting to get the restraints off.

"I wouldn't bother trying, if I were you," Robin admitted. "Those chains are on awfully tight."

"Why?" Peach asked. "Why are you doing this?"

Robin didn't answer. He walked over to a table and grabbed an instrument of sorts. It had a golden colour, with four spoon-like sections. It was in the shape of a pear, and wasn't all that big.

"This," Robin revealed, "is the choke pear. I don't normally use this toy, but I am tonight. See, I told myself I would only use this on a woman who isn't a virgin. But all my victims have been virgins! But I know for a fact that you are not. So please…enjoy this."

He carefully positioned the contraption at the right angle near Peach's entrance. He turned the key, and it opened. Little by little, it got bigger and bigger. Peach's insides were slowly destroyed by this small yet horrendous device. The screams coming from the poor woman had him smiling from ear to ear. Once the choke pear was fully open, he pulled it out of her body. The sight of her bleeding from her vagina had him grinning quite a lot.

By now, Peach had tears streaking her cheeks. The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced. It felt hot and raw to the most sensitive spot on her body. She long ago regretted her decision to seduce Robin into sleeping with her. This indescribable pain wasn't worth it, to say the least.

Robin grabbed a butcher knife from the table. He poked at one of Peach's arms, but not hard enough to make a mark.

"Please, Robin," Peach begged. "Please don't do this."

Her words seemed to fall on deaf ears. He plunged the knife into her arm for a moment, and then yanked it out. He repeated the motion several more times on her arms, legs, and stomach. Each stab wound resulted in a scream out of Peach. It was an actual Hell on Earth for Peach. But for Robin, it was the best adrenaline rush he'd ever had.

The blasted mark on the back of his hand proved that he was born to kill.

Bu Robin was now bored of the torture session. He wanted to finally kill this disgusting little tramp. Not only that, but he wanted to make sure that her death was a long and painful one.

"Why?" Peach repeated. "Please tell me why you're doing this. That…that's all I want to know… Please…"

"Do you really want to know why?" Robin questioned.

Despite feeling weak, Peach nodded.

"Because it's the only reason I was born. It's the only reason I wake up and walk upon this pathetic planet. I want others to suffer. I know you think there's some deep, horrible reason I turned out to be this way. But I'm afraid I may have disappointed you. I just like killing! Can't a man enjoy such a simple thing?"

"So…so everything you said and did…was a lie?" Peach asked.

"Of course, love," Robin replied. "I had to lure you here somehow. It always takes time, but it's worth it. It always is."

Peach let out a sob. How foolish of her to believe that she had a real connection to this man. She was a dumb naïve woman who had fallen under the spell of a mysterious man. The If Only scenarios played in her head now.

If Only I didn't speak to him at the market. If Only I didn't continue trying to speak to him after that. If Only I refused his invitation to his castle. If Only I didn't let him make love to me. If Only I never got up to investigate that loud noise. If Only…

If Only…

But there was no more time for thinking about all that. She could merely hope that her impending death was swift and somewhat merciful.

Robin grabbed a large sword and hovered it over her chest. He toyed with her by pretending to dive it into her chest, but stopping short of actually doing it. Peach screamed each time, with her voice getting raspier as time passed.

"Any last words?" Robin asked.

Peach shook her head. It hurt too much to use her voice any longer.

Robin stabbed her deep in her chest with such a vicious rage. He savoured the screams and blood that followed. It lasted for a few minutes, and then ended. Robin ripped the sword out of her body and tossed it to the ground. He kissed her forehead and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Perfect," he remarked.

He couldn't help but stare at the woman who was currently bleeding out in front of him. He may have killed many women before Peach, but this one was the most special. He'd never had sex with a victim before, and that made the killing experience far better. This amazing feeling would please him for such a long time.

Until he found his next victim, that is.


It had been three months since Robin had killed Peach. Her death had gone unnoticed by the rest of society, and that had him in good spirits. Yet his spirits weren't as high as he'd liked. He was itching to kill again, and it started to annoy him. So he was back at the market to scout for a new victim.

It didn't take long to find one.

A brown-haired woman stood at an apple stand, looking at red delicious apples. She looked to be alone and beautiful. In other words, she was the perfect victim.

He planned this introduction better than the last. He always did. Instead of gaining his her trust over several months, he vowed to earn this woman's trust faster.

This is gonna be easy, he thought as he approached.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

The woman turned around and gave him a warm smile. "Hello, good Sir. May I help you?"

"I'm a police officer, you see. I'm looking for a serial killer that's on the loose. I need to bring you to safety because he targets young women. Will you please come with me?"

"Oh, of course," the woman said with concern. "I'm Zelda. And you are?..."

"Detective Robin."

The two walked to Robin's carriage together. There was no hint of the horror that Zelda faced because of the closet serial killer.

It's always too easy to get a woman to my castle, Robin thought. I will never get tired of this life.


There ya go! I hope you all enjoyed it. :)

Please review, and don't forget to check out all my other fanfics! :D

- Elizabeth

P.S. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! :D