Hey, everyone! I used to write here a loooooong time ago, but stuff began to catch up with me. I'm beginning to once again have the time to write, and I believe I need to do so. I'm going to be my university's English tutor, so I would love feedback of any kind! I will make the effort to contribute all that I can. Who knows? I might have improved some. XD (I hope I have.)
Thank you to all who have read anything of mine since I have been missing. I appreciate your support!
This will likely all be in Peach's point of view. Probably. Now, without further ado…
Peach's Prologues
Chapter 1: Of Toads and Koopas
A crisp chill permeated the air as I rappelled down the towering walls of the castle. Toad Town had long fallen asleep for the night, giving me the opportunity I had desired for so long. I held a sleeping Toad close, making sure to keep him safe while I fled the place I had once called home.
While the interior of the castle was once a rapturous area, full of life and free of care, that was no longer the case. I can recall a time when the castle itself seemed alive and full of hope, but it was now a husk of its former glory. While it looked the same as it always had, I was under the firm belief that something had inexplicably changed within.
And I wasn't the only one who had noticed. There had been an impending sense of doom that blanketed the castle, suffocating its inhabitants. Once the crown jewel of the realm, an exquisite piece of architecture that peoples from far and wide would visit, a lively place for every citizen to be proud of… it seemed as if those days were distant.
I couldn't put my finger on an exact time where the atmosphere of my home had changed for the worse. As a matter of fact, I felt as though the shift had occurred so gradually that I hadn't noticed until it was much too late. Still, the tipping point had been tonight.
My most loyal servants and advisors, the Toads within the castle itself, had to have realized that something strange was occurring. Something formidable. I wasn't the only resident that possessed an innate magic. Of course, mine was the most powerful –I was by far the most powerful sorceress in the kingdom, possibly even in the world. But the dreary day-to-day politics of running a kingdom had allowed for a most insidious evil to strike at its heart.
I admit that I was unprepared. As the princess, I should have maintained better control of the goings-on of the realm. But, as everyone in the aristocracy seemed to view me as a ditzy damsel, I knew I couldn't afford to delegate much. I couldn't trust anyone… I feared that an attempt on my throne was imminent. I had overheard rumors of a coup and was warned by my primary steward to take all precautions necessary.
Still, I only wished I could maintain the lands as well as my parents had. My mother, the former queen, was a beautiful and wise woman. Her brains, along with my father's strength, united the mushroom peoples under a single ruler. A weak group, bullied by the others in this cruel world, had finally consolidated into a kingdom of its own. Peace flourished for a time, but other nations had lost some of their most prized territories.
The kingdom my parents had established –Mushroom Kingdom- grew into a prosperous land. The lands were fertile, and money was bountiful for all. The mushroom peoples, who came to be called Toads, went from desolation and slavery to wealth and peace within a generation. With my mother's persuasiveness –and, when necessary, my father's intimidation- the kingdom was able to "buy" the land it rested on. No nation could wage a legitimate war because they had sold their land to the royal family of the Mushroom Kingdom.
But with time had come changes. The neighboring countries had all forgiven us, some even allying with us… with one exception. The Koopa Kingdom had managed to waste the money we had paid for the land, and foolishly spent what we gifted for infrastructure –particularly irrigation. What remained of their lands slowly decayed, morphing into a barren wasteland. Channels once designed for an abundance of water soon became rivers of lava. A sort of evil seemed to permeate the atmosphere of the withering kingdom, as though its king had traded harmony and life with a lust for power.
My parents had done what they could for the decrepit land, offering more aid. Alas, the leaders of the Koopas were too proud to accept money, gifts, or advice from our land. In a final act of goodwill, my mother allowed for any Koopa seeking refuge from their homeland citizenship within the Mushroom Kingdom, as a humanitarian effort and act of peace.
It… did not work as anticipated. Nearly a million residents of the Koopa Kingdom fled to cities and towns within the Mushroom Kingdom. The Toad population maintained a grudge, a sort of racism, towards those who had oppressed them not even a decade beforehand. It was an issue my parents had foreseen, but they had not adequately prepared for the sheer number of those seeking asylum.
As the royal family of the Koopa Kingdom saw it, not only had we stolen their land, but we had stolen their people as well. It was and still is, a perfectly understandable position to take. I will not go out of my way to maintain a lie: our kingdom had done no wrong. My parents had done some underhanded things. While that was inarguable, they were always attempting to do as much for the right reasons.
The fledgling bureaucracy of the Mushroom Kingdom was quickly overrun; it took months to attain a semblance of normalcy in the Kingdom. As bad as our internal problems became, our external threat increased exponentially. The royal family of the Koopa Kingdom had recently produced an heir to the throne, Bowser, proceeding to dedicate what little resources their nation still had in caring for him and maintaining order. They vowed to take revenge on our lands, what they saw to be as rightfully theirs, in the future.
More people fled. As much as it pained my parents, they simply could not keep the borders open any longer after this second wave… Those who remained were basically trapped in a deteriorating land.
The people of their land, once endeared by my parents' grace, became distrustful of them. They became evermore nationalistic in their sentiments, pledging support to whatever deeds their royal family would have them do.
To compensate for the instability that such an influx of outsiders brought, my parents decided to also birth an heir. The pregnancy worked as intended; as news spread throughout the realm, all people within our lands began to feel an increased sense of fealty. They were all united by us… it was a dangerous predicament to be in, as the citizenry still loathed members of other species. Toads, by far the dominant species, felt a deep disdain for Koopas, Bob-Ombs, Pokeys, Monty Moles, and other "enemies."
Still, it was the only halfway decent option out of those presented to my parents. The kingdom was united, albeit by the thinnest of threads. However, my mother managed to secure a deep relationship with the neighboring Yoshis. As soon as the Koopas and Toads were able to get along amicably, the Yoshis would be able to join the Mushroom Kingdom proper. We would help develop their lands and grant their people citizenship, but it would be incumbent upon them to help protect and preserve our kingdom.
Soon after my mother negotiated this deal, she gave birth to me. Ecstasy ran through the roads of our land, among all of our peoples. The kingdom was to be stronger with allies and an heir. It was to be a joyous occasion, a once-in-a-lifetime moment… until it was revealed that she had passed due to complications in childbirth. A festive affair turned morbid; a bittersweet feeling washed over our peoples. An heir was produced, but a beloved queen was gone.
My father was wrecked by the news. He was an intelligent man, but unwise in diplomatic affairs. He was too blunt to maintain duplicity: allies were allies, and enemies were enemies. He was a man of the people, able to charm commoners and nobles alike. But he was simply unable to achieve the grand deals and bargains my mother was able to consistently produce.
However, he was a brilliant strategist and military organizer, a trait I was never able to acquire. He was a mastermind, protecting our kingdom from the threats of the Koopas. For the next sixteen years, they dare not speak ill of our peoples or lands.
At the end of those sixteen years, he became sickly in an extraordinarily short period of time. He thought he was just becoming frail as he approached middle age, but I suspected something far more sinister. My hesitancy in bringing forth the bad vibes I was feeling cost my father his life. Before I could say anything, he was gone.
The kingdom mourned the loss of their beloved king, as I mourned the loss of a king, role model, and father. I knew that this was the time I must stay at my most vigilant, guarding myself against threats that could come across our kingdom. I had been told many times before that my parents had been rulers of the people, but I had been the soul of the land.
Tensions grew exponentially when I received a letter from the Koopa Kingdom. Everyone in the castle assumed the worst, but I was an optimist; I hoped for the best. At first glance, the letter did seem to be in a benign character, wishing the residents of the kingdom a peaceful future ahead.
Upon further inspection, I realized that there was another letter in the envelope, tightly folded and clearly meant for only my eyes. There was no sense in allowing for the entirety of the court to read my mail from our greatest adversary, but I would allow for my most loyal steward to read it as well.
I fled to my quarters, whispering to the venerable man to meet me on my balcony at midnight. To be sure he wasn't followed, but to also rest beforehand. As midnight approached, I grew evermore stressed, pacing alone atop the royal balcony.
I had tried to read by the moonlight, but that grew to be a pain for my eyes. Not due to the darkness, but due to the turmoil that had planted itself in my brain. My piping-hot tea made for the best of companions in times of turmoil, and it helped me to think through any tribulations that may occur. But I grew bored of sitting and began to stare wistfully out towards the lands my parents had worked so hard to claim and defend for the Toads, wondering what was to become of it if I failed in my duties. I even thought about escaping from it all, living my life in an uncharted area. But what good would that be for my subjects?
In essence, I pondered my circumstances and how to make the best of them. They weren't perfect by any means, but plenty of others had it much worse. I vowed to act as queen regent, but refused to take the ceremonial position until marriage… and that was a far-off date, by any means. After all, I was only fifteen at the time. Nevertheless, as the princess and acting queen, my primary goals were going to be the alleviation of poverty among the underclasses that had begun to form on the Mushroom Kingdom's outskirts and protection for my people.
By the time I returned to the table, the tea had long grown cold. Sighing, I noticed that the chill in the air allowed for the condensation of my breath. With each puff, a new swirl of translucent whiteness escaped. Before I could return to my quarters to grab a jacket, Toadsworth appeared, looking apprehensive. He was dear to me, but he was always so apprehensive… I supposed he had just cause, though.
Immediately getting down to business, I reached for the letter. My hands trembled in my crisp white gloves as I unfolded the parchment, stalling for time. Toadsworth, looking both worried and thoroughly unamused at the situation, gently removed it from my hands. He rotated it in such a way so that we would both be able to gaze through its contents.
However, it was simple… It was also exactly what I had feared. The letter read as:
My Beloved Peach,
How I have longed for this day. Your parents, your people… have devastated my land without remorse. But your father was always too strong to overpower. With him out of the picture, I can finally exact revenge on your people.
However, you, fairest princess, I cannot bear to destroy. Kamek made the attempt, but you appeared to be impervious to the effects of his magic. Secretly, I am glad you were immune, but that paints you as a larger threat than we had been anticipating.
In that case, I have come to a conclusion. We will not be only be taking back our lands (justly so), but we shall also steal the crown jewel of your kingdom, princess. And we both know what, or rather who, that refers to.
But alas, you will not know when I strike. Whether it's tomorrow or a decade from now. Or perhaps I'm bluffing?
Ta-ta my love,
King Bowser Koopa
The guard was doubled.
However, that did little good, as two years had passed without an attack. We became complacent, with the sole exception of the perpetually on-edge Toadsworth. I ignored his advice, reducing the guard to its previous levels, as its maintenance was straining the finances of the Kingdom. Still, I knew of the plots the wolves around me entertained.
I was physically weak, but mentally proficient. No middling aristocrat would usurp my throne, I had made sure of that. But Bowser had known that our defenses were down due to aristocratic turmoil, and took that moment to strike.
In hindsight, it was apparent as to what he had done. He blanketed the castle itself with a strange sort of illness. At first, it manifested itself as a feeling of dread, of unease. The servants at my abode became weary and increasingly paranoid.
Until, one evening, Toadsworth and I realized something odd occurring in the kitchen. A ruckus was making itself known; a rarity. It sounded as though a tray had fallen from one of the many countertops.
Slowly, I made my way towards the kitchen, grabbing my trusty parasol for protection. I didn't expect to see a small brown creature causing havoc in my abode. Unsure of what it was, I ordered the doctors to perform tests on it.
Days passed, but every hour more of these "Goombas" seemed to appear. Toads were simultaneously disappearing from the castle grounds; I was confused, ordering an investigation so as to ascertain exactly what was occurring.
The next evening, it clicked. Some foul magic had permeated the castle grounds, transforming my loyal subjects into these monstrosities. I rushed to tell Toadsworth, but something felt strange… The castle was silent. I feared the worst had occurred, especially as the Goombas seemed to be teleported away upon transformation.
I hiked my skirt, running throughout the deserted halls. My heels echoed across the area, making a mockery of the liveliness once enjoyed inside my residence's walls. I made my way to my bedroom, finding Toadsworth locked in what seemed to be an internal struggle. Sweat poured down his brow, as he gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Princess!" He yelled in frustration at me, but I refused to leave his side, hugging him close to me instead. My eyes watered, as I stared upon his aged face. The blue polka dots that once adorned his cap were transforming into a sickly brown.
I couldn't help myself. I began to sob, wailing as if I was still the baby he had cared for all those years ago. He gently patted my back, but continued to make weak attempts to push me away. But that was of no consequence to me, as I continued to weep and pray to the stars. Miraculously, he survived intact, but his cap failed to revert back to its previous color.
I had made up my mind, I would escape tonight. I knew who had done this to my people, and -make no mistake- this meant war.
Well, did you guys like that? Personally, I felt as though the end was a bit rushed… But I digress. Give me your feedback please, I'd love it!
Also, would you prefer it if I continued this story, or left it as a one shot? Also, if I expanded upon it, should I make it into an overarching story, or give brief tales? I'm leaning towards the former, if you guys enjoyed it.
Thank you!
(P.S. This was an experiment in 1st vs 3rd person POV. I'll be posting another story soon in the 3rd person, if you want to check it out [Shameless advertising XD]... But seriously, would you prefer 1st or 3rd?)