Peach's P.O.V.

I never thought I'd have to have seen the things I saw in the cave. I've known Mario for a long time. I think we first met as toddlers, but we didn't formally meet until he and Luigi first had to save me from Bowser. Of course, I never expected to see him like this. I don't know why I would. While it wasn't the same degree of what I'd seen happen to Luigi, this was somehow more terrifying. While I don't know why, I think it's because…

I love him…

Anyways, after Daisy, Mario, and I had taken off to save Luigi, we were led into a cave. A dark, damp, disgusting cave. I felt like I was going to vomit just walking in there. Darcena returned shortly after, and sent us all into different parts of the cave, leaving us to explore and find our way back to each other.

As I slowly stepped through the mud, careful to keep my sneakers as clean as possible, I heard what sounded like a scream. I turned and ran towards where it had come from. There I found myself standing face to face with a woman, not much taller than I was.

"Oh Peach! You've grown so much!" She said, as she hugged me tightly. "I've missed you so much!"

"W-Who are you?" I asked, confused. She looked vaguely familiar. I knew I had seen her somewhere before, but where?

"Oh, sweetie! How could you forget your own Mother!" She said as she hugged me tighter. I was really confused at this point.

"M-My mother? B-But… My mother died when I was just a little girl…" I said, unsure if this was real or just another trick.

"But I'm right here." She said, letting me go. "Do you really think I'm an illusion?" She stared at me. I felt a chill down my spine.

"Y-you're not my mother." I stated. "You're another fake."

"Well well well… You got through that easily. I'll make sure the next challenge isn't so simple." She said, then disappeared.

Daisy's P.O.V.

I was running through the cave, scared to death at what could happen in here. I don't wanna die… I don't wanna die… I don't wanna die… I don't wanna die… I don't wanna die… I don't wanna die… I don't wanna die… I don't wanna die… I don't wanna die… I don't wanna die… That's all that was going through my head at the time.

"Daisy!" I heard a voice call. I turned to see Luigi, standing with one hand behind his back. He had a concerned look on his face, and his other hand was extended towards me.

"Luigi! You don't know how glad I am to see you! You need to help me find Mario and Peach and get out of here!" I explained. "Please!"

"I have no reason to help you…" He said. "I might as well just leave you here to die…"

"B-But… Luigi! I thought…"

"Well you thought wrong." He interrupted. "If you really want me to get you out of here, I guess I can help." He brought his hand out from behind his back, revealing a knife. His concerned expression turned into the same expression the Fake Luigi and Darcena had had.

"NO! STOP! I KNOW THIS IS A TRICK!" I yelled, throwing a nearby pebble at his face. I couldn't believe this.

"Hah. You can't escape me." He laughed. "You won't survive."

"I'm not falling for your tricks again Darcena!" I screamed. "DO YOU HEAR ME? I'M NOT FALLING FOR YOUR TRICKS!"

The Fake Luigi stopped and began fading away into nothing. I wiped my forehead and sighed, just glad I got out of that situation alive. It was then I heard a scream. But it was the person screaming that sent a chill down my spine.

Mario…

Mario's P.O.V.

As I walked through the dark cave, I had an uneasy feeling. It made sense, since I knew I could die if I made one wrong move. But it was what had happened earlier that was bothering me. I could've been killed, and by Princess Daisy, of all people. Something had gotten into her and Princess Peach, but what? And why was I unaffected?

The answer was something I never wanted to think about again.

I was cold, hungry, and scared. I just wanted to go home, but I knew I couldn't leave without the Princesses. They'd probably die here. It was then I heard someone shout.

"NO! STOP! I KNOW THIS IS A TRICK!"

Daisy.

I ran as fast as I could to find her, shouting her name, but it was useless. She couldn't hear me, or at least wasn't paying attention. Just as I was catching up to her, I noticed something on the ground. A small, red box. A music box. I'd better not touch that… I thought, remembering what had happened in the mansion only a few months ago. I didn't want to go through that again.

I turned to see that Daisy was gone. Dang it. I thought. She must've run away. I hope she's OK…

"Oh Maaariooo…"

I turned around to see a woman I never wanted to see again. Alice Aduraice. She was holding onto Luigi, with a knife up to his throat.

"Surprised to see me?" She asked. "Well you shouldn't fear for your own life, you should be fearing for HIS!" She began moving the knife closer to his neck. I knew this was an illusion, but I was terrified anyways.

"STOP!" I yelled. "STOP!"

It was no use. I was frozen from fear, stuck watching as she mercilessly murdered my brother. After the she had turned Luigi into an unrecognizable mess of blood and guts, she turned around again, and dropped the knife. What happened next tricked me into thinking what had just happened was real.

Alice turned around, and slowly morphed into Darcena.

I screamed, and she and the mess that was once my brother disappeared.

Peach's P.O.V.

I heard Mario scream and ran as fast as I could towards him. I hoped he was alright. The worst part was that I knew whatever had happened must have threatened his life. After running for what felt like forever, I finally found him. He was standing there, frozen in shock. This was the most terrified I'd ever seen him.

"Mario! Are you OK? What happened?" I asked, shaking him, trying to snap him out this traumatic state.

"Luigi… Luigi…"

"What about Luigi?"

"He's… Dead…"

I shook him again. "He's not dead! That was an illusion! Luigi's alive! That wasn't real!"

"A-are you sure, Princess?" he looked up at me, looking as if he had just been scarred for life, which he probably was. He must've seen something terrible.

"Yes, I'm sure! Relax, Mario. Let's just find Daisy and get out of here." I hugged him tightly. "It's going to be fine."

He just sighed, and followed me as we searched for Daisy.