A/N: Welcome to chapter one :) This is where the story officially begins. Before the story starts, something I want to make clear is this story will be told in the third person, but certain parts (such as flashbacks and letters) will be told in the first person POV of the character it focuses on. I'll stop talking now, so without further ado, enjoy! :D But before I get started, I would like to thank DigimonWarrior 15 for the favorite!

Chapter One: A Journey's (Uncertain) End

Looking up at the sky, Astria saw a beautiful array of color; combinations of pink, blue, and orange dancing with one another, almost like a painting.

The sun must be rising, she thought. If there's one thing that's always enchanted me about nature, it's the way a new day begins.

She sat down against a tree and pulled out her diary. The diary was something she'd kept for a long time. It was almost like a coping mechanism for her. She could cover the page with her thoughts and feelings, and she wouldn't have to worry about anyone else seeing it. Just her feelings written out, for only her eyes to see.

She hadn't written anything in the diary since the night before she left the kingdom. The final entry was followed by some blank pages.

~ Thursday, November 23rd ~

It's all gone. My family, my friends, my home… all of it. I have no reason to stay here at this point, so I've finally come to a decision. I've been hearing a lot about the Mushroom Kingdom lately, and from what I've heard, it's currently a much safer place than this will ever be. I'm going to run away. As sad as it makes me, leaving behind the only home I've ever known, all the people I've loved throughout my life are gone. Everything that I would've ever considered staying for is gone.

I filled a backpack with some personal belongings, and I'm ready to go. I hope I'll find what I seek, but I unfortunately can't guarantee anything.

To my mother… to my father… to my older brother, who I would also say is my best friend, Phoenix, who sacrificed his life protecting me in battle… I want to tell you guys one last time, even though I know you'll never hear it… I love you. I always will.

She closed the diary and looked down.

Trying not to let the hot tears blur her vision, she slipped it back into her bag. Now was not the time to get emotional. She was almost there; she couldn't stop now.

However, trouble was starting to brew elsewhere...

It was a clear day in the Mushroom Kingdom. The sky was a mesmerizing shade of blue, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. As typical as the day might have seemed, the peaceful silence was to be short lived. Princess Peach was standing on the second floor of the throne room, staring out at the people down below.

Although it was a beautiful day, she could sense something was about to happen - something that was definitely not good.

"Your Highness!" Toad exclaimed. "I have word from the Koopa Kingdom!"

"Hm?" Peach replied, turning around. She looked as beautiful as ever. "What's wrong?"

Toad ran up to her, trying to catch his breath. "It's all in here…" he panted, handing her a piece of paper that was tied shut with a dark red ribbon.

She slowly took it from his hand, and untied the ribbon. She read the letter and gasped, a hand clasping over her mouth. "No…" she muttered. "Excuse me, Toad, but I have to go." she said, quickly moving past him.

She hurried to her bedroom, slamming the door, crumpling the letter into a ball, and throwing it at the wall in frustration. "No, no, no, no, no, no…" she whimpered, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Princess?" a familiar voice slipped into the room from the other side of the door. "Are you okay?" the voice asked. Peach let out a small sigh of relief as she immediately recognized who it was.

"You can come in!" she called, her voice still shaken with worry.

Mario suddenly rushed in, and ran over to Peach, putting an arm around her and trying to comfort her. "Peach, what's wrong?"

"The Koopa Kingdom…" she sobbed. "They've destroyed another realm… why won't they stop doing this?" she cried, burying her face into her hands. "I thought they would've learned their lesson by now…"

"I honestly expected this… you know Bowser. He's never gonna stop trying to conquer kingdoms. He wants to take over the entire universe. Nothing is ever enough for him. But no matter what happens, I'll try my hardest to protect all of the people I love; and that includes you." Mario declared with confidence.

"Thank you…" Peach whispered, wiping away her tears.

Astria continued walking down the path, but when she heard rustling in the bushes nearby, she quickly stopped. "Who's there?" she called.

The rustling abruptly stopped. She shrugged her shoulders and continued on her way. But as her back was turned, a hand suddenly reached out from the bushes and clasped around her mouth, preventing her from letting out an ear-piercing scream. "MMPH!" she cried, trying to get away from whoever was attacking her.

"Do as I say, or you won't make it to your destination," a low, intimidating voice suddenly growled. Astria assumed that this voice was of the person whose hand was practically choking her, but the voice sounded… off. She couldn't explain it, but the voice sounded like it was coming from every direction, even though the mysterious figure was right behind her.

As she kept struggling to free herself, her vision struggled to focus, and she could only see a massive blur of random colors before everything went black. She stopped fighting, and collapsed to the floor, allowing her captor to carry her away without much effort.

There is something very special about this girl… the mysterious man thought. She actually tried to defend herself, and didn't just allow herself to be taken like this. It almost makes me want to let her go, but I can't. She has what I've been looking for.

A/N: So what do you guys think so far? I'm really sorry for my inactivity :( When you put together school and personal problems, it doesn't give you a lot of time to spare. But on the bright side, summer just started for me, so maybe updates will be more often! :) Anyway, who do you think kidnapped Astria? Constructive criticism and reviews are always welcome! :D The next chapter shouldn't take long! ~TK