Summary: Peach made a huge mistake by running off into the same forest that her parents warned her to stay away from...

AUs: Dark Fairytale, Humanized AU, Peach is not a princess

Warning: This is dark. Read at your own risk.

She should have listened.

For her entire life, Peach's parents warned her never to go into the forest. They told her it was enchanted, and that anyone who entered it never came out.

She never really believed that it was enchanted, but she still listened to what her parents told her and always steered clear from the woods. Until now.

The girl didn't really mean to get lost. She had ran blindly into the forest after getting her heart broken by a boy, and didn't realize where she was going until it was too late. Now she was lost and alone.

It had been about half an hour, and still no luck in finding a way out. It felt as though the forest was changing, every time she reached a dead end, she'd turn back only to find a completely new place.

She was just about to feel like giving up, but then she heard something.

She heard a noise in the bushes, but was relieved to find only a small rabbit.

"You are in danger..." the rabbit spoke in a soft, but unsettling voice.

"Did... did you just speak?" Peach asked. Animals didn't talk. Maybe this really was an enchanted forest.

"You have trespassed in this forest... in his forest..."

"His forest?"

"You are in a lot of danger, my dear..." the rabbit continued. "If he finds you..."

"Who?"

The rabbit only disappeared into thin air, leaving her alone.

The girl didn't understand what the rabbit had meant, but now suddenly she felt scared. She had to find a way out of this forest. Peach continued walking.

It had been a while, and it was getting quite late. It had gotten much darker, so much so that Peach was having trouble seeing.

She hadn't run into anything since that rabbit from earlier. Unsure if the whole thing was her imagination or not, she tried to stay careful.

But as she walked on, she had the unsettling feeling that she was being watched. Wondering if she was truly alone, she walked a little bit slower.

It didn't help that this forest was giving her the creeps. It seemed to never end, as if something was preventing her from leaving.

She pondered for a bit. Was this was the reason why the forest was enchanted? Why those who ventured into the forest were never seen again?

The thought of having to wander aimlessly through the forest seemed like a horrible fate. Not to mention what the rabbit had told her.

Who was "he"? Someone else in the forest besides her? Apparently this place was "his forest". That rabbit was quite vague about that.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt a gust of wind, and a hand running through her hair. She started to feel a little more nervous, so she began walking faster this time.

She kept running until she found herself unable to continue, growing tired. She sat down on a tree stump to rest.

But just then, she saw a figure walking towards her. She tried to run away, but when she turned around, there were a bunch of trees blocking the path.

Peach didn't know what to do now, she was completely cornered. As the figure grew closer, tears started escaping from her eyes.

She wished she had never run into the forest. That boy wasn't worth it.

The figure was right in front of her, smiling. Now she was able to see it's features.

It was a man, one with white hair, purple eyes, and pale skin. He seemed very well dressed, and rather out of place for someone living in a forest.

However, she knew he wasn't human. His glowing eyes and sharp teeth revealed that she was dealing with something more, although she didn't know exactly what.

"Oh, you poor little thing..." he said in a sympathetic voice, putting his gloved hand on her cheek. Her heart started beating faster. "Didn't anyone warn you not to go into this forest alone?"

"I-I'm sorry." she replied nervously. "I didn't mean to, I got lost." she explained.

"You got lost, my dear?" he chuckled, then grinned. "Well, so did everyone else."

"Oh, please!" she begged. "Please don't hurt me..."

"Hurt you?" he asked. "Now why would I want to hurt someone like you? No, a pretty face like yours would be perfect for my collection."

"Collection?"

"My art collection. I have many portraits of all sorts of people who have visited my forest. They're very... lifelike." he explained. "You, however," he continued. "I think you might be the most aesthetically pleasing to the eye."

"Listen, I'm very sorry for entering your forest, I really am." she apologized, trying to hide her fear. "If you let me go, I promise to never come back-"

"It's too late for apologies. You've trespassed my forest, so a price must be paid." he told her as a strange purple aura appeared around his hands.

"No, wait! I'll do anything!" Peach cried, tears falling down her face.

He paused for a moment, and looked at her. "Anything?"

"Yes!"

He smiled and the purple aura disappeared. After thinking for a few moments, he finally spoke again. "I think perhaps a deal is in order."

"A deal?" she asked.

"Yes..." he continued. "I'll let you leave the forest... under one condition."

"What is it?" she was a bit worried about what this condition might be. He was quite intimidating, and from what she had just seen, he didn't seem like someone who should be messed with.

"You see, my dear, you've actually arrived at a perfect time. Tonight is a rare violet moon." he told her. "And when it occurs, well, let's just say things around here get... interesting."

"What do you possibly mean?" she asked, scared.

"Well, I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise..." he replied. "But it would be such a shame if I had to spend this phenomenon all by myself. After all, it's a lot better with two people."

"Why's that?"

"You'll have to see for yourself, won't you?"

"I don't know..." she told him. Something didn't seem right about all this.

"I assure you," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist. "this will be a lot of fun for the both of us."

Peach thought about it. It was either go with him to some strange lunar event, or be trapped in a painting forever. She still didn't understand what "a lot of fun for the both of us" meant. But at this point, did she really have that much to lose?

"Okay, I'll go with you." she accepted. He smiled and took her hand.

"Perfect." he murmured. "Let's go..."

After walking for a while, they came across a large mansion, one that looked quite marvelous, but also quite intimidating. Made of stone and containing purple stained glass windows, she wondered how she didn't notice it earlier.

"Are you afraid? You don't need to be right now..." he said. He held her close to him, and she noticed that he had no heartbeat. He ran his hand through her soft, blonde hair. For some strange reason, she felt calmer, even though she should have been scared. "You must be freezing. Why don't we come inside."

"...okay." she replied. He held her hand as the two went inside.

As they walked in, Peach was amazed at how beautiful the inside of the mansion looked. How could something so beautiful be in a dark forest like this? There was a massive staircase, and a huge chandelier with candles on it.

He must have noticed how in awe she was. "You'll be seeing something much more beautiful soon."

He led her through the mansion until they reached the backyard.

She looked around. It was quite a sight to see. There was a garden with a bench, and an opening in the trees so that the moonlight would shine through.

"Hmm, this is perfect." he stated. "There's just one thing missing." He looked at her for a moment. A purple light appeared for a brief moment, and the next thing Peach knew, she was wearing a beautiful pink, off the shoulder dress. "There."

"This is beautiful. How did you do that?" she asked.

"That is a secret of mine." he simply replied. "But it's almost time." He held her close. "Look."

A few moments later, Peach noticed that the full moon started to gain a purplish hue.

"Is that..."

"The violet moon? Yes." he told her. "But that's just the beginning."

As the hue became more strong, little purple fireflies appeared, floating all around.

"Woah..." she murmured. It was so beautiful and entrancing to watch them all float in the air. The little fireflies danced around the two, as if they were trying to tell them something. He got up and took her hand.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked.

"Oh, well, I don't have much experience." she told him.

"Just follow my lead." he replied. He took her to the middle of the garden, the purple moonlight shining on them like a spotlight.

He led her into a waltz, and after a while, she got the hang of it. The fireflies continued to circle around them as he twirled her around. Pretty soon the moon was a strong purple.

As the dance went on, Peach started to feel strange. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she knew she was suddenly exhausted.

"I need to sit down." she muttered. "I feel tired."

"But the best part is coming up." he said. "You'll only feel tired for a short while."

She started to wonder if this violet moon was more than just an aesthetic change. As they danced, she somehow craved being in his arms, more than before.

He seemed to know, too, because he was starting to bring her a little closer. But it only made her want more. Pretty soon, she couldn't take it anymore, and fell to the floor in exhaustion.

"Please, I don't feel right. I think something's wrong." she gasped, trying to get back up.

He looked at her and smiled, as if he knew this was going to happen. "Oh, it's just the violet moon." he told her. "It seems to have an effect on you." He chuckled darkly as he picked her up and placed her on the bench and sat down next to her.

"What do you mean?" she asked tiredly.

"I know what's happening." he told her. "You're exhausted. But you also crave intimacy." he wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned closer. "The violet moon amplifies your current desires. You want to rest because you work a lot, and you're also starved for affection from another person."

"How... how do you know all this?"

"I can read you like an open book, dear." he whispered. "And it says that deep down, you're secretly enjoying this, but you don't want to admit it."

"I... I..." she couldn't think of what to say. The horrifying truth was that he was right. She was afraid of him, but also wanted him at the same time, and that scared her more than anything.

He leaned closer. "You pretty little thing..." he purred.

His lips touched hers and soon she felt herself returning the kiss. She could feel her heart beating faster and her mind racing a million miles an hour. She felt dizzy but also perfectly fine.

His hand ran through her hair as she held onto him. She didn't think she would enjoy this as much as she was right now. But he seemed to draw her in even more, his affection being almost intoxicating.

As they kept kissing, the fireflies around them spun faster and faster, engulfing them in a glowing purple light...

The village doctor was confused. In all his years, he had never had a case as strange as this one.

A twenty year old girl named Peach Toadstool was found outside the forest a few days ago, and has behaved rather strangely since then.

"We don't what's wrong with her," her father stated. "She's been a bit despondent, as if she's in a trance."

"Sometimes she waltzes around mindlessly on her own." her mother added.

The doctor tried asking Peach herself about her strange behavior, but proved hopeless.

"There's nothing wrong, Doctor." she told him. "I'm fine, really I am."

She still did her housework, and still interacted with her friends and family. But she hadn't acted the same since a few nights ago. Something had to caused her to act like this.

Peach rolled her eyes at them. There wasn't anything wrong with her at all. She just experienced something that they hadn't. Something truly wonderful and amazing.

It was true that the violet moon had an effect on her, but not in the way she had thought.

What the moon actually did was connect the two, spiritually. Their souls were bonded together and intertwined, and she no longer felt alone anymore.

He visited her in dreams, and sometimes she would sneak back into the forest to visit him, with each visit being a wonderful experience. She started to feel as though she was something more.

Of course, this was her little secret, one that she would never tell anyone.

Then again, one day, her mother could have sworn that she saw her daughter's eyes glowing for a moment...