Chapter Ten

Punishment

"Princess!" cried Marth. He tried to open the door through the doorknob, but it was jammed. He bashed on the door with his shoulder. Roy also helped Marth with trying to knock down the door, but they were unsuccessful. Samus began to charge her laser.

"I'd move if I were you!" she yelled. Marth and Roy both turned around and saw that she was almost completely at full power and dived out of the way.

"Aah!" cried Roy. Samus fired his charged laser at Peach's door and it shattered almost instantly from the strength of the attack. The chips of wood bounced around on the ground and the door itself was blown off its hinges. Marth dashed inside as well as Roy and Jigglypuff. Zelda and Samus followed them after. When they were back inside Peach's room, she was gone…

"Oh no…!" said Zelda. She ran up to Peach's bed and looked around the room. The two warriors and Samus were especially cautious. Jigglypuff darted to where Zelda was.

"Where could she have gone?" asked Roy. Before anyone could answer that question, something moved. A figure dove down and slammed their feet right onto Samus' helmet, catching her off guard and causing her to go down.

"Augh!" she cried. Marth saw the flash of pink and yellow and knew who it was; it was Peach herself. Jigglypuff cried out.

"Peach! What are you doing?!" she asked. The princess turned her head around to look at Jigglypuff. Her eyes were empty and her expression showing pleasure for having caused Samus pain. Marth took a step back.

"P-Princess?!"

She turned to Marth and stared at him. His breathing became slightly faster and his hand reached for the hilt of his sword. She reacted accordingly by lunging at him with a Peach Bomber attack which on impact, caused a small, fiery explosion. Marth was blown back into Peach's dresser at such force that its support was broken, causing it to collapse.

"Agh!" he cried. Roy raised his sword at Peach.

"S-Stop! What's gotten into you?!" he asked. Zelda held her hand back, which sparkled with magical energy.

"We have to stop her! Something's…gotten a hold of her mind!" she shouted to Roy. Roy nodded and ran back to help Marth up. He seemed pretty battered already, but he could stand.

"You okay?" he asked the prince. Marth nodded and rubbed the back of his head.

"Y-Yeah," he replied. They both turn towards Peach who stood at the doorway. Samus got up and stood a few feet from Peach as did Marth and Roy.

"H-Hey! What's the big idea?!" said Samus. She raised her arm cannon up at the princess, who looked back at her. The bounty hunter's arm shook slightly.

"…"

Samus had never felt so scared. She was aiming her cannon at one of her close friends…but why? Why was this happening?

"Samus!" shouted Jigglypuff. She snapped out of it, but it was too late. Peach dove at her, her crown in her hand. She raised it over her head as she reached Samus…and slammed it right into her visor. A loud crack was heard and small shards of glass fell onto the ground. Samus cried out.

"Aah!!"

Her visor acted accordingly, by malfunctioning, ultimately blinding the bounty hunter who struggled to see. Samus readied her cannon and she began to fire missles wildly. Missle after missle flew into various parts of the room. Explosions caused many of the princess' items and furniture to break and become covered in soot. Zelda reflected as many missles as she could with her Nayru's Love spell which formed a large, blue crystal around the sorceress.

"Samus! Stop!" she shouted. Zelda sent a glowing ball of fire towards Samus and set it off at her arm. With a flash of fire, the cannon was rendered useless. Samus was shocked.

"!"

Samus was now helpless. Her Power Suit began to malfunction somewhat as she couldn't move.

"Ah…no…" she uttered. She couldn't see what was happening…and she could not escape. It was as if hiding from something you feared most, but knowing that it was right on the otherside. Peach smiled at this. Roy dove at Peach with his sword raised.

"Yaah!" he yelled. The princess knew and she held a hand out towards her collapsed bed and something was summoned to her hand; it was Perry, her parasol. She took it with both hands and blocked Roy's attack with the body of the parasol.

"!"

Peach's expression became dark and she smiled, showing her teeth. Suddenly, the lower half of the parasol was pulled off by Peach's hand and it revealed a blade underneath. Roy's eyes widened.

"Oh sh-!"

The princess' motions were swift. It was unlike anything she seemed capable of doing. After all…she was a kind and generous princess. At least…that was what was known before this. Roy couldn't move. His eyes were wide and he shook slightly. He slowly and painfully lowered his head…to look down at his chest. There, a small section of the blade could be seen outside as the rest pierced through his chest plate and into his body. Marth was stricken.

"R-Roy…!" he said aloud. The princess watched the young man's face as he was filled with terror. A red liquid dripped from the blade and stained Roy's clothes. Peach lifted her leg and placed her foot on Roy's chest.

"…"

With all her might, she kicked him back down onto the ground, pulling the blade out and leaving the young swordsman on the ground, clutching his wound. Marth rushed to Roy's side while Peach walked away casually, sheathing the blade and holding the parasol over her as if she was out for a walk in the moon light. Marth was frantic.

"Roy! Roy…please, say something," he asked. Roy looked over at him.

"Marth…I…!" he replied. He had trouble speaking. The pain was great and his hand was drenched in his own blood. Jigglypuff covered her mouth with both of her hands as her big, round eyes began to well up with tears.

"Roy…!" said Zelda in horror.

"It is his own fault," said Peach suddenly. Her voice was different…besides the fact that it was extremely hostile and a bit raspy. Zelda could feel it…she could sense it; the other presence was detected!

"It is also her fault," she said, turning around to face all of them. Her expression was grim, as if someone had done her a very serious wrong. She continued to speak.

"Your plans to try to exorcise me are futile…as well as hurtful," she said, frowning even more. She glanced at all of their faces. Roy's gasps for air could be heard. They were too painful…for Marth and Zelda to hear. They knew nothing could help him…that wound was…

"This is your punishment as well as her's. Know this and know it well: it is my duty to ensure this girl's victory at any cost. Do not defy her wishes," she said darkly. Zelda took a step forward.

"W-Who are you?!" she demanded. Peach chuckled.

"There is no need for you to know," she answered. Marth drew his blade. He was breathing heavily.

"You…" he said. Peach turned to him.

"?"

"You will pay for this…all of this! This-This torment…! On her! On him! On everyone! I swear to you…" he said angrily. He held his blade up at the princess. He knew he couldn't do anything. It was her, the princess who he so dearly cherished. The one who he could take into his arms and make her feel safe…but now…

"…"

The princess stared at him, no mercy or hesitation could be seen from her malevolent gaze. But before anyone could do anything, a familiar sound could be heard; it wasn't just a sound…it was a voice. Something latched onto Peach's back. She was off guard for that single moment!

"What?!" she cried. She was suddenly dragged backwards, out of the front door of the room and into the mouth of a familiar green dinosaur; it was Yoshi. Zelda gasped and Marth was shocked. Jigglypuff fell back and fainted from the tension of the room before.

"Y-Yoshi?" asked Zelda. Yoshi's mouth was enlarged from having a person in it and there were signs of struggle, but nothing could escape. He swallowed the princess and the parasol and his body became huge as if he had just had a delicious feast.

"…"

In a moment, he layed an egg. It fell onto the ground, landing without a sound and without breaking, but it did not shake as it did in battle; outside of battle, swallowed targets would stay in an egg until broken by an outside force. It was in battle that this was limited to only a few seconds. This was the one time Yoshi would ever use this ability on a friend…especially one as close to him and the others as Peach. Marth sheathed his sword.

"Thank you, Yoshi…we're grateful," he said quickly. He wouldn't have been able to do anything without hurting her physically. Zelda knelt down to check on Roy.

"He may still make it. We have to get him to the infirmary now!" she shouted. Yoshi dashed into the room. Marth held Roy up by his arms and Zelda, his feet. Together, they placed Roy onto Yoshi's back who immediately sped towards the Infirmary. Marth was relieved as well as Zelda. He walked over to Samus who had lost her ability to talk when her helmet malfunctioned.

"Come on…let's get you there as well," he said, helping her stand. Zelda held up Jigglypuff who was sound asleep.

"...I felt it," said Zelda suddenly. She looked upon the broken glass of the windows, the charred wallpaper on the ceiling and walled and also the shattered furniture which lay all across the ground. It reminded her of a silent battlefield where war had swept. Marth looked at her.

"What did you feel?" he asked. She turned to him.

"The person who was there. It wasn't the princess…or at least, it wasn't just her. She was herself…but someone was there behind her actions. When she began to spoke to us, I sensed it. No other times could I," she answered. Marth began to walk out of the door.

"…Why is this happening to her?" he asked. Zelda followed.

"To her…? Why the princess?!" he cried. Zelda knew she couldn't answer that question…she knew how he felt. He was angry…angry at the fact that someone was using her. She was being used against her friends when they tried to help her. Marth was not usually like this.

"All we can do now is tend to the wounded…and we'll discuss this when we organize ourselves," said Hyrulian princess. Marth stopped and turned back to look at her. She stopped and held back a gasp.

"Yes…you're right. I can't lose myself. Not yet. Let's hurry," he said to her, turning and continuing to walk. She let out a sigh of relief, hoping not to have enraged him any further than he already was. She turned to look back at the princess' room, destroyed and in ruin one last time before she followed him again.

End of Chapter Ten