Today marks the opening of my very first poll (YAY!!!). I'm having a lot of fun writing this story but I need an idea as to what I should do when this story finally ends. I'm not sure when that is, but it definitely won't be in the next three chapters, so don't worry. I just need an idea of what my next move is. I'm still a very new author here (believe it or not) so I want to know what you guys think I should do next. And don't feel limited by the poll either. If you want to talk to me directly please do. I always check my inbox for messages so I'll respond pretty quickly. They're nowhere near done, but please check out my other two stories too if you want. But I rambled on enough, back to our featured presentation...

I Believe in You

While Peach was having he time of her life, Mario and his group were kind of at odds with each other. Mario always walked as far away from everyone else as possible, and didn't speak to anyone. Luigi, who before would have been walking right next to Mario, actually was on the opposite side of the group. He just wasn't too sure whether or not Peach could be saved anymore, not after she killed Princess Eclair.

Link and Zelda of course walked together, always taking the lead. Link was still really sour about what happened in Waffle Kingdom. That day, he lost any respect he had for Mario. Daisy walked way in the back of everyone else, trying to separate herself from everyone as much as possible.

Zelda was just worried about the group as a whole. Not because she liked anyone in particular, but because she was worried about their unity. Zelda was the kind of person that believed in strength in numbers, so she felt that the only way they could succeed in this fight was if they all worked together.

That night after they set up camp, they all went in their own separate ways. Mario walked off by himself away from everyone else as usual, Luigi was warming his hands by the fire, Daisy was sitting on the other side of the fire trying to keep warm and to keep from crying, Link went out to keep watch, and Zelda (who had turned into Sheik at some point in the day) went out to gather more fire wood.

While Sheik was out, he was thinking about what happened in the Waffle Kingdom.

Memory

Link punches Mario knocking him on the ground.

"Link!" Zelda said in shock.

"This idiot stopped me before I could kill Deas!"

"What?" she said turning to Mario, "Is that true?" she asked, but Mario just remained silent.

"Get in my way again, and next time, I will kill you!" Link said as he put up his sword and walked out.

Zelda just looked at Mario in shock for a second, and then walked after Link.

End memory

Why did Mario defend her? Even after what she did to Princess Eclair, he still believed in her? Was it weakness like Link thought? Sheik thought about it for a long time, but he still didn't understand. "I have to get to the bottom of this," he said to himself as he picked up the firewood and went back to the camp.

Even though Luigi and Daisy were right next to each other, they said nothing to each other. Luigi was still too devastated to say anything, and Daisy was still too guilty to speak to anyone, let alone Luigi. One of his closest friends was killed right before his very eyes, by a monster she pretty much made.

"Excuse me," they heard next to them. They both looked up and saw Sheik holding the firewood he collected.

"Oh, Sheik," Daisy said kind of nervous. She had a hard enough time facing Zelda, but there was something about Sheik that was a lot more intimidating.

"Has either one of you seen Mario? There's something I have to ask him," Sheik asked them.

"Oh, I saw him go in that direction," Luigi said pointing to the left of him.

"I see, thank you," Sheik said nodding. He then walked out in that direction.

Mario was sitting on a stone looking out at the edge of a cliff at the ocean. Even though it was night, the ocean looked beautiful illuminated by the full moon. Sheik stepped out of the forest a little as to not alarm him, and watched him for a good few seconds. Mario then reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he gave to Peach a month ago. Sheik turned back into Zelda and just looked at Mario as he stared at the ring. She began to wonder where that ring came from, since it was the first time she had even seen it.

"That's a nice ring," she said startling Mario a bit.

He turned to face her, "Zelda?" he asked, after all, she never really spoke to anyone except for Link.

"Is it alright if I join you?" she asked Mario.

"Uh, sure," he replied.

Zelda went over to where he was and sat next to him.

"Mario, I have to ask you something, and I want you to be absolutely honest with me," she started, catching Mario's attention, "When we were in the Waffle Kingdom, Link was about to kill Deas but you stopped him. Why?"

"Because that's not Deas!" he said, startling Zelda a bit. He calmed down and continued, "That's Peach."

"Both Link and I have told you that Peach is Deas and that if she isn't stopped, then she'll destroy everything."

"I know."

"You were there when she destroyed Sarassa Kingdom."

"I know."

"You even saw her force Princess Eclair to commit suicide."

"I know!" he shouted getting a little irritated.

"After seeing her do those horrible things, how can you still think that she can be saved?"

"Because I know that's not Peach!" he said looking at her. He then looked down and continued, "She isn't anything like this."

"Then, what is she like?" she asked. That question surprised Mario a bit, but he then looked up and closed his eyes as he remembered the woman he fell in love with.

"Oh, where do I begin? She was smart, kind, pure of heart, a little shy surprisingly, she always wore bright colors, and even after recovering from one of Bowser's attacks she still had this light to her. Oh, and her smile, one of the sweetest, purest smiles I ever saw. Her voice was soft and gentle, and her eyes were a deep blue, only adding to her pureness. Zelda, she was, in every way..."

"Beautiful?" she continued.

Mario looked at her with that same smile he had as he remembered, "Yeah, beautiful."

"How did you two meet?"

"Well, it was kind of funny. I was walking through town doing my shopping and I bumped into this woman wearing a red cloak. She wouldn't tell me her name, but she said she wanted to hang out with me for the day. I was shocked of course, but she said that she wanted to have a day where she could be a normal girl for a change. I thought it was weird, but when I looked into her eyes I saw that she was being honest. So we hung out for the whole day. I still didn't know who she was but I didn't care. We went to the carnival, the town square, the theater, everywhere."

"Sounds like you two had a great time together," Zelda said smiling.

"We did. After we were done she took me to where she said her favorite spot was. She thanked me for the wonderful time, kissed me on the cheek, and then left. I didn't even know she was the princess until about two days later."

"What happened?"

"Well, it was on the news that the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach had been captured by Bowser of the Koopa Tribe. I wasn't sure how to take that news until I saw her picture, and there she was, the girl I met two days ago. She was the princess. I felt this urge inside of me to go do something, and before I knew it I was asking around, wanting to know how to get to Bowser's Kingdom. I eventually found it, stormed the castle, and outsmarted Bowser defeating him. When I found Peach she was on the ground crying. I opened the cell door and held out my hand to help her up, and the moment our eyes met I knew that she was the one I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with," he then looked at the ring, and his smile faded as he got back to reality, "You know, she and I were supposed to get married sometime this month probably."

"Oh dear!" Zelda said in shock, she didn't know that, "Mario, I'm so sorry."

"That's why I can't believe that this is who Peach really is. The Peach I fell in love with three years ago would never say or do any of these things."

"Do you remember what happened right before the change?"

"Well, she was attacked by a group of Koopa soldiers. Sadly that happened often, because Bowser was obsessed with her and wanted to use her to rule the Mushroom Kingdom. It was right after that that she began acting funny. She wouldn't tell me what happened, but I think I know. Could her power's have been brought out through her fear?" he asked.

"Perhaps. Do you think she had a preview of this?"

"Maybe. A few days before the Koopa attack she was possessed by this being called the Nightmare Queen, and was used as a vessel for her. If some of that darkness stayed inside of her then..." he stopped and lowered his head, "No, you two said that she wasn't being possessed."

After hearing all of this Zelda had a different opinion about both Mario and Peach. She now knew why Mario was trying so hard to save her, and she now had a bit of an idea why Peach was doing this now. She had a brand new respect for Mario, realizing that he wasn't being foolish, he was just hopelessly in love. What she said next changed everything.

"Don't give up," she said, shocking Mario.

"What?"

"You love her, right? Then you can't give up. If you truly want to be with her then you can't let this stop you."

Mario was really shocked and confused. Zelda and her brother had come here to kill Peach, and here Zelda was now saying to bring her back? "But earlier you said-"

"That was before I knew all of this. I have a theory, one that might save her, but we need to find out where she is first," she said looking out at the ocean.

Mario was overjoyed when she said that, this meant that he might be able to bring her back after all. "What's your theory?" he asked trying to control himself.

"I can't say, in case I'm wrong I don't want to give you false hope," she said, but then turned to him, "But I believe that if anyone here can bring her back, it's you."

"Zelda..." he was speechless. Zelda had just said the one thing no one had said to him yet about this. She had just said that she thought he could do it.

Zelda got up and turned into Sheik, "Never loose faith in yourself or her, because it's only when you do, that you have truly lost," he said. He then walked back to the camp, leaving Mario to his thoughts.

Thanks to Zelda, the fire in his eyes returned. He didn't know how, but he knew that he had to save Peach now no matter what. He looked at the ring again, this time with renewed hope, "I'm going to bring you back Peach," he then held the ring in his fist and looked out at the moon, "I promise."