The Shadow Spreads Chapter 3
I stood, admiring my new abilities. I had turned the princess to my side, and now had my original vessel to command. I was more powerful than ever, and I could feel it. "Muh huh huh huh huh! Now, nothing can stop me..." I muttered with glee. "The whole world will tremble before me! I will rule them all!" I laughed.
"Yes, my queen..." Shadow Peach whispered. "Might I suggest starting with my kingdom? It is quite large, and I can easily infiltrate it." She suggested.
" Yesss... Wonderful idea... Let us leave immediately..." I praised her.
We left my crypt, and I summoned Goombella and Doopliss. "My queen... Is that you? You look so powerful..." Goombella told me.
"Yeah! You look ready to conquer everything!" Doopliss agreed.
"Indeed I am... And we start with the Mushroom Kingdom..." I explained. We left for the docks, and the pirate Cortez was waiting for us.
"Hey, I heard what you did to Keelhaul Key! That's not cool, amigo!" he yelled at me. I looked at him patronisingly, and shot a bolt of lightning next to him. "Or-or whatever, no problem really..." he whimpered.
"Good... Now I need your boat... Will you refuse? Or surrender now?" I queried.
"Sure, amigo, take my boat!" He said to me. "Honestly, we need some powerful people nowadays anyway..." he muttered under his breath.
"Yessss... Your kingdom will be mine in no time..." I said, turning to Peach. I asked Marylin to watch over Rogueport while I was gone
The boat trip was long and boring, but we eventually arrived at the Mushroom Kingdom shore. Peach changed her appearance to look like her usual self, and she told the officials that my servants and I were ambassadors. Once we were in Toad Town, I got a look at all the happy little residents running around, living in their colourful houses and joyfully playing with each other. It sickened me. I then got a glimpse of the famous Peach's Castle, and it looked impressive. Maybe this will be my new home... I thought to myself. It was very bright and cheerful, but I could remodel. Peach organised a political meeting with the leaders of nearby kingdoms, as Peach decided it was an efficient way to take over their lands.
"Hello Peach!" said a large green women and a brunette in an orange dress similar to Peach's. "The green woman is Queen Bean of the Beanbean Kingdom, and the human is Princess Daisy of Sarasaland." Beldam muttered to me.
"So, Peach, what is this meeting about?" asked Daisy.
"Just... A land dispute..." she replied vaguely.
"Land dispute? What land dispute?" asked Queen Bean.
"Oh nothing... Just the conquering of your kingdoms!" she yelled at them, revealing her true form. Daisy and Queen Bean ran for the doors, but Goombella had already locked them.
" PEACH? WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!" screamed Daisy.
"I just really wanted power... That's all..." she replied, calmly.
"Why did this happen? Tell me the truth..." asked Queen Bean, trying to act as if she wasn't scared.
"Because I said so... And what I say goes..." I said, also revealing my true form.
"Now just who are you?!" shouted Daisy, trying to make sense of what's going on.
"Muh huh huh huh huh... You do not need to know... All you need to know is that I can take your land peacefully... Or forcefully..." I told her, glaring at the same time.
"Oh yeah? And who's gonna make us?" Daisy replied, hiding her terror.
"Me..." Peach said, clearly looking forward to a chance to use magic for the first time. Her eyes flashed a dark red, and a bolt of lightning struck near Daisy. However, I could sense Peach would not let Daisy die... Meanwhile, Queen Bean was clearly getting angry, and her eyes turned red. She charged at Doopliss, but he changed his body to match hers, and she did no damage. Quickly, Goombella whipped out a book and flipped through the pages.
"That's Queen Bean, but much more powerful. The infection Cackletta gave her left its power in her, but the enraged part is only brought out rarely. She's quite powerful, but nothing we can't manage." She explained to me.
"Muh huh huh huh huh..." I laughed. "This should be easy..." When she next charged at Beldam, I summoned a hand to block her, and my other grabbed her from behind. She was left in my grasp, and I glared at her, with annoyance in my eye. "Wow... You were weaker than I thought..." I told her. Her eyes lost the rage, and they were replaced with fear. "Oh well... More power for me then..." I snickered, and I used my other hand to absorb her life force. While I was doing this, Daisy was fighting Shadow Peach. She had almost beaten my minion, but was shoved into a wall at the last moment.
"Ow!" She cried as she hit it with full force.
"Come on Daisy... Join me..." Peach offered her hand to Daisy.
"Ok!" Daisy responded in a chipper tone.
"Really? That easy?" Peach asked her, seeming astounded.
"Well, yeah! If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!" Daisy explained. "Besides, I couldn't resist seeing this new badass Peach in action!"
"Muh huh huh huh huh... Now these kingdoms are mine..." I cackled. "And this Kingdom will become my new home..." I told them. This seemed to surprise them, but none questioned me. " Now, we shall leave this worthless building and return to Toad Town..." As we arrived, the Toads stopped playing as they saw the Peach they know and love look so evil and dark, with shadows and what appeared to be a witch with her. I shrowded the sky in darkness, similar to how I did in Rougueport, to show them my power.
"P-Peach, what's going on?" one Blue Toad had the courage to ask.
"Nothing that concerns you... But since you asked, the Mushroom and Beanbean as well as Sarasaland are becoming part of the Shadow Empire..." she told him nonchalantly.
"What do you mean? Are we being invaded?" asked a nearby Green Toad.
"No... We handed over the land peacefully." She explained, slight annoyance evident in her tone. Just then, the Blue Toad noticed Daisy, who looked her usual calm and relaxed.
"Daisy! Is this true?" he asked, growing more and more panicked.
"Sure is, sweetie!" she replied cheerfully. "But don't worry, it won't be bad as long as you don't stand in our way!" she reassured him.
I hadn't been paying much attention, but more thinking about how nice it will be to finally rule all these pathetic beings. "Is this dealt with, Daisy?" I asked.
"Yep!" she replied.
"Yesss... Goood... Now, I can begin on remodeling the castle..." I muttered. I started on the exterior, as I wondered into the courtyard. The white pearly stone was replaced with an evil black, and the roof was turned a red as dark as the rubies on my crown. The balcony had purple torches placed on it, the same as those in my crypt. The stained glass window of the old Peach was replaced with a portrait of me holding a black rose, spiked with blood. I then moved into the lobby, and drained the walls of their light. I noticed the sun on the ground, and I replaced it with a moon. I then moved into the throne room. The throne itself was on the same level as the rest of the ground. I raised it up to inspire fear into those who entered. I then moved upstairs, to the Princess' old bedroom. The books were replaced by various potions, and the various paintings were replaced by frames into which I could trap the souls of my enemies. I made the chandelier burn with dark energy, and I sucked up the light of the room entirely. This castle was becoming fit for a true queen. I then moved to the courtyard. I made the fountain flow with poison, and made all the Boos my own Dark Boos, so they act as my guards. They floated to the different rooms of the castle, and I discovered the so-called Secret Slide. I placed a repetition spell on it, so anyone who went on could never leave. I turned the basement into my personal dungeon, and replaced the door to Hazy Maze Cave with a portal to the depths I had spent so long in. I could now subject people to the pain I felt for 1,000 years. I then left the castle, and summoned all of my power. Large cracks appeared in the ground around the castle. A huge earthquake suddenly came, and Peach's castle started to rise from the ground. It fully lifted off the ground, and floated to over Toad Town. Now, none of these annoying creatures can disturb me in my castle...
Everyone in Toad Town, including my servants, gawped up at me. I jumped down the side of the sky island, and floated down to the ground gracefully. "Muh huh huh huh huh... Now, I can watch over my lands without interruption..." I laughed. "I am going to enjoy my new castle... But then, we will depart for Bowser's Kingdom!" I told my servants. I used my powers to fly back up to my castle, happy about what the future holds for me...