Princess Peach had hoped that one day there could be peace. No more Boos flying around her kingdom and terrorizing the people. Bowser could find a new hobby that didn't involve kidnapping her. Evil demons that slumbered beneath her kingdom could someday vanish away and leave her home in peace. That's what her meeting room was for, negotiating. Discussing terms and deals with other kingdoms so things went the way they should. And someday, she hoped that King Boo and Bowser would be in this room discussing that.

Instead, only King Boo was here, and it wasn't even for that. He needed help in fighting a common enemy, nothing else. After this, they would go back to fighting as they always did. The room itself was nothing interesting, a simple round table in the middle, a few desks against the wall with stacks of paper. A very boring yet important room for the vital assets for and neighboring kingdoms.

"Peach?" said Toadette.

Peach suddenly looked up from the table, looking around at the others. She was far in thought that she forgot about the current meeting she was in. She shook her head and cleared her throat before speaking.

"So, King Boo, you said you've never seen or heard anything about this, Grimm Troupe?" she said calmly.

"Yes, not once." He grunted.

"I and some of the bookkeepers looked into the kingdom's history for anything. We found nothing." Said Toadsworth. Peach had a huge library under her castle that contained the history of the Mushroom Kingdom, they also added more to it as well. The Shroob invasion, the trip to Pi'llo Island, and every single one of Bowser's schemes.

"So, a new threat, oh boy." Peach said sarcastically.

Quirrel during this discussion simply sat in his seat next to Peach quietly. The situation was becoming more and more serious and he was starting to wonder if it would've been better if he wasn't present. But Peach said he was welcomed, and he wanted to help. But, how could he? He knew nothing outside of a few basics of Peach's home and he still felt guilty about lying earlier. About why he ended up in the river, about how he had no interest in going back to Hallownest. Everything there was gone, he felt he had no purpose. He just… wanted to-

"Quirrel?" whispered Toadette. Quirrel looked to his right where Toadette sat. "What do you think of all this?"

Quirrel looked back to the conversation between Peach and King Boo. King Boo was saying that it would be best to kill and burn the enemy, as revenge for burning his mansion. Peach, however, replied that they should negotiate first before further violence to prevent further destruction of her kingdom. The two went back and forth, both bringing up valid arguments, but neither could agree on anything.

"It seems… difficult." He said.

"I agree. It seems we're going to be here a while."

" Well, I have some thoughts I could add." He rubbed the back of his neck; he spoke without thinking.

"You should say them." Toadette had a smile on her face. "Don't be shy. Plus, we need all the help we can get."

Quirrel was starting to feel nervous. "I know nothing of your kingdom though, I'll be silenced and look foolish."

"Oh please, I once got drunk at a meeting. Nothing can top that."

Quirrel had a puzzled look under his mask as he looked at Toadette. She didn't seem the type but then again, nothing he ever saw did. He took a deep breath and released it slowly. He then spoke. "May I ask something, if that is alright?"

Peach and King Boo stopped their argument, and both looked at Quirrel. "What could you offer?" asked King Boo.

"Boo, shut up." Snapped Peach. "Yes Quirrel, what is it?"

"I've been listening to King Boo's details of these creatures and I don't think their ghosts like him."

King Boo glared at him. "Excuse me? They disappear, use magic, can make that torch they carry disappear as well! Explain that!" King Boo wasn't entirely angry at Quirrel, most of his anger was built towards Peach. Quirrel speaking merely sparked his torch.

"Well, I've seen people in my kingdom use magic and there not dead. The power-ups Peach and her people use seem akin to magic as well. I think these people who call themselves the Grimm Troupe merely use it as a weapon, or as a fear tactic."

Everyone around the table was impressed, Quirrel took the initiative and laid out facts to help their problem. When he looked toward Toadette, she gave him a big smile. Everyone seemed to understand what he was saying… except for King Boo.

"Fear tactic? You think they scare me?"

"Well if they don't then why are you here?" grunted Toadsworth.

"Toadsworth, not now." Said Peach who turned her attention back to Quirrel. "So, if there not ghosts, then they can be killed by mortal weapons?"

"Possibly. We won't know until we try."

"And how do we do that?" snarled King Boo. "No offense Peach but your soldiers… suck."

"Offence taken." Replied Peach.

"And even with my skills and Peach's, moderate skills, were not enough to go to every kingdom to kill every one of them."

"You seem to forget that Mario and Luigi can go from this castle to Bowser's in a heartbeat."

"Guess all that time in your mansion made you forget, hmmm?" Toadsworth grunted again.

"I can fight." Said Quirrel. As soon as the words left his mouth all eyes were once again back on him. "I'm a swordsman."

"Well, where's your sword?" asked King Boo.

Quirrel thought back to the Blue River where he left it, wondering if it was still there. "Lost it in the river." He lied.

"Well ain't that peachy."

"I'll half to give you a weapon than." Said Peach. "However, these torches are in every single kingdom and I can't simply leave mine."

"That solution is easy." Said Toadsworth as he stood up in his seat. "We inform every other kingdom that these creatures may be mortal and that there is a chance of killing them." Toadsworth let out a small cough after he finished speaking.

"Yes but, these creatures are tough. Do we have any weapons that could be useful against them?" asked King Boo.

The room went silent and Quirrel and Toadsworth sat back in their seats. All the reports that Peach received said that the soldiers of other kingdoms tried fighting them, but none could defeat them. Yet some would disappear a few days later, never to be seen again in the same place. That's when an idea came to Peach, there was a person she knew who had dealt with the supernatural, made devices that had help fight her foes, and had a thing for solving the unknown. "I have an idea." Peach said. Everyone turned to her to listen. "But will need Professor E Gadd to help."

"WHAT!" shouted King Boo, causing some of those present to cover their ears.

"E Gadd has helped me dozens of times, and he's faced enemies like this. So, I want to see if he can create a weapon to combat them."

"Yes but- "

"You want our help you work with E Gadd, deal?"

King Boo was about to argue more, but then he realized that if he left Peach he would be at a disadvantage. He and his people could very easily be killed by this new threat so staying with Peach seemed to be the better option.

"Deal. But if I see a vacuum I'm leaving."

The meeting had finally come to an end in the evening, both sides finding common ground. The plan was simple. Peach would give the news to the other kingdoms that these creatures were mortal and can be killed by mortal means. They were also going to meet E Gadd to see if he could develop a new weapon to fight the new threat more easily. Peach also figured that E Gadd was already aware of the Red Torches spreading across the land. And he was most likely already doing something about it.

King Boo and his three soldiers were escorted to guest rooms, King Boo didn't feel safe in any of his mansions. He would never admit it though. Peach meanwhile wanted to show Quirrel something special. "You said you are a swordsman, right?" Peach asked as she and Quirrel walked down the hall to her room.

"Yes, I don't think I'm the best, but I'd like to think I'm at least decent."

"Well, I think you're going to love the small collection I have."

When they got to Peach's room, Peach walked over to a small cupboard in her room and opened it. Inside were three blades hung perfectly even with each other. One was a curved sword, had a single-edged blade and had a black handle. The second one was a rapier, which had a goldish colored blade, that circled near the bottom to the blue handle. The bottom of the handle also had a goldish color as well. The last of the three was the biggest, it was blue and had a golden circular design on the hilt.

"Impressive." Said Quirrel.

"They were gifts from friends I had met. I kept them as reminders of them."

Quirrel looked at each one carefully, seeing which one would be best for him. The first seemed uninteresting to him, and the third one was too big to wield. But the rapier had his attention. He picked it up and held it firmly in his hand, testing the weight. It was light and moved swiftly. "I think I'll go with this one."

"Great choice." Peach said cheerfully. "Although, I'd like to talk to these enemies of ours first before more violence occurs. Now then, I think we could use some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Sounds good, good night Peach." Quirrel made his way to the door but stopped when Peach spoke.

"Hey Quirrel, thanks for your help in the meeting room."

"Oh, it was nothing."

"Nothing? Quirrel you pointed something out that I nor King Boo couldn't see. And now we have a plan and were going to stop this Grimm Troupe for good. That isn't nothing." Peach gave Quirrel a reassuring look. Quirrel felt a little bit better, but he still hated that he lied once again in the meeting room. Soon he would tell Peach the truth, but for now he just wanted to help.

"Thank you, Peach." With that, he left her room.

Swords:

1. Windcleaver (Breath of the Wild)

2. Dream Blade (Dragon Quest 8)

3. Tsumugari (Okami)

In case anyone was curious.