By the way, "Zia" in Italian is "Aunt". Don't know if I ever mentioned that (lol). Anyway, on with the story!
OOOOOO
COUNT GREEN
Episode 4: The Battle of Two Sisters
OOOOOO
The Dark Moon was hidden behind clouds as the sun shines down on Evershade Valley. It was another day in the Gloomy Manor as Peach woke up from a dreamless sleep and got dressed. She brushed her hair (and teeth) and placed a small gold tiara on her head, instead of the crown she usually wore back in the Mushroom Kingdom. She threw on a light coat of icy blue eye-shadow, some liquid black eyeliner, and pink matte lipstick before leaving her room and heading to the kitchen.
Her mind was wandering, however, as she made her way down the halls. Her mom had a sister that she never even knew about. Her life was turning upside down when this was supposed to be about Luigi getting turned back to normal. Then again, God has some weird ways to push a person to who they are meant to become. And Peach believed that there was a reason she was learning about all this now rather than when she is on her death bed many years down the line.
"I wonder why I was never told about my Aunt Aurore," She said, just curious as to why her father didn't mention it. Her mom died when she was 12, back in 1997. And before she was even born, her mom was living a Cinderella life before meeting her father, the Prince at the time. Did her father even know about his wife's sister?
Peach shook her head after a while and put on a smile as she walked out to the patio past the library door. She decided to think about all this later, not now when she needed to focus on Luigi's dilemma. He was more important than her family crisis at the moment. So, she rolled back her shoulders and stood straight like a queen before walking through the kitchen door from the patio.
Inside was Mario and Vanessa, working on making some pancakes, eggs, toast, tater tots, and sausage. The smell wafted into Peach's nose, making her mouth water for the delicious meal as her stomach growled. Mario heard this and chuckled as he placed a plate of just eggs, tots and sausage in front of her.
Peach walked up and sat at the island, picking up a fork before she dug in. "Thanks," She said to Vanessa and Mario.
"No problem," Vanessa replied with a smile. "It's been a while since Little Red and I had some fun in the kitchen together."
"Zia!" Mario complained, making Peach giggle.
"Little Red?" She asked.
"It was a nickname my father gave me since I decided to wear red like him," Mario answered with a sigh. "It's kind of embarrassing."
"I find it sweet," Peach declared as she took another bite of her food.
"I think your mom was a bit saddened by that," Vanessa retorted. "But once Luigi took interest in the color green, I think she didn't mind."
"Wait, your mom wore green?" Peach asked after swallowing her food.
"Yeah," Mario answered. "She was also a great cook, which is how Luigi and I got into it ourselves."
"Oh, that's so neat!" Peach exclaimed. "Tell me, which one of you is the better cook?" Mario took a moment before he felt the judgeful eye of his aunt on him, telling him to speak the truth. Mario in the end just sighed in defeat.
"It's Luigi," He answered. "I took on our father's business of plumbing rather than cooking like our mother."
"And I have to say, you are way better with the pipes than you are with the pan, Little Red," Vanessa retorts, making Peach giggle again.
"Thanks, Zia," Mario said with a reluctant grin on his face. But Peach still saw the sincerity in his eyes. She smiled at this before taking the final bite of her food. She went to take the plate to the sink when Mario grabbed it from its spot on the island and tossed it in the sink himself.
"Oh! Thanks!" She said with surprise but was still smiling nonetheless. "Speaking of, where is Luigi?"
"He's in the library," Mario answered, nodding to the other door. "He would have cooked breakfast himself, but his heart wasn't in it."
"I don't blame him," Vanessa said. "If it was you who got turned into what he is, you'd be feeling the same way."
"I almost was, Zia," Mario retorted. "The spell was aimed at me and Luigi took it instead. He saved my life."
"He sure did," Peach said with a sigh. "I'll go check on him. Thanks for breakfast." She walked up to the door that led to the library and walked inside. She saw Luigi sitting on the piano bench, leaning up against the instrument. Thankfully the lid was closed over the keys.
"Hey," She spoke, making Luigi look up at her and grin.
"Hey," He responded.
"How are you doing?" Peach asked as she walked up to him and sat beside him on the bench.
"Eh," Luigi began, "hanging in there. I just hope we find a cure soon."
"We will. I promise." Luigi looked over at Peach and grinned at her hope, feeling his heart beat faster than normal. Though he was turned into something without a living heart, Peach was still able to make it beat when he needed it to the most.
"I hope so," He began as he looked down at his gloved hands, "or else things might get worse for me." Peach sighed as she placed her head on his shoulder, taking his hand into hers and giving it a gentle squeeze.
"No matter what happens, Luigi," She began, "I'll always be by your side." This is how things were for them. When one was down, the other would just sit with them until their mood had changed. Peach tended to take it to where she'd take his hand to show that she was still there. And boy did Luigi need this today.
"How'd you sleep?" He asked, changing the subject after a moment, his grin turning into a smile.
"It was decent," She answered, a soft grin on her face. "Mario and Vanessa are making breakfast."
"I know. I can smell it," He answered, sighing in defeat as he pulled out something small from his pocket. Peach looked up at him as she sat up and saw him place a gold banded ring with a blue sapphire on her middle finger.
"This is just a thank you gift," He said, grinning at her surprised face. "A thank you for always being there for me."
Peach smiled as she looked at the ring, seeing the sapphire glimmer in the light of the room. She wasn't expecting a gift like this from the green plumber. But she was still grateful.
"It's my pleasure," She said with a smile as Luigi stood up and held out his hand. She giggled as she placed her smaller one into his palm and was pulled up softly. "Where did you get this?"
"I found it a while ago," Luigi answered. "It just reminded me of you." Peach looked back up at Luigi, grinning at his thoughtful heart before saying her thank you and heading to the kitchen. Luigi was right behind her.
Mario looked up from his breakfast and grinned at his brother, while Vanessa was cleaning up the pans she used to cook with. Peach grinned back as she watched the bros talk and laugh like nothing had changed. It was nice to see that even though things were stressful, Mario and Luigi were making the best of it. But as Peach stood there, her smile fell. The room started to spin, making her grab the counter beside her. Mario perked up with this as Luigi looked at her as well.
"Peach?" Mario spoke, catching Vanessa's attention as well. Luigi's eyes looked concerned as he raced up to her and placed a hand on her back.
"Peach, are you okay?" Luigi asked.
"I-I'm-" Peach started to speak, as the room spun more and more, faster and faster before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell into Luigi's arms.
"PEACH!"
OOOOOO
Darkness.
That's all that was seen as Peach was coming to. Darkness and the smell of her mother's body lotion wafting into her nose. A scent of Wild Madagascar Vanilla that Peach, to this day, found pleasant. So pleasant that she would use the same lotion, just to have the sense that her mother was still there. But she didn't have it in the Gloomy Manor with her and though Mario asked if he could go get a few of her things for her, she had rejected it.
So, why, or how, was she smelling this scent now?
"Mom?" Is the voice that spoke up as the sound of a door opening was heard. "Mom, wake up!"
Mom? Peach thought as her eyes fluttered open to see...herself? Her big blue eyes were staring at her with a smiling face, as her shoulder-length blond hair was up in a ponytail. That was definitely Peach, but it was her 12-year-old self. What's going on here?
"Come on, mom! Toadsworth says he needs to see you!" Young Peach said with an even bigger smile now that she could see her "mom" was awake.
"I'll be down in a minute," Was what came out of Peach's mouth, but it wasn't her voice. It was softer, more regal, and mature. It sounded like...
"Hurry!" Young Peach said with a giggle before rushing out of the room.
Peach sat up as a strand of pale blond hair fell over her shoulder. She looked at it and her eyes widened. Quickly, she got out of bed and looked in the full-body mirror she knew her mom had in her room. She stared at her reflection and instead of seeing herself, she saw...
"Mom?" She spoke with surprise as she looked down at her magenta nightgown. Or rather her mom's magenta nightgown. "I'm back in 1997, but as my mom? How?" Her eyes widened again, as she realized the year she just spoke of. "1997...the year my mom-" She stopped herself as she placed a hand on her forehead.
Peach was confused (and a bit excited to see her mom again) but mainly confused as to why she went back in time. The last thing she remembered was passing out in Luigi's arms with the last thing she heard being her name called out by her friends. She looked around the room, seeing the photos of her younger self with her mom and dad, as well as her younger self with her cousin Daisy from Sarasaland. That reminded her that she should tell Daisy about Luigi's plight (though he probably would rather her not knowing).
After a moment, she heard her younger self running down the hallway giggling. She grinned as she went to the closet, seeing the gown her mother wore the day she died (and was essentially buried in). She took it off the hanger and got dressed, putting the gown on, and looking at herself in the mirror again. She took a deep breath before slipping on a pair of magenta heels and leaving the room.
She walked down the halls of her castle, grinning at the memories that were flooding her brain. Memories she thought she had forgotten over the years. She past the portrait of her mom and dad together. Her mom was sitting on a chair with her father behind her, and her mom was holding Peach in her lap.
"This must have been when I was 5," Peach said with a grin before she heard someone behind her clear their throat. She turned around to see a young Toadsworth standing there with two cups of coffee in his hands.
"My queen," He said, handing one of the cups to Peach (or her mother? It was a confusing situation).
"Thank you, Toadsworth," Peach heard come from her voice, though (like before) it wasn't her voice. "Where is Peach?"
"The princess is having breakfast in her room today," Toadsworth answered with a smile.
Perfect, Peach thought. Now I can think.
"But you do have a visitor, my queen," Peach perked up at this news, though her being in her mother's place, she just cocked her head to the side.
"A visitor? To whom do I have the pleasure of seeing?" Is what her mom asked.
"She says she's your older sister, your majesty?" Peach felt her mom tense up at the sound of that statement, making her wonder more of what was going on. A breath hitched in her throat, but her mother's voice came out normally, with a hint of maturity and nobility coming with it.
"Let her come forth," Was her mother's words. "I'd like to hear what she has to say."
OOOOOO
Peach's room was quiet as Luigi sat beside her bed while holding her hand. She just lied there without moving a muscle. Thankfully her chest was moving up and down, meaning she was still alive and breathing. And that was what Luigi was most grateful for.
"Please, Peach," He began with a faint quiver to his voice, "wake up soon."
Mario was in the doorway of the room, seeing what was going on and grinned. Seeing how worried Luigi was for Peach, and seeing how he looked at her whenever she was around...he knew his twin brother had feelings for the blond princess. He always knew and refrained from being jealous of it. If anything, he kind of wanted to encourage a relationship with them. But at the time, he (himself) was with Peach and couldn't say anything without giving Luigi's feelings away.
After a while, he noticed the sapphire ring on Peach's hand, making him grin even more. He finally gave it to her, He thought before pushing himself off the door frame and walked off.
As he was walking down the hall, his mind went from Peach to Luigi. His heart sank and his grin fell as he went back to when Kamek aimed that spell at him. He was grateful Luigi was there and that Peach yelled for him to look out when she did.
(SONG: "If I Believed..." – Starkid's Twisted) [Lyric change]
But he hoped the spell would have bounced off Luigi and hit him anyway.
MARIO: If I believed in wishes/as silly as it seems/I'd find that hidden cure/turn back the sands of time/and save you./If I believed in dreams./If I believed in wishes/if I believed in good/I'd be the best plumber/and we'd have the best summer/if I believed we could./But wishes are dreams/and dreams are pretend/so science and reason win out/in the END!/Science says you're stuck like this forever/reason says you'll stay forever young./But something in my heart/some secret hidden part/illogical insists your heart's still there/somewhere!/If I believe in wishes/if I can find the key/perhaps it's not too late/to change the course of fate/cause after all you must be pretty great...if she believes in you.
(End of the song)
As he entered the living room (grabbing his book along the way), he noticed Vanessa on her laptop. He waved to her as she had looked up at him, seeing a saddened light in Mario's eyes.
"Are you okay, Mario?" She asked as she watched him sit down on the couch with her, but further down.
"I'm fine," He retorted, before opening his book to the front page and drowning out his thoughts with a good read.
OOOOOO
Back in Peach's "dream", Peach (or herself as her mother? It's still confusing) was sitting in the Queen's throne, waiting for the visitor to come in. Peach was a nervous and anxious ball inside her mom's mind. She was told earlier that the visitor was someone claiming to Aurore Walter, her mother's older sister. This had to be the day that made her father not even mention the possibility of her having an aunt on her mother's side.
This has to be the day the attack from an unknown force was set in motion, Peach thought as Aurore waltzed in five minutes later, her red eyes glowing intensely. Her black gown flowed elegantly as she practically floated across the carpet. So this is my never-mentioned aunt, She thought as she was holding her breath, while Aurore stopped in front of her. But her mother was calm.
"Aurore," Her mom began, "it's a surprise to see you again. And I must say, you still look like you did when you disappeared." Her mom held her barings like a professional from what she saw through her eyes. But she saw Aurore across from her, and she had a smirk on her face.
"Well, being a magical being," Aurore began, "I would think I would know how to stay young. Though, you look to be getting some wrinkles, little sis."
Peach felt her mom grin at Aurore as she stood up from the throne and took a step down from its pedestal. "Being the Queen of a kingdom can do that to someone, I guess." She spoke with elegance. "Now what can I help you with?"
"Oh, I just came by for a visit!" Aurore answered. "Heard you were the Queen and had to see that for myself! I mean, after having a Cinderella life, I'm surprised you made it to the throne."
"I had what it took to become a royal, Aurore," Peach's mom fought back. "But I guess that only made one of us from mom's side of the family."
"Why you little-!"
"Now what is it you really want, Aurore!? I don't have time for formalities!" Aurore's nose flared with anger as she stood there.
"How dare you treat your sister that way?!"
"You lost the right to be called my sister the moment you abandoned me!" Peach's mom exclaimed. "Especially after our parents died, when I needed you the most."
"Well, little sis, guess what? I'm back now," Aurore began, "and it seems you don't need me anymore. So why don't you just give me your scepter and I'll leave you alone!?"
"My scepter?" Peach's mom spoke. "You mean the one I was given by my husband's mother?! Absolutely not!" Aurore grew angrier. "It's my job as queen to protect the artifacts of the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as protect its people. Now leave before I have you arrested!"
"Very well, Jocelyn," Aurore began, steaming mad now. "But you're going to regret this." With that, Aurore Walter turned sharply away from the Queen and left the throne room in a huff. Peach released the breath she was holding at the same time as her mom did.
"What happened?" A voice asked, making Peach look over to see a younger version of her father, King Pierre Toadstool.
"Nothing to worry about, dear," Jocelyn's voice spoke as she nodded to her husband and left the throne room. All while that transpired, Peach now knew what happened the day her mom died.
OOOOOO
The living room was quiet, for the most part. Mario was minding his own business while reading his book, only to jump with a start at Vanessa slammed her laptop shut out of frustration. She sees this and apologizes for the start.
"Sorry," She said, before seeing the book in Mario's hands. She couldn't see the title, but she knew already that this book was not one from Luigi's library. "Where'd you get that book?"
Mario sighed. "You won't believe me if I tell you," He said, making Vanessa give him a golden eye look. Sometimes he forgot his aunt was part-dragon.
"Try me!" She yelled, making Mario gulp before closing the book and placing it between them. Vanessa could now see the title of the book was 'The History of the Dark Moon'. Vanessa's eyes faltered back to blue as she stared at it with surprise. She took it into her hands and looked it over.
"Queen Toadstool's ghost appeared to me," Mario explained. "She's the reason I'm here. She gave me that book to give me a hint of where Luigi was and I thought I'd give it a read. It seems interesting."
"This," Vanessa said, making Mario look confused. "This book should help us!"
OOOOOO
Back with Peach (still as her mother in her dream), she found herself on the balcony in her mother's room. It was looking out on the kingdom, showing her everything that was happening. She knew this room well since she recently was moved into it after her father passed. Though she kept everything that was her parents in their respective places.
She was just getting ready to walk back into the room when she noticed a dark cloud washing over the Mushroom Kingdom. It was coming towards the castle with Aurore on it, smirking wickedly as shadows formed around her.
"Jocelyn?" Peach turned around to see Pierre and her younger self standing there with fear.
"Go," Jocelyn said. "Take Peach and go. Find a safe place to hide."
"But what about you?!" Pierre yelled with worry as he took Jocelyn's hand into his. "I can't leave you behind!"
"It's my job as queen to use the kingdom's magic to protect our people," Jocelyn said. "Even if I don't make it."
"Mom, no!"
"Go!" Jocelyn yelled before Pierre kissed her cheek and took the 12-year-old Peach with him. She was crying and begging for her mom to come with them, but all she did was turn back to the attack.
I remember this now, Peach thought. I wanted her to be safe like me and dad.
Peach watched from her mother's eyes as Aurore put up her hand, letting a black sphere from in the center of her palm. And Peach felt her arm rise on its own, with her mother's scepter in her hand. She raised it to the sky, letting the crystal diamond glow brightly as the gem on her crown shined with it.
Aurore shot the black sphere from her hand, making it a beam as it shot towards Toadstool Castle. Peach let her mother take control of the battle as she aimed the scepter at her aunt's beam of darkness, hitting it with white light and making contact in the center of it.
"Moonlight, gleam and glow/let your power shine/banish the darkest light/and save what once was mine," Her mother spoke as Peach watched from behind her mom now. She was herself again but was still in the room.
"Mom?" Peach spoke as Jocelyn kept her angered gaze at the battle.
"What once...WAS MINE!"
A giant amount of magic poured out of the scepter Jocelyn was holding, making it blast back Aurore's darkness and making wicked girl fly back and away from the Mushroom Kingdom. But as this happened, Peach saw the diamond on her mother's scepter shattered with the gem on her crown...and her mother started falling back.
OOOOOO
"NO, MOM!" Peach screamed as she woke up with a start while sitting up in her bed, making Luigi jump with the same start.
"Peach!" He yelled as he raced up and hugged her with worry. Peach giggled softly as she returned the embrace for just a moment before he let go.
"Are you okay? What happened? Are you hurt?" Luigi kept asking, making Peach start to laugh at his worried nature.
"I'm fine, Luigi," She said before her smile faded and she looked at her hands. "But that dream I had...it was weird."
"What was it?" He asked, making Peach look at him and go into the details that her dream held. She made sure she told him that she was also in her mom's position of what happened up to the very end when she got to watch from her own eyes.
"Wow, that's harsh to have to go through that," Luigi said.
"Yeah, it was," Peach returned. "It felt like the history of my mom and aunt."
At that moment, Mario raced into the room and stopped when he saw Peach was awake. She looked at him and grinned.
"Peach, you're awake! You okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine. What's up?" She asked, making Mario grin with excitement.
"Zia Nessa might have found something that could help,"
OOOOOO
Peach, Mario, and Luigi raced into the living to see Vanessa holding the book Mario brought with him to the Gloomy Manor. But Peach didn't recognize it right away.
"Where did that book come from?" She asked as Mario walked over to Vanessa and sat down on her left.
"Your mom gave it to me, Peach," He said, making Peach stand there in shock."Her ghost appeared to me before I knew what happened to Luigi."
"I believe it," Luigi said, making Grace who was by the window giggle.
"At first I just thought it was her hint to tell me where Luigi was. But Zia Nessa thinks the book might help us."
Vanessa clears her throat as she opens to a certain section of the book, and read it to the others. "The Dark Moon hasn't always been up in the sky. It was put up there for protection over Evershade Valley. And one ordinary cook was the one to do this. Emma DeLuca was given the power and saved Evershade Valley from the evil intentions of a Vampire Queen, by putting the Dark Moon up in the sky with a simple phrase."
Luigi and Peach listened as Vanessa cleared her throat again and spoke the phrase. "Moonlight gleam and glow/let your power shine," Peach perked up as she walked closer to Vanessa and Mario.
"Banish the darkest light/and save what once was mine," Peach chimed in with Vanessa, making them all look at her with surprise.
"How do you know that phrase?" Mario asked.
"It was the phrase my mom used to save the Mushroom Kingdom," She answered as she looks over the book.
"Your mom and Emma knew each other before either of them got married," Vanessa said. "They were best friends. Shared everything."
"Even magic, it seems," Peach retorted as she saw the photo of her mom and Emma standing together at the Gloomy Manor. They looked so happy and young, and like nothing in the world could harm them. They looked like real friends who cared for each other as any friend would. But getting a better look at Emma, she noticed she had the same sapphire blue eyes as Mario and Luigi (well, when Luigi had blue eyes).
"Hey, bros," Mario and Luigi looked at Peach with wonder. "What was your mom's name?"
"Emma Mario," Luigi answered, realization washing over him as Mario stood there shocked.
"Was her maiden name DeLuca?"
"Oh, my; God!" Mario exclaimed as he looked at Luigi with shock.
"That would explain how she knew my mom's phrase," Peach sighed.
"What does any of this have to do with this curse I'm under?!" Luigi yelled with a shaky breath.
"Luigi," Vanessa began, "if we keep looking, maybe there's a phrase your mom created to counter any spell Aurore could cast!" Luigi's anger melted as he thought of this. Maybe that was true. Maybe his mom was powerful enough to come up with a counterspell. But it would make sense that his mom of all people would be the one to help him.
"That's mom for ya," Mario said with a chuckle, making Luigi smile at him.
"I'm determined to find it, Weegie," Vanessa added as she flipped through the pages again with interest. Luigi looked at Peach, watching as she moved some of her blond hair behind her ear with a swift movement.
"We're getting closer, Luigi," Peach said as she looked up at him as well, a smile on her face. "Soon...you'll be back to normal soon."
