When Peach awoke, she was surrounded by darkness. She shivered a little and assumed her night light had burnt out. Then she realized she wasn't in her room. Nor in her bed. The sheets felt funny and scratchy. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her cool. A deep voice made her tremble.
"Hello Peach. How nice to see you again."
"Bowser," she said in an angry, shaky voice. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Well, you see Princess, I'm still a little sore over the loss of my Fun House.." Hearing those words made Peach shiver, and Bowser chuckled. "So this new plan is in the works……"
Peach tried to sit up, but only then did she realize that her arms were bound above her head. Her mouth went dry, and her hear skipped once.
"If you don't mind," she whispered hoarsely, "I'd rather not find out what it is."
"Oh? What's that? You don't…want to play?" The turtle's ominous chuckle echoed though the room as four shadowy figures appeared in each corner of the room.
Luigi's eyes began to feel heavy, but he didn't want to put his comic book down just yet. He grunted softly and yawned, ignoring his body's clock and instead listened to the tempting magazine in front of him. Besides, he liked staying up late. Although it never left him with a satisfied feeling in the morning, he was an admitted night owl. He was at a suspenseful part in the plot, being Spiderman and all, when he heard an ear piercing shriek from down the hall. Frowning, he lifted his eyes from the print, trying to discern whether or not it was his imagination. A second cry quickly convinced him.
Mario jumped in his sleep, hearing a blood curdling scream.
"Peach?" he mumbled incoherently. Before he could fully awaken, he rolled out of bed and fell to the floor with a thud. Cursing, he rubbed the back of his head and staggered up. The screaming hadn't stopped.
"Peach? Peach!" he shouted, running to her room. His feet nearly tripped over each other, but he ran as fast as he could. In the dark, he barely made out the Princess' door. Before he could reach it, his body slammed into something soft, and his skull cracked against something hard.
"Owe!"
"Oof!"
Mario rubbed his head for only the second time in three minutes. "Luigi?"
"Owe…Mario! What's wrong with Peach?"
"I was just coming to find out. Come on!"
They got to her room and snapped on the light. The Princess was sobbing, shrieking, tossing in her sleep. "No, stop! Please, don't-no!"
Mario raced to her bed, shaking her shoulders gently.
"Peach, Peach wake up."
"Stop!" She lashed out with her hands, hitting what seemed to be an invisible enemy. "Get off me!"
"Peach! Wake up!"
She did so, snapping out of bed, eyes wide and teary, hair rumpled and mouth open. She whimpered, panting for air, then noticed the brothers.
"You're alright now," said Mario. Peach cut him off, hugging him so tightly she took his breath away.
"Oh thank you!" she sobbed. "It was only a dream. Thank God…"
Mario looked to Luigi worriedly out of the corner of his eye, who in turn watched Peach as she pushed away from the plumber, shaking her head. The younger felt afraid by Peach's look, her expression of sheer terror and panic. Her wide eyes met Luigi's as she trembled and he tried to hold her gaze, to try to be encouraging. She looked to Mario, almost pleadingly.
"It was so real. I could almost feel them…"
"Who Peach? Feel who?" demanded Mario softly, not hiding his protectiveness.
"Their hands," she managed, voice choked. She ran a hand along her right arm, as if trying to erase the touch. "They…all over…hurt me."
Mario put his hands on her cheeks, cupping her face. He brushed the hair from her face which was matted with sweat. He gave her small smile.
"But it was just a dream Peach. Nothing will get you."
She couldn't stop shaking, and she dug her fingers into Mario's arms. "Stay. With me. Please."
Mario could almost feel the urgency in her cold fingertips. Hesitating only a second, he cast a look at Luigi.
"I will, Peach. I'll stay with you." Luigi nodded, as if giving his consent. He slowly backed out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him. Sighing deeply, he ran a hand through this curly dark hair. He had seen Peach with nightmares, but they were never this bad. She had only been drawn to tears once, when she dreamed a hideous monster more devious than Bowser had come and annihalated her entire kingdom. It took her three days to finally relax, but...
Luigi shook his head, trying not to worry so much. Mario always called him for that, told him not to be a pessimist. Of course, Luigi saw it as practical pessimism, only seeking out the things that were harmful or dangerous. Plus, it was his job, to root out the evil and protect the Princess. Casting one more worried glance at her bedroom door, he walked to his own room and tried to sleep.
Mario sat with Peach in the small, delicate couch in one corner of her room, an arm around her slight shoulders. She curled her feet under her and wrapped her arms around her legs, hidden under an ornate, pink nightgown. She still trembled when she thought of the hands and the horrific nightmare, but having Mario beside her relaxed her tense muscles a bit.
After some moments of silence, Mario spoke carefully, gently.
"Do you want to talk about it, Peach?" Without skipping a beat, he was answered with a quick, fierce headshake. He sighed and squeezed her closer.
"You know nothing's gonna get you, right?"
After a slight hesitation, Peach nodded, a movement Mario could barely catch.
"Just stay with me, please…"
He nodded, smiling a little, trying to reassure her. His smile was weak however, at the thought of her dream. Why on earth would she dream about...being ravaged like that? She sighed shakily, but more content, and nestled into the plumber's arms.
Peach had stayed up for a good number of hours now, and Mario had long since fallen asleep. She really couldn't blame him; he was never one for staying up late and it was already 4 am. She had calmed down a bit, and even though he was asleep, Mario's presence, that and the lights being on, made her feel safe and secure.
But still, she thought. I can't go back to sleep just because Mario did. I can't sleep tonight. Not after that dream. The Princess was sure that she never wanted to sleep for the rest of her life.
She gazed at Mario for a while, still comforted with his being there, but feeling a bit bored again. Carefully, slowly, she got up off the couch, sliding out from under Mario's arm and making sure he didn't wake up.
Putting on her pink fuzzy slippers, she opened the door a crack and silently slipped out. Of course, the palace halls were dark at night, so she back up for a second, then left to get her flashlight by her bed.
She returned to the hallway, snapping on the flashlight and taking wary steps down the pillar lined hall. But after a while, her courage dwindled and s he froze in her tracks, feeling foolish. She wondered if she should go back….
No. Going back means bed. And bed means sleep. It was too much of a risk to take. She took another step.
A strangled yelp from Luigi's blackened room made her freeze again. She tried to breathe quietly, trying to hear something else. He cried out louder, and Peach heard a rustling sound.
Swallowing her fear, she Princess pushed the plumber's door open all the way and fumbled for the lights, not sure of what she would find. Luigi was thrashing in bed, whimpering to himself. Peach sighed from relief. He's only having a dream.
She set her flashlight down and walked to him. Before she could wake him up, he saved her the trouble. Shooting straight up, he gave a harsh cry and blinked a few times. Peach cautiously sat down on the edge of his bed.
"Luigi? Are you okay?"
He looked at her, noticing her for the first time. He gulped some air and nodded after a pause. "Uh, yeah," he answered breathlessly. "It was….just……" He cursed, cutting himself off and rubbing his face. Peach saw he had been terrified, and thought she saw the trail of hot tears from his eyes. Or was it only sweat?
"Bad dream?" she offered.
"Uh, yeah…."
"Looks like you and me are cursed tonight," she said, managing a small grin.
Luigi's sharp eyes flicked to her, then back at the blanket in front of him, staring at the lump of what he assumed were his feet.
"So real," he breathed, still panting a little. Peach laid her small hand over his wiry one, squeezing it, concern marring her face. Luigi went on without prodding.
"There was, this room. It was small," he added quickly, slightly embarrassed. "But, the….the walls moved in closer, I-I swear I coulda died if I didn't wake up…" he shook his head in disbelief.
Peach shuddered, knowing the feeling. She held his hand more tightly, giving him the same advice she received earlier that night.
"But you didn't die, Luigi. It was only a dream."
He looked at her again, longer this time, trying to believe her words.
"No joke," he muttered. "Good thing, too."
"So," began Peach tentatively. "I guess you're not going back to sleep?"
"Maybe…I dunno." When Luigi saw Peach's hopeful look crumble, he shrugged. "Mario fall asleep?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Maybe I'll stay up."
Peach smiled gratefully, clasping his hand in both of hers. "Thank you so much," she whispered.
[Now if only a certain said author would make me appear more manly, I would give my thanks, too…]
Hey, I know you're a man, you know you're a man…it's all good.
[Oh, but....but….come on. Tears??]
Women like sensitive men…
[Not queer ones!]
That's it! *slams composition book on ground* Don't give me this crap!! I'm working really hard on this, harder than any other fanfiction, and all you do is whine the whole time! Well, you can just shove it, you skinny green prick!! *storms out of room*
+Sheesh, what's eating 'Lee? *sweatdrop* +
(Don't ask me, I missed it.*yawns* )
[Where've you been?]
(She made me sleep! Made me look like a SLACKER! *yells in Robin Lee's direction* )
+ *rolls eyes* Babies…+
A/N: Ok, just so you know, I wrote this way back in January, and only finished it weeks ago. So the Spiderman deal had nothing to do with the movie. Are we feeling scared yet??? Please be honest. ^_^