Chapter 4: Heartfelt Wish
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Two months had passed. Slowly Bowser had captured more lands, but luckily most of the Mushroom World was still in tact. Dinosaur Land was still holding strong since it was isolated and Bowser was more concerned with the mainland. Yoshi heard about the massacre, and he immediately departed to search for his missing friends. Meanwhile, other Yoshis helped harbor escapees of the conquered lands.
Unlike Dinosaur Land, other places were not so lucky. One of the cities, Rose Town, had put up a good fight, but they soon became defenseless against the inexorable army. They were forced to surrender; all the residents were now slaves of the vile Koopa Empire.
Princess Peach was still held at Bowser's Castle as she waited for Mario, her knight in shining armor, to come. But he was missing. The princess was now three months along and slightly starting to show. Isolating herself in her room, she spent her time lamenting over the fate of the Mushroom Kingdom and her lost fiancé. It was late in the morning and Peach had just woken up and sat up in bed. There was a knock on the door, and the formidable image of Bowser entered the room.
"Good morning, Princess," he said pleasantly, "How's the little one?"
Peach's eyes widened in horror. "What?! How do you know about that?!" she demanded.
He looked at her nonchalantly. "Come now, Peach, don't get so worked up. It's clearly unmistakable; anyone could tell."
"Kamek told you, didn't he?" she presumed.
"He had no choice. I threatened to torture him."
"Why are you here?" She looked at him coldly. "I thought I told you not to bother me." She turned away and crossed her arms.
"I wanted to see a smile from you," Bowser conveyed, "It makes your face so much more delightful. Come on, just a little one?" He placed his scaly claw on her arm. The princess spun around, fuming.
"Well tough luck, jerk!" she screamed, "You destroy my kingdom, kill my friends, separate me from my fiancé, and rape and impregnate me! Is that something to smile about?! Not to mention, this is only the *millionth* time you've kidnapped me! I'll smile when everything's normal, happy and peaceful once again, and the day you perish!" Her eyes clouded up. "I'm sick of you ruining my life! If you claim you love me so much, why do you torture me?! Uhhghh! Just go away…!" She turned away distraught as tears streamed down her rosy cheeks. She plopped down on her bed.
"There, there…" Bowser comforted, "You just lie down and everything'll be all right…" He pulled out a small device as he attempted to ease her. Peach caught a glimpse of it; it was a hypodermic injection.
"What's that?!" she shrieked, "What are you doing?!" She shrank away in terror, but Bowser grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her back. Peach struggled to free herself, but he was too powerful.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt," he reassured, "Hold still…" He pressed the device to her neck and injected her.
"Aaaahh!" she shrilled, flinching, "What'd you do to me?! Aaahh…! Help!!" A painful tingling sensation surged through her body.
"It's designed to help you," Bowser stated, "It'll speed up the pregnancy…"
"What?! How…?!" her voice trailed off.
"Let's just say, that if this works, you're due in one month."
Her eyes widened. "How is that possible?!" she gasped, "I don't even want this child! It's a monster, just like you!!" she screamed vehemently. "Get outta my sight! Now!"
"You'll thank me one day!" he shouted, "You wouldn't last six months, let alone the full twelve!" With that, the detestable monster stormed out of the room.
"Wait!" the princess screamed, "*Twelve* months?! It'd take a *year*?!" She shuddered at the thought as Bowser slammed the door shut. "Urghhh!! I hate you, Bowser!" Peach was both outraged and petrified, her emotions tangled in a huge disarray. She sat down on her bed, overwhelmed with everything.
A light tapping sound was heard. It came from the balcony window. Peach walked over—it was him!
"Twink!" she cried out. Quickly she opened the door. "You came back!"
"Oh, Princess! How are you holding up?" the young Star Kid asked compassionately. The princess looked away and gave a heavy sigh. Understanding how she felt, he changed the subject.
"…I got you a gift. Well…actually…a gift for your daughter…"
Peach looked at him curiously. "A daughter…? It's a girl…? How do you kn—wait! How did you find out about this whole thing?" *I never told him anything… There's no way he could have known…* She was very dumbfounded, her mind whirling a mile a minute.
Twink smacked his forehead. "Oh… I wasn't supposed to tell you…!" He shook his head and sighed. "Oh well… The Stars know everything that goes on in the world. I mean…well…I don't know everything, since I'm just a Star Kid…" he rambled, "But…I do know what happens, well…to you…" Her mind registered the concept and a thought occurred to her.
"Twink! Are you saying that you're, like, a Star Guardian?!"
"…In a way, yes…" he hesitated, thinking of a way to explain it, "Risen Stars can choose the person they wish to protect."
"…And you chose me?" She was beginning to understand. "Oh, thank you, Twink."
"Remember Geno?" he asked.
"Geno?" She thought for a second. "Oh! Yes, I had almost forgotten about him!"
Twink continued, "Well, he watches over Gaz—remember him?—of Rose Town." Peach's thoughts shifted as she heard these words.
"Oh…are they okay?" she asked concernedly, "…I heard Rose Town was…destroyed…"
"I…I'm not sure…" he replied, uncertain, "Right now, he and his mother are among the missing…"
"Oh…I hope they're all right…" she trailed off. "Say…do you know if Mario or my friends are okay?" Her eyes glimmered with a touch of hope.
Twink looked at her doubtfully. "…They're also missing… I'm sorry…" He spoke reluctantly, "A lot of people have fled to Yoshi's Island, since Dinosaur Land is safe for now…" He trailed off and realized the whole point of why he had come. "Oh yeah! Here's your gift."
The princess opened the mystical pouch and her eyes locked on to a gorgeous glowing star dangling from a golden chain.
"Oh…It's beautiful!" she awed, mesmerized, "Thank you, Twink! You're so sweet…"
"It's a Star Pendant," Twink explained, "When worn it helps you in need… It helps the Stars hear your wishes more loudly and clearly, so they can find you quicker."
"Oh, thank you! You don't know how much this means to me." She cherished it in her heart as she spoke to the little Star. Studying his eyes, she looked at him wholeheartedly. "Twink…I have a request. My child—when she's born—will need a Star Guardian to watch over her. Would you…?" she trailed off for Twink knew what she had implied.
"Oh, Princess, I'd be honored!" His face brightened, but soon it faded down again. "But…it's not my decision… The Star Spirits must agree to it…" Peach glanced at the floor, mindlessly inspecting her nails, then looked back to the Star Kid.
"Would you…be able to find Mario?" she paused, "If you do, please tell him I'm all right…and so is his daughter…
"But, Peach, he's not the…"
"Please…" she pressed, "Tell him… He needs to know…" Her voice quavered as she averted her eyes away in anguish. Twink felt great pity for her.
"I…I'll do my best," he replied, "Goodbye, Princess…" Twink slowly flew away into the distance. He hated having to leave her, but it was the best he could do for her.
"Goodbye!" she waved sadly, "…Oh…be careful, Twink…"
The princess slowly closed the balcony window as sorrow poured over her heart. And she prayed for him, for her kingdom, her friends, for Mario.
------------------------
Two months had passed. Slowly Bowser had captured more lands, but luckily most of the Mushroom World was still in tact. Dinosaur Land was still holding strong since it was isolated and Bowser was more concerned with the mainland. Yoshi heard about the massacre, and he immediately departed to search for his missing friends. Meanwhile, other Yoshis helped harbor escapees of the conquered lands.
Unlike Dinosaur Land, other places were not so lucky. One of the cities, Rose Town, had put up a good fight, but they soon became defenseless against the inexorable army. They were forced to surrender; all the residents were now slaves of the vile Koopa Empire.
Princess Peach was still held at Bowser's Castle as she waited for Mario, her knight in shining armor, to come. But he was missing. The princess was now three months along and slightly starting to show. Isolating herself in her room, she spent her time lamenting over the fate of the Mushroom Kingdom and her lost fiancé. It was late in the morning and Peach had just woken up and sat up in bed. There was a knock on the door, and the formidable image of Bowser entered the room.
"Good morning, Princess," he said pleasantly, "How's the little one?"
Peach's eyes widened in horror. "What?! How do you know about that?!" she demanded.
He looked at her nonchalantly. "Come now, Peach, don't get so worked up. It's clearly unmistakable; anyone could tell."
"Kamek told you, didn't he?" she presumed.
"He had no choice. I threatened to torture him."
"Why are you here?" She looked at him coldly. "I thought I told you not to bother me." She turned away and crossed her arms.
"I wanted to see a smile from you," Bowser conveyed, "It makes your face so much more delightful. Come on, just a little one?" He placed his scaly claw on her arm. The princess spun around, fuming.
"Well tough luck, jerk!" she screamed, "You destroy my kingdom, kill my friends, separate me from my fiancé, and rape and impregnate me! Is that something to smile about?! Not to mention, this is only the *millionth* time you've kidnapped me! I'll smile when everything's normal, happy and peaceful once again, and the day you perish!" Her eyes clouded up. "I'm sick of you ruining my life! If you claim you love me so much, why do you torture me?! Uhhghh! Just go away…!" She turned away distraught as tears streamed down her rosy cheeks. She plopped down on her bed.
"There, there…" Bowser comforted, "You just lie down and everything'll be all right…" He pulled out a small device as he attempted to ease her. Peach caught a glimpse of it; it was a hypodermic injection.
"What's that?!" she shrieked, "What are you doing?!" She shrank away in terror, but Bowser grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her back. Peach struggled to free herself, but he was too powerful.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt," he reassured, "Hold still…" He pressed the device to her neck and injected her.
"Aaaahh!" she shrilled, flinching, "What'd you do to me?! Aaahh…! Help!!" A painful tingling sensation surged through her body.
"It's designed to help you," Bowser stated, "It'll speed up the pregnancy…"
"What?! How…?!" her voice trailed off.
"Let's just say, that if this works, you're due in one month."
Her eyes widened. "How is that possible?!" she gasped, "I don't even want this child! It's a monster, just like you!!" she screamed vehemently. "Get outta my sight! Now!"
"You'll thank me one day!" he shouted, "You wouldn't last six months, let alone the full twelve!" With that, the detestable monster stormed out of the room.
"Wait!" the princess screamed, "*Twelve* months?! It'd take a *year*?!" She shuddered at the thought as Bowser slammed the door shut. "Urghhh!! I hate you, Bowser!" Peach was both outraged and petrified, her emotions tangled in a huge disarray. She sat down on her bed, overwhelmed with everything.
A light tapping sound was heard. It came from the balcony window. Peach walked over—it was him!
"Twink!" she cried out. Quickly she opened the door. "You came back!"
"Oh, Princess! How are you holding up?" the young Star Kid asked compassionately. The princess looked away and gave a heavy sigh. Understanding how she felt, he changed the subject.
"…I got you a gift. Well…actually…a gift for your daughter…"
Peach looked at him curiously. "A daughter…? It's a girl…? How do you kn—wait! How did you find out about this whole thing?" *I never told him anything… There's no way he could have known…* She was very dumbfounded, her mind whirling a mile a minute.
Twink smacked his forehead. "Oh… I wasn't supposed to tell you…!" He shook his head and sighed. "Oh well… The Stars know everything that goes on in the world. I mean…well…I don't know everything, since I'm just a Star Kid…" he rambled, "But…I do know what happens, well…to you…" Her mind registered the concept and a thought occurred to her.
"Twink! Are you saying that you're, like, a Star Guardian?!"
"…In a way, yes…" he hesitated, thinking of a way to explain it, "Risen Stars can choose the person they wish to protect."
"…And you chose me?" She was beginning to understand. "Oh, thank you, Twink."
"Remember Geno?" he asked.
"Geno?" She thought for a second. "Oh! Yes, I had almost forgotten about him!"
Twink continued, "Well, he watches over Gaz—remember him?—of Rose Town." Peach's thoughts shifted as she heard these words.
"Oh…are they okay?" she asked concernedly, "…I heard Rose Town was…destroyed…"
"I…I'm not sure…" he replied, uncertain, "Right now, he and his mother are among the missing…"
"Oh…I hope they're all right…" she trailed off. "Say…do you know if Mario or my friends are okay?" Her eyes glimmered with a touch of hope.
Twink looked at her doubtfully. "…They're also missing… I'm sorry…" He spoke reluctantly, "A lot of people have fled to Yoshi's Island, since Dinosaur Land is safe for now…" He trailed off and realized the whole point of why he had come. "Oh yeah! Here's your gift."
The princess opened the mystical pouch and her eyes locked on to a gorgeous glowing star dangling from a golden chain.
"Oh…It's beautiful!" she awed, mesmerized, "Thank you, Twink! You're so sweet…"
"It's a Star Pendant," Twink explained, "When worn it helps you in need… It helps the Stars hear your wishes more loudly and clearly, so they can find you quicker."
"Oh, thank you! You don't know how much this means to me." She cherished it in her heart as she spoke to the little Star. Studying his eyes, she looked at him wholeheartedly. "Twink…I have a request. My child—when she's born—will need a Star Guardian to watch over her. Would you…?" she trailed off for Twink knew what she had implied.
"Oh, Princess, I'd be honored!" His face brightened, but soon it faded down again. "But…it's not my decision… The Star Spirits must agree to it…" Peach glanced at the floor, mindlessly inspecting her nails, then looked back to the Star Kid.
"Would you…be able to find Mario?" she paused, "If you do, please tell him I'm all right…and so is his daughter…
"But, Peach, he's not the…"
"Please…" she pressed, "Tell him… He needs to know…" Her voice quavered as she averted her eyes away in anguish. Twink felt great pity for her.
"I…I'll do my best," he replied, "Goodbye, Princess…" Twink slowly flew away into the distance. He hated having to leave her, but it was the best he could do for her.
"Goodbye!" she waved sadly, "…Oh…be careful, Twink…"
The princess slowly closed the balcony window as sorrow poured over her heart. And she prayed for him, for her kingdom, her friends, for Mario.