Chapter 8: Intricate Pursuit
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Mario and Toad walked about the Princess's Castle, progressively cleaning up the wreckage. Slowly, they managed to start building a shelter, to protect them from the Koopa army and also from the frequent tremors. Their world was no longer a safe haven. While working, the Mushroom Retainer broke the silence.
"Mario?" he asked slowly, "What's up with you…? You seem…different somehow…" The plumber looked up from his work.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I don't know…" He paused. "I mean, you've changed somehow. Ever since the Princess was kidnapped, you just haven't seemed yourself…"
"I'm fine…" Mario replied plainly.
"Are you sure? 'Cuz ever since she left, it seems like you've been really depressed." Toad then quickly averted his eyes to the crumbling tile floor, "I mean, I know you set off to rescue her but… what happened? Especially after you came back, you've been moping around a lot. I know something's up…"
Mario sighed. "You're right…"
Toad looked at him gently. "I know you're upset about the Princess…I am, too. But you seem so…agitated…but, yet compassionate…"
"H…how did you know…?" he asked, astonished, "You should be a counselor or something."
"Well, it sort of comes with the job description…" he trailed off.
"I…I know she would never abandon us… But…it's just so hard to imagine that…that…" He shook his head in disgust. "That she and…and *Bowser*… A *child*…? Ughh! It just sickens me that he would do such a thing…!"
"I know…I know…" Toad agreed. Mario looked back at him.
"I…I've always been able to sense her… But something's different… Ever since I found out…" He stared at the floor.
"Mario, please, you have to save her."
"I know, I know," he shook his head in dismay. Suddenly, he felt something; it was a strange intuition, "Wait a second… Something's terribly wrong…! I can feel her…" he struggled, "Peach! The baby! No…! Peach is…is dying…!" Mario collapsed, falling on his knees and shaking.
"Mario…!" Toad shrieked.
The plumber fought to get himself up. "We have to save her!" he shouted.
"Is she okay?! What's wrong?!" The Mushroom Retainer was terrified; he knew Mario always had a keen sense for trouble, especially when it was about the princess.
"Wait…! There's something else…" Mario closed his eyes, trying to focus, "I don't know what it is…but for some reason…something seems like…like it's been…fulfilled…"
Toad looked at him confusedly. "Mario…what do you mean…?"
"I don't know…" he shook his head, "Come on, we have to go…*now*…!"
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A few days had passed, and Princess Peach was finally able to go back to her room, granted that she stayed in bed. She could get up, but since it was very painful, she rarely did. It was midday, and the saddened princess stared hopelessly at the sky-blue ceiling. How it contrasted so much with the way she felt—the pleasant clouds painted on a bright, cheery blue sky; it made her miserable. She sighed heavily, and there came a light tapping from her balcony window. Peach leaned forward as she excitedly recognized the figure.
"Twink!" she shrieked happily, "Hang on…" Slowly, the princess rolled over and forced herself off the bed while she winced. "Oww… I'm coming…" Although painful, she managed to make it to the door and opened it for the little Star.
"Princess! Are you all right…?" he asked, noticing she was in pain. "Here, lie back down…" He led her back to her bed, and she flinched as she obeyed.
"Oh Twink…!" she managed, "You came back!" Her face slowly dimmed. "Where have you been…?"
"It's a long story…" he replied, "But I've been looking for your friends…"
"Are they okay?! Did you find Mario…?"
"Well…I found Toad…" he stalled, avoiding a direct answer. He just couldn't bring himself to tell her of Mario's tentative reaction.
"Oh, is he all right…?" A hopeful look gleamed in her eyes.
"Don't worry; he's fine now. He's been hiding at your castle…"
"Oh…good," she sighed in relief, "Was Mario there? Did you tell him?" Twink looked at her compassionately. He couldn't hurt her—she had been through enough anguish already.
"I…I'm sorry…" he stared painfully at the floor, "Don't worry, I'll keep looking…"
"I hope he's okay… Oh, Mario…" she wavered. A sharp pain tingled up her spine. "Aahh! Oww…!"
"Are you okay?!" Twink cried, "What's wrong…?!"
"I'm afraid…I have some bad news…" The princess's eyes welled up and she turned away. The young Star looked at her sorrowfully.
"What is it…?"
"…I…I'm not gonna make it much longer…" Her voice was barely a whisper.
"…What are you saying…?!" he gasped.
"I…I'm going to…die soon…" She closed her eyes as a lone tear trickled down her soft cheek.
"Oh…Princess…"
"At very most, I have only a few years…" She glanced back up at her starry friend. "Please…you must watch over my daughter…"
"Oh…how is she…?"
"She's very healthy…and beautiful… Please… I don't know where she is… You…must find her… Help her… Tell…Mario…"
Twink looked at her slowly, "H…have you given her a name…?"
"…Melony…" Those were her last words as her consciousness faded into darkness.
"Oh…Princess… I'll try… for you…"
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Slowly the next morning had come. Bowser had seen the princess lying quietly, unconscious on her bed, and he knelt down beside her. Melancholy flowed through him as he stroked her golden hair.
"Oh…Peach… I'm so sorry… How can you ever forgive me…?" He paused sadly as if she would respond. "…Don't worry… I'll care for our child more than anything in this world…aside from you…"
Slowly, the princess awoke, opening her crystal blue eyes. Immediately, she saw her one greatest fear and torment, and she shrieked in terror.
"Bowser! What are you doing here…?!"
His hardened heart sprang with life. "Peach…! You're awake…! Don't worry, it's okay…" he tried to calm her.
"I thought I told you to stay the heck away from me!" she screamed, "Where's Melony…?!"
The Koopa King looked at her confusedly. "Melony…?"
"My child!!" Peach shouted indignantly, "Where is she?! Give her back…!"
"She's fine…!" he growled. His thoughts drifted to the tiny baby, "…Melony… What a beautiful name…my little girl…"
"She's not yours!" the princess screamed resentfully, "You don't deserve to be the father! Give her back to me…! …Aaahh…!" she cried as another sharp pain surged through her body.
Bowser gently pushed her back down. "Peach! Please, calm down… You're only hurting yourself…" The princess turned away. "Melony…is fine," he continued, "I can't return her to you…not yet… I'm sorry…"
"Get outta my room!" she cried glumly, "…And let me die in peace…"
------------------------
Mario and Toad walked about the Princess's Castle, progressively cleaning up the wreckage. Slowly, they managed to start building a shelter, to protect them from the Koopa army and also from the frequent tremors. Their world was no longer a safe haven. While working, the Mushroom Retainer broke the silence.
"Mario?" he asked slowly, "What's up with you…? You seem…different somehow…" The plumber looked up from his work.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I don't know…" He paused. "I mean, you've changed somehow. Ever since the Princess was kidnapped, you just haven't seemed yourself…"
"I'm fine…" Mario replied plainly.
"Are you sure? 'Cuz ever since she left, it seems like you've been really depressed." Toad then quickly averted his eyes to the crumbling tile floor, "I mean, I know you set off to rescue her but… what happened? Especially after you came back, you've been moping around a lot. I know something's up…"
Mario sighed. "You're right…"
Toad looked at him gently. "I know you're upset about the Princess…I am, too. But you seem so…agitated…but, yet compassionate…"
"H…how did you know…?" he asked, astonished, "You should be a counselor or something."
"Well, it sort of comes with the job description…" he trailed off.
"I…I know she would never abandon us… But…it's just so hard to imagine that…that…" He shook his head in disgust. "That she and…and *Bowser*… A *child*…? Ughh! It just sickens me that he would do such a thing…!"
"I know…I know…" Toad agreed. Mario looked back at him.
"I…I've always been able to sense her… But something's different… Ever since I found out…" He stared at the floor.
"Mario, please, you have to save her."
"I know, I know," he shook his head in dismay. Suddenly, he felt something; it was a strange intuition, "Wait a second… Something's terribly wrong…! I can feel her…" he struggled, "Peach! The baby! No…! Peach is…is dying…!" Mario collapsed, falling on his knees and shaking.
"Mario…!" Toad shrieked.
The plumber fought to get himself up. "We have to save her!" he shouted.
"Is she okay?! What's wrong?!" The Mushroom Retainer was terrified; he knew Mario always had a keen sense for trouble, especially when it was about the princess.
"Wait…! There's something else…" Mario closed his eyes, trying to focus, "I don't know what it is…but for some reason…something seems like…like it's been…fulfilled…"
Toad looked at him confusedly. "Mario…what do you mean…?"
"I don't know…" he shook his head, "Come on, we have to go…*now*…!"
------------------------
A few days had passed, and Princess Peach was finally able to go back to her room, granted that she stayed in bed. She could get up, but since it was very painful, she rarely did. It was midday, and the saddened princess stared hopelessly at the sky-blue ceiling. How it contrasted so much with the way she felt—the pleasant clouds painted on a bright, cheery blue sky; it made her miserable. She sighed heavily, and there came a light tapping from her balcony window. Peach leaned forward as she excitedly recognized the figure.
"Twink!" she shrieked happily, "Hang on…" Slowly, the princess rolled over and forced herself off the bed while she winced. "Oww… I'm coming…" Although painful, she managed to make it to the door and opened it for the little Star.
"Princess! Are you all right…?" he asked, noticing she was in pain. "Here, lie back down…" He led her back to her bed, and she flinched as she obeyed.
"Oh Twink…!" she managed, "You came back!" Her face slowly dimmed. "Where have you been…?"
"It's a long story…" he replied, "But I've been looking for your friends…"
"Are they okay?! Did you find Mario…?"
"Well…I found Toad…" he stalled, avoiding a direct answer. He just couldn't bring himself to tell her of Mario's tentative reaction.
"Oh, is he all right…?" A hopeful look gleamed in her eyes.
"Don't worry; he's fine now. He's been hiding at your castle…"
"Oh…good," she sighed in relief, "Was Mario there? Did you tell him?" Twink looked at her compassionately. He couldn't hurt her—she had been through enough anguish already.
"I…I'm sorry…" he stared painfully at the floor, "Don't worry, I'll keep looking…"
"I hope he's okay… Oh, Mario…" she wavered. A sharp pain tingled up her spine. "Aahh! Oww…!"
"Are you okay?!" Twink cried, "What's wrong…?!"
"I'm afraid…I have some bad news…" The princess's eyes welled up and she turned away. The young Star looked at her sorrowfully.
"What is it…?"
"…I…I'm not gonna make it much longer…" Her voice was barely a whisper.
"…What are you saying…?!" he gasped.
"I…I'm going to…die soon…" She closed her eyes as a lone tear trickled down her soft cheek.
"Oh…Princess…"
"At very most, I have only a few years…" She glanced back up at her starry friend. "Please…you must watch over my daughter…"
"Oh…how is she…?"
"She's very healthy…and beautiful… Please… I don't know where she is… You…must find her… Help her… Tell…Mario…"
Twink looked at her slowly, "H…have you given her a name…?"
"…Melony…" Those were her last words as her consciousness faded into darkness.
"Oh…Princess… I'll try… for you…"
------------------------
Slowly the next morning had come. Bowser had seen the princess lying quietly, unconscious on her bed, and he knelt down beside her. Melancholy flowed through him as he stroked her golden hair.
"Oh…Peach… I'm so sorry… How can you ever forgive me…?" He paused sadly as if she would respond. "…Don't worry… I'll care for our child more than anything in this world…aside from you…"
Slowly, the princess awoke, opening her crystal blue eyes. Immediately, she saw her one greatest fear and torment, and she shrieked in terror.
"Bowser! What are you doing here…?!"
His hardened heart sprang with life. "Peach…! You're awake…! Don't worry, it's okay…" he tried to calm her.
"I thought I told you to stay the heck away from me!" she screamed, "Where's Melony…?!"
The Koopa King looked at her confusedly. "Melony…?"
"My child!!" Peach shouted indignantly, "Where is she?! Give her back…!"
"She's fine…!" he growled. His thoughts drifted to the tiny baby, "…Melony… What a beautiful name…my little girl…"
"She's not yours!" the princess screamed resentfully, "You don't deserve to be the father! Give her back to me…! …Aaahh…!" she cried as another sharp pain surged through her body.
Bowser gently pushed her back down. "Peach! Please, calm down… You're only hurting yourself…" The princess turned away. "Melony…is fine," he continued, "I can't return her to you…not yet… I'm sorry…"
"Get outta my room!" she cried glumly, "…And let me die in peace…"