The halls of the castle loomed high above the throne which had held Princess Peach only one short day beforehand. Now the halls were empty, completely abandoned, but not due to any voluntary function, instead empty at the hands of that monster Mario, or should I say Melanchario the Fallen Angel.

Blind Toad stumbled into the throne room, still searching for a soul to tell about the information that he had received from Toad earlier. Little did he know that the royal guard was dispatched on a mission to find the princess and were currently not inside or near the castle at all. All Blind Toad could sense within the castle was the smell of dead air and the empty ring of his own footsteps.

"Where is everyone, anyways?" pondered Blind Toad to himself. His seeing stick hit the throne itself and Blind Toad stuck his hand out to touch the throne before him. However, something about the throne felt off to Blind Toad.

"The throne is... warm? Someone has been sitting here recently, but who? Who could've possibly been sitting here if the princess was captured a day ago?" Blind Toad said aloud.

Suddenly the eerie silence was broken by the distinct sound of footsteps from within the throne room. Blind Toad looked around to try and pinpoint where the sound had come from, although it was rather pointless since he couldn't see.

"Um... Hello? Is there anyone there?" asked Blind Toad, beginning to shake with fear as he turned around.

Blind Toad's mind began to race. Maybe I'm just making a big deal out of nothing, it could just be a mouse or something. Blind Toad thought to himself. But as more footsteps could be heard around him, he knew that it couldn't be that of a mouse.

M-maybe its someone friendly, wasn't that who I was looking for after all? Blind Toad thought to himself, but once he heard a large footstep from right behind him, he bolted away.

Unfortunately for Blind Toad, he was unaware how close he was to the small steps that lead to the throne itself and took a fall face first on to the floor. Picking himself up off the floor he began to make a dash in any direction he could. Since he couldn't see, he wasn't really sure if he was really running for the exit, but he couldn't afford to stop and check. All he could hear was the beating of his own frightened heart and the sound of he exasperated breath as he ran for his life.

But his attempt to escape was stopped when he was stopped by a large object, and was thrown back on to the floor. Just as he landed on his rear end, he felt something seize him from behind. The bony fingers of the culprit cut into his shoulders as Blind Toad struggled to escape.

"hehehe..." rang the laugh of the culprit through the empty halls.

"Wait, I recognize that laugh! You're-" Blind Toad choked out before being brutally silenced. His life ended in the one place that Toads should be protected most, the symbol of their sovereignty, the castle.

~Meanwhile, deep within that same castle, far away the king laid sickly on his bed, Toadsworth tending him at his side. The aged king looked up at his ever faithful assistant, remembering his everlasting loyalty he had demonstrated towards him since both of them were young. Then his mind turned to his daughter, and although he knew she was used to being kidnapped at the hands of Bowser, somehow he could feel that this time it was much worse. Toadsworth could read the king's worry in his eyes.

"Don't worry sire, I'm positive we'll rescue the princess in no time." said Toadsworth, trying to comfort the king as he put his hand over his.

"I'm just not so sure. If the princess isn't back soon, then who shall rule the kingdom?" the king said, keeping his eyes fixed on the wall across from him.

Toadsworth wasn't entirely sure what to say. What did he mean by that? Peach was only the princess, she didn't rule the kingdom, not yet at least. The king was still the rightful ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom... unless...

The king looked up at Toadsworth weakly. "I don't have much time left, old friend, and I fear that with Mario missing from this situation... perhaps the prophecy is beginning to come true." said the king.

"You mean Mario is-" Toadsworth said before stopping himself. Thinking about it more made Toadsworth realize that Mario did share more than a few similarities with that old prophecy. But surely that old thing wasn't true, it was only a superstition from all those years ago. Nevertheless, a chill crawled down Toadsworth's spine.

The tension was broken as the door creaked open and a tall, lanky, green figure made his way into the bedroom. Luigi looked at both of them with contempt, knowing that they only called him here because Mario was unavailable. It was always about Mario, Luigi knew he could never escape that fate.

"You called me?" Luigi said dryly

"Ah, Master Luigi! So glad you came!" said Toadsworth, as polite as ever.

"Look, I know why you called me here, but you have to believe me when I say that I have no idea where my brother is. All I know is that he's been gone since yesterday and I don't know where he went." said Luigi

"That's unfortunate to hear from you, but as someone who has been with Mario and helped save the princess countless times, do you have any idea where the princess might be?" asked Toadsworth.

"Obviously Bowser kidnapped her. I can't even think of another person who could kidnap her at this point." said Luigi. He couldn't help but think this whole ordeal was a great waste of time.

"But why would Bowser deny his involvement so heavily if he has been so adamant about it beforehand? He's not even trying to fortify his castle, all of his troops are standing idle." countered Toadsworth.

Just then, the king butted in to the conversation. "Don't you think its a little bit suspicious that Mario just so happened to disappear at almost the exact same time that the princess was kidnapped?" the king said, making his stance very clear.

"You're not trying to imply that Mario kidnapped Peach, are you? That's completely preposterous!" said Luigi, offended by the king's words. The room fell uncomfortably silent.

"Look, me and Mario have had our differences, but I know my brother well enough that he would never kidnap the princess!" Luigi continued as the room around him remained silent. A frown appeared on Luigi's face.

"You two really believe that, don't you? Well, I'll show you that Bowser is the one behind all this! I don't care what that sneaky, conniving koopa said, I don't believe him! Just you wait until I prove you all wrong!" said Luigi, storming out of the room before beginning to make his way to Bowser's castle

Before the dust could settle from the confrontation Luigi had with Toadsworth and the king, someone else entered the room with a distressed expression. It was a Toad of the royal guard, back from their reconnaissance mission around the town. He couldn't stop panting and shaking his arms violently.

"Sir, please calm down, sir! What is the matter!" said Toadsworth, sitting the Toad down on a chair.

The frightened Toad just looked up at Toadsworth "B-blind Toad has been murdered inside the castle!"

~The only light that entered the dungeon Peach was held in was the pale light that slipped through the cracks in the wall. Peach had grown increasingly frustrated by Melanchario the Fallen Angel's neglect of her. It had been hours since Melanchairo the Fallen Angel had left her alone, his words still swimming in Peach's head. Why had Melanchario the Fallen Angel chose this new name for himself, why is he trying to turn me into his slave, and what is this plan of his that he has been talking about?

With these questions in mind, Peach knew she couldn't just sit here in silence. After all, she had tried to escape from Bowser's clutches more than a few times. She walked up to the gargantuan door that loomed above her. Grabbing the handle, she gave the door a push to see how tightly the door was bolted shut, but instead was surprised as the door swung open in front of her. It was as if the door had never been locked in the first place.

"What?" said Peach along with an audible gasp. Surely there was no way that Melanchario the Fallen Angel had accidentally left the door meant to restrain her unlocked this entire time. He must have left it open as some kind of trap.

Peach hesitated to step out of the room. She knew that stepping out would only be taking the bait that Melanchario the Fallen Angel had left out for her. However, she also knew that there was nowhere else to go except out, and she would far rather risk the punishment of Melanchario the Fallen Angel than stay in her cell and rot.

She moved throughout the castle, dazed and confused. The light that came through the window blinded her and the layout of the castle was completely foreign to Peach. She had never been inside of Melanchario the Fallen Angel's castle, and was utterly confused on where she should go.

As she struggled to move inside the castle, something else hit her. It was a sound, the sound of water running from upstairs. Peach turned her head toward the sound, her curiosity peaked. Was Melanchario the Fallen Angel taking a shower upstairs?

Although she knew it was a bad idea to move towards the one she was trying to escape, she couldn't help but be drawn towards the dark and mysterious aura given off by the former plumber. Peach couldn't explain why she had made this decision, but perhaps it was her morbid curiosity to look upon the man she once knew and loved to see if he could be found in the brutal and darkly sexy monster that had captured her the day prior.

She approached the bathroom door and gently pushed the door open to take a look inside. The steam that arose from Melanchario the Fallen Angel's shower fogged the bathroom to the point where Peach could not see a thing.

But then, something changed.

The shower stopped. Peach recoiled away from the door out of surprise and the fear of being caught. Slowly she moved closer towards the door once more, trying to make herself less seen than before yet still trying her best to get a view on the action. Soon the cloud of steam began to clear and once again Peach was able to take another look at Melanchario the Fallen Angel.

Merely laying eyes on Melanchario the Fallen Angel's form was enough to send a shock through Peach's entire body. No longer was he the Mario that Peach had fallen in love with all of those years ago. His toned and muscular body was almost on full display for Peach save for the towel that was loosely wrapped around his waist, a far cry from the rotund body of the former Mario. His brown, beautiful hair was instead replaced by a ghastly silver that draped over his face, and a dark red streak that cut through his hair reminded Peach of the disturbing sight of crimson blood. This was all without mentioning the scar over Melanchario the Fallen Angel's eye, a sure sign of a disturbed individual.

The sight of Melanchario the Fallen Angel felt like a betrayal to Peach of everything she once knew and loved... and yet something about his appearance intrigued Peach, something about Melanchario the Fallen Angel excited Peach to her very core and kept her staring at him despite the danger he posed to her. He was different, something that Peach had never seen before in a man, not even Bowser.

However, the intrigue in Peach's eyes proved to be her very downfall, as her interest in Melanchario the Fallen Angel had made her blind to the world around her. As she silently moved closer to get a better look as Melanchario the Fallen Angel approached the sink, she lost her footing and fell forwards through the door way into the bathroom. Melanchario the Fallen Angel was surprised but hardly disappointed.

"Well well well, looks like the rat managed to escape from her cage, didn't she?" said Melanchario the Fallen Angel with a smile as he looked down on Peach as she lied there on the floor. Peach remained speechless both out of fear and awe of the man who towered above her.

"Honestly, I expected you to try and escape a lot sooner. I almost let my guard down expecting you to sit there forever." said Melanchario the Fallen Angel as he marched towards Peach. Bending over, he seized Peach in his arms with an inescapable grip. Although it was in Peach's instinct to make an attempt to escape, she simply could not. However, she was stuck in a trance, hopelessly imprisoned in the arms of a monster. Her eyes were transfixed on Melanchario the Fallen Angel's dark and brooding eyes. Although they conveyed a menace, in them Peach could see the last remnants of the Mario she once loved.

"Where are you going to take me?" said Peach shyly, looking directly at Melanchario the Fallen Angel.

But Melanchario the Fallen Angel did not answer her, his mouth stayed silent and his eyes were still fixed forward, not bothering to look at the woman who was speaking to him.

"Mar- I mean, Melanchario the Fallen Angel?" Peach said, hoping to gain his attention by calling him by the name he chose for himself. Just saying that name sent shivers down Peach's spine.

"I told you already, that's not what you call me. You call me 'master'" Melanchario the Fallen Angel immediately snapped back, as if he could read Peach's mind.

"Where are you taking me... master." Peach hesitated before speaking. She hated referring to Melanchario the Fallen Angel as her master, but she decided to swallow her pride in an attempt to gain some information on what was going to happen to her. Just after she said this, a smug smile formed on Melanchario the Fallen Angel's face.

"Well, since you asked nicely, you are getting taken to the next phase of your capture and reeducation. I figure you've become quite accustomed to being captured at this point, so I've decided to move you along ahead of schedule." said Melanchario the Fallen Angel.

While Peach had asked this question for answers, Melanchario the Fallen Angel's response only left Peach with more questions. What was Melanchario the Fallen Angel's plan? What did he mean by "reeducation"? How many phases did Melanchario the Fallen Angel have in his plan? Peach was becoming more and more confused the longer she was being kept under Melanchario the Fallen Angel's tyranny.

The two remained silent as Melanchario the Fallen Angel held Peach firmly in his strong arms, pulling her further away from the light of the surface as they descended through the labyrinthine catacombs of Melanchario the Fallen Angel's dungeons. They continued to move through the blinding darkness, Melanchario the Fallen Angel unlocked a new door Peach hadn't seen before that lead to a large and imposing staircase.

Melanchario the Fallen Angel reinforced his iron grip on Peach as they descended down to the new layer of Peach's personal hell.

To Be Continued...