What's this? A new chapter? After like forever and a half? Whoa!

Y'all I am so sorry it took so long to post get to this chapter… I intended to continue this must faster! Buuuut I am a forgetful little writer so when something slips out of my mind, it sometimes takes a little while to come back to me. Now that I am back, I seem to have went a little overboard with the writing so do forgive me on this one. :D

Anywho! Thanks for the patients and enjoy the long awaited continuation!

[Peach]

Oh now quickly time flies… Peach sighed into her pillow, eyes half closed and staring into nothingness. It has been almost 3 weeks since the defeat of Dreamy Bowser and the sudden disappearance of Antasma, yet the memories of those events still felt fresh in her mind… The look on the Bat King's face when he was about to attack her...

Peach opened her eyes fully and glanced around the dark room. Her room was much more modest compared to her's back at home. Two simple yet cozy beds, a large bed stand in between, a nice red, blue, and green rug, a bathroom on one side of the room and the door lending out on the other. Her dear Toadsworth is sleeping in the other bed, his light snores brough the princess an odd sense of comfort.

Glancing back, Peach briefly stared out of the window next to her bed. Night still ruled the sky and everyone on the island slept, everyone but her. The stars here shown bright and she could barely make out one or two star constellations. It was all just beautiful… Shame she can't appreciate it right now.

Turning her back to the window, Peach laid on her back for a few more minutes before finally sitting up. She craned her neck so she can look out of her and Toadsworth's open hotel door, hoping to see if the denizens of the room across from theirs are awake too.

In the dark, it was hard to make out their neighbor's room. Peach can juuuust make out the silhouette of two beds, both lumpy with their respective owners. Peach couldn't see any movement so she assumed both Mario and Luigi are still asleep. With silence as her only company, Peach figured that she should try and get some sleep. After all, in the morning she, Toadsworth, Starlow, Mario, and Luigi will make their way back home, to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Dreambert has insisted that now with his people awaken thanks to the help of the brothers, he is confident that Antasma will be found and will be punished for his crimes! They won't make the same mistakes all those years ago. Mario was a little hesitant about leaving and needed a little more reassurance from the prince. Dreambert has pointed out that now since the Dream Stone has been turned into a nearly infinite pile of coins, there is not power source Antasma can use for his gain. Not only that, he has no allies since Bowser betrayed him and Dreambert has his only re awaken army! Antasma is outnumbered and out powered.

Antasma… Peach wondered where the nightmarish bat is and what is he doing, the last memory involving him was when she made her wish after that she fainted. That scream haunts her... A while later, she woke up from in some form of hospital, Toadsworth has informed her what happened. Antasma has disappeared into the Dream World. Closing her eyes, Peach sighed into her pillow and allowed sleep to come over her…

Peach frowned suddenly, something doesn't feel right… Assuming she just wasn't comfortable, she shifted in her covers into hopefully a comfort position. It was only then she realized her covers were gone! With great confusion, Peach opened her eyes and looked around her room then she let out a small gasp.

Peach wasn't in her room, she's in the Dream World! Clouds of colors swirled around her and sparkles dance in the air. Peach's heart jumped to her throat, remembering her first visit here, in the claws of… Princess Peach looked behind her to see the being responsible for her being here. Antasma stood a silencely, his yellow eyes staring her down like an unwelcome bug and a deep frown on his lips. His current form is his true self, however that doesn;t make him any less scary.

Peach quickly stood up, back away from the King of Bats. Holding her hands to her chest, the princess looked up at him with fear in her eyes. Oddly enough that made Antasma's frown deep, as if not happy with her fear towards him.

"W-what you do want Antasma?" Peach question, trying to sound brave even though it was hard to do. Neither Mario or Luigi is here to help her, so whatever happens to her… Peach shivered at the thought.

Antasma continued to stare at her, his cloak tightly wrapped around him and his head bow into his coat. He was so still, it's unnerving! Slowly he blink then floated closer to her, Peach breathed in sharply and took a few steps backwards only to have her back collided with a dreamy wall. Fearing the worst, Peach tried to look around for an escape route and found only pities that lead to darkness. Looking back to the King of Bats, Peach gasped to find Antasma really close to her. Only a few feet away!

"Please don't hurt me…" Mumbled Peach, pressing herself to the cloud wall and wishing she Mario was here. Then in an unexpected thing happened, Antasma backed away. The King of Bats floated back a yard away from Peach, enough to give her some breathing room but close as to not her run off.

Peach's eyebrows rose up at him, leaning away from the wall. What's… going on?

"Antasma…?" Peach said softly, this whole time, he didn't say a word and only now Peach realized that there's something off about him. He wasn't stand tall and proud, there wasn't a predatory gleam in his eyes, and there wasn't a large toothy grin. In fact, he looked… small and tired, lost in thought and a storm of emotions.

The King of Bats seem to jolt out of his train of thought at the sound of her voice. He glared at her, upset about something. He rubbed his chest as if sore, all the while seemingly thinking. Then finally, he spoke.

"Your vish…" He simply asked, letting go of his cloak and allowed it to fall limpy at his sides. Floating slightly close, his lips parted in a grimace. Peach leaned against the wall again, both fearful and confused. Huh? Antasma see to sense her confusion, he continued.

"Your forsaken vish has brought me much torment." He said coldly, hands twitching and his glare deepening. Her wish…? Oh her wish! Honestly she almost forgot about that.

"I'm sorry?" She asked, her head slightly tilted. Clearly this was the wrong answer as Antasma snarl at her, thrusting his face into hers.

"Your! Vish! Has ruined me!" He snapped, claws thrust into the air in an exaggerated manner, frustration clear in his tone. Peach yelped in fear, shielding her head with her hands, and closed her eyes. She heard a hum of displeasure then silence. Risking a look, Peach parted some fingers and glanced at the King of Bats then she lowered her hands at the sight sh saw. Antasma has float back, a look of guilt written on his features, and a hand rubbing his chest.

"I do not understand this feeling." He said after another pause, staring at the ground. "Vhatever I do, there this pain in my chest und I can not understand it."

Peach search Antasma's face, surely this was a trick. A trick to lower her guard and gain a chance to kidnap her again! And yet... A little voice in her head told Peach that if the King of Bats wanted to kidnap her, surely he could have done it much sooner and much more straightforward than whatever this is. Peach noodled on the thought a little longer, watching Antasma pitiful stance, and watching his face for a sudden change.

"It… hurts Princess. It hurts to behave the vay I do. Vhere ever I, look vhatever I do, I feel… I feel this PAIN in my chest. Like someone is twisting a knife vithin me." Antasma continued to stare at the ground, his hand now resting on his collarbone. "I don't understand… be side that YOU done this. Vhat haff you done to me?!"

Antasma then looked at Peach with a angry yet pained expression. Peach stared into the Bat King eyes, seeing the guilt behind his rage. Then it all made sense to her, his pain, the guilt in eyes, the way he acted.

"I… I wished for you to have compassion Antasma, you're feeling guilty about all the pain you caused." Peach finally said, carefully leaning away from her wall and her hands clapped together. Antasma blinked twice before stumping Peach with what he said next.

"Vhat's Compassion?"

Notes:
Poor Antasma doesn't know how to deal with guilt!

From this point onward, Antasma isn't going to SCREECH nor SHRIEK so much. Only when mad or excited. He will, though, sometimes 'chirp', 'click' 'chatter'. I always imagine him retaining some of his batty characteristics in the form of his speech.

This is going to be fun figuring him out and his interactions with the main trio. 0v0