Hey guys! Thanks for reading my new chapter! I hope you enjoy it, because I enjoyed writing it! Things are gonna get dark soon (hopefully)! Thanks again!
_
Peach sneaked through her bedroom window, and slid down the roof and onto her balcony. She quietly leaped down onto the bridge, and she ran away from her castle. She then remembered how far away the Beanbean Kingdom was, and so she consulted her lovely inner voice. How do we reach the Beanbean Kingdom? She asked. "Simple... We drive..." The voice said, as she reminded Peach of the various karts in the Toad Town garage. Peach turned around, and ran towards the town instead of away from it.
"Oh hi Peach! What brings you here?" asked a greasy Toad from the garage.
"Just getting a kart to practice with." Peach calmly replied, but more distantly than usual.
"Ok! Which one will it be?"
"I think... The Royale will do nicely..." she said as she fondly remembered the first time she drove it around during late 2005.
"Excellent choice! I'll bring it round now." The Toad told her, and he disappeared from sight. A few minutes later, Peach heard a humming as the kart came into view. Peach tied up her hair as she got in the vehicle, and she turned around in it. "See you later Princess!" Toad yelled as she drove off into the distance.
"Bye!" Peach yelled back as she drove straight past her castle, and into the large fields on the outer rim of her kingdom. She loved the feeling of the wind on her flowing hair as she drove on and on, through forests and valleys. She drove for hours, but eventually she recognised Teehee Valley. "Yesss... We are here now..." the voice told her. But how do I get in? asked Peach. "Just move the elevator to get to Little Fungitown... The Toads don't need it now... They can have it back later..." the voice told her. Peach started pushing with all her might against the rock that acted as a lift, but to no avail. "Push harder... Think of all that will be yours... You can live a happy life with..." the voice shuddered when it next spoke. "Mario." As Peach thought about all that would happen, she pushed one last time, and the slab moved. Underneath was a black marble staircase that spiralled down to a dark cave. Before she could enter, a spirit flew out and shrieked.
"Do not enter this cave! The Dark Star is too powerful! DO NOT ENTER THIS CAVE!" it shrieked at Peach. "Silence this fool... He does not know what you deserve..." the voice said harshly. Are you sure? How do you destroy spirits anyway? Peach thought, clearly nervous. "Repeat after me..." the voice said, and it started uttering ancient words of years gone by. Peach repeated them, and before she knew what was happening, the spirit became immobile. It dropped to the ground, as it faded away...
"W-what did I just do?!" Peach asked herself in distress. "You did what you had to do..." the voice told her in a soothing tone. Peach felt her body relax, as she suddenly felt calmer again. She walked down the steps into the dark cave. There were crystals everywhere, emitting an eerie purple glow. The walls of the cave seemed oddly artificial, with torches with black flames lining the walls. There were some grand doors ahead of her, with beautiful star patterns and lovely carvings of what appeared to be a castle of evil. Peach lightly pushed the door, and she entered the room. Peach saw the room, with amazing murals on the walls and a lovely red carpet leading to a podium. As she looked closer at the murals, she saw they told a story. She looked under the murals and saw a prophecy inscribed on the wall.
"One day, a foolish being shall unleash a great evil on this world. It will devour the world in an incredible darkness, as a shadow takes over this world, recreating it anew as a world for monsters and spirits, not a place for animals or people. Nothing will be able to stop it, and the world will be lost..." the writing told. Peach looked up at the mural and noticed herself on it. She looked to be unleashing a great spirit... What was this prophecy about? Was Peach herself going to unleash a demon on this world? It couldn't be! She brushed her hands against her image, and the mural started shaking, and it suddenly opened in the middle to reveal a secret room. A statue of her darker sled was in the middle, with a throne in front of it. There were huge marble pillars, and several dark spirits surrounding the throne. They created a whirlwind around the throne, and when it parted, there was the dark Peach sitting on it.
"So... We meet again..." she spoke. "It's only a matter of time before I take your body as my own... Stay nice and safe for while, can you? I don't want to inhabit a damaged vessel..." she spoke nonchalantly. Peach felt her head spinning again, and she suddenly woke up yet again, on the cold marble floor. Not another dream... she thought. I guess I fainted when I saw the Dark Star... The voice immediately chimed in with "It's just a dream... It means nothing... Just get the Dark Star... We're almost done..." the voice told her. Peach obeyed, and grabbed the Dark Star. She walked through the grand doors, and walked up the spiral staircase out into Teehee Desert. "Gooood... Now let us visit Blubble Lake..." the voice told Peach. Why are we going there? Peach asked. "Because... That is where it was created... And therefore where it is most powerful..." Peach hopped into the Royale, and she sped off into the distance...
