I sauntered slowly into my mother's room. Mama was in her purple silk bed, laying on her large pillow. She looked pale, as if all of her energy was sucked out of her, until only a small amount was left to hang onto life. I caught her eyes, and immediately bowed. Mama sat up shakily and smiled, her kind eyes, though dull, seemed to still have the little spark of beauty in them.
"My Queen," A docter walked in. "You have..." He trailed off when he saw me in the room.
"I'm sorry." He bowed and left the room.
"Who was that, Mama?" I asked, feeling somewhat worried.
"No-one, my dear child," Mama coughed. A little drop of blood came from her mouth as she coughed, and it spilled onto her hands. I was frightened to go over, so I remained awkwardly near her bed.
"Come closer my child," Mama whispered. I walked hastily over. She took my warm hand and placed it on her cold one. I looked up at her.
"My dear child," Mama began. "I know, I am to leave this world soon, and yes, I do know you will be troubled and lost, but know that as long as you remember me, and all of our memories, then I will exist, I will be here, next to you, when you need me most." I could feel my self start to choke up, my bottom lip quivering violently.
"You and I are one in the same. We will always be together. I will always be apart of you, and know that all I have wanted in my life, is a child, and you have been the best daughter I could have ever asked for. Remember that," Mama was holding my hand all of that time, and I had never realised that a small blue locket was placed in my hand. A tear rolled down my face.
"Please, my child, don't open it until you are in dire need of help, until a great evil has come your way," Melody pleaded. "I'm sorry, my little child, I've been terrible. Please find it in your heart to forgive me,"
"Of course I forgive you Mama, I love you too," I crawled up onto her mother's bed and hugged her gently. I started to sob loudly, as Mama softly cradled me like an infant before their bed time. I didn't care if I looked like a baby: as long as I was here, with Mama, then nothing mattered anymore. Though now it seems like everything matters now.
Time was slipping. It was only a matter of time before they found out who I was, who my family was, and what we could do. Of course, a young, foolish me would have no idea of what was to happen. My mother died for a reason; I just didn't know what that reason was.
I could feel the wind get stronger that day, I could feel the skies getting darker as the carriage came into the kingdom. The air seemed to become distorted around the car when it pulled up in front of me. Toadsworth appeared next to me to welcome this strange visitor. The door of the cart swung open, revealing a blood red interior and a tall, dark figure. His eyes were firery and bright, and, though appearing to have no legs, had ghoulish tentacles flicking and twirling from out of his long coat. I shivered; the sight of those hellish limbs made me want to vomit.
I held out my hand to shake his (if he even had a hand to shake) and forced a smile.
"Hello, you must be our correspondent! Im-" I stopped when he walked right passed be, not even taking any notice in me or Toadsworth. He just twirled his hellish tentacles and moved forward. Toadsworth looked at me worriedly, then the figure. He followed it inside. I sighed and then hastily walked inside.
"Such girly interior, Your Majesty," He suddenly shouted, breaking the silence. His voice was deep and raspy.
"Oh, yes my mot-" The second time I was cut off that day.
"Not you, girl!" He replied rather loudly. "My King, where ever he is," He looked around.
"There is no king, sir," Toadsworth muttered to him. "Only the Princess rules the Kingdom." The figure smiled an evil grin.
"This will be easy," He whispered.
I held out my hand for him to shake it (again) and he raised a tentacle. He violently grabbed my hand. He made no eye contact, though I was trying desperately hard to catch his face.
"Princess Peach Toadstool, sir," I sighed. I could feel the blood supply being cut off from my hand. He let go, and some sort of black goop was stained on my glove. The visitor turned away and moved forward. I pulled of my other glove and touched the stained one. My fingers felt like fire as it touched a stain. Some sort of poison, toxic ooze was in my finger, the nerves burning and hurting. I pulled off my gloves with intense care and followed the figure.
"How long have you lived here, Princess?" The being asked. He looked at me, waiting for an answer.
"Well my family has ruled this kingdom since the beginning of time, however this castle has been around for 100 years," I concluded. "Before the castles, the first rulers lived a humble life, with a give and take relationship with their people."
"Mmm. Do you have parents?" He asked.
"My mother umm... Died some years ago," I whispered. "My father's whereabouts are unknown." It was a shame I didn't entirely know my father, he's probably dead by now.
"Could I ask one favour, Princess?" He said.
"Of course, sir," I said, slightly terrified.
"Hold still," He sprayed the same black ooze in my eyes, making my vision terrible, then started to wrap tentacles around me, and they spread up my body. Toadsworth tried to butt in, but was merely swept aside by the figure. Poison covered my advisors face, I tried to break free, but the poison on his tentacles spread all over my body, creating burns and black splotches over my legs. The figure wrapped another tentacle around my face, blocking my vision, and I could feel poison seeping into my eyes and mouth. He let me fall to the ground, unable to move or speak. I could only cry out in anguish as the toxic liquid spread all over my face, letting it drip down me. My eyes started to close, the world became a fuzzy mess; I could just make out the image of the tentacles of the figure, flicking poison everywhere. People crying and screaming as the poison took over. The figure turned to me. It cackled.
"Long live Kemono," It chanted. It moved away, and my eyes gently started to close. My mother's last words dropped in my mind.
"Please, my child, don't open it until you are in dire need of help, until a great evil has come your way," it echoed. I looked to the locket. With all of my energy, I opened it, before my final look at the world, before my final breath.
My eyes flicked open, expecting there to be death standing right in front of me, looking smug with his scythe in hand, ready to take my soul. But instead, I saw half of an infinite abyss of stars and pitch-black sky. Small planets dotted everywhere the naked eye could see. The other half was cascaded in darkness. I felt my blind eye. There was a long shallow chasm over it, but it looked days old. How long had I been out? A question I continually asked myself as I looked around.
I looked down and saw a long beam of light coming from my locket, which was now open. I grabbed the light-rope, and it pulled me to a broken planet. It's rocky rings were disperses everywhere, and chunks flew wildly around. It was white and purple with hints of blues; an overall beautiful planet, a shame it was so shattered.
As I got closer to the floating pile of rocks, the air got colder, frostier, neglected even. I could feel the goosebumps rising on my skin and my breath turning frosty.
The rope got tighter and stronger when I arrived on one of the bigger rocks of the planet, I could feel it tugging at my chest. I followed the lead, while trying to gather my thoughts. Was everyone safe? What about Mario and Luigi? Toadsworth? And most importantly, who was that man pretending to be? Was he Kemono, the name I heard him cackle before I 'died'? I was getting stressed, until I saw what I was being lead to.
There was a large fountain. Trees adorned the cobbled path I didn't realise I was standing on. The water in the pool of the fountain looked frosty and mesmerising. But something else caught my eye: a life sized statue of a majestic woman stood proudly on the podium of the fountain. She had her hands in a kind sort of way, like she never wanted to hurt anything, no malice. Her kind eyes had a spark of beauty in them. Just like...
"Mama," I whispered, my voice was croaking in my throat. The beam of light disappeared. I placed my hands on the edge of the fountain, feeling its smooth marble surface. I let my arms support my weight for now, as I stared into the glassy pool of water. The liquid inside was like a mirror, I could see myself all torn up and one eye missing. I let a tear drop into the icy pool. Look at me: half dead with a missing eye. I have no idea what my kingdom's status is, nor who that bitch (I heard Daisy use that word when she was mad at someone) is at the castle, probably eating my kingdom's fine produce, drinking my father's preserved alcohol; and having a right laugh at what has happened.
My tear caused a ripple effect across the water. I closed my eyes for a second, and slowly sunk my head. Curious as I am, I took the locket off my chest and I opened it again. Inside, A picture of my mother and father, taken obviously before I was born. My father, well, he looked more like a king this time, less depressed. And what could I say about Mama. She looked beautiful, like she was in the prime of her life. I smiled, at least there was some happiness in my now corrupted life.
"My child, is that you?" I felt the cold wind whistle through my ear, and a voice speaking gently in my head.
"My dear Peaches, you have come," It whispered again. I didn't know what to say.
"... Mama?" I finally got out.
"Oh my goodness, look how you've grown!" the voice whispered. "I'm so sorry for leaving you, I know you needed me,"
How was it Mama? She's been gone for more than a decade now, has her spirit been living here for the past years? I dismissed my thoughts.
"Please, Mama, do not be sorry, it is I who should be sorry," Fancy talk. Why. I mean, it's not the fanciest, but I was used to this sort of dialect (honestly, it's probably better than how everyone in Mario's world talks)
I bowed to the statue, it seemed like the only obvious thing to do.
"Now, my child, you are in need of guidence," Mama said. "I am aware the kingdom has been taken over by a Kemono person,"
"Oh, yes," I was still flustered about what has happened in this day. "He was a visitor, but that guy wasn't Kemono, that's his advisor,"
"Of course, now, look into the pool of water," Mama commanded softly and rather hurriedly. I followed her orders and peered in.
The water rippled more, and there, as clear as day, was my mother, smiling at me from the pool. I gasped. She looked like how I remembered her, but healthier. She giggled.
"Now you can see me anytime you want," Mama said.
"But how?" I asked. Truly, I was baffled.
"This planet is- or should I say was- a resting place for the family's spirits," She explained. "That's including Sarasaland royals and Koopa kingdom spirits," I shivered. The fact that I was technically related to Bowser (not sure how) made me a bit sick.
"But, alas, something happened a number of years back, something attacked the place, now its a pile of rocks," She said solemnly. "There are still fountains here, but most of them are gone,"
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said.
"It's not your doing my child," Mama replied. "OK, there is much to be done, touch the water," I felt as though everything was going too fast, there was barely any description for any of this.
The tip of my index finger tapped the water, the water rippled more. Out came a key, a golden key, adorned with Lapis Lazulis and gold. I admired it, and my mother prompted me to take it. I quickly grabbed it.
"Remember, everything will be explained in due time, right now you have to focus on Kemono," Mama told me. I nodded, and a bright door appeared behind me. I turned around, trying not to collapse from the confusion and excitement from what I have experienced in the past few hours.
" Oh, and Peaches," My mother called out. Peaches was a pet name for me, ever since I was small. I turned back.
"Say hi to Mario, would you?" I laughed, and disappeared through the door.