Author's Note: Wowee its been a while. I'm really sorry for not updating for a couple of months, I had to keep rewriting this chapter, because nothing would ever stick. I will try to keep my updates constant, although with school and everything it's hard to do so.

So I'm probably going to update My Dear Child every two or three weeks, and I might put up some new stories when I have time. My Dear Child is like my main story right now, so I'll update it every so often.

Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you again in the next update!

Mama was stroking my hair lovingly, while I sprawled myself out on her lap. My hands were fiddling with a gemstone on my mother's chest. It was blue, like the colour of her eyes, and was so mesmerising I could just gaze upon its beauty for hours.

Mama was humming a tune while she ran her delicate fingers through my golden locks. All the while, darkness cascaded the room, and soon everything was as dark as night. But Mama didn't seem to notice. She was still playing with my hair while humming her song with no change in her tone.

I began to worry. I tried to tell Mama but my lips wouldn't move, and no noise would escape from my mouth. I tried to move but I was stuck, forever fiddling the gemstone. Then Mama began to change: her arms turned to disgusting tentacles, and they were not stroking my hair as Mama did; but rather tugging at it. Her face turned evil, and her graceful smile was now a smirk.

I still couldn't move. I was forever stuck on what was Mama's lap, scared to death of what I was facing at. The creature looked at me. I tried to flee, but I was paralyzed. The beast lifted a tentacle, and smashed my face with it, blinding me. Then he chucked me to the ground, and walked away.

The room turned darker than ever. I could move now, but there was no point. I was going to die here. I looked to the right: there was a large puddle of blood, and my hair was entangled in it. The left was the same. I suddenly felt tired, and my eyes closed automatically, seeing light before I slept.

I gasped for air and opened my eyes. Was I awake? I was cold and hot at the same time. My legs felt strong, and yet I felt like I was going to topple over. Blood dripped from my mouth and my head was throbbing with the sounds of struggle and death.

Around me, people were fighting. Swords clashed, people choked on blood and the sickly chime of death filled the air. I noticed Puruto charging toward me, never letting his gaze cease from my eyes.

A golden bow lay on the floor, itching to shoot. I picked it up out of curiosity, and because I needed to defend myself. One single arrow was on the ground. Only one. I picked it up and nocked the arrow. I pulled the string back and concentrated. My head was fuzzy and I couldn't see straight. But my vision soon adjusted, and I loosened the arrow from the string.

The arrow flew through the air at a hundred miles per hour, whistling past the fights and bloodshed. Puruto stopped and saw the arrowhead hit his heart. He stumbled back, looking defeat and hurt. Puruto crumpled a little, and put his hands on his heart. The beast pulled the arrow from his body, and gasps. I smiled at his defeat, and all fell silent.

Puruto grabbed his heart again. He coughed and spluttered, blood poured from his mouth. Breathing heavily, he started to cry. Not like a girl would when they found their boyfriend had been cheating on them; no, this was a different kind of laugh. He seemed happy, as if he wasn't crying. It sounded more like he was... Laughing...

"You fool," He said hoarsely, still clutching his heart. "You thought... You could... Kill me with... an ARROW?"

The beast was laughing hysterically now. He grabbed the arrow I sent and shot it through the air to me. It hit my knee, and I heard the crunch of bones cracking and crumbling. I clutched my knee in agony, and fell to the ground. The pain was extraordinary. Like a papercut times ten millinillion (I'm not joking, that's a real number and that's how painful it felt)

"I thought you were stronger than this," Puruto cackled. He picked me up by the neck with one of his tentacles and tightened his grip. The bow automatically fell out of my hands. I lifted my arm in attempt to reach out and grab Puruto, but he was too far away to try. I couldn't breathe the more he tightened. My eyes started to close.

"But now I see that you are as weak as the rest of your family."

My limbs felt numb and dead. I was merely a lifeless shell of what I was before. My eyes rolled to the back of my head and I slowly closed my eyes. I could no longer struggle, nor breathe. Puruto let go of me, certain that he had drained the soul from my worthless body. I fell to the floor, half dead and sprawled out on the cold, bloody morning grass.

I was blind and deaf. A vile ringing sound entered my head, blocking all noises, apart from Puruto's loud cackling voice.

"You should've... Father... He was... Not to disobey..."

My father? I hadn't seen him in years. Even then he was depressed and could barely do anything. The whole kingdom said he should remarry to fill the void in his heart, but he could never ever do so. Melody was his one and only love; she was one of a kind, and the empty void needed her.

My final moments were spent watching the figure that killed me tear through countless brave soldiers, willing to bet their lives for the greater good. All of their hard work, shattered and burnt because of him. Anger and rage filled my insides, but I couldn't move and my energy had left me. I was on the brink of death, I could almost see the grim reaper with his scythe, ready to take what was left of my soul.

Puruto laughed. Just as I was closing my eyes he came over to me, and came close to my face. A large grin was plastered over his face, reveling in my death. Oh how the tables had turned.

"Long live the King," He whispered, loud enough so I could hear it but too quiet to be heard by anyone else. He laughed one final time before my final breath.

I gasped for breaths and sat up quickly. My heart beat rapidly and I was coated in sweat, but not Sarasaland sweat: freezing sweat, the sort you get when you're terrified to death. I had a blanked laying messily on my legs, and one of my old pink dresses. I was surprised; I thought they were all destroyed in the first attack of Puruto. They must've been sent to hell when I died. Oh yeah. Thanks Puruto.

I looked around. The green, red and black decor was confusing: is this what Satan was interested in? Azure greens and golden statues of dinosaurs? I shrugged at the thought. Though, the more I looked around, the more it looked like I wasn't in hell. Sure, there were pits of lava, but it was too... Lifelike to be hell.

Was it all a dream? The shadows in place of my Mother, and the fiend Puruto, strangling me with his disgusting tentacles? Could it have been Mama, trying to convey a message in my tangled dreams? That would be the most logical answer. The golden bow, the battlefield, the blood... A vision into the future, perhaps?

I turned my aching head to the right. There was a large chest with golden details and lapis lazulis. In the key hole was a key, with similar details to the chest. Mama's key. Who on this goddess forsaken world took my key? Another question I had yet to answer.

I reached forward and opened the chest. It was heavy, but I managed somehow. Inside was a large piece of velvet, one that fitted perfectly in the chest; and a note. I picked up the small piece of paper and began to read.

To Peach,

Sorry I took your key, but your mum really wanted me to open it for you while you were asleep and I dont care what you think.

The rest of us have our weapons; I have my axe, Daisy has a scimitar and shield, Mario has a sword and so does the green one.

Also your mum said that 'Puruto' is coming to the Koopa Kingdom on the date on your map, so you might want to check that.

Bowser

The handwriting was awful and there were a few spelling mistakes dotted around. Classic Bowser.

I lifted the velvet out of the chest to find a pristine golden bow with a quiver of arrows. The bow was so familiar, like I had only seen it a minute ago. A gold blossom tree had entwined itself around the weapon, with tiny little flowers dotted around. The bow from my nightmare. And the arrows matched as well.

So that nightmare I had must've been the war. And the first one... I had no idea. But Puruto was coming to the kingdom.

On the arm of the sofa I was laying on was my map. The X on the Koopa Kingdom grew brighter than ever, and the numbers on the corner looked more familiar. 2911. It was a date. The 29th of November. Only a month away. He was coming, fast. That date settled everything: I had to prepare myself for battle.