Note to Readers: In case you are wondering, this is the last memory! We will be back on track soon :3
Chapter 33
"Nurse? Could we take a closer look at the painting in this room?" Peach asked eagerly.
"Of course, Princess," the nurse Koopa smiled politely and turned Peach's wheelchair into the ballroom.
This was a very unique room when compared with the rest in Bowser's Castle. The floors were made of several different kinds of wood, each a different color. Every board had been specifically cut to create intricate patterns on the floor. The walls were all white and embellished with gold moldings to the point that it almost looked tacky. Every door, window, mirror, and corner was smothered by gold decorations and statues. It was over the top and showy, but stunning to look at - maybe even awe-inspiring.
Peach barely noticed when the nurse finally brought the wheelchair to a gentle stop. A strong bought of nostalgia washed over the princess as she examined the massive painting hanging on the wall before her.
The colors, the faces, the smell of paint... It hadn't been that long ago, had it?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Are you alright, Miss?" the young green-shelled Koopa servant watched the princess with a worried look on her face.
"Hmmm? Oh... Yes! I'm fine. I was just thinking about how... interesting this painting is," Peach pointed to the massive picture hanging on the wall of the ballroom. The servant looked up at the painting with an odd expression on her face.
"Yes... I suppose it is in a way. This is probably the most expensive piece of art in the Castle. It has hung in this very spot for centuries," the Koopa said with some distaste. "Queen Stefani Koopa, who ruled over two centuries ago, was a great lover of art. She filled her castle with every kind of art she could get her claws on. This painting, however, was one out of two or three prized possessions that she treasured above all others. Because of this, the Queen cast a spell on it so that it would never be affected by time. The spell worked so well that it made the painting virtually immovable and indestructible."
"How did they get it into the room in the first place? The frame is too big to fit through any of the doors or windows. Is there any historical meaning behind it?" Peach mused, leaning forward to study the painting closer. The brush strokes were light and airy, only leaving enough detail to show black and gold figures dancing across the painting.
"The canvass was stretched and painted in this very room. The artist was not allowed to leave this room until his work was finished. They say it took him several months," she explained. "Also, it is nothing if not historical... look at the painting closer. Who do you see?"
"Dancers? Nobles? Ummm..."
"Koopas. Koopas of a certain kind of breed," the Koopa stated with a frown. "There are no other races. Now, look at the inscription on the frame of the painting."
"Golden is the mind ruled by blood," Peach read out loud. "I have read that before somewhere..."
"Probably. History books love to bring up our past less than amiable rulers... Anyhow... It was once believed that Koopas with dragon ancestry were gods... Pure Bloods... They were worshipped as rulers of the Stars themselves. Everything in the Dark Lands was theirs and the people who were not 'pure' were mere dirt under their claws. The Royal Koopas had many children but stayed relatively small in number. Despite this, they would not permit any of their pure blooded relations to marry outside of their circle because mixing blood would contaminate their purity. The general public was also taught to believe that Royal Koopa blood was actually liquid gold and that all gold originated from the Royal Koopa Family's veins. Most citizens of the Dark Lands wouldn't even touch a gold coin for fear of being punished or cursed," the Koopa explained.
"But gold is the main currency of this world. They couldn't keep people from paying for food or clothes, could they?" Peach asked in astonishment.
"The Royal Koopas were the only ones allowed to accept or use gold. The rest of the Darklandians used coal and precious stones to pay for things they needed."
"But that's terrible..." Peach frowned and her hands clenched the fabric of her pink dress. "How could they lie to their Kingdom like that? There had to be someone in their family that knew this was wrong."
"Queen Stefani Koopa wholehearted believed that their blood separated them from all other races of the world. She was also known for spreading rumors and myths that would bring her citizens to fear the Royal Family. However, her son did not agree. He openly opposed the views of his family and tried to reason with them. Legend says that the Koopa Queen denounced him as a son and cast him out of the Dark Lands. Other legends say that his mother killed him and his blood for this painting - hence, the gold paint. There are a lot of different stories about what happened to the Prince, but no one knows what really happened. All we know is that he did not become the next ruler and the throne was given to his younger brother when the Queen was no longer fit to rule."
Peach turned her eyes from the painting and raised a quizzical brow, "What happened to her?"
"She lost her mind," the Koopa woman said with a small smirk.
Peach shivered slightly. The longer she looked at the painting, the more uneasy she felt. "You said it is immovable?"
"Bowser has brought many magic wielders to the castle. None of them could budge it."
The princess reached her hand out to the painting and then pulled her hand back hesitantly. A normal Preservative Spell would have made her fingers tingle but this spell was different. It felt... big. As if it was preserving much more than just the painting... She was intrigued by the feeling and tried reaching her hand forward again. Her fingertips were just close enough to graze a streak of gold paint.
Bowser's voice rang through the ballroom, "NO! Don't let her touch it!"
It was too late. The princess gave a startled gasp when the painting rippled like the surface of colored water and then sucked her in.
.
. .
Peach opened her eyes and blinked several times in surprise, but that was all she could do. She couldn't move anything but her eyes. The muscles in the rest of her body felt heavy and limp. Looking around, she tried to see the rest of her body, but all she saw was a picture frame surrounding her. It was as if...
"... I'm stuck in a painting," Peach thought to herself in shock.
"Scum... You are unworthy to step foot in this holy sanctuary!" a high-pitched and gurgly voice bellowed. Peach blinked and turned her eyes toward the source of the noise.
"I'm sorry! I lost my way! I didn't know this was..." a shivering voice squeaked in terror.
"Guards! Take this disgusting sight away from me. She needs to be... purified," the woman commanded angerly.
It was Queen Stefani Koopa herself. Or at least, that is what the giant gold plaque at the foot of the throne said. The crown on her head was massive and made out of gold like the rest of her apparel. Her dress, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and shoes were all gold and perfectly polished. Her charcoal-black lipstick and eyeshadow were the only other colors she wore except for her straight blood-red hair that hung straight from her head to a pool on the floor and threatened to hide her face completely. Luckily, she had a rather large snout that kept her veil of hair parted enough so that her blazing red eyes could glower at the unworthy trespasser standing before her.
"Nooo! Please! I promise you will never see me again if you let me go! I didn't know, I swear!" the little Toady cried.
"Kah! Kah! Kahhhh! You knew very well where you were, little missy! But it is fortunate that you came to us. We can fix what ails you and purify the sickness within you! Take her to Evan," The Queen cackled and nodded towards her guards. The golden Dry Bone Koopas standing in the corners of the room staggered forward and grabbed hold of the Toady.
"Please! I'll do anything!" she sobbed hysterically. "I'LL DO ANYTHING!"
.
. .
Screaming... So much screaming.
How had she gotten here anyhow? Hadn't she just been in the throne room?
Peach wished with all of her heart that she could move her hands to cover her ears and block out the terrible noise. Everywhere she looked, she saw prison cells filled with people - sad and lost people. People who needed help.
She knew where this was. These were the dungeons under the Dark Lands Castle.
"Evan, dear, are you making any progress?" the Queen asked hopefully.
A Shyguy dressed in black nodded.
"Good. I am putting all of my faith in you. These people need to be cured of their impurity soon or we may lose them forever," she stated with sadness. Her regret might have been more convincing if it hadn't been for the demented smile on her face.
The Shyguy nodded again and bowed to his Queen as she strode away. He watched her leave and then turned his face towards Peach.
"Oh, my Stars... His face..." Peach gasped, completely horrified. Tears welled up in her eyes and as she hung silently on the wall. How could this be the same castle? Granted, Bowser's Castle had always been chaotic, but it was a cheerful chaos. No one from her time would ever do such terrible things... Even Bowser...
.
. .
Peach blinked and found herself hanging in a painting on another wall of the castle. It looked like a... chapel?
"My, my, my... What beautiful work, Vincent," the Queen praised the old red-shelled Koopa as he painted. Peach watched as he drew his paintbrush just under her eyes.
"Thank you, my Goddess," he said with great reverence.
"However," the Queen said with a colder tone. The old man flinched slightly and his brush stilled immediately. "I thought you usually kept the eyes of your portraits empty."
"My Grace? I have not touched the... eyes...?" he said with surprise. The artist turned and began to scrutinize the masterpiece before him. His face blanched.
Peach felt fear flood her veins as his gaze met hers. He was looking straight at her.
"I see... Then it seems we have a guest! Kah! Kah! Kahhhhh!" the Queen laughed as she took hold of the old man and threw him aside. The Royal Koopa stomped forward and brought her face close to the painting. Her red eyes bored down on Peach.
.
. .
A piercing scream ripped through the room and Peach felt herself fall forward, hitting the ground on her hands and knees. She looked in all directions and grabbed a handful of her own hair. A smile of elated disbelief spread across her face as she felt her head, face, and neck.
"I'm me... I can move..." tears of relief filled her eyes and she laid on the floor, relishing the way her chest rose and fell as she breathed. After a few moments, she got to her feet and looked around. She was standing in the same chapel she had seen when she was stuck in the painting. "I didn't know Bowser's Castle had a chapel."
As the princess faced the back of the room, she took calming breaths until the adrenaline in her body began to subside. However, the longer she stood there, the more she began to notice something disconcerting. The room hadn't changed at all. In fact, it looked and smelled as if it had just been built. The ceilings were round and high, held up by round columns which were decorated with golden moldings. Each of the pews was made of some kind of black stone along with the rest of the furniture in the chapel. As fascinated as she was by this room, she didn't like how pristine everything was. There was no dust; the floors were shining and spotless; even the air smelled clean and crisp.
"Did I go back in time? That couldn't be... If I had, the Queen would still be here," Peach thought to herself. As she lost herself in her thoughts, she turned to look at the painting she had come from.
A massive golden painting hung in the center of the front wall, outshining everything else in the room. It was a painting made of nothing but pure gold. Gawdy? Very. But every flake of gold seemed to glimmer in the light of the candles on the black altar standing just below it. Peach frowned at the painting as she studied the face that had been immortalized in gold.
"Queen Stefani Koopa... Of course," Peach muttered bitterly. Despite her hatred for the Koopa Queen, the princess leaned closer to get a better look at the eyes of the painting. They were empty. The curious side of Peach almost wanted to touch the painting to see if it would pull her in again; however, the smart side of her absolutely refused to chance it.
What if the Queen found her again and she couldn't escape? ...Peach shivered at the thought.
*boom, boom, Boom, Boom, BOOM, BOOM*
*CRASH!*
Peach ran and hid behind one of the black-stoned columns just as the chapel doors were ripped off of there hinges and thrown down the middle of the chapel walkway.
"PRINCESS?!" Bowser roared as he tore into the room and looked around wildly.
"Star crud..." Peach cursed in her mind as she bit lip. After a moment's hesitation, she poked her head out from behind the column, "Bowser?"
He turned around and stared at her intensely.
"I'm sorry, King Bowser Koopa... I didn't..."
Bowser gave a low growl and ran at her. Peach shut her eyes and lifted her arms to shield herself.
"Don't you EVER DO THAT AGAIN," Bowser snarled as he grabbed her and almost crushed her in his arms. For a long moment, Peach hung his arms and awkwardly patted his shell.
"I'm okay. Now... can you put me down?" she muttered quietly. He squeezed her and then gently set her back down on her feet. Just as he was about to pull away, she grabbed his arms and pulled him back.
"The Queen's eyes," she whispered with wide eyes. Bowser's eyebrows furrowed as he glanced down at her.
"Princess?" he asked in confusion, but she didn't look at him. Instead, the blood seemed to rush from her face and her eyes became fixed on something behind him. He turned to follow her gaze. Hanging before him was a portrait of an old ruler. The whole thing was made out of gold except for her ruby eyes.
"King Bowser Koopa... her eyes..." Peach whispered in shock.
"Yeah?" he grunted.
"They are red..."
"Uhuh. Family trait," Bowser answered uncomfortably. "Anyhow, let's get you back to the library before you fall through any more paintings."
Peach ignored him and walked towards the painting. "Your intention was never to preserve the painting. It was to preserve yourself... Let me guess, this is one of your 'prized possessions'," Peach glared at the painting. "Pure gold, just like your blood, right? Unchangeable, immovable, and immortal." Without really thinking about it, she strode forward, grabbed the corner of the golden frame, and tried to pry it away from the wall.
"Okay, Princess. I think it is time for you to rest." Bowser grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the painting with a wary expression on his face.
"King Bowser! The painting is a two-way portal! I fell into it and..."
"I know. We have had some... issues with people falling into these in the past, but that's nothing new. Even you have one or two picture portals in your castle," he cut her off, attempting to calm her down.
"But these aren't normal portal paintings! I saw Queen Stefani Koopa and the artist! She can look through the paintings! Look at her eyes! The painting didn't have red eyes when I first got here! They are her actual eyes!" Peach explained frantically.
"Princess Toadstool..." the King groaned impatiently. "Have you never heard of a Boo before? They love haunting paintings AND they have red eyes! It's kind of their thing!"
"The picture of the Queen is alive! I saw her when I fell through the painting in the ballroom! She left the eyes empty so she could look through them!" she argued fervently.
"She died over two centuries ago! You probably saw a statue of her or something," Bowser shot back, anger building in his chest.
"UGH!" Peach yelled in frustration. A part of her was embarrassed for acting and speaking in such an unladylike way, but she had to get the Darklandian King to believe her. These paintings had to be destroyed.
"Fine, then let's make a deal," Peach stated with crossed arms.
Bowser straightened up slightly and watched her out of the corner of his eye with slight interest. "I'm listening..."
"I'll make you a huge and SUPER special cake if you take that painting off the wall," Peach offered.
"Oh, please. Baking doesn't cost you anything but time," he remarked indifferently.
"How about... A new and improved Koopa Kart? It could be super monstrous and fast!"
"I have a weaponized airship the size of a small island and more money than I know what to do with. No... I want something much more personalized... Something that no one, not even time, could take away from me," Bowser explained, an impish glint flickering brighter with every word he spoke.
"Well, then what do you want?" Peach asked skeptically.
"A makeout session with you."
"A-absolutely not!" Peach squeaked, mortified by his imprudence.
"Then, I guess we'll never find out what's really behind the painting." Bowser turned towards the door and waved his claw dismissively.
"Wait... How about ONE kiss...?"
"How long?"
"... five seconds," Peach grimaced.
Bowser turned back to her with an eager grin and stuck his hand out to her. Peach shook her head and stuck her pinky out to him.
"You're kidding," Bowser scoffed.
"No pinky promise, no deal," Peach stated simply.
He stared at her pinky and gave a sigh. Reluctantly, he stuck his pinky out and touched it to hers.
"It's a deal," Peach muttered stiffly and uncurled her pinky from his.
Before she could retract her hand, Bowser grabbed it, leaned forward, and purred in her ear, "Get ready to speak French, Sweetheart."