Trigger Warning: Major trigger warning for those with a sensitivity to rape and child abuse. Please read with an open heart and feel free to review.

Much love.

What Happened to the Mushroom Children?

Chapter II. Remember, Remember.

Water leaked through the cracks of the ash cobblestone floor as chains and pipes dangled above her. The structuring of Bowser's palace was interesting. Only a genius could have come up with such a design that navigates and outsmarts the limestone dripping from the ceiling.

It was humid from the constant steam with absolutely no ventilation and most definitely noisy… with an aroma that mixed burning metal, urine, feces, and death under one roof. Peach wasn't sure if the water on the floor was water after all. She found the driest area she could sit on and cradled her head on her knees. She couldn't even close her eyes to sleep as something steam-powered was going off in the corridors near her.

She heard a chamber door screech open and quickly, Peach hopped up and pressed her face against the cold steel of the bars that imprisoned her. "Mario?" she called out. She'd been doing this for years.

The floor rattled. Peach closed her eyes. The floor rattled once more and finally, Peach frowned. She began to sob as the floor continued to shake until finally, it stopped. She felt air rhythmically blowing in and out of her tiny face. She opened her eyes and looking right at her were two white eyes embellished on yellow scales. His nostrils were as wide as Peach's hands and the thing's mouth had dropped open in a semi-grin, bearing sharpened fangs.

"Let me go," she softly pleaded as she let go of the bars. She began walking backwards to the one dry area she had.

The figure let out a deep laughter that echoed throughout the dungeon, reverberating against the walls, causing a vibration to rattle all around Peach. The hairs on her arms rose into the air.

"Please," she began to sob. She had always felt this helpless. She knew that when this man came in, it was for one thing and for one thing only.

Suddenly, he began bashing his shoulder against the dungeon bars. Peach jolted in fear. The thing stood back and moved in once again, screeching the metal of the bars against the cobblestone floor. Some of the embers landed on Peach's lap. She began to scream as she covered her eyes with her hands. She saw white and only white from the gloves she wore. It was the only comfort she ever had when she was captured. He rammed the bars again and again until finally the barrier caved. The figure hunched his head down and crammed himself into the small hole that kept Peach imprisoned.

"Please!" she yelled out to him once more. "Don't!"

"Silly girl," the low, monstrous yet calm voice said to her. "Don't you know who I am?" He reached out to her with his hand, decked with a silver band with a broken chain dangling from it. His claws sparkled even in the darkness. She looked up at his hand and reached out, not knowing if this was reassurance. She knew it wasn't, but perhaps if she just gave in and played submissive, he'd leave her alone.

But she was wrong. He jabbed Peach on the shoulder with the tip of his finger, knocking her flat on her back. The crown rolled off her head and hit the far wall in her prison. She tried to make a grab for it but suddenly she was pinned down. She felt her legs fly up into the air and for that moment, she felt weightless. It was almost as if she was giving in even though her body was saying "NO! NO! NO!" She struggled, but it was to no avail. Her hands, still free, reached out to smack at the gigantic monster but it only made him laugh. And with one swipe of his claw, the white stockings underneath her dress came right off, which stung much like a Band-Aid being ripped off a flesh wound. She screamed as the savage bite mark on her left calf was now introduced to some of the nylon of her stockings. She tried to clutch her leg but the figure mounted her and pinned her arms down. The grips on her wrists were so strong; she couldn't even clench her fists.

And suddenly, his face came down to hers. She closed her eyes, trying to comfort herself in pitch black. She turned her head to side in resistance.

"Silly girl," he called out to her again. The voice was so loud against her ear, she felt like she could go deaf even if the sound was so deep. Something glided up and down her small cheeks, producing slime that dripped from her face and to her chest. She was frozen in place, but she was shaking in fear. Of all the times she'd been kidnapped, she had never felt as helpless as this. "Did you forget who I am? Remind me what my name is."

She stuttered: "Y-y-y-you're…" And now she began to feel something massive press beneath her thighs. She began to freak out and started to struggle out of his grip, but he was far too massive for her to even conjure up the strength.

"You're a bit dry," he said as he began to slither his member up her thighs and gently around her parts. She tried to kick her way out of the position but it was no use. 'She's so small and tiny,' he thought to himself as he grinned looking down on her sobbing face. "Say my name, bitch, and I'll let you go."

'Let you go?' she thought to herself. It was just the key phrase Peach was clinging onto and with so much desperation on her shoulders, she couldn't help but to open her eyes and look him in the face. She choked back her tears and with all the courage she could possibly stir up, she screamed out, "BOWSER!"

He smiled as he brought his face way closer to what she was used to. He laughed softly into her face. And suddenly, he roared. The anger, the frustration, the control he finally had all came out in that one gigantic boom in his voice. Peach felt the hot air blow into her face and all she could see now were his sharp teeth, his slimy red tongue, and his tonsils that were constantly flicking about with a small flame behind it. "That's right, princess!" he told her. "And don't you fucking forget it!"

Her eyes widened. Suddenly her legs were spread far apart as he banged his knees against her thighs to separate them. He moved his hips outwards, in preparation. And in that instant, he came in for a mighty thrust.

"No!" she yelled.

She felt hands grip her shoulders and she shook. Her hands were suddenly free and she started clawing at all around her. She stood up and flailed. Her hands smacked at flesh from all around, and then she felt hair. She kept on with her slapping until finally she was held in place.

"Peach, stop it!"

The voice belonged to Mario.

"Peach!" he called out to her once again.

She opened her eyes. She was still shrouded in darkness with a small fire serving as light. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with cold, brisk air before focusing on the tall, fog-filled trees. She looked toward Mario who looked at her with surprise. Luigi's face gleamed from behind the rock-cradled campfire.

"It's just a bad dream," Mario said as he held the shaking princess in his arms. "It was all just a bad dream."

"It was just—" Peach began. "It just seemed so—"

"Don't worry," Mario reassured. "You're here with us." He guided her to the campfire where Luigi had been sitting the whole time. He was watching over the group as they slept, in case of an attack. If Jerry didn't report back to Bowser, it was more than likely they would've figured out that the three killed him.

Luigi passed a wooden pipe over to Peach. "Here, have some."

She held the pipe in her hand. Inside the bowl were some ashes and something charred. "What is this?" she asked.

"Crushed mushrooms," Luigi replied. "Takes the edge away when you're feeling nerves."

"Some kind of psychedelic?"

"Nah," Luigi said. "It just makes you feel, I don't know. Bigger, I guess."

"I don't take drugs."

"It's not a drug," Luigi said. "It's a mushroom."

"You might as well," Mario said. "We have a long way ahead of us."

Peach held the pipe to her mouth. "Got a light?" she asked. Mario dipped his finger into the bowl, sparking it. One of the charred mushrooms lit up. Peach inhaled as much as she could before bursting in a coughing fit.

"Atta' girl."

She was relaxed now, her mind completely at ease. She felt the reassurance of friends and the warmth of the fire. The trees felt like they would embrace her while their trunks and branches would offer a fortified barrier against all bad. She felt comfortable.

"So this is what you guys take."

"Interesting thing about mushrooms is that they make us feel bigger even if we're not. Well, I'm talking for Mario though."

"Hey!"

"I'm joking."

"Thanks," Peach said. "I feel a lot better now."

"Now if you don't mind me asking," Luigi began. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"In regards to?"

"Bowser."

Mario looked at Luigi and then to Peach. Mario had known what there is to know about Peach but kept it from his younger brother the whole time. "It's personal," he spoke up. He didn't want to make things uncomfortable for the princess.

Over the years, Mario had grown overprotective of the princess. There was always that lingering feeling of romance and the two had definitely had that. But to mix a plumber with royalty seemed to tarnish the regal representation Peach had and Mario just kept it business. He would check up on Mushroom Kingdom's plumbing system, exchange some conversations with Peach, and then would make his way back to the shack. Nonetheless, he always looked out for her in every sense – even if that meant they would ultimately just remain friends. But he did cling onto some gleaming hope that they would be together and that status wouldn't matter.

"Seems like your brother doesn't tell you the whole story," Peach said with a tiny giggle. The mushrooms were kicking in. For a situation with such gravity, this was the only time Peach would make light of it.

"Hey, I try to mind my own business when it's you two."

"I was raped."

"Oh." Luigi's face suddenly took on a stern look.

"Numerous times."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but—"

"I'm okay but I'm not okay."

"There's therapy for that."

"Luigi!" Mario yelled. It seemed as if Luigi was saying all the wrong things at all the wrong times. Once again, the overprotectiveness kicked in.

"Mario, it's okay," Peach said. She turned to Luigi now. "I've gone to therapy. I've learned some tricks to muddle some of the sadness away. But there's always something in the back of my mind that continues to irk me. It could be because Bowser is still free to roam this world while I have to suffer because of what he did. It's not fair, but as a princess who will take the throne soon, I just have to deal with it."

"Seems like a double standard, don't you think?"

"It really is," Peach said as she rubbed the bowl of the pipe. "When I found out he was kidnapping the children of the Mushroom Kingdom, everything just came back full force. All the times I've been stuck in cages, tortured, abused. The first time I was kidnapped by Bowser, I lost track of time and just thought I was going to die there." She smiled at Mario.

"And that's when I finally met him."

"Oh Jesus, this is going to get cheesy, isn't it?"

"No, no, no," Peach said. "I can't stop thinking about what Bowser might possibly be doing to these kids. The pain I endured… I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Except maybe Bowser and his troops."

"We'll get him," Mario said as he patted her on the back.

"I just really want to put an end to this," Peach looked at him. Her eyes indicate determination and her hands wrapped tightly around the mouthpiece of the pipe. "If we can kill him, it'll all be over. We don't have to deal with all of this ever again."

"We will," Luigi chimed in from the far end. He grabbed his pipe from Peach before she could snap it in half. "We just have to track the fucker down. Now what was it… head west right?"

"Right," Mario said. "Heading west from the Forest of Illusion will take us to Tall, Tall Mountain. I suppose we're near. I walked a little bit before we both took a nap and there's a clearing. I think that path was made by Bowser's airship.

"Sounds good to me," Luigi said. "Been a long time since we've seen some action. Now if you excuse me, I need to take a piss."

Luigi got up from the wooden log he was sitting on and ventured out toward the tall bushes of the forest. Mario looked at Peach. "We can get the Chancellor to send an airship out here to pick you up if you don't want to go any further."

"No, I need to do this," Peach said. "I need to make sure all of this is over otherwise I'll never get the closure I need. I need to know he'll never do what he did again to anyone."

"Are you sure?"

"Of fucking course!" Peach felt like she could strangle Mario. After all, she was the one who ultimately killed Jerry back at the mirage arena Jerry made. "Just promise me one thing."

"And that is?"

"You won't look at me any different."

"What?" It took Mario back. He knew Peach had struggled with what she had to go through. He never looked at Peach any different. He never thought of her to be the one who would lead someone on into doing such a thing. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's just that… I've never taken mushrooms before and I feel a little weird. I'm not a druggy you know."

Mario sighed. He wanted to laugh. "No princess, of course not." He took her in his arms giving her a warm embrace that she felt once she took a hit of mushroom. "I'm just not use to taking you with us. You know I always want to take care of you. I'm just scared something's going to happen."

"Nothing's going to happen to me," Peach said as she nestled her head in his chest. "You know me. I can be quite a bitch."

"I know," he laughed.

Suddenly, a gunshot erupted into the air, echoing all throughout the forest. Birds buckled from the trees and took flight. The shot came from nearby. The two jumped to their feet and saw a light emanating through the fog, but not coming for their direction. Peach started kicking at the campfire. The light coming from the forest was enough light for them to see.

"What is that?" Peach whispered.

"No clue."

They took cover behind the wooden logs near the campfire and suddenly the bushes in front of them shook. Peach looked over to Mario whose fists began to draw energy. He held his palm out where a fireball had formed.

"Don't throw it yet," Peach said. "You'll light this whole damn forest on fire."

"I won't, I won't."

Luigi crawled from the bushes.

"Fucking Luigi," Mario said. He crushed the fireball in his hands.

"You guys! There are shy guys approaching and they've got kids with'em! C'mon! We'll follow them!"

With no hesitation at all, the three moved into the tall bushes and made way toward the light.

"How many?" Peach whispered.

"Ten shy guys, five kids."

They crawled through the dirt floors until finally they were crouched adjacent to the shy guys who navigated through the bushes and trees with ease. The shy guys were tribal warriors of many skills but little words. They were fast, but were clumsy, prone to taking action before giving any thought. Nonetheless, their tridents and spears were sharp enough to pierce through bones and the gunk spat out by the black hooded generals could blind a man for months. If you were unlucky enough, sometimes the generals would spit out canon balls.

Luigi peeked his head through the bushes where the shy guys had stopped. He made sure his head wasn't illuminated from the torch one of the shy guys were holding.

"Let us go!" said one of the older looking Mushroom children. He had a black eye with gashes all across his arms and face. "Please! I don't wanna die!"

The leader shy guy with the black hood looked at the boy through his white mask, which only offered a vacant, surprised look. Luigi thought this would've been creepy for children.

"Shut up, child," the black hooded shy guy said. He smacked him across the face. "Or we'll kill your whole family."

"Guess that one's not that shy," Luigi said to himself.

The tribe had stopped in front of a red and orange stonewall that made up Tall, Tall Mountain. But the path to scale Tall, Tall Mountain was to the west. The black hooded general approached the wall and spoke, "Let us in. We've got the children."

A woman's voice spoke out through a loud speaker: "Prove it."

"Where the fuck did that come from?" Peach wondered.

The general nodded at one of the red hooded shy guys who proceeded to pierce a tiny girl in the abdomen with his trident. The girl yelped and fell to the floor. She climbed to her feet in tears.

"Those assholes!" Peach prepared to charge, shaking the bush in the process. The shy guys looked at the bushes and raised their weapons.

"It's just a fucking goomba," the general said. He grabbed the trident's points and smeared the blood from the tiny girl on wall. "Does this satisfy the requirements?"

"You may pass," the woman's voice spoke.

The floor beneath them shook violently, catching even some of the shy guys off guard. The stonewall began to crumble as rocks danced on the crevices of the rocks before hitting the floor. The wall split into two and in between the stonewalls, a grand castle gate etched completely out of stone and silver with Bowser's face appeared before the shy guys. The gate collapsed to the floor as the shy guys entered into the darkness.

"So that's where they are," Luigi said. The stonewalls began to close up and Luigi knew that if they didn't take that opportunity to get in, it would take another day or two to enter from the Tall, Tall Mountain pathways to the west. Still looking toward the door, he called to them. "Quick you guys! Let's go!"

No response.

"You guys?"

He turned around and saw tiny blue shoes. He looked up and saw a white mask with a vacant look.

"Oh shit."

And in that instant, he felt a hard smack on the top of his head. Luigi slumped over to the ground and blacked out.