A/N: Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think!
When she had dreamed of a life full of excitement, this is not what she meant.
Peach ran down the empty corridor, her heels slipping against the rugged stone floor. Her breathing and footsteps broke the silent atmosphere, but, as much as the silence should be a sign that she was alone, something told her it would be silent whether she was being hunted or not.
The door was actually quite simple to unlock, even for a woman with quite literally no experience besides what she had seen on TV. With a few hairpins, and more failed attempts than she'd like to admit, the door was unlocked, and she was free.
Well, as free as she could be. She still remained trapped in his maze of twists and turns, but it was better than sitting and waiting for King Creep, as she liked to call him, to find her. She was practically begging him to come torment her by staying there!
She had been afraid to exit at first, simply eyeing her one-way ticket to freedom, worrying if King Koopa or someone was guarding. But, this so-called "genius" had left her without a guard or any means of imprisonment besides that single door.
Even the door out of the study was unlocked! So much for a tactical leader of the world's most powerful kingdom. He couldn't even trap her: a small human! She rolled her eyes, wanting nothing to do with him, especially after what she had seen.
Just like she had before, Peach ran with her hands out in front of her, feeling for any clues or signs of an exit. Or, for the occasional wall she ran into. Without any light, running and stumbling into things was unavoidable, and the bruises covering her knees were proof.
Peach stumbled as she stepped onto a large set of stairs, thankfully grabbing the railing before she fell. She quickly steadied her balance with a shake of her head.
With no idea where to go, up seemed like the best option, considering that's where she came from in the first place. She hopped up the stairs, continuing to run as quickly as she could, before they finally stopped at another hopeless clearing.
She looked left and right, desperately trying to catch her breath and quiet it down. Even with a few deep breaths, her heart wouldn't stop running around in her chest.
Her hopes fell as it was just as dark as below, but far wider and seemed to stretch in every direction. It was larger than any part of the labyrinth she had been in so far, and she could even swear she heard a pool of water near by.
Peach quickly veered to her left, not letting her curiosity distract her, barely seeing a larger opening. While she had no idea where she was going, she knew there had to be an exit nearby, as she was beginning to hear the sounds of the above kingdom.
Distant thunder pounded and echoed through the large hallway, occasionally shaking objects Peach couldn't identify. The further she ran, the louder it got, and the colder the air became. A whistle of wind could be heard, almost like a steaming teapot left on the stove for too long.
The air was humid and cold, clinging to her skin; It was the type of chilling air that only came out during a storm.
The booming was so ominous and deep, almost like...an angered roar. She could have sworn it was the scream of someone or something, but quickly pushed such an idea away.
But, It was storming? How far below had she been to not hear it? She shuddered, wanting nothing more than some fresh air and to see the outdoors.
Wherever she was, the outside world was around her, shaking her prison from the outside in. Thunder continued booming in the distance, occasionally rattling the room.
Peach's hands traced against the wall, looking for any exit or path to follow. Instead, she was met with stone and random objects. Her hand broke through a large spider web, causing Peach to shudder in disgust before wiping it off on the hem of her dress.
She turned around, her eyes wide in panic as another booming crash echoed. She was so close to her freedom, but there was no exit in sight! And if there was one, she couldn't see it! What was she going to-
CRASH
Peach screamed as she jumped in fear, sudden lightning striking what seemed to be feet away from her. Her head buzzed and her ears rang from the intense jolt of noise and pressure.
The loud strike of lightning lit up the area for a fraction of a second, not even giving Peach enough time to register what she had seen. She couldn't even make out where the light had come from!
And where the light came from, meant an exit to the outdoors.
Peach shook her head, trying to muffle the loud ringing that thumped through her ears. She could already feel the headache forming, but knew it was a small price to pay for the outside world.
Peach pressed her back against the wall, the slight vibrations from the booms running through her spine and shaking her body. She stared from left to right, waiting for another close strike of lightning.
As if on demand, another crash echoed through the area. This time, Peach didn't flinch, and forced her eyes to stay open.
The source of light was slightly to her right and creeped under what she assumed was a large door. It flashed for less than a second, but that's all she needed:
A second of sight.
Peach's father paced in his room, clutching his chest as he muttered to himself in frantic panic. He walked in circles, picking up pace every few minutes.
He attempted to catch his breath and calm his heart, but to no avail. His heart was practically jumping out of his chest as his last memories with his daughter played back.
Mario and Pauline had broke the news to him this morning, but he hadn't been able to sit still since. His world had crumbled the second his daughter had been taken away from him.
Mario was nearly as upset as him, but assured him that they would do everything to get her back. Kamek, though frantic as well, had agreed to let him have a few days off to regain himself. But, both knew he wouldn't heal until his daughter was back.
Peach was all he had left, and he couldn't lose her, too. Especially not to some beast of a phantom with twisted intentions. Peach was a beautiful woman, and there was no question as to why he would want her.
The idea made his stomach fall.
Peach's father blamed no one but himself, seeing as it was his fault they moved here, and his fault he wasn't with her when it happened. He collapsed on his bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to hold back his emotions.
Where could she be? Where was his little girl?
Peach busted through the impressively-large double doors, shielding her eyes from the sudden wave of cold air brushing past her form, coating her skin with goosebumps. She covered her face as she pushed her way through the exit, the wind whistling past her and blowing her hair behind her.
The doors opened into a small alley with a dead end directly to her right. Doors and windows decorated the obsidian walls and Peach quickly realized she was behind a building, as these seemed to be exits to countless establishments.
She paused, realizing she wasn't getting wet from the rain. Looking up, she was thankful to see a balcony above shielded her small frame from the intense rain. Though, she wouldn't stay here forever.
She glanced to her left, seeing one of the Darklands' many main streets down at the end of the path. It was identical to the ones she had walked through: dark and intimidating, surrounded by walls of buildings that stretched to immense heights. Obsidian walls and street lights decorated what she could see of the opening, all hazy from the rough rain.
Peach remained close to the alley's wall for a few more seconds, taking in its warmth. Lava was nearly everywhere in the Darklands, often flowing through walls, and even the rain couldn't put it out; it was her only source of heat for the time being.
She looked up, watching a lot of the water sizzle into a puff of vapor as it hissed against a hidden pool of lava on the roof.
Biting her tongue, she pulled away from the heated walls, knowing she had to leave, as this was her only chance. It was worth a bit of cold discomfort.
She reached her hand out into the rain, shivering at how cold the liquid was as it ran through her fingers and dripped down her arm. With a sigh, she opened her palm, the rain water pushing through the few hair pins she held on to.
Clenching them back in her fist, she took a large step into the rain. It instantly coated her body and clothes, soaking her in a heavy, thick layer of water than weighed her down and limited her sight.
She groaned, but moved forward, knowing this was the easiest hurdle she had gotten through so far. She took large steps, moving towards the street as quickly as she could, occasionally slipping through a puddle, but keeping her balance.
Suddenly, a door ahead of her opened, gleaming with light and the smell of alcohol. Peach covered her eyes for a moment, not used to such intense light, before forcing them open, realizing this was just what she needed.
A group of koopas stumbled out of the exit, laughing and boasting about things she wasn't interested in. The way they slurred their words and swayed on their feet made the human anxious, but she held her ground.
What was the worst a tipsy koopa could do?
"Hey! Mind telling me where I am?" Peach called out with a small wave.
The closest koopa out of the group eyed her curiously. He was a bit taller than the others and reached Peach's waist. He wore a bright red bandana and had a happy, almost-giggly energy to him, even for looking quite...untrustworthy.
"You're not from 'round here, are ya?" He questioned while stumbling over his words. He spoke warmly, though clearly confused. "Strange, never thought I'd see a human over here."
Over here? Peach thought, alarms going off in her head. Where was she?
"Leo, getta look at this!" He called over his shoulder. He grabbed the hem of Peach's dress, directing her towards the door. Peach hesitated, wary of the koopa's intentions, but remained compliant. "C'mere, won't cha?"
Hearing his friend, a large-framed koopa hopped out of the exit, laughing over his shoulder. A familiar, dark shell sat on his back, though the color was beginning to be scratched away, showing a red shell underneath.
Three koopas hopped out behind him, all sharing his laughter.
They stood in the rain, unbothered by the thick sheets of water covering them.
Peach gasped, tugging against the koopa's grip, knowing the black-shelled one wouldn't be happy to see her, especially in a state like this.
The three goons' laughter paused as their eyes widened, their gazes resting on Peach, and then turning to Leo, waiting for an order as to what to do.
"Lookie what I caught! Crazy right?!" The happy koopa called out with a clumsy laugh. He gently pulled her closer, oblivious to the fear in her eyes. "She was just walkin' in the rain! Think she's lost."
Leo's eyes landed on Peach's face, any sign of drunken laughter gone. Reading their boss' expression, his goons mirrored his distaste, trying their best to be intimidating.
"Pretty crazy," Leo mumbled. "Why don't ya head home, Theo? We'll help her out just fine."
Theo nodded without question, releasing Peach's dress and giving her a small wave.
"Alrighty. See ya there, bro! Don't forget 'bout me!" He obliviously called out with a wave, now in his brother's direction, happily making his way towards the street. He stumbled off until he was out of sight, making his way through the storm.
Peach turned to follow the softer koopa before being cut off by Leo, his friends quickly following and blocking the path even further. A flash of lightning lit up the path, making Leo's smirk grow even further.
"Where do ya think you're goin', missy?" Leo barked. "You just got here!"
The group laughed, causing Peach to take a step away.
"A pretty little thing like you shouldn't be around here," he muttered sarcastically, earning a nod from each of his companions. "It's a shame, really."
Peach cringed as his breath was drenched with alcohol. Surely, they had just come from a pub, as every inch of them screamed that they were hopelessly drunk and dripping with incoherent rage.
Her blood ran cold, realizing just how angry the koopa was. Whether it was due to the alcohol, or their previous encounter, he was boiling with anger, with no clear outlet in sight.
Besides her.
She flinched as he moved a bit closer.
"Please, I'm just trying to-"
"Yeah, yeah," he spat, shoving her shoulders, "you're lost. We get it."
Peach stumbled back even further, surprised by his strength. He had barely touched her but sent her back so easily, making the fear bubble even further in Peach's chest.
"I had heard that the little star had gotten snatched up by the good ol' phantom, but I didn't expect to see her here!" He roared with laughter, clearly amused by the whole situation. "Y'know, everyone still thinks you're missing...but who knew you were just out for a walk in the rain!"
Suddenly, his eyes went darker as he rummaged through his shell, pulling out a small knife, a roar of thunder foreshadowing Peach's demise.
"I wonder what everyone will think when they find you here, mysteriously killed by the Phantom," he slurred with a snicker. He twisted the knife in his hand as he looked at her with a cocky, dark glare. "I mean, who else could have done it, right?"
"You're insane!" Peach cried out, taking a few steps back before finding her back pressed against a wall. Peach sobbed in fear as she looked left and right, realizing she had been backed into a corner, any door out of reach.
The goons laughed at her outcry, mimicking their boss as they slowly moved forward, pulling what Peach assumed were knives out of their shells.
"A human like you shouldn't even be in the Darklands," he grumbled, "but don't worry, I'll fix that real quick."
Peach closed her eyes, her arms covering her chest as she flinched in pure, definite realization:
She was going to die.