The Limit

"Behind you, general!"

Heeding his subordinate's cry, Koopa General turns to clash spears with an enemy koopa. He studies his opponent with disgust. The koopa soldiers that sided with Antasma are now identified by their purple armor. These traitors have been dropping in from ships, storming the beach to prevent Bowser from leaving. With an angry shout, the general slams the opposing koopa into the sand. He whips himself around to block another opponent's blow. Meanwhile, a paratroopa flies over, bearing unwelcome news, "General! They've set fire to our raft!"

Out of breath and rage pulsing through his veins, the general processes the information. He eventually issues a new order, "Then make the blaze bigger!"

The paratroopa salutes only to pause, "Yes, sir! Wait…What!?"

"Make it reach to the sky! Hopefully, someone will see the smoke!"

Catching on, the soldier leaves to enact the orders. Koopa General returns to the crashed airship to check on Bowser. He hears none of the king's complaining and fears the poison has taken him. Hands trembling, he calls out, "K-King Bowser?"

"I'm still alive, you numbskull!" Bowser grunts. The general grabs his chest and exhales.

Not too far away on the mainland, Mouser and Tryclyde have been battling Jennen's forces with an army of birdos. (The rest of Bowser's army is fighting throughout the continent to repel the invaders.) During the battle, Mouser manages to get away. This is not for the purpose of abandoning his allies. He hides in a stone tower to contact the Koopa King. Earlier, Jennen was reported to have left the capital in flames and vanished. Mouser fears that Bowser is dead. "Someone is jamming the signals on this continent… Boss, where are you!?" he begs.

The tower rocks and Mouser jumps up, startled. He peeps out the window and sees Lord Arthur slumped over. Tryclyde comes slithering up and mocks the man, "You should have stayed in the prison." Tryclyde then looks up and the middle head speaks, "Mouser, any word?"

"I think the boss is dead…."

"A change in management then?"

Mouser covers his face with his hands and fat tears escape his eyes. "I'm not going through the process of learning new procedures, again! Besides, King Koopa's pay was good," he sobs. As the two debate their fate, Dreambert levitates down onto the battlefield. He calls out to Mouser. "Do not give up hope, Mister Mouse," he declares.

Hearing him, Mouser lifts his head, "The dream prince, what are you doing here!?"

"I'm answering a distress call from the general. He was travelling towards the Darklands with an ailing Bowser. And not far from here, I saw smoke."

Mouser's shades slip off his face but he pushes them back up. He smiles as hope returns to him, "We need to get to them now!"

But Dreambert shakes his head and stop Mouser from running. "Wait, I couldn't get over there. A monster intercepted my ship and…"

Tryclyde interrupts Dreambert to alert Mouser to a massive hammer spinning towards them. The mouse pushes the prince out of the tower before impact. As the tower crumbles under the weight, the hammer stops in the sky with a loud clang. Web-like purple cracks appear in the sky where the hammer stopped. The cracks keep expanding and form a rift in the sky. Smaller hammers come flying out of it. Protecting his allies, Tryclyde's left blocks the attack with a shield. Shortly a large form drags itself out the rift, Jennen. Unlike Tanger and Clawgrip, the army hammer bro still has his normal eyes. He has not gone insane yet.

Bewildered, Mouser turns to Dreambert. "He's tearing holes in reality!?"

Dreambert shakes with indignation, "Yes… And he's been chasing me!"

Jennen drops to the ground and produces another hammer, resting it over his shoulder. "You have healing capabilities, Prince Dreambert. So, there is no way you're reaching the king!"

Not waiting for the details, Tryclyde's Left shouts, "Egg Transport Maneuver!"

Dreambert is hit by a large egg, shot from a birdo's mouth. Trapped, Dreambert sails past Jennen. After some distance, the egg loses speed and crashes. Before Dreambert hits the ground, another egg (from a nearby birdo) catches him. "This is one weird way to travel….," he admits while holding on.

Jennen hurls a hammer after the pi'illo but Tryclyde wards it off. The hammer spins into the air, creating another rift in the sky. More small hammers drop out, destroying the ground around the serpent. Tryclyde grips his weapons and attempt to reason with his former comrade. "Do you really want the king dead, Jennen?" Tryclyde's right head shouts and spits fire.

Unaffected by the attacks, the hammer bro raises his hammer. "He is the best king the koopas have ever had and he is wasting his potential! All for a human! So, this is a trial by fire for him! If Bowser survives, he will come out stronger. The empire will get stronger! But if he dies, then he isn't worthy to be king!" He slams the hammer down, burying Tryclyde under layers of dirt.

Coming to Tryclyde's aid, Mouser throws a bomb in Jennen's face. Mouser materializes another bomb and yells, "How dare you insult the boss! I didn't spend 20 Sarasaland coins on a marriage license for nothing!"

During all of this, Jennen holds a conversation in his head with the Dark Star. It speaks in a foreign tongue, understood by none but one group of humans. But once a person eats the shard, they can understand the entity. The only downside is the loss of sanity. And Jennen feels his ability to reason is slipping. Only his wish to see his vision realized is keeping him sane.

"Antasma's order was clear. Kill Bowser."

"…. I…I know that."

"But a part of you hopes the king will recant."

"…."

"Do not fear giving honest answers. I'm just here. And this conversation is private. Besides, I'm interested in this …. Bowser….so I'll let you run things for now."

"Thank you."

Peach's mindscape was a wasteland and her mentally created fortress, utterly battered. Her resistance has weathered multiple attacks from Antasma. His passionate promises and threats were unrelenting. But the army of Peaches held their ground and Antasma soon retreated. There was no way Peach would tell him where the children were hiding.

Soon a great dark force sweeps across the land. The storm was familiar and it reminded her of trauma long buried. Her mental barriers instantly collapse under the strain. After the storm, surviving Peaches lay scattered across the mindscape. But a voice, from inside the fortress' ruins, tells them to get back up and they do so. Exhausted, they run to check on the one they are protecting. It is Peach's Inner self, glowing in light. Slumbering in the ruins of the fortress, Inner self's hands are folded over her heart and her expression peaceful. After confirming that she has not been compromised by Antasma, the Peaches sigh in relief. They begin to fortify the fortress again. As they work, the dark skies part and purple light shine through the opening. Inner self slowly opens her eyes. The main Peach, overseeing the defenses, notices.

"There is something I know but can't recall. But I do know not to trust this one," Inner self declares. Main Peach nods, then leaves the fort to approach the light. The closer she gets, the more afraid she feels. Unknown words soon greet her ears. But as Peach forces herself to focus she can understand the language.

"Stubborn child."

Peach looks around trying to put a face to the disembodied voice. "Where's Antasma?" she inquires.

"Working. I'm here at his request. You have a strong will."

"Who are you?"

"I have no name. They refer to me as the Dark Star."

"I see…"

"You are from the little blue planet…."

Peach squeezes her hands together. She gazes into the light and whispers, "Blue Planet?"

"Let's begin the interrogation, child. But first…" The mindscape turns pitch black. Peach can feel tension in the air as a storm picks up. She feels extreme discomfort in her chest. "…. where's Rosalina?"

A look of confusion appears on Peach's face, "I-I do not know who she is."

The voice pauses before speaking again, "You speak truth…. Oh well…. With that out of the way…. Where are the children? Before you refuse to answer, know that the Army Hammer Bro. is on his way to kill your husband."

Peach feels her heart leap in her chest. The last time she saw Bowser, he was poisoned by their enemies. Grief-stricken, Peach was certain he would die but she kept calm for the sake of their children. Relief wells within her to know he is still alive. But the relief vanishes as she realizes the incoming threat headed his way. She cries out, "Please, don't hurt him!"

"Drop your mental barriers and I'll intervene."

Peach stomps her foot and glares at the light, "I'm not telling you anything!"

"You would let the man you adore die?"

The queen pauses mortified that this being is trying to force her to choose between her family members. Of course, she loves Bowser but it is unthinkable to sell her beloved children out to the enemy. No matter what this being does to her, she will not give in. Nor does she want to. "Leave. Get out of my head. NOW!" she orders.

Two large eyes form in the sky; they regard her with cruelty. "This conversation is not over. I wonder where you will wander to after this world is gone."

His words were confirmation; Peach does know him from the past. "How do you know me...," she whimpers.

"Ask Antasma. Now listen. If you listen, you'll hear your friends crying out to you. They're all connected to me. Hear what Antasma has subjected them to."

Peach begins to hear shouts and cries for help. Berry, Gold, Toadette, and Larry! She is also certain she hears Vert and Yoshi yelling in defiance. Immediately, Peach runs in the direction of the sounds. "Larry! Everyone!" But no matter how much she runs, she cannot find them. As she continues, she hears her parent's shouts. Images of a world on fire flashes in the skies repeatedly.

"I can't go through this again!"

The other minor Peaches leave the fortress to convince her to come back. Hearing their shouts, Peach freezes. Suddenly, hundreds of long gangly black arms descend from the sky. They grab Peach and the others, crushing them all except one into specks of light. The main one shouts and struggles to break free. Ignoring her efforts, the arms bury her underground. The queen waves her arms in vain as dirt covers her. Unable to move and unable to see, Peach panics. She turns into her child form and screams, trying to dig her way out. "Stop! Enough! Just stop!"

As she wails, the earth opens and a giant glowing hand pulls Peach out and drags her back into the newly repaired fortress. Its gate shuts and the black arms try in vain to open it. Inner self shakes her head as she holds Peach. "Don't leave the fortress! They almost had us! You can't save everyone!" Inner self demands.

Though she knows Inner self is right, Peach protests, "But my family!" She grabs at the gate bars and cries out to the entity, "Stop! You don't have to do this! Please tell Antasma to stop!"

"Then tell us where the children are!"

A shutter comes over the gate, completely enclosing the fortress. Peach huddles next to Inner Self, her body illuminating the room. For a moment there is silence and Peach hopes this is the end of the mental attacks. But she shudders when she hears Toad's mournful wail.

"Peach!"

She can feel her heart tearing in two, but she doesn't move. If she gives in, the entity will bypass her defenses. After Toad calls out her name, there is silence. Eventually, the Dark Star speaks.

"Impressive, little one. Now accept what comes."

Peach hears the storm ease up.

"It's over for now." Inner self whispers and goes back to slumber. There are tears in her eyes. Now tired and depressed Peach stares at the sleeping form, "What did Antasma do….?"

Mouser and his allies lay among a heap of hammers. They successfully defeated hundreds of Jennen's forces but fell to the man himself. Not taking time to celebrate, Jennen rushes to catch up with Dreambert. The prince was flying across the sea on the last speeding egg. To outrun Dreambert, Jennen cuts open a rift near himself and throws the hammer over the sea. When it creates a tear in the sky, Jennen enters the nearby rift to go through the new, repeating the process. Dreambert watches as rift after rift appear in the sky with Jennen jumping through them.

"He's going to make there, first!" Dreambert laments.

The hammer bros makes it to the island and slams his hammer down. The resulting earthquake throws off the battling koopas. The general anchors himself as everyone else goes flying. "Jennen!"

"General…," Jennen flashes a sinister smile and swings his hammer, "Our rivalry ends here!"

The general dodges but a group of koopas fail to do so. Jennen swings them into a rift, and they fall into the sea through another. Now low on manpower, the desperate general pulls out his flamethrower and leaps to attack. As he keeps the fiend busy, Dreambert arrives and crashes on the beach. He jumps up, holding a box of medicine under his armpit. Spotting him the general and his remaining men dogpile Jennen to keep him busy and allow Dreambert to rush past.

"Go!"

Dreambert races to the middle of the island. "This may not cure him, but hopefully give him a fighting chance!"

As he approaches the ship, he cries out, "King Bowser!"

Bowser exits the ship and slumps against the doorway. His weakening eyes light up. Before Dreambert reaches him, the general slams into him. The two then crashes into a palm tree. Jennen leaps down from a rift and crushes the box.

"NO!" Dreambert shouts.

In this moment, Bowser feels his strength leaving him and he drops to one knee. He was so close to getting better.

Peach!

Jennen slowly approaches the king. "You can still be king," he announces and Bowser growls. "Renounce your love for the human girl. And we will save you though Antasma ordered your execution."

Jennen grabs his head and grunts. His eyes are fading but he continues, "H-Hurry! W-What is your answer, King Bowser!"

Bowser doesn't respond. Jennen grips his hammer. After everything he has been through the king won't at least give him a retort!? Jennen yells in rage, his eyes going white, and he brings his hammer down on the general and Dreambert. But Bowser leaps in the way and catches the hammer before contact. He grunts from the force and digs his toes into the ground to hold it in place.

The general looks up and yells, "Your I'm-Not-Listeningness!"

Bowser smirks, "I'm not fighting you! See, I'm just helping! And you're welcome!"

Dreambert balls his fist up. "Time for plan B," he mutters. Dreambert crawls from under the general and hops on Bowser's shell. The prince begins to glow.

"What are you doing!?" Bowser complains. His eyes widen as he feels his strength returning. With a roar, Bowser manages to throw Jennen back. "Gwa ha ha! I'm back!" Bowser declares but then grabs his gut in pain.

Dreambert hits Bowser's head and scolds, "This is not a permanent fix! You're still dying. This type of poison is stronger than the ones Antasma subjected me to. I'm just slowing the process."

Jennen snarls and roars at the trio. Bowser readies his fist; the general joins his side. "Just give us enough time to send this traitor sailing into the atmosphere!"

Berry knows he is experiencing this event again. Once again, he is running from something terrifying. What it is, he doesn't know as the jungle conceals its form. But he trips and falls into quicksand. Berry desperately reaches out for something to grab and pull himself out, he merely continues to sink. Unable to breathe, Berry releases a hopeless gasp. The worst part is, he knows this process will repeat.

Elsewhere, Larry is dangling above a piranha plant by a vine. He hears Gold crying out for help. "Gold!?" The rope snaps and Larry falls. Using his hands and feet he holds the man-eating plant's mouth open. He spits a fireball into its mouth but it doesn't do anything. The creature attempts to shut its jaws but Larry holds them open. He gives a defiant snarl but he wishes Bowser would show up and save him.

Gold's troubles involve him trapped under layers of cake. He hates cake with passion. But if he wants to escape, he must eat his way out. "This is the worst!"

Unknown to Gold, Vert was experiencing a far more terrible and sinister situation. The old toad sits on the ground, knowing his efforts to escape the forest fire is in vain. He understands he is in a nightmare and he wants to wake up but can't. During each cycle he has heard the others. This place is where everyone's minds are connected. Antasma wants them to know the others are suffering as well. Vert looks up observing a purple storm in the sky. "That must be the source keeping our minds connected….," he sighs.

Since the last cycle, he has not heard Toad's voice. Vert fears the worst and covers his tired eyes. Soon among the encroaching flames, the old toad spots Antasma hovering. In the mindscape, he is in his normal form. Vert grinds his teeth and throws a rock at the bat. Antasma deflects it with a wave of his hand.

"Monster!" Vert yells.

"What's your anger towards me for? Blame Peach."

Vert's mouth falls agape. "What does my child have to do with your decisions!?"

Antasma observes the old toad with contempt. "These nightmares feel authentic, right? The Dark Star gives me a boost to cause affliction. And you will keep experiencing them, over and over again. And I will do this on a grand scale once I secure complete control. By the time I'm done, you toads will rue the day you adopted Peach!"

Bowser shouts as he flies into and topples a tree. "Dreambert, you still alive back there!?"

The prince gives a weak answer. "Y-yeah…I've been through worst…"

Giving a weak laugh, Bowser sprints back. As he returns to the battle, he witnesses the general being hurled into a rift. Getting an idea Bowser dodges a swing and grabs Dark Jennen by the foot. He swings him around and hurls him into a rift. As Dark Jennen exits another, the general (floating in the sea) uses a rocket launcher on his face. The hammer bro. falls back into the rift and returns to Bowser. Bowser slams his fists into his face and he sails into another. The king leaps after him and meets D. Jennen at another rift with another punch. But when D. Jennen exits again, he releases a shockwave knocking Bowser back. But once D. Jennen lands on the ground, the general slams into him. Distracted, he is not ready for Bowser coming at him with rapid punches. The king doesn't let up despite the pain, until Dark Jennen yells and falls over. Bowser then grabs the fiend's own hammer, leaps into the air and brings it down on him.

Bowser collapses grabbing his stomach, and Dreambert's healing light weakens. Nearby, Dark Jennen himself begins coughing up his shard, now fragments.

Seeing the fragments, Bowser grits his teeth and gives another mighty punch to D. Jennen's gut. Coughing up the last of the shard, Jennen's eyes return to normal and he shrinks. The hammer bro weakly salutes the king and falls to the ground.

Dreambert urgently shakes Bowser's shoulder. "Now we just need to get you to the continent!"

Bowser groans, "N-No time." The king bends and scoops up the black fragments…. and shoves it in his mouth.

"That was in Jennen's mouth!" the general cringes.

Dreambert holds his forehead and shouts. "What are you doing!?"

Bowser swallows the shards, "T-That black shard…. in Antasma's head…. revived him! I-It can do the same for me, right?"

"But you don't…"

Bowser no longer hears Dreambert as he blacks out. After a moment, Bowser's eyes open and he spots a purple storm overhead. He looks around hearing a variety of voices. He swears he hears Peach, his beloved.

"Peaches!?"

"Why did you do that?"

Bowser looks around in confusion, "What is this weird voice in my head? Go away! I'm trying to heal!"

Suddenly, Antasma's voice floats throughout the air. He sounds like he is freaking out. "Jennen is down... How…Wait…Did he just eat the shard!? NO! NO! NO, no, no, no! NO! When does he quit!? Purge him immediately! Get out of here, Bowser!"

Bowser shoots flames into the air, "Show yourself nerd!"

Antasma's voice suddenly goes silent.

"I muted him. Congratulations on surviving. But you shouldn't be here."

The Koopa King is not in the mood and folds his arms. "I'm not doing what Antasma said! I stole the black stuff fair and square," he challenges.

The Dark Star mumbles under its breath, "Very well."

"You got a problem with that?"

"None. I embrace chaos…. Conflict is the makeup of the universe. The strong rule the weak. And you embody this. I admire that but the mental link will be severed. Can't have you knowing everything. But use your second chance wisely. Your lover awaits."

"Peach? Where is she!? Hey! Get back here…!"

Bowser comes back to the world, and realizes he is being slapped by Dreambert. "He's back with us!" the pi'illo sighs.

Bowser shoves him off. The general pulls at his eyelids to check Bowser's eyes. "You gave us a scare! Your eyes went white like Jennen's for a moment…," he complains.

Bowser dismisses his concerns, "I am not letting some weirdo tell me what to do."

"Weirdo?"

Bowser stands up and flexes as his audience stares at him in confusion. "I-I feel great! Like I can do anything!"

The general looks concern. But the thrilled Bowser demands to be transported back to the Darklands. "And someone get me on the line with the Merry Men."

"Bowser this is bad timing," Wario complains on the phone while he witnesses purple beams cutting through buildings.

"So, you idiots can't even come help me!?"

"No."

Dark K. Rool is on all fours like a crocodile. He roars and releases another onslaught of beams. Tanks are rolling in, firing at the gargantuan. He is far more tanker than Jennen and Tanger.

Wario continues, "But listen, lizard lips. We have intel about a Dark Star. It's the source giving the enemy the advantage. It is in Antasma's castle! K. Rool was corrupted by its influence."

Bowser grunts in acknowledgment. Was that the thing he heard in his head? "I see. So, force K. Rool to toss up the shard. It's the only way to stop him."

"Sounds hard but okay," Wario then raises a finger remembering something. "One more thing, tell that general of yours to stop making Toadette cry!"

Bowser's eyes grow distress, Wario doesn't know she is no longer on Kong Island. He can't tell him right now. Instead, Bowser hangs up and speaks to his minions, "We're on our own. But I got a plan."

The general approaches him. "I don't like you having that thing in your system! Why are you always putting random stuff in your mouth?"

"I'm fine. I had to do it."

Bowser grins as he feels power coursing through him. He feels great now. Just a little of the Dark Star's power and it gave him a boost. Imagine what he can do with more….

"Hang in there, Peach. I'm on my way!"

Near the Sarasaland warp pipe, Daisy has been using hit and run tactics against Dark Clawgrip. But the blows from his far reach is taking a toll on her. Her accompanying soldiers were down for the count. Still unable to see, Daisy sinks to her knees as she debates her next action. She looks around and perceives a faint flare. Her green eyes light up and she moves in the direction of it. Waiting for her is King Dragonzamasu spitting fire into the sky. Tears well in her eyes. Despite his claim to despise humans, he always comes looking for her the moment she is in danger.

"Dragonzamasu!" Daisy cries out and runs to embrace the seahorse. He is annoyed but he allows her to hug him. The sound of Dark Clawgrip moving ends the reunion. A tentacle launches at them but a boulder throws it off course. The other three kings of Sarasaland arrive.

"Empress!"

"We can't leave her alone for a second, can we?" Dragonzamasu mocks. But Daisy drags the other three in for a hug. The winds pick up but King Totomesu holds them all in place.

"You guys, you shouldn't be here!" Daisy laughs.

Hiyoihoi shakes his head, "You need help. So, we'll support you to the end!"

Even though his expression is stern, Dragonzamasu pats Daisy on the head. Reassured, Daisy lets go of them and turns towards the enemy.

"Then let's do this!"

In the real world, Antasma furiously enters his throne room. Bowser healed himself by eating the remnants of the shard he beat out of Jennen. The Dark Star cut the mental link, but the damage was already done. Bowser will now be coming with a vengeance.

The bat tries to reassure himself, "He can't get through the storm…but Bowser has a habit of making do with what he has…"

Antasma wants to take his throne and hurl it through a window. But he can't. His glare softens as he eyes Peach. She is sitting on his throne; vines preventing her escape. He had his servants replace her torn dress with a pink ruffle one that cascades to the floor. Behind the throne, the Dark Star stares down at her. Tears are falling down her soft cheeks, no doubt from the strain of resisting the mind probes.

Antasma approaches Peach and wipes her tears away. Peach stirs and gazes at him with sad eyes.

"Beautiful. You're still putting up a fight. Good."

"Where are my children?"

Antasma chuckles and his eyes focus on her exposed neck. "They got away. You have the captain to thank for that."

Peach bites her lip and her eyes downcast, "I heard them, my family. What are you…?"

"They're just dreaming my dear." Antasma grabs her in his claw and the vines release. Peach immediately tries to break free but he lifts her into the air. "Don't be like that, I'm taking you on a tour."

Peach stops struggling, "Vile man."

As they pass a locked room, Peach stares at it, puzzled. Purple energy flows from it and travels throughout the castle. Once again, she hears a foreign conversation. But the voices are far gentler than the Dark Star's.

"Could someone help please?" One asks.

Another speaks, "Anyone there?"

"Hello?" Peach asks.

The voices go silent on the other side. Antasma looks confused and then laughs. "Oh that? My 'fuel sources.' I feed one every so often to the Dark Star. It is also subsisting on your friends' nightmares …. for however long they can endure."

Peach squeezes Antasma's claw, "Let them go."

Antasma shakes his head and continues walking. "By the way, Bowser is dead."

Peach's eyes narrow, "No, he is not. I just talk to your friend."

"He soon will be," Antasma threatens and brings one of her hands to his mouth. "Amora, you will have no one, except me. It'll just be the two of us again, scheming. It'll be like old times until the day I'm ready."

Peach shivers. Ready for what? She attempts to pull away, "There was no scheming! And that name, why did you call me that?"

Antasma's eyes slit and he flashes his teeth, "It's your name before you were adopted."

"…."

Peach looks away as Antasma closes in on her face, "I know your parents. Even their names. Would you like to know if they cared about you or not?"

"There is a cost to it," Peach scoffs.

Antasma smiles, "Of course, there is. You will be my pet."

Peach stares at him in disgust, "I'm not going to be your little pet!"

Shaking his head, Antasma stops in front of a medical ward. "I see. Well, Toad is in there. You may want to check on him."

"Toad," Peach breaths as Antasma opens the door.

He leans in and calls out, "Toad, you have company."

"Company...?"

Peach notices Toad laying in a small bed. His lower half covered in a blanket; he is staring out a window. Toad turns to study his guests. Peach feels something is wrong. Toad is not happy or terrified to see her. He just stares at her with a blank look.

"T-toad…Toad!"

The queen runs up to him but he screams. "Get away!"

Peach jumps back. She holds her hand over her heart, stunned, "T-Toad don't worry, it's me!"

The mushroom fiddles with his sheets and his eyes terrified. He has trouble making eye contact with Peach. "Who…are you…?"

Peach's face pales and her eyes widen. "Peach…It's me …Peach…"

Unsure, Toad looks at Antasma who shrugs. Toad then shuts his eyes, "I'm sorry lady. This guy found me and treated me. But I don't know you! I don't know anyone!"

Toad hides under his blanket in shame. Antasma bends to talk to him. "It's going to be all right, Toad. Remember, you need time to process this."

"Y-yeah. I appreciate the help…"

Peach feels her heart shattering into pieces. She releases a piercing shriek and runs towards Toad. She pulls him up and begins shaking him! "Toad! What did he do to you!? Tell me! Don't you remember me!?"

Toad pushes her away and returns to hiding under the blanket. "Please go away, lady! You're scary!"

"TOAD!"

Antasma grabs Peach and walks out of the room. "I'm sorry, Toad. I thought she would be of assistance. I'll let you rest for now."

"T-Thanks doctor."

"No problem."

Outside, Peach covers her face now sobbing. Antasma rubs her head with a claw, like he is soothing an upset child. "There. There. He just doesn't remember you or anyone for that matter. All previous years of his life is now gone. Don't worry he hasn't lost any skills."

She pauses mid sob, "You did that…?"

"Yes. It cannot be reversed. He crossed me for the last time. But his last thoughts were of you. He believed you would come to save him, Peach. And believe me, I thought of killing him. But that wasn't enough for me. He would simply die a hero."

"His memories…"

"Come on, I do have a soft spot for the little guy, despite my hate for him. So instead, I returned him to what he should be. Toad is no longer the captain. He is just a scared little toad. Consider this mercy."

Peach begins to shake. Toad was all by himself, having his mind torn apart. And she wasn't there. She failed him again. Now he does not remember her and all that they've been through. He does not remember Toadette. All his cherished memories are now gone. Peach feels an unbearable ache in her broken heart.

Antasma examines his claws, feeling no remorse for his actions. "Toad is healthy physically and he'll be discharged tomorrow. Anyway, can I expect your cooperation from now on…?"

"He can't leave! He'll die out there," Peach laments.

"You only have yourself to blame," Antasma mutters and grab her chin as his voice raises, "Toadette will be executed tomorrow and I will mind break all the other toads if you continue to oppose me. You will be nothing to them. NOW GIVE ME YOUR ANSWER!"

Peach spits in his face.

Annoyed, Antasma pulls back to wipe his face. As he regards Peach's eyes the feeling lessens. In the past, others have gone mad with his manipulations for less. But Peach has been resisting while staying true to her kind nature. Even her attempt to stab him was not done in hate, but a desire to protect her son. But now… she has finally reached her breaking point. The fear in her eyes is still there, but there is also rage. She holds nothing but contempt for him now.

"Watch your back from now on…," she threatens.

Antasma chuckles from amusement, "I appreciate the warning, my dear…"