Chapter 3, Kidnapped:
Over at the mushroom kingdom Peach pulled her treats out of the oven to let them cool. They were bars mixed with granola, berries, nuts, and seeds with honey keeping the ingredients together. Her bird feeders on the other hand were ready. She picked them up and took them outside. She noticed it was a little darker than it was before she went outside. That was odd. She looked up and noticed that a strange black mist was covering the sky. Peach looked at it confused. She then notices that the mist seemed to be moving towards the kingdom. Her heart dropped at the sight.
"This isn't good…" She thought knowing who it could be. Bowser's ship slowly came into view. "Oh no..." Peach whispered to herself nervously. Bowser and Junior were on deck. Once they landed the ship, the fog dissipates revealing Peach standing there in shock.
"Bring me my bride." Bowser commanded. Peach was about to run back into the castle but magikoopas swooped in and grabbed her. Peach cried out for help. Toad guards rushed outside to the princess's aid only to be confronted by koopatrols and Hammer Bros. Peach struggled to escape.
"Let me go! Release me!" Peach cried out desperately hoping that someone could save her from Bowser. She struggled to get out of the magikoopas grip, but they refused to let go. She had tears in her eyes, scared of what she feared she was being taken away to.
"Please let me go!" The poor princess cried. "Someone help me!"
Mario raced over to the scene as Peach was being carried away. Mario jumped up and kicked one magikoopa only to get hit by the other magikoopa's magic.
"Argh!" Mario groaned as he was sent flying backwards against a tree then landing on the ground.
"MARIO!" Peach cried out. Mario slowly got back up ready to fight when another magikoopa appeared and blocked his path.
"Stay back Mario! This princess belongs to the king!" The magikoopa exclaimed. Mario glared at it.
"I'm sorry, but she doesn't belong to him." He jumped on the magikoopa attacking it. The magikoopa attacked back by swinging its wand at Mario. Sending colorful shapes in his direction.
Mario avoided the magic attack by jumping over the shapes. "Let her go, and perhaps I won't hurt you!" He threatened.
"Not a chance!" The magikoopa sneered. It attacked Mario with its magic again hitting him this time. Mario cried out in pain.
"The king is getting impatient. So let's make this quick." It said. The magikoopa threw another spell at Mario sending him tumbling across the land and crashing into a large tree. Mario struggled to pick himself up. He tried to stand up only for his leg to buckle underneath him.
"Oww..." Mario moaned. Another magikoopa came running over and swung it's wand. It used its wand to attack Mario with magic once again. Mario tried to dodge but missed, and got hit.
"NO!" Peach screamed in horror as she watched Mario getting defeated by the magikoopas. Mario winced as another strike landed on him, then cried out in pain again.
Suddenly, the magikoopa changed forms. It grew to a large monster. It charged at Mario who dodged the attack with great difficulty. Eventually, he felt his vision blur and he fell onto the ground unconscious. The creature stood tall over the fallen plumber. The monster's sharp teeth glistened under the dark sky. It roared loudly as it stomped it's foot into the ground creating a cloud of dust. Soon a white light surrounded the monster and it disappeared. Peach was shocked at what she just witnessed. Bowser couldn't believe it. He finally got the princess. He holds her as the airship took them back to the Koopa Kingdom.
After a couple of hours, Mario regained consciousness. There was no more black fog. The pain from earlier was now gone. But so was Peach, Bowser, and his followers. Time to rescue Peach for the hundredth time. Mario quickly climbed to his feet using the tree for support and began making his way down. Determined to save Peach from Bowser and his men. As he passed by, he noticed a note on the ground. Mario picks it up and reads it.
"Dear Mario, Don't worry about me. I am safe. I love you,
Princess Peach."
"Why would she leave this note if she wasn't okay?!" Mario thought as he read the message. Peach loved her people. She wouldn't just abandon them. This was one of Bowser's tricks. Did he think this note would convince Mario to not go look for her? Well, he ought to think of something more clever. Because he didn't fool Mario. Mario decided not to dwell on it any further. He set out on his adventure to find Princess Peach.
Over at the Koopa Kingdom, Bowser carried Peach inside his castle.
"This is getting old you know." The princess said with crossed arms.
"Not for long." Bowser said.
"What do you mean?" Asked Peach.
"You'll find out." Bowser replied. Peach didn't say anything else. She was much to annoyed to care. Bowser placed her in a room and closed the door. Peach looked around confused. The room was pink. Full of cute stuffed animals. Everywhere there were crayons and coloring books on the floor. A table with a play tea set on top. A pink vanity with a heart shaped mirror. What really caught Peach off gaurd was the little girl in the bed. She had a wet towel over her forehead. Peach went closer to get a closer look. The girl appeared to be a human koopa hybrid.
"What the...?" Peach thought to herself. The girl began to cough. She sat up rubbing her eyes. She turned and saw Peach tilting her head confused. "Um. Hello." Peach said.
"Hello." Berry coughed.
"Are you okay?" Peach asked.
"No. I feel warm." Berry answered.
"It sounds like you have a fever." Peach said, Berry coughed then sneezed before she could speak. Peach placed her hand on her forehead. The little girl was very warm. "How about some soup?" She asked.
"Yes. Please." Peach heads out of the room to make some soup. However, Berry screamed not wanting to be left alone. Peach came back in the room.
"I'll only be gone for a bit." She said. Berry laid back down. Peach left the room and looked around. Bowser's castle was so big. She wasn't sure where the kitchen could be. She walked through the hallways looking for it. After a few minutes, she stopped walking.
"Good evening, your highness." A koopatrol bowed. Peach got an idea.
"Hey, um. You don't happen to know where the kitchen is. Do you?"
"I do know it is. Follow me princess." It lead her through the hallway and into the kitchen.
"Thank you so much." Peach said.
"No problem, princess." The koopatrol left. Peach looked around the kitchen for ingredients to make soup with. She spotted a pot and placed it on the stove. Next she searched the cupboards.
"Where are all the spices?" She said mainly to herself.
"Here they are your highness!" Shy gal maids came up to her with jars of spices.
"Thank you." Peach takes the jars.
"Anything else you need your highness?" They asked.
"Let's see...milk, butter, mushrooms, pasta, garlic, celery, onions, bell peppers, carrots, a bit of sugar, oh and chicken as well!"
"We'll get them, your highness!" The maids went everywhere in the kitchen gathering the items for the princess. They handed them to her.
"Thank you!" Peach took the ingredients.
"You're welcome! Anything else?"
"That's all for now. Thank you for your help." She said.
"You're welcome your highness." The maids stood there afterwards, waiting for Peach to request something else. Peach thought they looked kind of creepy. With their white masks having hollowed out eyes, with lashes painted at the sides indicating that they were shy gals, and their red hooded maid outfits. But they have been nothing but nice, so she should be nice as well.
First she preheated the oven for the chicken and boiled the pasta. She started cutting up the vegetables. Once they were diced she began to add spices to the chicken. First she seasoned it with salt and pepper. All the while she hummed a song quietly to herself in order to distract her mind from thoughts of the maids. Peach opened the spice jar and sniffed the contents. They smelled sweet, almost like cinnamon or ginger but sweeter. Peach took a pinch and tasted it. This would be perfect for the soup! She thought to herself. She decided to put some on the chicken. She looked at the seasoned bird. A bit of lemon wouldn't hurt.
"Could you find me a lemon?" Asked Peach. The maids found a lemon in the fridge and handed her one.
"Thank you again." She said taking it.
"You're welcome your highness!"
Peach squeezed a lemon over the chicken and placed it in the oven to bake. While she waited for the cooking to be done, she separated the noodles, poured the milk into the pot, added the butter and then the chopped vegetables. She let the pot simmer as she sprinkled some spices into the soup. She stirs the mixture while humming. The shy gal maids watched the princess cook in awe. About thirty minutes later. The oven dinged. Peach opened the oven door.
"Allow us, your highness!" The shy gal maids took it out and placed it on the stove top. Peach smiled as a thanks and began cutting the chicken into pieces.
"So, you're the princess?" A koopa maid said.
"Um..yes, why do you ask?
"Your cooking smells delicious." She said.
"Thank you." Peach replied as she finished making the soup. She poured it into a bowl. It had a slight orange tinge.
"Wow, this is pretty good!" The koopa maid exclaimed tasting some from the pot.
"Thank you." Peach said.
"Is it for the princess Berry your highness? We can bring it to her for you if you like!" The shy gal maid said. So that is the name of the little girl.
"It's okay. I want to bring it to her. Thank you though." Peach said.
"Well, we'll be going now, and leave you be." The koopa maid bowed and walked away with the shy gal maids.
"Bye." Peach said waving goodbye. She picked up the bowl and carried the soup to Berry's room. She walked in and entered the room. She carefully placed the dish onto a desk next to the bed. Berry opened her eyes seeing Peach sitting next to her.
Peach smiled, "I made you soup." She began feeding it to her. After Berry ate the soup, Peach placed the bowl in the wash. She came back in the room and Berry was watching her intensely.
"Are you my mama?" Berry asked. Peach was surprised at the question.
"No I'm not." She said.
"Well, you sure act like you are!" Berry said laughing.
"Do I? You must've mistaken me for someone else." Peach laughed nervously.
"If you weren't mom, then who are you?" Berry giggled.
"I'm princess Peach." Peach said.
"You're my mama!" Berry said.
"Sweetie, I'm not." She tried to convince the child.
"Yes you are." Berry gives Peach the letter that she "wrote". Peach reads it.
"Dear Sweetie Pie,
Your father always tells me stories about you whenever he comes to see me. Please come visit me in the Mushroom Kingdom. We can bake a cake together!"
From your mother,
Peach."
"Why won't you marry daddy?!" Berry pouted. Peach was starting to connect the dots.
"Because your father is evil." Berry tilted her head confused at the princess's answer.
"He's not evil. If he's evil, then why is he so nice to me?" Berry asked.
"Because he loves you." Peach said. Berry looked like she still didn't understand.
Peach sighed, "Berry. You're father is lying to you. I never wrote this letter. I didn't know about you until now. All those times he came to see me is him actually kidnapping me." Berry didn't reply. She just sat in her bed with tears streaming down her face. Peach felt bad. She couldn't imagine what it would feel like for a child to hear such news. Peach was able to hear a faint sniffle. She sat next to Berry who began to sob uncontrollably.
"Oh, sweetheart please don't cry." Peach holds Berry close to her. Berry cried into Peach's arms.
"Honey...it's okay. Everything will be okay. I promise you that." Peach comforted. Her words seemed to calm Berry sniffles once more before calming down enough to stop crying. Peach continued to hold her close. "Don't worry honey. Everything will be alright." She told Berry. The two stayed there until Berry fell asleep in her arms. She didn't even flinch when Peach tucked her back into bed.