Chapter Text
Peach never considered herself an alcoholic. Sobriety was always her most proudest attribute and she wore it like a medal.
She slammed her empty glass down on the counter, her mouth tainted with the poisonous substance, throat singed.
Her first drink in years and already the shame was pricking at her heels.
She shouldn't need to drink. Six months ago, they had saved the world from impending doom, the void in flipside and flopside finally vanished and both towns were now prosperous and joyful.
Mario, Luigi, Bowser and herself returned to the mushroom kingdom and things couldn't be better.
She lifted her glass, the half melted ice cubes rattling at the bottom. It was almost expected of her to be bursting with jubilation but every night she lay awake, troubling thoughts as loud as crescendos in her mind.
And the more she tossed and turned, the louder those thoughts would become. Because truthfully, she wasn't happy.
She'd fallen for someone she shouldn't have.
Mimi.
She grimaced, begging that one of the toads would refill her drink out of pure intuition. Falling for the shapeshifting mercenary of Count Bleck's was never going to end well.
Mimi was her sworn enemy, working for someone whose only desire was to destroy the world. Most of their encounters were grave to say the least. Mimi attacked them mercilessly on multiple occasions and even forced helpless citizens into being her slaves.
But even after all she had done, Peach still chose to save her when the room trembled and sent them dangling over the edge. After that, they had come to a truce and agreed to stop Dimentio from usurping Bleck.
Bleck was never a villain, just a broken hero failed by humanity.
Peach had opted to tell Mimi how she felt. She knew Mimi wasn't truly a bad person, just someone like Bleck who felt there was no other way out. Before they left to go home, they had a feast before giving their final goodbyes. Nastasia and O'Chunks both decided to stay and Bleck had finally been reunited with Lady Timpani (or so they hoped). Mimi never said where she was going.
So that final conversation had been her opportunity to tell Mimi how she felt, even if it ended in rejection. But like always, she failed. She let Mimi slip from her grasp, the threads of fate that bound them unwinding until they were no longer connected.
"Hey-a Peach," Luigi had approached the counter, a grave look on his face. "We're all waiting for you back at the castle."
She angled towards him, raising an eyebrow expectantly.
"For-a game night."
She forced a smile, "Oh yes, don't worry I'll be coming soon."
She hoped that was enough to send Luigi away but he only sighed in response, slipping onto the barstool beside her.
"Are you okay?" he spoke quietly, a hand grazing over hers.
Peach suppressed the urge to cry, instead letting out a shaky sigh. "Just a little tired."
Luigi squeezed her hand, "You really expect me to believe that?" he said. "C'mon, I know you. Even-a more than Mario," he whispered that last part like it was a dirty secret.
"I miss her Luigi," she said despondently, dipping her head.
"Miss who?" he leaned in.
"Mimi."
"Mimi?" he sputtered.
Peach winced, "I've never told anyone that before," she admitted. "And maybe I shouldn't miss her… but I can't help it."
She looked up at Luigi who was smiling and shaking his head.
"You were in love with her, weren't you?"
Peach felt her throat tighten, wordless.
Luigi laughed softly, "Yeah, I heard you one night in your room murmuring about her… I think you must've been writing about her in your diary…" he rubbed the back of his head.
"O-oh," Peach suddenly felt mortified before finally nodding. "She was the most amazing person I've ever met."
"Why didn't you tell-a her?"
"Wait, you're not mad?" she cocked her head.
"Why would I be?"
"Well… Mario's your brother and once upon a time I was going to marry him."
"Of course not," his mouth twitched into a smile. "You can't force yourself to love someone."
"Yeah…" she said. "Thank you for understanding."
He slipped off the stool, giving her a warm smile. "Anytime, princess," he said. "I'll tell the others you'll be a little late."
"Thank you…"
"Do you need help getting home?" Luigi asked, staring pointedly at her empty glasses. "There are some creeps out there at-a this time."
"Oh, no, I'm fine," she said mildly. "Thanks though."
He glanced over his shoulder, "And Peach, I'll help you-a find her if you want."
Peach felt a smile creep on her face. "You will?"
"Yeah," he smiled. "She's somewhere out there."
"Luigi, I don't know what to say," she pushed her fair locks from her eyes.
"No need to thank me, it's on the house," and he gave her a cheeky wink before leaving through the door.
Peach rolled her eyes, laughing at that cheesy pun and turning back to her empty glass. An amalgamation of happiness and nervousness were brewing inside of her. She was beyond grateful that Luigi was offering to help find her, but doubt was seeping in.
This could be a waste of time. What if Mimi didn't feel the same way? Or what if they couldn't find her in the first place?
She beckoned over the bartender and ordered another Mushroom sunrise, taking a swig of it before setting it down again.
Or what if Mimi had already forgotten her? Maybe she was even dating someone by now. Peach quickly downed the rest of her drink, regretting drinking on an empty stomach. Mimi probably wanted nothing to do with her. She ordered another drink, a Red lagoon this time.
Her ruminations were interrupted when a girl slipped onto the barstool beside her, voice muffled by the blaring sounds of music and chatter. Peach glanced over at her inconspicuously, eyes feeling marginally heavy as she sipped on her new beverage. She wasn't used to alcohol.
She was wearing a dark green cloak and a red and white kabuki mask, hands reaching for her newly poured drink.
Why is she wearing a mask? The thought followed. It wasn't Halloween or a celebratory night.
The girl lifted the mask slightly and sipped her drink before folding open the menu and skimming over it. Peach tried not to stare but it was hard not to, there was something intriguing about her.
Then the girl looked to her left, catching her mid stare. Peach quickly looked away and pretended to look over the menu.
"Hey," a voice came in her direction.
It was a soft yet shrill voice that somehow felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. She looked at the girl who had swivelled to face her, half full glass in hand.
"Oh hi," she said, feeling a bit tipsy. "Sorry for staring, I just… like your mask?" the worst excuse ever.
"Heh, thanks," she said.
"Why-hic-are you wearing one though?"
The girl set her glass down, "Well I just think it's tons of fun," she giggled. "Being able to go anywhere you like without being recognised. Almost like living a double life."
Though Peach couldn't help but wonder if she was wearing it to commit theft and evade being identified by the authorities.
"Oh that's cool," said Peach. "So what brings you to the Mushroom kingdom? I assume you're not from around here—I mean I haven't seen you around before."
The girl gave a laugh, "Just wanted to get away for a while. The mushroom kingdom surprisingly has a lot of things to do."
Peach raised an eyebrow, "Really?" She'd been reigning over the mushroom kingdom for over a decade and never would she have considered it a place with things to do.
Yes they held festivals a few times yearly but it was pretty dull the rest of the year. Much like delfino island during winter.
"Sure is," she said. "If you know how to look."
"So…what's your name?" said Peach.
She paused before saying, "Ophelia."
"Wow, that's a lovely name. I'm—"
"Princess Peach," Ophelia interjected. "The crown gave it away."
"Oh, right," she smiled. Sometimes she wished she wasn't so recognisable.
"It must be nice being a princess," she mused aloud. "You get everything handed to you on a silver platter, right?"
Peach shrugged, "Some parts of it are. Being able to provide for my people is a duty I will forever be grateful to uphold but-hic-sometimes I wish I didn't have the weight of an entire kingdom on my shoulders." She wasn't sure why she was oversharing to a stranger, maybe it was the alcohol or the stranger on a train effect talking.
"Don't princesses get days off?" Ophelia spoke up.
"It's seldom that I have days off. The kingdom can't run itself after all."
Ophelia grabbed her glass and took a swig of her drink. Peach caught a glimpse of her lips, that feeling of deja vu creeping in again.
"I know," Ophelia burst enthusiastically. "Why don't we go somewhere, just you and me!"
Peach felt her stomach lurch. "But Ophelia… I b-barely know you."
Ophelia took her hand, squeezing it gently. "Oh c'mon doofus, it'll be fun. Don't ya wanna get out for the night without worrying about boooring duties?"
"Well," she dipped her head, mind wandering to the game night she was attending tonight. "That would be nice." She didn't want to be rude. Game night could wait.
Ophelia pulled off her cloak, revealing a purple bouffant dress with a sage green belt and buoyant frills along the hem of the skirt.
She reached a hand over to her, offering her the cloak. "Where we're going, it might get chilly."
"You look… amazing," she was in awe, then flitted her eyes at the cloak. "Oh Ophelia, I can't take it, you'll get a cold."
Ophelia waved a hand, "Don't worry, I won't."
Peach reluctantly took it, and slipped it on. "Where exactly are we going?"
"It's a surprise," she giggled. "But I promise you'll love it."
Peach looked at her with a smile, unwavering guilt following her. All she could think about is Mimi and how if she went out all night, she might be too tired the next day to go find her.
She bit her tongue imperceptibly before finally giving in. "Alright." She felt a little dizzy as she got up, the bright lights of the room suddenly burning her eyes, the people around her merging into blobs of colour.
She suddenly felt herself stagger forward. Ophelia caught her, warm arms embracing her fondly.
"Careful, princess," she remarked.
"S-sorry, I feel a bit all over the place," she apologised, straightening herself up.
Ophelia could be a serial killer for all she knew, leading her to a dark alley. And in her drunken state, how could she defend herself? Somehow, she knew her theory was probably just paranoia talking.
"You're a bit drunk stupid-head…" her words became unintelligible. "...What you need is food…fresh air."
Peach allowed herself to be supported by her newly found salvation, tottering along with her until they were outside. The night air grazed against her face, a nice change from the sticky air inside the bar.
"Are you okay Peachykins?" she glanced down at her.
Peach was taken aback by that pet name, almost to the point where she was going to reprimand her for calling her such a thing. But her head was spinning and her heart was racing.
"Just not feeling well."
"Don't worry, after some fresh air and some food, you'll feel much better."
Ophelia led her down a path, a windy one that eventually led down to some cobblestone steps. Peach staggered down them, clutching onto Ophelia for life.
They seemed to be walking for miles until Ophelia directed her through a short thicket with trees gloating over them. Peach felt a chill run up her back, vision hazy as they traipsed through. They eventually came to an opening with a bright light beaming through the trees.
As Ophelia led her through, Peach's face lit up in rapture. In this clearing was a party of sorts going on. Fairy lights hanging from trees, the smell of food lingering in the air, people dancing and laughing.
"O-ophelia, what is this place?" she stumbled.
"An all night festival," she said. "Or an outdoor party. Whichever really."
"H-how did you-hic-find this place?" she looked around, lights like blurry flashes in her eyes.
"I found it by accident, they were blasting their music soooo loudly and so I followed it here."
Peach looked up at her, "That's nice. So what do you do here?"
"Dance, eat food, have fun," she said. "C'mon peachy, you know all about parties."
Peach grinned, "Yeah but only formal ones."
Ophelia led her down the path, "Well we can start by getting you some food. It'll help make you feel better."
"Thank you."
They perched on a wooden bench, the sound of laughter and chatter deafening in her ears. Peach slumped back, head thumping painfully.
"You okay?" she reached a hand to her cheek.
"Yeah, I-I just," that was when she felt the bile building up in her throat, the burning sensation like acid singeing her skin.
She tossed her head over the back of the bench, stomach lurching as vomit spewed from her mouth. She wiped her mouth, cheeks glowing in mortification.
Ophelia helped her down and sighed, "Oh my."
"Sorry."
"There's nothing to apologise for you silly princess, I'll go get you some napkins and food alright?"
Peach must've dozed off because when she next looked up, Ophelia had returned with napkins and two paper plates filled with triangle sandwiches and cinnamon scones.
"I wasn't sure what you liked so…" Ophelia drawled, handing the plate and napkins to her.
Peach frantically wiped her mouth, dumping the used tissue into the bin nearby.
"I'm vegetarian, so I got us cheese and onion sandwiches if that's alright," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "But if you want something else…"
Peach took a generous bite and smiled, "Ophelia, it's delicious."
"Good to know," she laughed.
Peach bolted upright from her downtrodden position, "Oh, I must pay you back, how much was the food?"
Ophelia shook her head, "No need silly. It's my treat."
Peach felt a little guilty but nodded.
Ophelia lifted her mask as she guzzled down her cinnamon scone. Peach inadvertently found herself staring at her, admiring every angle of her. Her fair green skin… something felt familiar again.
"You can take your mask off," said Peach with a smile. "I won't tell anyone we met up tonight."
Ophelia looked at her, "That'll ruin the fun silly," she said dryly. "Trust me… it's better this way."
Peach was admittedly disappointed, she really wanted to see the face that hid under the mask. Her mysterious, alluring new acquaintance.
"How come?"
"It doesn't matter," she scoffed down the rest of her scone. "Anyways, are you feeling any better?"
"A bit, yes. The food and fresh air really did help."
Ophelia pulled a bottle from next to her, "I also bought a bottle of peach juice," she giggled at her own genius. "I don't know why, but it reminded me of you."
"Har har, very funny," said Peach sarcastically. "Really, thank you though. Are you certain I can't pay you back?"
"You silly princess, of course you don't need to."
Peach smiled.
She had to admit, spending time with Ophelia was not like anything she had ever experienced. It was like sneaking out at night to your friend's palace, adrenaline coursing through your veins.
They laughed and talked then laughed again, eating platefuls till they were full.
"Nope, I'm an only child," said Ophelia.
"Me too!" Peach said a little too eagerly.
Ophelia was not like any girl she had ever met. She was confident and funny yet also beautiful and mysterious. Even if she couldn't see her face.
So much so that Mimi had managed to stay out of her mind for a while.
When Peach disposed of their rubbish, she sat next to Ophelia with wide eyes, eager to learn more about her. That was when she heard the song change, a piece of music that was slow and soothing like a lullaby or a ballad.
"Hey, Peachy?" she held out her hand. "May I have this dance?"
Peach looked at her nervously. "But I'm terrible at dancing," she tittered.
Ophelia got up with a grin, "So you're a princess who doesn't know how to party or dance?"
"No it's just… before my father died he always forced me to go to these silly dance lessons. I had to learn how to Waltz and Minuet and… I just wasn't any good. And then after he died... I felt like I never lived up to his expectations."
Ophelia dipped her head, "Peach..."
Peach sighed, "And I don't want to make you look bad too."
Ophelia took her hand and pulled her up. "You could never make me look bad, your highness. This isn't some royal ball you know and I don't care how you dance."
Peach's mouth twitched into a smile, face glowing. "Alright…"
Ophelia pulled her to the dance floor where other people were dancing hand in hand, wrapped up in each other's arms. The chatter had almost completely died down and all that could be heard was the sound of the music, guiding the dance floor into a rhymic sway.
Ophelia took her hand, "Since it's a slow song, shall we waltz my fair princess?"