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“Match point!” Shifting her feet, Peach took a breath as she prepared for what was hopefully the last round of this particular bout. Despite the fact that she was up by 25 points, Daisy wasn’t making this easy. She’d only managed to scrape by with the last score. Still, she could always go for a bit of a challenge. It annoyed her how so many other players went easy on her just because she was the princess. Daisy, however, seemed to take the game so seriously that anyone in her way was worthy of going all out on, competition always getting her riled up. All the better for when she won.
Watching carefully, Peach readjusted her grip on her racket as Daisy tossed the ball into the air for a serve. With a loud THWACK!, the ball shot over the net to her side of the court. Dashing over, she returned it relatively easily. However, that seemed to just be the start. Daisy parried it and once again sent it into her zone, though on the complete opposite side of where she was. Eyes widening, she sprinted and leapt to hit it over, hitting a flat before she rolled to her feet. She’d definitely need to wash her uniform later.
Back and forth went the ball, the princess never letting it hit the ground. Daisy was relentless in their assault, but eventually she slipped up, lobbing the ball high into the air. All this time volleying back and forth had let Peach build up enough energy to unleash her special shot. Taking her chance, she lowered herself to the ground before jumping up, willing her body to become lighter than air for a moment. In a flash of pink light, she struck the ball as it met her racket and sent it careening towards Daisy with so much force it snapped her own racket at the neck.
The announcer Toad called game, the crowd of spectators cheering as Peach settled down on the ground again, wiping her brow. How her crown managed to stay atop her head in all her endeavors, she didn’t know nor care to find out. Smiling, she waved to her onlookers before walking off to the sidelines.
Huffing, Daisy met her as she sat down on the bench for a drink of water. “Good game, Daisy,” Peach smiled. “You were giving me quite the run for my money.”
“Yeah, yeah,” the tanned princess replied. “But did you have to break my racket? Just because I’m royalty doesn’t mean I like spending coins when I don’t need to.” Peach giggled, raising her hands in surrender.
“Ok, ok, point taken. How about I buy you a replacement this time instead? Would that work?” She watched her friend’s face as she proposed the idea. A bit of a sore loser, Daisy tried to keep up her grumpy facade.
Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms and scoffed, though both knew it was fake. “I guess,” she eventually said, looking back at Peach. They locked eyes for a bit before Daisy couldn’t help but break down into a fit of laughter. Peach joined in.
“Fine, fine,” Daisy managed as she attempted to compose herself. “But you’re also treating me to brunch next week, then. These diplomacy meetings are killing me.”
The blond princess shrugged. “Fine by me. Let’s head out. I have plans to meet Mario at his home for dinner and I don’t want to arrive all smelly.” With that settled, both turned to head to the locker rooms to collect their belongings and be on their way. Before they could get to the doors, however, something caught their attention. That is, someone. A very distinct someone which made both princesses groan under their breath.
“What’s all this? Are the pretty little princesses all tuckered out after one measly match of tennis?”, came a booming, raspy voice. Turning around, Peach was greeted by none other than the sight of Wario, Waluigi in tow. The look on the shorter man’s face meant, as usual, he was looking for trouble. The purple-clad elf, meanwhile, seemed to be staying somewhat behind, almost shadowing his portly companion.
Sighing, she pinched her brow and took a breath in order to compose herself so she could handle him. Putting on a strained smile, Peach met his gaze. “Hello, Wario. Is there something I can help you with?”
“Why, yes there is!”, he said maliciously. “You see, Waluigi and I were just looking for you two. Wanted to ask for a match or two. Thing is, it seems you two couldn’t even last two matches.” Daisy growled behind Peach, who stuck out a hand to tell her to calm down.
Peach sighed, putting a hand on her hips. “Well, we happen to have plans soon, so we only had time for one match. Now if you don’t mind, we have to be on our way.” Turning around, Wario began taunting her, his grating voice joined by Waluigi’s, combining to create the audible equivalent of stepping on glass..
“Come on, princess! Can’t even try and put in enough effort for a five minute match?” “Guess we’re just better!” “Look at them, so tired after one match!” “I thought princesses were supposed to be talented!”
The last remark caught her attention. It didn’t belong to either of the men attempting to get under their skin. In fact, it sounded like a woman’s voice, high and nasal. Turning around, Peach’s face was one of annoyed confusion. “Excuse me?”
The voice tittered, a rather unpleasant sound. “I thought you two were supposed to have skills! A Toad could last longer than either of you royal losers. Only one match, are you kidding me?!” Unlike Wario and Waluigi, this woman was, for whatever reason, seriously getting under Peach’s skin.
Huffing, Peach firmly planted a hand on her hip, the other gripping her racket rather tightly. “Alright, Miss Know-It-All, just who do you think you are? Are you with these two- two buffoons? Show yourself!” At this, Wario and Waluigi looked at each other, grinning wickedly. They stepped back, revealing someone who neither Peach nor Daisy had ever seen.
She was around Peach’s height, though just a bit taller. Her skin was pale, moreso than Peach’s own, though that was where their similarities seemed to end. A ratty head of faded brown hair fell to her shoulders, adorned by a jagged bronze crown embedded with green and pink diamond-shaped gems. Her eyes were gray like her two friends’, narrowed in a glare. Garish green wings of eyeliner adorned her face alongside an equally ugly green lipstick job. With pointed ears and a dark pink nose which stuck out like a nail, she almost looked like Waluigi dressed in drag.
Daisy spoke up. “Who in the Underwhere are you? Waluigi’s sister?” The woman scowled at the comment, stomping angrily.
“No, you flower-faced nincompoop! We’re not related!”, she spat. Taking a breath, she composed herself, putting on a sickly sweet smile. “Why, I’m Princess Lime! Ruler of the Miroia Kingdom, at your service.” She did an overdramatic curtsy, her own uniform green and decorated with a jagged pattern, a gross copy of Peach’s own.
This caught the princess off-guard. “Princess… Lime? Why haven’t we ever heard of you? I’ve never even seen your kingdom on any map.” Was she being forgetful? She strived to do her best and remember all the neighboring kingdoms. Goodness knows when she’d have to ask for their help if Bowser were to ever snap and actually commit to war.
At the comment, Lime’s smile soured, turning into more of a scowl. “Of course you haven’t. Why would precious Peach ever take the time to look into Miroia? It’s only right over the massive mountain range that you never seem to pay attention to.” She scoffed, turning to Wario and Waluigi. “Can you believe her? She didn’t even know that our kingdom existed.”
“Neither did I,” Daisy snapped back. “It’s not our fault your kingdom can’t make a name for itself. If you’re the one leading it, I’m not surprised. What even is Miroia?”
This time, it wasn’t Lime who spoke up, but Waluigi, who’d been relatively silent the entire time. “Miroia, we’ll have you know, is also known as the Mirrored Kingdom. Where else would you get handsome mugs like us from?”, he asked, gesturing to himself and Wario. “It’s just like the Mushroom Kingdom, only it’s overshadowed by everyone else. So excuse us if we’re a tad bit warped.”
Peach tried to wrap her head around what she was hearing. There was a whole kingdom everyone had missed all this time? Let alone that it was apparently where Wario and Waluigi were from? She shook her head in an attempt to clear it. “You’re- So- Are you supposed to be…” She gestured to Wario and Waluigi. “Me..?”
The green princess’s face seemed to flash through multiple expressions within a second. Shock became fury before being molded into a strained attempt at disdain. Lime scoffed. “You- Why would I be you? What, you think Wario and Waluigi here are supposed to be your precious plumbers?”
Daisy shrugged. “I mean, yeah. They literally wear the same kind of clothes just with the letter upside down. Waluigi even has ‘Luigi’ in his name.”
“HEY!”, Waluigi said indignantly.
Waving him off, Daisy continued. “Plus, there kind of is a lot pointing to you being a kind of ‘Wa-Peach.’ I mean, you’re also named after a fruit. You’re apparently a princess, wear the same exact type of clothes as her, and I bet you’ve even been kidnapped at least a couple of times-”
”SHUT UP!” The shrill shriek cut off the desert princess, silencing her out of shock. “I am NOT a version of- of HER!” Lime stuck her racket out at Peach, more stabbing at her than pointing. The princess was visibly seething with anger. “Unlike her, I am not selfish, or vain, or obsessed with being nice and lovely and trying to make everyone like her.”
Peach gasped indignantly. “What on Earth are you saying? Selfish? Vain? I am not those things! That’s what you seem to be, Lime. I don’t know what I’ve done to warrant this hatred, but I don’t like a bully.” She picked up her own racket. “You said a game is what you wanted? Well, maybe a proper thrashing will put you in your place. Daisy, get a Toad to referee.” She narrowed her eyes at the jagged woman. “I suddenly have an itch for another match.”
Daisy nodded, scurrying off to do as she asked. She wanted nothing more than for this frumpy looking lady to get her comeuppance. No one talked to her best friend like that. Wario and Waluigi, meanwhile, went to the sidelines, taking seats on the benches closest to the court.
Stepping back onto the court, Peach took a breath to try and compose herself. Across the net, Lime stretched, cracking her knuckles rather loudly. The woman in pink was not about to let this stranger sully her name, especially someone so crass. With the downtime, she took her time to look her over more in-depth. Her tennis uniform seemed to be an exact copy of hers with only the aesthetic changed, down to the way she wore a brooch and a single sweatband on her right arm. Instead of pinks, it was green, the more rounded collar and skirt pattern instead jagged and triangular. The brooch on her chest matched her crown, oval in shape and bronze. The gem, however, clashed terribly, being dark pink and diamond shaped, looking as if it had been shoved into the metal like a square block into a circular hole. Her tennis racket bore her own emblem being a minimalist interpretation of her own tiara, again as if to reinforce that she was some twisted reflection of Peach.
“You ready yet or do you wanna ogle some more?”, yelled Lime, breaking Peach’s inspective gaze. Shaking herself back into the present, she nodded. Time to put this princess in her place.
Out of breath, a nervous Toad clambered into the referee chair, clearly intimidated into the position by Daisy. He adjusted the hat on his blue spotted head, gulping. “H-Have we decided who will be serving?”
“Have Lime serve!”, hollered Waluigi from the sidelines. “Peach already had her turn last match!” Wario joined in, continuing the harassment of the poor fungus. Daisy didn’t take lightly to that, going over to them and beginning a shouting match. The Toad paled, looking between them and the princesses on court in distress.
“Princess Peach, is this okay with you?”
At this, Peach nodded, effectively shutting up the others arguing. “Whatever will get this finished as fast as possible. If Lime wishes to serve, then she serves.” She gave her a strong look. “It won’t matter by the end of the day.” The green princess returned her look with a sneer.
“Alright then.” Pulling out a tennis ball from a can he’d brought with him, the referee tossed it over to Lime, who caught it in her almost claw-like nails. “Match start, love serving love. Start!”
The Miroian princess bounced the ball against the concrete a couple times, eyes flicking between it and her opponent. “You know, I’ve waited a long time for this,” she commented loudly. “Showing up the Mushroom Kingdom’s beloved ruler, seeing you just to knock you flat on your-”
“Either serve or chat,” Peach interrupted, already over her attitude. “I don’t need to waste my time being insulted. Play.”
“So touchy,” Lime scoffed, rolling her eyes. “But fine. I’ll play.” In a flash, the ball was in the air and careening towards the princess in pink without warning. Peach had to dive in order to get the ball back across the court. Just like that, the game had begun, and if this was anything to go by, Lime was looking to win by any means necessary.
The match went by in a blur, the sound of bouncing balls and tennis rackets ringing out in the stadium. Wario, Waluigi, and Daisy all cheered for their respective friend, occasionally getting into spats over the game’s events. As usual whenever Peach played, another crowd began to draw. The royalty at play however didn’t seem to notice, or if they did they didn’t care at all. Points came rarely, the volleys sometimes lasting minutes at a time. First to score was Lime, who erupted in a cry of crass celebration.
“HA!” She danced in a circle, a rather awkward sight. “Take THAT, Peaches!”
Peach, meanwhile, simply huffed. There were still at least three more volleys until she would win. Plenty of time to make a comeback. Now her turn to serve the ball, she gave it a topspin, her personal favorite and preferred shot. Sailing over to Lime, she seemed to pause for a second before returning the shot, as if caught off guard by Peach’s immediate continuation of the game instead of a chance for more banter.
In only three back-and-forths, Peach managed to get the ball to the opposite side of the court and score on Lime. “Fifteen, all!” came the referee Toad’s call. Peach hummed in satisfaction, taking a second to readjust her ponytail. Lime, meanwhile, was furious, stomping the ground and spouting excuses.
“What’s wrong, Lime?”, Peach called. “Don’t tell me you’re a sore loser?” Stuttering on her words, Lime eventually shrieked in frustration before going to pick up the ball, grumbling obscenities as she went. The rest of the game went mostly the same, one side scoring and Lime overreacting regardless of if she scored or not. Eventually, it came to a standstill, both tied with a deuce, though Peach has managed to win the advantage.
Peach was sweating profusely. As much as she trashed talked and got under her skin, Lime was a masterful tennis player. However, her anger had seemed to grow with every score against her. The green princess was now visibly seething, chest rising and falling with both exhaustion and rage. She was glaring at Peach as she prepared to serve it, as if hoping she could bore a hole through her and win by default.
“Deuce, advantage Peach”, called the referee Toad. At this point about half of the stadium was filled, a notable crowd considering the time of day. “Next point wins the game!” With that, Peach took one last breath to focus, and then it was off. A quick swing and the match was in motion.
Peach, Lime, Peach, Lime, back and forth went the ball between their sides. Both women had worked up a lot of energy at this point, enough for Peach to hopefully be able to get off a special shot and put an end to this. As the ball came to her, the mushroom monarch began to build power to release it in the next shot. Focusing, a subtle pink glow flashed in her eyes.
Across the way, Lime caught it as she prepared to return the volley. A special shot? Seriously?! Well, if she wanted to play it that way, then fine. She wasn’t the only one with magic on the court. As the ball rocketed towards her, she snapped her fingers.
Peach’s eyes widened as time seemed to slow to a crawl as Lime’s actions unfurled. Mirrors appeared in the air all around Lime, held aloft at different angles. With a sneer, the green princess leapt into the air as the ball hit the first mirror. It ricocheted off of it, hitting another, and another, bouncing off of more and more as it gained speed. Finally, it arrived in front of Lime, who practically screamed in exclamation as she smashed her racket into it, sending it into one final mirror suspended between her and Peach. Instead of bouncing the ball, though, it shattered into a shiny and dangerous display of shards.
Squinting in order to try and keep her eye on the ball, Peach widened her stance and held her racket tight, ready to attempt to return the shot. It came at her like a bullet. No time for a special shot. Planting her feet, she cried out in effort as she swung her racket. She felt herself get pushed back a foot or two, but no snap. Opening her eyes more, she saw that she’d managed to block the shot and give it enough force to get it back over the net!
Lime was exhausted from the move. That should have been the winning strike, but it wasn’t! As she came back down, she scrambled to return the ball, only for her legs to give out as she dived to return it. With a plop, the ball bounced twice and rolled off.
The referee stood up in his chair excitedly. “And Peach wins!”, he announced, the stadium roaring in celebration. Peach gave a smile and a weak wave, but her attention was moreso focused on Lime, who was still sitting on the ground. Concerned, she gently waved Daisy off as she went up to her opponent.
“Lime, dear, are you okay-?”
“GO AWAY!”, came the response, the Miroian princess snapping at her. Her voice was raspy now, almost as if she’d been… crying? “You won, you really need to rub it in?”
“I- No! I came to check on you,” Peach cautiously clarified, crouching next to her. “You alright? That was quite the dive.” Lime simply glared at her, letting Peach see that her makeup was slightly messy now.
“Whatever. Not like you care. Don’t you have a stupid meeting to go to or something?”, she asked, annoyed.
“Well, yes, but I just-”
“Wanted to show off? Show me that I can’t compete with you?”, Lime interrupted. “To remind me I’m just some ugly, washed up version of you?” Peach was taken aback by this comment, not expecting this at all. She sputtered as she tried to respond, coming up short of one.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought…” Wiping her nose on her hand, Lime got up, walking over to an exit where Wario and Waluigi waited. “But mark my words, Peach, I’m gonna beat you some day. And you’re gonna feel it!”
Struck dumb, Peach could only watch as she walked off. Daisy came over to her, pulling her up to her feet. “Geezow, what was that about?”, she asked.
“I’m… not quite sure,” she confessed honestly. Shaking her head, she undid her ponytail. “But I’m ready to go. I may just reschedule my dinner tonight. I… I need a bit to process that.”
Daisy nodded. “Alright,” she said. “Well, let’s be off then. I’ll drive you back to the castle, ‘kay?” Peach nodded mutely in thanks. Both princesses left the stadium, one of their mind’s filled with confused thoughts. Just who was Lime..?