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The cage that was her lesser prison swung gently, like pendulum seeking inertia; it brought to her tense body something vaguely resembling comfort, even when the heat of the fire sea below bounced in the dark granite and to her fair skin and through her heavy clothing. The dark and poorly aesthetic blocks made her greater prison, the impotent Koopa Castle in the Darklands. Once again she was the damsel of the old, tired tale; although having seen history repeat itself so many times made her so apathetic to perform her designated role. The cage that was her lesser prison stopped swinging, her emotions stood silent.
Memories of joy saddened her, she sworn so many times to treasure those days more each time she was captive. Memories of grief angered her, she cursed that there was so little she could do for those dear to her. Her own powerlessness was source of many feelings towards herself. She would be reminded of her demons, and those feeling engulfed her each time.
For as long as the chamber was silent, however, her emotions stood still like calm water. It was not overcome what prompted that stillness and serenity, however; it was fatigue.
“Can you look a little livelier, my Toadstool?” Stomps irrupted the stillness, not enough to motivate her to stand up, but enough to bring emotions back to her. The very cell vibrated with Bowser’s approach, “Why the long face?” he complained with faint humor.
Peach gave no response, why would she? She was no more than a stupid trophy for the koopa king to admire. As much as it irritated her to see him, there was no reason to engage in his foolish diatribe.
“Aren’t you going to say anything to your beloved king?” He replied to her silence. Bowser approached the cage and gave it a light push. His strength was one that could make the heavy cell wiggle and swing with the mere push of his fingers. The thought made her body tremble with fright. Her glare was but a front.
“You want me to be jolly stuck in this pitiful birdcage?”
Bowser laughed, he thought of the princess to be quite a jokester. “I wouldn’t have to lock you up if you were a good girl and cooperated.”
He pushed the cage again, holding it still for Peach to slide to the edge, closer to him. His figure towered her and his smile taunted her. By the contrast, she felt herself small and a chill ran down her spine. She held to her disdain nonetheless, in spite of the uneasiness underneath. Bowser’s hypocrite smile met a sharp glare from the princess.
“I can’t believe you’re stupid enough to keep rejecting my proposal.” Bowser smirked, his gaze became a glare, it intimidated her with ease, even when her eyes remained sharp. “I could give you the world, all you have to do is become my queen and swear your love and devotion to me.”
Bowser leaned closer, pushing the cage further, it forced the princess closer to him. His smirk suggested her to give up and comply to his ridiculous delusion. It was sickening, “You’re the foolish one to think I’d agree to be your glorified slave, Koopa.”
“Come on, we’d make an excellent couple! There’s no one in the world more adequate for you!”
“I’ll be damned if I involved myself with the likes of you,” she replied, caught up in her turmoil of emotions. “You’re a monster and your obsession makes me sick!”
He released the cage from his grip as he backed up outraged. The pendulum made Peach lose her balance and fell back. Bowser on the other side was fuming.
I don’t get it! I’m the mighty koopa king! There’s no one greater than me! I am the strongest! I have an army! Riches beyond compare!” Bowser stared daggers at her, his anger pierced through her own, frightening her. “I can put the whole world to its knees! Is that not enough for you?!”
“You have no idea, Koopa-”
“Then tell me!” He interrupted, gripping the cage once more, Peach slid to him and hit her knees with the bars. Regardless of her pained yelp, he continued, “How come after all I have, all I do, you still don’t love me?!” And once again he released the cage, sending Peach back away.
He rubbed her knees, her anger mixed with fright and physical pain made for a very volatile combination. She didn’t give Bowser a response, she could barely even process the question with her knees hurting unbearably.
“Answer me!!” he shouted.
It was best for Peach to not get caught with the likes of him, she thought as much in her solitude. But as she stood, pained, scared and ever so slightly angry, she couldn’t think of anything other than let her feelings loose. She spoke to him.
“For one… I loathe you, Bowser.”
Memories came to mind, the many grievances the koopa king had brought to her, the kingdom and those dear to her. “You terrorize my kingdom and my people, you cause so much destruction in your way. You bring grief to everyone I love… You claim to love me, but you don’t care about all misery you cause to me.”
In a moment of silence, she took a deep breath to cool down her temper. Something deep down told her it was unsafe to and get carried away by ire.
“You're a monster, I hate you. And for you to be so oblivious of all the damage you’ve done to me, expecting me to reciprocate with your obsession… It’s revolting.”
Her speech was interrupted by quite the amused laughter. “Are those supposed to be bad things?!” Bowser continued to laugh like a fool, everything she said was but a compliment to him in some way she couldn’t understand. “You flatter me, Toadstool!”
She spoke about her pain, and to which he laughed. It could have enraged her further, having seen her feelings ridiculed, but instead her eyes filled with sadness. He was oblivious of many things. Peach spoke again.
“I loathe you… but I also pity you.”
Bowser’s laughter immediately stopped. “What did you say…?” Peach continued to speak before he could even ask.
“We’ve done this song and dance for longer that I can remember, the outcome remains the same.” Peach rested both hands in her chest and closed her eyes. “I’ve wished for a brighter future for all of us, for you to realize your endeavor is a fool’s errand, but not once you have realized. I’m beginning to think you can’t.”
It was not the first time she was his captive; it was not the first time he was going to fail in his conquest. Bowser was fated to lose for as long as he tried to reign terror. Apart from angering her, it saddened to see him waste himself in such a way, but he did it to himself. She could only watch in disappointment as history repeated over and over.
“You cling to this false hope that you will succeed eventually, but you are fated to lose, Bowser. You have tried it all, nothing will work.” The princess faced his way, eyes closed, hands pressed against her chest. “For me to see you refuse your wrongs and fail each time because of it…
"It makes me feel sorry for you."
CRASH
The cage swung with the sudden force of an angry fist strike. Peach yelped and fell to her knees. Her heart almost jumped out of her in sheer terror. She had lowered her guard.
"Just who do you think you are to look down on me?!" Bowser roared. "You speak bold words while stuck in that cage!! You're in my domain! You belong to me!!"
CRASH. Another punch. The chains cackled as it swung violently, the princess cowered, overwhelmed by the painful twist in her chest. She cried, unable to hold her collected front any longer.
"You think I'm pathetic?! Look at yourself, Toadstool!!" Peach couldn’t do anything as Bowser struck her in a delicate nerve. "You're nothing but a weak, helpless brat!”
Having met the ire of Bowser, her fright spiked, tears fell down and she couldn’t do anything for but cower in fear. The koopa pushed the cage one more time, all the way for Peach to crash against the bars. He shut her eyes to avoid looking at him, her words were mere soft whimpers of fear.
“You try to act like you’re better than me, but you’re pitiful! You can’t do anything!” With a flick of his hand, the cage wiggled aimlessly. The princess’ fruitless effort to stay in balance amused him. “Who’s feeling sorry for who now?!”
Shortly, the wiggle stopped. The room fell quiet and Peach was left staring at the metallic floor. There she remembered how powerless she truly was. Her life was at the mercy of the koopa king and, if so he wanted, he could discard such fragile life with ease. In spite of it all, her feelings and his fate, Bowser still had total dominance over her, she couldn’t do anything about it. At that moment she felt pathetic, ashamed, worthless... And it was all because of him.
“You always bring the worst of me, Bowser…”
Peach understood that she was never meant to give an answer, he wouldn’t listen. The words that came from her were not going to be listened to either. But deep in her heart, she needed to confess herself.
“I feel unsafe close to you. I see how fragile my life is and how little I can do to protect it; you make me feel powerless and afraid.” Her tears began to fall once again, they were made of fear and shame. “You make me see how pitiful and worthless I am. It burns so much to think of it, I try to ignore it, but you always manage to remind me. It hurts”
She stood up, stepping closer to Bowser, who was oddly attentive to her words. She couldn’t decipher what kind of expression he held, but it didn’t matter.
“How can I love someone that makes me feel scared for my life? How can I love someone that makes me feel miserable? I can’t, Bowser. I can’t…”
Having given an answer, Peach turned around and met the opposite side of the cage, their conversation was over.
However, Bowser was not satisfied. He grabbed the cage and shook it, seeking her attention back. “I’m not done with you, Toadstool!” He pushed it again, attempting to force her to him, but instead the princess held herself to the bars. There was one thing she could do in spite of his total dominance, something she thought she should have done from the very beginning. Peach gave him no response, no matter how much he shook, no matter how much he pushed, she refused it.
Finally, Bowser gave up. “Bah! Do what you want!” He pushed the cage one last time in a tantrum, then stomped his way out of the room.
When her emotions were still, the silence was rather comforting. That same silence accompanied her then, when her heart was a turmoil, it was jarring instead. As much as she hated to participate in the old, tired story, Peach could not escape it; as much as she ignored it, she would always remember it sooner or later.
She was a damsel in distress, helpless and fragile.
“I want to go home…” she whispered, crying with pain in her heart. More than ever she wanted to be at the comfort of her castle, taking care of her toads, do whatever nuance Toadsworth prepared for her day. She wanted to spend the afternoon by the side of her hero, eat some sweets with him, chat until the day turned night, enjoy the sight of his smile and the blush of his cheeks. More than ever she wanted to see him.
From inside her dress, she took out a couple things she carried with her. there was only one thing she could do at that moment. She could let those feelings go loose.
“As much as I want to deny it, pretend that I’m getting used to it, captivity never fails to make me feel horrible. I keep causing troubles to those I love because of my incompetence to stand up against my captors. It makes me hate myself greatly, you can’t imagine how much.”
Tears fell on the paper like drops of rain, she couldn’t stop them, not while her heart poured her feelings into it through the ink of the worn out pen.
“I am useless, I am helpless, a weakling and a coward. And the worst thing is that I can’t do anything other than pray for you and the kingdom. I wish I could help somehow, I wish I could escape this nightmare, I truly do.”
Whenever she was upset, Peach made memory of all the blessings life has granted her; and she would remember what it was to smile with joy. She had remembered her hero many times throughout the passing days, but it was only at that moment, with a heart full of despair, that she didn’t smile, but cried instead.
“It is at times like this when I remember you the most. I remember your smile, your joy, your funny accent… And it pains me so much, because I crave you here with me more than ever. I’m truly sorry, I can’t do anything but demand things from you. You must have it difficult as is.”
Then, in his remembrance, the princess wiped away her tears, even when they continued to fall, she tried to stop them. He would tell her not to cry, to stand proud, that she could do so much more. Even when she couldn’t believe in herself, there he was to believe in her.
“But among the pain, I remember the many times you have encouraged me, the many days you aided me at my worst, and how much I’ve grown because of you. You keep on fighting, I must stand up too, even if there’s nothing I can do. If I haven’t given up yet, it’s because of you.”
In the lines of the koopa army, there was one silent koopa, committed to the cause of his king, but generous enough to do the princess one big favor. The improvised envelop made its way out of the Darklands, to the hands of fellow winged deliverymen.
“You always bring the best of me, even at the most difficult times. You bring happiness to my life and I cannot express with words how grateful I am for everything you’ve done. It’s almost ironic you make me feel this way, given everything I’ve gone through.”
Not a single minion was left unscathed in his path. Every goomba he stomped, every koopa he kicked, it was not enough to satisfy his anger. Having read those words of pain, he could not begin to imagine the sadness in her eyes, he could not stand it. His feet moved forward to an unimaginable speed, as if he was possessed. He fought his way through hell, desperately seeking to live up to that hope she struggled to keep in her heart. He sworn to punish the koopa king for all the misery he had made her go through. More than just duty, it was his ideal, his vow.
“I hope this letter reaches you well. If I can’t see you, at least hear from me. That would give me repose. Until the time I see you once more, I shall wait, I shall pray. I will hold onto my hope and stand strong, because I believe in you the same way you believe in me.”
Even if all she could do was sit and wait for her hero to come, like the pathetic damsel in distress that she was forced to be, she held her head high. She didn’t let her despair bring her down, for there was hope in her heart. Peach held her hands together, looking at the night sky of the Darklands, making prayer after prayer to all the stars that blessed her with their presence. She smiled, dreaming of that fated encounter, when she could take the hand of her beloved hero.
“Can’t wait to see you. I’ll pray for us to meet again.”
“I miss you, my dear Mario.”