Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

“Hurry… You must hurry, Princess…”

Princess Peach’s eyes open at the behest of that spectral, feminine command. Her lids are weary, dry. She’s cushioned in the hands of omniscient constellations, feels her crownless hair drift amongst her body, longer than it ought to be. It’s then that she notices she’s wearing a gown unlike any she’s ever donned. It glistens with sparkles of blue, glowing like moonlight. It’s as if it's woven of the insides of the cosmos itself, devoid of any real texture or mundane material. It ebbs and flows over her knees like the waves of a serene sea, twinkling through the abyss of space. Her bare feet drift along the currents of stillness.

There’s only one recognizable adornment she spots. The signature brooch she wears on her usual dress. It’s right where it belongs.

Floating normally comes so easily to her, but in this world, it’s alien and disorienting. She searches for the voice’s source only to come eye-to-eye with the ravenous maw of a coming storm. It’s murky, like oil, and it smears the knowing glints of the stars, one by one. It’s as if candles are being snuffed out bit by bit on a grand scale.

“Hurry,” the voice pleads again. Grand and booming, Peach can tell it’s coming from within the hurricane of tenebrosity.

Peach shudders, locked in place. What can I do? 

What if she gets caught again? And what will her dear toads think if she’s gone from her castle and in need of rescue yet again?

The unseeable entity screams, and Peach glances back, ruptured from her thread of thoughts. Her brows furrow with aching sympathy.

It doesn’t matter. I can’t just stand and watch!

So Peach braces herself. She reaches out a hand, propelling herself onward with several kicks of her legs. “I’m coming!”

But it’s impossible to breach the storm. It pushes her back and back when she tries to approach. And yet, she can’t just leave her in need. She has to help, one way or another. And if that means getting chewed and spit out by that tumultuous tempest, so be it.

Just a little more! She kicks, faster and faster. Faster and faster and — Go, go, go, like I’m on the Rainbow Road!

She’s able to get closer, and her hair’s whipping across her frigid cheeks as the catastrophic winds threaten to throw her out of control. For the faintest second, Peach thinks she can see her, the colossal coalition of celestial bodies that makes up a hand ten times her size. The spark of a pupil-less eye…

“Thank you,” the woman says in gratitude despite the circumstances, falling into calm even as the hurricane eats away at her darkening form. “In time, I’m certain you’ll succeed.”

“I will! Just give me a bit more — !”

Peach is so close, yet so far. And when she reaches out a final time, it’s like a chain link has snapped, and now she’s sent soaring away faster than a cannonball being fired. She screams. Not only from the sheer whiplash, but also from seeing the last bits of the being’s form recede into the clutches of ruination.

I couldn’t… I couldn’t do it. Of course, I couldn’t.

“Princess, we’re almost there!”

With a jolt, Peach’s eyes open at the beckoning of Toadsworth’s notice. The familiar tune and sound of the bus engine coax her back into the comforting territory of reality. She glances down, thankful she’s back in her usual, everyday dress. For final confirmation, she palms her head and feels the familiar touch of her crown.

Regardless, she can’t shake the leftover shivers from the bits her unconscious mind manifested. Another one of those peculiar dreams. That’s the fifth one I’ve had since this week.

She glances out the window, hoping to soothe her mind with the song and sights of her next chapter in life. Over rolling, verdant hills and abundant forestry, a collection of monumental buildings greater than any Peach has laid eyes on comes into view. And that’s saying something. Not even the grandest castles that Bowser imprisoned her in or her own palace can compete. She presses her face to the bus window with eager eyes, trying to get a better look. Her freshly applied blush may get smudged on the glass by accident, but that doesn’t matter. She can touch it up again.

Pristine spires of stark red and precious white bespeckle the sky with their towering structures. Pillars of eye-stretching marble adorn radiant courtyards. A coruscating lake teems with glints of stored sunlight, sure to ensnare starlight at the call of nightfall. Flowers of all colors of the rainbow frame the outdoors with welcoming arms, calling Peach’s name. 

Ruler Academy. A place where dreams can bloom into reality. Where princesses can become the noblest of all and learn to rule with grace and capability, and, oh, she can’t forget kindness, of course —

“I understand this is a dream come true for you, but nonetheless…” Toadsworth’s weary acceptance frees her from the cocoon of thoughts. “Do promise me you will stay safe, my dear.”

Peach hides a slipped pout with a smile. “It’ll be fine. You know I always make sure to send you letters.”

Besides, that’s why she decided to attend Ruler Academy in the first place. She’ll make up for all the times she couldn’t aid her kingdom. She’ll become the proactive, forward-thinking ruler that her lovely toads deserve. After all, if she could save Sparkle Theater and its attendees after yet another trip gone wrong, what couldn’t she do when she set her mind to it? 

She ignores the dispirited, opposing sentiments her dreams have been clouding her with and lets the sunshine of optimism light the path forward.

After everything Mario has done for me and my kingdom, I have to pull my weight!

The brisk acceleration of her personal, Peach-styled bus begins to ease itself into a slowing speed. As the vehicle stops, Peach hops up, taking hold of two of her several pink suitcases with a smile before she practically zips for the exit. Her accompanying toads use teamwork to lift the rest, save for Toadsworth, of course. Her poor caretaker’s got none of the strength needed in his elderly build to attempt even hefting a single one. 

She steps onto a patterned, bright pavement lined with trees so tall they shade her from the sun. Before she can take another step to appreciate the coming harmony of chirping birds and thriving nature, she hears a toad trip and yelp. Taking action, she lets go of her suitcase handles and darts back, catching her darling subject in her arms like a newborn.

“Are you alright?” she asks.

“O-Of course, Your Highness! Clumsy little me wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Or rather, couldn’t see where he was going. Goodness, sometimes it slips her mind that they aren’t as tall and sturdy as she is. She’d gotten swept away once more in packing away every precious gown and garment she could think of, and the amount of luggage she meant to take tripled in no time.

Setting the toad on his feet, she takes the suitcase to her side. “You can stay here. I’ll take it myself.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

Without wasting a beat, she nods as she glances at the pathway leading to her dorm. “Oh, I’ve got boundless energy to spend today. Please, take care of yourself. And feel free to indulge in the rest of my peachy-special, sweety-special, roadtrip-special cake while you’re at it!”

The toad returns to his seat with a chuckle, waving.

Toadsworth, finally out of the bus, adjusts his spectacles with a fretful groan. “It’s never quite the same in the Mushroom Kingdom when you’re absent. Well, that’s how it is a majority of the time, but, ah, still…”

Peach resists the desire to retort directly to that, although the memories of all the abductions and the few times she actually left of her own will circle willy-nilly in her head. Still, she can’t help but acknowledge the big, gaping truth she’d glossed over in her enthusiasm to attend the academy. 

She puts a hand to her mouth as her bottom lip trembles. “Maybe this was a hasty decision to make. You all spend so much time already watching over the kingdom in my stead.”

Toadsworth jumps, and his tone switches faster than one can blink. “Oh, goodness, no! My dearest, if this is your dream, then I encourage you to chase it with the burning passion of a thousand fire flowers. And you know full well that I am capable of keeping everything under control in the kingdom.”

Peach beams, though her gaze wavers for the faintest second. Maybe more capable.

She relights the warmth in her eyes. That won’t be the case for much longer. “Right, of course! Rest assured, I’ll make the most of this opportunity!”

Though he isn’t one to smile much, Toadsworth does, even though his mustache mostly hides it. Then he sniffles and wipes away a ghost of a tear. “Oh, they grow up so fast…”

“Now, now, there’s no need to cry.” Bashful, Peach chuckles and kneels to press a kiss to his cheek. When she arises, she snorts at the leftover, pink lipstick shape on his face as he stops crying. That trick works like a charm every time.

Toadsworth regains his composure with a laugh, taking out a handkerchief to clean his face. “Well, you’d best go on. Remember, you chose to enroll here, so you’d better make an effort to succeed.”

Peach grabs her luggage as the other toads assist her with the rest. “It’s a promise. Now then, I’m off!”

“Take care, my darling!” He waves.

“You too!” Returning the gesture, she takes one last moment to take in his sincere farewell before turning her sights back to Ruler Academy.

Here we go.

When Peach enters her dorm room, she has to pause to squeal with so much joy it’d be enough to infect the grumpiest person alive. She sets aside her last suitcase and plants her palms on her cheeks. The last of her toads have already come and gone to put the rest of her luggage outside the door, so now she’s left to appreciate the area with all her undying enthusiasm.

Ardent sunlight drowns the dorm like a flood through the windows, soaking the warm tones of the walls and furniture with fluid radiance. Potted flowers decorate the sills and a pair of white study desks. On opposite ends of the room, two queen-sized beds rest beneath colorful pictures of royal artistry. Fluffy sheets of pastel tones color them both, along with uniquely shaped bedframes: one a heart, the other a flower.

“Wonderful! Simply wonderful!” Peach claps her hands and prances over to the obvious bed of her choosing. She twirls so much that her dress gyrates. “A perfect room for a pretty princess like me.”

After taking it in for all the precious moments she can, she begins the time-consuming task of unpacking. Starting, of course, with setting her signature parasol on the nightstand. With every suitcase she opens, more and more heaps of pink fabric and glittery accessories dominate her side of the room. 

In the midst of sorting through her frilliest gowns and her cutest hair bows, the squeak of the dorm door catches her off guard, along with a familiar voice. “Whoa! Who hired the welcoming committee? Pink isn’t the only color that exists. Variety’s supposed to be the spice of life!”

Peach turns, and her jaw drops. “Daisy?” A big, silly grin takes its mark on her face at the same time as her friend’s. “Oh my, it’s really you! Us! Together, in the same dorm!”

Princess Daisy drops her amber-colored suitcases, and as they thunk to the ground, she darts forward so fast that Peach is taken aback. Daisy opens her arms wide, and Peach barely prepares herself before contact comes full force. Despite that, Peach eventually returns the embrace with only a slightly lesser amount of energy. The two of them giggle, dancing their toes up as they lean in closer together. Their colorful dresses twirl with excited movements.

Daisy grins. “The best coincidence ever. As the unstoppable-super-cool-princess-super-bestest-friends-of-all-time duo, we’ll ace the semester without a beat!”

And then Daisy hugs her tighter to go with that. Peach feels like her ribcage is going to fracture and that Daisy’s going to lift her off the ground just like that. “Ah! Daisy, that’s good!”

“Oopsy-daisy.” She breaks off the hug and rubs the back of her head sheepishly. “My bad.”

Peach takes a moment to regain her composure, though despite her poise, the pain’s still stark. “You’re still training every day so you’ll stay in shape for our next game tournament, aren’t you? I’m impressed.”

“You know it. Watch out, ‘cause next time, Daisy’s gonna be number one! Best friend or not, prepare to meet your doom.”

Peach chuckles, strolling over to her bed to continue with her unpacking journey. “So, what brings you to Ruler Academy?”

“Well, things are going swimmingly in Sarasaland, for the most part. I’m way too good at the princess-ing stuff.” Daisy takes her luggage to the flower-themed bed to get to work. “I just wanna see what else there is to learn, and Daddy thinks this whole education thing’ll help.” 

For a second, Peach thinks she hears the slightest falter in Daisy’s voice, but then it goes right back to its natural jovial chirp. “Besides, I definitely don’t ever wanna be dead weight. Obviously, I’m way cooler than that, but I don’t want to fall into that trap, you know?”

Peach grips her next piece of clothing with a little too much obvious strain. “I know all too well.” 

“Who am I kidding? Of course you do! How many times have you and Mario played out the whole hero-rescues-the-princess schtick?”

Without thinking, Peach huffs and sets aside her garment. “Well, I’ll have you know I run the Mushroom Kingdom so well that Bowser doesn’t even consider kidnapping me these days.”

And immediately, doubt spirals in her mind as she throws a panicked pair of fingers to her lips. Luckily, she’s not facing Daisy. Oh, why would I say that?

“What’s this I spy, character development?” Daisy claps. “Now that’s more like it! So you didn’t come to the academy just to learn to stop getting captured, like I guessed you did. What’s the reason, then?”

“T-To fine-tune my leadership skills, of course!” Peach struggles to keep her inflections from betraying the truth — something that’s really a mix of Daisy’s guess and more than that. She spins around and puts her hands on her hips in a show of assertiveness. “I’ve got to shore up the kingdom’s defenses, and what better way to learn to do that than taking classes here? As a ruler, there’s a vast wealth of knowledge to be gained here, and this is the time to take advantage of it.”

Thankfully — or rather, not — Daisy’s buying into it. Sarasaland being so far away, embroiled so deeply in its own world, is the main reason this is working. If Daisy had been around more often, she’d be well in the know about the wedding ordeal when Bowser swept Peach with him all around various kingdoms.

Hopefully, Peach won’t have to worry about going through another one of Bowser’s “forceful invitations” once her time at Ruler Academy’s up. That last occurrence had been the hundredth wedding she hadn’t consented to, too. Stars, if she saved a coin for every time she’d been abducted and nearly forced into marriage, she’d have a vault of gold at her disposal.

Daisy interrupts her mid-thought. “You’ve so gotta tell me about your new era. What adventures has the newly improved Peach gone on?”

“Uh… Oh!” 

Of course, the Sparkle Theater incident. One of the only times she really did save the day on her own — and her most recent adventure in general. And it’s time she brings more of that heroism to her kingdom. Accompanying Mario on his adventures when she could wasn’t enough. She owes him and her kingdom much more than that.

“This was another one of my vacations gone wrong. I saved this place, Sparkle Theater, from being corrupted by the leader of the Sour Bunch Group, Madame Grape. You should have been there! The theets were some of the kindest folk I’ve gotten to know. Hostess Stella and I made a powerful duo! Together, we saved the theater.”

Daisy snorts. “An evil overlord named Grape? Next, you’ll tell me about how you took down a dragon a million times Bowser’s size.”

Well, I have seen one, technically…

“But it’s true. I really helped the theets, and I’m so glad they got the happily ever after they deserved.”

“Whatever. Give me something believable. And something you did solo, too!”

Peach gulps. Think of something!

“W-Well, last time Bowser tried to force me into marriage, I showed him why he shouldn’t mess with the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.”

“How?”

Peach tries to recall the moves she once knew like the back of her hand when she had her Sparkle powers. Swordfighting, martial arts, lasso-throwing, anything. It’s too bad she couldn’t keep them forever, and now, she can’t remember how to pull off a roundhouse kick even though her memories of doing just that are crystal clear.

She flimsily takes a fighting stance and pumps out a mean fist, followed by a slew of other attacks. Miraculously, she’s not too clumsy to pull it off, so Daisy’s buying it. “Just like that. You should have seen how I sent him flying. He should’ve known better than to mess with my peachy fisticuffs of punishment!”

Daisy laughs. “That’s so sick! We gotta take the princess self-defense class together so you can show me your moves.”

Peach can’t help but think about what really happened, and suddenly, she’s feeling a touch too much warmth speckling her cheeks. It’s all awfully so vivid.

“Please, can’t we discuss this over a cup of tea?” she’d pleaded to Bowser, grasping his scaly, oversized finger as she struggled to free herself. The material of her veil and uncomfortably restrictive wedding gown spilled through the crevices of his gnarled fingers. On top of her head, Tiara, her fellow captive in arms, quivered. “How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t want to be your bride! I-I hope you find the love of your life, but that’s not me!”

“Don’t be silly, Peaches!” Bowser had lifted a ring thrice her size, and Peach already knew where this was going. “Now, be a doll and accept this symbol of my gargantuan, immortal, koopa-blessed love for you.”

He’d tried to…. Put it on her way-too-small finger then. And then it turned into him trying to throw it over her whole body; however that was supposed to work. She’d resisted, pushing the gigantic monstrosity of jewelry back with every inch of strength she could find.

Then Bowser burst into song, singing something along the lines of “Peaches, Peaches, Peaches,” and she wanted to scream as, bit by bit, the ring came closer to falling over her. The wedding attendees’ whispers and gasps only made things more embarrassing, and yet, Peach found herself succumbing to her usual cry for help.

“Marrrrriiiiiiioooooo!”

“Tell me more! About how Super Princess Peach went all boom, pow, slash, smash, wa-pow!”

Peach’s memory shatters at Daisy’s sudden interjection. Glass shards of regret and guilt are falling all over her inner shores. Her cheeks are flames at this point, so she clasps them and forces out the most authentic, totally-not-lying smile she can. She’s dug herself far too deep into the hole at this point, but at least she can prop up some kind of excuse.

“I’d love to, but, em… I’ve been dying to explore the academy. I heard the dining hall is simply magnificent, and I’d love to see it. Perhaps more story time can wait for another day?”

“Omigosh, now that you mention it, I haven’t seen much around here, either.” Daisy zips over and snatches Peach’s wrist. “Let’s go scope the place out!”

Peach can’t even utter a small “whew” before Daisy’s taking off with her so swiftly there’s a cloud of dust trailing behind their clinking heels. As Peach gets swept away like a rag doll, she chirps with either more surprise or fear. “There’s no need to go so fast!”

“Are you kidding? Every inch of this wonderland is itching to be explored, so we’ve gotta do it ASAP!”

The trip throughout the academy’s most iconic areas eventually calms Peach’s nerves somewhat. Between witnessing the cerulean waters of marble-carved fountains, the floral tapestries decorating the musical rooms, and the dining room itself, she’s left with a squeal of childlike wonder. She can already imagine the delectable delights that’ll grace the beautiful, soon-to-be-there ceramic plates and their detailed designs and silverware.

While she admires the flower vases splayed amongst the long-spanning tables, a couple of girls walk by while waving. Likely empresses or matriarchs, if their unique headdresses are anything to go by. 

Simultaneously, they greet her. “Good day to you.”

Peach waves back with a slight curtsy. “Good day.”

When they pass by Daisy and do the same, she just snickers before responding. “Heya!”

Peach withholds a snort at Daisy’s typical habits. Surely she’s gotten a better sense of manners when it really matters. At least, she thinks.

After the girls depart, Peach beams. “What friendly peers.” She remembers all the kingdoms she’s explored and realizes just how little she still knows about the world. All the cultures and different folks dying to be discovered. “I wonder who’ll be our classmates.”

Before Daisy can respond, a clack of heels draws their eyes to the exit archway. The first element Peach catches right away? That stylish hat, sitting atop a nest of luscious, chestnut-colored locks. Then it's the saturated, sharp business suit. Her towering height. And the stack of papers the woman’s got attached to the clipboard in her hands, subject to the calculating, focused gaze of her eyes.

The mayor of New Donk City herself, Pauline. Both the ambitious go-getter who could run a city and the talented singer who could stir the hearts of her citizens into the wildest frenzy.

Pauline, who attended her and Bowser’s wedding, and saw everything.

Instantly, Peach’s heartbeats triple in thumps and pulses. Of course, that’s when Pauline just has to glance up from her paperwork and initiate a greeting with a smile. “Is that who I think it is? Princess Peach, it's wonderful to see you again after so long. Good day to you.”

Peach waves awkwardly. “Good day!” 

Before she can think of a plan to work herself out of this one, Daisy dances past her. The worst-case scenario’s already playing out.

“The Metro Kingdom fashionista in the flesh!” She throws her hand into Pauline’s to deliver a handshake so strong it nearly knocks the clipboard out of the mayor’s other hand and jostles her body in the process. “Hi, I’m Daisy, the princess of Sarasaland! It’s nice to meet ya.”

Pauline struggles to string a response together until the handshake ends. She takes a moment to reorient herself and touch up bits of her now-wild hair. Peach would chuckle at the sight of Daisy’s usual antics if it weren’t for, well, the obvious elephant in the room.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Pauline says, organizing her messed-up list of papers. “For a princess, you’ve got a mean handshake.”

“Peach has told me so much about you, but I’m still itching to pry you open faster than those boring etiquette books at home. Do you really not have royal servants to pamper you at your beck and call? And how can you run a kingdom that’s made out of asphalt and tall towers? That must look weird. Mario’s told me what it’s like to live there, but I still don’t get it. Oh, have the subjects of the Metro Kingdom heard about this awesome delicacy called serpent-swine stew? When you mix it with fire flower stems, oh man, it hits the spot! You need to try it!”

Pauline smiles, but her expression droops somewhat at the onslaught of Daisy-tailored questions. She’s clearly unsure where to begin, and her brows upturn with confusion as she stiffly laughs. “It’s not a kingdom. It’s a city. We run things on a mayor-council system of government. Metro Kingdom is a charming name, though.”

“Cool beans! I’m still gonna call it that. I ain’t no ordinary slouch of a monarch, either. I got a whole nation with several kingdoms, too!”

“That’s… fascinating,” Pauline says, clearly checked out despite her grin. And expectedly, Daisy’s still going and going with the excitement of a youthful toad squealing for a cone of ice cream.

Daisy’s going to learn everything if this interaction keeps up for too long. Her motormouth tendencies will whittle the mayor down in no time until she’ll finally pop the question that’ll expose everything. Though Peach winces at the thought of what she ought to do, she feels like she has no choice.

Think fast, think fast!

She interjects, cutting off Daisy’s nonstop rambling. “Mayor Pauline, it’s lovely to see you’re attending Ruler Academy as well.” She eyeballs the clipboard. “But you look quite busy. I’d hate to get in the way of whatever it is you’re working on. We should get going.”

“True, I am very busy. Reviewing budgetary plans and infrastructure changes on the fly is no easy feat. Fortunately…” She fishes out a pen and clicks it with a manicured nail before checking her wristwatch. “I’ve mastered the art of time management. There's exactly two minutes and forty-seven seconds to spare.”

Daisy cheers. “You and Peachy have history. Hit me with your guys’ latest tale.”

Which would be the wedding.

Peach’s heart drops. This is it. All she can think of now is a last-minute resort, so she’s spinning around to look out a window. “Oh, look at the time! I do want to make sure I see the rest of the gardens before the sun falls.” She haphazardly curtsies to Pauline and Daisy before making a mad dash for the exit into the halls. “I’ll catch up with you both later!”

Pauline speaks, but Peach doesn’t bother turning back to see the surely dumbfounded expression on her face. “Huh? Well, uh, okay…?”

Daisy’s exasperated shout follows suit. “Wait, Peach! Come back!”

At first, there’s the surge of quick footsteps following after her, but then they taper off only some moments later. Peach hears Daisy utter something to Pauline. And though part of Peach is relieved, she can’t thaw the growing frost of guilt that’s gnawing on her spirits.

Deep into the twisty and variegated-sprawled woods surrounding the academy, away from prying eyes and any sign of students or staff, Peach finally allows herself to fall to her knees and wallow in her shame.

What was I thinking!? Lying and thinking I could get away with it! Daisy deserves a better friend than that. My kingdom does…

Not to mention, between all the game tournaments and inevitable meet-ups, it would only be a matter of time until she found out.

Sighing, Peach presses a gloved hand to the brooch on her chest. A long-held gift Toadsworth bestowed upon her since her days of childhood. It’d been while since she sat under a night-kissed sky, and the jewel and stratosphere both shimmered with ravishing shooting stars.

Make a wish. That’s what he told her. From that day on, it’d always been the same dream. To be the best princess she could hope to be. For the sake of the toads. And even once she met Mario, Luigi, Daisy, every friend she could think of, that never changed. It was never truly only about evading captivity, but much more.

Can I really do it?

Yes, right? That’s why she came here to begin with. But she still can’t help but wish it hadn’t taken so long. Even with the little bit of magic she’s got at her disposal, a mysterious gift augmented by her brooch, she hasn’t made much of a difference.

Abruptly, a nearby shrubbery rustles. She jumps to her feet, anticipating the worst. “Who’s there?”

Whatever the culprit is, it bounds out of its hiding spot so fast it’s an unsettling blur. It’s something small and nimble, with milky fur that brims into a rosy color toward the ends of… floppy bunny ears? And it looks like it’s wearing a starry headdress, complete with a jade veil.

The bunny stops before her, and now Peach can really take in the rest of the details. It’s got adorable eyes that aren’t too unlike the ones of a typical bubble flower or even the rare power star. A sparkle-contoured symbol bedecks its fluffy forehead with turquoise beauty. It’s got some kind of bag at its side, holding something clearly valuable.

“How adorable,” Peach says, reaching out to stroke it. “And here I thought I was in for a rude surprise kidnapping — ”

“Thank the stars, I’m saved! Please, Miss, let me hide!” The feminine lilt, in all its trepidation and stress, is rather regal-sounding. The bunny darts right underneath her dress, startling her.

A talking bunny. Not as strangely charming as the talking flowers she’s seen sprawled about the world, and nowhere near the zaniest thing she’s witnessed in her lifetime, but still memorable nonetheless.

As she feels the rabbit hop every which way under her skirt, probably finding the most comfortable spot, Peach looks down with confusion. “What’s the matter? Whatever are you hiding from?”

“T-This cruel man appeared out of nowhere and separated my brother and me. My brother protected me long enough so I could escape. It’s a long story. If I don’t find the legendary Mistresses of Light soon, we’re all doomed!”

“Mistresses of Light?” Peach asks. 

“The warriors that have the power to fend off the interlopers of Chaos, of course! With sovereignty, dignity, and grace, as befitting their status, it’s their duty to safeguard the peace of the world, much like they do their own people.”

Peach nods in sympathy despite her still-festering confusion. It’s not unlike hearing a tall tale someone could’ve made up, but her heart just knows that this is surely sincere. “I see.”

“Say, you’ve got a crown. If you’re a princess, maybe you’re one of them. We’re saved!”

Peach’s heart drops like an anvil. Doubt scurries in the pits of her gut as the edges of her mouth curl down. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

“Oh.” A pause, followed by a mixture of panicked yelps and pants. “Then we’re really, really doomed! If only my brother were here… he always knows what to do.”

Is that a sniffle Peach hears? She lifts her skirt to see the poor thing sniveling over one of her heels with teary eyes.

“Hey now, I’m sure it’ll all be alright.” Peach kneels to stroke her in hopes that it’ll calm the bunny somewhat. “Tell you what, how about you try some of my renowned double-cherry tea? I promise you’ll feel better after you taste it. After that, I’ll help you find your brother.”

The bunny looks up to her, still sobbing. “I haven’t got the time. I have to act now.”

“Yes, that’s true. But it’s also important to look after yourself. You’ll have an easier time if you take a moment to de-stress.” 

Looking around, Peach searches for something to stave off the bunny’s surely existent appetite. The darling looks hungry even if she won’t say it. Sure enough, there’s an apple nestled in a nearby tree. As Peach strides toward it, the bunny grips onto her ankle, staying hidden beneath the protecting arms of her dress.

Peach plucks the apple out and takes a deep breath, readying herself for the incoming spell. She’s done this often enough that it shouldn’t be too hard. It always takes her cakes and other confectionery treats to the next level when it succeeds. Plus, it cleans the fruit well without the need for water.

Wisps of pink sorcery seep from her slender fingers, slinking into the awaiting fruit. As the last of it vanishes from sight, she channels the last bit of magic to cut and dice it into bite-sized chunks. Cradling the apple slices, she lifts her dress and deposits them by the bunny.

“Eat up!”

A rumbling groan of a stomach is all Peach gets in response, followed by rapid chewing noises. “Whoa! This is better than the best carrots I’ve eaten.”

Peach giggles, glad to see the bunny’s face lightening up more and more with each bite.

In a sea of withering, once sickeningly bright trees, a man stands atop a branch. With a black and red tarot card in one hand and a pesky bunny in the other one — oh, ahem, pesky lulin — he searches high and low for the one that escaped. She’s the one who matters.

The lulin squirms in his grasp, so the man tightens his grip on the scruff of his neck. That doesn’t stop the insipid protests. “You’ll never find my sister! We’ll stop you before — ”

A brush of the knife-sharp card to the lulin’s throat follows, piercing enough to bisect flesh. That’s enough to shut him up instantly. Good. Now it’s easier to focus…

And then something blindingly saccharine and sweet and hearty hits all his senses with the subtlety of a million suns. It disgusts him to his core, makes him want to seethe, even if his eternal expression of calm doesn’t give that away. There’s the revolting, faintest scent of apples. It stinks of faith, reeks of love. 

He knows exactly what that stench is. Whether it’s intermixed with fruit, water, or the bloody air, it doesn’t matter. It’s all the same.

Wish magic.

But even so, if it displeases him, that doesn’t matter. It’s good news.

He takes out the rest of his card deck, reshuffles it to check his fortune. He draws the chariot out of all seventy-eight cards. Action. Drive. Success.

With a sneer and a confident step of his thigh-reaching, heeled boots, he hops off from his perch. He’s got a clear scent to follow now. She can’t be too far from here.

“Found you, little lulin. You’re not awakening that Mistress of Light on my watch.”

“Feel better?” Peach asks, having nestled under a tree beside the bunny.

The bunny finishes up the last bits of her meal. “More than better. I feel exquisite!” She hops onto Peach’s lap, smiling. “Thank you so much. And excuse my prior manners. My name’s Prinna.”

“It was nothing. I’m Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom.” 

“That magic you used, that wasn’t any ordinary spell. How’d you do it?”

“Lots of practice. I’ve had it since I was born. It may sound hard to believe, but I can float with it, too.”

“It tasted right. Just like what the queen described it as…” Prinna puts a paw to her chin, and she touches her bag, as if to fetch whatever’s inside. “Wish magic. If you’re exceptional at using it, you could very well be one of the mistresses. Thank the cosmos, we might be saved after all!”

Peach scratches the back of her head and waves her hand. “I sincerely doubt it. I’m certain there are far more likely candidates out there.”

“This is no laughing matter,” Prinna replies. “So long as the mistresses are absent, the Consortium of Chaos will cast the world into ruin without mercy.”

Prinna’s voice cracks in tune with her lowering gaze. “They… They already took my home, and now my brother. Princess, please.” She fishes out a pendant that’s entwined with floral engravings and shaped like a heart. Its radiant gold reminds Peach of a sunsetting sky, ready to sleep itself blue. “You may be our only hope. Please. Help us.”

Commiseration tears through the curtain of hesitation. Oh, how it hurts to see the poor darling on the brink of tears. She has nowhere to go, not even home, and now the entire world’s at risk. Every kingdom, every nation, every child. Her friends.

This is no simple matter of choice. It’s do or don’t.

“Okay,” Peach says, letting out a breath of decision. “I’ll try. What do I have to do?”

A slithery, baritone voice takes over her ears. “You won’t be doing anything, my dear mademoiselle.”

Out of nowhere, a whipping, frigid breeze seizes her body in a cage of goosebumps. Peach shivers, and now that she realizes it, the forest is suddenly, shockingly, immediately dull and ailing. Fragile, browning leaves land on wilting grass. Flowers droop along with the loss of saturation. Even the sky’s drowning in overcast clouds.

Peach stands and turns to the source of it all. What she finds is a slender figure, bestowed with baleful, hypnotizing beauty that betrays the truth of a monster buried beneath the veneer of pale, pristine skin. 

One of his scarlet, makeup-highlighted eyes is covered by a generous lock of ashy strands. Silky, waist-long hair coils and unfurls at the command of the breeze, framing a form-fitting suit complete with a jabot. Goodness, the heels of his boots look twice the height of hers!

Peach scowls but finds herself backing away into the tree. Prinna leaps into her arms with extra-drooped ears, quivering.

“Who are you?” Peach asks.

Prinna decides to answer for her. “He’s from the Consortium of Chaos. He’s the one who took my brother.” She glances at him. “What did you do to him!?”

The man ignores her and bows to Peach with peculiar decorum. “The name’s Thurrim, and I believe you have something that belongs to me.”

He snaps his fingers. Out of the dark vines of malevolent-grown magic, a bunny sprouts into existence and dangles from his grip. Its ears are tinted indigo, and it’s wearing a circlet.

Prinna yelps and tries to hide herself in Peach’s arms despite her words, looking at her brother. “Renello!” She faces the man holding him captive. “Let him go, you monster!”

“Monster? Please. I’ll have you know my skin routine rivals even the prettiest of princesses and princes alike. You’re in no position to make demands. Now.” He thrusts a card over the captive bunny’s neck, dipping the edge dangerously deep into supple flesh. Any more and it’ll cut it. “Hand over the Wish Seeds, or your brother gets it.”

Peach frowns. Bowser could be underhanded, but even he didn’t seem this heartless. 

Prinna cradles the seed closer to herself, shaking her head.

Before Thurrim can make good on his threat, Renello squirms. “I’ve had enough!” 

Flashing his teeth, he scores a ruthless bite into Thurrim’s hand. It’s enough for him to get free, and he tumbles to the ground a fair distance away from his captor. But Thurrim’s already shaking away the last of the pain with a curse, reorienting himself. Before Thurrim can recapture him, Peach acts. She sprints as quickly as she can and sweeps the bunny up in her free arm. She dances away in time to avoid the hair-splitting slash of a card.

Thurrim tuts his tongue. “Defiance it is, I see. How original. Here I’d hoped that a fair lady like you would have better manners.”

Peach hugs the bunnies to herself like they’re the most precious creatures in the entirety of the universe. Though her ribcage burns with a million too-fast heartbeats, an inferno bleeds into her growing glower. She wonders if a good old-fashioned, Mario-styled stomp to the head will put him in his place.

Then, of all the timing, a familiar-sounding yell rings through the woods. “Peach! There you are! You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, missy!” 

Daisy’s finished tearing her way through branches of foliage, stomping toward her with hands of steel on her hips and a tough-angled glare to match. “What were you thinking, ditching your bestest of best friends like that? I was worried sick!”

That’s when her strides slow, and all the questions in the world are clearly ransacking a mess in her head. Her eyes flip back and forth between the bunnies and Thurrim, like a light switch. It’s like she can’t decide what to be more confused about. “What in the dunes of Birabuto’s going on here?”

Peach feels her vocal cords bound themselves with knots of terror. “Don’t go near him!”

Thurrim smirks at Daisy. “You’re just in time. Your friend here reeks of too much wish magic for my little trick to work, but you, on the other hand. You’re the perfect subject.”

Conjuring up a card in his hand, he tosses it straight into Daisy’s chest like he’s nailing a dartboard perfectly. A scream tears itself out from her throat as webs of aphotic sorcery overtake her form.

That magic, Peach realizes. It’s just like the storm in my dreams.

Peach shouts her friend’s name, but it’s too late.

Thurrim withdraws his card from the swelling, roaring spell that’s devoured Daisy. He reads it. “What’s your greatest wish, little Daisy?”

Her voice comes to life, impossibly, even if she’s still unconscious, like she’s inside Peach’s mind. “To not burden Daddy any longer. I have to be a responsible ruler, but I don’t know where to start.”

“Say no more.”

Then a sequence blooms to lucid clarity in Peach’s head, as if she’s there in person. She can feel her innate magic, channeling the scene and every detail into cohesion. 

Daisy, standing proud and tall before the radiant gardens of Sarasaland, and her people cheering her on. Her wrinkled, hunched-over father, passing on the scepter with a nod of acceptance.

Everything she wants, put right there on display.

Oh, Daisy… Peach always knew that something was up, and she simply didn’t want to burden Daisy with questions. But to see it brought out so clearly like this, it hurts. 

Thurrim’s assertion cuts through it all in one fell swoop. “If you want to see progress, you must rule with an iron fist as the Emperor does.” He snaps his fingers. “Go forth, Somnium!”

Like shattering glass, Peach’s mental image of her friend’s dream gives way to nothingness. When she readjusts to reality, Daisy’s nowhere to be seen. Just that swelling mass of caliginous clouds where she ought to be, forming into a huge… humanoid creature with a gown woven of gloom and anguish. Where a face should be, instead a direful mask covers it, like one taken right out of a haunted kingdom, with looming spirits and frailing ghosts. The creature’s got hollowed-out, nonexistent eyes and a red-painted smile of pure malice. Peach quivers. She can’t fathom subduing this monstrosity without some kind of power-up.

Even as the monster speaks, the mouth on its mask does not move. “I’ve made my mind up. Daddy will be banished.” She brandishes the same scepter from before and aims it at Peach. “Under the reign of Empress Daisy, Sarasaland’s imperial might will bring every other dominion into submission. Everyone will bend the knee to me. Starting with you, ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom!”

Peach has to back away as the monster that’s taken over every inch of her friend approaches with a calamitous footstep, quaking the ground. As she almost loses her balance, she keeps her gaze focused. “What’s happened to you!? Snap out of it! You’d never dream of such a thing!”

Renello paws her arm. “It’s no use. Without a Mistress of Light to help, Somniums can’t be cleansed. Your friend… she’s gone. Her wish is tainted. All that’s left is the baggage and hard feelings, and — watch out!”

A blinding swerve of the oversized scepter nearly takes Peach off guard. She ducks under it, but the sheer wind from the powerful momentum is enough to send her and the bunnies into the air. This is no good, they’ll go splat on the ground at this terrifying height! Hugging the bunnies tighter to herself, she channels the inner vestiges of her magic to resist the pull of gravity. It’s difficult to get a good start when she’s spinning midair, but eventually she’s able to get herself upright and steady.

“Whoa!” Prinna shouts. “You really can float!”

Peach nods. “And now to nail the landing, as I always do — ”

But now the Somnium’s hopped over them, just like that, readying its scepter to smash them as if it’s a club. As an oversized shadow casts over them like paint spilling over a picture, Peach’s eyes go wide as saucers while Prinna and Renello scream. Peach urges whatever surge she has left of her power to fly out of the way. It works, but at a cost. Weight recaptures her as the last of her magic gives way into nonexistence, hitting its limit. Like an angel whose wings have been clipped, she’s falling. The leftover blast of impact from the Somnium’s crushing, deafening collision on the ground blows her away like a helpless dandelion on winds of cataclysm.

Peach hits the land hard — something she’d thought she’d never experience firsthand — and now she’s tumbling down and down and down nonstop. A hill! She yelps, finding room amid the agony to realize that she’s lost her protective hold on the bunnies. The recognizable shing of her crown pierces her ears, and she notices that it’s fallen off her head, rolling down ahead of her. She lands in a pile of leaves, sending them flying like confetti.

By the time Peach shakes off the fringes of persistent dizziness, clutches her head, and sits up, Renello and Prinna are scurrying to her side. She glances up to see the unthinkable.

Thurrim’s walking up to her with steps that are calm yet burning with the warning of calamity. “One last chance. Hand the lulins and the Wish Seeds over.” He kicks the crown away as he gets closer. “A dainty little thing like you surely must go head over heels over the prospect of walking away from this ordeal unscathed.”

Undeterred, though she struggles to stand, she grimaces. “I’d never do something so heartless.”

Thurrim rolls his eyes and clicks his fingers. Faster than lightning, the Somnium lands by his side, rumbling the ground like it’s a massive growling intestine. “Smash her to a pulp. My patience is wearing thin.”

“The seed!” Prinna exclaims, tossing the heart-shaped pendant into Peach’s shaky palms. “Channel your magic into it and transform!”

Renello quirks an eyebrow. “Can she do it?”

I haven’t the slightest clue. 

“She can, I know it,” Prinna reassures. “Do the magic-shebang thing now!”

Peach clutches the seed to her chest and tries her best. But no matter how much the power coalesces in her hands, it continues to fizzle into ineffectual particles. The coming, earthquaking steps of the Somnium count their way down to her inevitable doom.

“Why isn’t it working?” she asks, but she truly can’t find it in herself to be surprised. 

Thurrim’s spinning her crown on his finger, chuckling. “Because you’re nothing but a nuisance. So desperate, so eager to run away from the roots of your past, from whatever you used to be. Ah, correction: what you still are. I don’t even need to do a reading to see that.”

“That’s not true,” she retorts, but her stomach trembles with knowing.

“Admit it. You’re nothing more than a pretty face that can’t do anything yourself. As fate decrees, your only purpose is to be saved like the weak-kneed, pathetic princess you are.” He tosses the crown away as if it's garbage, and it rolls to the base of her feet. “You can’t even run a kingdom to save your life, so your subjects do all the hard work for you. You’re useless. There’s no point in fighting that, so why are you too blind to see it? Just give in.”

The Somnium speaks in a genderless, powerful drawl as it advances. “Surrender.”

Silence breaks into the air, interrupted by the footsteps of the Somnium. Peach can’t deny it all. She may have saved Sparkle Theater, but that’s nothing compared to the number of times she’s been imprisoned or left helpless. And though saving the theater is her most recent outing and she hasn’t been kidnapped since, she still knows it can happen again any time. It hurts to hear it straight out of someone else’s mouth, and if the circumstances were different, she’d probably find herself crying about it.

But.

Her best friend’s in trouble, and Peach can’t just waltz away and hope a miracle will save her. Prinna and Renello need her, too.  

She breathes softly and slowly. “It’s true. I’m the furthest thing from a shining beacon of competence.” Though her inflections waver, fissures of fury break into her eyes as she fixes them on Thurrim. “But that doesn’t matter.”

There are lives on the line, and that’s all the reason she needs to keep going. A true ruler never abandons their people, their friends. This she has known all her life. Their feelings come before hers, even overruling doubt.

Peach spreads her arms wide in defense of Renello and Prinna as they cower behind her. “You can kidnap me away to your infernal dungeons, pulverize me to the ground, send me flying to stars know where. I don’t care. I’m not going without a fight! Now, return Daisy back to normal, or else!”

Thurrim laughs. “That’s rich. Should I grovel at the toes of your delicate, little feet? Oh, the horror of tasting a single blow from those wispy fists.”

Prinna tugs on the hem of her skirt as the Somnium begins to shadow them. “We have to run!”

“I can’t,” Peach says. “I’m not leaving without her. Hurry and go!”

Renello gawks. “Are you crazy?”

Peach just stands her ground, glaring into the vacant eye sockets of the monster that’s hollowed out every part of Daisy.

Prinna doesn’t run, just watches. And then Renello tugs her away. Peach can’t look, but the pulling fabric of her dress as the paws are forcefully detached, along with a scream, is all she needs to know. And as the Somnium’s scepter comes bearing down on her, she doesn’t budge an inch. Her heart’s beating faster than a hummingbird’s, but the iron in her gaze is unmistakable.

As long as they’re safe, that’s all that matters. She shuts her eyes. A ruler always puts the people first. 

Everyone, first. Daisy, the lulins, Mario, Luigi, her dearest toads. If she fails here, the Somnium will subjugate other kingdoms without mercy.

She clenches the seed, tries for what could be her last chance. Please… I have to protect them!

It happens in a second: the smashing collision that sends ruptured grass up and away, the thunderous sound of the Somnium’s blow. And… and the familiar, potent shield of magic, fulgurating over her like a pink globe. In her palm, the seed glows, and then her brooch does.

The Somnium is stumbling back, and its scepter is bouncing off the shield. The knockback’s strong enough to send the creature sprawling to the ground, and Thurrim springs away before he gets smashed.

He tuts his tongue. “On your feet, worthless minion!”

Peach holds the seed close. “I… I did that?”

And then instinct takes over, a guiding force that just tells her, yes, she knows what to do from here. An opening manifests in her shimmering brooch, and she soon fills it with the lucency of the sparkle-spilling seed.

Renello gasps. “It can’t be…”

Prinna cheers all sing-songy. “Told you so!”

Peach leans over and picks up her crown. As the inserted seed dissipates into her brooch, she feels the magic pulse through her veins as though it’s her blood. So inchoate, the power braids around her like the twines of a twisted stalk. It sprouts at her demand, now primed for the full potential of her true might to be liberated. 

She recrowns herself with a graceful flourish. “I will never surrender!”

Incandescence showers her and lifts her off her feet. She’s pirouetting with grandeur, and hands of pure wish magic elongate her hair so much that the strands are swaying around her calves. Wrought from the majesty of stars and wishes alike, gleaming fabric stitches itself into a florid, short dress bequeathed with coattails. Her brooch shifts into the shape of a heart, and a bow now frames it. Stylish, white boots materialize on her feet in a swirl of sparkles as she reaches the climax of her dance, so unstained by any ordinary activity. 

A ribbon gathers her hair into a buoyant ponytail, and as she twirls to the ground, she caps her performance all off with a curtsy, gripping the sides of her new dress. It’s much like her athletic gowns, exposing her legs and allowing for far more fluid movement than usual.

“The princess of love and all things sweet,” she announces as though it’s second nature, throwing out an outspread hand as she poses in preparation for battle with a gleaming smile. “Mistress Peach!”

She flips her hair and narrows her eyes in determination, pointing to the Somnium. “By my hand, that tainted wish shall be cleansed!”

Gasping, she breaks character to look over herself with jaw-dropped awe. It’s like she’d been possessed and knew everything just then, and now she’s mad with disbelief. 

With Sparkle, it was as if she’d been one with the role: born to play it and act it to godly perfection, be it ninja or superheroine or detective. Everything came naturally. With wish magic this potent, it’s not quite the same — she has no clue what she’s capable of doing. All that felt instinctive were the catchphrases and poses, of all things, because of course…

Thurrim clicks his tongue. “Confound it all. Somnium, destroy her!”

It rushes to stomp on her, and Peach yelps with alarm, flailing her hands. Think, think — jump!

And she sure does, backward and up. She’s floating, but it feels different, somehow. There’s a wealth of energy yearning to be used. Usually, unless she's got her parasol, she can't last longer than a few seconds in the air, but now, it feels like she can.

As before, the Somnium pursues her into the clutches of the air, throwing out a fist. Peach swerves around it without breaking a sweat. 

I feel so much lighter, so much faster.

When the Somnium goes in for another strike, she decides it’s time for a counter. It’s then that sorcery swells in her gloved hands, overflowing like a waterfall and soaking her fingers. She doesn’t know exactly what that means, but she’s got the hunch that it’s good. 

A heart-shaped, transparent shield of wish magic blossoms out of her palms, bigger than her and every beautiful shade of pink that she can dream of. The Somnium’s fist smacks against it and recoils off the surface like a bullet. While some momentum pushes Peach back a bit, the monster careens straight into the ground, smashing spiderweb-patterned cracks into the wilted earth.

Peach floats back down onto her feet, and as the shield dissipates, she looks at her hands with wonder. “I think I can do this!”

“Less talking and more butt-kicking!” Prinna urges.

“A-Ah, right,” she says, though she’s not itching to smack it down on a whim — throwing out a fist without Sparkle magic just feels strange, and working with defensive maneuvers feels so much better. And the thought of hitting what was formerly her friend just doesn’t jive with her. Doesn’t it hurt? Peach hates to imagine all the bruises and aches any sort of force could cause. Goodness, can she really —

The Somnium springs up by its haunches and runs for her once more. In its path, a helpless squirrel is left at the mercy of being crushed. Peach acts, vaulting forward with speed she once thought impossible.

“Don’t hurt it!” she shouts, thrusting out a palm. The shield reappears even though she doesn’t intend for it to. She scoops the animal up with an arm and haphazardly swings her shield-bearing hand at the Somnium as a last-minute defense. A deflected impact far greater than what the size of the barrier should realistically generate sends the monster soaring right back down where it got up. Residue sparkles and floating hearts remain in the wake of its crash landing. Peach swears she can see the circling birds and stars rounding a halo over the creature’s head.

She bounds away and sets the squirrel down, far from harm. “There you go, sweetheart.” 

As the squirrel runs off, her shield strums itself back to life. A thriving melody of defensive offense bolsters her stance. The shield divides itself into two, and she holds the halves like elegant folding fans in her hands. They’re ever so slightly bigger than her, yet they feel light as feathers. 

I’m getting the hang of this. It’s not so bad, after all.

The Somnium recovers, but it stumbles in the process.

“Just a little more!” Renello confirms.

The Somnium bears upon her, slamming its scepter. She weaves around the eventual consecutive hits in balletic fashion, smooth and airy as a ghostly ribbon that knows nothing of force. She’s one with the breeze, flowing like silk, dancing on the precipice of peril with every inch of patience. This isn’t a battlefield; it’s the glacial-frosted rinks of the ice skating stages of Sparkle Theater, and she twirls with all the majesty she’s been endowed with.

Crisscrossing her fans, she blocks a strike, and then she uncrosses them, shoving the Somnium backward. Every attack, it’s a similar rhythm and tune. She uses its superior force against itself, throwing it off balance with its own destructive might. When it nearly nails her with a kick, she dodges and slaps her fans around the scalpel-sharp heel, spins its momentum into her own, and redirects the monster into the air.

“My apologies,” she says, taking off into the atmosphere after it with a brandish of her newfound weapons. “I hope this won’t hurt!”

A card swipes past her, lightly cutting her arm and making her wince. “Oh no, it won’t.”

Peach spins out of the way of Thurrim’s approaching onslaught of cards, frowning. “I’ve had it with you!”

She smacks several of the tarot cards back toward him with a wave of her fans, forcing him into a retreat. Seizing the opportunity while it’s there, she zips toward the Somnium. 

One swing of a fan to its midsection, and it roars in destitute vulnerability. Another, this time to its chin in a teeth-smashing uppercut, and it’s likely on the verge of falling unconscious. Peach lands on its masked face and propels herself above it with a kick. With sufficient distance away from the Somnium, she’s arcing her arms into powerful crescents. 

Her aim purposeful and resolute, her will blazing brighter than the greatest galaxies, she hurls the fans consecutively at her target. They each shatter like scattered, paper-thin, glistening gems on impact, leaving heavy grooves on the mask. The countless reflections of the Somnium’s face scatter amongst the falling shards of the fans’ remnants, kaleidoscopic tears strewn into a skyscape so discolored. A mushroom cloud of dirt and dust throbs into the atmosphere as the monster has its worst landing yet. Dazed, unfocused movements contaminate its being as it stays down for the count.

Peach lands like she’s made of air. “I did it.”

Prinna runs beside her. “You’ve gotta use your finisher. Channel the power of the Wish Seed for a cleansing blow!”

Peach frets. She’s not exactly sure how that’s supposed to go. But then again, she didn’t know a shield would be her weapon and that she would fight effectively with it, did she?

Falling back on instinct, she cups her hands to her brooch, stirring the power within. Her pendant comes to life, clouding her with an effulgent aura that grows in milliseconds from infancy to maturity. Her breath seizes in her lungs for a moment.

“By the power of love, the shackles of corruption shall be undone. Vile things, vile things, begone!” She throws her hands out, feels the overflow of conjury surge like a tempest in them as she aims for the Somnium. At the same time, her voice deluges with intensity, almost as though she’s in an auditorium. “Peach Purification!”

The magic upsurges like a dam letting loose loads of water. It encases its target, overflowing its eyeholes with blooming hearts. The mask clatters to the ground as the Somnium disintegrates into puffs of smoke. All the remains reshape themselves into the familiar figure of an unconscious Daisy and the scent of roses and cherry-flavored cupcakes.

Peach jumps and catches her friend in a loving embrace, floating her down safely. Relief gathers her grin into a bigger one as she supports her against a tree. “Thank goodness.”

Daisy’s really okay. She’s fine. Her best friend won’t be a lurking, terrifying monster for the rest of her life after all, locked in a dream she never desired to have. And thankfully, she doesn’t seem to be hurt or battered with bruises one bit. Peach strokes her cheek in a winding caress, checking for any possible hints of damage. When she finds nothing, she beams. She’s exactly as she should be, with that flowery Daisy-enhanced scent of perfume and that immaculate, tanned skin.

“Thank goodness,” she repeats.

Around them, verdancy overrules the known world once more, congeals the broken bones of dying earth into a whole, unified realm of life. Browned leaves bleed with newfound color as sprouts bloom into a variety of flowers, from tulips to marigolds to starblooms. Sunlight streaks the sky with the color of faith.

Daisy’s proclamation rings in Peach’s head, self-assured and clear-cut, even if the real deal’s still sound asleep. I remember. I don’t want to be a tyrant. I want to be an independent, valiant ruler that can make Daddy proud.

The sonancy of shuffling cards recaptures Peach’s attention, forcing her to look over her shoulder. Thurrim draws one and scowls at the results. “This isn’t the last you’ll see of me, Mistress of Light.”

He takes off into the atmosphere, a black streak against the clean sky, blemishing an otherwise perfect picture. Peach considers going after him, but she remembers she can’t just leave Daisy here, defenseless and alone.

“Great job!” Prinna praises, hopping up to her. “I knew you had it in you.”

That’s when the adrenaline gives out, and Peach realizes how out of fuel she is. She leans against the tree with a huff, still finding it in herself to respond positively. “Thank you. Now, if you won’t mind me asking… This whole Mistress of Light duty, what’s it all about? What exactly is the Consortium of Chaos?”

Renello puts a paw to his chin. “Maybe we should get our bearings first. That was an intense battle.”

“Of course,” Peach affirms. “You both must try out my tea. After everything that’s happened, you surely need the respite. My dorm will make you feel right at home.”

Prinna nods, looking down at the ground. “With the coziest sheets I can dream of and the fluffiest stuffed animals, oh, and the richest, most decadent carrot cakes ever? Ah, forgive me. I just really wish I could go back… But any place is better than what we have now.”

Renello folds his arms. “Don’t sugarcoat it. We have nothing.”

Peach kneels down, sorrowful. “Forgive my choice of words. Let’s go so you both can rest up as soon as possible.”

Back in the comfort of her room and in her usual dress, Peach sets a floral-embellished teacup by Renello. De-transforming hadn’t been as bad as she thought it’d be. A simple extraction of the seed from her brooch was all that was required, and she was back to her old self.

Sitting across from the lulins, she watches Prinna sip her tea. Unmistakable bliss takes over her face the moment the cup hits her lips. She’s sitting on a fluffy pillow, right next to Daisy, who’s still sleeping on her flower-themed bed. Peach took great care to rest her body there as delicately as she could.

Peach clasps her hands in her lap, addressing Renello. “Whenever you’re ready.”

He nods. “Prinna and I hail from the Dream Kingdom, a dominion on the farthest corners of the universe. We lulins were servants of Her Great Majesty, Queen Ailufa.”

Strange. It feels as though she’s heard that name before when she never has. Is that the woman in my dreams, or am I getting ahead of myself?

“My sister’s surely relayed it to you by now. The Consortium of Chaos invaded our home. The queen urged us to flee and seek out the Mistresses of Light. I didn’t want to leave her, but she made it clear: the only way to stop our adversaries is to revive the Mistresses. I don’t know how well she fared, if she escaped or fought to the bitter end. She unsealed the legendary Wish Seeds the kingdom had guarded for generations and gave them to us.”

Prinna frowns. “We narrowly escaped. And the Consortium won’t stop there. They’ll spread discord and destroy any lands or kingdoms they can find. That’s why you have to fight them. You and whoever the other Mistresses may be.”

“I promise I won’t let you down.” Peach hops to her feet and pumps her fists in front of her chest. “If they so much as lay a finger on any kingdom or my own, I’ll send them packing straight to the stars!”

A murmur from the bed takes her off guard. Daisy. She’s waking back up.

Peach gathers the lulins up and hides them under her bed. Renello gives her a final look. “You’d better have what it takes. Being a Mistress isn’t sufficient. You must embody hope, grace, and competence; be a heroine that people will look up to in their time of need.” He sharpens a glower. “Judging by Thurrim’s words, you truly have miles to go before you can hope to match up to your predecessor, lady, and I hope you don’t turn out to be a sham —”

Prinna pinches his chin, cutting off whatever’s left to say. “Why do you always have to be such a meanie poop-face? This is why you have no friends.”

“This is serious business. Have some standards. The fate of the world rests on her shoulders, for stars’ sake!”

The sting of his judgments rubs as much venom into Peach’s esteem as possible until Daisy’s yawn reminds her that, oh yeah, she’s diddle-daddling. Covering the lulins with the sheets and hasty hands, she hushes them both and braces herself for —

“Peach!” Sure enough, a pair of Daisy-sized arms is wrapping around her and hooking her into a monster of a hug. “You won’t believe it. I just had the most bizarro-world dream ever. I got turned into some kinda monster while I was looking for you, and then, shh, bush, pow! I got sucker punched into next week by some stupidly strong lady. It’s a bit fuzzy, but she reminded me of you. Sounds like I’m speaking an alien language, huh?”

“Daisy,” Peach manages to eke out between a half-crushed lung and pressured respiratory pipe, “my ribs.”

“Oops.” She backs off. If there’s a thread of regret for doing what she just did, she does a stellar job of overshadowing it with her ongoing not-dream of a tale. “But anyway, it was super epic. I guess I fell asleep on my search, and you found me and brought me back. That’s what happened, right?”

“Yes, you’re spot on,” Peach affirms with eyes that beg to play traitor to her lies. “I had been admiring the flowers when I, ah, found you sprawled in a bush. You looked like you had quite the, er, hangover.”

“Hey!” Daisy smacks her on the wrist, and the residue burn of literal pain and embarrassment makes Peach wish she could rewind her choice of words. “If anyone’s a fan of drowning themselves like that, it’s Daddy.”

Peach decides a cup of tea will fix that little hang-up, so she pours some for her. “Poor choice of words on my part. Anywho, I hope you got a lovely rest.”

Daisy takes the cup with a furrowed brow. “Ahem. Still missing one big, wowie-zowie-sized elephant in the room…”

Sighing, Peach sets the teapot down and folds her hands neatly in front of herself. “It was rude of me to leave you and Pauline like that. It’s just, you see, I lied. About the wedding and everything. Mario had to save me again. Pauline would have told you the truth.”

“And?” She takes a too-generous sip, wincing at the ambush of scalding heat to the tongue.

Peach’s eyebrows perk up. “Don’t you see? I haven’t changed much at all. Other than saving the theets, I have no new accomplishments to my name. I was embarrassed to hear what you’d think about that. Some princess I am, huh?”

Daisy’s blinking once, then twice, then she snorts out a raucous laugh so grand she spits tea onto the ground. Wheezing out her final guffaws as she clutches her gut to hold any more back, she catches her breath and wipes her mouth. “Sorry, sorry, it’s just. You’re hung up about that of all things? Gosh, girlie.”

She stands and walks over to Peach, giving her a pat on the back so heavy it’d make thwomps jealous. “It doesn't matter whether you’re the damsel-iest princess in need of saving or the superstar heroine of all time. You’re awesome, no matter what. And now that I think about it, I shouldn’t have knocked your story about saving those theater folks. That was uncalled for.”

Peach remains stock-still for a moment, soaking the words into the sponge of her mind before she rallies a beam of relief on her lips. 

“So,” Daisy says, wrapping her hands behind her back with a playful skip of the feet. “We good?”

This time, it’s Peach that takes her off guard with an embrace. “Is that even a question? Absolutely!”

When all’s done with their tea session, and their empty cups rest for good on their matching plates, Daisy whisks herself toward the door. “We still got time to kill. Let’s check out the rest of the academy. Last one to the end of the hallway’s a mangy chain chomp!”

As Daisy sprints her way out of the dorm, Peach takes one last look at her bed. Prinna’s peeking out from her spot, waving with a wink. On the other hand, Renello’s just giving Peach an eagle-eyed stare, like his sight won’t ever abandon her even when he’s out of view.

She waves and sets course for her next place of interest, wherever Daisy chooses that to be.

What a day, she thinks, grinning. Bit by bit, I’ll make my wish come true.