Categories > Games > Mario > Slaying the Dragon
Slaying the Dragon
0 ReviewsThe Mario brothers are under a terrible curse, which can only be broken with Boswer's sacrifice. Peach is faced with a choice, to take Bowser's life, or watch her heroes die. When all hope is lost,...
Slaying the Dragon
Part One
Maids, doctors and nurses ran about, occasionally bumping into each other. Peach and Daisy sat side by side, with matching gloomy expressions. Mario and Luigi, their heroes, had fallen terribly ill, and the doctors were powerless to help them.
"Your highnesses," the head doctor spoke softly, with a regretful expression. "My apologies, but I'm afraid we cannot help our dear heroes. This illness that they have is not caused by a malfunction of the body; it is magically induced, no doubt."
Peach and Daisy had gathered suspicions based on the strange mismatching symptoms, but one important question still remained, which Peach immediately voiced. "Who could have done this?"
"I do not know," the doctor admitted, he felt frustrated and helpless, being unable to aid the two brave heroes who had saved his home and his life so many times. "Perhaps an expert in magic and curses would be more useful then a physician in this situation."
xoxox xox xoxox
Magicians, mages, wizards, and all kinds of magic users were called to the Mushroom Castle to assist in healing Mario and Luigi... but they all failed. At the end of their possibilities, the magic users of the land had taken to seeking ancient texts in search of a forgotten spell that could cure the heroic plumbers.
"Princess Peach, Princess Daisy!" Toad ran into the quiet, yet unusually crowded royal library where the princesses and many of the kingdom's people were studying various magic books in search of answers. Even non-magic users could help by searching and alerting the magic users of anything important they had found.
"Did you find something?" Daisy inquired, bolting from chair, followed by Peach.
All eyes were on Toad, the one who had broken the silence and hopefully brought good news. "Sir Toadswroth," Toad was out of breath from running from the old knight's chambers all the way to the royal library, "he found a cure but..."
The hopes of all those present and in hearing distance of Toad, were lifted then suddenly dropped. "But?" The tow princesses and several others insisted in unison.
"Breaking the curse that was casted on the Mario brother will not be easy... It is best if Sir Toadsworth explained," the royal library was filled with murmurs after hearing Toad's announcement. Some held on to the new ray of hope, and others wondered if the difficult task, which ever it may be, could actually be accomplished.
xoxox xox xoxox
Peach, Daisy and Toad hurried to Toadsworth chambers. The elderly mushroom was sick with a bad cold, but a few people went as far as to say he was ill with worries about the Mario brothers.
Toadsworth was sitting at his desk, re-reading over a yellowed page in a very old book, when Peach, Daisy and Toad arrived. Toadsworth look up from his reading at the expectant looks in everyone's faces. "I have found a story of ancient times, all the symptoms appear to fit... if that is the case then the same cure should work. The Mario brothers are suffering from a curse casted by a powerful wizard. Such a curse, not only requires great knowledge of magic, and great power, but it also requires time. The curse, at first is practically undetectable, it develops slowing with the flow of time, but it considered a sure death. Only one story of survival was recorded in history. Please sit down; there is no need to sand at the doorway."
They had all been so anxious to hear about the possible cure, they did not notice they were still in Toadsworth's door way. Peach, Daisy and Toad sat at the living room area of Toadswroth's chambers. He too had been in a rush to reveal the news they all wished to hear but now joined them with the door in his hands.
A persistent cough reached Toadsworth, causing him to set the book aside and cover his mouth. "Toadsworth, you should see a doctor," Peach was concerned about the elderly mushroom knight. He rarely caught colds and they were never this bad, maybe the constant worries about the Mario brother had truly made his illness worse.
"Do not worry about me," Toadsworth stammered, as soon as the cough allowed him to. He cleared his throat and continued. "This book records the cure to the curse in the form of a story which must be interpreted." Toadsworth read from the book, "The lovely lady, with a heart of snow, the dragon slayer she was called. When the monster's heart beats no more, she shall break the curse of yore." Toadsworth paused; the next part was difficult to explain. "We need a sacrifice..." Those last words were few and to the point, but carried abundant meaning.
"The sacrifice of a dragon?" Daisy had not seen any dragons; even wyverns were thought to be extinct.
"We defeated Czar, the last surviving dragon at Barrel Volcano over a year ago. Czar's ghost, Zombone, still haunts the volcano. We thought it was put to rest but a dragon spirit is hard to calm," Peach recalled.
"It gets worse," Toadsworth solemnly clarified the gravity of the situation. "I consulted other books, and they tell of using an alternative sacrifice, to spells that require sacrificing dragons. Yoshies and certain types of koopas are closely related to dragon, though most koopas are closer relatives of turtles."
Toadsword's audience gasped. "We can't not the yoshies..." Peach's heart immediately went out to them. She imagined that Mario's dearest yoshi friend, whom they also called Yoshi, would give him like to save Mario and Luigi without thinking twice of it.
That could have been part of the reason why Toadsworth wanted to speak with the princesses privately, and Toad had been sworn to secrecy when Toadsworth revealed the truth to him and sent him to find Peach and Daisy. To calm the kingdom it could be known that there was a cure, but they could not be told what it was. "Bowser is our only hope, he is one of the few dragon-koopas left, him and his children. We must choose his life or the Mario brothers. I of course would chose to save our heroes without a second thought, and I am sure our people will agree; but we cannot risk causing a devastating war. Someone will not survive this; it is either the Mario brother or Bowser. I am certain that it was Kamek who cursed our heroes long ago, I can think of no one else with enough power and knowledge in magic, to cast such a spell."
In Toadsworth eyes, and possibly in the eyes of most of the people of the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland should they know of this; Bowser's sacrifice was warranted for all that he had done in the past. Even if Kamek was the one to cast the spell that cursed Mario and Luigi, he was not related to dragons as closely as Bowser, and thus his sacrifice would not work. "Is there not another way?" Peach pleaded.
"I am afraid not," Toadsworth gently set the open book on the coffee table. "The heart must be used to make a potion, or so I have interpreted. "I will have a select few look further into this matter it must all remain a secret."
xoxox xox xoxox
Peach had gone to see the Mario brothers not too long ago, and their condition had not changed. She knew they were in pain, she wanted to help them, but she did not want to make any sacrifices. She looked out her window and the world felt darker than ever as if the stars themselves were in sorrow.
There was a soft knock on the door. "Peach?"
"Come in," Peach recognized the voice as being Daisy's.
Daisy entered Peach's room and quietly closed the door. "What are we going to do? I know it sounds cruel, but if I had to choose..."
"I know, but I don't want to choose. I guess if there is no other way..." It pained her greatly, but Peach reminded herself that her duty was to her kingdom, and if her people wished for her to save the heroes, by any means necessary, then it was her duty to listen. "The lovely lady, with a heart of snow, the dragon slayer she was called. When the monster's heart beats no more, she shall break the curse of yore..." Peach recited the words from the ancient book Toadsworth had found. "It makes me wonder if the lady's heart was as pure as white snow or only cold."
xoxox xox xoxox
The next day at the break of dawn, the mushroom knights were assembled. The captain gave the knights a speech of courage, which would culminate with a few inspirational words from princess Peach, but the princess had not yet arrived and the captain continued to stretch his monologue, until he found nothing else to say. Daisy stepped forward as a guest speaker to encourage the mushroom knights on behalf of Sarasaland and assure them that troops from the desert land would join the mushroom forces and all the dangers that must be faced would be braved together.
Peach had gone to see Sir Toadsworth. His condition had taken a turn for the worse that night, which had the exhausted doctors running about at all hours of the night again. "I need to be there, it is my place!" The elderly mushroom insisted on seeing off their troops.
It was the choice of the council to save the heroes of the land. They were convinced that without the Mario brothers' protection, the Mushroom Kingdom would inevitably fall. If that was the case, then it was safer to risk provoking the anger of the Koopa Kingdom, then to leave the Mushroom Kingdom, and their allied lands exposed to danger without their heroes. Thus, troops from the Mushroom Kingdom, Sarasaland and Nimbus Land, would be send to infiltrate the Koopa Kingdom and launch a sneak attack on Bowser.
Only a few skilled soldiers of each kingdom would advance, and should their mission fail or be discovered; reinforcements would be waiting, ready for battle. This was a choice that Peach did not agree with, but the council's unanimous votes pressured her to accept it.
"Toadsworth, you're terrible ill and everyone is worried about you. You cannot encourage our soldiers if you do no take care of your own health first. They know you're counting on them, they know they have your support. They are the only ones that know the truth..." The civilians had not been told about this, it was best not to cause more concern than what had already invaded the kingdom when the heroes fell ill. "Please, go back to bed and get some sleep. I know you stayed up all night with a bad cough and breathing problems. You're almost to the point of pneumonia; don't make us worry, more than we already are."
Toadsworth knew that Peach was right. "Very well, but I want to be informed of everything as it happens."
xoxox xox xoxox
Peach arrived at the grand hall, just as Daisy's speech was ending. The Mushroom Princess spoke of the soldiers' mission, of their noble cause, and of their heroic bravery to embark on such a journey. "However, there has been a change of plans. Your mission will remain on stand by for a few days. I will be the first to attempt to infiltrate the Koopa Kingdom. I have been to Bowser's castles many times and I know he will lower his guard to me." The room was filled with gasps and protests. "I cannot allow your lives to be endangered if there is another way to accomplish what must be done."
"Princess you can't!" The mushroom captain tried to stop her. "Please, do not stain your pure hands."
"I am a reflection of my kingdom," Peach had made up her mind. "If I send my soldiers to battle, I carry the same responsibilities they do."
To be Continued
Disclaimer, I do not own the Mario games or characters. So Peach was sent off to kill Bowser. That's an unusual start, isn't it? Don't worry I'm still working on "Complications", another BowserxPeach story with a much lighter tone than this one.
Part One
Maids, doctors and nurses ran about, occasionally bumping into each other. Peach and Daisy sat side by side, with matching gloomy expressions. Mario and Luigi, their heroes, had fallen terribly ill, and the doctors were powerless to help them.
"Your highnesses," the head doctor spoke softly, with a regretful expression. "My apologies, but I'm afraid we cannot help our dear heroes. This illness that they have is not caused by a malfunction of the body; it is magically induced, no doubt."
Peach and Daisy had gathered suspicions based on the strange mismatching symptoms, but one important question still remained, which Peach immediately voiced. "Who could have done this?"
"I do not know," the doctor admitted, he felt frustrated and helpless, being unable to aid the two brave heroes who had saved his home and his life so many times. "Perhaps an expert in magic and curses would be more useful then a physician in this situation."
xoxox xox xoxox
Magicians, mages, wizards, and all kinds of magic users were called to the Mushroom Castle to assist in healing Mario and Luigi... but they all failed. At the end of their possibilities, the magic users of the land had taken to seeking ancient texts in search of a forgotten spell that could cure the heroic plumbers.
"Princess Peach, Princess Daisy!" Toad ran into the quiet, yet unusually crowded royal library where the princesses and many of the kingdom's people were studying various magic books in search of answers. Even non-magic users could help by searching and alerting the magic users of anything important they had found.
"Did you find something?" Daisy inquired, bolting from chair, followed by Peach.
All eyes were on Toad, the one who had broken the silence and hopefully brought good news. "Sir Toadswroth," Toad was out of breath from running from the old knight's chambers all the way to the royal library, "he found a cure but..."
The hopes of all those present and in hearing distance of Toad, were lifted then suddenly dropped. "But?" The tow princesses and several others insisted in unison.
"Breaking the curse that was casted on the Mario brother will not be easy... It is best if Sir Toadsworth explained," the royal library was filled with murmurs after hearing Toad's announcement. Some held on to the new ray of hope, and others wondered if the difficult task, which ever it may be, could actually be accomplished.
xoxox xox xoxox
Peach, Daisy and Toad hurried to Toadsworth chambers. The elderly mushroom was sick with a bad cold, but a few people went as far as to say he was ill with worries about the Mario brothers.
Toadsworth was sitting at his desk, re-reading over a yellowed page in a very old book, when Peach, Daisy and Toad arrived. Toadsworth look up from his reading at the expectant looks in everyone's faces. "I have found a story of ancient times, all the symptoms appear to fit... if that is the case then the same cure should work. The Mario brothers are suffering from a curse casted by a powerful wizard. Such a curse, not only requires great knowledge of magic, and great power, but it also requires time. The curse, at first is practically undetectable, it develops slowing with the flow of time, but it considered a sure death. Only one story of survival was recorded in history. Please sit down; there is no need to sand at the doorway."
They had all been so anxious to hear about the possible cure, they did not notice they were still in Toadsworth's door way. Peach, Daisy and Toad sat at the living room area of Toadswroth's chambers. He too had been in a rush to reveal the news they all wished to hear but now joined them with the door in his hands.
A persistent cough reached Toadsworth, causing him to set the book aside and cover his mouth. "Toadsworth, you should see a doctor," Peach was concerned about the elderly mushroom knight. He rarely caught colds and they were never this bad, maybe the constant worries about the Mario brother had truly made his illness worse.
"Do not worry about me," Toadsworth stammered, as soon as the cough allowed him to. He cleared his throat and continued. "This book records the cure to the curse in the form of a story which must be interpreted." Toadsworth read from the book, "The lovely lady, with a heart of snow, the dragon slayer she was called. When the monster's heart beats no more, she shall break the curse of yore." Toadsworth paused; the next part was difficult to explain. "We need a sacrifice..." Those last words were few and to the point, but carried abundant meaning.
"The sacrifice of a dragon?" Daisy had not seen any dragons; even wyverns were thought to be extinct.
"We defeated Czar, the last surviving dragon at Barrel Volcano over a year ago. Czar's ghost, Zombone, still haunts the volcano. We thought it was put to rest but a dragon spirit is hard to calm," Peach recalled.
"It gets worse," Toadsworth solemnly clarified the gravity of the situation. "I consulted other books, and they tell of using an alternative sacrifice, to spells that require sacrificing dragons. Yoshies and certain types of koopas are closely related to dragon, though most koopas are closer relatives of turtles."
Toadsword's audience gasped. "We can't not the yoshies..." Peach's heart immediately went out to them. She imagined that Mario's dearest yoshi friend, whom they also called Yoshi, would give him like to save Mario and Luigi without thinking twice of it.
That could have been part of the reason why Toadsworth wanted to speak with the princesses privately, and Toad had been sworn to secrecy when Toadsworth revealed the truth to him and sent him to find Peach and Daisy. To calm the kingdom it could be known that there was a cure, but they could not be told what it was. "Bowser is our only hope, he is one of the few dragon-koopas left, him and his children. We must choose his life or the Mario brothers. I of course would chose to save our heroes without a second thought, and I am sure our people will agree; but we cannot risk causing a devastating war. Someone will not survive this; it is either the Mario brother or Bowser. I am certain that it was Kamek who cursed our heroes long ago, I can think of no one else with enough power and knowledge in magic, to cast such a spell."
In Toadsworth eyes, and possibly in the eyes of most of the people of the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasaland should they know of this; Bowser's sacrifice was warranted for all that he had done in the past. Even if Kamek was the one to cast the spell that cursed Mario and Luigi, he was not related to dragons as closely as Bowser, and thus his sacrifice would not work. "Is there not another way?" Peach pleaded.
"I am afraid not," Toadsworth gently set the open book on the coffee table. "The heart must be used to make a potion, or so I have interpreted. "I will have a select few look further into this matter it must all remain a secret."
xoxox xox xoxox
Peach had gone to see the Mario brothers not too long ago, and their condition had not changed. She knew they were in pain, she wanted to help them, but she did not want to make any sacrifices. She looked out her window and the world felt darker than ever as if the stars themselves were in sorrow.
There was a soft knock on the door. "Peach?"
"Come in," Peach recognized the voice as being Daisy's.
Daisy entered Peach's room and quietly closed the door. "What are we going to do? I know it sounds cruel, but if I had to choose..."
"I know, but I don't want to choose. I guess if there is no other way..." It pained her greatly, but Peach reminded herself that her duty was to her kingdom, and if her people wished for her to save the heroes, by any means necessary, then it was her duty to listen. "The lovely lady, with a heart of snow, the dragon slayer she was called. When the monster's heart beats no more, she shall break the curse of yore..." Peach recited the words from the ancient book Toadsworth had found. "It makes me wonder if the lady's heart was as pure as white snow or only cold."
xoxox xox xoxox
The next day at the break of dawn, the mushroom knights were assembled. The captain gave the knights a speech of courage, which would culminate with a few inspirational words from princess Peach, but the princess had not yet arrived and the captain continued to stretch his monologue, until he found nothing else to say. Daisy stepped forward as a guest speaker to encourage the mushroom knights on behalf of Sarasaland and assure them that troops from the desert land would join the mushroom forces and all the dangers that must be faced would be braved together.
Peach had gone to see Sir Toadsworth. His condition had taken a turn for the worse that night, which had the exhausted doctors running about at all hours of the night again. "I need to be there, it is my place!" The elderly mushroom insisted on seeing off their troops.
It was the choice of the council to save the heroes of the land. They were convinced that without the Mario brothers' protection, the Mushroom Kingdom would inevitably fall. If that was the case, then it was safer to risk provoking the anger of the Koopa Kingdom, then to leave the Mushroom Kingdom, and their allied lands exposed to danger without their heroes. Thus, troops from the Mushroom Kingdom, Sarasaland and Nimbus Land, would be send to infiltrate the Koopa Kingdom and launch a sneak attack on Bowser.
Only a few skilled soldiers of each kingdom would advance, and should their mission fail or be discovered; reinforcements would be waiting, ready for battle. This was a choice that Peach did not agree with, but the council's unanimous votes pressured her to accept it.
"Toadsworth, you're terrible ill and everyone is worried about you. You cannot encourage our soldiers if you do no take care of your own health first. They know you're counting on them, they know they have your support. They are the only ones that know the truth..." The civilians had not been told about this, it was best not to cause more concern than what had already invaded the kingdom when the heroes fell ill. "Please, go back to bed and get some sleep. I know you stayed up all night with a bad cough and breathing problems. You're almost to the point of pneumonia; don't make us worry, more than we already are."
Toadsworth knew that Peach was right. "Very well, but I want to be informed of everything as it happens."
xoxox xox xoxox
Peach arrived at the grand hall, just as Daisy's speech was ending. The Mushroom Princess spoke of the soldiers' mission, of their noble cause, and of their heroic bravery to embark on such a journey. "However, there has been a change of plans. Your mission will remain on stand by for a few days. I will be the first to attempt to infiltrate the Koopa Kingdom. I have been to Bowser's castles many times and I know he will lower his guard to me." The room was filled with gasps and protests. "I cannot allow your lives to be endangered if there is another way to accomplish what must be done."
"Princess you can't!" The mushroom captain tried to stop her. "Please, do not stain your pure hands."
"I am a reflection of my kingdom," Peach had made up her mind. "If I send my soldiers to battle, I carry the same responsibilities they do."
To be Continued
Disclaimer, I do not own the Mario games or characters. So Peach was sent off to kill Bowser. That's an unusual start, isn't it? Don't worry I'm still working on "Complications", another BowserxPeach story with a much lighter tone than this one.
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