The Mushroom Kingdom Wars

Chapter 14

The air in the war room of Peach’s castle was thick with tension, every breath tinged with the scent of ink and parchment mingled with the faint whirring of the computer displays flickering in the dimly lit chamber. The long wooden table was laden with maps, blueprints, and battle plans. Grainy images of Samus's final recording played on repeat on one of the monitors, its glow casting ghostly shadows across the faces of the assembled heroes.

Princess Peach sat at the head of the table, surrounded by allies yet feeling more alone than ever. Her fingers traced the edge of the table as she fought to keep her composure. It had only been days since Samus’s death, but to Peach, it felt like a lifetime. The memory of Samus's voice crackling over the radio before the recording cut to static haunted her every moment. The ache in her chest throbbed in time with the flickering screen, each beat a reminder of the words left unspoken.

She clenched her fist, her nails digging into her palm. "I should have told you..." she whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible even to herself.

"Peach." Donkey Kong's deep, gruff voice cut through her thoughts like a blade, snapping her back to the present. "Peach! You with us?"

Peach blinked, tearing her gaze away from the monitor. Across the table, Donkey Kong stood with his hands planted on the wood, his brow furrowed. Despite his harsh tone, his eyes softened with understanding. He, too, knew the burdens of leadership, even if not yet the pain of loss that Peach now carried.

"Sorry," Peach murmured, swallowing back her grief. "I’m listening."

Donkey Kong gave a small nod, satisfied that he had her attention, and pointed to a detailed map of Hyrule, the ink still fresh from hours of discussion. A red circle marked a critical location: an armory deep within Ganondorf’s territory, hidden in the shadow of the Gerudo Desert mountains.

"This armory," Donkey Kong began, his voice commanding the room's attention, "is one of Ganondorf’s main supply depots. Weapons, armor, and rations—everything his forces need to continue their advance. If we take it, we cripple his ability to reinforce his troops."

Peach studied the map, the details blurring together as exhaustion gnawed at the edges of her vision. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing herself to concentrate, to push past the fog of grief that clouded her mind.

"Do we know how heavily it’s guarded?" she asked, her voice steady despite the tremble in her hands.

Zelda, who had remained quiet until now, leaned forward, her golden hair catching the light as she spoke. "Not yet. But I can send Link ahead to scout the area. He’s the best we have at reconnaissance. He’ll get the information we need."

Peach nodded, grateful for Zelda’s calm presence. The Hyrulean princess had been a rock throughout the planning, despite the turmoil that undoubtedly churned within her. After all, Ganondorf was not just a threat to Hyrule but a specter from Zelda's own past—a reminder of battles fought and sacrifices made.

"Good," Peach said, her tone firming. "We need accurate intel if we're going to make this work. We can’t afford any mistakes."

As she spoke, her eyes drifted once more to the recording, to the final moments when Samus had faced her end with defiance, refusing to go quietly into the darkness. Peach felt the sting of tears and blinked them away. Now wasn't the time for mourning.

"For you," she whispered, echoing the promise she had made in the depths of her soul. "We’ll keep fighting."

Donkey Kong’s voice cut through the silence, his tone softer now, almost gentle. “We’ll make her sacrifice count, Peach. But we need you focused. We need your strength," he said, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Look, leading isn’t about hiding how you feel. It’s about letting those feelings fuel your fight. Back in the jungle, whenever things got tough, I’d take a step back and remind myself of why we fight. It’s not about the battles we lose, Peach. It’s about the ones we keep fighting even when we’ve been knocked down. You’ve got more strength in you than you know. Just don’t let the grief cloud your sight. We’re counting on you. And if you need a break, take one. We’ve got your back. No one can carry the whole weight alone—not even you.”

Peach took a shaky breath, the weight of leadership pressing down on her shoulders, but she refused to bow under it. "I’m with you," she said, standing straighter, her gaze sweeping over the gathered heroes. "We all are."

She turned to Zelda, who met her eyes with a resolute nod. "Send Link. Have him report back the moment he’s gathered intel. The rest of us will prepare for the assault."

Zelda nodded. "I’ll send word immediately. Link will clear the path. I promise."

"Good." Peach turned to Donkey Kong. "How soon can we mobilize our forces?"

"Two days," he replied. "Any longer and we risk losing the element of surprise."

"Then two days it is," Peach said, her voice unwavering. "Prepare everyone. This is our chance to turn the tide."

As the meeting broke up, the heroes dispersed to their respective tasks. Peach remained standing at the head of the table, her fingers tracing the map one last time. Her gaze drifted back to the recording, and she allowed herself a single, shuddering breath.

"I’ll keep fighting," she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper. "For you. For all of us."

And as she turned away, she felt a flicker of warmth, as though Samus were still with her, standing by her side—a silent promise that she was not alone.

In that moment, Princess Peach felt something shift within her—a resolve that burned hotter than the fires of war, brighter than the despair that threatened to consume them all.

The fight was far from over. But together, they would see it through. And Samus’s legacy would live on, carried forward by those who refused to give in, who chose to stand and fight even when the darkness threatened to swallow them whole.