Shards of Love

Quite the Upset

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Shards of Love: REDUX!

Shard I: Foundations

Chapter VI

Quite the Upset

Lying on the balcony's floor still stargazing, Peach sighs in content. With her castle placed in the midst of the Mushroom Kingdom's largest, most-bustling city, only about a dozen brightest stars become visible to her on a typical night, weather permitting. She's always heard whenever the skies clear up, Dark Land's splendid stargazing rivals even Desert Land's spectacular shows. Peach never thought twice about the night skies in the past months due to the poor visibility from her castle, but seeing the heavenly lights at their peak almost changes her life.

The princess continues staring at the skies in amazement. Oh, how she yearns doing this with Mario! Perhaps, she'll arrange a sort of night picnic in the rural, unpopulated countryside, where they can relax and gaze at the skies, pondering about the great adventures awaiting them in the future as they do so. She can't remember the last time she's been away with Mario on any occasion other than official kingdom business, except for their ill-fated trip to Isle Delfino. With her being kidnapped during her supposed honeymoon vacation, another trip's well-deserved.

A shiver overruns Peach, trembling her entire body before dissipating as quick as it came. Due to the high concentrations of lava and volcanoes in the Land, she'd never thought cold temperatures would plague Dark Land with the Sun's absence. Perhaps the uncommon clear skies replacing the more common ash clouds play a role in the dramatic cooldown; after all, at least in the Mushroom Kingdom, and especially in Desert Land, clouds do have an insulating impact. Sighing again, this time in exhaustion, Peach decides to head back inside.

The princess stretches as she stands up before she walks towards the elevator and pushes the elevator's down button. By the time she recognizes the clonking of the elevator's gears, Peach shivers from how nippy the air became. She may be in Dark Land, but it's also mid-April; she didn't think twice about bringing a blanket or anything insulating. What feels like years later, the elevator's door opens. As she enters and presses the button for the second floor, Peach rubs her arms in an attempt to warm herself.

She arrives on the second floor without incident and strolls down the halls. Peach knows her bedroom's on this floor, but despite her numerous kidnappings, she's unfamiliar with this sector of the second story, and Bowser never guided her through. Guess the duty's all up to her.

When the hallway reaches a fork, Peach turns to the right, figuring that right is... Well, right. Despite nighttime falling upon the castle, Peach detects commotion and music emitting from behind the first door in the hallway. She peeks into the room and spots all seven koopalings, each one preoccupied in an activity they enjoy. Ludwig bangs on the piano, Lemmy, Larry and Iggy battle each other on Super Smash Brothers, Roy and Morton jeer and mock the players, and Wendy gossips on a newly-replaced cellphone.

"Hahahahaha! Gotcha, Larry!" Lemmy cheered, resulting in the youngest koopaling rolling his eyes.

"You got lucky, that's all," Larry retorted, putting the controller down and folding his arms.

"Larry lost! Bwahahaha!" Morton points a claw at the youngest koopaling and laughs, "Hahahaha!"

"Loser!" Roy added in his jeer, "Larry da Loser!"

"Hahahahahaaaaaaa!" Iggy cackled, "The L's do fit!"

"Rrrr..." Larry growls and picks up his controller, "Let's do this again. We'll see who the loser is this time!"