Shards of Love

Home Sweet Home

Shards of Love: REDUX!

Shard II: Revelations

Chapter IX

Home Sweet Home

Peach and Mario exchange wide-eyed stares at each other, neither of them expecting to see the other. The former didn't know how to think of the situation. Sure, she's excited to be back home, in the security of her own castle surrounded by friends and family, but Mario standing in front of her, shocked yet unhinged, irks her. Not only didn't he rescue her, but from his lack of tire, he didn't even try.

No matter the time, place or circumstance, Mario always took the opportunity to rescue the Princess. From rescuing her during their vacation in Isle Delfino to saving her in her own castle, Peach's security always depends on him. But, knowing he didn't this time leaves quite a fishy smell to the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Mario will spew out his own excuses for why he didn't rescue her, and she yearns to make up excuses for him inside her head. She wants to believe kingdom affairs or other issues kept him occupied, rather than him... Well, remaining indifferent towards her security.

"Peach!" Mario beamed, "You're back!"

"Why yes, I'm back, no thanks to you!" Peach grumbled, looking away at Mario's welcoming gaze.

The red-clad plumber shifts, feeling uncomfortable with the situation. Then again, what man wouldn't be after he didn't even attempt to save his own wife?

"I... Well, there's issues," Mario admits, still shifting, "It's about your parents."

Her parents! Throughout her journey home, their disappearance slipped her mind! She knows trouble awaits her parents—she knows them well enough to figure they'd never leave their Land without prior planning—but she doesn't know their current conditions, where they are or why they're gone. Then again, Peach tends to overthink minor issues; maybe her parents went on a last-minute trip to escape their busy lives.

An entire believe-deny cycle continues flowing throughout Peach's mind as she thinks up many different possibilities of safe, alternate locations of her parents. Around her eleventh possibility, her thoughts cut out as her entire body starts quaking. She's been lost in thought to the point where she didn't even notice Mario shaking her.

"Hello? You there?" the plumber questioned, continuing to shake her. She snaps back into reality and, in shock rather than disgust, pushes Mario away. Without a spoken word, she looks at his face before glancing back to the ground.

"I-I can't believe this," Peach voiced after an eternity of silence, the realization of her parents disappearing pelting her like heavy stones, "Where could they be?!"

Mario puts an arm around Peach, bringing more comfort and courage to the princess. She fears for her parents, but from the gesture, she knows she won't be alone in her search for them.

"We'll find them," reassured Mario as he walks her into the castle, "But for now, you should change out of that dress now. That thing's destroyed!"

Peach glances down at her ripped, stained wedding dress. Considering she traveled through three treacherous lands in it, she considers the condition of the dress to be quite excellent. Perhaps the dress will represent her marriage: even though tough times threaten their marriage and their togetherness, not even the most ruthless conditions will be able to tear the entire thing into shreds. Or, so, she hopes.