Hello everybody and welcome to my first fan fiction! I'm only an average writer, but I try to practice my skills. This little fan fiction won't be too long but it won't be too short. I hope you enjoy and please leave any reviews or comments for me, as I am always looking to improve my work. Thanks in advance!

Forward into the Nightmare

Dashing boldly through the forest, Princess Peach held her breath. She couldn't waste time. Bowser was hot on her tail and would surly catch up to her if she didn't hurry. It was a risk to escape the castle, dodging it's heavily armed forces and its stupid bumbling guards. She had seen this all happen before. It was a dream of some sort, an itching sense of déjà vu. She was clasping onto her dress, careful not to trip on any branches or fallen trees. The stinging branches from the trees that were not uprooted by past storms and attacks still had sharp branches, some of which scraped Peach in the face. It was no time to be worrying about her complexion though, because she heard someone grow near her. Crunching sounds growing louder and louder as her breath began to disappear from her lungs. She couldn't take it anymore. The world had gotten the best of her and she fell to the cold, hard ground. Her dress was ruined from its pink ruffles bellow to its puffy sleeves. Her hair was another thing too, completely disoriented and tangled. She cupped her face in her hands, waiting for the footsteps behind her to now be in front of her.

She felt a dark shadow tower over her limp body. A familiar voice spoke to her. "What are you doing here?" It growled.

Peach picked her head up and gasped. She hadn't seen him dressed in dark clothing since…since Count Bleck. "It can't be."

The man nodded and flashed a wicked grin. "The one and only, baby. Now answer my question."

Peach hesitated, her breath still catching up with her. "I wanted to find him. I wanted to break him free."

"We all know it's a little late for that," He glanced down, "I never got what he saw in you."

Peach felt for the back of the tree she leaned on, finding her strength to stand again. "I'm sorry. I never told him to do it."

"But he still did it." The man hissed. "Look at what you've done." He then gestured to the scene behind them. Peach rose slowly, to get a better look at the chaos. Fire blazing from side to side of the castle, trees fallen from burning or from storms, shadows circling around the area, and a castle. From the ground, it looked as high as Peach's castle, but it was much taller. It was much more dangerous…And much more threatening. The man then drew her attention back to him, still keeping his voice soft so that the wardens couldn't hear. "Look at what you've done to me." He gestured to himself, then to her, "And look at what you've done to yourself!"

Peach ducked her head, making her voice faint, like a whisper in the wind. "I'm sorry. I never meant to-"

"It's too late for sorry." He turned away from her. "It's too late for anything." He began to walk away, but Peach had stopped him. "No," She said, "I refuse to let this happen. It will not end like this!"

"Then how will it end? Anyway you chose, I still see us all dead. There's no point."

Peach looked away, biting her lip and digging her fingers through her knotted hair. It was a sure sign of her thinking, because everyone who knew her well knew she would do this. After a moment's time, she finally spoke. "I have an idea, but you have to trust me." The man hesitated, but agreed. They both heard a siren behind them and they ran deeper into the disfigured forest. Peach tried to remember how this all began, to work backwards to find a solution. She remembered the bright sunny day. That day she saw the birds were singing, the Toads were laughing, and she sitting by the river. It was one thing that she had done wrong though.

One fatal flaw…