Super Princess Peach

Ch. 13

"I'm not here to hurt you!" Peach cried, holding up her hands. "I want to help." The Hoo paused, and Peach blundered on: "We never meant to disturb you in your forest. We crash landed here when Bowser's forces shot us down." 

The Hoo started again, seeming surprised, and Peach continued. "Ever since, I've been searching high and low for the people of my kingdom, the toads. When we saw them in your nest, I had to rescue them. Please understand. We never meant to set your forest on fire either. My toads are trying to put it out as we speak. I give you my word!" 

The Hoo slowly bent down until she was eye level with Peach. "So you're the witch," she said softly. Peach was surprised. The owl could talk? Her voice was deep and smooth. 

"Er, witch?" she asked. 

"Rumors have it that a witch is destroying the land," the owl rumbled. "Ladida Plains was ravaged with her magic, and several Goombas were gravely injured. Petey Piranha is near death." 

Peach felt herself pale, but she stood her ground. "That was me protecting my people," she said with conviction. "I had no intention of hurting Petey or burning up Ladida Plains. It was an accident that that happened. I came to retrieve a friend that was captured against his will by someone powerful named Bowser." 

The Hoo's eyes lit up again. "The Koopa King." 

Peach gasped. "You know him?" 

"I do." 

Peach didn't know what to say. How did this owl have an acquaintance with Bowser? 

"Um, maybe we should get your babies out of here first," Peach suggested. Behind the Hoo, the forest was steady ablaze with flames. To the Hoo's distrustful stare, she said, "I'll carry two of them, if you want. I won't let them fall, I promise." 

After a moment, the Hoo nodded in approval. "Let us go then. Use your magic to carry two of them. I will have the other two on my back." She made a loud clucking noise, and two of the chicks hopped over to her and jumped onto her back. Peach rounded up the last two in her cyclone. Together, she and the Hoo flew away, just as the nest caught on fire.

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When Peach and the Hoo reached the clearing site, the twenty toads were ducking behind a large group of stones not five feet away. Anger burned in Peach's chest. What were they doing?! 

"Toadum!" Peach cried as she landed. The two baby owls hopped about, looking at the new scenery excitedly. "What are you guys doing? Why aren't you putting out the fire?" 

"Paratroopas, Princess!" Toadonelly said, pointing skyward as he gazed through his binoculars. Peach looked up to see hundreds of winged Koopas flying in over the forest, armed with hoses. They began to shower the forest with water. 

"Bless them," the Hoo rumbled. The toads whipped around in shock at her words. 

"We have to get out of here!" Perry cried. "If they catch us, we're goners!" 

"Allow me," the Hoo said. "There are twenty of you, correct? My back is large. Ten of you can ride with me. The other ten can go with the witch." 

"Who?" Toadonelly asked, slightly afraid. 

"Me," Peach said. "Come on, guys! You can trust the Hoo! Our priority is getting to safety. Let's go!" 

Reluctantly, the twenty split into two groups of ten. Perry, Toadonelly, Toaddette, Toader, Toadlee, and six other toads gathered around Peach while the last ten clambered onto the Hoo's back. Her chicks hopped on as well, nipping toads left and right with excitement. The owl flapped her wings and rose into the air, the toads on her back gripping her downy feathers. Peach commanded the wind to fly after them, carrying them away from the raging forest fire and finally to safety.

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The wind holding her aloft, Peach, her toads, and the Hoo flew for two hours, the Hoo in the lead. They flew out of the Hoo's Wood and over Ladida Plains, which was still recovering from its own fire. Peach spotted dozens upon dozens of Goombas and Koopas on the burnt plains, putting down what looked like patches of sod. 

Peach wondered if she would be setting every region on fire before she managed to get to Mario. 

At long last, they came to a new region. It was swathed in woods as well. The dark, tightly packed trees seemed to have their own spooky aura. The whole region was misty, blotting out the sun, and seemed dark and foreboding, even though the sun was steady rising in the sky.  

The Hoo began a smooth banking circle and Peach followed suit, landing after the Hoo had already touched down. 

"Wow, that was fun!" Toadum said as he jumped off the huge owl's back. She bent down slightly so that everyone else could slide off her feathers. Her babies leapt off, flapping their wings slightly, but landed awkwardly on the ground.  

Peach cancelled her cyclone and took a good look around. Darkness extended wherever she looked, but the trees seemed to glow scarily, striking fear into her heart. 

"Er, where are we?" she asked the Hoo. 

"The haunted region of Vibe Island," the huge owl answered. "Home of Shriek Mansion."