Super Princess Peach

Ch. 13

"Everybody run!" Peach shouted, planting her feet hard as the Hoo flapped above. Her eyes looked murderous. Peach clenched her Rage Stone, ready to unleash her power to save her toads. 

"No way, Princess," Toadum cried. "We can't leave you!" The nineteen other toads roared in agreement. From their backpacks they pulled out weapons: bows and arrows, grappling hooks, and sticks and rocks.  

Peach felt frustrated by their stubbornness. Did they want to be killed? "Run to the forest!" she urged as the toads stepped forward. "I'll distract her!" 

"No! This bird's goin' down!" Toadum shouted. He struck a match and lit his arrow with it before notching it in a bow. "Take this, you confounded bird!" 

"Toadum! No!" Toaddette cried. 

He let the arrow fly, and a dozen other fire-arrows accompanied his. Peach could only watch helplessly as they flew through the air towards the Hoo. The huge owl tucked in her wings and dove down a couple of feet, narrowly avoiding the onslaught of arrows. Unfortunately, they landed at the tree line behind her. Twelve arrows impaled the thick forest undergrowth, and soon flames arose, licking up the trees and eating through the bramble easily. 

Toadum's jaw dropped. "Er, well, I didn't mean - " 

"Oh no!" Toaddette cried. "The forest is on fire!" 

The Hoo cast a worried glance behind her and then looked back to the toads, who were pausing in their assault and pondering if they should attack again. The Hoo glanced behind her again and Peach suddenly realized what she was thinking: her chicks! If she wasn't quick, they would be quickly engulfed in the fire! 

The Hoo must have made a decision, because she flapped hard twice and flew away, soaring over the trees. Peach didn't know why, but she felt a strong pang of sympathy. Her forest was on fire, and her children were in danger thanks to them. 

She didn't know why she did it, but she reached up and activated her Joyful Stone. The wind whipped around her, forming her cyclone. Toaddette looked over in alarm. 

"Princess? Where are you going?" she asked. 

"I'm going to help the Hoo," she said over the roar of the wind. "The forest fire wasn't her fault, and I'm going to help her save her babies." 

"You're insane!" Toadlee shouted. "She'll feed you to her chicks!" 

"She's got more to worry about than feeding her chicks now, thanks to us," Peach snapped. "You! Toadum!" The toad looked up at her sheepishly. "You started this fire! Now you're going to put it out! Use the water from the river and douse as much of it as you can!" 

"But Princess, how will we - " Toadum began. 

"Figure it out!" Peach said. "I'll be back in a flash!" In a burst of heat and air, Peach rocketed out of the clearing.

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Peach easily caught up with the Hoo, as she was racing faster than a bullet. She trailed behind the big owl as she soared high above the trees and up towards the cliff where her nest was located. Peach flew in an arched curve after her.  

The forest fire was quickly eating away at the forest. Already, it seemed to be a couple of miles inland and was steady racing towards the Hoo's nest. The owl landed at the top of the nest, where her chicks were racing around frantically, and Peach cancelled her Joyful Stone and slammed down into the nest beside her. 

At her presence, the Hoo started and hopped back a foot. The baby owls, however, chattered excitedly and hopped towards Peach. Murder flashed in the Hoo's yellow eyes, and raised her beak menacingly.