Princess Peach And The 12 Elemental Keys

Chapter 4: Poisonous Paradise

At that very moment, Kori and Terrus reappeared, Terrus looking serious and Kori looking worried. "Princess Peach, we hate to trouble you, but things are looking worse." Kori said to Peach. "What could possibly trouble me (other than that headache I had)?" Peach asked. "Well," Terrus began. "It could be the fact that the water off the coast of Elementopia is polluted." Peach was shocked, but not surprised - Bowser did inflict damage on her picture book, but she didn't think it would get this bad. "I suppose I must get going then, right?" Peach asked the three rescued Keepers. "It would be wise to," TicToc replied. "Go on, run along, now." As soon as TicToc said that, Peach vanished again. She was teleported to a beach, right in front of a purple ocean, also on the beach were purple splotches. The purple substance smelled awful, this was poison, Peach decided. "Hello again, Princess Peach." That voice came back. "It's you again!" Peach said shocked. "I doubt I need to remind you that Balmy Tropics is being polluted, do I?" The voice asked her. Peach looked at the ocean, then back to where the voice was coming from. "No, not really." She replied. "The powers of the Keeper of Poison, Poisius, caused this pollution," The voice continued. "And unfortunately, Poisius is somewhere out in the ocean." Peach was relieved that she had a hint of where Poisius was, but at the same time, she was unsure of how she was going to cross the ocean to find him. The voice went away again, leaving Peach alone.

Peach side-stepped like a crab away from the poisonous tide as she pondered what to do from here. She decided to explore the beach for a boat. As she walked across the pale yellow sand, Peach kept an eye out for a boat that could get her to Poisius. There wasn't, not surprising. Besides, what boat would last in poisonous water? Exactly, none. "Princess!" A voice said, sharply. Peach was distracted up until the voice yelled out at her, she stopped herself before she walked into the building in front of her. A boathouse. The source of the voice was a Toad wearing a hotel worker's uniform. "I'm glad you're here! Balmy Tropics have been very quiet lately! The water got polluted by that icky purple poison! It drove all the tourists away from here!" The Toad continued, waving his arms around. "That's why I'm here, to cleanse the ocean." Peach said, trying to calm the Toad down. "You have to see what's going on with the resort!" He told her. "The what?" Peach asked. The Toad grabbed her hand and led her to a hotel, which was empty and quiet. Peach could have sworn she saw a tumbleweed. "See! No one's coming to the hotel anymore!" The Toad exclaimed. "I said I was going to get rid of the poison!" Peach shouted. "You are!?" The Toad asked, bewildered. "Yes." Peach replied. "Well, go on then! What you waiting for!?" The Toad started shoving Peach back onto the beach like she was a misbehaving dog. "Easy! I'm a living organism, too." She said as the Toad pushed her. Peach went back to the boat house to look for a way across the poison ocean. She knocked on the shutter of the boat house. "Hello?" She asked. The shutter didn't budge. Peach knocked harder. "Hello?" She repeated, a little louder. The shutter rose just slightly. "Is that Bowser?" Someone inside asked, cautiously. "Do I look like a ten-feet tall reptile to you?" Peach asked, jokingly. The shutter lifted all the way up. The person who lifted the shutter was a Toad wearing a captain hat and light blue scarf. "Phew! It's only you, Princess." He said, relieved. Peach went inside. "I'm sure you already know this, Princess," The Toad began. "But the ocean, it's-" "Poisoned? I know. I was told a hundred times." She interrupted. "Yes, but why are you here?" The Toad asked Peach. "To find The Keeper of Poison and purify the ocean." Peach replied. "Unfortunately," The Toad said again. "I don't think any of our boats will survive in that poisonous water." "Looks like I'm stuck on this beach with no way of getting across the ocean." Peach said, hopelessly. "Actually..." The Toad replied. The two walked further into the boathouse, all the way to the back where they found a small yacht-like boat that looked like it hadn't been used at all. "This one's new." The Toad captain told Peach. "I can see that." She replied, eyeing the boat up and down. "The metal is said to be resistant to poison, extreme heat, and deep-sea pressure!" The Toad boasted. "It can survive what?" She asked, confused. "Not that last one, I'm just exaggerating." The Toad replied. "Had a feeling." Peach said. The Toad and Peach pushed the boat out of the boathouse, onto the beach, and then into the water. Peach was half-expecting the bottom of the boat to bubble, but it was perfectly fine. "See, this baby can survive in poison." The Toad said, pridefully. "In any case, it's high time we cross this ocean." Peach said, making her way to the side of the boat. Before she could get on, the Toad captain jumped onto the boat and helped her get on board. "Since you're the captain, what should I call you?" Peach asked the Toad once onboard. "You may call me..." The Toad went quiet, as if he had forgotten his own name. "Captain Cyan." The Toad replied before scurrying to the wheel. The pair set off on their way to the source of the poison and Poisius (of course). The further they sailed into the sea, all they could see in every direction was purple, poisonous water. Up ahead were a cluster of islands, some were large enough to have vegetation growing on them, and some were too small to even lie down on. But they all had on thing in common, they all had poisonous splotches on their beaches, as well as some splotches further inland. "Yikes!" Captain Cyan commented. "It's getting worse, I had a feeling it would!" Peach chimed in, looking at the purple, bubbling, poisonous gunk on the islands. Captain Cyan sailed between the islands slowly, as they were close to each other, but not too close to be impossible to sail through. Peach suddenly heard a quiet, yet noticeable noise. She looked down at the sea, and she could see tiny bubbles forming at the bottom of the boat. "Captain Cyan, we have a problem." Peach said to Captain Cyan. "What?" He asked. "There are bubbles at the bottom of the boat," Peach replied. "I think we should find somewhere to dock in case of, you know, the unthinkable." Captain Toad laughed. "Don't be silly, Princess!" He said through laughter. "I said that this boat can survive in poison!" Peach suddenly felt suspicious of Captain Cyan, like he wasn't who she thought he was. "Maybe he meant to say that can survive in poison longer than the other boats." Peach thought. The boat continued to bubble as they sailed through the toxic ocean, and Peach continued to grow more shaky. Along with that, the boat slowly began to sink into the ocean. "I think we really need to dock somewhere!" Peach exclaimed. "We're sinking!" Captain Cyan continued to act like nothing was wrong. "We'll be fine." He told Peach, who was becoming more suspicious of Captain Cyan. "Can you not feel the boat sinking? We're in the middle of a poisonous ocean for crying out loud!" Peach said, panicking. Captain Cyan caved in. "Fine, we'll stop somewhere." They stopped at an island larger than any of the ones they had seen previously. The boat started sinking into the toxic water, and Peach and Captain Cyan jumped off before it completely dissolved. "Looks like we're stuck here." Just then, a group of people that looked like they've been washed-up on the island for years ran onto the beach towards Peach and Captain Cyan. "Help has arrived!" Someone exclaimed, joyfully. "The boat dissolved." Peach said, holding up her hands. The group sighed in dismay. "Now we'll never get back home!" A young boy complained. Peach looked at the group of castaways, pityingly. "Poor things," She said. "How long have you been on this island?" The group fell silent. An elderly woman made her way to the front of the group. "I can tell you," She told Peach. "But first, we must gather in a circle." The castaways, Peach, and Captain Cyan gathered in a circle on the sand, and they all sat down. "We have been on a cruise ship touring the islands of Balmy Tropics," The elderly woman explained. "And we were sailing by this island when the poison came. The cruise began to dissolve and started to sink into the ocean. We all had to evacuate as quick as we could, we were fortunate enough to not fall into the poisonous substance. Still, we're the only survivors of the dissolved cruise. The crew and captain died as soon as they touched the poison." Peach felt a shiver down her spine, this poison situation was getting worse. "What a pity." Captain Cyan said, his head down. "I know, dear." The elderly woman said to him. Peach was still suspicious of Captain Cyan, he denied that their boat was dissolving and that he was not fully truthful about the quality of the ship. This was not Toad-like behaviour, Toads would go into panic if Peach got a paper-cut, this one seems as if he wouldn't care if she died. Finally, Peach decided to confront him flat out. "Are you working for Bowser, Captain Cyan?" She asked, crossing her arms. Captain Cyan sat there, staring blankly. All of a sudden, he got up, and a few seconds later, beelined further into the island. "Where is he going?" The elderly woman asked. Peach and the castaways ran into the jungle, but it looked like Captain Cyan had vanished into thin air, with the only evidence of his existence was his scarf and hat. "He must have gone into the village." Another elder said. Peach was confused. "Village? There are other people here?" She asked the group of castaways. "No, and it's not really a village." One of them, a man, with a torn Hawaiian shirt, replied. They led Peach to a clearing with a bunch of leaf and stick shelters, and only one wooden hut in the middle of the clearing, this was their village. "But where did that peculiar gentleman go?" The castaways checked their shelters for Captain Cyan, to no avail. They then decided to check the hut. Peach followed them in, but as she did so she accidentally tripped on a rock and fell, arms and legs first, onto the ground. The ground lowered slightly, and suddenly gave way and threw Peach into a dark, metallic area underground. The entranceway shut behind her, trapping her down there. "Help! Let me out!" She exclaimed, banging on the ceiling. The entranceway didn't move. Peach edged further into the metallic area, which turned out to be a hallway. The further she went, the place reminded Peach of an aquarium, with large windows on either side of her. Instead of a lively ecosystem of fish and coral, all she saw was the purple substance that followed her throughout Balmy Tropics. The walk through the metallic hallway felt endless, full of turns and complex pathways. The hallway darkened again, and Peach saw...wait...was this the same place she had walked from? Did she get turned around in the hallway? Peach shook her head, there's no way that could have happened. She put her hand on the ceiling, which moved out of the way. Peach got herself up and out of the hallway. She found herself standing on a grassy island surrounded by lavender clouds forming a dome around it. The water surrounding the island was still poisonous. The only structure here was a tall lighthouse, red and white. The clouds made it hard to breathe, clearly because they were toxic, too. Peach made her way towards the entrance to the lighthouse, a blue door her height. She tried opening the door, nothing, she pushed on the door, it gave way. Ahead of Peach was a spiral staircase, with two-feet thick steps. Peach shut the door to keep the poisonous air out, and started walking up the stairs - which felt more like an exercise than anything else, and a torturous one at that. Somehow, Peach reached the top of the lighthouse, where Captain Cyan was waiting. "You!" She panted, pointing at him. "You thought you could just abandon me on some island!?" Peach approached the captain. "Who are you, actually?" Captain Cyan suddenly vanished, and forming from the smoke was Wendy O. Koopa. "Wendy! I should've known!" Peach said, even more disgusted than before. "That's right, I was Captain Cyan." Wendy replied. "But I don't understand, why did you pretend to help me?" Peach asked. "Simple," Wendy replied. "When I found out you were coming to clean the poison, I thought it would be a great idea to leave you stranded on an island, or better yet, dissolve you in the poison to keep you from undoing our generous story edits. So, I transformed into a Toad and hid out at the boathouse until you came. And now, we're here. You and I. In this lighthouse." Peach was even more furious. "How could you, Wendy!?" Peach scolded. "Not only was your family's attempt at ruining my art just disgusting, but what YOU did to me was emotionally manipulative and completely unforgivable! And don't get me started on what you've done to a bunch of unfortunate people!" Wendy pulled out her wand, she was wearing a finger ring with a purple orb on it. "And it looks like my first attempt failed." Wendy smirked. She magicked four poisonous rings and flung them around the lighthouse. One of them turned on the beacon, which started spinning around and making it harder for Peach to get Wendy. The latter hit the former with her shell when she was distracted, and Peach had to continuously dodge the four rings bouncing around the room. In the middle of the battle, Peach accidentally slipped on some poison and grabbed Wendy's hand. "Let go, Princess!" She yelled, but Peach had ripped off Wendy's finger ring, and it clanked on the floor. Peach was able to get to the ring first, she pulled the orb off, Wendy suddenly felt lightheaded, and the poison rings vanished.

Peach got off the floor and looked at Wendy. "Let this defeat be a reminder of how badly you behaved, Wendy O. Koopa." She said, strictly. She lifted the purple orb in the air. "O Poisius, Keeper of Poison, awaken and undo this turmoil!" Peach chanted. After she chanted, the lavender clouds dissipated, and more importantly, a white shine spread across the ocean from the island, turning the toxic, purple water into a beautiful, healthy blue colour. Peach made her way outside the lighthouse, taking a nice deep breath in while looking at the purified ocean. "Excellent work, Princess Peach," The voice said, happily. "You've gotten rid of the poison, and Balmy Tropics is thriving again." "Courtesy of moi." Peach replied. "Now, hold up the key in your hand and chant 'Toxic Amethyst Key, guide me to The Temple of The Keepers!'." Peach chanted and she teleported to the temple in a flash of purple light. One at the temple, the fourth key joined the other three and a purple outline formed on the fourth circle next to TicToc's. Appearing from the outline was a slender, pale young man with dark purple hair with a bang, dark purple eyeshadow, and a purple cloak with a circular buckle. Painted on the buckle was a radiation symbol. Poisius looked unimpressed by being in the temple, but Peach knew he was grateful for being saved.