Chapter 1: The Suitor
Princess Peach rubbed her anxious hands together as she stood beside Toadsworth inside the entry hall. The chandelier had been lit to a dull glow that shone the enormous room of all its hospitality. The walls were a light blue, painted with clouds decorating the high walls and the ceiling. The floor was designed in black and white square tiles, and the stairs, which were positioned at both sides of the halls, were covered in an expensive red carpet. It was a hall that had welcomed ever so many a guest, though often unwanted guests, but guests all the same.
Thunder resounded throughout the rather dark room, echoing among the painted clouds and stone walls. Peach held her arms with her hands, rubbing them together for warmth as she waited. Lightning drew across the sky, lighting up the glass window pane that resembled Princess Peach above the door. Peach ran her fingers through her hair as she felt a shiver run down her spine. The wind howled outside, banging against the castle and doors. The princess closed her eyes and breathed into her hands desperately. Was it continually getting colder in here? She felt as though the temperature was incessantly dropping.
A group of five Toads stood by the door that lead out into the bitter storm. The red Toad looked towards his companions. They nodded to him confidently. The Toad grasped the golden doorknob and pulled, sending the door flying open. The red Toad was thrown back into the entry hall along with his Toad companions as an enormous flurrie of wind suddenly burst into the castle through the door. The princess sheilded her eyes from the sudden attack of wind as the chandelier was blown out and the room became dark. Toadsworth cried out in confusion as the wind began to die down.
"What is going on here?" he said loudly once the entry hall was calm once more. Peach felt her heart race against her chest as she kept her eyes locked on the open door, waiting for Bowser to suddenly stampede inside.
She was now shivering like mad. The storm was still brewing outside, and the sound of the rain made her skin crawl. There came a flash of lightning, and suddenly she saw something flicker near the door. A shadow seemed to have darted inside the castle. Princess Peach's eyes followed where she thought she saw the shadow go; up towards the ceiling, near the chandelier. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed upon the darkness, waiting for something to appear.
The eeriness did not soon fade as Toadsworth and the other Toads nearby were suddenly alert and anxious. Peach turned her gaze away from the chandelier and back towards the door. A sudden burst of thunder broke the silence. Peach stared at the entry way as her feet began to pull her near. She slowly moved towards the doorway, eager to see who or what was out there.
"Princess...." said Toadsworth in a scolding tone.
Princess Peach didn't hear him as she continued towards the sound of crackling thunder and the smell and taste of fresh rain. It tasted like cold metal, and smelt of springtime. It strangely drew her in even more as she gazed into the dark storm outside.
She brought herself to the frame of the door and peered out. She could see a buggy carriage waiting next to the overflowing fountain outside. Yet it was strange to her to see that it was without Yoshis. There seemed to be nobody on the stone bridge outside, nor anywhere even close to the castle. Was this some sort of....trick?
The wind blew tiny droplets of rain into the Princess's face as she squinted into the bursting of clouds. Her hair flew back upon her head, and her lips grew dry. Her small feet were numb from the cold along with her hands. A night gown was most certainly not the proper wear for such weather as tonight.
"Princess, I would truly feel better if you were to come back here with me. I don't trust this storm..." said Toadsworth.
Before Princess Peach could even take in what Toadsworth was saying, she suddenly felt a large, warm, wet tongue cake itself onto her face, followed by a loud slurping sound. Her heart jumped into her throat as she screamed and leapt back, her body shaking in fear. Drool was dripping off her slender, amiable face as the Princess took in her breaths almost as fast as her heartbeat.
A creepy, high-pitched laugh sounded in the room from out of nowhere. Princess Peach darted back to Toadsworth's side as an enormous burst of thunder sounded into the entry hall.
"Princess!" cried Toadsworth.
Suddenly, from the chandelier came a spotlight. It shone down to the doorway, creating a circle of light around the entrance. Floating there, at the center of the light, was a silky, dark-blue top hat. Princess Peach heard herself take in a deep and shuddering breath as her knees began to tremble. What was this thing?
It was in another cry of thunder that a pale white boo appeared beneath the top hat. His smile was filled with pointed teeth, his black eyes gleaming. Peach looked pale and horrified as she gazed upon the grinning, round ghost. He gave off a brilliant white shine in the spotlight from above, and looked rather radiant as he gazed upon Peach. Toadsworth and the other Toads were speechless.
Suddenly, the boo closed his eyes and furrowed his brow as if to concentrate. Peach wasn't sure what to do, or even what to think. The rain pitter-pattered outside as the thunder remained silent for the time being. With out warning there was a sudden sound of piano keys all being play at one time. This made Peach jumped as she turned about to face the door to her left; where the sound had emitted from.
She had a piano in there...but what was it doing? The heavy sound of something being dragged across the ground was heard. Peach stepped back from the door a bit, preaparing for what she thought would happen. The piano suddenly burst through the door, sending bits of wood flying from the hinges! Peach screamed as she fell to the ground. The boo laughed as he opened his eyes and grinned.
He raised his small hand as the piano suddenly rose into the air, knocking Toadsworth to the floor. The piano then flipped about, tumbling in mid-air until it stop directly in front of the boo. Peach was in awe as she looked upon her ghostly guest, watching as he began to play on her glossy black piano. He hit each key perfectly as a song began to form. The Toads were pale and too shocked to know what they should do. Toadsworth quickly pulled Princess Peach to her feet as she stared at the pianist.
The song he played was strangely calming. It seemed to flow throughout the room, drowning out the sound of rain and thunder. It grew fast and slow at different times, creating an almost romantic feeling. Peach was a tad confused now. Who was this fool? What business does he have to simply waltz into her castle, lick her, scare her half to death with a piano, and then play a lovely song for her? She suddenly felt herself becoming more angry than shaken.
She whipped the disgusting drool from her face as the song continued on, the boo looking as though he was a professional. It was then that six more boos fluttered inside as well. They all floated into the entry hall gracefully as dancers, coming in two rows of three. Peach was shocked. They all gave off a pink glow and began to twirl and dip to the melody of the song. Peach took a step back along with the rest of the Toads to let them have more dancing room. Though she was appalled of these boos, she had the strangest urge to hear out the entire song, and watch the rose-colored boos dance. She then noticed that almost all of the Toads were now in the entry hall, gazing upon the pianist boo and his six dancers.
With her hands held close to her face and her brow knotted, Peach watched the romantic entertainment a little while longer until the song was drawing to an end. The whole while she became entranced with the music, and so did her servants. Who was this strange boo?
The song then came to a fulfilling finish as the six pink boos made their sudden pose. They all held out their hands towards Princess Peach, smiling at her with pointed teeth and wide grins. Peach was shocked as the spotlight suddenly turned to her. The Toads around her couldn't help but applaud the wonderful work. They clapped politely, eyeing the pianist.
He had suddenly appeared in front of Peach with a bouquet of blue roses.
"Uh..." said Peach as she backed away. The pink boos started clapping madly and bouncing up and down as the pianist boo fixed Princess Peach with his most seductive grin.
"Princess Peach!" he said suddenly as Peach jumped a little. "The most fair and brilliant woman alive! Will you come and be my bride?"
Peach couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"What?" Peach said loudly.
"WHAT?" cried Toadsworth as he stepped forth from the crowd. He marched into the spotlight with the boo and Peach, pointing his finger at the hovering ghost. "Who exactly do you think you are?"
The pinks boos stopped their giggling and hovered in the darkness. The top-hatted boo frowned and looked at Toadsworth. With a scowl he lifted his hand into the air, thus causing Toadsworth to do the same. The old Toad floated helplessly in mid-air, crying out profanities. The boo laughed as his companions did the same.
Peach screamed as she tugged upon Toadsworth, trying to help to down to the floor. The other Toads were now all very shocked and gasped at the hovering servant. The boo suddenly stopped his laughing, and with a flick of his wrist sent Toadsworth flying across the room. Toadsworth landed upon a group of Toads who groaned in agony as the old Toad tried to get back up.
Peach was shaking in fear as her wide, blue eyes became fixed once more on the strange boo floating before her. Her heart was fluttering and her stomach was flipping.
"Answer me, my dear," said the boo. "Will you marry me?"
Peach's jaw quivered in disbelief as she said, "Marry....you?! Who are you?!"
The boo did a flip in the air as he tossed his bouquet of roses up and then caught them, sending a fleet of blue pedals to fall to the black and white tiles below.
"Who am I?" he asked. "Why, Princess, I am Booregard! The enchanting and ever-haunting boo!"
The princess didn't actually care who this stranger was, for there was no possible way she would marry him. She stared him in the eye for a moment, feeling hesitant.
Quickly, however, she shook it off and said, "That doesn't matter! You need to leave this very instant!"
Booregard suddenly looked puzzled, and quite hurt.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"What do I mean?!" Princess Peach repeated. "I mean that there is no way I'm going to marry you! I don't even know you!"
"I'm Booregard!"
"I know that! But just because I know your name doesn't mean I'm gonig to marry you!"
There was a moment of silence then in which Booregard seemed to lose himself in some sort of trance, his mouth in an 'O' shape and his eyes displaying a blank stare. The pinks boos behind him all gave Peach terribly cruel stares, showing their terrible fangs. Peach wanted these ghosts out of her castle as soon as possible.
"So leave me now, ghost, and don't ever come back!" she cried.
Booregeard was suddenly knocked out of his trance as he looked back to Peach with a clever grin.
"So you're not going to marry me?" he asked.
"Absolutely not, now leave me-!"
"And this is because you only know my name and not who I actually am?"
Peach eyed him suspiciously. The truth of the matter was, even if Princess Peach actually got to know Booregard, she still would not marry him. She never looked well upon foolish suitors such as he, though this was by far the scariest one she had ever come in contact with. However, though Peach would never marry such a creature, it was her instinct to say the nice thing. Thus, Peach replied, "Yes," to Booregard's question, stating that the only reason that she said no to marrying him in the first place was because all she knew about him was his name.
This creating a gleam in the boo's eye as a wide smile spread across his pale, boo face.
"Well then, my princess, perhaps we ought to get to know each other a little better..." he said.
The princess went pale as her stomach dropped. The bouquet of blue roses that Booregard once held now turned into a rather small bird cage. Peach furrowed her brow as she tried to see what was inside. Behind the thin black bars was what appeared to be a toy house. It was tall and blue with a black roof on its top. It was a mansion, actually. And surrounding the playhouse was a small forest of dark pines trees.
"Wh---what is this?" asked Peach as she looked from the playhouse to the grnning boo.
"This is my mansion," said Booregard. "Like it?"
And without another word, Booregard lifted the birdcage high into the air, and sent it smashing down onto Peach's blonde head! Peach screamed as she suddenly blacked out.
