Widow

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A spin on Coronation Day Peach. A demonic force which is a living forest of crimson. It possessed Princess Peach through a ritual, in order to consume prey, and grow the forest by luring others in.
(Owned by @Tylernator68, and @DaKillscreen)
==Biography==
“Long ago, the forests of the world were harmonious. A pure force watched over them, a benevolent forest god. But, through the conflicts of the land, the god had been murdered. But heavenly beings don’t die so easily. Its corpse became the crimson forest, ever hungry, and ever wanting for more... Unable to be whole again. It was worshiped, but all who followed were inevitably lost.” 
Sometime closely after the events of Mario 64, Peach was once again kidnapped, this time by stalkers in strange red attire. They brought the princess to the Crimson Forest. In the forest, a gruesome ritual was done, allowing the forest to take her body for itself. It became known as Widow. From then on, it consumed most of the cult, and whatever other poor creatures lived within. Once it ran out of food to grow, it started to lure others into the forest to consume them. Yet, it forever hungered for the heart of the hero, which would allow it to move beyond the forest through unknown means. One day, Mario was invited to enter the forest. He became trapped within a loop of deaths. The story so far can be found below. 
==The Story==
===Chapter 1 -===
It was any other day on the outskirts of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario sat at home, feeling fulfilled, yet tired after a long adventure of collecting power stars. Luigi was out. Likely off on one of his own adventures. Feeling a draft in the air, Mario had found a red-stained letter in the mail…
It unsettled the plumber deeply. He hadn't heard from Princess Peach in some time after he had saved her last, yet here was a letter directed to him, partially damp, and red. None of the words seemed like Peach had written them. This must have been King Bowser's doing, he thought. Mario decided he had to get to the bottom of it. On the other side of the letter, a faded destination was marked within a vast forest.. After placing his cap on, he set off to travel across the kingdom.
The path was strangely quiet. While he predicted he would find Bowser's minions lurking around, Mario found it was mostly empty. Things were oddly peaceful. He enjoyed the peace, yet kept an eye out. After many long hours of traversing the forest, the green trees of the surroundings became a faded gray, then an autumnal red. Soon, a crimson fog rolled in, filling the lower edges of his sight.
The sound of crunching leaves filled his ears. He felt tired, encumbered, as if the forest had sapped away his strength in an instant. His running crawled to a slow walk, and he paused to rest. As he sat down, an echo of a voice fell from nearby, a familiar voice. It was Peach. 
“Mario? Is that you?”
He looked over, spotting the princess, her pink dress was a dull pink, with red highlights, skin paler, and strikingly red hair. She looked in horrible condition, as if she hadn't eaten in days. Worried, he ran over to greet the princess, he hadn't seen her in a month. He rationalized the change in appearance to a lack of contact for a while. 
“P- Princess? It's a me.. You-a don't look well.”
The mostly empty eyes of Peach slowly blinked as the plumber grew closer. She held out a hand to him
“I've missed
you. 
I grew lost here, but I thankfully have made it out of the grasp of my captors. 
They were wearing strange outfits. I had darted away as far as I could..”
In taking her hand, she grabbed him with a shocking amount of strength, and force. Instead of turning to follow him out of the forest, he was yanked, pulled along further in. He barely had a moment to rationalize what was happening, he tried to reason with Peach.
“What are you-a doing, Princess? D- don't you want to leave?”
No response. Just the blank stare of her eyes, which were now covered by darkened pixels as horns grew from the top of her head. 
His struggling only caused her force to increase. What was once arms had split open to become fleshy tendrils that wrapped around his body, binding him. 
Was this the end? He didn't want to fight Peach, but was this really the princess he knew anymore? He couldn't tell. Was this ever her? Was it an illusion? He had to escape with his last resort. A vanish cap in his pocket, he slid it on, becoming intangible, and phasing out of the grasp of the monstrous princess. He didn't have the guts to turn back to look, just booked it. He escaped as fast as he could in his current state.
Following the plumber, were sounds of skittering, and a low grumble. Voices were echoing in his head, some he recognized, whilst others he did not. 
“Please leave now. I won't mind.” 
“The Widow hungers for its heart.”
“Please stop. I can't breathe.”
“Crown her.”
Though the voices rang through his head, the pressing concern was that the power of the vanish cap was running out. By the time it had ended, he had jumped off the side of a cliff. Mario found himself at the bottom, near the water, which ran red. So was everything else. Crimson was all he could see around, from the sky to the ground below.
Sounds of squelching were heard where he stood, though he could not stand very well at this point. The fall, while not fatal to him, left its mark. Though what was the princess was no longer after the plumber, his heart was still pounding out of his chest. Now, he had no choice, but to continue on. As he walked, drops of a crimson rain sputtered, and splashed onto his hat. All around sat bones, discarded flesh, and a putrid smell. Signs of a voracious predator all throughout. He could have sworn he heard a heartbeat all around him.
Mario kept on walking, trying to lay low where he could. Yet, in time, he would hear the skittering sound. It would grow louder. He ran, and ran, over a hill, and through trees. Yet a collection of thorn covered vines was in Mario's path, a crimson net of poking thorns had caught him. Soon, the loud skittering grew even louder, closer. When he looked over, there was the princess. Though its form was even more monstrous. Crimson dripped from its obscured eyes. The dress was completely torn at the bottom, revealing many spindly limbs, like branches of a tree. The crimson hair of the beast flowed all around.
Mario struggled for what felt like minutes. The beast simply stared at him, looking content, till finally, its tendrils wrapped around his neck, and everything went black. From that darkness, a taunt came from the beast.
“That look on your face was precious, dear. You'll make it big for sure. Simply give your soul up to me..”
When Mario came to, he was falling down the cliff again. That same voice echoed through his head.
“Again?”
(End of Chapter 1)
=== Chapter 2 - ===
“Again?”
The voice filled the plumber’s head as he landed at the bottom of the cliff with a thud once again. Flashes of what had just happened ran through his mind. How was he still alive? How did he end up back here? Questions filled Mario’s thoughts. Even more pervasive was a hunger that struck him just then. Unlike the last time, there was no skittering sounds, was he safe? No. It was too quiet.. So, Mario made his way deeper into the forest again, ensuring he watched for any thorns. The corpses around caught his attention. He was so very hungry… 
Yet, as he went along, the plumber ignored this urge for now. The dripping of red rain from the sky again tapped against the plumber's head while he walked along. His legs couldn't push him that quickly anymore, he felt tired… So tired… And hungry. Soon, he couldn't help himself, but shuffled closer to one of the corpses. A mangled Toad was there, covered in crimson branches, and vines. Mario attempted to reach for what remaining flesh was there, until he felt eyes gazing down at him, two blank white eyes. A strange confusion fell over him, till a voice echoed into his head.
“I would not eat that, plumber.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but could barely choke out any words, his throat felt gripped with pain.
“Wh.. Who .?”
Before he could wrap this encounter through his mind, the eyes faded away into the treeline. The exhausted plumber decided to follow the direction the eyes went, yet he could only run so far, eventually falling down, exhausted.
Something caught his eye, a cabin in the distance. Somewhere to find shelter at? Slowly forcing himself over the scarlet, warm ground, Mario brought himself towards the cabin. He spotted a circle of crimson sticks not too far from the cabin, a stump in the center, shaped into an altar of sorts. The stump was soaked with scarlet viscera. The mere sight disgusted the plumber, as everything else in this cursed forest. As he slowly got himself up, he spotted words etched into the stump
“Crown her.”
This couldn't be right. Was this where Peach was? No. This all has to be a nightmare. Peach can't be that monster.. Mario stumbled off into the cabin. He was so exhausted, so he had found a bed to rest in. 
Nightmares. Visions. They flashed through his mind as he had slept. He felt as if he floated through water, building up the cabin whilst he heard faint laughs from the princess. Then, another vision fell over his mind of Princess Peach at the altar, red-robed figures performing a ritualistic sacrifice. Her chest was sliced open, whilst a dark substance was leaking from her glitching eyes, and mouth. She choked out words, which haunted him..
“My lungs hurt.. My throat is all closed up. Would you please remove them for me?” 
Before he could run to help her, the princess looked up to stare directly at him. 
“You'll bow to the forest, 
crook. 
For it is where you will feed from..”
The nightmare ended, and he felt branches wrapped around him while he was in his bed. The branches snaked through the chimney, slowly dragging him up out of the house. 
As he was pulled out of the chimney, he saw the face of the princess again, or what was the princess. An even more demonic form, akin to a fallen angel, with a crimson halo. It's scratched voice spoke to him directly for once.
“You really are a
Shadow
of what you were back then, dear.”
“Well, all good things must come to an end.”
This time, Mario managed to get an arm free, attempting to jab it right into the beast's eye. It did not give a reaction. Moments later, pain fell through his arm, letting out a yell of pure agony as his arm was ripped away by the darkness, then his other arm from one of the branches. Finally, his legs were torn off, with the beast dropping the mangled Mario to the ground. He looked just like it now. Just when he thought it was the end of the suffering, hooked branches stabbed into his chest. He couldn't breathe. With his fading consciousness, Mario heard several last words from this beast.
“It finds you to be perfect 
prey…
It seeks your heart. Your soul.  The Widow will keep on hunting until you are 
done…”
Then, darkness. 
“Again?”
The all too familiar words fell through the mind of Mario, whilst he fell from the be side of the cliff again, this time catching himself with some branches of a tree. He was stuck here now. Stuck in this loop of sorrow, and pain. Mario had given up, sitting in the same spot for some time, going into his bag, and digging through it. Whilst not expecting to find anything, he eventually found an old fire flower. It perhaps had one blast of flame left in it. That's when the skittering was heard again, growing closer… He held the fire flower close, eyes darting to look around the trees, till spotting the beast lunging at him, sending a plume of  the flames at it. The Widow erupted in flame, letting out demonic screeching, and gargled sounds of what sounded like Peach, screaming out for Mario.
“MARIO
MARIO
SAVE ME
IT BURNS.”
The plumber could not bear to hear this anymore, he ran, and ran. Mario hoped he had finally stopped it, and ended Peach’s misery… Yet, her voice echoed through his mind.
“I can't breathe…”
“It burns.”
Crimson tears fell from his eyes as he ran deeper, and deeper into the forest. Before long, he had lost his energy. He felt a pain in his chest, as he fell down to the ground. Mario struggled to pull himself forward. As he looked to the ground, there were footsteps slowly approaching. along with heavy breathing, and the sound of flies…
He saw himself. 
=== Chapter 333 - ===
There was darkness. Mario had a dream, or a nightmare even. He felt like he was under water, floating above his own corpse, while the muffled sound of the water cut out a sound of crying. The liquid felt warm, as if it was heated by the gushing blood around him... He saw visions of Toads all around, stepping through a void, while he couldn’t reach them. He saw Luigi looking at a torn visage of his own hat, grieving… Then, he heard her voice, and turned over to see the princess, or what used to be her. She was standing in front of him, arms crossed behind her back, blank eyes staring darts into him
“Make this easy,
Mario...
Just give up the fight. 
Let us be together, once again.
That is what you always wanted? To be my heart… 
We could see them all again.. Save them from their fate..”
Despite these words, he did not give up. He stood against it, arms at the ready. He would not let this beast use his own feelings against him. He would never let a monster who would so ruthlessly kill pretend to be Peach and use that against him.. That’s when its visage changed, face covered by glitches. A static permeated the area. 
In a panic, he imagined he had a fire flower, bringing it against the beast, setting it aflame, hearing it screech again, causing his vision to be filled with light. When the light faded, he had awoken in a green forested area, with some light snow coating the trees. A mist filled the area, with the beams of light shining through it above. He saw a cabin, and someone in a green dress tending to a garden beside it. The woman turned, revealing a form akin to the one he just saw in his nightmare. Only, with a purer aura to her. With a much more settling feeling filling his body. He no longer felt the phantom pain of his prior deaths, even just for a moment. 
Mario heard another voice in his head now.
“So, you made it here finally? Guess my warning didn’t go on deaf ears after all. It’s very much depressing to see how terribly things have gone for you... The other half has rendered you battered and broken. Unable to speak even... Every time you come back, you are just that bit weaker, Mario... But there is still a way to fight.”
He tried to speak but couldn’t. Only scratched gurgles came from his mouth... Yet, it understood what he wanted to say. 
“Oh, just consider my name to be Bride. Or Guide even… Whatever sounds the best. That is not the most pressing matter, anyways… That would be Widow… It needs you. It needs you to give your soul up to it.. To consume the forbidden fruit of its twisted garden and fall under its will. For obvious reasons, you cannot give up against it... If it takes you, it will take everything else next.” 
The plumber was panicked by this information. This all really was falling into his hands. Yet, he stood determined. He was determined to stop this adversary, just as he had every other obstacle that had come his way before. He wished to free Peach from her fate, even if that meant she was lost. However, he believed deep down that she could still be brought back. 
“I cannot keep you here longer. Whether you decide to end the poor thing, or weaken it enough for you to escape, you’ll need this..” 
Bride held out a shiny object, holding it over Mario’s hand, and allowing it to fall into his grasp. Yet, when he looked at his hand, there was nothing, and when he looked back up, he was falling back down into the Crimson Forest.
“Again?”
Mario tried to not show the stress he felt returning here. He managed to catch a branch, and land without injury. He checked his bag, finding the fire flower again. He wouldn’t back down now… This would be his final stand. The plumber stared into the crimson forest, hand twitching, Though the pain of every failure fell through his body, he still stood. 
From the edge of the forest, he could just barely make out the emaciated, giant silhouette of the arachnid-like Widow… It emerged from the forest, several fleshy fruit dangled from its spindly branched limbs…
==Abilities/Weaknesses==
===Abilities===
* It seems to have the ability to distort reality and perception of surroundings. Mostly done to the forest itself to make it appear as an innocent autumnal forest.
*The ability to sprout spindly, spider-like legs of branches.
*The flesh of the forest can be shifted and distorted to its own will.
*The flesh of peach can be manipulated and shifted by its power.
*The ability to manipulate the souls of those it kills.
*It can spin crimson webs out of its arms, which have a strange adhesion, similar to spider webs.
*It can play with the minds of its victims, making them feel weak, tired, hungry, and other similar feelings.
*It can return the dead back to life and use them to drag others to it.
*It seems to be able to teleport anywhere out of view of others.
*Those who eat from the forest, allow the Widow to exert it's will over them.
*It can float. 
*It is able to spawn floating heads, or dead spirits to attack its enemies. 
===Weaknesses ===
* It could perhaps be burnt, or frozen.
* Although attacking their form weakens them. It'll only come back more aggressive. A strategy to keep it away may be the best way to stop them. If no other option, run away.
* Purifying power. 
==Trivia==
*
*It always seems to have pitch black glitches over its eyes.
*Widow has a parody account @CROWNH3R
*The story, and art is largely based off of Mario 64.
*Peach's hair was dyed red by the blood of the forest's waters, and by the blood of their victims.
*It prefers to kill by strangulation, or by ripping of limbs.
* The ways the Widow feeds is unknown, but it does leave behind a destroyed corpse, with mostly skeleton left.
* The only part of Widow that is Peach is the upper body (head, half the arms, and torso). Everything below that is nothing but the crimson-colored twigs, and branches of the forest.
* When The Widow walks, a constant skittering could be heard from its branch legs.
*Even as Crimson Peach, it still walks around on the branch legs, which are hidden by the dress.
* Widow is agender. It is called they, or it. Only in the context of Peach is it referred to as she. But the force itself is not referred to as she.
*When interacting with Crimson King, Widow would be reluctant to attack another version of itself essentially. It'd be more curious and amused to see such a small Mario be in its place in another world. Though, it'd also be distrustful that the crimson king would try to take over its own forest.
*If fed enough, it may be less likely to attack.
*With each kill, its forest grows.
*When in its revealed state, it can stay the same size as Peach if it wants to. It can stretch out somewhat with more branches.
*
==Gallery==
File:UpdatedWidow2.png|Widow's fully revealed form.
File:WidowMidForm.png|Forest Demon (Mid form)
File:WidowPixelBrush.png|Ditto
File:CrimsonPeachBrush.png|Crimson Peach (Slightly revealed).
File:CrimsonPeachNew.png|Crimson Peach, aka illusion form
File:UpdatedWidow1.png|Ditto (Killscreen's render).
File:PaperCrimsonPeach.png|Paper version of Crimson Peach.
File:PaperWidow.png|Paper version of Widow.
File:WidowForestDemonSketch.jpg|Forest Demon form redesign sketch.
File:WidowRevealedSketch.jpg|Widow's full form redesign sketch
File:WidowGuide.png|Bride (aka Guide) - The half of Peach that still fights against Widow's influence, and guides Mario.
File:Red Forest.png|The Forest's appearance.
File:WidowInCrimsonForest.png|Art of Widow obscured in the distance of the crimson forest.
File:'The Widow Awaits..png|The Widow Awaits your arrival.
File:Widow's Letter.jpg|The letter Widow uses to lure in Mario
File:WidowAttacks.png|Widow restraining Mario.
File:WidowConcept1.png|Concept art done by Killscreen.
File:WidowBurns.png|Widow caught on fire.
File:WidowSprite.png|Sprite of Widow.
File:WidowConcept2.png|More concept art from Killscreen.
File:WidowModel.png|Model of Widow.
File:Crimson Forest.jpg|The skybox of The Crimson Forest.
File:WidowGameover.png|Game Over.
Category:Characters
Category:In Universe
Category:Peach-Based
Category:Demonic entities
Category:Princess
Category:Retake
Category:God-like
Category:Ancient
Category:Reimagined
Category:Stalkers
Category:Antagonists
Category:Antagonist
Category:SM64 based exes
Category:SM64 based
Category:Giant
Category:Carnivorous
Category:Tylernator's Horrorbrews
Category:SBRP