[Mari]

...So... cold. From the moment Peach had died in the mirage, she'd felt only an unending, terrible coldness and tiredness across her being. A lack of energy so severe she couldn't even think. It had helped, in a way, to be incapable of thinking about what was happening to her. To be unaware of her death. ...That is, until she woke up. Peach sat up with a sharp gasp, breathing heavily as she woke from what felt like an eternal slumber. She looked around for a moment. She was in her room at the castle. It was the middle of the night judging by a quick look out the window. Everything was seemingly as it should have been. "...Oh bother. What a terrible nightmare." Peach softly lamented. ...Wait. Was it a nightmare? It certainly felt vivid. She could remember her day leading up to it, how it felt, how it smelled, even the darkness of the void that embraced her when it was all over. How could that be a dream? ...But then, how did she get in her bedroom in her pajamas? ...Did the mirage undress her?! ...She got up and decided to test her theory. Slipping out of her room, she discreetly checked on the girls just to make sure they were doing okay. Sure enough, everyone was in their beds. Everyone except Shin!Arle.

Shin!Arle had been plagued by horrible nightmares after her trip to the mirage. Though she hadn't died, simply having that thing in her head had been extremely hard on her fragile mental state. Exhausted and disgruntled, she floated along the castle halls in search of an enemy she could not hope to find. That is, until she found dear Peach instead.

Peach was startled by Shin!Arle's disheveled appearance, as well as the animus in her eyes. That look--There was hatred there. " . . . I do wish you would not look at me that way, Arle..." Peach softly chided. Shin!Arle sighed and relented slightly by looking away, gingerly rubbing at her eyes. "...Sorry, I'm just having a bad night." she replied. On closer inspection, Peach started to notice untreated wounds all over Shin!Arle's body. "--Oh dear! Arle what happened??" she blurted out, rushing to her side. Shin!Arle held her hands up in surrender, warding Peach off from pulling her into an embrace. "No--Please... ...I snuck off and got wrapped up in the mirage." Shin!Arle admitted rather lamely. "...You know you're not supposed to do that..." Peach softly replied. You're still grounded, missy! "Yeah, I know..." Shin!Arle lamely replied.

"The thing is, I'm pretty sure the mirage plotting to overthrow our reality and consume everyone and everything in it." Shin!Arle remarked, running a hand through her hair and caressing her head in a stressed manner. "...Oh." Peach awkwardly replied. "It has the power to do it too. I'm not sure why it's hesitating..." Shin!Arle added. It wasn't the first time Peach had ever seen Shin!Arle break down and start 'talking crazy', but it never stopped being... concerning every time it happened. "...I'm sure we can handle it. And even if we can't, I'm sure another great hero will rise to the challenge. It'll be okay..." Peach softly reassured. But Shin!Arle shook her head. "...And what if one doesn't? What if that great hero isn't great enough to save you?" Shin!Arle asked. Peach just gave her a blank look for a moment. "...Arle, that won't happen. I--" Peach softly began, only to be cut off as Shin!Arle got up in her face and interupted her. "No!! You don't understand! It already happened! Everyone's gone! What's stopping that thing from opening a portal right over this castle and taking you away? Forever!" Shin!Arle snarled, a misdirected rage in her expression. Peach recoiled slightly in alarm, but Shin!Arle reached out to grab her by her shoulders, fingers digging into her somwhat painfully. "What's stopping it from taking Lidelle away? Amitie?? This castle?? Everything!!" Shin!Arle began snapping, a sharp glare in her eyes. Peach was stunned into silent momentarily, squirming very slightly in Shin!Arle's painfully tight grasp. She offered the other a half-hearted smile. "...You." Peach timidly offered.

At this response, Shin!Arle flinched rather hard. Peach could feel her recoil, her grip loosening. And then, ...Shin!Arle released Peach and promptly burst into tears, beginning sob somewhat noisily. "...No... I can't..."

...Peach watched Shin!Arle in pity and concern, deeply distressed by her seeming inability to reach her when she was like this. After a few moments of realizing Shin!Arle at least wasn't getting physical with her anymore, she very cautiously went in and moved to caress the smaller girl, doing her best to very carefully ignore her squirms and hush her protests as she pulled her in close and began soothingly fixing her hair and stroking her scalp while she cried. Whatever it took to calm her down. ...She just hoped the other girls couldn't hear her crying from their rooms. She didn't want any of them to see either of them like this.