Very impressed and pleasantly surprised by Netflix's "Abadi Nan Jaya" (The Elixir)! I find it really solid from beginning to end. I don't know if it's intentional, but I like the ~~dichotomy between the wealthy and the poor that's subtly depicted in the movie, and how the zombie breakout is caused by the greed of the wealthy, but it's the poor who suffer more. At the same time, they're more self-sufficient and seem to have more survival instinct than the spoiled rich brats. This dichotomy is also shown in the languages/dialects used, but unfortunately, I don't know if it translates well in the subtitles.
The sequel to The Elixir, a Phantom x Peach fanfic
@salamifuposey @strawbunniiee @kindpopstar @hotpinkboots @medys-space @darkmedolie @tiramegtoons @sleepy-heads-blog @lemonbaloni @theboarsbride @minnesotamedic186 (and all my mutuals)
I had to do this one because the first story got so much love! Also, there is a reference to Helluva Boss because I cannot help myself (it's just so good), as well as Phantom of the Opera (duh...).
CW: "Drug" Use, Suggestiveness (not explicit NSFW), Hallucinations, Slight Cursing, and Some Blood & Gore
Sleep. Sleep, damn you, just sleep...
Over and over again, this chant plagued her mind with every throb from her headache. What was meant as a way to exorcise her insomnia became a demon in its own way. It nagged her seemingly without end. Over and over again...
Sleep. Sleep, damn you, just sleep...
She remembered those days when she could easily fall asleep. In those days, she was only a child, carefree and jovial, in a world that seemed so simple. If only it truly was. Accepting her duties as the royal leader of the Mushroom Kingdom had disillusioned her from what she believed for years. Every dream, every thought, every expectation - all corrupted by reality. The weight of everything fell upon her body like a sack filled with rocks. Attempting to sit up from her bed seemed impossible. Her arms felt heavy, as if she had carried the whole world like a child, while its mother, the universe, stood by and watched. For once, she wanted nothing more than peace. While there was no energy within her body, her mind spun around, her eyes staring out into the dark void that was the ceiling of her chamber.
She blinked. Then blinked again, and again, and again. Her futile efforts were driving her insane. It annoyed her immensely as she tried to shut her eyes for good. But to no avail, just like the many previous nights before. Finally, giving up on trying, she turned to lay on her right side and waited for sleep to come and take her away. Then, a shining glint catches her eyes. There, placed upon her nightstand, was a bejeweled glass bottle with a strange green liquid inside it.
Ah yes... The elixir. I almost forgot...
She remembered how the apothecary sold potions and concoctions that were brewed for sleep. This elixir was amongst them, which stirred her curiosity. It was not the first time she had to use such methods to heal herself. Anything for a moment of inner stability. But what exactly did this elixir contain? And what will it do to her after she consumes it, other than put her to sleep?
Reaching out for the elixir, she strained to lift herself up. Her fingers traced the outer details before delicately clutching it. The substance glistened, much like a gem, against the moonlight peering from her window. The bubbles were like diamonds - crystal clear pearls that dazzled with light, a speck of fairy dust shimmering within an emerald lake. She took a moment to adore the elixir's ornate beauty, and as she did so, a wave of second thoughts began to arise. Will this truly help? Should I drink it? Should I even have it in my possession? What if it's poison? A spell that causes irreversible side effects? These were all reasonable concerns; however, like how water passes through a rippling stream, so did they through her mind. Finally sitting up, she uncorks the bottle. The aroma of the strange essence invaded her senses, breathing in the aura emitting from the glass bottle. She swallows, slowly raising it to her lips. Her eyes close.
The moment the contents of the elixir poured onto her tongue, she tasted everything. It was everything and anything all at once. There were flavors she tried before, ones she had forgotten, others she never tasted before, and some from her childhood memories. There was no determining what exactly the main flavor was. In fact, it was impossible to do so, for there was always a new flavor to taste every second. To even pin down one single discerning type was challenging on its own. But all of that didn't matter because, to her pleasant surprise, the elixir was phenomenal! With just one tiny sip, she felt so much more content, much freer than before. The green concoction took effect within minutes. The chanting and nagging within her mind dissipated like dust as it loses its grip on sober reality. Her head began to sway gently, rocking slightly, side to side, as a floating sensation took hold. These physical changes were something she was completely unfamiliar with. But whatever this feeling was, she was beginning to enjoy it.
She laid back down on her bed, stretching her whole body, comforted by the lush blankets underneath her. A pillow, light and cool to the touch, cradled her tired head. For once, she is now the child, allowing herself to be pulled into sleep's loving embrace.
---
"Princess..."
Peach opened her eyes to darkness so vast that she could not see even her own hand in front of her. She blinked but no light came into her vision. Completely blind, she lifts herself up from her bed. Her eyes searched in vain for anything at all. She could tell she was still on her bed, but the pitch black void surrounding her made her quiver with uncertainty. Peach clutched her nightgown over her heart. Breathe in, and breathe out. No need to worry – this is only a dream. Her lungs ached as cold, clear, crisp air flowed inside with each inhale. Peach stared out into the void, hoping to make sense of what was going on. Although closing her eyes made no difference, Peach did so in an attempt to shift herself from fear and into a calm sense of focus. A technique she learned years ago from her mother. She sat still, meditating, not making a sound. It has to be. You were just hearing things, that's all.
“Open your eyes, my love...”
Peach's heart skipped a beat. “If I do, how afraid should I be?” she spoke to the voice.
“Well... How afraid do you want to be?”
A soft gush of wind blew past, lightly caressing her hair from her shoulders. The chill awoke Peach from her brief meditation, introducing her to a surreal yet breathtaking sight. Floating above and around her and her bed were candles set aglow with a strange green fire. The flames twinkled and sparkled like shining emeralds under the sunlight, alighting the bleak realm but not the shadows that lurked within. Peach looked around to take in this foreign space of green and black. Wherever Peach was, she was not inside her chamber anymore. No, the princess was now in a hazy dream world, and that very familiar voice she had heard was its ethereal host. Her lips parted to call out his name but paused at the touch of a soft and warm stroke on her arm. She turned. There she laid her eyes on her spectral lover, the Phantom of the Bwahpera.
His eyes were glass-like, shimmering in the emerald light, peering into hers in an alluring trance. No longer was he wearing his iconic cobalt blue coat and red vest. Nothing but a sheer white blouse that hung delicately over his bodice, his bosom exposed ever so slightly. Phantom's lips curled into a subtle smile as he gracefully caressed up his princess's arm and to her chin, lifting it up in admiration. It was impossible to steer away from his gaze. The mesmerizing effect it had on Peach was just as strong as the elixir's potency. As her chin was lifted, the floating sensation came back again, almost soothing her back to sleep. The sight of him comforted Peach, lulling her to sink into his gentle embrace. Within moments her fear and anxiety dissipated from her mind and body as Phantom carefully hovered over her onto the bed. She could feel his massive weight slightly pressed up against her body, leaving her breathless, submitting to him with no resistance. All her senses became enhanced as she felt his lips brushing against hers – the delicious aftertaste of the elixir pouring onto her tongue. Her heart began to race, her face flushed with warmth and color. Oh, how she missed this! She missed this greatly! Kissing him back, Peach wrapped her arms around his neck to savor their shared intimacy. Her fingers brushed against the collar of his blouse, teasing it as if to pull it down over his shoulders. She heard him chuckle deeply, his voice purring into her ear. Finally, they break from their kiss, giving themselves a moment to breathe.
And then, in true operatic fashion, Phantom sweetly sung his serenade...
🎶“You have come here
In pursuit of your deepest urge
In pursuit of that wish which till now has been silent
Silent
I have brought you
That our passions may fuse and merge
In your mind you've already succumbed to me
Dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me
Now you are here with me, no second thoughts
You've decided...
Decided”🎶
Underneath the arch of her back slithered Phantom's arm, delicately pulling her close. As Peach allowed herself to be held, she felt herself rising – floating – along with him from the comfort of her silky bed sheets. She goes to look behind, only to have her gaze be pulled back by his soft caress.
🎶“Past the point of no return
No backward glances
Our games of make-believe are at an end
Past all thought of if or when
No use resisting
Abandon thought and let the dream descend
What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desires unlock its door?
What sweet seduction lies before us?”🎶
Higher and higher they went, rising into the void among the emerald-lit candles. They danced around them, illuminating their passion in this phantasmagorical fantasy.
🎶“Past the point of no return
The final threshold
What warm, unspoken secrets will we learn
Beyond the point of no return?”🎶
Peach, basking in the feeling of surrender, went limp in Phantom's arms. Although high above, no thought or fear of falling came to her mind. In this very moment, she trusted him wholeheartedly. Nothing could stand in the way of their romance – not even death itself. If death were to take her, it would only be a temporary blot that stains the portrait of love. The princess would become one of the spirits, eternal and lingering beside her beloved, just like love! These morbid thoughts of her own mortality did not steer her away. Oh no, no, they only instilled a sense of pure excitement. The idea of leaving her world for this blackened realm with Phantom was nothing but a deep, unspoken secret until now. No more leading, no more duties to finish, no more need of saving. Just the two of them and nothing else.
Phantom lowered his touch down from his princess's chin to her chest. He delicately traced over her heart, that pulsating drum that beats for him and him alone. His tracing dug deeper into her fragile, soft flesh; no reaction came from Peach as did so. Soon Phantom dug even deeper, her skin tearing apart, oozing with a lime-colored fluid. It spilled across her body, spurting with each pulse, staining her lush nightgown as he went further. He then felt something solid yet slick with a viscous outer layer.
Her ribcage.
Peach's head tilted back as he began to venture her insides, digging even deeper with intent. He wanted to find the source of the rhythm. That was all that mattered to him – he needed to find that beautiful instrument. While he searched, Peach felt almost nothing at all. No excruciating pain to endure. Nothing but a surreal pull of gravity pressing into her body. The though of making the slightest move never occurred to her, for her mind was completely and blissfully adrift. Her breathing slowed. Phantom could tell by the inflating and deflating of her lungs underneath the bones and meat. He reached further inside.
Ah... there it is!
Grabbing a hold of the instrument he desired, he eased his hand and arm slowly from under her ribcage and out from her torn flesh. It pulsed in his hand, emitting more of that oh so lovely music. The princess's heart. It was his. Finally, it was all his. Silently, Peach agreed as she raised her head to look at him. A calmness had taken over her expression. She glanced at Phantom and her heart in the palm of his hand. She went to say something, but was too dazed to speak. All she could do was watch her lover admire the gory display he made before him. With a gentle smile and a loving look in his eyes, he raised her heart up to his lips and placed an endearing kiss on its muscular surface. Peach's elixir-infused blood stained all over his mouth and chin.
“Ah... Lovely... I found another like me.”
---
Peach opened her eyes to the shining light of morning. She was back in her chamber again, in her world again. Never before had she felt refreshed from sleeping before. She rose from her bed. Her hand traced over her chest; her heart is still there. She felt her entire face beginning to flush with overwhelming warmth and covered it. She hid her shy smile. Until next time, my love.
