The elderly woman smelt of coffee grounds, and a few curls peeked out from whatever the large gaudy headdress was; in truth she forgot the name and couldn't care less. Her bottomless pink eyes were pitiless, the Oriental's saggy green skin drooping like candlewax as the wrinkles spread over her face; her elongated head bounding up and down as the green gemstone seemed to swirl with an ancient mysticism.
"Yes I suppose that would do quite nicely," the arcane witch chuckled, her immortal laugh seeming to echo off her terrific jagged teeth; "Shortly before my termination I was a close advisor to the Beanbean royals, you're speculation holds true." Of course, she wasn't terminated, simply demoted one position down; not that the Mushroom Princess needed to know that.
Peach could only gawk at the purple robed wench beside her as she took in the information. The economic isolationist country were deliberately inducing the populations of sovereign states with Bean Fever in order to hypnotize and indoctrinate them into the military; how many soldiers did they have now in that well-funded machine, 1,395,100?
The leader of the rebel movement crowed on, "The people are strictly stratified by the monarchs, but with my magic…"
At this the blonde interrupted, "You're voodoo."
Cackletta let out a nervous laugh of disbelief, "Eeeyahaha" but continued on, "And my followers"
Peach once again broke the batty leaders train of thought, "You mean the army of deranged monsters and mutants!"
Cackletta huffed and her brow creased, she was quickly becoming annoyed with the brat's insolence; "Ms. Toadstool, I have not believed the unsavory rumors about your… appetite, and I would suggest you give me the benefit of the doubt; I mean, you know how quickly people can change their minds…" she added with a smirk.
Peach's blue eyes widened ever slightly in recognition, "How cute" she thought; her hands folded neatly in her lap.
"My plan is to use the Beanstar to have the oppressors, get a taste of their own medicine whilst I set up a stable government to improve ties between our nations." the Beanish crone summarized.
Peach abruptly stood up, shocked at such a declaration, "Ethnic mutation of a people? That is something I cannot allow, how vile must…"
Cackletta simply lurched forward in her chair, her worn white irises narrowed as her pink tongue slithered the word: "Semantics."
"I'll be back in a week for the formal summit, the Queen has chosen me to be ambassador; I will pick out a lovely gift…" Cackletta said smoothly as they shook hands.
Peach smiled serenely, "I'm sure you will. I look forward to our next meeting, I feel like you could really be useful to us."
The rebel walked away to her flying armchair, and turned around, a smile on her face "Consider us partners then."
Peach nodded.
The beautiful rose sat thinking, the Beanbean Kingdom was a threat to be sure…
Soon a plan began to formulate into her mind, Peach dialed up Queen Bean and told her of Cackletta's ambition and plotting. Strong-arming the forcibly jolly woman into allowing the witch to "steal" her voice out of desperation after her firing or else risk the revealing of the regime's practices.
Sure enough, the cold war of attrition began and none were the wiser.
The Beanbean Kingdom upped their spending on their military drastically as Cackletta made her own preparations, playing the pawn of the blonde's empire oh so well.
She'd kill two birds with one stone, and all she had to do is wait and pick up the pieces…