Aloha all! Time for ze chapter eight - and the main part!

Oh, right. And I'm also gonna go back and get rid of all those grammatical silly errors. I always make 'em and I never go back and correct 'em :P. Time to get some serious grammar correcting going! *dramatic music starts*

...A-hem *dramatic music stops abruptly*. Enough of the ranting. On with the chapter which is called eight! (my bad attempt at engrish...I can't write in it...)

Oh ya, and I'm also skipping Starlow trekking through the Mushroom Kingdom. As that will be boring. And long...

Ok, really this time. On with chapter eight!

"So...Bowser actually has managed to fix up his castle. Well, at least it was quicker than Peach has done her's...Peach's Castle is still in ruins..." Starlow muttered to herself as she stopped outside the portcullis of Bowser's Castle. It had a lava moat surrounding it, and there was a path leading to the portcullis, which Starlow thought defeated the objective of the moat. Wasn't it there to act as an obstacle to an attacker of the castle? But no, there was this nice path leading up to it. Anyone could walk up it - like she had. Starlow rapped smartly on the metal frame with her knuckles - and was rewarded with silence.

"Rude people..." Starlow said. That was when she noticed the doorbell to the right of the portcullis.

"Oh...hehe..." she chuckled quietly to herself. She pressed it, and a little side door next to the doorbell swung open. A Dry Bones poked its head round the frame.

"Yes?" he asked suspisciously. Starlow smoothed down her front, trying to make herself look as impressionable as possible.

"Hello. My name is Starlow. I was wondering if I could meet up with Bowser?" she asked politely. The Dry Bones narrowed his eyes at her.

"And why should he speak to you?" the Dry Bones hissed. Starlow faltered, thinking. What could bait him out... Starlow thought. Aha!

"Just tell him it's Chippy," she said, smirking. The Dry Bones turned on his heel and slammed the door in her face. Well, that wasn't very nice... Starlow thought, affronted. She waited. And waited. She tapped her foot impatiently. What the hell is taking them so long? she sighed in her head. She continued waiting. Just as she contemplated kicking the door down a roar reverberated through the castle.

"CHIPPY!!!" it said. Starlow grinned. My, my, he still remembers me. I KNEW that would bring him out. The side door swung open again, and the Dry Bones peered out from the side of the frame.

"Oh, you are so gonna get it now!" he said jubilantly, an evil smirk on his face. Starlow smirked just as evilly back.

"Don'tcha think I know that?" she said, watching with satisfaction as the smirk dropped off the Dry Bones face.

"Wha..." the Dry Bones narrowed his eyes at her and slammed the door shut. Starlow giggled - and jumped ten feet in the air as the portcullis slammed open. Bowser stomped out, steam ejecting from his flaring nostrils.

"!!!!!!" he roared, tiliting his head up to the heavens and releasing a stream of flame. After venting his stress, he looked back down, panting angrily. He spotted Starlow.

"What are you doing here?" the Koopa King asked suspiciously, raising one claw threateningly. Starlow just smiled at him. Is everyone suspicious of me today? The Koopa King faltered, confused as to why this strange lady was smiling at him. He decided to continue his threatening approach.

"Hey, lady. Whatcha smiling at?" he growled, flexing the claws in his raised hand. Starlow pouted in mock disappointment and shook her head sadly.

"My, my, I take it you don't recognise me?" she asked, smirking. Bowser stared at her.

"No...why should I?" he asked, lowering his claw slightly. Starlow adopted a wounded look, and clasped both hands over her heart.

"You don't? I'm offended...I was your minion once..." she said sadly, dropping her head. Bowser continued to stare at her, a dim memory surfacing.

"Wait...you...were my minion?" he asked hesitantly, dropping the claw altogether and using it to lift her head up. Starlow stared at him in defiance.

"Yup. But you probably won't recognise me now I'm human..." she said deviously, twirling away from his hand and jumping over his head to behind him, laughing at Bowser's shocked expression.

"Now you're - wait a godforsaken minute...Chippy?!" he said in disbelief. Starlow winked at him coyly.

"Yup. Your minion," she said, intentionally using the same words she had used up on the Dark Star balcony all those weeks ago. Steam started to vent from Bowser's nostrils again, and he took a step forward, once again raising the claw.

"You! You were that insolent star sprite inside my body! How you got in there, I don't care. But now you've come and served yourself up to me on a silver platter...which I think I'll accept very gratefully!" he ended with a roar, lunging at her. Starlow side-stepped, and he lunged into the wall of the castle. Starlow laughed, and Bowser growled at her. He lunged again, and Starlow side-stepped yet again. But this time Bowser was ready, and at the last second changed direction and caught her full on with a punch. Starlow cried out in pain and stumbled back a few paces. Bowser gave her a respectful look.

"Well, what do we have here? Not many people can take my punches and still stand..." he said deviously. He inhaled deeply, intending to breathe fire on the doubled over women. Starlow heard him, and painfully straightened back up. She grinned at him, which lapsed into a grimace as a flash of pain shot across her stomach. She leant against the wall, clutching her side, and smiled at Bowser.

"Go on then. Do it. I won't stop you..." she whispered, staring defiantly into his eyes. Bowser grinned as he inhaled deeper.

"With pleasure," he mumbled, and he felt that scorch of flame rise up in his throat. He opened his maw to expel it - but found he couldn't. Oh, nothing was physically stopping him - he just found he couldn't cook this woman alive. He felt some sort of...attachment to her, as loathe he was to admit it. So he choked the flames back down. Starlow was still clutching her side and leaning against the wall, staring at him. She smiled.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to do it...we became friends, didn't we?" she said softly, then groaned in pain as another shot of it flitted across her stomach. Bowser stared at her, thinking about what she just said. True, they had become friends, and probably that was why he felt so betrayed when he found out Chippy was the star sprite that had back-chatted him in Peach's Castle. He stared at her, and mumbled, "Y...yeah. We did become rather close, didn't we?". Starlow's smile grew wider, and she took a few unsteady steps towards him. She started to fall forwards, and Bowser caught her in his arms. He quickly set her back up straight, brushing his arms of non-existent dirt. Starlow's smile only grew yet wider.

"There's a reason why I came today," she said in a business like tone. Bowser stared at her - he found he was doing that a lot lately. He mentally slapped himself. Stop acting like such a weirdo, he mentally scolded himself.

"And why is that?" he asked, trying to re-inject some of the anger he had felt back into his voice. Starlow grinned at him.

"I want to join your army,". Wait, WHAT?! She said what now? Join...his army?! Bowser swallowed, and allowed a devious grin to flash across his face. Starlow looked at him, confusion written all over her's.

"Well, if you want to join my army...your gonna have to prove yourself..." he chuckled, settling into a fighting stance. Starlow's eyes widened as she realised what he meant.

"You mean...I'm gonna have to fight you to prove myself?!" she asked shakily. Bowser nodded. Starlow gulped and closed her eyes. When they opened again, they shone with a new resolve. She grinned at him and settled into a crouch, her two hands in ready positions. She beckoned him with her left hand.

"Bring it,"

Ah, looks like some action next chapter! They have a small fighting field, don't they? The outside of Bowser's Castle - if anyone has played the game they will know how small it is and will realise how difficult it would be to fight there.

Ah well. Please review!