Author's notes: …Yeah, it's been a while, hasn't it? I've been busy with my new love of narrative (painting, drawing and comicing), watching Disney movies in French, and the murder of all proper writing skills, role-play. Well… my writing skills, at any rate.

I've deemed this story too angsty for the Mario realm, and thus too angsty to continue. But I'm going finish it anyway, because it's a good habit to keep your commitments, big or small…right? (Don't expect any updates for "Plumber's Angels" though. ; Freaks.)

Actually, I've had the ending written out this whole time, so I think it would be a waste to not upload it. Gosh, I hope I still have some readers out there…

This is just filler. Angsty filler. Nothing really happens. I know, I'm off to a great start, yeah?

The Sun Always Rises

::Chapter 8::

On Sunday, Bowser attacked. All of us still cursed to live were taken captive and held in his prison. On Friday, he hurt my brother. On Saturday, he hurt me.

He took only me from the cell that day; he liked the way Luigi was cowering in fear and sorrow and wanted to leave him that way. As the Troopas dragged me away I thought it terribly sad that I didn't even have the strength to break away from those wimps and try to escape; I wasn't fed for days.

They beat me, twenty of the little runts, beating me mercilessly, relentlessly. Kicking their scaly feet, hitting me with the butts of their spears…I must have blacked out because the next thing I remembered was lying on a familiar black and white checkered floor, the feeling of cold steel locking against my wrists. I coughed, some blood spitting out of my mouth as the low, wicked voice of Bowser spoke.

"I have been told that some of you are still hoping to escape your new home…" He paused, allowing whomever he was addressing to tremble in fear. "Rest assured, this will not happen. What makes you think this man can save you now?"

I finally gathered the strength to raise myself on my elbows, and I opened my eyes to meet hundreds of horrified mushroom pupils staring at me, waiting for me unleash the secret weapon, or suddenly become endowed with a Power Star, or break free from the bonds that chained me to the floor…waiting for me to do something, anything. Already my arms were trembling from exhaustion, and the more I stared the more I wanted to drag my eyes away.

"Go on, Mario. Get up and save them."

I licked the blood inside my mouth and lowered my head weakly. My limbs trembled as I pushed myself up from the floor, shakily standing on two feet. My arms felt so heavy, so heavy, like they were dragging me back down to the floor. And they did. My knees cracked against the cold marble and I refused to look at the mushrooms.

What made them think I could save them now? I was a mess. Clothes torn, body bruised, one eye swollen shut, so tired…Bowser was right. I was nothing. Not a hero, not a savior, just a wash-up. I looked at the floor and still felt their stare. Shame flooded me like an ocean and I shut my eyes.

I could hear the smile in Bowser's voice. "What makes you think this sorry excuse for a hero can save you now? He's nothing but my slave; he's no better than all of you." Another malevolent pause. "He can't even save his beloved Princess."

A rush of defensive terror coursed through me, and my head jerked up. I saw her, Peach…Her dress rumpled but virtually untouched, her hair messy, her eyes red…I trembled in anger and the chains on my wrists grew taut as the Troopas forced her to kneel on the floor next to Bowser. Some of the mushrooms shifted a little. Bowser roared at them.

"You want to bow down to her? This girl? This slave? Look at what she's become! She can't even protect her own kingdom…she needs Mario to do it for her!"

He forced her up, grabbing her by the hair and she hissed in pain, standing next to him. I wanted to cut his hand off. My chains were still taut from my tugging against them. But I was nothing now.

"She is not a Princess anymore!" Bowser grabbed a handful of pink cloth around her waist and yanked hard. The fabric ripped and Peach was left standing in her undergarments and the remains of her gown, disgraced. Tears flowed down her cheeks unchecked and Bowser forced her to her knees again. He tossed the dress behind him, its soft contact with the floor the only sound save for her quiet sobs. His gaze coursed over her…I wanted to gouge his eyes out. Still taut chains…heart pounding in my ears… But I was nothing now.

A Troopa handed him a long sword and I grunted, terror seizing me and I forgot everything Bowser had said about me being nothing, being a wash-up. My wrists felt like the shackles would cut right through them, and I wished they would. I had to save her.

"No!" I willed my feet to hold me upright as I yanked harder on the chains but they held steadfast. I could only watch with the rest of them. Bowser turned to me in mock curiosity.

"No? …Did everyone hear that? It seems your hero still has some fight left in him."

I hardly heard him but I knew there was still some fight left in me. I would break these chains; I would snatch my Princess from that demon's claws and whisk us back to the Mushroom Kingdom, like none of this had ever happened.

The mushrooms watched, holding their breath, and I suddenly felt like all the air in the room had been sucked out. Bowser though, looked thoroughly amused. He cast a sly grin my way before turning back to the sobbing Peach.

As if in slow motion, Bowser pulled her head back, his claws tangled in her hair, and lowered the sword with his free hand. Her arms crossed over herself, her wet eyes stared at the ceiling. My wrists grew numb; my eyes would not close. The blade sliced through her long golden locks easily and her head fell forward, her eyes still terrified.

Bowser dropped the hair carelessly beside him and motioned to Peach with the blade. "If she is still your Princess, bow down to her."

A few seconds seemed like eternity before someone moved. The next few seconds seemed like a flash as a Troopa's spear was thrust into the gut of the last loyal mushroom. The only sound was his dying gasp. Bowser raised his eyebrows.

"Anyone else?"

Nothing moved. Bowser nodded solemnly, satisfied at how he had killed their hope. He looked down at Peach again and I followed his gaze. She hugged herself, rocked herself. Her short hair was uneven now, almost reaching her chin in the front, but there was a short, boyish circle on the back of her head. She finally turned and looked at me, for the last time, her moist eyes pleading with me, yelling at me, loving me, hating me. There was nothing I could do. I hated me too, because my strength was gone, my spirit was gone, and I was nothing. And now she was nothing too. We were all at the same status, serving our new master Bowser. She finally looked away, and I sank to my knees again, feeling the weakness return as I surrendered once and for all. Bowser kneeled beside me, whispering in my ear.

"Don't you worry, Mario. I'll take good care of her."

My head hurt. I felt sick to my stomach and I shivered in rage. But I was nothing now. Nothing.

Nothing.

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Adeline smiled shyly as she set some cooked foreign plant in front of Mario.

"Thanks," he muttered, eating without looking at her.

Her smile faded and she stood still and watched him eat, studying him. He took notice of this so he studied her too.

"You seem terribly familiar."

She grinned a little. "Funny thing to say. Most mushrooms look alike in some way or another."

"No…you don't just look it, you act it."

She shrugged, looking at her feet. "I've never met you until yesterday, so how could you know me?"

He shrugged as well, chewing something green. It tasted bitter if he left it in his mouth long enough, and he wished they had enough water to wash it down with. "Maybe you're related to someone I knew."

She rolled her eyes a little, humored. "All 347 of my relatives…perhaps."

He watched her as she dug her toe into the sand, looking at the hole she'd made. Now he was humored. "Come on…you never met me before?"

She looked up sadly. "How could I? I was born a year after it happened, and you were…you were gone."

Her eyes dropped again and he stared at his food. Gone. That was a nice way of putting it; it was polite and hurtful at the same time.

"What about your parents?" he asked huskily.

She paused for only a second. "My father worked in the palace."

"The palace? What did he do?"

"…He served as Loyal Retainer to the Princess Peach until his dying day."

Mario choked down his food and stared. "Toad? Toad was your father?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"I didn't think he had made it," Mario murmured.

"He died four years ago." Adeline moved her eyes away from the little hole she had made. "Although he wasn't captured he never lost faith in the Princess and never fell under Bowser's control. He…felt guilty sometimes because," her mouth stopped for a moment to form a straight line. "Because he wasn't there when she was taken. She knew they were coming and made him warp to Sky Land. He stayed there for days but when he came back…" she scuffled her feet again and closed her mouth.

Now Mario knew why he recognized her. Not only were her eyes the same dark color, but she had a servant's heart and was willing to do anything to please her heroes. Just like Toad.

He reached over and tapped her pink-spotted mushroom cap with his finger, lightly, playfully. "Hey," he said softly. She gazed up at him expectantly and sadly.

"He would be proud of you right now."

She bit her lower lip and looked down quickly. "Thank you."