Hey, I'm back again, here to provide more insight on the situation at hand in the story. Well, as always, the plot thickens!

"Wh…wh…WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" Carmilla shrieked.

Uh-oh, I've just completely messed up this night for everyone. Bowser thought to himself as bead of sweat started to form under his hair.

Carmilla let her eyes fall to the floor in disbelief as people looked around to see why she shouted.

"N…no…" Carmilla muttered, "…you're lying…"

Bowser sighed, "No, you and I were never together to begin with! Just accept that and move on!" he said as people began to chuckle at Carmilla.

"But…I…you are the only one I've ever felt this way about…" she said, bending down on her knee "…please! Will you marry me!?"

People all around burst into laughter.

Bowser smiled and held Peach's hand, "I will not! Peach is the girl for me!" he said, proudly.

"Yeah, I like Richter! So back off, pussy!" Peach said.

Carmilla wiped the tears from her eyes, and took a moment to assess the situation; her love with another…a brutal rejection…public humiliation…she couldn't take anymore. She closed her eyes tight for a moment to keep tears in, and opened them to reveal a frightening red glow.

"Haha…what the…?" Bowser stopped laughing as he noticed Carmilla's glowing eyes.

A red aura surrounded Carmilla as she began to drift into the air with her arms and legs spread out. Jets of black light appeared out of nowhere in several locations and all converged on her; she absorbed every one that appeared.

Bowser's eyes widened as he watched this, "Chaos power…?" he questioned, "But…that's impossible!"

"What?" Peach asked Bowser.

"She can't use Chaos energy in any way! Unless…" Bowser shifted his eyes back onto Carmilla, who was still levitating and absorbing the Chaos power, "…she's a Dark Priestess!"

"Dark…priestess?" Peach asked.

At once, people began to flee from the room, and seconds later, Carmilla stopped absorbing power, and her aura changed from a solid red to a rippling black, and her eyes were glowing demonically crimson.

"…It's the Dark Star's spirit!" Peach suddenly realized.

"Mm heh heh heh ha ha ha ha!" Carmilla laughed, with a demon voice layered over her regular one, "Fools! You should have never tried to make my beloved head Priestess Carmilla upset, now. Because you were so crass as to reject her, despite her being so kind, you had caused hate and rage to build up within her, allowing me to gain access to her body! The birth of a new Dark Era is at hand! The Mushroom World, and eventually the universe, will be mine!"

"Not if-a I can-a stop you!" Mario appeared.

"Yeah, me too-a!" Luigi chimed in.

"Hah!" Carmilla said, "You two plumbers…you may have defeated me in my previous form, but I absorbed Fawful's energy, wiping him out of existence, to grow more powerful than ever! Now, nothing can stop me and my cult from taking over the world, starting with the Mushroom Kingdom!"

Carmilla held out her hand, making a black, electrical-sparking sphere to appear, into which she sucked the two plumbers.

"Mario!" Peach shouted.

"Luigi!" Daisy's voice came from behind, "You won't get away with this, you succubus!"

Daisy tried to charge at Carmilla, but was sucked into the sphere as well.

"Quick!" Peach said, reaching for Bowser, "Take my hand!"

Bowser took Peach's hand, and vanished from the chamber. Carmilla shrieked in anger.

"You mortals cannot remain hidden forever!" she shouted, "I will find you!"

She began to conjure Dark creatures to begin hijacking the castle and apprehend anyone who was unlucky enough to have not made it out.

(XXXX)

Peach and Bowser were teleported deep under the castle, in what looked like the dungeons.

"Woah," Bowser said, as the place looked very reminiscent to his own castle, "where are we?"

There were bloodstained knives, needles, screws, and spiked board with hand- and feet-straps.

"The torture room…" Peach said, looking nervous, "…I really wish we didn't have to use these."

"So, what do you think Carmilla could be up to now?" Bowser asked.

Peach rubbed her chin, "Knowing how persistent she can be…" she paused, "…everything bad we can think of. So, anyways, what do you mean she was a 'priestess'?"

"Well," Bowser began, "it was a long time ago, after the Dark Star was dug up. When the Toads thought they could harness its energy…they awoke it and it caused major devastation."

"I know that," Peach said, "but what does this have to do with Carmilla?"

Bowser continued: "Only humans had the ability to control its power, which led to the creation of the Dark Cult, a band of humans who wished to use the power of the Dark Star. Many believed that they all disappeared when the Star Sprites sealed the Dark Star, but there are rumors that many of the Cult's followers survived. Supposedly through Dark Masses, they were able to channel the power of the sealed Dark Star all throughout time." Bowser began to turn really white, "And I think that Carmilla…is a follower."

Peach gasped, "So…if the Dark Star's spirit has taken over her…"

"I know," Bowser replied, "we have to kill her…immediately."

As they were about to head out of the door, they heard footsteps.

"Someone's coming…" Peach said, closing her eyes and touching her index fingers to her temples, "…I sense strong Dark energy from these creatures."

Bowser went over to a table with torture devices and picked up a bullwhip, "Well…we should fight back, shouldn't we?"

Peach gave a nervous laugh, "Gonna fight Dark power by recreating Indiana Jones?" she asked.

Bowser shrugged, "…I'd say it's more like Castlevania." He said.

Peach's eyes brightened, "You play that game too?" she asked.

Bowser nodded, "Yep…never beat it, though; it's too hard. Second one…frustratingly cryptic. Third one…insanely difficult." He said.

"Alright, well, let's just get out of here." Peach said, slowly opening the door.

Bowser peered his head around the corner and saw a Dark Koopa-Troopa and Goomba coming down their corridor. When they were within range, Bowser quickly opened the door, and lashed the Koopa-Troopa, making it hide in its shell. The Goomba tried to rush forward, but Bowser gave it a loud snap just in front of its face, making it stop. With that, he began to whip the two repeatedly, lash after lash, until they finally exploded into two piles of black, glittering powder.

Bowser coiled up the whip and tucked it under his jacket, "Not bad…" he said, "…but we need better weapons."

"Then, we'll need to get to the armory!" Peach said, "It's not too far from here; just a few corridors away."

Bowser nodded, "Okay, but we need to move fast if we wanna stop Carmilla from sucking this whole place into some Dark limbo!"

Damn, another cliffhanger. I really pick bad spots to end, but I really find no feasible point to end it sometime before or after. Anyways, I'll be coming back next week with another chapter, so just keep that door open for more! Keep holding on…