...Erm, I just realized that "Kamak" is actually spelled "Kamek." But I think it's too late to change that now. Ah well.

Bowser stood in the red-carpeted room, staring into space. The more he thought about everything that had happened, the harder it was to believe it was real. It was true, he was always thinking of ways he could top himself, always trying to get ahead. But Kamak was making him seem like some sort of... monster. And he wasn't, was he?

Everything he did, everything he tried, he thought of Lady. He had an unconventional love for her. No matter how many times he fought with her, he still loved her. Was his subconscious, somewhere deep, deep down, thinking that this could get her back? Or get his parents together? The reasoning side of his brain knew this was impossible. He was far into this, and there was no turning back now. He thought of the people he killed, the families he tore apart, the lives he ruined. Oddly, he felt no remorse. Every last life in this kingdom deserved it.

They were vermin. That was what it all came down to. The Mushroom people were horrible, greedy people and deserved to die. They had deprived his kingdom of its basic human rights for as long as he could remember, and it was time for revenge.

With these final thoughts, he stood a little straighter. He turned, and started to march down the stairs into the dungeon. He knew for a fact that the underground power store was damn huge.

Mario finally stood, and without a word walked to the other side of the room and picked up Kamak's wand. He held it up, not even sure he would be able to speak without vomiting. He held his lips tightly together, trying to communicate without words. Peach, apparently understanding, nodded and took the wand from him.

"S-should come in h-handy," she said shakily, slipping it into one of her deep dress pockets. She walked up to the still unconscious Daisy and began working at removing the ropes. Mario came and helped her. It kept their hands busy and gave them an excuse to do something for ten minutes.

When Daisy was free, Peach leaned in and whispered her name a few times, shaking her shoulder. Finally, her eyes flickered open.

"Huh? Wh... What happened?" She squinted around the room, then sat up. When she saw Luigi's corpse on the floor, her eyes grew wide, and she let out an unearthly shriek.

"No! NO!" She sprang up, and was probably going to go on a rampage if Mario and Peach didn't restrain her. She let out a long string of incomprehensible words through sobs, fighting against their arms. Finally, perhaps due to exhaustion, she collapsed in a heap, hiccuping. "Those fucking lowlifes," she said through her teeth, with so much malice you could almost see it hanging in the air, "are going to pay."

Kamak walked. To where? Well, he would find out when he got there. He could not go back and retrieve his wand, so he could no longer fight. He was royally screwed either way he looked at it. He was completely powerless without his wand, and if Bowser found out, he...

Wait, why would he be afraid of Bowser? He was ten times more powerful, and could take him with one hand tied behind his-

Oh. Right. His wand.

He had always thought himself smart, but there was no solution to this. Perhaps he could go back to Koopa Kastle, steal one of the childrens' wands...? No, too much time, too much risk. Go to Bowser and hope for the best?

Well, that seemed like the only option.

Mario was so grief-stricken, he didn't know what to do. He supposed he could stand up, face the music, and go kill Bowser, but he just had no will. There was a lead weight in the pit of his stomach.

Luigi was dead. He was gone. Forever. And he wasn't coming back. Ever. He forcibly thought back to all the times he could have been a better brother, a better friend. He remembered all the times he had hated him just because their parents grouped them together, because of their closeness in age. All the times he left him home on adventures, all the times he got angry at him for something that wasn't his fault. And the last 48 hours, when he hadn't beleived him, or even cared. In fact, if he had listened to Luigi, he wouldn't be dead, and they wouldn't be in this mess! They wouldn't even be in this world, they'd be back in Brooklyn, earning a living with their plumbing business!

He didn't realize Peach was saying his name until she had called it three times. "Mario? A-are you.. Are you okay?"

Daisy shot maliciously from behind her, "What the hell do you think?" He felt like saying the same thing, though Daisy sounded purposely cruel.

Peach buried her face in her hands, looking as if she was trying very hard to not cry again. When she spoke, her voice was steady. "I'm sorry.. I-I just..."

"You just didn't know what to say?" he finished, his voice coming out much higher pitched than he'd intended. "That's okay." He sounded louder, and steadier than he'd thought.

Peach removed her hands, staring in space for a few moments. Then, she gave up and latched onto Mario's neck, sobbing loudly into his shoulder. Through her hair, Mario saw Daisy cross her arms and roll her eyes. After a few moments, she stood.

"This is ridiculous." Mario and Peach stared at her as she gave them a scathing look, and left the room.

Daisy sighed heavily. She had stopped crying, but only because she felt like there was a huge crack in her emotional state. She wanted to be sad, but she was only angry. She didn't know who to place blame on.

Mario and Peach, who, if they had come in time, could have saved him? Kamak, who had killed him? Bowser, who didn't lay a hand on him, but had caused this whole mess? She shuddered, wondering how many more people were dead. And it was Bowser's fault.

She let out a cry of frustration. What could she do? She doubted she was even strong enough to face him.

"Daize?"

Peach had appeared at her side, wearing a curious expression. Daisy didn't want to talk to anyone, and almost let out a rude remark, but restrained herself.

"What are you doing here?" she inquired, trying to keep the accusatory tone out of her voice.

"Just wanted to see how you were holding up."

Daisy crossed her arms. "My fiancé is dead." Her voice cracked and broke on the last word, expression crumpling as she began to cry. Peach wrapped her arms around her, allowing her to stain her shoulder with tears.

Finally, she pulled away. "We have to go stop him."

Peach nodded. Mario had appeared in the doorway, looking expectantly at them. Peach took his hand.

Daisy felt like a fifth wheel. Her heart felt stabbed, thinking about how she would never love again. Mario's voice shook her from her thoughts.

"Are we leaving him here?"

Daisy had been wondering the same thing. She didn't know what they would do with him, but if they left him here, what would happen?

Peach shrugged half-heartedly. "What would we do?"

Mario half raised his arms. "We can't just leave him here. What if Koopa gets here?"

There was a ringing silence, as nobody knew how to answer Mario's words. Finally, Peach threw up her arms, and sighed heavily. "I don't know. There's nothing we can do." Her voice cracked. They all took one last look at the room, Mario lingering by the door, then walked slowly through the corridor, in silence.

Finally, Mario broke it, his voice quieter than before. "I'm the last of my family now." His hands were shoved in his pockets; he was staring at the floor. He looked lost. "If I had gotten there in time, he would still be alive." It scared Daisy, how steady his voice was, how he hadn't yet cried.

"Don't say that," Peach ordered.

There was a pressing silence for a few minutes as they made their way down the hall. Daisy stared at the ornate chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. They were much too beautiful for these times.

Suddenly, Daisy was shook from her thoughts with a loud crash. She looked at the source of the noise, and saw that Mario had punched the wall, leaving a small dent. He looked back at the princesses, breathing heavily.

"Dammit! I give up!" he shouted, looking quite crazed. "What's the point of fighting if everyone's going to keep dying? At least if we give up, everyone stays alive!"

"Mario! Stop talking like that," Peach said loudly, her hands half-raised as if to grab his shoulders.

"Why? You know it's true!" Mario's voice broke, and tears spilled over his face. "Luigi's not the first, and he won't be the last! Why not stop now? If we don't, we're going to die! We're all going to die!"

"There are worse things than death. Bowser will run the kingdom if we surrender!" Peach reasoned, looking quite hopeless. "Besides, you know he wants to kill you and me no matter what."

Mario, apparently, had no reply. He leaned against the wall, sliding to a sitting position. He held his head in his hands, gasping as he tried to stifle his sobs. Peach crouched next to him, putting a hand on his back, her eyes looking misty.

"Just let it all out," Peach said, sounding as if she were talking to a small child.

Daisy came to sit beside them, head resting on Mario's quivering shoulder. She stared at the floor, analyzing every fiber in the rug. She still found it hard to beleive that Luigi was gone forever, erased from the planet, dead. Maybe, maybe, he was just hiding, or playing a prank. What a sick, sick joke.

Her mind lingered on the fact that, if Mario and Peach hadn't stepped in, she would have shared the same fate as Luigi. She shivered. How close had she come to dying? Had Kamak already pointed his wand at her when they had burst into the room?

She let out a long, quiet sigh, and gave Mario's arm a squeeze. "Thank you," she muttered into his ear. "I would have died too if you hadn't come in."

Mario shrugged, rather than answering. Daisy stood up, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, are we going to kick Koopa's sorry ass or what?"

I'll start on the next chapter now. I'm enjoying myself.