Nintendo owns everything I don't own:P Apart from Faian^^ and Twilight, which is owned by Stephanie Meyer :P
Raven swooped through the open window, followed closely by Nastasia. The two shifted back to their human forms just as an attendant Koopa came running up, panting.
"My Lady," he gasped out. "The Queen requires your presence at the court." Raven blinked, surprised.
"Surely Faian and the others couldn't have arrived by now?"
The Koopa shook his head. "No, My Lady. The Queen just wishes for you to be close by. She said she has plans that she wishes to discuss with you. In private," he added, with a glance at Nastasia.
Raven sighed. "Very well," she said wearily, suddenly looking much older than her physical 21 years. "Nastasia," she added, glancing down at the secretary. "Could you please wait at the gates for Faian and the others? I would appreciate it if you guided them the rest of the way. I don't like the idea of Dimentio being left alone with Luna for too long, and I know Faian doesn't like that idea much either. Therefore, the sooner he is finished with his escorting duties, the sooner he can return to Luna," the vampire explained further. Nastasia nodded obediently.
"Whatever you want Raven." The attendant looked offended at the casual way Nastasia addressed the princess, but Raven just shrugged it off, continuing towards the court room, while Nastasia teleported away. The Koopa tagged along after the vampire. Raven glanced down at him.
"I believe I can find my way to my own castle's court room, Koopa," she said, with a hint of annoyance.
The Koopa bowed hastily, before backing away. "Of course, My Lady." Raven's eyes gleamed with anticipation as she headed silently away towards the court, leaving the Koopa cowering on the stone-cold floor.
Peach kept close to Mario's side, staring wide-eyed at the gloomy forest surrounding the cobble path. She shivered as a sudden caw sounded, with a flock of ravens taking off from the treetops with a loud flurry of squawks and flapping. She jumped, startled, blushing as Mario turned to face her questioningly.
"Everything alright, Princess?" She nodded, smiling in embarrassment.
"Yes. That flock of ravens just startled me, that's all," she assured him. Mario stared at her for a few more seconds, sympathy in his gaze, before turning to follow Faian, who was seemingly trying to tell them everything he knew about vampires in the short amount of time it was taking them to walk.
"Vampires normally live in pairs, or in groups called clans. These clans have a strict hierarchy, which makes them similar to werewolf packs. Some vampires, incidentally, also have the ability to change into wolves, though I've never known any vampire of the royal family choosing to do that. Some of them believe werewolves to be beneath them," Faian was lecturing. Mario piped up.
"So does that mean the whole Twilight thing is true? That vampires and werewolves hate each other's guts?" he asked. Faian rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, 'cause vampires sparkle and all werewolves have a six-pack," he retorted sarcastically. Peach glared at him.
"You don't have to be so nasty! It was an honest question," she snapped in a rare show of temper. Faian stared at her, before shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, honestly. Normally, I'm not this snappy, but going to Nyx's castle," he shuddered. "It's enough to put anyone on edge," he finished wearily. Peach frowned at him.
"Does Nyx have something against weretigers as well?" Faian shook his head slowly.
"No. But…she's an intimidating woman. Dear Grambi, even Dimentio's nervous around her. And if something makes him nervous, then, to be honest, it's got me scared witless," the weretiger admitted.
Mario blinked, interested despite himself. "Why's Dimentio so scared of her?"
Faian shrugged. "Beats me. Mind you, I heard royal vampires have some form of control over other species' emotions, so in theory, Nyx could make you feel whatever she wants. So maybe she's just toying with him for fun. That's another reason you have to be careful. In the Night Kingdom, anyone who personally insults a member of the royal family is immediately executed," he explained, ignoring Mario and Peach's shocked gasps. "So, if Nyx doesn't like you, she could just make you angry enough to insult her, at which point her personal guards will drag you away to be killed in the most painful ways possible. And no-one will condemn her actions, because it is the law," he finished icily. Peach and Mario exchanged horrified glances, the true depth of the Queen's cruelty beginning to dawn on them. Mario swallowed, before addressing the weretiger.
"What does she want with Luigi then?" Faian shrugged, beginning to look unnerved, the expression changing him to look more like a frightened boy.
"I'm not sure," he admitted. "That's if she was behind the kidnapping. Not all vampires follow the Night royals, just like not all Boos follow King Boo," he added. Mario nodded slowly in understanding. "But," Faian said suddenly, with a sorrowful look, "if Nyx is really behind the kidnapping, then I pray that Grambi has mercy on Luigi's soul," he whispered, sending shivers down both Mario and Peach's spines. They continued onwards in silence, stopping as Faian halted. "We're here," he said, looking up. Following his gaze, Mario and Peach could see a menacing black castle rising up in front of them, the tall spires stretching out like skeletal claws. Two huge wrought iron gates rose up, barring the entrance to what appeared to be the front gardens, though to Mario and Peach, it looked more suspiciously like a graveyard. Snarling gargoyles leaned over the gates, glaring down at the small party with hungry stone eyes. Peach shuddered, pressing closer to Mario, who squeezed her hand in comfort. The plumber turned his attention to Faian, who was crouching beneath the gate.
"How do we get in?" he asked. Faian looked up at the gargoyles.
"Oh, they know we're here. But, just in case," he suddenly grinned at Mario. "I advise you to stay back."
"Wha-," Mario leapt back with a shout as Faian disappeared underneath a coat of white striped fur, the shape reforming itself into a huge white tiger. As a tiger, Faian was massive, a mountain of fur and muscle, nothing like the slender, almost delicate, teenage boy. He bared his teeth at the gate, whiskers bristling, before unleashing a mighty roar. Mario's heart was hammering in his chest, the shock of the sudden transformation still raw.
"'K,'K no need to yell!" an annoyed voice suddenly sounded behind them, belonging to a small figure hidden in shadow. Turning around, he relaxed slightly as he recognized Nastasia, who was glaring at the tiger in annoyance. The tiger flicked his ears, a look that could only be described as smug on his feline face. Nastasia rolled her eyes. "Hey Faian, I'll take it from here, 'k?" she said. Peach jumped as Faian shifted back to his human form, a questioning look in his eyes.
"Why the sudden interest, Nassy?" She gave him a withering look, knowing that Faian knew she hated that nickname.
"Princess's orders. She thinks you'd rather go look after Luna than take these two up to Nyx," she replied coolly. Faian tilted his head, eyes gleaming.
"May Bonechill bless Raven's black soul," he replied with a hint of dark humour. Looking at Peach and Mario, he asked," You two still wanna do this?" Peach and Mario both nodded determinedly. He smiled. "Well then. I believe my work is done. Good luck on your search," he added, nodding at them, before turning his gaze on the secretary. He studied her for a moment, before saying," Good day to you to, Nastasia. Look after them well." And with that, he turned away. Peach blinked. Running back the way they had come was a large white tiger, lithe muscles working hard under his snowy pelt. Within a few seconds, he had vanished from view, swallowed up by the shadows of the forest.
Luigi crept quietly through the main bar, towards the exit, careful not to disturb the drunken patrons passed out on the floor. He guessed this door was the exit, since that was where the partygoers had entered earlier in the evening. Opening it, he saw that it led out to a narrow corridor, with a big set of heavy metal doors at the other end. His heart sank. How am I going to open those? He shook his head. Stay positive Luigi. You can't stay here. With a look back at the shadowy bar, he closed the door behind him, setting off towards the exit. Opening them, he stopped dead at what he saw. The street in front of him looked like a cross between The Strip from Las Vegas and rush hour Tokyo. His mind whirled as he struggled to make sense of the chaotic swirl of flashing lights, the screams and laughter as people staggered past him, smelling strongly of alcohol. Shaking his head, trying to overcome the shock of the sudden colours, he vanished into the crowd. At least it'll make it hard for Diddlesmith to follow me, he thought to himself, feeling a faint hint of relief. As Luigi vanished into the partying crowd, a shape detached himself from the shadows of the narrow alleyway next to the club entrance. He smiled to himself, taking his mask off to track Luigi's progress through the crowd, his inhuman eyes missing nothing.
"Well, well, well little Luigi. It seems you're not getting away after all. What a lucky stroke for me as well, choosing this time to come back to this wretched club," Dimentio hissed to himself, sadistic pleasure dripping off every word. Putting his mask back on, he turned to the door, gazing at it with cold amusement. "And it seems I must pay a visit to the dear king as well, and inform him of this jailbreak, like a talking bathtub tattling on a magic potato." And with that, Dimentio teleported away, unnoticed by anyone on the street.
Luna continued to glare at Jerry, the innkeeper cowering under her gaze. Daisy blinked in astonishment.
"Oh, wow, that's…um…really awkward," she said, looking at the innkeeper and the werewolf. Luna tossed her head, a cruel smile dancing across her lips.
"No shit Daisy," she growled sarcastically. Daisy glared at Luna, who hadn't bothered looking at her.
"But that's no reason to take it out on him. He didn't bite you! And anyway it could've been an accident! Um…Peter was his name, was it?" She glanced at the innkeeper questioningly, who nodded. "Yeah Peter! He could've bitten you accidentally! You said it yourself, werewolves have a hard time controlling their temp-"
"That's enough!" Luna roared, her eyes blazing amber with raw fury. "Peter never meant it to be an accident! He, he," Luna blinked, all anger suddenly evaporating. She shook her head slowly, before saying wearily," Now's not the time. All I'm saying is that he did this to me on purpose, and Jerry there knows it." Daisy and Jerry were staring at her with wide-eyed astonishment. She met their gazes, a dull grief in her eyes. "I'm sorry to bother you Jerry. I'll leave now. And I'm sorry I took your chainsaw," she added, looking down at the tool still in her grasp. Putting it on the floor, she turned away.
"Wait!" Daisy grabbed her arm. Luna faced her questioningly.
"What now?"
"Aren't you going to teach me?"
"Trust me princess. You don't need me. Jerry'll do a better job. As for my last lesson, what you just saw? Never do that. And anyway, you seem to be getting on fine without me." She pulled away from Daisy, walking outside, where the moon, just a sliver in the sky, had risen. She looked at it, before running to the woods, her form rippling as she did, until there was a large sleek black wolf running at full tilt. She paused once at the edge of the forest, glancing back at the inn, before disappearing beyond view.
Note: Dimmy's bad similes were constructed using words I got from a random word generator :P Because I had absolutely no inspiration the day I wrote this. So don't kill me over how bad it is :O PLEASE REVIEW I'M SO DESPERATE IT'S NOT FUNNY...or is it;) Nah, do whatever you except kill me. Peace-out y'all :D