A/N: I'm back from the rock I was trapped under!! Sorry this took so long, so it's UUBEEERRRR-LOOONG!! woot! And it's the end of Book II, Enjoy!
Chapter 36:...For a Reason
Luigi was the first to awaken the next morning. The cave was silent, save for the light breathing of his slumbering friends and the steady drip of water from somewhere across the room. He sighed. It had been a heavy, dreamless sleep, induced from pure exhaustion. As he stirred, he looked down onto the head of soft brown hair directly beneath his chin. Daisy still lay sleeping quietly with her arms around his waist and her head on his chest. All at once, the memories of the previous night came crashing back to him. He cringed painfully, and curled his arms around her tighter. She stirred as he buried his face in her hair.
"…Mmm…huh? Luigi?" She asked quietly as her large, blue eyes opened and groggily turned up to him. He smiled at her. "W…what time is it?" she asked as she laid her head back down on his chest.
"It is just after seven thirty," an ethereal voice said quietly from the pool. Daisy and Luigi glanced at each other before slowly clambering to their feet. They were both a little clumsy; shaking off the morning wobbles wasn't an easy thing. Gently holding each other by the hand, they paused at the edge of the water and peered in. It was glowing, but they couldn't see down to the bottom, it was so deep. The dragon was nowhere in sight.
"Kalliel?" Luigi asked cautiously, squeezing Daisy's hand protectively. Two amber-golden eyes opened and peered up at them from about ten feet below the surface. Luigi gave a panicked cry and tumbled backwards, taking Daisy with him. She gave a sharp, startled cry as she landed on top of him. There was a gentle surge of water as the liquid rearranged itself to form the great head of the Dragon. Kalliel blinked as he stared down at them in amusement. He chuckled, his deep, growling voice reverberating off of the walls. "Don't…Do that…" Luigi panted.
Daisy shook her head as Luigi helped her off of him. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better," She smiled.
"Yes, good as new, your majesty," He nodded as he swam towards them. "Still, that was quite a beating that I took…"
"I'll say…" Luigi scoffed. Kalliel sighed solemnly. "Are the others awake yet?" Kalliel asked Luigi as the younger Mario brother turned and looked at the others.
"No…should I…?"
"No…leave them be for now, at least." There was a silence as Luigi's mind wandered. Kalliel stared down at him, and prodded his mind. "…You are worried…"
Luigi nodded. "I…I don't wanna leave…" he mumbled. "I…didn't want any of this…" Daisy gently squeezed his arm, but said nothing.
Kalliel stared sympathetically down at him. "I know…" He sighed. "I felt the same as you when I was thrust into my position. It all happens so fast." The dragon frowned. "…The most we can do is grin and bear it…You have always amazed me, Luigi. No matter the situation, you have always been able to find a way out unscathed…for the most part. I am confident that you will pull through this trial. Have faith, as I have placed mine in you."
He nodded sadly. "Yeah… guess there's not much I can do…at least until this blows over…" A puzzled look contorted his face. "Kalliel?"
"Yes, child?" He replied as he swam back out to the middle of the pool.
"Why…erm, how did they get warrants for our arrest?" It was a question that burned in his mind.
Kalliel paused, thinking hard. "I know not…that is a question for Madame Clairvoya, I believe."
"Couldn't you just…eh, y'know, read their minds or something?" He shrugged, it was worth a try. "Find out why they wanted to do this."
Kalliel merely chuckled. "One does not need the gift of telepathy to see that." He paused as his golden eyes focused on his apprentice's face. "They want you out of the way, pure and simple. They wanted you out of the picture so Kamek could pave the way for his conquest." Kalliel chuckled darkly as he recalled the events of the past evening. "…They tried to take us both out…and came dangerously close to succeeding."
Luigi paused, feeling the hot lump appear in his throat again.
"…Do not fret," Kalliel said, stopping Luigi's thoughts before they could spiral out of control. "They failed miserably. We're still here, my boy! So long as we exist, everyone has a fighting chance, however to answer your initial question, in the event that they weren't able to dispose of us, they had those documents whipped up to ensure a legal binding rule against us. "…As it were…ehm…" His brow furrowed. "Stop thinking like that!" He sighed, gruffly. "Luigi, try to understand…" He called the young man's attention, his amber eyes locking gazes with Luigi's. "Do not dwell in the past. If it makes you feel any better, even when we are absent from the kingdom, there will be no more meaningless casualties."
Daisy turned her head to look at the others as they began to awaken and, giving Luigi's arm a final rub, left to sit with the others.
"Really?" Luigi asked hopefully.
"Really," Kalliel nodded. Luigi felt a wave of relief wash through him.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Really, really?"
"Really, really…" Kalliel said, flatly.
Hearing these basic words of reassurance made Luigi feel so much better, even if it was in jest. "Re-ACK!!" he began, but was silenced as Kalliel snorted, showering him with water. "Aww, ugh!" Luigi exclaimed as he shook the moisture from his hair. "Dude! That's like snot from you!"
Kalliel struggled in vain to suppress a chuckle. "It's only water."
"Yeah? Well I have one thing to say to you, sir, and that's-"
"Begging your pardon, Excellency," Hrolf and Randulf said, approaching him with their unnaturally smooth gait. "…There was nothing to report as of last night. We believe that now would be the perfect time to leave."
"N-now?" he was instantly brought back to the here and now, along with the current predicament. He turned his gaze back to the others who were all waking up and looking around groggily. "K-Kalliel?" He stuttered, looking for the dragon for encouragement. He caught him just as he was finishing his transformation back into a human. He shook the excess water from his shaggy sable hair and goatee before turning his bright sapphire eyes to his distant cousin. "Nice to have you back, for real," Luigi said, trying to keep himself from panicking. This was the 'jumping off' point for him. Once he left, he wouldn't know how long he was going to be gone, what would happen in his absence, or if he'd even be able to come back at all.
"It's certainly nice to be back." He shook his hair once more before looking at the two bowing wolves. "If I were you, I'd take their advice to heart. I know it's a bit sudden and I know we've all had a busy twenty-four hours, but the safest time would be now. Kamek is weak and his forces took a damaging blow. The chances of us being attacked are slim…but that's not saying what Judges would do." He held out his hand, in which sat the glowing sapphire orb of energy that had released his spirit. Luigi took it back and sighed as it disappeared again.
"He really hates me now, huh?"
"Oh yeah…" Kalliel said lightly with a half-hearted chuckle. "I'm going to assume that you were the first prey he's never been able to take down. Not only that, but you left him with a few scars to remember that. See, I've been thinking...Judges' pride will be his ultimate downfall."
Luigi smirked as he thought. "Yeah…but we gotta figure out how we're going to apply that."
"Never fear…we'll have plenty of time to do that once we get to Iceland."
"Right…right…" Luigi turned to Hrolf and Randulf as they peered at him expectantly. "What were you saying?" He was curious, but his heart wasn't completely in it.
"We have already prepared your things for travel. Enough clothing, food, and various articles that should last you for your trip north." They both said serenely.
"Er…you make it sound like I'm going on foot…ehh…" He trailed off as they looked at each other and back at him. "We are going on foot…aren't we?"
"Yes, my lord," Randulf confirmed.
"The trains will all be watched and there aren't any pipes that extend under the mountains. Even if you were to take pipes, the risk of you being picked off when you emerge is too great…" Hrolf finished.
Randulf nodded. "…Not to mention, Herr Ludwig has more than likely shut off access to all pipes to prevent further spreading of Darkland's forces."
Luigi thought in silence for several moments. "My lord," They started. "We would suggest you take your leave within the next few minutes." Luigi stared at them, his mouth slightly opened. "J-just…gimme some time to say goodbye to my friends and…Crud…" He rubbed his face. "I need to talk to Madame Clairvoya…"
They nodded. "Master…is there anything we may do to help?"
"Enough with the 'master' thing- oh…grr…" he was growing frustrated. Not with them, but with the whole situation. He didn't like being rushed, but he saw the truth in their words. "Sorry…" he sighed. "Please help get my things together. Talk to Pyewacket…nicely, and see if he could help with some of it."
They silently bowed and left the cavern. "I think…I need to see Clairvoya," Luigi said solemnly to Kalliel as the others, now fully awake, looked at him expectantly.
The borrowed body of Bowser had sustained a vast number of scrapes and bruises, but nothing too serious for natural healing to take care of. Kamek seated himself sorely on Bowser's throne growling deeply as he fumed. The three Manticores sat separated from each other, mainly as to avoid irking either Kamek or Judges. Grym frowned and turned his gaze back through the low window looking out over the lava fields. Loky plopped down with a small sigh.
"My feet are killing me…" he whimpered, almost silently. He heard an angered hiss from Judges and silenced himself. Tempers were certainly strained at the moment. Judges was lying with his great head on his paws, the mark on his right paw glowing brightly and the two pinpricks on his tail where Maverick had bitten him glowed equally as bright. The fact that his master's plan had failed had left them all sore, but the fact that this was the second time that Luigi had gotten away virtually unscathed was what made him furious.
Loky cast a quick, unseen glance at Judges before looking at Grym, who still sat with his head bowed against the far wall. He was looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Grym nodded and Loky got up.
Now that Bowser's body belonged to Kamek, it was much, much easier for his subjects to fear him, a fact which Loky kept fresh in his mind as he carefully approached him. He stopped at the base of the throne, very near the dragon's huge, scaly paw. Looking up with his amber eyes, he hoped that his master would see him. He was trembling too much for his voice to work properly. Kamek gripped the arms of the throne; Loky wincing as his claws carved small gashes into the ornate metal. He hadn't even seen Loky approach, his smoldering eyes focused on something in the distance behind the opened hall doors.
After a pained silence, Loky licked his lips, feeling his mouth begin to dry. He cleared his throat quietly, the sound magnified by the vast, empty hall. Kamek didn't acknowledge him.
"M-master?" Loky asked in a small voice, cringing.
"WHAT!?!!" Kamek's and Bowser's mixed voice bellowed.
"Gck…wh-what sh-should we d-do now?" He stammered, his tail tucking between his legs.
Kamek raised a paw, inciting a strangled squeak from the youngest Manticore. Kamek drew in a breath sharply before petting Loky a few times. "I need you and your brothers to go west again and follow him. Spy on him, eavesdrop…then kill him before he gets over the mountains…"
Loky felt an uneasy purr start as he continued to be petted. "Mountains?"
Kamek patted him twice on the head. Upon hearing this, the other two hauled themselves to their feet and watched their master intently.
"Yes…he's going north to Iceland. If we can…" He trailed off as a thought came into his head. A very sinister thought… "No…" He continued stroking Loky's mane. "No…I have a much better idea…" His voice faded into a dark cackle. "Go follow him, study him, watch him…then I need you to remind him of us before he's out of our reach. Let him know that we're still in the game." Judges bared his teeth. He was planning on doing more than just 'roughing him up', or 'reminding' him. "When you are done with that, go find more shards and fragments…We'll definitely need those…especially after earlier…" His last sentence was a guttural growl. "Nevertheless, my pets… It shall be something to keep you busy while we wait for our little friend to return. I think it's time we back him into a corner and finish him off there instead of taking the head-on approach."
"If you don't mind my asking, my lord," Grym queried, "but what exactly are you planning?" His mouth was twisting into an eager grin.
"We may be able to turn him…bring him into our employ…Much in the same way Bowser succumbed to the darkness…so will he…" His lips parted to reveal his set of teeth as he pulled a small black crystal shard from his spiked shell. "…Now, to pick the location, location, location…"
"We shall leave you to your plots," Judges said. "In the meantime, the tasks you have set need to be finished." He bowed and with a hard stare, rallied the other two Manticores.
"Just a minute, Judges…While you're out and about, add this to the laundry list," He paused as he thought. All three were somewhat relieved that he was in a better mood…if not an actual good mood. "I want you to go to a place called Twilight town…There's a Shape shifter there…See if you can't persuade him to join our cause. You shouldn't have any trouble."
They all silently nodded and turned to leave. Kamek gave a final chuckle as they exited the hall. "We may yet turn this in our favor…"
Madame Clairvoya gazed into her crystal ball, her delicate brow furrowed in confusion and frustration. "Confound it! Seven weeks just isn't enough time!" She sighed, sitting back in her chair.
"Well, do you see anything that could help?" Luigi asked, hopeful.
"If you mean your return, then no...Not within forty-nine days...But I do have some information that shall be most helpful. The missing attendant that was abducted isn't located within Darkland's borders." She waved her hands around the crystal ball again. "I'm sure when you get to Iceland King Windbag shall agree to help you look. From what I see, he is bound in a dungeon somewhere far beneath the mountains in the Eastern Ridge. The dungeon is damp...there must be a river or a lake above."
"Do you know the exact location?" Luigi asked, staring into the ball only to find a bunch of swirling blue mist.
She paused as she peered into the ball. "Nope...but good luck, though," She said cheerily, inciting a groan from Luigi. "Think of it as your first task...well, one of them..."
"Them?" He asked to verify her claim.
"Yes. Them." She waved her hand over the ball and invited him to look. Luigi saw a vast landscape roll out before him. He gasped slightly. It looked like he was seeing everything from a bird's eye view. The vast Northern Lowlands of Iceland stretched out for miles and miles. The Lowlands were aptly named. Far from the fringe of towering peaks that formed the southern border between Iceland and the rest of the kingdoms, it was mostly devoid of mountains. These were the great Ice fields, home to the huge, white-furred members of the Valdyr. Windbag had explained the differences before, but his description of the landscape didn't do it enough justice. Most of the landscape consisted of snow-blanketed, rolling hills that were covered in snow-covered fir trees, with small rocky outcroppings peppering here and there. As the vision in the ball sped forward, the vast snowy forests he seemed to be flying over gave way to snowy plains, where he could see large herds of caribou-like animals grazing on the sparse grass. The hills then opened up onto the flat and enormous ice fields that seemed to stretch on for oven farther than the forests or the tundra. They ended abruptly at the edge of a huge glacier, which formed the makeshift sea cliffs. The vision then went out a short ways into the sea, where it stopped before a large icy island. It was an enormous mountain of ice with a jagged tip and a small opening that led into a cavern.
"You see this, yes?" Clairvoya asked as she stared with him. Luigi nodded. "You see, in this cave lives the Ice spirit. Windbag will take you to him eventually. His power would be most effective against your enemies. While you are there, you must speak with the spirit. Train yourself...but overall, relax a little...think of it as, er, extended vacation."
"Vacation?" He asked with a chuckle. "...alright, I guess." He got to his feet. Clairvoya rose with him and placed her hands on his arms. "...Have heart. This will all be made clear. Not within seven weeks, but it will eventually. Now, my child...make haste. It's best that you do not draw attention to yourself any more than necessary. I'm truly sorry that our goodbye has to be so short, but we'll all be here waiting for your safe return." She kissed him on the forehead through her veil before vanishing.
"…" He was silent as he allowed himself a moment to gather his thoughts. He cleared his throat as he left the Fortune-teller's room and headed up to the main living room, where Shivers was standing with his boots, leggings, white shirt and surcoat in a neatly folded pile in his arms. He silently took them with a small smile and a nod before changing in one of the adjacent rooms. He walked out, still adjusting his belt, to find Kalliel, Gadd, and Marius standing in silence. Kalliel held his hands out, holding the large, two-handed sword. Luigi strapped it to his back with the help of his butler. Gadd offered him a small smile. "First thing I'm gonna do when we get there is pelt your ass with the biggest snowball I kin make," he gave him a wink. This made a smile creep up his face.
"Alright, you're on," Luigi smirked. Gadd laughed and grinned at him, "That's mah boy, now, c'mon, sonny. I've got everything all ready to go, we're just waiting on you."
Marius bit his lip and shifted his weight from foot to foot as he struggled with what he wanted to say. "L-Luigi!" He finally managed to choke out. His friend turned and smiled, "Yeah, what's wrong?" He asked, seeing the unsure panicked look on his face.
"I-I...Luigi…please! Can I come with you?!" He finally said, grimacing as he wrapped his arms around his chest.
Luigi looked at Kalliel, "Erm…Marius, I don't think it would be safe if you came… I don't want you to get hurt."
"Please!" He ejected. "Luigi, ever since you made me one of your…your, thingie, I've been able to remember! N-not much, but I do know that I came from up north somewhere. Please, you gotta let me come with you! I can help, I-I won't be a burden, and I know I can-"
"Marius! Woah, woah, slow down!" Luigi said putting his arms up, the light from the windows glinting off of the metal plates of his gauntlets. He stared at him, a feeling of pity well in his chest. Marius clasped his hands and bowed his head.
"What did you see?" Kalliel finally asked.
Marius took a deep breath to calm himself, for he was quite flustered. "I saw mountains…and a lake…and a huge waterfall. I don't know what that was, but it's gotta be my home!" He was panting again. Luigi told him to breathe. "I know it's up north! There was snow on the tops of the mountains!"
Luigi's brow furrowed as he thought. Marius would be a valuable asset, and he knew that his best friend wouldn't be one to joke about this lightly. "Are you sure?" Marius looked at him with panic in his eyes. His shoulders were trembling. "Wh-wha?"
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Luigi repeated with concern, "You won't be able to see your family again for a while…Neither will I for that matter…" He said, glancing sideways.
Marius was silent. He didn't want to feel like he was abandoning his family. Especially Breaker and Hammer. "I know." He turned his doleful eyes to his friend. "Please, Luigi. I want to help you." He grew slight defiant. "You are helping me," he said with new strength in his voice. "I want to help you, I have a duty, you know!"
They all paused and looked at him. Gadd crossed his arms and smirked at him, raising an eyebrow. Marius gulped.
"If that's really what you want, then I guess I can't stop you," Luigi sighed before grinning widely. "Of course. I would be extremely grateful if you came with me." He chuckled, "It would make the journey more enjoyable, and I'd feel relieved if I knew I had someone else to watch my back."
Marius smiled, becoming slightly giddy from pure adrenaline. "I don't know what it is that I got myself into by accepting your offer to be a mage, but thanks for everything. I don't think I'd even be here now if it weren't for you."
"So you're saying that if you hadn't have met me, you could be just living a plain old boring life?"
"You got it…"
"Well, I guess everything happens for a reason, huh?" Luigi said with a smile.
Marius nodded, a grin spreading over his face. "Omnia Causa Fiunt." They were all heading out through the doors to the lawn. "Huh?" Luigi asked with a quirked eyebrow. "What's that mean?"
"It means that everything happens for a reason…" Marius replied as he watched Breaker and Hammer pelting each other with snow as Pyewacket nosed about in the snow for some grass. Randulf and Hrolf stood near the yoshi, their robes rippling in the chilly air slightly. Luigi mused to himself as he listened to the slight clinking made by the leather straps and scabbard against his back. "Omnia Causa Fiunt, huh? I like it."
"I think I'm gonna adopt that as my motto from here on out..." Marius chuckled. "I've seen enough to be thoroughly convinced of that."
Luigi looked and noticed that several saddlebags were attached to Pyewacket's back. "Oh man, are you sure you're gonna carry those?"
Pyewacket snorted as he looked up. "Yessah! Theezabags not as heavy as Pyewacket thought," he beamed. "Pah, Pyewacket much bigger and stronger, now. Great Warrior!" He straightened and thumped a paw to his well-muscled chest.
"I'll second that," Luigi confirmed. "You sure held your own and then some last night."
Pyewacket puffed his chest out with pride. Luigi eyed the numerous saddle bags, "Looks like you didn't pack that much."
"We know to pack, your Excellency," they replied. "You will not need much in the way of extra clothing, but there are a few heavy coats in one of the bags along with a few spare changes of clothes. It will be a long journey. We took the liberty of packing an adequate amount of bills and coins from your stock should you need to buy extra food or equipment."
"Waitaminute… how did you know where my stash was?" Luigi asked skeptically after a jolt of panic.
"Do not worry, my lord," Randulf said, "We know many things. Your riches are safe; we have no need of them." He flashed a toothy, but warm smile. "It is best if you say your goodbyes, now," He added, hastily.
Luigi was growing slightly irritated. "Yeah, yeah…I know." He saw where Mario and the Princesses were standing. "Listen, bro, I-"
Mario raised a hand and cut him off before seizing him in a grappling hug. "You don't need to explain. Just be sure you take care of yourself and stop worrying about us. Don't worry, I'll make double sure these two are safe," He said, motioning to the princesses.
"Ever the big bro, huh?" Luigi chuckled as he returned the hug. He turned to Peach, who reached forward and embraced him tightly. "We'll miss you, Luigi," she said sweetly, her voice warm with care. Luigi stared at the ground, fearing that he would blush accidentally. Daisy, not about to be outdone by the other princess, ran forward and seized him in a tight bear hug.
"You better write…" She said. Her voice cracked slightly, betraying her sadness. Luigi gently squeezed her, inhaling the flowery scent from her hair. Maverick appeared out of thin air and warbled sadly as he begged for a hug from Daisy. She squealed as she pulled him to her and Luigi, "Aww, I'mma miss you, too…"
"I will, I promise…" He said in a low murmur. Suddenly, he didn't care about the future. All that mattered was this moment here. They parted, but not before Luigi gave her a small smile. He began to turn to leave, but she ran forward and planted her lips against his. He was at first shocked by the sudden action, but returned it promptly. Maverick stared for a moment before making a squeaking retching noise and sticking his tongue out in disgust. When he drew away, she muttered another goodbye to him before making his way to Pyewacket.
"You three ready?" He asked to Breaker, Hammer, and Marius. He was taking them home. He felt a small knot appear in his gut. This may be the last time Marius saw anything of his old home. They nodded before hurrying after him as Pyewacket helped him up onto his back. Gadd hopped up and slid into a reclining position in an empty saddle bag, pulling out an old, wide-brimmed hat and placing it on his head. The other three Hammer Bros. hopped up on the blue dino's back. Luigi leaned forward slightly, gripping Pyewacket's mane. Maverick appeared next to his head, lowering the set of welding goggles over his sanguine eyes.
"Alright…" He sighed, staring out through the clearing into the distance. "Let's go." Pyewacket crouched slightly before taking off at a wild sprint. Luigi turned and looked back over his shoulder and waved. Cries of "Good Luck!!" Met his ears. He stared back at the rapidly diminishing house as they sped along. He leaned forward slightly to give himself and Pyewacket better control of their speed.
"Off to see da wizard!!" Breaker hollered over his shoulder. Maverick let out a doggish howl as he followed them, letting his tongue hang out in the wind as he flew.
Trees flew past them which finally opened up onto the snowy countryside of the Mushroom Kingdom. Luigi looked at Pyewacket and looked around at how fast they were going. Pyewacket had only been the size of an average yoshi when they had first met. Now, he stood almost six feet at the shoulder and with his posture perfectly straight, he towered over Luigi. His gait had also become much, much smoother, and far more powerful. This kind of rapid movement seemed to be an effortless act to him. More and more, Luigi noted, did he begin to look like his father. Osman would have been very proud if he could see how strong his son truly was. His mane fluttered in the breeze. To Luigi, it looked like living flame. His large, snowy-white wings were carefully folded against his sides, the feathers ruffling in the breeze as they hurried on. Luigi carefully steered him clear of certain obstacles and turned him slightly as they neared a fringe of trees; just beyond laid the Mucavele residence. Pyewacket's nostrils flared as he sensed Luigi's anticipation and he increased his speed.
"Pyewacket, woah! Slow down a bit…" Luigi said as he gripped the fiery mane.
"Ho there, son!" Gadd called, keeping one hand on his hat and the other gripping a leather strap on the side of his bag. Breaker and Hammer cheered and whooped out of amusement, while Marius gripped onto the back of Luigi's surcoat for support. "Where's the fire, eh?!" Gadd called.
"Slow down! We're here!" Luigi called gripping to his steed for dear life. Pyewacket abruptly slowed and skidded to a halt in the thin layer of snow. He panted, his nostrils flaring with his breath coming out in small clouds of moisture. Luigi and the hammer bros. hopped down while Gadd disappeared into the saddle bag for a brief moment before popping back out with a parka for himself. "I'll just be a minute," Luigi said as Gadd snuggled down into the bag. Maverick followed silently behind them as he lifted the goggles from his eyes.
Breaker and Hammer ran past Luigi, throwing the gate open and heading for the front door. "Mama!" They called. Ms. Mucavele was there in an instant, her had at her heart. "Oh, than the stars! When I heard about the palace, I grew so worried about you four!" She embraced Breaker and Hammer. Marius stood back by Luigi, staring at the ground. He took a deep breath and walked forward. "Well, come in out of the cold," she called, beckoning to Marius and Luigi.
Luigi politely declined. "Thank you…but I'm afraid I'll need to be heading out very soon." Marius looked at her for a moment. He swallowed.
"Alright," she said slowly while staring at Marius and Luigi, suspecting something as she ushered Hammer and Breaker inside.
"M-mom…" Marius said quietly, it pained him to say that word. She had been his mother for the past twelve years or so. "I'm going with him."
Ms. Mucavele stared at him in shock. A long pause followed as she bit her lip. Hammer and Breaker were behind her in an instant, staring at him. "What?!" Breaker exclaimed. "You can't just leave!"
"I have to…" He said with resignation, his shoulders drooping slightly.
"No, you don't have to!" Hammer said suddenly. "It's bad enough we're losing a friend…Why do we have to lose a brother?!" Hammers words cut into him and his eyes suddenly welled with tears. Luigi made to move forward, but Kalliel appeared behind him and held him back with a firm hand on his shoulder. Maverick trilled lowly with concern as Luigi placed a hand on him.
"That's enough!" Ms. Mucavele said firmly. "…It doesn't help that we're all a little tense and overly-tired…" Marius fought to control the painful lump in his throat. His shoulders shook slightly as a tear slid down his scaly cheek. "I'm sorry…" He whispered. "Please don't hate me…I'm not abandoning you guys, honest…" He looked up at his two surrogate brothers; his large brown eyes were wet with tears. "I can't explain it to you now…but my place is with Luigi…"
Breaker and Hammer sniffed. "Your place is here with us…" Breaker said, his voice cracking. Marius looked at him, then Hammer, whose expression was an exact copy of Breaker's sorrowful look. "Hey, c'mon, don't be like that." He tried to chuckle, "I gotta save the world."
Reaching out with her hands, Ms. Mucavele gently took his face in them. "I didn't want to believe this day would come anytime soon…" She gently kissed his forehead. In the pause, she had pondered arguing with him. In the end, she decided to let it go. "You're still my son, no matter what, do you hear me? I'm not going to try and stop you."
He smiled as he nodded. "Mother…" He breathed as he embraced her in a tight hug. The twins stared at Luigi. "We're coming too, right?"
Luigi grimaced with guilt and shook his head. "I'm sorry, guys, but I need you to stay here. Guard everyone in your bro's absence. You guys have to be the heroes now."
Their smiles drooped, but perked up when they heard the word 'Heroes.' "So, I guess this means the cup's off, huh?" Hammer asked.
"Sweetie, I think all sports are gonna be on hold until all of this cools down," the motherly beaked koopa said. She turned to Marius. "I'll help you pack your things."
"That doesn't mean you guys slack off on your practicing," Luigi said wagging his finger at them. "Marius and I will be practicing. You better be better than us when we come back."
"You're on!!" They both shouted.
Ms. Mucavele sighed again. "When will you be back?"
Gadd struggled to get out of his awkward reclining position in the saddle bag, "Madam, I-…oh bugger, Luigi? Help me!" he grunted. Luigi helped the professor out of the bag. Gadd pulled his parka tighter around him as he approached her. "If we don't have too much trouble, something tells me sometime next spring."
"It's November now…so, anywhere around five to six months…?"
"Possibly," the small, old man said. Maverick cooed sympathetically as he floated over and chirped at Breaker and Hammer's mother. She smiled and patted him on the head.
"Homie! You'll come back and say hi, won't you?" Breaker asked with a goofy smile. Maverick gave a sharp salute and a bark.
Several long minutes later, they had a small bag of Marius' things. Ms. Mucavele gave her surrogate son one last peck and a tearful goodbye before they made their way back to Pyewacket. Maverick was trying to help Gadd get back into the saddlebag, but had managed to loose his grip on the old man's jacket, so he had him by the foot. "Ow, Ah! Mav, put me down gently…quickly please…all the blood's goin' to my head." Maverick chirped before dropping him into the open bag. Gadd looked at him flatly, "thanks…"
Marius loaded his things as Luigi got up onto Pyewacket, who still had his shoulders and head down as if he were rooting for something. Marius looked curiously as he zipped up his jacket. He saw him take in a huge mouthful of snow and gulp it down. "Pyewacket? Are you alright?"
Pyewacket snapped his head around. "Huh? Ah, yessah…Pyewacket good…itchy throat," he grimaced, pointing at his throat. Luigi looked at him with a quirked eyebrow before fishing through one of the bags and pulling out a long, green scarf, which he promptly tied around the dino's neck. "Don't want you getting a sore throat, but maybe we should take it easy, okay? No rush."
Pyewacket rubbed at his throat and winced before nodding. It wasn't a sore throat, more like a strange feeling along the lines of indigestion in his stomach, but his throat was beginning to burn like he had swallowed something hot. Marius hopped up with Maverick's help and with a final wave to his family, Luigi patted Pyewacket's shoulder and they were off at a brisk trot. "I'll come back, I promise!!" Marius called one last time as Breaker and Hammer ran to the middle of the snow-covered road and waved, shouting things that could no longer be heard. Marius watched them shrink into the distance. It had been an extremely hasty goodbye, but they had a lot of ground to cover. When he could no longer see them, he turned around and wrapped a scarf his 'mother' had given him tightly around his neck. Luigi looked back, "you still wanna do this?"
He nodded. "Yeah. It's not like we can really turn back now." He was silent afterwards, so Luigi decided to drop it. Pyewacket carried on at a steady pace, relishing the feeling of traveling again.
"Luigi!! Oi!" Gadd called, lifting the flap from his little 'pouch.' "Travel until it starts getting' dark. Then find somewhere to park yer carcass…Preferably somewhere we can make shelter, I got a feelin' in my old bones that there's a storm coming."
"Oh…fun…"
"Not a blizzard," Kalliel said appearing next to the trotting yoshi, his legs had disappeared again, giving him back the ghostly appearance. "…a thunderstorm. We should leave the Mushroom kingdom by nightfall. We'll be in the grasslands and it's the rainy season."
Luigi nodded and bent his head lower to lessen the drag from the wind. The day passed by rather quickly with few stops, though Pyewacket grew somewhat annoyed when Luigi firmly insisted that they all walked on their own feet for a few hours. He had merely snorted and said something along the lines of "…it's wastin' time…"
Luigi sighed as he stared into the sky, watching the clouds as they gathered overhead. Gadd walked briskly behind him, his small stature did not allow for a loping gait like Luigi or Pyewacket. "Well, one thing's for certain, Pyewacket, we're going to start teaching you proper English."
The former prince snorted again, "Why? Pyewacket speak gooda eeengleesh as anybeast…" He frowned as he eyed Luigi skeptical look. They were all a bit cross that day. Few hours of good sleep coupled with the traveling time they had to face didn't make for the best of moods. Pyewacket rubbed his throat again. "Weegee…we rest, ya? Pyewacket very thirsty." Luigi looked back up to the sky. "Yeah, we've got time." They looked for a suitable place to stop. Luckily, there was a small grove of densely packed trees about an hour north of where they were, so when they happened upon it, they all agreed to go ahead and stop early for the night.
"Best to find somewhere safe now than to wait 'till later and be S-O-L…" Gadd chuckled as he pointed at the ground, signaling for Pyewacket to lower himself so he could get the bags off of him. Pyewacket fairly flopped to the ground. "Uh-oh, you okay? Not getting burned out already are you?" He chuckled at Pyewacket's sudden angered look.
"Notta get tired!!" He winced as he heard his stomach gurgle very audibly.
"Oh-ho…you're just hungry…" Luigi laughed, flinching when his own stomach growled. A loud belch suddenly startled everyone. Pyewacket then stood, feeling much better. Gadd sniffed the air, "Phew…is something burning? Smells like burnt wiring…" Pyewacket sheepishly grinned.
They had camp set up in a few minutes thanks to the extra pair of hands that Marius lent. As Luigi finished stacking up some dry wood for the fire, Marius smiled, "allow me, please." He rubbed his hands together, then pointed at the pile, which ignited as a spark of flame jumped to it from his outstretched finger. Luigi smiled at the warm red glow. "You're getting good." Pyewacket left to graze and forage while Luigi and Kalliel helped Gadd go through the bags and check their inventory. Gadd was beside himself with glee as he pulled out a map of the entire continent with a trail marked in charcoal pencil leading from the mansion to the Isskastali in Iceland. Small spots were already marked.
"See, I guess they wanted us to make stops here, here, and here," Gadd said, pointing to the spots on the map. Luigi made a tally of everything as he listened.
"We'll need to restock on food…that's probably why they packed so much money…"
"Hey, travel light and get it as you go, sonny, it's a smart move."
"I'll say," Luigi whole-heartedly agreed. He pulled out a loaf of bread and some tins of spaghetti, which the three hungrily dug into. Luigi ripped off a large chunk of the bread and handed to it Maverick, who proceeded to gnaw on it, sending breadcrumbs flying everywhere. Pyewacket trotted back after a short time with news that he had found a small river. He then disappeared again to go get a long drink.
When he reached its banks, he stared long at hard into the crystal clear water, examining his reflection. The stream was slow-moving, allowing him to see his entire face perfectly. He was surprised. His face was much more angular than he had remembered. He smirked. Those 'Black-beasts' would get what was coming to them soon enough. He felt and looked so much stronger than he had been on the island. The burning in his chest and stomach wrenched his thoughts away from his reflection.
He plunged his muzzle into the icy-cold, clear water and drank deeply. He coughed and sputtered, feeling a strange bubbling in his stomach. He coughed again and a small plume of steam escaped from his nostrils. He burped, wrinkling his nose as he smelled the acrid tang of heat in his breath. The water seemed to work and now that his upset stomach was gone, he drank to sooth his burning throat.
When he had enough, he made his way back to camp and lay down next to Luigi. The man turned and stared at him for a few seconds as the dino's eyes slowly closed into an uncomfortable grimace.
Gadd noted this. "See? Told ya we should've taken it easy," he said, digging through one of the saddlebags. He pulled a small pouch filled with various medicines and pulled out a large bottle of flavored antacids. He looked at Pyewacket, sizing him up and dumped roughly a quarter of the bottle in his hand. He got up and went to him. "Open up," he ordered. Pyewacket stared at him for a moment and slowly opened his mouth. Gadd tossed the fruit-flavored tablets into his mouth. He swallowed and sighed. It actually seemed to be working. With the pain in his gut rapidly diminishing, he fell into his slumber. Gadd continued to grope through the bag, pulling odds and ends out. Gadd continued to study the map. "They marked the quickest, safest route, it seems." He spoke more to himself than to anyone else.
"Y'know? Now that we're actually on our way…it doesn't seem so bad anymore," Marius said as he dug through his own bag and pulled out a small leather-bound book and an ink pen.
"Naw, heheh," Gadd chuckled, playing with the brim of his hat. "I think this'll be quite an adventure."
"Yep…" Luigi sighed. "At least this time, we'll be staying with friends."
It was a relief to them all. When they had arrived on Isla Tortuga earlier in the year, the air had been rather hostile the entire time through, and the welcoming committee wasn't exactly welcoming. This time, there would be plenty of allies, enough protection, and friends he knew who would make the time spent away much better. Sure, it wasn't going to be the same without Breaker and Hammer, but it was better that they stayed behind. Iceland was a long way away, and anything could happen between now and the time they arrived. Marius began writing in his journal.
"What'cha writin' 'bout?" Luigi asked playfully, trying to slyly peek over his friend's shoulder.
"Hey, this is private!" Marius chided. He grinned though. "I'm gonna keep a record of my travels. When this is all done, it might make a good story to tell my kids."
"Speakin' of kids…shoot, Luigi, when are you plannin' on settling down?" Gadd asked casually.
"Believe me; I'm working on it…" He said sorely. He had come rather close to proposing, had it not been for the sudden…and unwanted interference.
"Oh, Psh…" Gadd scoffed, crossing his arms. "…I'm sure you two have…" He faded and chuckled, giving him a sly wink. Luigi stared at him for a second before his face flushed crimson.
"What?! No! No, we haven't-…That's not what I meant!"
Marius slowly placed his hands on top of each other and wiggled his thumbs. "…Awkward Turtle…"
"Kalliel!" Luigi said when he caught him with his hand against his face chuckling. He sat in stunned silence for a moment while Gadd laughed. He stared flatly at him. "Got your jollies, yet?"
"Oh, I did…I did…" Gadd chuckled. His face hardened slightly. "Mav, what did I say about scratching?" Maverick stopped what he was doing and lowered his goggles over his forehead.
"Maybe we should look at it," Marius suggested as he finished writing his journal entry.
Gadd grumbled as he rolled out his sleeping bag, "'S too dark. I'll take a look in the mornin' when there's more light out. My eyes ain't worth a crap in the dark." He pulled out his crossbolt; the arms folded in, and set it against the tree near his bag. "Right now, we need sleep. Proper sleep. Don't give me any lip; we haven't had any rest yet."
"Yeah," Luigi said with a yawn. He and Marius rolled out their sleeping bags. "Best go on foot tomorrow if we don't want to wear Pyewacket out."
"We'll see tomorrow," Kalliel said solemnly, "You know as well as I that he won't be happy if you insist that."
"Well, with his stomach acting up like it is, I'm not taking any chances," Luigi said firmly as he settled in. "You think it could've been something he ate?"
"Dunno…" Gadd mumbled. "We'll keep an eye on it. Important thing right now is that we all make it to Iceland in one piece, and promptly. It wouldn't be nice to keep old man Windbag waiting, y'know."
Luigi chuckled. He was looking forward to seeing Windbag immensely. He was like family to him, and it would be all for the better, for he knew that Windbag would be more than happy to enlighten him on certain subjects. He sighed as he lay on his back and stared up at the tops of the trees. He let his mind wander over exactly how he had gotten himself into this mess. After a while, he gave up. He couldn't rightly remember.
He sighed as Maverick came and snuggled up to him like an overgrown puppy. He patted him gently on the head. "Got a big day ahead of us."
Maverick warbled.
Luigi chuckled after a few moments. "Scratch that…got a big…while ahead of us."
End of Book II...