Chapter 13 Wade in the Water

The next morning, the two girls rose pretty early. Celia was impressed at how well she was able to sleep. She was also impressed that Aqua managed to get some decent rest, considering that both of them were being hunted. She stood up and brushed dirt off of her gray hoodie and out of her greasy hair.

Within no time at all, the girls were on the move again. Admittedly, walking was starting to become a chore. As Celia trudged through the tall grass of the Cascade Kingdom, her shoes felt as if they were wearing thin. Her feet were starting to ache, so much so that Celia wouldn't be surprised if she had a blister or two. One glance at Aqua told Celia that the Princess was having similar problems.

So, the two decided that it would best to get off of their feet. Celia followed Aqua as she made her way toward a river that split the Cascade Kingdom right down the middle. When they got there, they found a raft resting near the shore line. It looked as if it had been abandoned for years, as dirt and bugs covered it. Nevertheless, it was the only thing that Aqua and Celia could use. So, after Aqua used her Hydrokinesis to clean off the gunk, the two pushed the raft into the water.

Celia breathed a sigh of relief once they were on the water. She sat down on the raft and glanced up at the sky. It appeared to be glowing with how blue it was. The emerald green grass hugged the shorelines. The rushing and spraying of the freshwater sounded so soothing. Celia could even see tiny minnows swim around in the river. She dipped her finger into the water and managed to touch one of them. It felt smooth and silky.

Aqua also seemed to enjoy the water. She was using her Hydrokinesis to steer the boat, so that meant she didn't have to worry about rowing. Celia watched as she allowed some of the water to float out of the river and curl around her arm. The princess somehow looked much younger as she did this. Her face looked cheery, her eyes were bright. Celia, admittedly, felt extremely happy seeing this.

She felt even happier when Aqua started to sing.

Umigasukida

Sore wa watashi

Ni hanashimasu

Eien

Ni nami karera ni

Watashi wa yonde

Watashi wa bichi de

Kutsuroide imasu

Attakai hizashi ga

Hoshii ashimoto

N suna

Iruka no shin'ngu ga

Miemasu

Sono sutekina kishimi ga

Kikoemasu asobitai

Yodesu dakara watashi

Wa haitte snakashimasu

Celia was stunned. The princess's voice really complemented the rushing and splashing of the water. She sang with a silky smooth flow, and she was smiling the whole time as she sang in a language foreign to the Koopa human hybrid.

"That was amazing," Celia said once Aqua had finished. The princess let out an embarrassed breath.

"Thanks. It's Japanese."

"I didn't know you knew Japanese."

The princess smiled, her eyes sparkling with interest and delight.

"I've been learning it so that I may be able to read some ancient texts. It's a fascinating language, even though kanji can be a pain in the butt to read." She glanced down at the water, the smile still on her face. "The song I just sang to you is one that I wrote. It talks about the sea."

Celia smiled. This was impressive, very impressive indeed. Celia knew she could never replicate what Aqua had just sang. She had enough trouble reading the English language.

The two continued to flow down the river. Aqua played around with the water, forming it into all sorts of shapes. While she was playing around with a miniature water dragon, she decided to speak up.

"Hey. I never thanked you for helping me escape."

Celia tried to mask her surprise by letting her back face the Princess. She looked down at the crystal clear water.

"Don't mention it."

"No seriously," Aqua said. Celia turned and saw that she was beaming. "Celia, I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank you enough. You had to be very brave in order to do what you did. I don't even think Mario has your kind of courage."

Celia blushed.

"Thank you," she said, her voice weak and fluttery. Aqua nodded, and the two sat in silence for a little bit. The only sound that fell upon Celia's ears was the flowing of the water. Finally, Aqua decided to speak up again.

"You know...you don't have to be on Bowser's side."

Celia cast the Princess a raised eyebrow.

"What's wrong with being on Bowser's side?" she asked. Aqua hesitated, indicating to Celia that she was trying to choose her words carefully.

"Well, he has done some horrible things. You can't deny that."

Celia thought about this and sighed.

"No, I suppose I can't." She pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged her knees. "But I do believe he is legitimately a good person." Aqua scoffed.

"I guess you never heard what he did." she said. Celia looked at her in curiosity.

"What did he do?" she asked. Aqua allowed her miniature water Dragon to disassemble and fall back into the water. She looked at Celia with a solemn expression.

"When I was a little girl, about four years old, Bowser invaded the Mushroom Kingdom. He turned a good majority of its citizens into bricks. My parents tried their best to fight him, but in the end, they weren't strong enough. He…" Aqua sniffed…."they ended up dying in the attack."

A silence lingered in the air as that statement sunk in. Celia's eyes grew wide.

"What?"

Aqua nodded, causing Celia to reel back a little. That...that wasn't Bowser! That was not the koopa whom her mother had said was her father! That was not the Koopa who had taken in seven orphans because he felt sorry for them! This was not the Koopa who was willing to do anything to get a mother for his one and only biological son! Sure, he did some horrible things, but killing people was not on that list!

"Aqua…" Celia said. "I...I'm sorry."

Really, that was all Celia could say. Her mouth and throat felt as if they were tightening up. Her stomach hurt, her palms felt clammy. Aqua cast a glance at her.

"I'm sorry that you had to hear that," she said. "But we cannot change the truth. Even if we hate it with every core of our being."

Celia nodded, a lump forming in her throat. She swallowed it and hugged her knees closer to her chest.

"I don't believe it," she stated quietly. "That is not Bowser. That can't be Bowser." She sighed and looked down at the floor of the raft. "Why would Mom tell me that that of all people is my Dad?"

Aqua approached Celia. She sat down beside her, allowing Celia to see the shock on her face.

"What? Your mom told you Bowser is your dad?" she asked. Celia nodded.

"Yes. It was a long time ago, when I was in preschool. Because of my Koopa half, a lot of people tease and made fun of me. Some even went so far as to hit and punch me." Celia pulled back her hair. Aqua's eyes grew wide when she saw that there was a scar on her scalp. "I got that on the first day of school. My head collided with the swing set and tore open." She sighed as she put her hair back. "It didn't help that I had no idea who my actual father was. He abandoned my mom and me before I was born. So, to help me feel better, my mom told me Bowser was my dad."

Aqua's eyes grew solemn and curious.

"How did that help the bullying?"

"It didn't. I remember going back to class the very next day and telling everyone that Bowser was my dad. Naturally, they laughed at me like there was no tomorrow."

The two sat in silence. Celia directed her eyes down toward the water again. Neither one of the girls dared to talk.

"I...I'm sorry," Aqua finally said.

"I'm sorry too. For you," Celia said. She looked into the princess's crystal blue eyes. "I couldn't imagine going through what you did."

Aqua nodded and stood up.

"And I can't imagine going through what you did." She looked down at her with sympathy. "No wonder you dislike being a hybrid."

Celia stood up and faced the princess.

"It has made my life more difficult." She tried to smile, but couldn't muster the strength. "That's why I am loyal to Bowser and the Koopalings. They are like a family to me."

Aqua slowly nodded.

"Well," she said. "You stick by your family until your dying day."