Ch10: We are Soldiers.

A.N I'm going to try and post every two weeks if I can. So the next one should be coming out in the first week of December, if I have this calculated correctly. Don't forget to review! Oh, and also suggest a song for the soundtrack. It's getting rather long now, and it's helping my writing immensely. Now I've had to up the rating on this from T to m because of this chapter.

Darkland

"Why does she keep DOING THIS?" Bowser slammed his fist down on the table. Anyone would be able to see that his mighty hands were shaking rather badly.

The soldiers jumped from the force of the slam. The ones from Hyrule were unused to Bowser's anger.

"It's her sister." Nabooru pointed out. "If someone spoke of my sisters like that, they would not be living very long to laugh about it."

"THAT IS NO EXCUSE. WE ARE AT WAR."

"When have you ever known Raven to have a level head?" Luigi asked. He was scratching at his arm self consciously."We need to fortify our defenses quickly. If they caught her.."

He didn't finish the sentence, but the implication hung heavily in the air. Raven was privy to most of the security codes, and knew most of the secret entrances into the castle.

"That would imply that the Commander would tell them. I'm certain she would rather die then betray Bowser." Tracey spoke up. She was sitting between her brother and Poo.

Thalia spoke next.

"They have a form of mind control. They could use that to get the answers they desire. ANd she'd be helpless to stop them."

"Raven wouldn't succumb to some weak tactic like that." Tyrion snapped at his sister.

"Syrio. You've been quiet." Ludwig commented. His arm was in a cast, having sustained injuries in the airship crash.

Syrio glanced up. His lips were pressed together in a slight frown.

"Well. We weren't just training her in sword play. We knew the kind of things that the Crystal Kingdom could do. We taught her survival. How to supress her other powers. And when to unlock them. Hopefully she remembers what she was taught."

Bowser dropped into his seat.

"Are you telling me to do nothing?"

Syrio nodded.

"I am. If she could survive two years with all of that pain, she will survive now. Tyrion, have you seen Arya yet?"

Tyrion nodded.

"Come on Bowser. Time to meet your daughter."

RAVEN

The slap across the face woke her up. As Raven's mind swam back into consciousness, Peach's face appeared in front of her.

"Peach?" She rasped out. Her head was throbbing now.

"Oh good, you're finally awake."

There was a cloying sweetness that put Raven on edge.

As Raven tried to move backwards, there was a loud rattling of chains. Her eyes travelled upwards to see the chains locked around her wrists. A quick look downwards confirmed chains around her ankles as well. She was hanging three feet off the ground. Around the clone, crystal soldiers had cannons pointed at her.

"Overkill much?" Raven muttered.

"I will only ask this once. Then I'll be getting nasty. How do we get into the castle?"

"Go fuck yourself." Raven snapped in irritation. "I am not saying shit until you show me my sister."

The next slap was hard enough to make Raven almost cry out in pain.

"Fine. AMETHYST. GET OFF YOUR ASS AND BRING HER IN."

A group of purple hued soldiers entered the room. When Raven saw who they were dragging, she began to struggle against her bindings.

They appeared to have removed Daisy's bindings. She was now in a shapeless grey dress.

"Daisy! Why haven't you-"

"They were gonna kill Peach if I did." Daisy replied. Her lip was split. Her long orangish brown hair hung down in her face, covering most of it.

As the guards left, the Peach clone spoke.

"Now tell me what I want to know."

"Well, first you go to the pharmacy. You ask for something called Viagra. AND IT WILL HELP YOU GO FUCK YOURSELF."

Raven's world exploded into pain as the cattle prod was jammed into her neck. Her nerve endings were like live wires, and every single one of them were on fire.

She had to stay conscious.

"WHERE IS PEACH'S DAUGHTER?"

"Far far away from here."

"We can do this as long as we need to,, you hybrid bitch. No one is coming to save you."

"I don't need saving. But you will once I get free. Your king cannot save you up here."

The cattle prod was harshly jabbed into her side. Raven bit down on her lip so hard that it drew blood.

"See? You look so much better in red." Peach cooed. "Morton Sr. was absolutely RAVING about what happened in-ARGH!"

Raven slammed her forehead into the clones. Red dotted her vision. She couldn't let her anger take over. Not now. Not when there was a possibility of Daisy being killed.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the clone jamming the prod so hard into her neck that Raven could swear it drew blood. This time, there was no stopping the strangled screaming coming from the Commander. She twitched violently as the prod electrocuted her.

"Feh. You're useless to me. I'd send someone in to finish you off, but I cannot. The King wants to see you himself."

Raven's blood froze. The Crystal King was known for his sadistic tendancies. She didn't want to think of what was in store for her.

"We're heading for the Crystal Kingdom?" She managed.

"Yes. Best pray to whatever you pray to. For our king will flay you to the bone."

As the Peach Clone left, Raven looked down at her sister in silence. The Crystal Denizens still had the cannons pointed at her.

She really wished she'd learned how to use Koopa Magic.

She was startled as she was slowly lowered to the ground near her sister. As one of the Crystal people unlocked her hands, she threw her arms around her sister.

Raven could feel Daisy trembling in her arms.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." Raven croaked out. Her voice was a bit hard to use right now, since the cattle prod jabbed her in the neck," I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Raven..." Daisy hiccoughed. " Luigi..is he-?"

"He's fine. How long have you-?"

"Six years. You were still living with me when it happened."

Raven's eyes widened. So Daisy HADN'T betrayed her. It had been a clone this entire time.

"You are the REAL Princess Raven, yes?" One of the Crystal officers questioned.

Raven glared over at them. The one who spoke appeared to be a blue Tourmaline.

"Yeah I'm her. But if you come any closer-"

"You have Kyprus of the Tygra Force down there. Don't you?"

The Tourmaline's voice was shaking. Raven looked rather confused.

"And what business is that of yours?"

"He is my husband."

"...Yeah we have him. He's helping us. He freed my auntie and has been taking good care of my neice."

The woman retrieved something from the far end of the room. With a jolt, Raven realized it was her own cellphone.

The Tourmaline handed it to her.

Raven immediately dialled Bowser, hitting the call button.

There was a beeping tone, indicating a busy signal.

Next she dialled Ludwig. Then Morton.

In a desperate attempt to contact them, she dialled Syrio.

On the fourth rang, someone picked up.

"Raven?" Syrio whispered into the phone.

"Uncle. What is going on? Why is no one answering?"

"Raven, I need you to listen to me. The Barrier can't hold for much longer. Bowser has everyone evacuated into the lower tunnels."

"Arya too?"

"She's with me. So is Lina. It was a damned trap Raven."

"Raven." Bowser's voice rumbled. "You need to get to the Crystal Kingdom. Take out King Bloodstone. It's the only way to end this."

"The tunnels. They lead to-"

"I know where they lead to. But we don't have a choice. I'll keep her safe."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Then the line went dead.

Raven ran her fingers through her hair. As she pocketed the phone, she turned to the Tourmaline.

"You're the Squadron who infiltrated their ranks," She stated"You're Alexia."

Alexia grinned.

"Welcome to the Revolution, Commander Toadstool. Let's go make sure he ccan't ever hurt anyone again."