AN: Woohoo! 50 chapters y'all! Thank you all for the support and love that you have given to this fic; I never would have reached this milestone if it wasn't for you guys! Thank you, thank you, thank you! :D

Chapter 50 A Tearful Confession

I really wasn't kidding when I said that I wanted to reveal my crush for Singe. At least, that's what I kept telling myself. You see, I am actually very shy when it comes to this sort of stuff. I...I actually cannot remember the last time I was able to fully confess to a crush that I liked them. Everytime that I did, I always backed out of it. You know, like a chicken would. Like a coward would.

I took a deep breath. I NEEDED to do this. If I didn't do it, I would be stuck in an endless cycle for the rest of eternity. I didn't want that. If I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Singe by my side, then this was the first step that I needed to take.

"Come on, Kamark," I told my tiny, disobedient brain. "You can do this." I grit my hand into a fist. "You. Need. To. Do. This." I took a step out of my room and peeked down the hall. Singe's room was just a few doors down the way, a few tiny steps would get me there instantly. I tried to take a step forward, but chickened out almost immediately. I pulled back and started to hyperventilate.

"Come on! You idiot!" I slapped myself across the cheek. "You can do this! Confessing to your crush isn't that big of a deal! People do stuff like this all the time!" I looked down at my outfit, my typical midnight blue magikoopa robe, and tapped my chin. "Maybe it would help if I was dressed up?" I waved my wand, and my robe was replaced by a tuxedo. This left my shell, my little tuft of teal hair, and of course the rest of my body exposed to the air. I took another deep breath. "Maybe it would also help if I had a present for SInge." I waved my wand again, and a bouquet of roses appeared in my hand. I smiled. They were red, orange, and yellow; the same colors that decorated Singe's body.

"Okay," I said with a smile. I took a step forward. "I can do this, I can…" The emotions that were symptomatic of shyness overtook me once again. I came to a screeching halt and bit my lip. "What is wrong with me!" I dried some tears from my eyes. "Why am I such a coward! WHY AM I SUCH A COWARD!" I fell to the ground and began crying. Not even the scent of the roses was enough to calm my overwhelming nerves.

"Kamark?" I heard Singe's voice say to me. I didn't even bother looking up as he came into the room. He was concerned; I could tell by the way he carried himself. He placed his now mechanical right arm on my shoulder. It felt cold. "Are you alright?"

I shivered under the feel of the arm. It was so metallic, so inorganic, so...dead. Singe would never get his arm back. All of the weights that he had been lifting in his room would never be able to be used ever again. I burst into tears.

"Singe! Singe!"

Singe wrapped me in a hug. "It's okay, Mark." He held me, not questioning my attire or bringing up the fact that I was appearing weak right in front of his face. He stroked my back, not with his mechanical arm, but his real arm. "It's okay."

I shook my head. It was not okay. He had given up so much for me, and I couldn't even tell him how much I loved him for it. I wiped my tears as I stood up. I went over to my bed.

"Well, it will be okay, at least," Singe said. He looked down at his mechanical arm. "You know, Iggy Koopa made this for me."

"B...Bowser's adopted son?" I asked.

"Yep." He swung it back and forth. "It is really handy, very much like the real thing." He chuckled. "Even with it on though, I still get phantom limbs. It doesn't have the sames feel as the real arm. It's hard to explain."

I nodded. It might be hard for him to explain, but I at least could grasp what he was trying to say. A part of him was missing. He would never be able to get it back, and on some level, his soul longed for that part of himself. He would have to deal with this feeling of separation and difference for the rest of his life.

All because he had decided to do something good for me.

I wiped another tear. "Singe?"

Singe looked up at me. "Yes?"

I took in a deep breath. "I...I…" I saw the glimmer in his ruby red eyes, and instantly turned away. "It's nothing."

"Kamark," he said. He stepped closer and leaned close to me. "Whatever it is, you can tell me." He smiled. "Is there someone who you like? Is that why you're dressed up?"

I froze. Man, Singe really was astute. "I...I…"

"Mark, whoever it is, I'm sure they would love to hear you say that you like them." He smiled. "You're a very nice guy, after all."

My heart melted. I dried my tears away as an image flashed across my mind. That image was one of me and Singe, sometime in the future. We were a couple, sitting together under a tree at dusk. We had a baby in our arms; a little girl who we had adopted. It was such a beautiful image. It was a strong one too; I could feel the cool breeze of the evening kissing my cheeks.

This future could be mine. I just...I had to man up. I had to say what was on my mind. I had to say the words that in my heart.

So, I took a deep breath and got off the bed. I picked the bouquet off the floor. Even after being tossed to the ground, the flowers were still perfectly arranged. I cleared my throat. "Singe?"

"Yes?"

I sighed and turned around, handing him the roses. "These are for you."

Singe blinked, confused and taken aback. A moment of silence hung in the air as Singe stared at the bouquet. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead as I waited for his response. Would he accept me? Would he accept my confession?

Finally, Singe stared up at me. Shock was present in every one of his features. "You...you mean…"

"Yes." I straightened my posture. "I can't deny it anymore, Singe. I had an eye for you ever since I saw you. And now that you have saved my brother, I realize that what I feel for you is more than just a crush." I stared into his eyes, which resembled a pair of fiery lakes. "I'm in love with you."

Singe didn't move. He remained frozen, staring at the roses. He slowly lifted his hands and took the bouquet. This caused my spirits to soar. Was this a sign that he reciprocated my feelings?

"Kamark," he said. He took in the scent of the blossoms. "First of all, I'd like to say thank you."

I beamed. He...he accepted me! He accepted my feelings! We could finally become a couple, after all this time and all this worry! We could run the Society together! Heck, we didn't even have to stay in the Society; we could go travel the world!

"But I can't accept this."

Silence. I stared at Singe, holding onto my heartfelt gift with sadness as opposed to joy. I blinked, unsure if I had heard that.

"W...what?"

"I...don't love you. I can't."

My whole world came crashing down. I lowered my hands as the smile fell from my face. I lowered my gaze to the ground. Tears escaped from my eyes again, dripping onto the floor like raindrops.

"I'm so sorry. You're a good friend, but…"

My hands shook. A good friend. Those were the words that I had been dreading for years. Ever since I met him.

"Why?"

"What?"

I sniffled, unable to contain my heartbreak. "Why can't you accept me?" I lifted my head. "Are you not into me?"

Singe scratched the back of his head. "Well…"

"Are you not into guys?" That would be the least hurtful possibility. At least then, i could slowly accept…

"That's not it." He chuckled. "If anything, I think I'm bi more than anything else."

Shock pierced my heart. "Then...then…." Tears came full force. "Then why can't we be together?"

"Um, well…"

"WHY NOT!" I was yelling now.

Singe turned his back to me. "Mark…"

"AM I NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU?"

"That's not it." his voice was rising now.

"THEN WHY CAN'T WE JUST BE TOGETHER?"

"BECAUSE I HAVE A CHILD!"

Silence again. This time, shock claimed my heart. I stared at Singe as he slowly turned back around.

"You...you what?"

Singe let out a breath. He smiled, which looked odd when juxtaposed next to the tears flowing from his eyes. "I have a child."

I...I couldn't believe this. Singe was a father?

"Why didn't you tell me before?" I tucked my tail between my legs. "Why did you leave me to…" I couldn't say that, because I knew that Singe never intentionally left me out to dry. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Singe lowered his head. Disbelief was claiming his expression. Horrible disbelief, coupled with horrible, HORRIBLE shame.

"I forgot."

I blinked. "You forgot? How can you forget something like that?"

Singe took a step closer to me. "I...I left my child and her mother to protect them. I found you guys soon after; you took me in about a week after my parents told me I couldn't see Ruby anymore." He dried a tear from his eye. "And...life in the Society…" he started to shake… "I can't believe this. I forgot about Ruby! I forgot about my baby!"

I stared at him, still shocked. Did...did my society cause him to…

"Singe…"

"I left them!" He was crying now, shaking so, so hard. "I left them to fend for themselves! I should never have listened to my parents!" His tears were flowing like a waterfall. "I'm a horrible koopa! I'm...I'm a coward!"

I took a step toward him. While I couldn't relate with or see how this situation was possible, I could still feel sympathy for him. Even after he broke my heart, I still loved him.

"You're not a coward." I smiled, pouring out the inner feelings of my heart. "You are the bravest koopa I have ever met. You were even willing to give up your arm for Kam. A coward wouldn't do that."

Singe still shook. He dried so many tears from his eyes, more tears than either of us knew what to do with. "Ruby doesn't think that. She probably hates me." He lowered his head. "I abandoned her without saying goodbye."

I grabbed hold of his hand. "Singe, you don't have to worry about that! That's in the past!"

Singe stared at me in shock. Anger appeared in his eyes, making his red eyes appear even redder than before. "How can you say that, Mark? That's horrible! Ruby is the love of my life!" He batted my hand away. "It might be in the past for you, but not for me. Ruby suffers every single day without me present." He started walking toward the door.

I blinked, unsure what was happening. "Singe?" I followed after him. I tried grabbing hold of his mechanical arm. "Singe, what are you…?"

"I can't stay here, Mark. I'm leaving the Society."

My heart stopped. "NO! You can't!" I ran after him. I almost reached him, but tripped over my shoes. "Singe, don't go! Stay back!"

Singe did not turn around. My eyes stung with tears as I watched his retreating red shell. I reached out my arm.

"SINGE!"

He did not turn around. He was, for all intents and purposes, done with the Society. Done with me.