Chapter 15: Dinner with the Enemy
Each second felt like a minute, each minute like an hour, time dragged on as if it had nothing better to do. Time was taunting them; Time was torturing them, leaving them to wait as long as they possibly could have done.
They waited in the dark cell in the hold of the airship, dreading the moment when the king came to pay them a visit.
Yoshi was leaning with his ear against the wall, straining to hear the voices outside the ship. He managed to catch a few words, but strung together, they didn't make any sense. Still, the determined dinosaur kept pressed to the wall, in hopes of finding out what was going on. Toad's constant whimpering wasn't very helpful either, and Yoshi found himself turning to shush the boy constantly. Eventually, he decided that he wasn't getting anywhere, and slid down the wall, plopping onto the floor.
"Catch anything, Yoshi?" Luigi asked in the calmest voice he could manage, but it still squeaked slightly as a result of his anxiety.
"Nothing that makes sense, Mister Luigi, but I think they're going to take us to Bowser," Yoshi answered, shaking his head.
"Ah," Luigi mumbled. He was about to say something else, but shut his mouth quickly when the hatch to the deck opened, and light spilled down into their dark confinement.
"My friends! How wonderful for you to join me on such a fine day," came the Koopa King's voice, and sure enough, Bowser himself slowly descended the stairs. He looked different. He wasn't the same Bowser who came to capture the princess every day. He seemed wiser, bolder, and more dangerous. But most of all, regal.
Bowser had taken pride in his newfound glory, and took the opportunity to change his appearance. Since he was now the ruler of two kingdoms, he had to look the part. So he had stolen many fine treasures from throughout the Mushroom Kingdom, each worth its weight in gold. He wore newer spiky bands on his arms, with gold studs as opposed to the usual silver, he said it showed his advancement in stature, as if from mere silver to the most regal gold. Hanging loosely from one of his horns was a golden crown, obviously having once belonged to the king of The Mushroom Kingdom. He said it showed how he was able to take anything he wanted, including the kingdom, if he so desired it. And he wore a long, flowing cape of the deepest red.
"Oh my, you're looking rather down," Bowser said, frowning, "can I get you anything?"
"If at all possible, I'd like your head on a plate, Koopa."
"Ah Mario, that could prove to be difficult. Are you planning on taking it yourself?"
"I am, as a matter of fact."
"I see. Very difficult, I think. Especially when you're dead, wouldn't you agree?"
Mario said nothing, but stared the koopa in the eye. Bowser noticed something in Mario's eyes he'd never seen before, and it sent a sliver of panic through his heart. Hate. Loathing. Mario wanted him dead, he could see it. But Bowser wasn't one to let his fear show, and he smirked at the lowly souls huddled in his cell. He laughed slightly, "What's the matter Plumber? Cat got your tongue? Or have you finally admitted your defeat?"
Mario still said nothing, and retreated to the back of the cell, his cold blue eyes still fixed on Bowser, still holding that intense loathing Bowser feared so much.
Swallowing, Bowser started to speak again, "I trust some of you will join me for... Dinner," he chuckled, "I'll send for you later this evening, and you WILL come, unless you want to be the dinner yourselves. Good evening, my friends, and I will see you soon, you should hope." He then turned on his heel and swiftly climbed the stairs back to the deck.
Uncomfortable silence followed once the king had left the hold. None spoke, half out of fatigue, half out of nothing to say. The only sound was Toad's whimpering, and Toadette trying to calm him down, even though his sentiments matched hers exactly.
The night had grown unseasonably cold, and Waluigi was ultimately regretting walking out like that. But he wasn't one to come crawling back, at least not within the same half-hour as he had gone out.
He looked up to the sky, as he had heard something, but saw nothing. Nothing at all. Strangely enough, ever since Bowser had taken over the kingdom, there was nothing in the sky. During the day, there was no sun, at night, there was no moon, and no stars. There wasn't much of a difference between day and night, except during the day, the sky was a blood-red colour, and at night it was pitch black, with no light to guide them.
At this particular time, it was a dark red tint, letting very little light touch the ground as the hours grew late, and there was only an hour until what would be sunset, if there were a sun to begin with.
He sighed, muttering about how nosy Wario was, and sat down on a small stool inside a watch station. This watch station stood at the entrance to Forever Forest, and the cowardly guard had seemed to go mad by the spooks and specters that came to 'greet' him in the night. Waluigi, however, wasn't afraid of such ghosts (except when they threatened his life) but welcomed their company. They could be so much more interesting than the living sometimes, and no matter how strange it sounded, they were very lively spirits.
A recurring ghost was Bootler, the servant of Lady Bow. He had come wandering each night, searching for the cowardly guard. How he used to enjoy scaring the wits out of the poor mushroom man, but in the end it had led him to his madness. Bootler didn't know this, and still searched every night. A few times he had come across Waluigi, whom came by the forest now and then to brood, stopping to speak with Bootler for a while and leaving soon after midnight.
Bootler was searching that night, and Waluigi was there, so naturally, they met and began to converse between themselves.
"Good evening, Sir Waluigi," Bootler said haughtily, his British accent thicker than usual as he stiffly greeted Waluigi. He was answered by a nonchalant nod on Waluigi's part, "I trust you are well?"
"I don't think so, Bootler."
"May I ask why?" Bootler asked, curious as to why. He knew of the Mario Bros. capture, and he couldn't say whether he frowned upon it or not. He didn't like Mario himself, and positively loathed his brother, but his Lady was a big fan of the hero in red (not so much green) and he couldn't say no to his mistress.
"Well, it's hard to say," Waluigi began, taking his hat off and running a hand through his hair. He growled when he noticed a hole in his cap, made a mental note to fix it, and threw it back onto his head before continuing, "I mean, I've recieved... A lot of money for... well, you know. But, I think I'm having second thoughts."
"Second thoughts? You? Waluigi? I must say, that isn't quite fitting of your character. You're supposed to be vile, spiteful, evil. I'd say you aren't living up to your-"
"Put a sock in it, boo. I didn't ask for your damn opinion!" Waluigi hissed, glaring at the boo from the corner of his eye.
"I apologize. It was not my place," Bootler sniffed, floating around to Waluigi's other side to avoid being swatted, "May I ask why you're having these regrets?"
"Well, it's like killing someone you know. Actually, it really is. They're going to all die because of me. I'm not sure whether I should have done it now," Waluigi said, staring hard at the ground. He never thought he'd have any regrets for something like that. But they really weren't that bad to him or Wario. In fact, Wario and himself were invited to a great deal of the Mushroom Kingdom's activities. He could even call them friends, if he were that desperate.
"Ah, I see. Fair acquaintances may sometimes have an attachment to one's heart. But you've done them wrong. The guilt sets in, for you have committed a sin. "
"But I've never felt this way before, and trust me, I've committed my fair share of sins," Waluigi answered. He was starting to get confused. Were they really his friends? Should he help them get out of the situation he put them in? Was it really worth it to betray Bowser?
What if Bowser never found out?
"Bootler, I'm going to need your help," Waluigi said, standing up. He turned to the ghost and nodded, "I'll need you to help me get them out."
"Get them out? Whatever for?"
"You said it yourself, fair acquaintances can have an attachment to someone, and they're really more than acquaintances anyway."
"I understand. What would you like me to do, Sir?" Bootler said, bowing as best a boo could do, and floating over to Waluigi's other side.
"Just get me the key, and I'll do the rest."
Fice T. lifted a trembling hand to turn the key in the cell door, unlocking it for Bowser's 'Guests' so that he may escort them to his Majesty. He had since gone mad, and Bowser took the opportunity to recruit him for a guard. It was as if he had lost his free will, in losing his mind.
He muttered incoherently to himself as he fumbled with the lock and soon found it wide open. He stared into the dark cell, muttering louder to himself. He managed a few words, "Come...Now..."
They all got up, but Fice T. held up a hand, signaling for them to stop, "No..."
He then pointed out who was to follow him. His trembling finger pointed to Mario, then Luigi, Princess Peach, Daisy and Yoshi. They remainder was to remain in the cell until they returned, if they ever returned. So the aforementioned followed the mushroom man out of the cell, and up the stairs to the deck.
As soon as they reached the surface, Mario gasped and stared up. The sky was pitch black, there was nothing. No stars, no moon. No light at all, the only illumination being the torch Fice T. held as far away from himself as possible. They soon found themselves descending another flight of stairs, and were led through two large doors, which slammed shut behind them, and at once the room lit up with flames.
Bowser sat at the end of the very long table, and had just lit the chandelier above with is fiery breath. He smirked and sat back in his chair, rapping his sharp claws on the table, "Well, sit," he said simply, motioning to the five empty chairs along the length of the table.
The five reluctantly took their seats, keeping a watchful eye on the Koopa King at all times. They knew Bowser had the upper hand, as none of them could make a run for it, or attack him in time, because the perimeter of the room was lined with armored Koopas. They could snap any one of them in two if the event called for it, so Mario decided he'd rather not run the chance.
"Do eat, It's taken the cooks all evening to prepare the food. Now, I trust you've all been well?" Bowser said, chuckling maliciously and taking a bite of his spiked pear. He wrinkled his nose at the sweet taste, and chucked it down the table at Yoshi, "Here Yoshi, a little treat for you!"
Yoshi whimpered piteously after the pear struck him, the spikes having pierced the skin slightly below his eye, and he grabbed the pear and prepared to throw it back at Bowser.
"Uh Uh Uh," Bowser tutted, shaking a finger," I wouldn't do that, dino."
Yoshi dropped the pear as the Koopas closed in on him, brandishing their weapons menacingly. He yelped, and Bowser laughed, signaling for the Koopas to stand by instead.
"Bowser, you're not even fit to be called an animal," Daisy spat, glaring at the hulking koopa that sat down the table.
He casually took a bite out of his penguin wing, swallowing noisily and turning to her, "Why thank you Princess, I'd rather not be called an animal myself. I appreciate your compliment."
He received no answer from her, and she merely glared at him from the corner of her eye through the remainder of the meal.
"Bowser, what are you doing?" Peach asked, "Why are you doing this?"
"Why? You ask me why?" Bowser snapped, "What would you do if you were to spend your entire life in darkness, breathing smoke and ashes in each morning, instead of the clean fresh air you breathe. To hear frantic screaming and the roaring of flames instead of your precious songbirds?
Barren land, nothing for miles. That's all I've had my life, and you've had it all. People to love you, people to admire you. My people only saw me as the one who sealed their fate in that disgusting hell-hole. The one who watched them, the one whom they loathed, and had no respect for. I tell you, in capturing your precious Kingdom, I've regained my people, and so much more." Bowser then paused, wiping his muzzle with the back of a paw, "I've grown tired. Captain, escort my guests back their cell," he said, snapping his fingers.
An armored koopa nodded to the others, and each grabbed hold of a hostage, threatening them with their spears, and began to escort them out of the room.
"Sleep well, my friends. Enjoy your final night!" came Bowser's voice from the dining room, and his laugh floated through the halls long after they had left.
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