Title: Bullied

Character: Fice T

Description: While standing guard, Fice T recalls everything that happened to him, and even contemplates leaving his post.

(FICE T'S POV)

Here I stand. Guarding the entrance to Forever Forest, making sure that no one goes in. But while I'm sure everyone knows this, the main reason I stand guard is to overcome my fear of ghosts.

The only one I ever let through here was Mario, who had recently gone into Forever Forest to search for one of the Star Spirits. Boy, I sure wish I had his courage. I'm probably the most pitiful excuse for a guard around. I'd bet that even those pointless guards at the princess' castle that don't seem to do anything are braver than I.

I often wonder why the hey I applied for this stupid job in the first place. I mean, all I do is stand guard at Forever Forest and become scared whenever I see a ghost. When that ghost with the mustache showed up and scared the heck out me, I was tempted to run back home, but decided against it. Besides, my legs were too scared stiff to budge.

Still, April always said that the best way to overcome your fears is to face them.

I slap my forehead and sigh sadly. I'm thinking of April again. Who is she, you may ask? She's the most beautiful woman in the Mushroom Kingdom, and my wonderful wife. Now, people may saw that Princess Peach is the most beautiful, but in my eyes, April was even prettier than the princess herself.

I grew up in a small family with one sibling, an older brother. My brother wasn't really that good an influence on me. He loved scaring me with ghost stories, and they just got worse whenever we sat around a campfire.

School was even worse once the bullies found out of my fear of ghosts. They teased me all day, every day, but I took it all. The last thing I wanted to do was cry. That would just influence the bullies to do it all the more. There was, however, one thing I liked about school: The head bullies' so-called 'girlfriend', April, had a desk right beside mine in class. She was the only one who really showed any compassion. While it was just the bullies that made fun of me, the other students ignored it and the teachers brushed me off, telling me to ignore them. Didn't they ever realize that that's what I had been doing for half the school year already?!

Then one day, my life would take a drastic turn. While the bullies were off playing football with the rest of the team, April had to go home because she was expecting a friend to come over. I offered to walk her home, and she accepted.

During the walk to her place, the two of us talked almost the entire time. I realized how much we had in common: We had the same interests, we shared the same birthday, and she even admitted that she had a fear of ghosts as well! Mind you, it wasn't as big as my fear, but still...

I then found out that April was never the lead bully's girlfriend. He apparently had just started acting as if she were his girlfriend, trying to sweet-talk her and all.

I almost regretted walking her home the next day.

...Almost...

After class, I was walking to my locker to grab my jacket, when the lead bully came up from behind me and shoved me against the lockers. He shouted at me and kicked me repeatedly, telling me to stay away from April, saying that she was HIS girl. Apparently, he had found out that I had walked her home the day before.

I tried to get up, ignoring the pain coming from my side. However, he wasn't finished yet. Pulling his fist back, he slammed it into my face, giving me a black eye. He quickly gave me another one to match it. Soon, I had bruises all over my body.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it suddenly got better. April ran in between the two of us and shielded me from harm! The bully told her to step aside, but April stood her ground. Right there, in front of all the students, April screamed at him, saying that not only was she never his girlfriend, but that she hated the way that he always pretended that she was. I can still remember the hurt look on the bully's face when she said that, and I smile whenever I think of it. April showed no compassion, however, and told him that she actually preferred ME over him.

I couldn't believe what I had heard. April had actually admitted that she LIKED me? Despite the condition I was in, this was a dream come true for me! Anyway, the principal found out about what the bully had done and had him thrown off the football team.

As the year went by, April and I hung around each other more. I walked her home every day, even though I lived five blocks away. To talk with April, I was willing to walk to the other end of the KINGDOM.

The months turned into years. April and I graduated the same day, and we both considered it a day to remember. She and I had been dating for a good while now. I realized how much I loved her, and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

Eventually, I finally decided to ask her. On the eve of our twenty-first birthdays, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. At first, I was terrified that she would refuse, but when she threw her arms around me and started sobbing happily into my shoulder, I realized that she had accepted!

A few more years passed. April and I had been married for two years. The best two years of my life. It was a crystal clear night and we had decided to take a walk around our area of the kingdom as almost like another date.

I soon decided that we shouldn't have gone out in the first place.

The air around us suddenly became cold, even though it was a summer night. The two of us quickly became engulfed in a strange fog. When it cleared, April and I found ourselves staring at the one Boo I had heard so much about in my brother's stories and I had hoped I would never meet.

King Boo.

The evil Boo took one look at April and started floating towards her. Although terrified, I stoo in front of my wife and told King Boo that if he wanted her, he'd have to get through me first.

That was exactly what he did. With one swipe of his 'hand', I was sent flying away several feet, landing on my side. King Boo grabbed April and vanished, taking her with him.

I found myself searching all over Toad Town, looking for a Boo that could tell me where King Boo had taken April. I eventually found one, and demanded that it confess. It quickly complied. I was told that King Boo lived in an abandoned mansion in Forever Forest. One that almost no one knew about.

Eventually, I found myself at the front door of King Boo's mansion. Although terrified, I swore to myself that I'd get April out of there. I placed a trembling hand on the doorknob, twisted it and went inside.

After searching around the mansion, I eventually found myself in the basement, where King Boo kept his collection of paintings. However, on closer inspection, I realized that they weren't painting. There were people in there! Trapped inside the paintings, trying to break out by banging on the shield keeping them in. I wanted to help these people. I really did. But saving April was first on my list.

Unfortunately, I found April like I had the others: Trapped inside a painting. I looked at her in horror, and she stopped struggling to look at me with hope. I couldn't stand it to see April in peril.

I was just about to pluck her from the wall when I heard a cackle from behind. Before I could turn around, everything had gone dark.

When I woke up, I found myself back in Toad Town, unharmed. Unfortunately, April wasn't with me. She was still inside the mansion, trapped in the painting.

Now, before any questions are asked, King Boo's mansion isn't like the mansion Luigi had 'won'. This mansion was entirely different, and twice as scary. I realized that if I was to get back in there and save April, I was to overcome my fear of Boos.

Without thinking of the consequences, I applied for the job as a guard, and it just so happens that I was to guard the entrance to Forever Forest.

That was five months ago. I'm kicking myself for not trying to save April sooner, but I know that if I don't go in unprepared, I'll probably end up being killed, leaving April to spend the rest of her life inside the painting. I was lucky that King Boo spared me and returned me to Toad Town the first time. Next time he won't be so merciful.

I find myself crying again. I've cried every day for the past five months now, upset at myself for not saving April. The only thing I can do is stand guard and wait for me to overcome my fears.

I promise I'll save you, April. Believe me, I promise. But I need you to wait just a little while longer. Sometimes, when I think of everything you could possibly be going through, my heart becomes crushed even more than it already is. That makes me wonder who's going through more torture.

You or me.

END