Phew, I'm finally able to post the latest chapter. It was a lot to prepare, so I'm glad to get to it!
Now, this is one of the longer chapters, so prepare yourself for a long read! And a lot goes on, so expect perspective swapping and a good number of events to take place. It might have been able to be a split chapter…but nah, it's more fun to cram.
(Hey, I warned you at the end of the last chapter, so don't look all that shocked! …And I know some of you tough folks love reading long stuff anyway. You guys are hardcore. And that's really cool, honestly, as well as very appreciated.)
Ready for Peach, Luigi, and all the rest to strut their stuff again during their fallouts? No? Good! Because we're totally doing that anyway…right after a slight surprise opening. (Remember, I'm shipping trash. Ahaha…ha. Eh.)
So, buckle up for a long read, because stuff is totally going down. And it's better to just let you read it than explain it, so here goes!
...
[Bowser]
After Merlon's kid and grandkids served my troops, they helped pitch tents up outside for the group to rest in, since they claimed the house wouldn't accommodate everyone. More likely, they just didn't want to share their personal space, but I wasn't able to argue it.
However, while they were busy helping my servants get settled in, Merlon took Mario with him past the house. I ordered Kamek to keep an eye on everything around the house and tents while I chased after them.
Behind the house was another trail that led up the hill behind the place. Charging past a few large blue stones, I caught up to Mario and Merlon easily.
"Just where do you think you're going?" Honestly, I wasn't even sure which one of them I directed that at.
"While we have practiced magic around the house, repeatedly, I would rather Mario's first time be in a more…isolated environment," explained Merlon. "I thought I learned my lesson when Merle wreaked havoc as a youngster, but anything he didn't teach me, Merlee and Merluvlee taught me tenfold. First few magic sessions: outside of the house. Always."
"Huh…makes sense." With that in mind, I was wondering about where Junior practiced his fire breathing. Most of the time, I watched him go out, but knowing his eagerness…maybe I better not think about that.
"Is that what you did with Merlow?"
"Mm…yes." Merlon's body shifted just slightly as we continued walking, but anyone could tell that he was more rigid over that response. "He did well thanks to that."
"Did he practice alone?" It got my curiosity. "For his first few fire breathing lessons, I wouldn't let Junior out of my sight."
"No, no I was with him," recalled Merlon. "Anytime I wasn't, his father was. Sometimes, we even had visitors and additional students that we tutored. Rare, but it did happen."
"But…?" Something about the Shaman's hesitation piqued Mario's interest as well.
"We trained the boy diligently," rephrased Merlon. "Perhaps…too often, too hard. It's also much harder when you have both your grandfather and father watching over you, while your sisters have their time together, and you're…"
"Alone in a different sense," finished Mario. Merlon only nodded. "Sound familiar, Bowser?"
"Guess so. Didn't think we could really compare our situation to someone else's problems."
"Yours? How…ah, yes, only the Koopa Kingdom is currently aware of you two."
"And before they did, it was just the two of us," described Mario. "And it was very different before and after we told one another."
"True, I can only imagine…well, I suppose I could dip into your minds to experience it full force, but I think that your words will suffice."
"Dip into…?" I snorted. "You can't really do that."
"Can't I?"
Annoyed, I glared down menacingly at the old Shaman, whose beady yellow eyes only seemed to glisten with glee.
"At any rate," Mario piped up, "Merlow could use a change-up to his current formulaic life, couldn't he?"
"Oh, he will," assured Merlon. "Hence why we're so focused on his training now."
"He's a boy," I murmured.
"And it won't be long before he becomes something more."
Mario and I exchanged unnerved expressions, but from Merlon's quickened pace, we both knew the conversation was over.
After the end of the short hike, we made it to the summit of the mountaintop itself. Glancing around the flat and open peak, I noted a few markings in the ground, with some shaped like Kamek's hexes, while others were shaped like stars. At the center was a larger star carving, free from any trace of grass or leaves. Gazing out from the top revealed the other six peaks past thick clouds in the midnight blue sky.
"Beautiful." Mario smiled and took in the plateau's view as well. Beaming, I slid over to him and scooped his hand into mine. He turned to me and chuckled a little. "I've been hoping to share a sight like this with you."
"Aw, you want to make me blush, huh?" My cheeks heated up, but Mario's were a bit flushed as well.
"Forgive me for intruding," interrupted Merlon. "But, we are here to train Mario, not court him." He stroked his mustache as Mario giggled. I lowered my eyes at the Shaman while he nodded. "In fact, I believe you two are far past the early stages of courtship, yes?"
"Excuse us for taking in your exotic backyard," I snapped. "Didn't realize a minute was so crucial."
"Ah, but it is," Merlon's voice echoed. "All minutes are precious."
Making his way to the center, Merlon stood directly in the middle and clasped his hands together, outstretched straight near his waist. Muttering an incantation, the ground beneath him began to glow a creamy color. The light spread around the surface of the peak beneath us and spilled over the top. Slowly, Merlon separated his hands and raised them apart in a circular motion. A heavy wind picked up and roughly blew past Mario and I while we watched. Reaching his shoulders' length, he then began to close the distance between them again as he brought them above his head. Clasping his hands together again, Merlon's eyes flashed as the light faded. The powerful wind that was gusting past us before slowed to a halt.
Blinking, I glanced down at the ground at a violet leaf that appeared to be mid-tumble, skating next to my foot. Squinting, I noticed that it was still moving, if just slightly. Hurriedly, I spun around to Mario who was staring at grass that slowly wavered in the weakened wind. Fidgeting, I turned my attention to Merlon.
"What did you just do?"
"Unleashed a time altering spell," described Merlon. "For a limited amount of time, the world around us will seem slowed while we function at a normal pace. However, time around us still moves at a normal rate, and we will appear to be moving much quicker than usual, or supposedly possible."
"So…is time slower, or are we faster?"
"A mix of the two, or based upon perspective, either."
"With power like this, why would the Shamans ever retreat to Star Hill?" I shook my head. "Couldn't you fathom the possibilities of this type of magic?"
"Saving lives or taking them? That's what you have in mind, correct?" Merlon shrugged. "Unfortunately, the only one currently capable of altering time like this is yours truly. Mastering it takes at least decades of practice, and even then, stopping time itself is nigh impossible."
"And…you're how old?"
"Older than many that live in this kingdom," determined Merlon. "And my age has fluctuated thanks to using this spell more often than needed."
"You've gotten older?" Mario folded his arms. "That seems like a steep price at using this spell."
"Older, sometimes younger, though shifting between ages has done more harm to my body's adjustments than desired." Merlon's hood draped further over his head as he looked down to his trembling hands. "Such as this, and other similar spasms."
"Why would you use it then?" Mario stepped forward. "If it causes this much trouble to you, then surely its benefits no longer outweigh its hindrances."
"Yeah, I doubt that one," I contended, to which Mario shot me a dark glare. "What? It's probably still useful."
"Quite, actually," agreed Merlon. "Doing this will allow us to progress Mario's training in a shorter span of time. However, it does only last for a short span of time, and will take a few uses to help you progress."
"Wait, we don't need to do this." Mario shook his head. "Merlon, this is killing you. I don't need to learn magic, nor do I need to learn it quickly."
"With the wars that rage across the Mushroom Kingdom, wouldn't you want to do what it takes to end it?"
"I've done more than enough killing for that," admitted Mario. "If I'm given this choice, I'd rather not."
"But Mario—"
"Bowser, I'm not going through with this!" He glared at me as my mouth parted, thoughts lost. "Merlon will be doing enough by working on ridding me of the curse entirely. I don't need him to shorten his lifespan so I can learn how to shoot fireballs without a Fire Flower!"
"Ah, that would be a good place to begin," decided Merlon. "Very well, shall we?"
"Are you even listening to me?!"
"Yes, and I do appreciate your kindness and compassion, Mario." Merlon lifted his head a bit and shook it. "But you are fated to be in very demanding times ahead. If I can ease the burden even slightly, I would prefer to do so." He laughed. "And seeing as how I cast this spell without properly consulting you first, I would prefer we get started now."
"Did you plan this?"
"There are many plans I have devised," revealed Merlon. "Unfortunately, how they stand up against destiny's plots tend to be against my favor overall. Now, allow me to attempt to make this one of the exceptions."
Merlon strode from the star-marked center and scooped the air with his hand. Shaking his fist, a fireball soon encased it. Pulling his arm across his body, he held it as the flame crackled. Then, he shot his arm forward and the fireball soared from his palm.
Paying little attention to the fireball sail over the sky while I gaped at it, Merlon shuffled over to Mario and picked up his hands. Tapping quickly at his fingers, and then across his arms, Merlon murmured another incantation as Mario's arms quaked under a soft white glow. It faded as Merlon finished and he nodded.
"For this session, I've accelerated your dormant magical prowess," explained Merlon. "You will need to properly develop it, but that takes more time that we do not have. Now, mimic the motions that I made to conjure and launch the fireball. Start like this," Merlon instructed as he scooped the air again. "It's almost like you're catching a ball, perhaps barely noticing it. Focus and picture the flame, however. Try it."
Carefully, Mario exhaled as he mimicked Merlon's motion. He stared at his hand and slightly shook his hand, moving to the next step.
"A little harder," insisted Merlon. "You need to feel the force of that flame."
Harder, Mario shook his hand, but instead of a simple fireball, a heavy flame engulfed him down to the wrist. Jumping, Mario waved his arm around, and Merlon quickly doused it with an orb of water. Part of me wanted to immediately bark every insult I could muster at the Shaman, but I clamped my mouth shut, only growling as I seethed.
"Too hard, my apologies." Merlon picked up Mario's hand and studied it, noting no traces of burns. "It needs to be quick as well. A quick, rough shake." Merlon patted Mario's hand. "Don't be afraid of mistakes or catching fire; believe me when I tell you that I've seen and handled many problems before this." He sighed and slumped down a bit. "Especially with Merle. Teaching your son everything you know is demanding, if even possible. Him being one of my earlier students didn't make it any easier. But, it was a learning experience for us both, and he was eventually able to develop his own abilities for those he could not pick up from me. Meanwhile, I've taught others since and know the various and necessary precautions." He patted Mario's shoulder. "Again."
Nodding, Mario mimicked the scooping motion and shook his fist quickly. The flame appeared, but quickly went out.
"Too fast?"
"Correct." Merlon glanced at the rolling leaf, which seemed to pick up speed a bit. "Once more."
Performing the motion again, Mario managed to create the fireball again, and shot his arm forward. It flew a couple of feet away before burning up in the sky, not traveling far at all. He blinked and slouched as Merlon nodded.
"For that, you needed to properly contain it for a bit, and channel its power through you before releasing it," explained Merlon. "But we'll pick that up again later. Let's try to summon a bolt of lightning."
Raising his right hand with his index finger extended, Merlon zigzagged it down as he lowered his arm. Quickly, he raised his opened left hand into the air as his right hand pointed ahead. A bolt of blue lightning rocketed down from a cloud and struck the circle that Merlon had pointed to. He nodded and turned to Mario.
"A little easier, perhaps. Go ahead."
Tilting his head, Mario glanced at his hand. Picking up his right hand, Mario extended his index finger and slowly zigzagged it down.
"Quicker," commanded Merlon. "Again."
Making the motions with more haste, Mario lowered his right hand quickly and thrust his left hand into the air, still clutched into a fist. He blinked as thunder rumbled from the sky, but nothing came down from the clouds.
"That's fine," soothed Merlon. "Just remember that your hand needs to be open for lightning. And don't forget, your right hand mustn't be lowered completely, as it needs to point out where you want the lightning to strike."
"Otherwise he'll fry himself, right?" I snickered.
"Actually, yes."
"What?!"
"Once more, Mario."
Before I could protest, Mario raised his right hand and created the zigzag motion again. He lifted his left hand carefully, opening it as he went, and pointed at a circle in the ground. With a rumble of thunder, a thinner bolt of lightning came down and crashed onto the desired position, but with sparks flying from its heavy burst. Flapping his arms around, Merlon cast a cloud of dust around and quelled the sparks until they ceased.
"Impressive," complimented Merlon. "That's a more advanced technique, and one that you might be able to perform with more training. Obviously, the thunderbolt should be more powerful and the sparks more controlled, but that was still a good attempt at it, regardless of intentions."
A flash forced us to cover our eyes and shield our faces. Momentarily, as the wind whipped behind us, we lowered our arms and watched as the natural environment returned to its normal speed.
"Time's up for now," muttered Merlon. He sighed, but picked himself up. "No matter, we did manage a couple before it ended. We'll try again later on. For now, we'll rest a bit." Merlon turned to me and winked. "For now, you should enjoy the view with your impatient boyfriend over there."
"Hey, I was pretty good during the actual lesson," I argued.
"True, and I thank you for it." He nodded and walked away from us. "We'll practice again a little later. Enjoy yourselves a bit while I work on the curse."
Snorting, I turned to Mario, who had stepped away from me and gazed over the cliffs. Raising my brows, I strode over to him as he sat down.
"If you were expecting to get that all on your first attempts, don't be so hard on yourself over not doing so," I started.
"It's not that." Mario coughed. "Well, not only that."
Sitting down beside him, I noticed that Mario was panting, and a bit heavily. Confused, I placed my hand on his shoulder, which had been shaking before I gripped it.
"Did it take that much out of you?"
"More than I'm used to, I suppose," explained Mario. "It…I can't even describe it."
"Feels like your putting your soul into it, right?"
"…How—?"
"Kamek talks about it, often," I clarified. "Though, I have dabbled in magic myself. Typically on the darker end, but details. Point is, I do understand that it takes energy to work with spells."
"That shouldn't be a problem to me," contested Mario. "I have plenty of energy."
"Which you normally focus onto more physical labors," I enlightened. "I do the same, though you're usually working on calculated acrobatics while I'm just punching really hard at everything." He laughed a little and I smiled. "Channeling your efforts in a new way takes time to adjust to."
"Sure, but it's time that I don't really have anymore." Mario heaved a sigh and lightly shook his head. "With what Merlon mentioned, and now that I've been thinking about it, I really need to get this right. For everyone's sake."
"Aren't you being a bit hard on yourself?"
"Bowser, I need to be."
"…Oh, right." I huffed. "Big hero ego cutting in, huh?"
"Ego?" Mario turned and frowned at me. "Now you think I'm narcissistic?"
"In a sense, yes," I admitted. "Granted, I'm far worse than you are. But…you're still looking at the big picture like you have to take care of everything yourself."
"If I don't, then who can? Who will?"
"By this point, alternatives I suggest will get you to shoot them down, because you're so far involved with everything." I rubbed his back and smiled. "I'm trying to remind you that you're not alone anymore."
He stared quietly at me and then threw himself into me. I toppled over a bit, but laughed as I steadied myself into his embrace.
"Why do you do so much for me?"
"By this point, you should know."
Nuzzling his head, I pulled him into me while he massaged my sides. We pulled back as I lost myself in eyes momentarily, and then we gazed out at the mountainous violet view once more.
[Luigi]
Our return trip from the Forests was quieter than most travels. Daisy guided Peach along forward, whispering for a few minutes to her periodically, but nothing that lasted. She had given me a few instances where she looked like she was going to come back and start a conversation, but went against the notion and remained silent. Princess Peach remained silent most of the time, casting a fair share of glares at me when she thought no one else was looking. Yoshi had kept a noticeable distance from me, which was odd considering his usual closeness. Only Birdo spoke to me the whole way back, and even then, it wasn't often, nor did it seem like her usual self.
"So, that King Boo fight," she would bring up. "Too easy, right? You guys always get through these bosses without trouble?"
"Not always, but we were a bit lucky that he had focused too much on the illusions deterring us."
"Right."
That would be followed by silence for a long stretch of time.
"How do you think Toadette and the Toads held up?"
"I'm sure we'll find out."
"Yeah, ok."
Silence.
"You holding up ok?"
"At the moment."
"Ha, good point." A pause. "We'll hang in there."
On that one, I imagined she was reassuring herself more than me. Honestly, that point seemed like a delusion by now.
Going forward, nothing would be fine, not for a while.
Exiting past the last trees and climbing a soft grassy hill, the castle waited for us down below, with several Toads noticeable in the distance. I glanced back at the last tree and exhaled in relief, forgetting that I knew better.
Coming to a halt, Peach put her hands together, and I barely spotted Daisy's Regal Rings now on her fingers. Pulling them apart, she spun around and jabbed her Royal Scepter forward at me. Eyes widened, I backed up and held up my hands defensively.
"Peach, what the—?!"
"Don't, Luigi." Her eyes watered up as her voice broke. Somehow, though, she maintained a firm resolve. "This is hard enough as it is."
"Princess, stop!" Yoshi hurried over, and Peach backed up a bit, aiming her wand at him, but with more than enough space to redirect it back at me. "What are you thinking? Why are you doing this?"
"We're compromised." A bit of anger latched onto her tone, still suppressed. "For who knows how long, you've been working against us."
"Against?!" If my jaw could hit the ground, it might have cracked through the earth. "We've been combating how many of Bowser's forces—"
"A well-kept charade," spat Peach. "No longer necessary, though."
"Peach, come off it," snapped Birdo. "You really think that Luigi would ever do anything to hurt you? And Mario? He would never."
"Just like he could never love the King of Koopas." Peach narrowed her glare against Birdo, and her wand trembled in her grip.
"Oh, don't act like I didn't try to soften the blow," grumbled Birdo. "Seriously, Peach, I explicitly dropped that one on you practically as soon as you saw me."
"You knew I wouldn't believe you."
"Uh…no. I expected you to freak out about it." Birdo rolled her eyes. "Remember how disappointed I was by your reaction? Recall that you convinced everyone that I was a liar."
"Double deception that you plotted." Peach wrinkled her face in agitation. "I must admit: that played out well."
"…Please tell me you're joking."
"This is nothing to jest about."
"Ugh."
"Peach, it honestly shocked me to the core too," I tried to level with her. "It took me a while to actually comprehend that Mario could ever develop genuine romantic feelings for Bowser, let alone have them reciprocated."
"A while? How long have you kept this from me?"
Biting my lip, I hesitated while meeting Peach's icy glower from the other end of her scepter. "Since…the Deserts."
"Only that long?" Peach scoffed. "Traitors should at least be honest with how long they were deceiving me for."
"There was no deception, Peach." I shook my head. "I withheld the truth because I couldn't believe it for myself and needed Mario to confirm it, which he did before we went to Seaside. Bowser and his son cemented it during the brawl on the beach."
"And after that?"
"Look, the Glaciers was definitely not the place that we could have discussed it," I reasoned. "I was still in shock over it being true, on top of having failed to keep Bowser from kidnapping Mario again. And then…well, everything got out of hand there. But, I'd hope this explains the moments that I lashed out myself."
"Not even close." I'm with Birdo, is she serious? "The entire journey through the Forests, long before that moment in the mansion—"
"It was on my mind!" I dug my hands into my head in sheer frustration. "Really, Peach, I did want to talk about it!"
"Clearly, you did." She shifted her gaze momentarily to Yoshi and Birdo before settling back on me, though still wary of either of them.
"We forced it from him," explained Yoshi. "Luigi really didn't want to tell anyone about it, and I was hurt that he kept it from me too." He concentrated on Peach, now looking…annoyed? Yoshi? "And for good reason, it seems. Look at how you're acting! Birdo already nailed it, but let me reiterate: Luigi would never do anything to hurt you, Peach. He wouldn't do anything to hurt anyone. And Mario is definitely not—"
"Mario has already clearly committed treason," interrupted Peach. "As have the three of you."
"Peach, you're being beyond unreasonable."
"Am I?!" She thundered and I shrank back with a shudder. Yoshi and Birdo had done the same, also intimidated by the rage that was coursing through Peach. "I believed in him! I believed in that man that would so valiantly face what should have been impossible odds, conquering what I believed were mighty foes, all to help his friend! How silly of me, to honestly think that he would do it for so little reward. Do you know what kind of a fool I was, opening up to him? I've shared with him I don't know how many secrets about myself, let alone my kingdom! And now? He goes to side with my greatest enemy, the biggest threat that my family has dealt with for generations? Because, what, 'they're in love?' Do you honestly expect me to believe that he hadn't been planning that from the beginning?!"
Glancing at the worried Yoshi and unnerved Birdo, I sighed. There was no hope of breaking through to her. If any of us had felt betrayed over Mario's relationship, or me keeping it secret, it was going over tenfold for Peach.
"Imprisonment should be considered mercy for you," hissed Peach. "Execution would justly be in order for such a harsh treachery of allegiance."
"You would so quickly slay your friends, Peach?"
Each of us jerked up and turned to the no longer hushed Daisy, as she stepped forward and rested her hand on the Royal Scepter.
"Daisy, move," ordered Peach. "You were repulsed as well with such shocking news."
"It isn't exactly something that I considered possible: Mario, let alone anyone, able to fall in love with a monster like Bowser." She folded her arms, almost holding herself together. "And…I'll admit, I was spurring you on, with my comments on the way back. But I gave you my rings to help calm you down, not threaten our allies."
"Think clearly, Daisy," snapped Peach. "These people are not our allies."
"Who has been at your side from the beginning?" Daisy shook her head. "Not even the beginning of this journey, which by the way, started with Luigi. But from the very start of everything, guess who fought for you? Both Luigi and Mario."
"All a sham."
"How? Mario hadn't even met Bowser right away," reasoned Daisy. "That's the story that you always told me. Your remaining subjects pleaded for his help, and without hesitation, Mario answered that call."
"He must have…he couldn't really be…"
"Mario, Luigi, and even Yoshi have defended this kingdom for years now, Peach," continued Daisy. "Alongside you and your Toads, they've worked against Bowser, not with him, not for him."
"That changed!" Peach opened her mouth to protest further, but nothing came to her mind.
"It did and it didn't," decided Daisy. "Loving your enemy is not the same as siding with him, Peach."
"Then explain to me, Daisy," spat Peach. "What makes you so resolute in believing them now, all of a sudden?"
"Because all the while I was going over it with you and myself, it hit me. Mario's goals are definitely not aligned perfectly with Bowser's."
"How so?"
"Your hero bothered to rescue me," reminded Daisy. "Sarasaland has long been considered small and worthless of a prize in Bowser's eyes. Perhaps it will be on his plots for conquest should he seize the Mushroom Kingdom, but I don't think he's ever really given it deep thought." She smiled. "That didn't stop Mario's decision to rescue me from Tatanga's invasion, though. He fought in a battle that was otherwise pointless, to save an unworthy ally of your great kingdom. There was nothing for Bowser to gain from that, and if anything, Tatanga would have made a potential ally for him. Instead, Mario rescued Sarasaland and started to expand and restore the relations between our kingdoms. Prior to that, we hadn't been as close for a few years, and Mario helped us become better friends today than we've ever been."
To that, Peach remained hushed, unable to counter the argument.
"This is a seriously confusing development, and I'm with you on that, Peach," established Daisy. "But don't think that no one else is, or that they're suddenly betraying you now. Luigi and Yoshi have never willingly worked with Bowser before. Birdo doesn't even like him that much."
"He can be egocentric," agreed Birdo.
"And most of all, Mario is your friend through thick and thin, Peach." Daisy pushed the Royal Scepter down and rested her other hand on Peach's shoulder. "Everything that he did for my kingdom in that one instance, he does for you without fail every single time that you need him. Repeatedly, he's there to save you, from Bowser or anyone else that would hurt you. Peach, Mario loves this kingdom, and he loves you too. Don't ever doubt that."
Tears slipped from Peach's eyes and Daisy wrapped her arms around her. The blonde princess sobbed a bit, but she forced herself to stop after a minute.
"Peach?"
"It's fine, I'm fine." She wiggled out of Daisy's arms and sighed, then glared at us. "She raises a good point, but that doesn't mean that I'm letting you all off for lying to me."
"Naturally not," muttered Birdo.
"What was that?!"
"Look, Peach," I cut in, "you can snap at us until the sun falls behind the clouds, but don't we have a castle to get back to and more of the kingdom to save after that?"
"Mm…fine."
Falling back into our uncomfortable silence, we marched down the hill and toward Peach's Castle, with even more tension between us. I watched as Peach slipped off the Regal Rings and returned them to Daisy. This time, I listened carefully as they spoke.
"How'd you get my rings to work for you?"
"Magic."
"No, seriously Peach. Those are supposed to work only for people of my blood, just like the Royal Scepter does for you. So…how?"
"Well…I placed a spell over your rings before we left, in case I need to quickly summon my scepter." Peach shrugged. "It was supposed to be for a last resort in case you were in danger or…ah, that doesn't matter. We didn't really need it."
"Wait, but, you can just…cast a spell that enables you to use my rings?"
"Just to summon my scepter. It was more like using my magic through your tools. So technically, I'm not able to use your rings, but rather, the magic I cast over them."
"Oh." Daisy nodded. "Well, as long as I'm not even more inept at this stuff than I realized, that's fine, I guess." They continued quietly for a while as we approached Peach's Castle. "So…are we bringing this up to anyone? The whole—"
"No one needs to know right now." Peach stopped again and spun around to the rest of us. "None of you will speak of the incident on the hill, unless you truly want to invoke my wrath. I don't want anyone in this kingdom to know—"
"That their princess has a hot streak and a bad temper," mocked Birdo, "or that her champion knight is gay?"
"Correct on both," hissed Peach. "So, discuss neither to anyone outside of the five of us." She sighed and shook her head. "If not for my sake, then for Mario's."
Unable to answer, I only nodded. Peach returned it and we continued walking up to the castle, passing the bridge and heading up the trail to the grand red doors.
"Princess Peach! Wait a minute!"
Gasping, Peach twirled around and pushed past Yoshi and Birdo as we turned around to find Toadette racing toward the castle. Peach kneeled down as Toadette rushed over and threw her arms around the princess, sobbing heavily.
"Toadette? What happened?"
"It's terrible," wailed the pink Toad. "Peach, I failed you, and I'm so sorry."
"Please, Toadette, calm down." Peach gently stroked the top of Toadette's head, and then pulled back slightly as she wiped away her tears. "Tell me, dear. What happened to you? And where are the others?"
"They're…oh, Peach, they're prisoners now!"
"What?" Peach clasped her free hand over her mouth. "No…all five of the Toads?"
"Y-Yes!" Toadette sniffled. "We were there, we made it to Bowser's Castle. And we managed to get through m-most of it, not getting caught by the guards almost the whole way." She shook her head. "B-But while we looked for Mario, we couldn't find him or Bowser. And when we made it back, to the roof where he left with Red, we…we were captured by a Magikoopa."
"Gracious, Toadette."
"That's not all, Princess." Toadette brushed her face and sniffled again through her sobs. "We were b-brought before the K-Koopalings, who took charge while Bowser was away. They taunted us into a fight with them, but…we lost." She cried harder for a moment, but forced herself to continue. "Blue sacrificed himself to get me out and now…now all five of them are prisoners too!"
Frozen only for a moment, Peach pulled Toadette back into a gentle hug and patted her. She then stood up and faced the rest of us.
"Change of plans. We're leaving right now."
"Are you sure, Peach?" Daisy folded her arms. "We just got back, so we should probably regroup—"
"There's no time," insisted Peach. "Mario…was a prisoner of high value. Regardless of how things have turned out, he would be kept alive. Those Toads? Their value isn't placed as high comparatively." Peach tightened her hold on the Royal Scepter. "Their lives are in jeopardy because of my decision to send them."
"Peach, no, please!" Toadette wiped away her tears. "We accepted—"
"An order from your goal-driven princess," Peach murmured. "I caused their capture, and it was a gamble that I shouldn't have taken. Granted, I didn't have all of the information I needed…" She glared at me, but let it fall quickly. "But this is still my fault. I…I'm failing this kingdom."
"Please, Peach…"
"I won't lose anyone from this conflict." Peach recomposed herself. "We leave now, and we are rescuing those Toads!"
"As much as I would approve of such noble actions," called an elder's voice, "I cannot allow you to leave right now."
Everyone whirled around to the main doors as Toadsworth stood before them, hands rested atop his cane. He frowned as Peach stormed over to him, angered again.
"Toadsworth, there are lives at risk!"
"Aren't there always, my princess?"
"Whatever you want to detain us for, we won't—"
"It isn't me that wishes to detain you," revealed Toadsworth. "It's your Royal Council that insists on seeing you before your next departure in this campaign."
"Now?!" Peach whipped her wand across the air and back down. "Now they want to take stock in my life, in my efforts to save this kingdom and stop Bowser?! They choose now, when there are even more lives at risk, when I have Toads to rescue?!"
"Unfortunately, yes." Toadsworth reached up and tugged on his mustache, as disheartened as the rest of us became. "You presence is requested immediately upon your return, which…is now, thanks to several Toads spotting you and hearing your voice."
"But I don't have the time—"
"They will force you to make it, princess." Toadsworth shook his head. "You know that they'll do whatever it takes to keep this balanced and sorted—"
"Oh, I'll sort it out," barked Peach as she forced the castle doors open. "I'll sort their heads around until they're so scrambled they won't be able to see straight, let alone think!" Storming inside, she let out one last shout: "Of all times, honestly!"
Sighing, we moved to follow her, but Toadsworth stepped in our way.
"Master Luigi, you, Master Yoshi, and Miss Birdo are permitted to roam the castle as usual, but this meeting is for royalty only." I opened my mouth to protest, but Toadsworth shook his head. "I'm sorry, but this isn't up to me. Princess Daisy, your presence is requested as well, however."
"Naturally." She groaned. "Sorry guys. I'll try to help Peach speed things up."
"Please do," begged Toadette.
With a reassuring wink, Daisy waved to us as she followed Toadsworth into the castle and through the halls. And the four of us were left alone in the pink, red, and golden royal halls of Peach's Castle.
"So…now what?" Birdo tugged her bow around and folded her arms. She then glanced down at Toadette. "Do these things usually last for a long time, or…?"
"It varies. Some are quick, others take…a while." Toadette tugged on the bottom of her vest. "I really hope this isn't a long one."
"Same." She turned to Yoshi and I. "Well, boys? Any suggestions?"
"Frankly, I'm still trying to figure out how we're going to keep working with Peach," I confessed. "She hates all three of us now, and me most of all."
"Hate?" Toadette shook her head. "Luigi, why would she—?"
"Something big happened in the Forests," intervened Birdo. "Peach can tell you about it later, though. It should definitely come from her."
"Oh…ok." Judging by the tone, she wasn't really pacified by the response, but she wasn't about to argue the matter. "Well, if you guys want, we could go—"
"Actually, I was hoping to speak with Luigi for a bit," piped up Yoshi.
"Sure Yoshi, what do you need?"
"Hum…privately, actually." He nervously watched as Birdo and Toadette narrowed their eyes at him. "N-No offense, it's just…about something sensitive."
"Yoshi, darling, I'm perfectly capable of treating anything you speak of with the utmost care," declared Birdo.
"Thank you, Birdo, but…" Yoshi fidgeted his fingers together. "It's really something that I need to keep between us."
"More secrets, how lovely," mocked Birdo. "Those always end well." She sighed and hung her head. "Fine, Toadette and I will make ourselves scarce then."
"We could do that, but…well, if Luigi and Yoshi really want privacy, they're going to want to follow us to the guest room," suggested Toadette. "Honestly, there's always a Toad or two listening to any conversation going on in the halls."
"Right, ok," decided Yoshi. "Lead the way, then."
Toadette nodded and turned to the right, with Birdo walking alongside her. Yoshi and I followed, though he made a point to avoid eye contact with me, even as I waved to him while we strolled. Confused, I shrugged and listened to Toadette and Birdo, who chattered while we strode through the halls with pink banners that had Peach's crown and heart crest embroidered onto them.
"So, you'll be sticking around then, Birdo?" Toadette turned a corner and looked up at Birdo, who rolled her head back and forth before nodding. "That's good, and nice of you. But—"
"You want to know why, right?"
"Doesn't it have to do with you wanting fame?" Toadette smiled as Birdo shot her a quizzical look. "It's nothing wrong, not for your case. You want people to accept you, BIrdo, and people are stubborn with how they view others."
"They think I'm a freak," softly moaned Birdo. "It's one thing to have a giant snout where eggs get lobbed out instead of a normal mouth, but then people flip out over my gender. I just want them to notice who I am beyond that."
"The most important thing, I think, is that you and your friends realize that, Birdo," reasoned Toadette. "Sure, it'd be great for the rest of the kingdom to accept you, but that may never happen, even if you prove yourself to be a great hero. People are just picky like that." Toadette shrugged. "I know that the world doesn't make it easy with accepting you, but really, as long as you love yourself, and as long as you have great friends to keep around you, then…you can manage anything."
"Aw…thank you Toadette," sniffed Birdo. "It's…that was so sweet. I know it too, but it's just helpful to be reminded of that." Birdo rubbed her snout and nodded. "Actually, even if I wasn't in this for becoming famous, I still think I'm officially in too deep to just leave you guys now. And wish those precious Toad friends of yours captured, I absolutely cannot abandon you in your time of need!" We rounded another corner as Birdo scooped up Toadette's hands. "I promise you, Toadette, we will rescue each of them and bring them back here safely! And I'll do everything I can to make sure that you get here with them."
"Birdo…thank you." Toadette held the tears back in her eyes and giggled. "Gosh, listen to us! It's been so long since we've had a chance to chat, and now…we're so serious."
"Everything seems to be getting that way these days," murmured Birdo. "No matter. As long as we stick together, we'll be able to handle it!"
"Yep, that's exactly right!"
Both of them giggled together, and I couldn't help but smile too. As we turned past another corner, a Toad with a cooking apron walked by with a cart. Atop it was a bowl with a fresh green melon in it, as well as several treats on the shelf below. Eying it, I waited for Yoshi's long red tongue to start attacking it, snatching all of the food he could in one gulp.
But as we turned again, I watched the full food cart get pushed away. Blinking, I whirled back around to find Yoshi staring down at his feet, not at all thinking about the large array of desserts we just passed.
No way was I going to let that one slide, though.
"Is everything all right with you Yoshi? They walked by with a melon. You love melons."
"Well, yeah," agreed Yoshi, "but they, uh, probably needed it for a dish of some sort."
"Since when has that stopped you?"
"Um…not usually, but I guess…wasn't interested in it? I—"
"Yoshi? Not interested in melons or food at all?" I shook my head and chuckled. "There something definitely off about you now."
"Maybe." Yoshi sighed and turned away from me again.
Puzzled, I frowned as we walked ahead to the guest room door that Mario had previously stayed in. Toadette and Birdo halted while Yoshi and I walked forward.
"Guess that's it for us traveling around together, at least for now," realized Toadette. "Um…Birdo and I will probably wander around for a bit. Maybe we can all meet in the Throne Room or the Garden when we're finished? Peach will probably go to either of those as well, once her meeting is done."
"Sounds good," I concurred. "See you guys in a little bit, then."
They smiled and waved to me, but avoided eye contact with Yoshi as they turned and walked away. While I turned to Yoshi, he opened the door and stepped silently inside of the room. Sighing, I followed him in.
Mario's guest room was mostly the same as I remembered, with the red carpet and curtains, blue bed sheets, white furniture, and a single window. Remembering that I had confronted my brother here before we left for Seaside, I wistfully sighed, wishing that we had done something nicer together.
Trudging over, Yoshi slumped down on the bed and sighed, slowly kicking his feet. He was strikingly more down than I had ever seen him before, and now I was worried for the poor dinosaur. Folding my arms, I stepped over and leaned against the nearby wardrobe.
"Ok, Yoshi, this is really serious, isn't it?"
"Yes." There was hardly anything to his response. No vigor, no cheer.
"Then, let's begin."
He nodded and picked his head up, clearing his throat.
"So, uh, I was wondering if we could…talk about those…nightmare visions from the mansion."
"You want to revisit that horror show?"
"Yeah. But, um…more specifically, mine. Though, we could go over yours as well."
"If you want, sure."
Nodding, Yoshi inhaled and exhaled quickly. "So, um…you still seem really nervous and uncomfortable about Bowser and Mario together, I noticed."
"What gave you that impression?" I laughed a bit, but Yoshi didn't join in. "Um, sorry, I didn't mean to…anyway, yeah, I'm still a bit unnerved by the concept myself."
"Why though?"
"Hey, don't be so accusing about it," I joked. "Bowser still is technically the enemy, remember?"
"Oh, right." His white cheeks became tinged with a slight green, brighter than the rest of him. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it." I shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I'm actually…growing used to it, more as time goes on."
"Really?"
"Yep. Facing off against the illusion really helped me take it down a peg, I suppose." I gently smiled, but Yoshi forced himself to match it. "Now that I keep thinking about it, maybe it won't be so bad for them to be dating. If anyone can keep Bowser from causing mayhem without actually continuing this war, Mario is probably the best option for that."
"Mm…I guess so," agreed Yoshi. "Ok then, that's fine. I was just…curious, I guess." He seemed to grow pale now, and I frowned. "My turn, then."
"The famine?" I leaned up from the wardrobe. "What did you want to talk about with that? Do we need to head over to Yoshi's Island? Toadette can work with Peach and the others to save the Toads, but you and I could—"
"No, Luigi, it's fine," eased Yoshi. "Things over there haven't…gone too far out of control. We could still use relief, so, I'll need to appeal to Peach on that again, but it's not too dire just yet."
"So no Dry Yoshis then?"
"Hopefully not."
"Got it." I nodded with him. "So…this is more about the famine visions we watched in the mansion, huh?"
"Actually, it's…not just the famine." He tapped his hands together quietly and bit his lip. "They specifically called me a 'mute' during that fear induced illusion."
"Right, because you wouldn't talk about it."
"True, but…that the only subject that I wasn't talking about."
"So…what else are you holding back on?" He slouched down, and then sank into the bed a bit. His cheeks were still bright green, quite unhealthy looking. "Yoshi, please. You can tell me anything."
"…Somehow, I think I'm about to tell you the one thing that I really shouldn't talk to you about."
"That's ridiculous."
"It's not the only thing you'll consider ridiculous, but…I don't want to keep this in any longer." He tightened his hands into fists and heaved. I waited for him to suddenly lose it all over the floor, but he kept himself together. "You may not realize it, but you actually seem better now that more of us know about Mario and Bowser."
"Not so loud, please."
"Sorry." We turned to check the window, which was shut and had no onlookers peeping in. "Anyway, I…wanted to tell you something related to that." He waited a moment and chuckled. "It's funny that we're talking relationships between a human and some type of a, uh, reptile, because, in fact, I…um."
"What is it?" I adjusted my legs a bit and leaned slightly forward in curiosity.
"…I…I'm in…love…I think."
"Really?" Further in I leaned, listening intently.
"Pretty sure. And, um, it's…with you."
"Huh?" I blinked and tilted my head in confusion. Yoshi's cheeks quickly went from green to red. "Wait, could you clarify? I'm confused."
"Luigi, I'm falling in love with you."
"…Wait. What?"
"There isn't really any other way for me to phrase it—"
"No, no, I think I…actually, no, I don't really understand." I shook my head as my heart hammered. "What do you mean, Yoshi? You're in love with…me?"
"I…yes."
"Since when?"
"It's just…been budding up lately," he admitted. "Both you and Mario were always pretty cute to me, but I…I don't know, it's just…working with you so closely lately, and knowing that Mario's interested in Bowser, I guess I…started developing a crush on you." He giggled, a little louder than I think even he expected, since he squished his cheeks in a bit. "After all, you're really kind and patient with everyone, Luigi. And you're always so attentive to people's needs. Mine especially. So I just…you know. Well, now you do."
Yoshi kicked his feet a little harder now and waited as my mouth fell open. Twice today, I've been expecting it to crash through the floor. I waited for him to suddenly laugh and explain that he was joking, or for someone to announce that the entire day has just been full of crazy shenanigans with how everyone has been acting. I wanted it to be a dream that I could suddenly wake up from, but as I wiped some sweat away from under my cap, I knew it wasn't.
"Uh…Luigi?" I jumped a bit and bumped back into the wardrobe. Shaking my head, I gazed into Yoshi's dark blue eyes. "Could you…um…maybe react? Or, better yet, tell me how…how you feel?"
How did I feel?
"Sorry, Yoshi." I shook my head. "This is…I can't really process this fairly."
"…Does that mean you're not interested, or that you hate me?" Glumly, he sank further into the bed, letting his head sink into his hands.
"Yoshi, I could never hate you," I affirmed. "I don't know anyone that could. But I, honestly, don't know how to feel about…us."
"…So…?"
"Give me some time to think about it." He nodded while I slouched now. "I'll let you know when I come up with an answer."
"Right," he hollowly responded. "Ok."
With nothing else to offer, I suggested, "Shall we go find Toadette and Birdo? Or try meeting them at the Throne Room? Or Garden?"
Blankly, without making eye contact, Yoshi nodded and stood up from the bed. I slipped from the guest room, with the blushing green dinosaur quietly following me.
That makes two confrontations that twisted my relationships in that room.
[Peach]
Toadsworth led Daisy and I to the lower levels of the castle. I knew the way, but he insisted upon bringing me in. We walked over to a secured golden door and Toadsworth knocked once, then thrice, and twice more. The lock opened and Toadsworth pushed through the door, to which we followed.
Inside my Council Chamber, four Toads waited at a long, red and gold rectangular table. They nodded as Toadsworth brought Daisy and I in. Looking them over, I held in an exasperated sigh. Of course they're all still here.
Seated on the far left was Toaditus, a Toad with a red vest and brown mustache, but he had golden spots on the mushroom top rather than red. Similar to Toadsworth, he wore a red bowtie. He barely seemed to notice my arrival, picking his mustache.
Next to him was Toadsandra, or Granny, as I called her. She wore spectacles like Toadsworth, as well as a burgundy sweater and lavender apron, matching the spots on her mushroom. She nodded slightly to me, with a soft smile.
To her left was Toadislav, the other elderly Toad on the Council that wore a long red robe over his green clothes. His white mustache twitched as I walked in, and he patted his mushroom's green spots before wiping his face with a handkerchief.
Finally, next to him was his son, Toadoric, clad in his long green robes with gold trimmings over his white clothes. His smirk stuck out from under his dark mustache, oddly pleased to see me enter.
Rolling my eyes, Daisy and I sat at the other end along with Toadsworth. Normally, a throne chair would be brought in for the monarchs, but of course, they forgot my seat. It wasn't just a slip of the mind though; they were making a statement.
"Welcome home again, Princess Peach," began Toadoric. "We trust that you will be staying here, this time?"
"Not at all," I replied, containing the rage that I wanted to spit at them with. These were the same Toads that constantly advised to keep me in the castle, the ones that never wanted me to go on this journey to begin with. "I still have a war to win."
"War? A princess of war?!" Toadislav shuddered and banged a fist on the table. "Inconceivable! You should be here, on your throne, keeping your citizens at ease."
"But—"
"Soldiers would be better suited for this battle against Bowser," murmured Toaditus absentmindedly. "No place for you, Your Highness."
"It's been my place for—"
"Much longer than need be, surely," cut in Toadoric.
"She has made splendid progress," admitted Granny.
"Indeed, Lady Toadsandra," relented Toadoric. "However, Peach should not be involved in this monstrosity. Just look at her, still holding her family's scepter—"
"This is my—"
"Leading her friends into danger—"
"They're working with—"
"Bringing herself to harm's way, and as such, gambling with the crown."
"Now really," I tried again, failing to get words in. "I get that none of you wanted me to go—"
"Certainly not!" Toadislav coughed roughly, to which he sputtered into his handkerchief. "Toadoric raises an excellent point." Naturally. "You have far too much to lose by parading around the kingdom, risking your life. Should you fall, the crown will be left vacant and the kingdom will fall into devastation. Chaos!"
"Do you honestly believe—?"
"As such, we are calling for you to immediately cease your retaliation, Princess Peach," explained Toadoric. "The four of us have agreed—"
"That's a laugh—"
"That you must immediately return home while we send your actual army forces to combat Bowser's," persisted Toadoric. "Our decision is final."
"What?!" Daisy slammed her hands onto the table and sprang up from her seat. I smirked as she readied herself. "Are the four of you out of your blasted minds?! Peach has been dominating this war! Working with her, we've already rescued five of the kingdom's territories! Bowser's forces are constantly scrambling to work against us, and we've even held our own in a direct confrontation with the Koopa King himself!"
"Impressive indeed," complimented Toaditus. He shook his head. "Though, that last bit does sound risky."
"Do you want to know what's risky? Sidelining Peach while we're working our hardest to rescue not only Mario, this kingdom's greatest hero, but five innocent Toads as well!" Daisy slammed her fist on the table.
"See here, young lady," started Toadislav.
"Lady?! Realize who you're talking to here," snapped Daisy. "I am the Princess of Sarasaland! And I will not be called anything less!"
"Your kingdom—"
"May not be as large or powerful as the Mushroom Kingdom, but we will still be heard!" Daisy wasn't having any of their nonsense, and that was exactly what I needed. "Do you have any idea of all the good Peach has done for this campaign? She freed endangered penguins in the Glaciers! She quickly mounted counterattacks for the Grasslands and the Deserts! Seaside was greatly relieved of all threats thanks to us! Peach's strategies have even managed to bring Mario back home."
"Briefly," noted Toadoric.
"Bowser's actions against him have been unpredictable from the start," hissed Daisy. "We're doing everything we can to go against him, and we've been succeeding at every turn thus far!"
"They truly have," chimed in Toadsworth. "I've been plenty hesitant over letting Princess Peach go through this war, but she has come out on top of each encounter and continues to stride forward." He nodded and tapped his cane. "If you had asked me prior to all of this nonsense, I would never have fathomed allowing Peach out against the Koopa Troop. But with how well she has progressed with her friends, I can't think of asking her to stop at this point." Toadsworth looked to me and nodded. "She needs to be out there if we want Mario to return home safely, if we truly wish to stop Bowser this time."
"Mario is a wonderful knight without the official titles and political value," started Toadoric. "But really, we should not be comparing his value to Peach's, should we?"
"Yes, we should indeed." I rose up and joined Daisy standing. Toadsworth hopped up as well. "Mario has done more for this kingdom than anyone else I know. He has been the one to keep me safe for years. I owe him my life countless times over." I swallowed hard and nodded. "He may not be officially recognized as a figure of authority or importance, but the kingdom adores him and we need him." I tightened my grip around my Royal Scepter, shaking slightly. "I refuse to end my campaign now. I will not live my entire reign in fear of Bowser. I will not allow him to bring harm to Mario, nor my subjects. This has to end, and I will be part of the ones that help end this fight."
Granny nodded and smiled. "Strong, just like her parents." She adjusted her spectacles and nodded again. "I believe we should allow her to proceed."
"Toadsandra, do reconsider—"
"Having this meeting was my consideration," she intervened. "Princess Peach is right. We've had this war process on with the Koopa Kingdom for far too long." She pulled out a green card. "I vote in favor of allowing Peach to continue."
"It's inspiring, but insane," argued Toadoric, pulling out a red card. "I vote against this madness and request Peach to return home immediately."
"As do I," concurred Toadislav, flipping over his red card as well. "Truly preposterous."
"Toaditus?"
"Hm? Oh, in favor." The Toad in a bowtie revealed his green card. "I didn't realize just how crucial Peach was to the war efforts. So long as she's with her friends, who would give their lives for her, she should be fine."
Friends that would give their lives…
"Then we're at a tie," murmured Toadoric. "The deciding vote falls to…"
"The highest ranking non-royal in the room," declared Toadsandra.
All eyes fell upon Toadsworth, who smiled behind his spectacles and mustache.
"I am for my Princess to continue," he determined. "This blood feud needs to end, and I firmly believe that Princess Peach can bring it."
"Very well," allowed Granny. "That will be all, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy. The two of you may continue your journey."
"Now that's more like it!" Daisy clapped her hands together and then patted my back. "Come on, Peach! We've got heroes to rescue, a kingdom to defend, a tyrant to stop, and a war to win!"
She and Toadsworth turned to leave, but as I followed, I came to a stop, with unending questions begging to assault my mind. Whirling around, I faced the Royal Council once more.
"Yes, Princess?"
"While I'm here, I wanted to discuss two important matters," I decided. "First, I would like to work on equalizing homosexual relations and legality, so that they face no more scrutiny than any heterosexual couple."
"That is sudden," murmured Toadoric.
"And barbaric!" Toadislav banged the table again.
"What for?"
"The all-loving princess that my kingdom makes me out to be, and yet I have not done my part in making love for everyone?" I shook my head. "That shouldn't be, and I want it to be fair for everyone."
"This is an issue that will need to be looked into," decided Granny. "But we will consider looking into it." She smiled. "What is your second issue, child?"
"I still need to research the laws more carefully, but I want to know the truth," I proclaimed. "Are there laws that enforce racism between the species that are allowed residency and peace within my kingdom's borders? And has this racism run rampart throughout my family's history?"
"Well, that is certainly from nowhere," laughed Toadoric. "Now that, father, is most certainly barbaric."
"Indeed! Accusing your family of such horrid beliefs!"
"Princess, I would need to look into the matters myself," explained Toadsandra. "But, I do believe that your family has made just decisions and showed no signs of racism toward any fair creature in the Mushroom Kingdom. They have done everything to protect the innocent species and worked against the more hostile monsters that would create chaos and war for territory." She nodded. "Your family has done nothing but good for this kingdom."
"Ah. I see."
"Is there anything else you require, Your Highness?"
"…Perhaps, but that will be all for now." I bowed my head slightly. "Thank you for this meeting. If you'll excuse me, I must continue my journey."
"Of course."
Turning away from them again, I followed Toadsworth and Daisy back through the door and we closed it behind us as the council returned to their paperwork. We strolled through the lower level hallways as Toadsworth began to lead us back upstairs.
"They're lying," he softly murmured.
"Yes." I nodded, and my heart sank. "I know."
"Do you know any more on things, Toadsworth?"
He sadly shook his head to Daisy's inquiry.
Returning upstairs, I made my way through the Grand Hall as Daisy and Toadsworth chattered excitedly about their successful retaliation against the Royal Council. We walked up to find Yoshi and Luigi step before the Throne Room, waiting for us.
"Princess Peach," started Yoshi as he marched forward. He seemed…eager to get away from Luigi's side. "I…I need to request aid to my island, for my people…"
Glancing around the room, I noted several guards and servants wandering around opposite ends, certainly looking to listen. Quickly, I leaned in close to Yoshi.
"Honestly, I don't trust you anymore," I whispered. "But I won't penalize your people for your actions."
Sadly, he nodded as I leaned back up. It was hard to admit to, but true: I couldn't trust him or Luigi with the truth. Even if I did owe Mario greatly, we were now due for a very long discussion about his choices, and the choices that his friends took based on his actions.
The amount of people that I could rely on continued to shrink.
"But yes, of course, Yoshi," I declared. "We'll need to send relief efforts to Yoshi's Island immediately."
"Thank you," he murmured.
Luigi walked forward, but Yoshi stepped away from him. I turned as Birdo and Toadette entered the hallway. Staring at the two of them silently for a moment, Birdo lowered her eyes while Toadette sank down. Slowly, she walked away from Birdo and over to my side.
"Have I missed a development?" Toadsworth tugged a little harder on his mustache, and tapped his cane.
"We'll explain it later," Daisy answered for me.
"Very well," yielded Toadsworth. He walked to the Throne Room doors, but stopped short and spun back around. "Goodness me! Princess Peach, my apologies, but I was distracted from the meeting! You have another visitor, waiting for you upstairs in your bedroom."
"My…bedroom?" I shook my head. "Toadsworth, honestly, why would you bring someone there?"
"It was actually one of the new servants, and I meant to move your new visitor before being told to collect you for the Royal Council," enlightened Toadsworth. "Please, do hurry upstairs! I will ask for the latest intelligence on Bowser's forces."
"Thank you, Toadsworth." I smiled. "For everything."
My steward nodded and returned my beam, then hurried off to trace Bowser's army. Beckoning Daisy and Toadette to follow me, I hesitated and looked over Luigi, Yoshi, and Birdo. Even if I couldn't trust them now, I still needed them, and I motioned for them to follow as well.
[Luigi]
We followed Peach upstairs and into her room, with pink furniture and carpeting all around. Seated on her bed, she stared out a long window with blue curtains. Waiting for us was a woman in a short red dress with long, wavy brown hair. Spotting us in the reflection as we approached, she turned and faced us with her pale blue eyes.
"Pauline," I managed, shaking off the initial shock. "What are you doing here?"
"Wonderful to see you again as well, Luigi," Pauline greeted. She smiled to Peach. "Hello to you as well, Princess Peach, Princess Daisy. And hello, company."
"Isn't that Mario's first girlfriend?" I heard Birdo whisper to Yoshi.
"Hello, Pauline," greeted Peach, somehow with more grace than she would some of us by this point. "Welcome back to my castle."
"Thank you very much for allowing me to stay in your room, Peach." Pauline stood up and gently tugged the sheets on the bed back into place. "There we are. Anyway, how have you all been lately?" Everyone muttered incoherently as Pauline placed her hands on her hips. "Right…ok then."
"We're in the middle of a war, actually," revealed Peach.
"Oh my. With that big brute, Bowser, right?" Pauline shook her head. "And I thought I had seen the worst of it with Donkey Kong. But…this is a bit of surprise, Peach. You and the others here are fighting the war as well? Mario's usually great on his own." She giggled and shook her head. "Excuse me, I didn't mean any offense. What I mean is that he's usually quick to save the kingdom, so I didn't imagine that he'd need so much assistance." She sighed and twirled strands of her hair. "Gracious, that's coming out all wrong. Anyway, where is Mario?"
"He was kidnapped," announced Daisy flatly.
"…Wait, what?" Pauline folded her arms. "Bowser…kidnapped…him? Not Peach?" She raised a brow in confusion. "I mean, that's great for you Peach, and I'm happy that you're not stuck over there, but I…is Mario ok?"
"Mario? Oh, he's perfectly fine," unveiled Peach. "He's doing much better than I ever did."
"…Huh?"
"Ok, let me take it from the top, and condense it," I piped in. "So, uh, Pauline, this is going to be a bit shocking, but…just try to listen to me until I get to the end, all right?"
Hesitantly, Pauline glanced at the others before slowly nodding to me.
"Right." I cleared my throat. "So, there was a new bridge being built just outside of Peach's Castle, to which we were having a grand ceremony for. However, Bowser invaded, seeking to kidnap Peach as per usual. Instead, he ended up kidnapping Mario. While we decided to take the matter of rescuing him in our own hands, Mario was kept prisoner off at Bowser's Castle. After freeing some of the territories that Bowser's forces had overtaken, we managed to rescue Mario, but unfortunately, Bowser kidnapped him again."
"You might as well include her on the whole loop," quietly advised Yoshi, a certain hollowness still clear in his tone.
"Um…sure." Pauline shook her head and blinked as I approached her. Slowly, she sat back on the bed. "The big shock is that Mario has apparently fallen in love, or been in love, with Bowser. They're both involved in a relationship currently, which Birdo," I paused to point her out to Pauline, "revealed that his entire kingdom currently knows about. However, this hasn't gotten Bowser to return Mario to us, nor cease his conquest against Peach's kingdom, so we're still combating his forces in order to rescue Mario, several more of Peach's kidnapped subjects, and end this war."
Blinking long and hard, Pauline slid her hands to her head and shook it. "Wow, uh…Bowser is the evil tyrant king, right?"
"Yes."
"But Mario's in love with him now?"
"Correct."
"Wait, when was that confirmed?" Toadette shook her head. "I thought—"
"Toadette, I've known about it for a while now," I confessed. "Since the Deserts. Mario confirmed it for me when we had him back with us briefly."
"So…Birdo was right."
"Told you so," mocked Birdo.
"Then…this is all really recent stuff, with everyone else learning," deduced Pauline.
"Yep."
"Uh…got it." She scratched the side of her head and brushed back some of her hair. "So, Mario may need rescuing, but most definitely, you're working on stopping Bowser's onslaught. How have you been doing so far?"
"We've managed to take back five territories," divulged Toadette.
"Ah. Then you guys are doing just fine."
"Mostly."
"Mostly?" Pauline blinked at me again. "What do you mean by that?" She waited for my response, but then observed the distance between the others and myself. "Um, am I sensing tension here, or is that—?"
"No, yeah, you got it."
"I see."
"More than likely, Mario doesn't actually need to be rescue," abruptly snapped Peach. "We need to focus our main efforts on saving my Toads and stopping Bowser entirely."
"Maybe that's the wrong way to go about it," intervened Pauline. "Peach, I respect you entirely, you know this, but…Mario's a good guy. True, I'm officially questioning his tastes in guys, but—"
"Officially?" Daisy tilted her head and placed her hands on her hips. "You're…acting like his interests in other guys isn't the shocking part."
"It's not, really," revealed Pauline. Everyone, myself included, stared quietly at her, perplexed. "Wow, none of you caught on, huh? Ok, well…long story short, Mario has had some interest in other guys before. Nothing that he acted on, but he would agree with my selections on guys that I found attractive." She eyed Peach and nodded. "Similar to how we discuss about women that were on the same level. Anyway, he wasn't always…look, the bisexuality? It's not news to me, period."
"How about dating a giant demon turtle?"
"…That…is a new one," caved Pauline. "And yet, considering that Mario's always had exotic tastes, well…not really surprising in the long run, I'd imagine."
"Unbelievable," murmured Daisy in awe.
"Eh, not completely," decided Pauline. "Now, if you told me that he was dating Bowser and looking to take over the kingdom, or was courting some kind of inanimate object, those would be scary."
"So…about the former," speculated Toadette.
"Mario isn't going to try to hurt us," I snapped. "He's my brother."
"Twin, in fact." Everyone turned to Pauline. "…What? None of you ever acknowledge that? I think it's cute. Isn't it? I mean they look alike, and…sorry, forget it."
"At any rate, we do have to rescue the Toads," reminded Peach. "So, no matter what, we've still got a war to fight. I just fought for my right to continue this battle with my council meeting, so I'm definitely going forward with that."
"Wow, so, you're still battling Bowser, then?" Pauline stood up and folded her arms, tapping the side of her head with her hand. "And how many more territories have you guys left to liberate?"
"Whatever it takes until Bowser is finally stopped."
"Mm…ok then." Pauline paced back and forth a bit. "And this is Mario's crazy boyfriend in that case. If anything, he can be reasoned with, and if he can't, Mario can. Either way, lives are at risk, so…it'll take all of you to end it." She paused and assessed each of us. "Right, ok then. So, if you guys give me a minute to change into something more adventurous, we can head downstairs and get to work."
This time, I blinked. "Huh?"
"Luigi, come on." Pauline rolled her eyes. "Do you really think I'm not going to help Mario on this one?"
"Pauline, no offense, but…you're not really…how do I put this delicately? You're not exactly the best choice to fight."
"True, I'm not," she admitted. "But maybe what you guys need now isn't someone that's the strongest fighter. Having me around will help open you guys to new perspectives."
"Sounds more like a liability," muttered Birdo.
"Besides that," continued Pauline, "I really want to help Mario, however I can. Peach, Luigi, you two need to let me come along with this group."
Turning to Peach, who held a long glare at me, I shook my head and shrugged. "Who are we to stop you?"
"Huh. That's a good point, actually," realized Pauline. "However, it would be much better to have your approval and cooperation."
"Then you have it," declared Peach. "We'll go see Toadsworth, and—"
A knock sounded at the door and we turned around as Toadsworth opened it. "Princess Peach, there have been sightings of Bowser's troops occupying the Mountains. The region, that is."
"Ah. Thank you, Toadsworth." Peach spun her Royal Scepter around and raised it into the air. "Well then, that's where we'll be heading next. We'll take care of Bowser's Koopa Troop there, and then gain the location of the Toads, as well as Mario. And then, we will end this."
"One way…or another," chimed in Pauline, perhaps a little too cheerfully for Peach. "Sorry, did that kill the mood?"
"It's fine," I insisted, earning another dark glare from Peach. "We'll work forward from here."
Pauline nodded and glanced around, finding a burgundy bag and digging into it for her change of clothes. Daisy folded her arms and glanced at her hands, studying her Regal Rings. Toadette smiled for a bit, but sighed and hunched over, exhausted. Birdo picked at her ring, and then stretched a bit. Peach tapped on her Royal Scepter, still sending shifty stares to me. Also observing me was Yoshi, quietly, and then quickly, he looked away.
Walking to the wide window, I gazed out at the sunny sky. Together, the seven of us could surely take on whatever Bowser would throw at us. But…should we be fighting back with everything we have?
Heart hammering over my brother's state of mind, I'm silently left to quell my own storm of thoughts as I turn back and follow the others out of the bedroom, and off to the next part of our journey.
...
Oh, sorry, I forgot to remind you that this was another feels trip. Pardon me!
But yes, lots of drama occurred in this chapter, from start to finish. Poor…uh…everybody, by this point. Let's see the damage. From the top!
Merlon reveals that Merlow has some sociability issues as the result of extensive magic training. Poor kid. The Shaman himself also seems anxious for everything that he has to prepare for, and has dealt with a lot of failure, as it seems. Still, he seems positive enough to keep training Mario, in spite of that health risk! What a great tutor, honestly. And he even helped restore Mario's Firebrand and gave him the Thunderhand! …Who wants to be cool and shout out what those refer to? (Hint? Nah, it's obvious.)
Mario practices magic, hooray! At the cost of Merlon's life, hoo…ray? So, it turns out that he still does have some training that he'll need to undergo before really getting the hang of these spells. (Magic isn't really something that gets taught overnight! …Well, when you have spells that mess with time, that's technically possible, but…eh, you get the point.) Will he overcome his inner fears and progress with his magical prowess? As long as Bowser quits panicking over him and continues the encouragement, odds could lead to his favor! And there will be more Bowsario mush moments to boot.
Over at Peach's Castle…geez, what went right? Nothing really. We got to start off with Peach developing full-blown trust issues, ready to dish out death threats. Poor Peach just doesn't know how to handle what she considers the greatest betrayal from her closest friends. And that was the starter!
So, thank you to those that voted for the secondary pairing! And congratulations to everyone that voted for Yoshi and Luigi to become a couple, because that's on its way to being canon! …Sort of. Maybe? Um…don't ask Luigi about it for a little while. Or Yoshi, for that matter. Poor dino poured his heart out, and yet, Luigi just didn't know how to take it, especially on top of the other drama in his life. Not every confession and declaration of love starts out well, unfortunately. Will their love grow and blossom, or will Luigi never even give it a chance?
But hey, at least perky Toadette and sassy Birdo are doing ok, right? What's that? Toadette broke down into tears over her failure and kidnapping of her friends? Birdo's still having issues loving herself? Haha…crap. Oh well, at least they rekindled their friendship.
Speaking of friends, Daisy's got everyone's back this time around! The spunky Sarasaland princess refuses to let this team fall…wait, she started Peach's outburst? Um…she made up for it, though! Calmed Peach down, stood up to that rotten Royal Council, and helped out all around!
While we're at it, meet the Royal Council! They're the ones responsible for Peach having to hold back and not go on terrifying journeys to stop Bowser and help Mario. Why? Because she's a princess, and she shouldn't be doing that! …Bah. Anyway, they are all fan created characters, based off the likeness of selected Toads from the Mario series. Anyway, they were mentioned a few times in the story before, very briefly, so I decided to give them a scene and expand on their roles just slightly. They seem to have good intentions in mind for the Mushroom Kingdom…at the expense of Peach's freedom. And…the freedom of other species, as it would seem. Huh. Peach's family harbored racists, pass it on. So, yes, the Council is cunning and will do whatever it takes to ensure the protection of the crown, even if they have to give into some of the demands that risks a royal's life. And…yes, I gave them all "Toad" names. It seems silly, but I just couldn't resist. Plus, it seemed like a running trend for more important Toads to have "Toad" in the name. (Toadette, Toadsworth, Captain Toad, Mailtoad, Banktoad, Toadbert, and so on.) They may not be a major group in this story, but yikes, they can really give you a bad time, huh?
And introducing…Pauline! Ahahaha! I've been waiting to bring her into the fold! So, for those that don't know, I actually asked for the creation of Pauline character tag on the Mario fanfic archive. Why? Because she's a sorely underutilized character that deserves to be recognized for being the precursor to…Peach. Crazy, right? Totally. (Seriously, I'd love to see her in a future spin-off title. Golf, Tennis, Kart, Party, whatever works.)
Funny enough, I wrote a two-shot series where Pauline fell in love with Peach. Originally, I was going to create a five-chapter mini-story as the third part to the series, but held off on it to add her into this story. Could the two stories be linked? Potentially; the characters behave quite differently between the pairs of stories (the one-shot series is…well, quicker and more light-hearted, really), but to my knowledge, there doesn't appear to be anything against the three fanfics sharing the same universe. And really, bisexual Pauline alongside bisexual Mario and Bowser is more fun, right? Definitely.
Anyway, as for her depiction in this story so far, Pauline is…plain. It's not a bad thing at all, actually; consider that there is something fantastically odd about everyone else in Peach's party. Luigi, just like Mario, is capable of inhuman techniques. Peach and Daisy have magical powers. Yoshi and Birdo can launch eggs and are generally strong. And Toadette is a speedy mushroom person. Comparatively, Pauline comes off as the normal human of the group. And yet? That's actually a new add-on that could really balance everyone out again. Think Pauline can help the bubbling team turmoil from spilling over?
With the teaser from this chapter, there will be more magical shenanigans for Mario to experiment with in the next chapter, as he continues to hone his awakened powers. Expect support from an overbearing Bowser and more wisecracks from Merlon. Among other things.
Feedback is super cool and appreciated, if you please. Message or review me some comments, criticisms, and questions, should you have any! Hearing from people can really help me out, so it's always great to hear back.
Also, also, also! Since the last chapter, this story has now jumped up and secured itself within the Top 50 Favorited stories on the Mario fanfic archive! That goes right alongside the Top 50 Most Reviewed stories as well, and now ENY appears on the second page in filtered results. Except for Top Followed…because that one is just outside of the Top 10 Most Followed, and sits pretty near the top of a filtered first page! While getting into the Top 5 for any of those is nigh impossible, I'm super happy to see it showing up so close to the top of the filtered pages. That makes it easier for other newcomers to find and try reading. And…well, probably me too, honestly, because if I weren't logged in and writing it, I'd totally lose this story. Anyway, I digress, and THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! It's really great to see so many people are interested in seeing how the story plays out, and I'm SUPER grateful for any and all support.
Wow, ok, that's way too much talking once again. But yeah, thank you once more for reading! Hope this fanfic is still entertaining; if so, that gives me life! Seriously, it really does, so thank you again, readers.