Prism (Re-upload)

by QueenKathofRine

If they could magically change the past, they would. But life is never that easy. (On the road to SMB3, backstory-ish fic because what if SMB3 had a point though, builds on context from last fic, so probably best to read that first)

8. Refraction

She remembered thinking to herself with each passing day of her journey to this place of how ill-prepared she really was. These were thoughts that were easily quieted by the promise of adventure, freedom in whatever form it took. She had enough trouble convincing Toadsworth to let her out at all, narrowly escaping the prospect of an entire sovereign trip glued to his side only because he had come down with a nasty illness. She always told him he'd worry himself sick one day, but she didn't have the heart to joke when she knew he only had good intentions.

Even then it was difficult, begging him to let her actually get to know the world around her because it had already warned her once of the consequences. The Pipe Kingdom lay thankfully far beyond the reaches of her own land, untouched by stories she fought hard to keep under wraps because she had been naïve and foolish then, to believe that she could actually help one as narrow-minded and vengeful as Bowser.

His anger was explosive at first. He would pace in front of her and they would argue for hours, her refusal to tolerate being spoken to like that stronger than any alarm bells that may have been set off at the time. He never seemed to have an aim, no demands…it was always just anger, pure and raw and painful, fired in her direction in the hopes that she'd swing and he would be able to vindicate himself somehow.

But whatever she gave him, he wasn't looking for, and he grew less imposing as time went on, to the point where he could barely stand to look her in the eyes, much less search them for malice. He had sagged, but it only seemed to make him sharper, spikes on his back protruding outwards in a display that appeared more mystifyingly defensive than anything for one on his home turf.

Some days he had been friendlier than others, but for all her pleading, for all her logical reasoning, further colored in by accidental context from one of his own, it just made him more recalcitrant. It was hard enough moving forward when they were only traveling in circles; now he was digging in his heels on purpose and she couldn't take it anymore.

So when he had abruptly interrupted them, her first thought was to thank him for at least breaking up the monotony. More reasonable thoughts flowed in afterwards. She never needed to wonder what his name was, it had been hurled out of Bowser's mouth like a sharpened axe, and in her surprise the noise never transformed into anything meaningful. But she couldn't forget his face. The way his eyes darted this way and that, his weight shifting anxiously because it wasn't safe to settle anywhere…maybe she had just been projecting but it was hard not to empathize with an expression so uncomfortably familiar to hers. It was like that of a fugitive, so heartbreakingly close to blending away into the mundane until he had been roughly, unexpectedly yanked backwards, and whatever he was probably planning to say had gotten lost, smeared off with the rest of the disguise.

He just weakly pointed out the door, mumbling about something urgent before he had gathered enough courage to land upon the word 'intruders' like he knew nothing he said afterwards would matter. To his credit, it didn't; Bowser looked like he had been snapped in half and wasn't sure which half of him was worth keeping until he managed to hold himself together long enough to bolt down the corridor. She never saw him again.

But she remained thoughtful, hours later, finally back in her own kingdom attempting to process her absence. Through all of her amicable, though admittedly awkward pleasantries with her rescuers, through her surrogate father's incessant hugging and crying, through every breath of air she took that didn't leave her lungs dusty and stale…she still saw that face. It was a look that silently screamed of regret, like being swept out to sea on a ship you were never supposed to be on. It was haunting, but time seemed to move on regardless, and so long as Bowser was leaving her alone she supposed it would fade, as the rest would, in time.

But here he stood, right in front of her, his expression the same like it had only ever just received a fresh coat of paint.

"Welcome Princess. I apologize your reception wasn't a bit more…festive. Unfortunately, we haven't the time, there is much to discuss-" Pipe Land's new ruler had stepped out to address her, attempting to engage her attention likely so she wouldn't remain rudely gawking at an injured child, but it was too late. The two of them had already locked eyes, and there was an uncomfortable sudden understanding between them, an overwhelming desire to protect themselves from the other that transcended diplomacy.

"You-!" She started, with no idea how to finish the thought. There wasn't really more to be said of memories that skimmed past surface level. The king and his advisor both were perplexed at her reaction, eying their third expectantly.

After a bit, he managed to fasten a sheepish smile to his face, and despite the tension he shuffled slowly out from behind them. There was something about the way he held himself as if he could collapse at any moment that nearly made her forget her conviction but she couldn't afford ignorance anymore. He bent forward slightly, like he meant to bow but didn't quite manage, hoisting himself back up before he could lose his balance.

"…Hello, Princess Toadstool."

"You were there." He nodded, ignoring the quizzical looks around him because he knew exactly what she meant, and they were just going to conversationally fence with one another until someone figured out too late how deadly the art of precision could be.

"I live there, yes. Have for some time now."

"You're one of them, aren't you? One of the Koopalings-"

His smile flickered like a dying flame. A hand went immediately to his head, lingering there until he pushed it through his hair in irritation.

"I'm afraid that now depends on who you ask. Feel free to address me by name."

It was an odd challenge. He looked at her in anticipation, like if she knew who he really was beyond the circumstantial he would fold immediately. That if there was that unmistakable link between them then he would somehow slide into Bowser's place and take the blame for everything even though he was likely just as confused as her about the whole thing. He asked her to address him by his name knowing she likely didn't know it because the entire thing was an exercise in futility, placing blame on the unknown based on shreds of evidence because it was just easier that way…he had to know what she felt like in that moment, otherwise he wouldn't have played to it.

Everyone was staring at her in that moment. She could practically hear Toadsworth admonishing her from here, having blown her opportunity to make a good first impression due to an ugly, viscous suspicion that tethered her to that holding cell every time she closed her eyes. She knew it wasn't her fault, but even though she never intended for pieces of her to flake off wherever she went, she always felt terrible for the mess she made regardless. He would have asked better of her, and she couldn't deny him that when he lay bedridden, no doubt riddled with worry.

"Princess? Is everything alright?" The king's old advisor attempted, and she smiled wearily.

"You've met already? Your parents-?" The king asked, though he seemed eager to move past this conversation, whatever the response was.

"I'm sure the Princess did not travel all this way to divulge every last detail of her personal history and, respectfully, I didn't either. We have far more pressing matters to attend to right now, with little time to spare."

Whether he meant to or not, the child absolved her of the painful task of relaying that information, and she was thankful, even if at the end of the day it was only to save his own skin. The king turned to her apologetically.

"Forgive him for being so forward, but I hate to say he's right…I'm terribly sorry, but I cannot allow you to remain here with imminent danger looming. You and your party should depart as soon as you are able to do so while you still can."

"My goodness, that's terrible! Is there anything I can do to help? You must tell me what's happening!"

"It's the King of Darkland, I'm afraid. Bowser, I'm sure…he intends to invade this kingdom in a few weeks-"

All it took was a name to allow all of her ire to resurface and she was suddenly storming up to the kid. Though he tried to keep his distance, she pursued him, both circling the throne a few times but she was in no mood for games. The king and his advisor were trying to talk her down but she wouldn't hear them, wouldn't see them. All she saw was that look again and it tore her up badly.

"Are you serious? Are you honestly serious-? Where is he? You thought you could come here and put them through this and get away with it? You go find him right now and tell him to get lost and leave everyone ALONE-!"

She reached for him, absentmindedly grabbing at an arm until a hiss of pain sliced through her frustration. She felt the bandages and immediately let go, but the damage had been done, and he veered towards the side of the throne. He leaned heavily on it, breathing deeply like he was trying to regain his focus. That look was gone, replaced with a lopsided grimace and it wasn't long before the other two set upon him. They insisted he sit for a moment to regain himself, and as they set him there their eyes then moved to her, still awaiting an explanation for her outburst, but he stopped them from doing anything more.

"…The Princess has every right…to be upset…Our kingdoms have never…seen eye to eye, to put it mildly. She has been wronged too. I'd love the chance to amend that, but I couldn't bear to see her caught up in something beyond herself." Again. But that thankfully went without saying.

"Princess, Ludwig is the one who warned us of the impending attack. Whatever quarrels you may have with Bowser, they don't concern him, at least, not presently. He has a plan to help us defeat him." The king explained, and it was somewhat taxing to have a conversation with one so convicted in his beliefs with only half of the story.

Though…she only had half of the story herself, in this case. She sensed a peculiar amount of sympathy in all the words he didn't say. The words that remained unspoken between the two of them because only they had all the pieces. It never seemed as though he was using it against her. He appeared polite enough, warm enough as he insisted yet again to the kindly toad that he was just fine as he sat there, pale but embarrassed. She supposed it made little sense for him to stray from home, being as young as he probably looked, unless he decided he had finally had enough.

But there was a creeping sort of emptiness behind his eyes when he had opened them so he could stand again, and she was reminded of why she was able to recognize him so quickly.

"Well…Ludwig, is it-?" He shrugged mechanically.

"Take it up with my parents." Despite the joke, no one laughed.

"If what he says is true, then I would like to apologize for my actions and my accusations. But I'm bound to make it up to you somehow, because I'm not going anywhere. Not until Bowser's sent packing."

"Princess Toadstool! We can't-" The king tried, but she quickly silenced him.

"We can, together. I refuse to let you fight this battle on your own. Now you can waste more of your time arguing with me if you like, but I believe we've got an invasion to stop, don't we? So let's get to it!"

The others spent a few seconds sputtering but ultimately thought better of it. The king finally spoke.

"Very well. We will reconvene in the briefing room. Quickly, everyone." He turned his attention to his advisor, who had already begun assisting Ludwig out the door. "You'll take him to his crew? Have them assess the wreckage for anything salvageable. I'm certain he'll want the ship rebuilt if it will help us."

She dimly recalled what had appeared at the time to be an outline of a lumber pile, mistaken for fuel if it weren't for the smell of burnt metal that lingered in the courtyard air.

"Wait…That was a ship?"

Despite himself, the king chuckled wearily at her incredulity.

"As I said, Princess. Much to discuss."

---

Fifteen.

He said he was fifteen. Well really, he was actually a few months shy of it, and he had only told her fifteen because he was usually able to get away with rounding up because he hadn't actually celebrated his birthday in about 5 years, but oh, he was sorry, why was she asking again? All in one serrated breath, and he seemed genuinely curious as to why she would bother asking what business a fifteen-year-old had in matters of war.

He had maps and blueprints and scribbled notes, a myriad of which ranging from slightly singed to half burnt sprawled out on the table. She supposed watching him strain himself, reaching across the table for papers just out of range made her realize exactly how much effort he was pouring into a task that should have by all means crushed him by now. In retrospect, it was probably yet another thing to be angry with Bowser for but it was difficult when everything was in Ludwig's handwriting. Worse still that he was able to review it all with a discipline that shouldn't have been there.

She knew it was silly to be terrified of a teenager, though…she wasn't sure if she was afraid of him so much as she was afraid for him. It was all she ever heard from Toadsworth in her more rebellious days, but she couldn't help but ruminate if it meant appeasing her suspicion. He had shuffled through numerous papers like they were just that, free from the burden of consequence solely because they existed in the future, like a terrible fortune scrawled inside a soul yet to crack. His face never changed once, his concentration unbreakable because the destruction inscribed in them didn't seem to phase him.

But she had asked him for his age, and his entire demeanor shifted towards more of what she expected after he answered. His focus interrupted, he sat flustered, words pouring out of him because he looked dumbfounded by the simplest of questions like he hadn't expected her to ask. The juxtaposition was maddening, how he seemed comfortable enough in chaos to coexist with it until the more warped questions to him were those that required him to define himself again.

This obviously mattered to him, otherwise he wouldn't have been here, but she couldn't pretend to know why. As far as she was concerned, he had been nothing more than a subsidiary branch of Bowser's barren tree of henchmen up until that moment when he had hit that switch, and the world flipped suddenly. It was like being underground, staring at tips of exposed roots that writhed anxiously upon being uncovered. It was there at long last she remembered where she had buried Roy's words, well-intentioned but too venomous to keep close.

He had tuned himself to the demolition not because he reveled in it. Bowser was many things, but he was a horrible liar, of that much she came to figure out, and she couldn't think of a reason for Roy to lie to her about something so personal to him. Whatever the previous ruler of Darkland had done scarred much more than the land, and if it was true that they were the few of their kind that were left…she had seen firsthand how upset it made Roy, how much it troubled Bowser…but Ludwig never faltered. It was devastating, how one so young could adjust so quickly to ruin because it was something familiar to him. Ruin was what he was used to, what was normal, to the point where the mundane felt foreign…

There was a tap on her shoulder, and they quickly copied the others' grimace.

"I understand that may not have been what you were expecting…I hope you haven't lost faith in me." The was a hint of humor in his tone, and she waved him off with a small smile of her own.

She told him to forget she ever asked.

He laughed softly a bit, cut off nearly immediately after the king re-entered the room and he instantly straightened himself, fumbling with the papers in front of him like he meant to make himself appear busy. It would have been amusing had the atmosphere not instantly darkened.

"Good news or bad news?" It was all he said as he closed the door behind him, and naturally, his advisor was the first to respond.

"I think we could all use a little good news, don't you?"

The king only tossed a rolled-up document onto the table, taking a seat at its head. Ludwig was the first to examine it, and his eyes lit up as it unfurled.

"The schematic-!"

"Yes, as it turns out, one of your crew members nicked it before he escaped. A rather lucky turn of events, all things considered…"

"So the uh…ship can be rebuilt?" She inquired, but was met by only silence. Ludwig caught on as well and answered first.

"And the bad news, then?"

"You've seen the state of it. It has been utterly demolished, there's no way we will be able to prepare it in time. We'll have to think of another way to-"

"No." It was eerily frosty and direct until he blinked like he remembered he wasn't at the head of the table for a reason. He bowed his head slightly to ward off the staring but he cleared his throat anyways so he could continue.

"…Apologies, Your Highness. But it's essential. We must rebuild it-"

"Surely there must be another method of defense-we have cannons of our own-"

"I am well aware." The awkward beat that ensued spoke volumes of questions she would have to remember to ask when this was all over.

"But they are out of date and unreliable. This castle is virtually defenseless, and you must realize that he won't have to bother with the rest of the kingdom if the castle falls first."

"We have the advantage, could we not muster up a sufficient defense in the time we have? You could recruit volunteers-" She was out of her element but she tried anyways.

"I'm not sure where from, Princess. We are a kingdom of travelers, and those who choose to settle are sparsely located. It will be difficult to relay information out that far that quickly. It's unlikely we'll be able to rally enough toads to be an effective force, let alone that soon."

"Well, what about the toads at the castle? There were a lot of them when I arrived, weren't there? Certainly more than I expected, but I imagine such a crisis would only attract attention-"

"She's right, Sire," the advisor interjected, "There's been a large amount of traffic in the Pipe Yard lately. I'm sure this recent surge probably consisted of concerned friends and family after that notice you posted."

"But they aren't fighters! I'm sure any one of them is brave enough to take up our cause, but unfortunately, I'm not convinced they'll be able to protect much of anything, especially if they stand to face an attack from the air unarmed!"

"But they know the layout of the castle better than anyone! You're saying that won't be at least a little bit useful to defend-"

"Even then, we'll be vastly outnumbered-"

"Everyone listen!"

The argument halted, all turning to look at Ludwig, who seemed to have overcome his previous reluctance.

"You're forgetting, I have a plan."

There was a momentary silence that followed, any alternate suggestions effectively smothered by it and they shifted back into their seats as he edged forward in his.

"We won't need them on the front lines if we can seal and guard his only practical point of entry. That's the warp system. It'll force him to launch an entire attack on foot, or worst case, by air. Remember, he still believes he has the element of surprise on his side, so his primary objective will likely still be to overwhelm you in whatever way that may manifest. But if we can cut him off at the Pipe Yard, it'll be weeks before his other generals and their forces will be able to join up with him here. It's our best chance to defeat him-"

"Wh-?! Sealing up the entire system is a dire course of action! Don't you know where these officers are located? Couldn't we just secure those that they may use? If we seal up the whole network…we…well, I hope you understand that'll we will be perfectly isolated in a time in which I hate to say we may be the most vulnerable! Have you put no thought to this?"

The king accused in frustration, gesturing at him with his wand like it was an extension of his hand, but Ludwig only sighed like he was used to it. He fidgeted slightly with the bandages around his arm before he realized it was futile, that what lay beneath the surface wasn't a secret so there wasn't any point to hide it any further.

"…I've never stopped thinking about it…"

His words were sharp but in a brittle way, and they shattered as soon as they tumbled out of him. His eyes clouded with things that couldn't be translated until his eyes met hers, a horrible wistful smile tugging at the corner of his lips because there was a certain comfort to being understood at least, when the world around them proved to be less empathetic. He turned his attention to the king and it was gone an instant.

"I understand it's scary. Living in relative peace for so long must make decisions like these unbearable. But I still must urge you to do what is best for your kingdom. Times like these require sacrifice-"

"I won't sacrifice the lifeblood of my people-"

"You understand, Your Highness," he snapped suddenly, "it was also my parents' blood, do you not? I don't think what I ask of you is unreasonable, given the circumstances."

"Ludwig…" The advisor began softly, but he quieted until he heard Ludwig's breathing even out again.

"Are you alright?" She tried herself, but he couldn't or wouldn't make eye contact with her or anyone else, choosing instead to look at the table like he could burn a hole through it. He was straining to focus, that much she could tell as he ran another hand through his hair, pulling slightly to dislodge the unwanted thoughts he just couldn't reach.

"…nerves…" he rasped. She was about to suggest that they just take a break, in the hopes that the tension in the room would adequately drain in the presence of a distraction, but in an instant, the color returned to his face. He hoisted himself up, sharper than ever, ready to proceed again like he hadn't almost just dissolved into an emotional and physical puddle.

"Ludwig, please forgive me. I should have known you would be just as knowledgeable. They must have-" The king mumbled; melancholy painted his face sloppily as he scrambled to fix something that in retrospect had been condemned long ago.

"No, I apologize. I shouldn't have mentioned them…I just don't want to cause any unnecessary suffering. I gave up so much to be here and I'm very tired. I don't know what I would do if more people got hurt because of me. I've gotten my crew tangled in this mess, and now Princess Toadstool-"

"Despite what you may think, I'm here of my own volition. And we're going to see this mess through, alright? I'm sure His Majesty recognizes the significance of this matter, and will do what is necessary to protect his people."

"Sire, it could work. A temporary blockade would critically even our odds, so to speak. We don't stand any chance against the full force of Bowser's army should they manage to break through. It's not enough to simply survey the pipes, especially if they could just enter and exit as they please. The only solution is to seal them until the danger has passed. That will force him to focus his attention on the castle; he wouldn't dare thinning his remaining troops by sending them into villages if we give him a reason to believe he could lose."

The king appeared dumbfounded by his advisor's sudden spurt, to which he only chuckled like Toadsworth would to book-end some long-winded but sentimental anecdote about times long past.

"Ah…I am a bit out of practice in these sorts of affairs. Your father was more the tactician than I, in those days. But I couldn't expect you to understand times that preceded you." He regarded the king with a fond, nostalgic smile, marred nearly immediately by a clear undercurrent that lamented the cyclical nature of history, tainting memories that may well have remained bittersweet at worst. "Peace is the thing often most viciously sought after. I had hoped we had moved on when we vowed never to fight again, back then when the kingdom became neutral ground, but here we are. Though, despite this, I do know that he would have wanted you to preserve as much of it as possible, and that is my opinion on the matter."

The king stalled, irritation congealing so quickly that it stopped him up until he had to reset himself. He grunted thoughtfully, captured by the detailed diagram of the Pipe Yard that lay on the table among other salvaged documents, knowing that Ludwig had drawn it up. Perhaps it was only so chilling because the unknown always was; would could have been, what was yet to be…the anticipation was worse because they had no way of knowing how much of this information he had already shared with Bowser before his change of heart.

The king must have contemplated on it deeply, and though it seemed to conflict him, he sighed with a heavy finality, like he had finally reached a decision nonetheless. She was glad of it; time was running quickly enough.

"Very well. If it keeps them away from the front lines, we'll have the castle toads who volunteer guard the international pipes. Those will take priority."

"Of course. I'm sure if it comes down to it, my crew will be more than happy to assist as well…I don't really want them near Lord Bowser either when the time arrives…"

"We may be able to use their numbers. That is, if they're magically able to fix the ship in time-"

"They won't, or rather, they can't. But you…we can." Ludwig's stare was fixated on the king, whose hand subconsciously tightened its grip around the wand in it.

"Magic?" She asked, intrigued. The concept was foreign to her, but now that it was on the table, it was odd that no one had considered it until now.

"I know it's a big ask, but regardless of whether he will attack on the ground or in the air, we're going to need something big to defend the castle without any troops; it's our only stronghold."

"I understand what needs to be done, but…I don't know if I will be able to do it. To rebuild an entire ship myself would require a tremendous amount of energy I may not possess, let alone within two weeks-"

"Your Majesty, your abilities saved my life. I know what you are capable of. But as I said, I don't intend on letting you do this by yourself."

They studied one another intently, their non-verbal standoff of sorts interrupted by Ludwig's impatience.

"If I may-" He didn't wait for permission before snatching the king's wand from the table, but he didn't protest as if he expected him to do it. Perhaps he trusted Ludwig an exorbitant amount; if this was to be their downfall, he was unusually calm about it. Life had made her out to be more paranoid than she would have liked.

Ludwig took a deep breath, and his movements were slow, like he only had enough energy to operate the machinery inside his head manually until his efforts were rewarded by a strike so swift and precise she hadn't even been able to register that the string of lights behind her had ever been flickering at all until he had fixed them. The glow of the wand faded to nothing, and the subsequent particles in the air dissipated when he placed it back down in the same spot on the table to set the world in motion again.

"How-? Were his-?" The king asked his advisor more than anyone, and when he shook his head the implications of the acquired magical fluency were muddied with a touch of suspicion. Ludwig appeared to pay them no heed, continuing on like nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

"Sorry. I should be used to that by now, living by candlelight and all that…but it always bothered my mentor and I so much that we had a habit of fixing little things here and there until we unfortunately made quite a lifestyle of it. I only wish we were able to do more to fix the kingdom before all this went down. I can't imagine he's still around either, he was more opposed to this idea than I am-"

He was breathing as quickly as he was talking, staring at that same spot on the table as if it was the only point of clarity because it was always easier to make conversation with the eye of the storm when the rest of it howled around you. Maybe it was vain, but hearing herself talk was one of the many things that she held onto for dear life in that cell because it meant there was at least one person that cared she was gone.

She'd had other tenuous footholds to stabilize herself during the day, like the foolish belief she was actually managing to do some good by sticking around as long as she did, only for it to predictably crumble away from underneath her. She should have known better than to put any weight on it in the first place when everything was so unsteady, but she learned the hard way never to mention the children to Bowser again. He roared, trembling with rage like an avalanche, effectively knocking her off balance and she was sent falling, flailing for what felt like hours as she tumbled all the way down to the unforgiving base of a mountain she was never prepared to climb.

Like an idiot, she got up. Like an idiot she brushed herself off and began to scale all over again, and at the time, she had no idea why. But as she watched this kid-who at fifteen probably wouldn't appreciate being called a kid but she couldn't help it-fold in on himself at every hint of potential conflict because he was just afraid of the unknown as the rest of them were…it was hard to watch because she knew from experience how powerful that fear of abandonment could be. He had already gone through it once, and here he was to throw away what little semblance of stability he had left just to prevent the cycle from repeating.

She placed a hand on his arm, carefully this time, attempting to ground him again. He blinked, embarrassed, pulling away quickly but it appeared to have snapped him out of his rambling. He finally caught up with his breathing and silently thanked her with a genuine smile despite his skittish demeanor.

"Ah…my apologies. It's just-"

"Nerves. I know. But you've got nothing to be nervous about. With that ship, we've got a fighting chance, but if it requires a lot of energy to repair it then you'll need your strength, right? So if we're gonna make this work, then you'll need to rest. We can continue on later."

"Princess, we don't have much time to lose-"

"I understand, Your Highness. But unless you want to end up doing most of the work, this is the most effective allocation of our time. If you want him to be of any help to you, you need him to heal first. You'll lose more time and energy if he wears himself out every day. In the meantime, we can help the crew with the salvaging efforts to see what we have and what we need. We can simultaneously brief the castle toads on the plan we're developing and begin to search for volunteers. We may not be able to put anything into motion without him yet, but if we're being prudent, we shouldn't be mounting anything substantial until we've taken inventory of our materials and resources, both physical and intellectual. Any objections?"

Ludwig, predictably, raised his hand first.

"Princess, I'm fine, I promise. There's no need for-"

"Forgive me for saying, but you look awful. I was a teenager once, I know what exhaustion looks like, and you look like you haven't slept in quite some time. You can't fool me."

She expected him to be more defiant, having heard him assert himself more than once to his hosts of all people. But he looked at her like a melted candle, burnt at both ends down to the point where his resolve dripped away like wax to the floor below. Nothing more needed to be said.

"Anyone else?"

The king only chuckled to himself, shaking his head in good-natured disbelief.

"Oh, Princess Toadstool…it is truly a sin we haven't been acquainted sooner. My father said you were spirited, but I don't think I quite understood what he meant until now."

"Yes, well…it was kind of him to say. But I understand now that actions speak louder than words."

"Perhaps…but so often that is the case in times such as these. Actions are bound to drown out words if no one is willing to listen in the first place. Diplomacy is the hardest thing there is, truly, because anyone can make meaningless noise, but so few are able to end a war without ever raising an arm."

"What words are there to say when all that's left of your home are the smoldering remains of what they failed to accomplish? Your solutions are merely temporary-"

Everyone stared at Ludwig, who sported an expression that was a weird mixture of remorse and satisfaction.

"I…should…sorry. We should just move on…"

"Uh…well-that was a little more philosophical than I'd have preferred, especially on an empty stomach! Sire, shall we convene after dinner?" The old toad attempted to deflate the tension as he usually did. She admired that about him, but she couldn't help but wonder what would happen when he inevitably ran out of alternative tracks to switch to.

"I don't see the need. I think the Princess has a solid plan, as far as tonight is concerned. We'll get to work as soon as we finish eating, and you, sir" -he pointed sternly in Ludwig's direction- "are getting some rest tonight. We'll need you well for the morning."

"…Yes, Your Majesty."

"Good, then! It's settled, for now. All that's left to discuss is what to do with Bowser himself when he arrives. I still believe that if we can approach him appropriately, we will be able to avoid a violent confrontation altogether, though that may just be wishful thinking on my part…"

"I'm confident we're all on the same page about that. Your father…" The advisor turned to Ludwig, eyes misty with reminiscence. "Your mother and father…it's important that we honor their memories properly at least. They would have wanted this resolved peacefully-"

It wasn't new information to her, but it was still difficult for her to hear now that it had been spoken aloud. Ludwig stood abruptly, and though he took a moment to steady himself with the table he rooted himself firmly enough to stun the toad into silence.

"…If we're finished here…I would like to brief my crew on the matters we've discussed so far. I would like them to know what is expected of them. I will join you later." He grunted, like he was gearing up for something but she didn't know what until she found herself staring at nothing but empty space.

She blinked in disbelief, but he was gone, the only evidence to him having been there in the first place a small, residual puff of blue smoke yet to disperse.

"Wh-What happened? Where did-?"

"Oh-! I-I didn't mean to upset him. I feel awful, I should go apologize-"

The king raised a hand to quiet them, but despite the fact that he likely knew what was going on, there was still a level of confused awe etched upon his face.

"He's only teleported; I'm surprised he had enough in him to manage it. He's likely gone straight to his crew, probably best to just give him some time, eh? I know you didn't mean to, he just needs a minute to clear his head up a little, you can apologize at dinner. I'm entrusting you to see to it he actually sleeps tonight. I know he'd hate to hear it, but I'm worried for him at the rate he's going…"

"I'll take care of that. We can't make it too obvious we're watching him or he'll stay awake out of spite." She laughed to herself, hoping whatever Toadsworth was up to in that moment he'd at least know she was thinking of him.

The king merely shrugged as he stood, grabbing a few pages of Ludwig's notes off of the table to decode them later while his advisor moved to examine the fixed string of lights out of a fascinated curiosity.

Clearly there were many mysteries that needed unravelling.

"Besides, there are a few things I'm not quite yet up to speed on…"

---

It was odd how noteworthy the quieter days felt compared to their chaotic counterparts.

She had been initially worried at the lack of participants they had gathered those first few days until suddenly, they at last managed to pluck up their courage and volunteers poured out of the castle in droves. Those were the good days that followed, hectic but in a good way, like when progress was finally being made. Now they were all gone, presumably at their posts and the castle was quiet again.

A crash rang out and lingered in the air, echoing in a way something blunt only could when there was nothing else to impede it.

Almost quiet.

She deviated from her walk in the garden towards the opposite side of the courtyard to find a ship nearly halfway built, had it not been for the partial collapse of a few supports towards the far side.

"Are you all alright?" She called out, and to her relief, Ludwig and a few members of his crew bounded out of the incomplete opening.

"So that was what happened! It's a design flaw I must have overlooked-there's too much weight on this beam, look, see? We'll have to add another in order to more evenly distribute the support. I'm surprised it managed to hold up for that long, we're lucky no one was hurt-"

"Weren't you crushed under the other one?"

"Well, I suppose I had it coming. I should have had Iggy check my calculations again, but I really didn't want to hear it when he was clearly having a field day just picking the design apart-I swear he switched a variable or two on me the last time-"

Their bantering instantaneously ended as soon as they acknowledged that she was there.

"Er, uh…hello, Princess! Just a second." He turned to the two rocky wrenches that accompanied him.

"You guys go grab something to eat, I'll have to take a closer look at this diagram and redraw a few things. Let everyone know until then to proceed with caution around here, if you would."

"Sure thing, sir."

"Want us to bring you back something? You've been goin' all day yourself-"

"I'm doing much better now. Though, I'll probably take you up on that if these amendments are extensive. Either way, I believe the Princess has something she would like to discuss with me. I'll come find you as soon as we're done."

"Roger that." They nodded, then scampered off, snickering amongst themselves.

Ludwig sighed, then picked up the diagram in one arm, gesturing with the other for her to follow him around to the long side of the ship so that he could have a relatively flat surface to write on.

"I hope you don't mind if I multitask."

"How did you know? That I needed to speak with you?"

"I'd like to think I've gotten pretty good over the years at reading people. Call it a necessary evil. In any case, it was written all over your face, so tell me, what's troubling you?"

"…Did you really tell him you were going to face Bowser on your own? Did you honestly think we'd allow that?"

"Honestly, I didn't think His Highness cared much one way or the other, so long as he was brought to justice-"

"And how do you plan to accomplish that? You may have gotten your strength back, but you're out of your mind if you think you're gonna be able to take him down yourself! He's like, ten feet tall easy-"

"Princess, I appreciate your concern, but this will be so much easier for you if you don't worry about what I'm doing and focus on keeping as many as you can safe. If I'm going to bring a battle to someone else's doorstep, it's the least I can do in my opinion."

"But…your arm…he's already crossed the line once, you think he'll care if he hurts you again if you get in his way?"

"It matters very little. At least then I may have atoned for my role in all of this."

It came too easily, like a line he had drawn time and time again, only for it to end up erased and forgotten about as soon as the pencil hit the paper. He scribbled mechanically for a bit, periodically scowling in frustration when the numbers didn't add up, and the eraser would hit the paper to again reset the cycle. Computations with a life-span shorter than minutes carried more value to him and it was such an inequality that it rendered her speechless.

"Peach…please don't be angry…"

It was a weird and sudden leap into the realm of informality that didn't quite become him, and while it wasn't an impossibility for him to know her name it was the way he said it with such finality that unsettled her. As if she were cutting into him like that tiered cake she attempted to make for Toadsworth's birthday one year, intricately decorated and fanciful and perfect on the outside only to distract from whatever disastrous concoction laid concealed within a thick layer of protective icing.

Ludwig was just as under-baked. His grand gestures and visions that didn't go much beyond surface level because there simply wasn't room for anything else beneath it, what with him collecting and hoarding his every last thought like a child would a collection of useless trinkets only he could assign meaning to. And also much like a child, he couldn't grasp the concept that every injustice that befell him wasn't somehow his fault.

"I promise I'll be fine. My Lord is…imposing, I suppose. But as you know, he doesn't think things through. He won't be expecting me, and I intend to use that to my advantage-which reminds me-" He finished writing something and circled it, moving with a curious urgency back into the open half of the partially constructed ship with the diagram clenched in his hands.

When he didn't immediately return, she followed to find Ludwig with the borrowed wand in his hands, diagram discarded and two supports where there had only been wreckage before. The task completed, he wobbled a bit, leaning on the interior of the ship like he had been winded.

"It's only temporary, to keep the rest of it from collapsing. Be careful-"

"Me? You should take your own advice, look at you! You've hurt yourself, haven't you? How do you expect that you'll take care of Bowser when you can't even take care of yourself?"

He was stunned into silence, still in the middle of catching his breath when it was stolen from him again and he didn't even protest when she led him back outside. She turned around, intent on reprimanding him further for his recklessness, but his arm jerked out of her grasp more violently than she expected, startling her. His face had darkened and solidified as he straightened himself, all hint of informality erased into leftover shavings that peppered the dirt.

"Nothing I haven't heard before, Princess Toadstool…but look at where I am now. You need me. Don't forget that."

It's the first time he's less than polite to her. He seemed to notice as well, dropping the wand in surprise when it sparked consciously. He sighed heavily, once again raising his arms to his head like the thrum within would not quiet.

"I'm not hurt. Magic just sort of…does that to a person who has not yet mastered it." He explained plainly, and it was as if she had only imagined his frustration but it stuck nonetheless in her mind because she had danced this particular dance before.

This constant back and forth until a single misstep would end the entire show, only for Bowser to come back and start everything all over again like it would somehow yield different results. She watched Ludwig fidget with the bandages around his arm that were still there and had to wonder what else he had taken from Bowser when he left.

"Is that why you won't heal yourself?"

"…Partially. It's not simple. That sort of magic is difficult to pull off successfully, it's quite intricate work…or at least it would be if I had the energy. I don't have any to spare if we're going to repair this heap of lumber on time. It'd be a waste, putting energy into my recovery only to lose the energy I'd need to maintain it…the whole process is a net zero when it makes more sense to let the bruises and scars just fade on their own-"

"But how can you ensure that they'll heal correctly?" She pressed because she knew that he was aware of what she was actually implying, and that she wasn't going to accept a seminar as a response because it wasn't the information she was interested in.

"You can't. Plainly, because nothing is guaranteed, but also this: they are you. They may be ugly to look at, but the external comes and goes, and when it goes, it fades right back into where it came from. These things tend to hide awhile until the next thing comes along to drag them back to the surface, but they never go away because they are a part of you. That's why it's nearly impossible to heal oneself with magic. It's basically telling your body to transform into a state it's never known for more than a few seconds before."

He'd have to actually want to transform, to change, to…why didn't he want to heal?

"So His Majesty is a magic user, why not ask him?"

"His Majesty hasn't known a day of conflict in his life, apparently. There's been no need for him to learn anything extensive. Besides, there's a lot more to it-he doesn't know me at all. That's an immediate physical roadblock, and even though there's nothing internal to fix, there's a difference between making the marks disappear and actually healing you know. It's like putting a bandage on top of it to hide it, but it's still there, just hidden. My mentor always said that nothing can truly be healed without both wisdom and love, never one without the other…but…honestly I think he was just saying that to make it seem as though there were more to it than just being naturally talented so it never made me feel any better about…I'm sorry, I think I've forgotten what I'm going on about-"

"Your mentor sounds a lot like my father." She couldn't help herself and giggled softly to herself despite the fact that it probably wouldn't mean anything to him.

"I'm assuming that was a compliment but, yes…I wish I hadn't left without him. He taught me everything I know, and this is how I repay him…"

Ludwig's stomach grumbled, and his shoulders dropped like he had just remembered how exhausted he was.

"Let's just forget it. I know you probably think I'm weak and defenseless, but I assure you, there's nothing further from the truth. I've survived much worse than Lord Bowser, and there's nothing you can say to change my mind on the matter; I'm going to fight for what I believe in whether you stand with me or not."

"No one said you were either. But you're still recovering, and we don't want you to get hurt. Survival is a pretty low standard to set. I don't care what His Majesty says, I'm not letting you face him alone, without a wand, no less!"

"I don't need a-"

"Ludwig, you need to stop arguing-"

"You want to confront him just as badly, don't you?"

It was a blow that she hadn't anticipated, and in one fell swoop, the questions she had silently badgered Ludwig with turned on her ruthlessly, swarming her with unwanted thoughts until they ripped right through to the root of it. How he had so effortlessly managed to flip the conversation upside down onto her should have unsettled her more than it did but she figured that he was sick of his mere existence being examined from every angle that he finally dished out a taste of her own medicine.

She saw that cell, smelled the dank, metallic odor that coated every fiber of her clothes that took her weeks to properly clean…anguished roaring echoing raucously off of every conceivable surface, bouncing endlessly long after he left until it burrowed into her…

The ordeal never left any visible marks on her body, but she found herself immediately, thoughtlessly screaming in agreeance with him despite it only being the end of a point he was attempting to make. He must have known…it was how he could know that was setting off her alarms.

"Maybe."

He appeared to sense her discomfort and immediately softened, placing his hand on her arm.

"I understand." There was no arrogance in his tone, just an amused kind of empathy that made her feel seen. "Just don't get in the way."

It was good enough for now. Stalemate was more promising than total destruction because it meant he couldn't win either.

"Well! Maybe I'd be able to hold my own if you just teach me whatever magical nonsense you think'll be enough to stop an entire army at the head, hmm?" She feigned offense, and he laughed, despite his weariness.

"It's going to work. But if you're actually interested in learning, I'm sure anyone out there could teach you better than me. You've got a good heart, Princess, that alone will get you far. It's often said that magic is an extension of self, and I suppose if you're philosophical like that, it really matters what you choose to do with it."

"Does it make a difference?"

"Personally, the world is too complicated for such broad terminology. Definitions vary from person to person, very little is universal but wisdom. What you choose to do with it is up to you."

"And love. Never one without the other, right?"

A shy, but warm smile broke out on Ludwig's pensive face.

"…right…"

She shoved him in the direction of the castle and he stumbled a bit before he was able to recover.

"Well this has been enlightening, but we'll have to continue this discussion later. I believe you have some crew members to catch up with, right? You need to eat something, or else your health is only going to get worse."

"Well, I almost ate dirt if that's any consolation…not sure how beneficial that would have been to my health."

"You're just being overdramatic. Now, go on! Oh-!" She pointed to the wand still lying on the grass. "Don't leave that laying around. It's going to get broken if you keep forgetting to return it!"

"Like I could possibly forget. His Majesty can't so much as see in the dark without it." He joked as he bent to retrieve it.

The sun was setting now, and the shadow from the partially-built ship loomed over them, a testament to how far they had come in just a few days. But like the ship, she had to wonder if that distance was actually significant, considering the structural integrities littered within. The fixes were quick and efficient, but temporary and tenuous. Maybe she shouldn't be arguing with the guy with the technical diagram who had all the numbers on his side because it wasn't her area of expertise, but it wasn't like she didn't have valid reasons to be concerned when his own design had collapsed on him twice.

Still, time wasn't in their corner so she decided like the others that there was little time for concern when there were so much else against them. Still, she watched Ludwig disappear into the castle before she could remember to ask him why Bowser had bothered preemptively burning his arm if he wouldn't expect to find him here.

---

The night was surprisingly vibrant, perhaps even jubilant in the face of the ticking clock and she didn't know whether or not it was rude of her to be a bit restless. Still, it was all too easy to slip into the warmth of everything when the music meandered through the air until it found itself coiled around her soul. She hadn't been this carefree in a while; thoughts that would drag her down outright abandoned on the dance floor that inexplicably carried her. The engaged encouragement from the crowd of toads around her was like helium, and she floated for songs at a time until she remembered where she was again.

The ship was completed much quicker than had been initially anticipated-a cause for celebration unto itself-but with so much left to do in order to prepare for the impending invasion, she was stunned at the king's insistence that they make use of the wasted décor and take a night off to finally welcome her properly. His advisor had been overjoyed, and she suspected it was likely that he had spearheaded the entire thing as he tried to talk her into the idea as well.

She wanted to decline because it wasn't the most practical idea, but she also knew well the fanciful customs of the Pipe Kingdom, and couldn't bring herself to refuse when they had already planned for her weeks in advance only for it to have been ruined by Bowser of all people. Everyone seemed so happy despite the dour situation they had been thrown into, and though it read like flippancy at first, she came to see how blatantly obstinate the gesture had been, to be smile and laugh in the face of danger like it was just another stranger on the ballroom floor.

The music faded, and she grinned as the king from his perch clapped with a great manner of enthusiasm, his advisor flashing her a quick thumbs-up before turning back to their cheerful conversation. Spirits were high, and the toads seemed to surround her all night, begging for her to dance with them while her body just begged her for a break before she passed out in front of everyone…she really didn't need to give Toadsworth more reasons to be embarrassed of her if she ever wanted to travel alone again…

The musicians geared up to begin once more, and though they incessantly tugged her in the opposite direction, she managed to shake the toads for long enough to escape the sprawling dance floor. She glanced around the vast space in search of refuge, but her gaze settled on a swaying silhouette that lied just beyond her, tangled in the adjacent balcony's supports until a sudden sharp plunge attracted her attention.

He had already righted himself again by the time she made it outside.

"Ludwig, are you okay? I saw you-"

"I…I shouldn't be here…" He just mumbled.

He looked an absolute mess; his bruises were persistent, now looking dark enough to have been angrily scribbled into his skin, his burns and scars all the more prominent because there was nowhere for them to hide. His health had taken a sudden and frustrating turn for the worse over the last few days despite his previous improvement, but he stubbornly refused to rest even now, as the project he drove himself so hard to finish had been completed.

"What?"

He leaned himself up against the stone railing of the balcony, looking off in trepidation towards the Pipe Yard as the festivities blared behind them. His breathing was jagged and short, and he held his head in between his hands like it would keep the focus from leaking out of it.

"I…I should be out there with my crew, guarding the international pipes…we've lost enough security as it is, what with this…ridiculously premature celebration that's going on-"

"I thought so too, at first. But you don't think what we've managed to pull together in such a short amount of time is worth a little commemoration? You deserve to be here too-I think you should be more proud of yourself, you know."

Ludwig seemed to reluctantly ponder it, but his mouth clamped closed before anything else could manifest.

"Besides, Bowser isn't due to crash the party until next week, right? I'm not gonna let him take the rest of this one away from me too. And you shouldn't either. He's taken way too much from us already, right? So go! Get in there and…well, I guess you can't really dance in your condition…but at least socialize or something! Enjoy the music-"

"…I can't."

"Wh-oh, come on Ludwig, this is practically your domain-" She stopped herself short when she saw how he was looking at her.

A smile hung loose across his lips but it appeared like an afterthought, like a banner for a homecoming that never came to be. His eyes spoke volumes of encyclopedias she would never get the chance to read but she somehow felt the pain behind them without ever hearing a single word. His inhale was a slash to the lungs, but he never exhaled because that meant pulling out the blade.

"My mother used to play…I've heard four songs already that she…and…Princess, I can't."

Through it all, his strained macabre smile remained like it was something he wanted her to remember. Perhaps it wouldn't have been so frightening had it not been the most genuine, raw confrontation she had faced in quite some time, and accordingly, her body and mind froze in shock before the sympathy flooded in to thaw her out.

"I…I'm sorry, I…"

"Lord Bowser has taken much from you, and for that I apologize…but…I can't say the same. He's given me everything…I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him. I didn't know what to do without my parents…I don't know what to do now without…what should I do…?"

The music in the background was unfittingly weightless for the question he had asked her. It wasn't like she knew how to answer him anyways, but it still grated on her as she tried to think of something profound, or even mildly comforting to say to someone who had stood on the opposite side of her bars once like it was the opposite end of the planet.

"I…also lost my parents when I was young. My mother was always sick, and she didn't last much longer after I was born. My father fell ill soon after that…I never really knew them. I know it isn't exactly comparable, but I know what it's like to carry that emptiness inside, to never have anything that quite fits the same…I love the man who raised me like a father. He's given me more than I could ever ask for but it's normal to have days where it wears away at you more than anything."

"…It never goes away, does it…?"

"No. But neither do they. They live on through you, and though I never knew them, I'm confident they would have wanted you to finish what you started. And I'm confident you've made them proud."

He looked away again thoughtfully, gripping the rail with both hands like it was the only thing that kept him from swirling away into the void. His tone was sharp, vitriolic, and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

"…not yet…I wouldn't expect you to understand…"

"…You sound just like him, like Bowser…you keep telling me I'll never understand when I'm trying so hard to because you're afraid I'll actually get it, aren't you? I don't know why you're both so angry with me for my ignorance but as soon as I start figuring you out a bit you slam the door in my face! I'm not asking you to divulge everything, just…why do you hate me for something I can't control? Why can't you just be honest with me? I'm only trying to help-!"

"You don't think I know that? I-I wish you would have never come here, Princess. You're trying to heal a wound that's already been infected, there's nothing you can do! If you really cared about helping us, if it really destroyed you to see what we've become…your kindness cannot be repaid when we have been left with nothing. Especially when we've only taken from you."

He was trembling, and the music swelled inside along with the merry voices but they sounded weird and distorted once they floated outside like they were only memories.

"It's like this butchered rhapsody that never ends…I had hoped you'd never have to even hear of it but then you go and insert yourself right in the middle-"

"Well, if Bowser didn't want me in his business, he shouldn't have made it my business in the first place. I'm not a prisoner anymore. If I want to dance, I'm going to dance."

The silence was punctuated by his shallow breathing and an occasional note that was inexplicably louder than the others that only served as a shock to the senses, reminding them that they still existed.

"I really did try to help you…Bowser is seriously misguided, his anger rampant. He has no right to do what he's doing and I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive him for what he's done already but…I know he's doing it for you. For all of you, he must be. He wouldn't have reacted the way he did if he didn't care about you at the very least. Don't blame yourself. You couldn't have asked for all this to happen no more than I could have possibly known about it."

"My Lord knows that now…though its likely he became convinced of your innocence somewhere along the way. He said he forgave you ages ago, which I think was his own way of saying he's sorry, maybe even bitterly regretful-"

"Well a lot of good that does me now…that still doesn't explain why he's decided to take it out on the Pipe Kingdom. Are they not also innocents? Or did he finally decide that his selfishness took precedence because he couldn't stand to see others thrive without him-?"

"What Lord Bowser could not stand was to see others suffer because of him. But there is no easy, clean way for love to prevail where immense hatred and paranoia are so deeply rooted. He did not sow the seeds, but inherited the land abundant in nothing but destruction. 'His-Decadent-Majesty' of the oblivious Pipe Kingdom could not understand that, and try as you might, you'll never be able to grasp that either because you don't know what it's like. You don't know him-"

"I know him about as well as I please to. I thought you understood that. But I'm curious as to why you insist on defending him after every awful thing he's done, to me, to you…why do you shield him from the consequences when you owe him nothing? He's marching towards us right now to confront you and you think he's going to protect you? That he won't abandon you as soon as he's beaten? You can barely stand as it is, so why are you standing up for him?"

He snapped around like he meant to say something, but he only stared at her firmly despite his feeble hold on her arm. He was irrational, angry, small, hurt, tired, lost…a mix of qualities he had done his absolute best to hide from them until now and it was like she was looking at an entirely different person. There was a weird sort of momentary serenity to it as they melded into cognizance together, a hauntingly isolated melody behind them that she couldn't fathom why it was so unsettling to her until she came to realize how unused she was to being alone.

Her entire life Toadsworth had been over her shoulder, and while it annoyed her to no end at times, she didn't know what she would do without him. Just like Ludwig hadn't known what to do without his parents. He had been alone, left to stew in someone else's mess because he had nowhere to go, littered with scars both visible and invisible because he wasn't equipped to deal with them yet. She hadn't been either, truthfully, but when the nightmares came she knew that Toadworth would always be there for her, even if he wasn't her real father because it never mattered in the first place. Family was family, in whatever…form…it…

His face contorted into a sort of humorless smile, like he had been found out despite no one ever looking in the first place. He allowed his body to sag as he exhaled, almost as if mortified, and his eyes widened in anticipation as hers did in realization.

"You know what it is to love. It's just…like that. It sands out all the blemishes until the illusion becomes too slippery to stay…but…you know that already, don't you? It's something all of them wouldn't be able to figure out on their own. Still, we must do what we must do…"

Oh.

The world felt lopsided, and she wasn't sure if it was guilt or sadness or just an overwhelming premonition that something was wrong because she shouldn't be hearing this. She had wanted honesty and she had received it, so why did she feel worse? It shouldn't have been shocking, she had all the pieces, but it was more like completing a jigsaw puzzle blind only to discover a gruesome scene, in front of you the whole time, that only elicited more questions than answers to the point where nothing felt complete anymore.

"You…he…?"

He quite suddenly erected himself once again as the music faded away to reveal footsteps. Still, his demeanor became contrite, wringing his hands as he stared off towards the Pipe Yard.

"I wish you would have never come here."

It was all he said before the old advisor interrupted them.

"There you are!" He bounced exuberantly to the thrum of a completely different tune, throwing his arms around them both in a gesture that felt like getting shot in the face point-blank with confetti. "Head inside, quickly! His Highness is making an announcement!"

He gave Ludwig a soft jab to the shoulder with an elbow, practically hoisting him up so they could amble back inside together before he had any time to protest. He looked over his shoulder at her and shot her a wrinkled wink that beckoned her to follow, but never checked to ensure she was actually following, too invested in Ludwig to divert his attention. As such, she lagged behind a moment, when throughout the evening it had been too loud to catch, she heard the general rowdiness emanating from the Pipe Yard, as if its occupants were celebrating in their own little way.

A sudden flash from that direction caught her eye, and the sky above it burst into a colorful display like a premature firework. Vague laughter and jeering followed, and though she was too high up to hear anything specific, it sounded like the toads who had graciously volunteered to take watch that night were gelling with Ludwig's crew members quite easily, as the mix of tones reverberated. She was surprised to see it, but not as surprised as Ludwig had been when he'd heard it, and he was nearly too far away to see but he craned his neck in that direction anyways. The old toad paid it no heed, swept up in his own little world as he frittered excitedly, and the two disappeared into the throng after Ludwig finally stopped dragging his own feet.

The king had already begun to speak but whether he chose to focus on the past or the future as most grandiose royal speeches tended to do, she couldn't focus on either when there was so much going on around them in the present. Maybe she was being paranoid, but every subsequent sound she heard rattled her, like at any second she'd look up and he'd be there. It was stupid…Bowser was coming anyways and she'd have to face him sooner or later because she wasn't about to cower when she needed to be strong. Whatever version of him that Ludwig was accustomed to wasn't coming. This one was out for vengeance, no matter who stood in his way.

The castle was defenseless still. She told herself her worries would be assuaged in the morning when Ludwig was himself again, scraping out of the past like their kind so often did when the sun rose. When he had time to reorient himself to the tasks that still needed to be completed because nothing seemed to ironically unnerve him more than stagnation…then she'd apologize for this whole conversation and try to figure out a better way to get acquainted than reliving the worst parts of each other's lives.

There was a cheer from inside that drowned out any further noise, and she blinked, happy to have been knocked off of that frequency before she could crash head-first into the nearest stone wall. Curious, she followed the sound into the ballroom, which remained as warm and inviting as it had been when she had broken out of that radiant bubble.

"-ahead of schedule! Tomorrow we will begin work on fortifying the castle, but tonight, we welcome as well as celebrate the wonderful Princess Toadstool for her efforts to organize this resistance!"

All eyes locked on her and he subsequently spotted her immediately. He stretched his arms towards her, and motioned for her to come forward and join them atop the platform where his advisor and Ludwig both already stood. She didn't even have time to wonder how the old man had even managed to drag him up the stairs before the clapping and roaring began again and movement felt like fording an icy river upstream. Somehow, she found herself next to Ludwig, who fidgeted with his bandages like he would have rather been anywhere else, where the light didn't strike him as harshly.

"Thank you, Princess. I apologize that these were to be the circumstances of our first meeting, but I am grateful nonetheless for your presence, and continued support. I know my father would have been immensely indebted to you for your unwavering commitment to the freedom, prosperity, and peace that he so dearly valued. These gestures will not be forgotten."

She just nodded grimly, bowing her head respectfully but otherwise keeping her solemn ruminations to herself lest she ruin the king's good mood over little more than paranoid speculation. He just smiled and continued on.

"And Ludwig…well, you must forgive me, what with the state you're in…"

The toad all but shoved him forward, and he ran a hand through his hair as if he were pulling himself upwards.

"But you are a shining example of perseverance in the face of incredible strife. You have made many sacrifices for the sake of justice, and for that, we honor you, in addition those who could not be here with us tonight. I was not overly familiar with your parents, but they both have contributed in invaluable ways to the growth of this kingdom, and it is just as well that their son should follow in their footsteps. May they note your accomplishments with pride, and may the wisdom they've imparted upon you serve you well."

His face burned red where it had been pallid moments earlier, and he bowed like he was inspecting a stain in the carpet.

"…Thank you, Your Majesty."

The old advisor stood him up and steadied him, gently smiling in an attempt to calm him, but despite his silence, they could see how tightly he clenched his fists. He placed both hands on Ludwig's arms to brace him and spoke softly so he'd settle into them.

"Your mother and father were always so protective of you. They couldn't bear to have you out of their sight for a moment…I always figured that was the reason I saw less and less of them as the years went on. I've often wondered about you…whether you'd ever return, what kind of a person you would grow to be…but now you're here and I couldn't be more pleased. Still, as an old friend, I owe it to them to at least try to keep you safe for them."

He looked expectantly at the king, who then turned to the masses that strained to hear words that probably weren't meant for them. They weren't meant for her either, but they hadn't given her much of a choice.

"As a token of the Pipe Kingdom's gratitude, in recognition of your extraordinary resilience, and in celebration of your achievements, I will be henceforth entrusting all matters of construction involving the magical talents to you. And, when the hour approaches, I hope you will find this wand to be useful in battle. Bowser must be stopped, and if you must be the one to do it, then let it be in the knowledge that you are not alone. We stand with you, always."

With that, he pulled the wand from his robe and held it aloft in Ludwig's direction but he only stared blankly at it like he still hadn't processed what had just transpired. The toad nudged him gently and Ludwig blinked up at him blearily like he had just woken up.

"Go on…" He encouraged lightly.

He hobbled a short distance, awkward muted laughter rippling through the sea of toads because the silence was deafening. The wand sparked as soon as it had been deposited in his hands, and she found herself edging towards the end of the platform unconsciously. Ludwig raised his arm to allow the spark to flow upwards, and it hit the ceiling with a flash but as soon as it had appeared it was gone, leaving only a blast of noise from the collision in its wake. It was enough to attract attention, and the room suddenly flooded with curious toads who had retired early from the festivities in order to investigate.

The sound reverberated ruthlessly inside her head, and she found herself squeezing her eyes closed in order to focus on driving it out, but in her blindness, another refrain made a home there amidst the scrambled discordant keys.

Laughter.

It wasn't skittish or apologetic or awkward or even joyful. It was the kind of laughter that manifested when crying took too much out of you.

"I…I'm sorry. It's just…" Ludwig wheezed as he recovered. The advisor moved to him, likely to steady him again, but he was gone, blue mist shrouding the platform where he had been seconds before. He reappeared a distance away, just short of a table like he meant to land there but couldn't quite manage it. He climbed up himself, sitting over the edge so that his legs swung lazily.

"Well…that's a bit of a lie, now isn't it?"

The king and his advisor stared at one another, dumbfounded. She took the opportunity to run down the stairs, and she knew things were beginning to sour when Ludwig appeared to blatantly ignore her.

"What-?"

"But I suppose I shouldn't expect you to stand for me when you never even stood with my parents. It was a lovely sentiment though, Your Majesty. Unfortunately for you, I'm not as dumb as you think I am. How dare you glorify yourself like this? You never even bothered to know them, but you knew they were going to die and still you did nothing but apparently promise to honor their memories before they were EVEN DEAD-!"

"What is the meaning of this? What are you talking about?"

"…Ludwig…" The advisor attempted to talk him down, but Ludwig was unraveling now, tears shining in his eyes she hadn't noticed until the light caught them. He turned his attention to the old toad with nothing but contempt in his glare.

"You're even worse. At least His Highness only pretended to care. They gave you everything but you still chose to turn your back on them when they needed you the most. How could you call yourself a friend if the only value they ever had to you was the work they put into your job? You're pathetic."

She was completely numb, waiting for her turn but it never came. It was like she was in another room entirely watching Ludwig rub his eyes raw, his breath rattling as he lifted that two-ton weight from off of his chest. The crowd was ominously attentive and silent.

"Ludwig, you must tell me what I've done to upset you, you aren't making sense! I…I know you must be exhausted and stressed, especially in your state of health, and there are better times and places for these discussions, but whatever it is you accuse me of we should resolve it immediately, we haven't the time for this! If we fracture now, we'll never stand a chance against Bowser's invasion-"

"Sire-"

That laughter again. The king continued to sputter and she closed her eyes again because she had been here before. She knew what came next.

"You imbeciles still haven't figured it out, have you? You're too late! It's over! You've already been invaded!"

The declaration didn't procure as profound a response as she expected, and though there were some toads, along with the king and his advisor, that shuffled frantically, the vast majority of the crowd looked frozen stiff.

"You-! You lied! You lied about everything-!" The king raged, only held in place by his advisor who wrenched him back with a surprising amount of strength. Ludwig smiled back like he was on his last legs but nevertheless amused.

"I only told you what you wanted me to say. Whether or not you deem it deceitful when it no longer suits your 'peaceful' narrative requires introspection on your end. But you'll forgive me, I don't really have the time or the energy for illusions anymore. You see, I'm not as alone as you wish I was, but the question remains…are you?"

The Pipe Yard.

The realization struck them suddenly when they recalled who had been guarding it that evening.

"It's a hopeless feeling, isn't it?" His tone was casual, nearly patronizing, but there was a dark undercurrent that carried from across the room. "Though you brought it on yourselves, I'm just saving you the trouble really, ridding you of hope now. It's one of those things that hurts more the longer you cling onto it only for you to discover no one ever missed you in the first place. I wouldn't lament over it too much though; those kingdoms too will fall, in time."

"What are you all standing around for? Seize him!" She had never heard the king raise his voice, no less outright scream, but it was like watching someone yelling through a thick glass window as he tried to reach a number of toads who stood apathetically in the chaos around them.

Ludwig scoffed, but said nothing, pulling himself up into a shaky stance that radiated defiance. He opened his arms in a silent invitation but the toads all looked at him and at one another with hesitance. A smirk snaked its way across his face, his point having been made.

"Even now, you refuse to get your hands dirty-"

"Ludwig, you must listen-!" The old toad shouted in desperation, and she watched something awful bloom into his expression like he had been secretly cultivating it all this time. He went ignored as the king's voice boomed over his.

"Traitors! All of you! Do you not understand?! Bowser will take this kingdom if you do not act now!"

"Technically, they cannot be traitors if they were never on your side to begin with. The only traitor I see, 'Your Majesty', is you."

"Ludwig, stop! He doesn't understand-!"

"Bowser isn't taking this kingdom, you fool." Ludwig's breathing was erratic and mismatched with an expression so dangerously calm. "I am."

He raised a quivering arm, and he cried out in a mixture of anger and pain as a giant blue wave released from the wand, tearing through the ballroom like a shockwave. The impact knocked her off balance, and she had to crouch to stay upright. As such, her vision was limited even after the mist dispersed, the only sound perforating the air were gasps akin to those one would make after finally fished out of the water, finally pulled out from under a crushing weight that squeezed the life out of them slowly. More intriguing that they seemed to belong to Ludwig, and as she finally looked up to survey the scene it was then she discovered why it was he had been so sickly.

The volunteers were gone, nearly all of them replaced with a member of his own army. He couldn't heal because his energy was being siphoned by a constant charade, the only days he seemed to be doing well were days in which the castle was a lot quieter…he had always been hiding in plain sight because he knew their expectations were grand.

The toads that remained were rightly terrified, staring up at their king helplessly though there was nothing he could do. There was no way out, no flaw in the system because they had orchestrated their own demise. The mob parted, allowing Ludwig to approach the platform that the dejected king had taken a seat on, perplexed and defeated.

"…why…? How could you do this? Your parents wouldn't have wanted-" He whispered numbly, his stare aimless.

"Don't speak of them. It isn't about what they wanted. It's about what they deserved…what you deserve."

"I…I still don't know what I've done to deserve this…"

"Ludwig…please. You're making a mistake-His Majesty is innocent, he didn't know-! You don't have to do this-!"

"Someone has to do something. 'His Majesty' chose to sit as useless as one of his garden's potted plants while my parents were killed in their attempt to escape, their pleas gone ignored as they tried to prevent when was going to happen…as I and others fought to survive in the aftermath, as we struggled to rebuild…I know his kind. You sit like a beautiful decorative flower in the soil atop collective ruin like an insidious weed, with all your talk of peace and diplomacy on the surface knowing full well the consequences you wreak underground, but you don't care one way or the other, so long as others admire you. In truth, you're nothing but selfish, hoarding resources and necessities from those who need them, passing it off as charity when all it's ever been is thinly-veiled superiority."

"They never warned me of anything-I didn't even know they were dead until you told me-"

"I grow tired of this. I don't have any more breath to waste on your ignorance. Better to just let your actions, or lack thereof, speak for themselves. Thank you again for your hospitality, Your Highness. I won't soon forget it."

His wand raised again, pulsing steadily like an angry throb, she begged her body to move but she found she was stuck in her makeshift hiding place on the sidelines, her worst fears realized.

"No! It was-!" His advisor moved like he meant to intercept Ludwig himself, but was promptly tackled to the ground by the nearest soldier. She gasped loudly but no one paid her any attention, as if she were merely an afterthought.

He struck with a rapid flick of his wrist, and the same layer of thick blue smoke emanated from the gem at the top, enveloping the king before anyone had any sense to even cry out.

The layer peeled away like a horrible curtain, and where there had been a king before, jovial and proud, there stood now a simple piranha plant, absently tearing up the metal of his crown with its teeth like it was little more than scrap.

"His father…it was his father…" He finished, repeating his truth like it would fix everything if only someone would hear him. It made no difference, as he could do little more than wheeze with another soldier pinning him to the floor.

Ludwig buckled and his cronies scrambled to catch him before he hit the ground. In the panic, she caught the old toad's desperate glance, pleading with her to listen while they were distracted.

"…Prin…go…first pipe to…right…" He rasped. She shook her head, and balled her fists. She had just watched this all happen from the confines of her mental prison, the least she could do now that she was free was take a stand…even if it was useless.

"Please go. Get…help…" She was straddling the line between fight and flight, and though Ludwig's exhaustion bought her a little time, it still felt like being slowly torn in half. His conviction had a measure of practicality to it though, and much as she would have liked to stay to help, she knew as soon as she heard the distant whir of blades followed by the crack of a cannon that she stood no chance alone. She needed them…the Mario brothers…they'd fix-

She turned on her heel and ran out the side doors with unparalleled speed before Ludwig could recover.

If the ship was operational now, that meant the Pipe Yard would be easier to sneak into. First pipe to the right…

She didn't know where it led but anywhere was better than here.

The door was thrown open, and the pseudo-wind caused by the disturbed air currents blew her hair into her sweaty face, causing it to stick. She was far from the graceful portrait she had been at the beginning of the night, but she was sure Toadsworth would forgive her so long as she managed to get home safely somehow. The thought of her surrogate father sharpened her focus. He was in no state to protect himself or anyone from an invasion.

Success was paramount. Everything else would trickle in afterwards, just as it had always done.

The last thing she heard before the stone switched to grass under her as she tore out into the open night air was a vaguely familiar bellow that shook the very foundations of the castle itself. The impression was impressive all the more when blood had nothing to do with it.

"WHERE IS THE PRINCESS?"

She bitterly supposed it was just as well that a son should follow in his father's footsteps.

---

Y'all I have been holding this in since December.

Bless all of you for making it this far with me, it means the world.