I apologize for the enormous wait, I tried posting earlier but I couldn't get any wifi :x

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to

Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving

me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!

I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,

but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this

story to make it more interesting.

I also don't own anything related to Naruto.

Chapter Two

"Luigi."

"Luigi, wake up."

I turned on my side away from the direction the soft voice was coming from and tried to hold onto the last bit of the dream I was having. It was no use, especially not when the person started shaking my shoulders. I groaned a bit and rolled on my back. To my surprise, I felt a bit of weight come down on my lap. That made my eyes flip open and I blinked up at Daisy's smiling face. Still clad in her sleeping clothes she was, in a pair of cotton shorts and a shirt. She bent down and kissed my cheek.

"Yo." The girl greeted.

"What time is it?" I croaked.

She glanced over at the nightstand and I was surprised to see her cell phone atop it. She reached over and pushed a button to make the screen light up and told me it was only six in the morning. I groaned again. Daisy laughed and folded her legs on either side of mine before plopping down fully on me. I rose on my elbows and faced her.

"Why are you up so early?" I asked.

Daisy told me, "We have to go meet with the Council in an hour."

"Oh yeah." I murmured. "So that's who those people were?"

She nodded and said, "They've been ruling since Ludwig left."

"I thought you said there was a group of generals." I half-remembered.

She shrugged and said, "That's true but the Council always stands behind whoever's in charge."

"Oh." I said, then flopped back on my back.

I did not feel like getting up this early. My body was still tired from the journey here and I wished I could just turn on my side and go back to sleep. I'd closed my eyes when I felt Daisy shift again. I felt her run her hands under my shirt, over my chest, and cracked one eye open.

"Daisy?" I spoke in question.

She just smiled coyly and told me, "We do have a whole hour. There's other things we could get up to."

The girl bent her head down and laid a kiss on the middle of my torso. I felt my body tense at the fluttery sensation of her lips and knew I was starting to become more alert. I sat up and took her by the wrists, then kissed her. She certainly was in a better mood today. I guess that meant she wasn't as worried for her friend anymore. That was good. I didn't like seeing her anxious.

And I do like it when she gets like this, I added to myself.

Daisy wrapped her arms round my neck and I let my hands settle over her hips and she tilted her head and I kissed her at that angle. We kept at it for a few minutes more before she sat back with an impish grin.

"We better stop," She stated reluctantly.

I nodded and said, "Yeah, I guess."

She moved off my lap and I was slow in letting go of her smooth, curvy waist. While she headed to the closet, I went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth and pretend the girl hadn't woken a sleeping beast inside me. We got ready in under thirty minutes, since I only had to throw on some black pants and a shirt. Daisy wore a pair of teal jeans, her slim leather boots, and a white shirt with lace patterns all over it. She brushed her hair and left it down and we both headed to the door.

"We'll be early," I said as we walked down the hall.

Daisy shrugged and said, "That's good. It's better than being late."

We got to the conference room before anyone else and I held the door open for my princess. She ducked under my arm and I gazed at the inside of the room: stiff blue carpeting, grey-tinged walls, elegant gold-plated cones that held torchlights in them. It was a nice room. There was a portrait on the wall opposite the door, it was a picture of Chai Kingdom. I could tell from the imposing gates and huge wall. In each corner of the room there were white columns that held blue vases of white lilies and violets. In the center of the room was an oval-shaped wooden table with chairs pulled up to it. It was here that Daisy and I took our seat. She sat in the middle facing the door, so I came and sat at her right. It wasn't even a full minute before the Council came filing in.

"Good morning," Daisy greeted.

They all nodded politely at her but didn't smile or speak back. Leading them was the stern, golden-eyed woman from yesterday. They surrounded us at the table and this woman cleared her throat.

"I trust you've had your rest, Your Majesty?" She solicited.

Daisy nodded.

"Good." The woman stated. "Now if you don't mind, there's some things we'd like to discuss."

"Go on." Daisy encouraged.

"There is, of course, the obvious matter of your return." The woman began.

"What of it?" Daisy asked.

"Do you plan to stay?" The council woman asked bluntly. "And if so, do you plan to rule?"

"Yes and yes." Daisy answered with a nod.

"Since that is the case," The woman spoke, "We'll have to ask that you give your word to remain here in the country until you've either renounced your throne, have been expunged by the Council, or have passed on your birthright to a future heir."

At that I thought about the Council and how much power they seemed to have. Not only could they demand the attention of the princess, but apparently they could decide if she could rule or not. That was interesting. I didn't dwell on the part about an heir. That was a matter for a private moment.

Daisy didn't hesitate before responding to what had been said. She sat with her back erect and her countenance solemn.

"Under penalty of treason, I give my word I'll remain here." She told them.

Penalty of treason?

The council woman glanced at her counterparts and shared a few hushed words. They spoke and glanced our way a few times before addressing their princess again.

The stern woman said, "Very well. I expect you'll be able to attend to your duties at once, then?"

"As soon as I've been briefed on the state of affairs here in Chai and the other kingdoms." Daisy replied.

The woman nodded, seemingly pleased. She then turned to me and I couldn't tell how she felt when her feline gaze lingered on my person.

"May I now ask what the nature of your relationship is with this young man?" She asked Daisy.

The girl glanced at me and answered, "This is Luigi. He's my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?" The woman echoed, then turned to me and asked, "And will you be staying as well, Master Luigi?"

I nodded.

Another of the council members suddenly peered at me closely, scratching his balding grey head curiously. He nudged another council member and they began to talk amongst themselves again. Even the golden-eyed woman pitched in a few quiet words. After a moment, the elders turned back to me.

"I say," the man from earlier spoke, "Aren't you Luigi Mario, brother to Mario Mario?"

I nodded again.

Now the woman's gold eyes alighted and she asked, "Is that so? In that case, there is something we would require of you, if you would accept the responsibility."

"Okay." I spoke, intrigued.

The woman said, "We are prepared to name you Commander over a new division of troops that will deal solely with affairs pertaining to the Dark King."

"What?" I blurted. "Me? Commander?"

"Yes." The woman nodded once. "There will be but five score individuals under your leadership. You would have authoritative liberty to enlist them in whatever project or mission you see fit."

"I can't do that." I frowned, "I've never even been in the military before."

Another council member with thick black brows said, "But you have dealt with the Dark King in close combat on multiple occasions, with and without your brother."

How did they know that?

"Still," I argued, "I've never lead anyone before."

The most experience I had in the military area was when I went to boot camp in high school, and in the leadership area, well; I was almost certain leading troops and babysitting a handful of kids wasn't the same thing.

"For this positon," The gold-eyed woman continued, "There is none more qualified than you. But as I previously stated, it's up to you to accept this role or not."

"If it will allay your anxiety," One of the other councilman spoke, "You will have access to elite military instruction while you are here."

Okay, I thought, that doesn't sound too bad. And they do have a point; if there's anyone who knows what it's like to face Bowser, it's me and Daisy. I would say she's a ton more qualified but as princess, there's no way she'd have the time to do this.

"I accept." I declared, which again seemed to please the gold-eyed council woman.

She said, "Wonderful. We'll see to it that one of our generals meets with you to further discuss your duties. Do you have any other questions?"

I shook my head since none were forthcoming.

The woman then turned to Daisy and asked, "Princess? Is there something you would like to bring up?"

"No." Daisy replied after a moment of thought.

The woman said, "Then I declare this meeting adjourned."

The Council stood, bowed to Daisy, and left the room in the same orderly fashion as when they'd come in. I glanced at Daisy and blinked.

"Commander?" I spoke, then added. "A step up from plumbing and the pizza parlor, I guess."

Daisy grinned and said, "I'm sure you'll do great as a leader, Luigi."

She then stood and took my hand. I gave hers a squeeze and asked where we were going now.

"To the dining room." She replied, then said, "I don't know about you, but I am famished."

Two redheads walked into a bar. One older and with a slight frown on his face, and the other only a few years old and with a curious expression alighting his features. Junior held his father's hand as they entered the tavern. It was a small establishment in an even smaller town in a remote country that no one would ever think to find the ostentatious Dark King. He'd contacted one of his allies as soon as he left the former safe house and had set up a plan for them to meet at this precise location.

Should have picked a dumpster instead, the royal thought with a sneer, it would probably smell better than this place.

He ran a hand through his thick red mane and stepped past the double doors of the tavern. He'd traveled on foot for only a few miles before robbing some unfortunate soul of their horse and now the king glanced behind him at the surrounding woody area. He'd tied the steed to a tree. Besides his gold medallion, the silk pants on his legs and the steel-toed boots on his feet, the king had nothing. His son was clothed in a bit more garments, what with his black silk vest, grey shirt, and black pants. It went without saying that the boy didn't have on any shoes.

"What's in here, Daddy?" Junior asked, his large jade eyes blinking rapidly.

Like his father, the child had to get used to the significantly dimmer lighting in the bar. Bowser cringed at the broken glass and spilled food and sticky liquids littering the wooden floor of the place. Without thinking, he reached back and picked up his heir, settling the boy on his back. Junior wrapped his arms around his father's neck and sighed because he didn't think he'd get an answer to his earlier question.

The Dark King narrowed his gold-flecked eyes as he searched the crowded tavern for his ally. Dozens of other pairs of eyes met his, but they didn't have the gall to stay locked on those sharp jade eyes for long. Even those who weren't aware of who he was seemed to fear Bowser. Something about the way he carried himself exuded dominance and strength, not to mention he had no shirt and so his rather adequate physique was on display.

"Who you looking for?" Junior then asked near his father's ear.

Bowser cringed a bit but didn't answer the boy. He took even steps towards the back of the bar, pushing chairs and tables and even other patrons out of his way.

Where is he? Bowser thought irritably. He had a very special way of contacting this particular person, so he knew they'd be here, it was all a matter of finding out where exactly they were.

There, the Dark King thought as his gaze zeroed in on a figure wearing expensive clothing. The man was in the very back corner of the bar, sitting at a table for three with his feet on the table and his chair reclined. Bowser made his way over to the man and pulled out his chair. He then plopped his son down in the seat to his left and Junior's red-haired head didn't even come up to the edge of the table. At their arrival, the other figure slung his feet down and put his chair on all fours.

He was a lean man, with tailored black pants and chain links on his leather boots and a fine, royal blue dress shirt on that seemed to shine as if made from water. He, too, wore a chain round his neck; a gold one with thick links. Over his shirt he wore a black jacket that trailed down to his ankles and was pushed up to his elbows, which gave sight to dark markings on the pale skin of his forearms.. A faint smirk crossed his pale mouth at the sight of the Dark King, but it was the five-year-old he addressed first. Facing Junior, he leveled the child with his icy blue-grey eyes and smiled.

"Well look who's grown," He spoke in his soft, accented voice.

Junior tilted his head but didn't recognize the man. Bowser glanced from his heir to the man with the long hair. Long it was, down to his shoulders. It was tangled and had a wet, stringy look about it but it was shiny and much softer than it appeared to be. This man ran slender fingers through it and leaned forward in his seat.

"So is there a reason you've sought me out?" He asked of the king.

Bowser told him, "I have a job for you."

The man leaned back at once and snorted softly. Already he was disinterested. He folded his arms across his chest and Bowser cocked a brow at that.

He said, "There's something I'm looking for."

"Then you should have called my brother," The other man replied.

Bower told him, "You are the better hunter, Nikolai."

"I know," This Nikolai spoke with a smirk, "But I'm not with the League right now. I've been on a more personal crusade for the last few years."

"Oh?" Bowser prompted.

Again Nikolai smirked and said, "I'm looking for something as well. A special little treasure that seemed to have gotten away from me."

He glanced beyond the Dark King and his stormy blue eyes seemed a million miles away. Bowser frowned and lifted a red brow again.

"Right," he drawled, "Forget I asked. What's it gonna' take for you to come out of commission?"

Nikolai tilted his head and let a sigh out through his nose. He narrowed his eyes and drummed his finger on his arm. For minutes he didn't speak, which caused the king to exhibit a rare show of patience in this instance. His son had taken to staring at his feet and swinging his legs while the two adults conversed.

"You could help make my job go a lot faster," Nikolai spoke at last, cryptically.

Bowser frowned and asked, "How? If you can't find what you're looking for, what the hell could I do?"

"It's not a problem of finding this…treasure of mine," Nikolai shrugged, "It's a matter of getting my hands on it."

"So what do you want me to do?" Bowser asked flatly.

"Are you still in contact with Tamaryn?" Nikolai asked with sudden interest.

Bowser rolled his eyes and said, "I could be. Why?"

"I want you to arrange a meeting between us." Nikolai requested.

Now Bowser just scoffed and said, "She hates you."

"I know," Nikolai sniffed, "Not that it's any fault of mine."

"Yes it is." Bowser smirked. "And you know she can hold a grudge for ages."

"I know," Nikolai said again. "But I also know that she'll listen to you, so get her to meet with me. I need something from her. It's of the utmost importance."

"Whatever it is, she's not gonna' give it to you." Bowser predicted with an amused smirk at the other's expense.

Still Nikolai persisted and said, "Just arrange a meeting between us and I will be at your service."

"Serve me first," The Dark King amended. "And I'll make sure you get what you want."

"On your word?"

"Of course."

Nikolai smiled broadly and it wasn't a pleasant sight; he had four sharp teeth in each corner of his grin that made him appear wolfish and predatory.

Nikolai and the League he was affiliated with were long-time allies of the Dark King. He knew he had nothing to lose by first hunting down whatever unfortunate creature Bowser had in mind. Nikolai knew the king would hold to his word because this was an alliance the royal just couldn't afford to lose.

"So." The immortal remarked. "What am I looking for?"

For Lemmy, the last few days had been hard. All of his siblings were gone and so was his best friend. The palace was eerily empty without anyone around to run things. Most of the servants either kept to themselves or made arrangements to leave for good. Lemmy tried to busy himself with sneaking around and spying on people, but that got tiresome after a while. And exploring the palace was a lot easier now, but it just wasn't as much fun without the Crown Prince by his side. Like always, Lemmy had sought out the Mistress when his stomach went to grumbling and a meal was provided for him. He sat at the table he and Junior used to play at and ate his cheese, bread, and apples in silence.

I wonder why everybody left me behind, he wondered forlornly.

The seven-year-old crunched on the juicy red fruit and pushed his multi-colored hair out of his eyes. It'd gotten thicker and there were more green and yellow strands than any other color. He reached forward and picked up his kid-sized cup. Like the rest of the table and the floor around his bare feet, there was flour coating the base of the cup but Lemmy didn't mind. There was already dirt stains on his clean white shirt and white silk pants from when he'd been down in the training room practicing his magic and the moves Ludwig had taught him. Lemmy didn't particular enjoy the strenuous regimen, but it helped him feel a bit closer to his missing older brother in a way. He'd climbed on MJ's weight set and sat and listened to Roy's boom-box and had wandered into Wendy's room for the same reasons. He really missed his siblings.

"I'm not sure, little one."

Lemmy stopped sipping at his cup of water and turned to stare in the direction of the Mistress' voice. She'd spoken to someone and for a second, he'd thought it was him. That was what she called him, anyway. But Lemmy hadn't said anything to begin with and he soon heard someone's voice talking back to her. Lemmy couldn't tell who it was because their voice was very soft and quiet. The child rose from the small table and walked over towards the side doors that would lead to the servants' quarters. He meandered past fallen dish rags, spilled ingredients, and other hazards. When he got to the door he saw the bottom of Mistress' white skirts. Then he saw who she was speaking to.

"IGGY!"

The thirteen-year-old was taken aback when Lemmy crashed into him. The child hugged his brother's middle and buried his face in Iggy's white cloak. It smelled like fire but looked brand new and had a silver ring with lime green stones holding it at his throat. Iggy's bright eyes widened a bit as he gazed down at his baby brother and he lifted a fine green brow. He'd changed. Not only was he a bit more muscular from what Lemmy could feel, his stomach was harder for one, but his hair was thicker and very neatly combed. He'd cut it so that the front locks curved under his chin now and the back was shorn close to his head. It suited him and his pale, delicate features.

He bent down a bit and patted the top of his younger brother's head, sparing a faint smile for the child. He then nodded at the Mistress and led Lemmy by the hand out of the kitchen.

"Iggy, where were you?" Lemmy asked, his voice echoing through the empty palace.

"It doesn't matter," Iggy replied vaguely. "I've come full circle."

All the leads King Boo had given him turned out to be outdated or not as useful as he'd have hoped. No one was to blame there. Iggy had then decided to return to the palace in the hopes of finding some kind of clues about his origins in the library or the king's study or the archives room, but he'd searched the place and had come up empty. He'd went to the Mistress as a last resort, hoping she may have heard something through the years. He had no such luck. Now he was at a loss of what to do.

I suppose I could go back to King Boo, he mused, then thought, for what? He's already told me as much as he could.

"Where is everybody?" Iggy suddenly asked, stopping in the throne room.

Lemmy told him, "Gone away."

Iggy then asked, "Gone where?"

"Lu had sent Wen and Larry and Roy and MJ away," Lemmy answered. "I don't know where they went but they've been gone for a real long time now. And Lu is gone, too. I don't know where he went at all."

Iggy pondered this and narrowed his eyes. He'd not heard anything about his siblings being sent off and wondered if they were in the other world that Ludwig had promised to send them.

Not hardly, Iggy then figured. It's more likely he had them doing something pertaining to our training. But I wonder where he is?

"What about Bowser Junior?" Iggy then asked.

He'd only asked because he was used to seeing his brother and the prince together all the time. Now he witnessed Lemmy's expression turn crestfallen.

"B-Jun left with his daddy."

"Excuse me?"

"He and his daddy left." Lemmy repeated.

Iggy frowned at that. He knew who Junior's father was, and he also knew when Lemmy was fibbing and when the boy was telling the truth; this appeared to be the case of the latter, which only confused the porcelain-skinned adolescent. He furrowed his brow and then shook his head. He decided in that instant to take his quest in a new direction.

He started heading for the entrance doors and heard his brother come running up behind him. Lemmy grabbed his hand and made Iggy stop and regard him patiently.

"Iggy, wait!" Lemmy pleaded. "Don't leave me here by myself!"

Iggy's eyes softened and he took Lemmy's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He smoothed his brother's hair with his free hand and smiled faintly again.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He told him fondly, "From now on you stick with me."

Lemmy grinned and asked, "Really? Where we going?"

"You'll see. Come on."

A/N: That's all for now, thanks for reading! There's much more to come so stay tuned. And don't forget to leave a review and tell me all about what you think and what you liked or disliked.

So Bowser and his son are legging it, King Boo has Ludwig under lock-down, Daisy is about to start running things in Sarasaland and Luigi's about to get real busy real soon with training and commanding some troops. We still have to check in on Alicia and Mario and the others to see what they're up to so look forward to that.

By the way

Can anyone guess who Nikolai is and what he's looking for? I'd love to hear your guesses.

Until next time!

~DymondGold~