Three things: I now have internet at my house for a month so that means more steady updates [hopefully], I tend to use words that aren't really actual words, but you can pretty much understand what I mean [like accusatorily] and I love you guys and girls!

That is all :)

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 if you see me throw a little of that, too.

Chapter Seventeen

Stolen though they were, the blankets did the trick in suppressing the blistering chill up in the higher reaches of the mountains. Consequently, the fallen royal who'd snatched them now profited from their use as he lay on his side atop a pallet of comfortable pillows-also stolen-fast asleep. He'd been that way for many hours, much to the disappointment of his son. Five years old and full of energy Junior was, and he wanted to spend time with his sire having fun, actual fun, not the terrorizing he witnessed the other day. He glanced around at the plethora of swiped goods and sighed. None of these things interested him; not the piles of pretty but useless jewelry, or the stacks of clothes, or the blankets and pillows. The food had kept him busy for a little while, but he grew tired of eating as his stomach was only so big and he still had a childish aversion to vegetables. Having exhausted his view on everything else in the cave, Junior now turned jade eyes onto his father.

He don't want me to mess with him when he's sleeping, the child knew, but perhaps listlessness made him bold because he found himself crawling on hands and knees over to where the former king lay on his back.

Junior stared down at his sire and tentatively pulled the satiny sheet down from the royal's head, down until his face and chest were revealed. Then the boy gave his father's shoulder a gentle prod. When nothing happened, he poked his father again. And again. And again. And aga-

"What?" Bowser growled, his eyes still closed and a light frown etched into his features.

Junior sat back on his heels and put his hands in his lap, saying, "Daddy, wake up!"

"What do you want?" The older redhead croaked in sleep.

"I um, I want to play with you." Junior stated. "I wanna' go and do something fun."

Bowser snorted and rolled onto his side with his back facing the child. He frowned again when he felt small fingers tangle in the back of his thick red hair, giving them a light tug.

"Junior." He spoke in warning.

"Come on, you gotta' wake up!" The boy insisted. "I jus' wanna' do something with you."

"Find something to do on your own." Bowser snapped, swatting away the child's hair from his head.

Junior pouted and said, "But-"

"I don't want to hear it!" The king barked. "I told you not to fucking bother me when I'm sleeping, didn't I?"

"...Yes, but-"

"Then don't. Bother me." Bowser hissed with finality.

Pouting again, Junior stood and contemplated prodding his father in the ribs with his bare foot. As if through some kind of paternal telekinesis, one of the fallen king's hand whipped around to ensnare the offending ankle before it even got close to him. Junior jumped and retracted his foot quickly but lost his balance in the process and fell onto the pillows he'd been sleeping on. He collected himself and shivered in his new clothes; they were warm, but he refused to wear any shoes and that was proving to be slightly detrimental to his well-being.

I guess I have to go by myself then, the child thought, disheartened.

He stood and picked up his new jacket and pulled it on, then stepped right past his shoes in favor of plucking his hat from the ground. It was also stolen, right from another child's head, and had ear flaps and an interior that was lined with fur. It did well in shielding his bright red locks from view and keeping his slightly freckled face warm. Junior headed to the mouth of the cave and cast his father one last longing glance before heading down to the city. It was a longer walk for him now that his father wasn't carrying or leading him.

By the time the boy reached the quiet town, his feet were completely numb and icy to the touch. Junior stopped at a random brick building and observed them with confused and slightly frightened eyes. He bent down and poked at them, then made a face.

"Ow!" He cried, frowning.

He did what made sense to him and sat on the ground, then wrapped his hands around his frozen appendages. Willing a bit of heat to pool at his hands, he felt his feet begin to thaw under his palms. He smiled in relief as the pain receded and feeling returned to his wiggling toes. When those feet started to sweat, Junior released them and stood, then went on his way to explore the surrounding city.

"I don't understand."

Hn. That makes two of us, Roy wryly thought while off to the side with the girl to whom he was betrothed. She was unusually perturbed and fidgeted constantly with the sleeves of her billowing white blouse.

"Did I do something to offend her?" Ariadne spoke quietly, casting a nervous glance at the other female present.

Roy also glanced briefly at the dark-haired young woman still sitting at the small table on the patio. She had one leg crossed over the other and held her back erect, perfectly poised. But there was a distance in her eyes and demeanor that came off at best as aloof, at worst as disdainful or proud.

"Rex?" Ariadne spoke unsurely in her soft voice.

She'd laid a tentative hand on his bare bicep and he looked back at her. Ariadne then removed her hand and pushed her wispy blonde hair behind her ears and then continued fidgeting. Roy sighed.

"Honestly, I don't know what is going on." He told the king's niece.

Per her request, the three of them were having lunch near the palace gardens. It was a sunny day as usual, but it was relatively cool out and the view of the flowers and shrubbery was quite nice from their stone table on the patio. But what started out as a peaceful shared meal between three young people devolved into that state of awkwardness they were all becoming familiar with, the more time they spent around each other. Normally Ariadne would smile politely and bear the enigmatic champion's silence and his concubine's borderline hostile stares with stoic diplomacy, but it was only natural that she began to tire of it. Roy didn't see what Ariadne saw, he was barely attentive on a regular day but today he was especially preoccupied.

"Perhaps you could talk to her?" Ariadne suggested.

"Hm?" Roy murmured, already thinking of something else. He then added quickly, "Oh, yeah. I'll talk to her, yo."

Ariadne nodded and gave him a small, apprehensive smile in thanks as they headed back to the table. Eriana gazed at them both in turn; for Roy she held more interest and Ariadne grew visibly uncomfortable as she shifted on her feet and glanced pointedly at the only male among them. Roy nodded to her and faced Eriana.

"Come on, Eriana." He spoke, "I need to talk to you right quick."

Very willingly the girl rose fluidly from her seat and followed Roy off to the side. He stepped behind a particularly tall hedge, out of sight and hearing range of the king's niece, and appraised the older girl.

Like Ariadne, she wore a garment of light, flowing material. But where the blonde had herself covered in a blouse and shorts of decent length, Eriana donned a sleeveless, sand-colored romper that ended in cuffs mid-thigh and cinched inward at the waist. On her arms she wore gold bracelets similar to the ones on each of the Champion's upper arms and a gold link choker in the style of Roy's own chain. She'd pinned her unruly curls up at the back of her head and wore a bit of makeup that highlighted her dark eyes in gold and light brown hues. Her eyes were on her hands as she toyed with one of the rings on her fingers.

"Are you alright?" Roy asked her gently.

It was the closest he'd come to a follow-up inquiry since the other night. Eriana was acting like that night hadn't even happened because she was back to her normal self again.

"I'm fine, Rex." She replied, looking up to shut thick lashes over her eyes in a couple of coy blinks.

Roy frowned and asked, "Are you sure? I mean-"

"I'm okay." She answered a bit more tightly, but her smile was quick and even oblivious Roy could tell it was forced.

He figured he'd not push that issue and instead pursued another. Folding his arms at his chest, he leveled the girl with a serious stare.

"Alright," He stated, "Then what's up with you and Ariadne?"

"…Nothing?" She spoke, feigning confusion.

Roy didn't catch that and genuinely believed her to be ignorant of his implications. He then dropped his hands and skimmed his fingers through pink hair that, due to weeks without a good trim, had grown a bit shaggy.

"She thinks you don't like her," He told Eriana. "You know what that's about?"

"No," Eriana replied, but the way she glanced down at her sandal-clad feet was a very telling sign that she wasn't being truthful.

Roy said, "Eriana, come on. I kinda' see what she means. When we come around her, you act all…stuck up or something."

Defensively Eriana declared, "I'm not stuck up."

"Then what's your beef with her, yo?" Roy persisted. "She's a nice girl and she tries to be nice to you so what you got against her?"

"Nothing." Eriana responded coolly, her features closing off.

Roy didn't know why this girl reminded him so much of his sister, but her behavior now hearkened back to the days when he and Wen argued and she would just shut him out. He wanted to figure out why Eriana was acting this way so, like in his experiences with his sister, he decided to strike a nerve, knowing it might get him hit or yelled at.

He asked in a low voice, "Are you acting this way 'cause…that is, does this have something to do with what you were telling me about with the-"

"You said you wouldn't talk about it!" Eriana cried, predictably and accusatorily.

Roy winced at both the girl's jump in pitch and the hurt expression that washed rapidly over her lovely face. He held up his hands in a placating manner and tried to explain himself.

"I know what I said," Roy told her, "and I won't say no more about it, but I just wanna' know if this has anything to do with what you went through. I just wanna' understand, remember?"

Eriana still looked somewhat distressed but she let her bottom lip slide between her teeth and nodded.

"So it does have to do with…" He trailed carefully.

Again she nodded.

"But what does that have to do with Ariadne?" Roy asked her.

"The sooner you marry her, the sooner you won't need me anymore." She spoke in a tone that was small and bore a trace of shame.

Saying that aloud sounds a lot worse than in my head, Eriana thought. And I suddenly feel a lot less justified for snubbing her kindness now; it's not like she can help that she and Rex are set for an arranged marriage.

Roy looked pensive and Eriana took that moment to speak further on the matter.

"I didn't mean to be rude to her," She confessed, "But I just really don't want to go back to…"

Her tawny skin paled at the thought of what awaited her were she to ever return to her temporary home of four years. She shivered in the remarkably hot weather and held herself in a manner that was altogether insecure. She didn't look at Roy because she was still not comfortable with the idea of getting chummy with the girl who would be the reason for her leaving, but at the same time she didn't want to pin the blame on Ariadne.

Roy scowled upon hearing Eriana's words and watched her stand there, looking vulnerable after having admitted these things. He took a deep breath and then calmed himself for her sake. He reached down and took her chin gently between his thumb and index finger.

"Eriana," He spoke softly, "I would never even think about sending you back to that hellhole. You ain't going nowhere, you hear me? Nobody's getting' rid of you, no matter what."

He'd locked eyes with the girl and the intensity in his green ones conveyed how serious he was about this. Eriana blinked and nodded against his fingers and then glanced down. He lifted her gaze back to his once more.

"And another thing," He now spoke with an edge. "I swear I'll hunt every one of those fuckers down and make them pay for what they did to you, alright? That's a promise, Eriana."

"No, Rex!" Eriana spoke in a panic.

Her face reflected her sudden worry and she grabbed at the young man's arm.

"What's the matter?"

"Don't do that!" She warned him severely. "Just leave it alone, Rex. The slavers are dangerous and the masters are worse. I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

Roy snorted and said, "Don't worry 'bout me, Eriana. There ain't nobody stronger than I am."

"Rex, please." Eriana begged, beseeching him to back down from his bold claims.

Roy took care in taking her hands off of his shirt where she'd bunched the white fabric under her grip. He stroked the back of them with his thumbs before setting them at her sides. When he moved to leave she stepped in front of him.

"Don't go," She implored one last time.

Roy stared down at her and she could see from the way his eyes were narrowed and his mouth was set in a faint scowl that he'd made up his mind. Still, his features softened for her and he held both hands at her waist and leaned down to kiss the top of her curly head.

"Eriana," He said, "Go to my room and wait for me. I'll be right back."

"You promise?" She challenged, knowing he had a good word.

He said evasively, "Just wait for me."

He didn't look back to see if the older girl had followed his orders or not but he hardly cared. He had one thing on his mind and was determined to see it through. However, Ariadne was still sitting on the patio, so when he made his way to the doors that led back into the palace, she was hot on his heels.

"Did you talk to her?" She asked Roy eagerly.

Roy grunted and let that suffice as an answer, not knowing that he was wearing his vengeful anger on his face. It disturbed Ariadne to a great degree and she blocked his path much in the same way as Eriana had earlier. Roy rolled his eyes.

"What's the matter, Rex?" Ariadne asked worriedly. "You don't look so good."

"I'm alright." Roy answered curtly. "I gotta' go."

"Where?" Ariadne pressed.

"Into the city. Roy replied.

"Without an escort?"

"Don't need one."

Just move outta' my way, woman, he wanted to shout at her, but his good breeding inhibited the words from leaving his mind. He instead tried to sidestep the girl again. This time she let him, but stared after him with a troubled expression.

Roy didn't make it very far before he was impeded again, this time by his retainer. The man informed him that the king wanted to see him in his study immediately.

Man, I ain't got time for this, Roy scowled. He didn't want to, but he set a course for the king's location at once because he did respect the man enough to honor his wishes, even though he felt his own personal mission was way more important.

He was just walking into the study when the king shut a big binder with crisp, ink-filled pieces of parchment between the two covers. He greeted Roy with a broad smile, never minding the fact that the young man didn't return it. He gestured for Roy to have a seat across from him on an odd bench that was shaped like a camel. Roy stepped from the doorway, across the floor that was dusted with sand, and sat in between the faux-camel's gold humps. It was an uncomfortable and gaudy seat but Roy just frowned and decided to tell the king about it later. He wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

And knowin' him, there's probably some story behind this ugly thing, Roy figured.

The king stood, left behind his gilded, cushioned chair, and leaned on the front of his desk with his arms folded. One finger tapped on his own elbow as he regarded the younger male with another anticipatory grin.

Won't he just get on with it? Roy was itching to just bullet through the door already. But he remained still and waited for the king to speak. His fondness for Roy almost bordered on creepy, seeing as how he was smiling down at him for several seconds on end.

"I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time with my niece and your concubine." The black-haired man spoke at last.

Roy shrugged.

The king further stated, "I at first found it odd, to have them both in your company at once. That is, do they get on quite well?"

"I guess." Roy answered, knowing it was a bit of a stretch. "They get along alright."

"Odd." The King remarked again. He gazed to the right out his window and said thoughtfully, "Though it is unorthodox, I find the relationship between the three of you to be quite charming."

"Okay."

"So I've taken the liberty-"

Here we go, Roy braced himself, knowing there'd be some obligation attached to that. He'd been in Arid Kingdom long enough to know that by now.

"-to set up an enchanted carpet ride for you across the country." The King finished. "Everything's been handled save for the date. You may choose that, Rex. I would advise you go as soon as possible, however, while the whether's fairly tolerable. Wouldn't want you or the girls to suffer the heat." He chuckled, his brown eyes twinkling.

Roy just said, "Alright, that's cool. Is that all?"

"What day did you have in mind for your trip?" The king asked him.

"I don't know, tomorrow?" Roy didn't really care.

"Tomorrow's a fine day," The king praised. His tan face crinkled in mirth as he said, "Seems a bit romantic, eh? Just you and your two special ladies, sailing the skies-"

"Is that all?" Roy asked again.

Shit, I ain't mean to be rude but he's gonna' run his mouth all day if I don't stop him, the teenager worried.

The king just gripped the desk's ledge behind him and asked curiously, "Am I keeping you from something, Rex?"

"Not really," Roy replied, "Just gotta' take care of something."

He didn't want to be vague for fear the king would think it wasn't important and thus launch into another conversation, but at the same time Roy didn't want to give away the details of his intentions because he had a pretty good feeling that what he was about to do was probably illegal.

"Oh?" The king tilted his head in interest. "What is it? Perhaps I may be able to assist you."

"I don't think so." Roy spoke evasively.

He placed a hand on each of the camel's humps on either side of him and stood, then headed for the door before the king could say anything else.

From there Roy strode brusquely towards the palace entrance and was determined not to let anything else stop him. He heard dozens of people calling out to him as he power-walked, but he just tuned out everyone and everything around him. His gaze grew hard the closer he got to the city's gates, and his anger increased steadily. The only thing that could knock him so soundly out of his vigilant mindset was the sound of his own name.

His real name.

Nobody knows my name here except...

Roy stopped in the middle of the busy bazaar street and swung his head to and fro, searching furtively for who'd yelled his name. He didn't have to look for long, for his eyes snagged on a familiar crop of blazing blue hair.

"What the..."

"Finally!" The much shorter person huffed. "You act like you're deaf or blind or something! Didn't you see us? Didn't you hear us calling you?"

A taller, sturdy-built young man came up and added, "Yeah, we were trying to get your attention Roy."

Roy blinked but the two males didn't vanish, so they really were there in Arid City. The question was, why? He stepped back and a slow smile grew on his mouth in spite of himself.

"Why aren't you two in your own kingdoms?" He asked his brothers.

MJ had smiled a little when Roy did but now he looked serious as he replied, "Well, long story short, they kinda' kicked us out."

"They didn't kick me out." Larry piped up. "I was smothered out by my retainer."

"Smuggled," MJ corrected, only knowing better because of all the books he'd been reading lately.

He then turned to Roy and scratched at the side of his star-shaped scar. He wasn't donning his henge. Nor was Larry. Roy didn't count that as a good sign. He thought about asking why they were kicked out of their kingdoms, but he figured that would lead to a long explanation and he didn't feel like listening to all that.

So he instead asked, "Why did you come to me?"

"Is that a skirt?" Larry blurted.

Roy looked down to where his little brother was pointing and so did MJ. Besides his open white vest with the country's crest emblazoned in gold on the back of it, Roy also wore a pair of light white pants and over it a garment that did sort of resemble a skirt in that it covered the top of his pants, front and back. However it, like the red sash slung around his waist, was a traditional piece reserved for royals of the country and he bore no shame in wearing it. Besides, it was hardly something to be bothering about when there were bigger issues on the pink-haired boy's mind.

"So why'd you come?" Roy asked his other brother.

MJ asked gravely in turn, "When did you last hear from Ludwig?"

"Ludwig?" Roy frowned. "I don't know. It's been a while. He came by here once, but it was a long time ago. Maybe a month ago? Why?"

MJ glanced down and said, "Some people think he's dead."

Immediately Roy snorted and said, "Yeah right."

"You don't think he's..." MJ doubted.

"He's alright." Roy surmised. "Most likely. He's probably just hiding out somewhere."

MJ nodded, his secret fears having been allayed for the moment. He trusted Roy, Roy was the next oldest and if he said Ludwig was okay, it meant there was probably nothing to worry about.

Now that the biggest concern of his had been dealt with, MJ began to notice his hunger. It'd been a long journey from his kingdom to Arid City, and that was without getting lost. Double that time and it was no wonder the food he'd packed for him and his brother disappeared so fast. He now wanted a big meal and a warm bed. It would seem Larry was feeling the pangs of hunger, too, because he gripped his stomach under his white shirt and made a face.

"I'm starving!" he complained, then gazed up at his brothers and asked, "Can we get something to eat?"

Roy ignored him and asked MJ, "Have you heard from Wen?"

"No." MJ answered slowly. "Not a word."

"What about you, pipsqueak?" Roy addressed Larry. "You heard from Wendy?"

"Hey!" Larry squawked, then responded, "No, I didn't."

His stomach growled and he made a noise that was partly a whimper and partly a groan as he tugged on his cloak. The thing was tied around his own waist, much like MJ's, because they'd found they no longer needed them once they reached the sandy country.

Of MJ Roy asked, "Did you two come all this way just to ask me 'bout Ludwig?"

"No," MJ answered. "Could we stay here with you? I don't know what's going on with Ludwig and, like I said, the people where we were pretty much turned on us, so..."

"Yeah, yeah." Roy nodded. "Y'all can stay here, I guess. I just wish I could get in touch with Wendy."

"Have you written her?" MJ suggested.

"Loads," Roy answered, "She never writes back."

Larry glanced between his talking older brothers and shifted from foot to foot impatiently. He was hot and tired and hungry, he didn't want to stand around any longer. He tapped MJ on the arm but the boy absently swatted his hand away.

He said to Roy, "Maybe we could visit her."

"She lives all the way out in the jungles." Roy explained. "We wouldn't last a day going through those parts."

MJ nodded and said, "What about if we teleported?"

"None us ain't never been before," Roy pointed out. "Don't you think I thought of all this already? It's hard enough convincing people to send my letters to her, the scouts only go 'cause they like me so much."

MJ nodded soberly and then asked, "So you were serious in that letter? They're treating you alright?"

"More than alright, they-" Roy began but Larry tugged at his pants.

"Roy, I wanna' eat!" He cried, tired of being ignored.

"Yeah, we can talk later." MJ said. "Can we head to the palace now? Or wherever you're staying, that is."

"It's the palace," Roy affirmed softly, gazing ahead in the distance.

He started to remember why he'd come out in the first place and then his blood started to boil once more. He narrowed his eyes and thought about sending his brothers to the palace while he went ahead on his way. But he knew he couldn't do that. The guards might seize the two as trespassers and call them liars if they tried saying they were his brothers; lots of people claimed to be related to the Champion in some way. And even if they were able to get in, they'd still have to be shown around and someone would have to explain the situation to the king.

Roy sighed.

"Come on, yo."

A/N: If I can't update again today, something is seriously wrong, haha. I don't work so I'm totally free and there's no better way I'd rather spend my day off than writing, listening to music, and reading so I hope you enjoyed this and stick around for more.

I'll try and post some Ludwig if I get around to him, but we'll definitely hear from Luigi, Daisy, Bowser [again], a very disgruntled doctor, and many more characters.

-oh yeah, please review, pretty please!-

Until later...

~DymondGold~