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 Eighteen

Sessions and stations. I got the idea from Zair, who was still working on wrangling some military officials to help train my troops. Without proper instructors, I couldn't tackle anything related to combat or interrogation, but I knew enough about living off the land to start on that. Being on the run with my brother, interacting with nature, it wasn't as tough a subject for me. Zair did manage to get some low-ranking leaders to come in and help me plan how the next few days would go, though, so I decided to split everyone up into groups of five and have them rotate at different areas. This session would last about a couple weeks at most, since time was of the essence and it was best to get everyone trained as fast as possible; the sooner they were ready, the sooner we could face Bowser.

And what we'll do once we face him, I don't know.

But one step at a time, I guess.

Behind the barracks we were, scattered among the clearings and thicker areas of the woods, learning about wildlife and survival skills. We were all learning, me included because I spent my time with one particular group, rotating around as they did. I stuck with them because they were the only ones I knew so far and they were proving to be an interesting bunch. They were also quite skilled, as they were finishing every task before it was time to move onto the next station.

Such was the case now.

This wasn't really a station, it was just an area the group chose to take lunch in, and even that they'd done quickly. The spot was in a clearing with soft, dry green grass and an overhead view of the bright, high-noon sun. There were dark green trees all around and no one else in the vicinity for yards. I guess that's why some people in the group felt comfortable enough to talk amongst themselves. I sat a little away from them, for the sake of their privacy, but I could still hear every word as I ate from the burlap sack all the troops had been handed. Inside it was bread and cheese and fruit and cake with a canteen of water thrown in. Very simple, but pretty filling. I was almost done and couldn't help but cast frequent glances at the group members.

Sitting with one leg propped up at the knee and the other stretched ahead was Portia, the opinionated young woman with the pale skin and violet hair. Next to her was Lise-Marie, with both her long black hair and her brown legs tucked under her. To her right was another young woman with voluminous red hair and vibrant pink skin and eyes, and across from the females was Troy, looking put-out. None of them were eating, but the young man closer to me was; I forgot his name because he hardly opened his mouth and the others didn't acknowledge him. He was short with bushy brown hair and freckles.

Kinda' reminds me of Daisy's cousin Meech, I noted.

I thought about those two for a moment, but another bout of conversation brought my attention back to the others again.

Troy was saying, "I don't see what it is I did wrong."

"You're doing it right now." Portia supplied with a smirk.

He frowned at her and said, "Please stay out of my business. I don't get into yours."

At that the dark-eyed girl snorted and shook her head. Next to her, Lise-Marie smoothed her fingers over the coarse lunch sack in her lap. She seemed to be diligently ignoring the other two while the pink-skinned young woman watched them all from under thick, red lashes. She brought her hands up to her head and took her hair down from its ponytail and began combing through it, pretending to fix it back into the style when I had a feeling she was being just as nosy as I was.

Troy leaned back on his hands with his legs crossed in front of him. He was much slimmer than I first thought, though he wasn't skinny. He tilted his head back and gave and a small breeze stirred up his curly hair. He was staring at Lise-Marie.

"You know, Deanna's the only one who can't talk here." He spoke with his eyes on her.

Deanna, I realized, watching the redhead blink upon hearing her name. She was mute, I'd found out, but she and a few other people around her communicated through some fashion of sign language. I wasn't sure if the bushy-haired guy was mute or just incredibly quiet.

I saw Portia frown and ask Troy, "So what?"

"So it's only good and decent to answer somebody when they ask you something," Troy stared at Lise and replied, then added with a slight sneer towards Portia, "Not that I was talking to you."

Now Lise-Marie lifted her head and settled her nonchalant gaze on Troy, saying coolly, "First of all, that wasn't a question, it was a statement. An audacious one. Second of all, I wasn't and am not about to dignify that ludicrous claim with a response. And lastly, if I have anything to say to you, Alexander Troy, trust me: I will let you know."

The sting of her words was worsened when she stood and left the area with her long hair trailing the ground and brushing over Troy's shoulder as she walked. She didn't see him take a few strands and let them slide between his fingers because her back was turned and she looked incredibly peeved. But Portia and Deanna saw, and the latter blinked slowly and lifted both brows with an amused lilt to her light pink lips. Portia also thought that was funny, whatever it was that just happened, because she started laughing. Indignant, Troy rose to his feet and sent a withering glare her way, but Portia just smirked and shook her head meaningfully. He narrowed his eyes and sauntered off in the direction Lise-Marie left in. Portia stood as well and dusted off her hands on her black pants and came over to me.

"What was that all about?" I asked her.

She held something back in those glittering black eyes when she asked, "Do you really wanna' know?"

I nodded. We had some time before the next station. All I wanted to know really was what had been said by Troy in the first place to tick off Lise-Marie. From what I'd seen of her, the girl was incredibly level-headed and rational and calm, and though that response of hers wasn't an explosion of passion and emotion, it was clear that she was aggravated. And as for Troy, I'd seen him making eyes at Lise all day, so there was no question he was probably interested in her. I'd thought, from being around them, that Portia and Lise were friends, but Lise-Marie seemed irritated with her as well.

Portia plopped down across from me and spread out on her stomach with her chin propped up in her elbows. Like Deanna, her violet hair was tied up atop her head, except Portia's was in a messy purple bun. If there was one thing this girl was not, although undoubtedly attractive, it was lady-like. She gazed at me with those intense black eyes and there was something uncomfortably familiar about her critical stare. Before I could put my finger on it, she began to speak.

"I suppose you know by now that Troy fancies Lise," Portia began. When I nodded, she said, "Well Lise knows it, too, and it really pisses her off."

"Why's that?" I asked, seeing as how he wasn't that bad a guy.

Portia rolled her eyes and said, "It's a long story. They have history together, bad history. Goes back to when they were children, I believe. They're pretty much enemies. Or they were. Troy had a change of heart all of a sudden, he just up and left the country for a few years and when he came back, he was real sweet on her. Lise still hates him, though not as much as she used to."

Here Portia grew pensive and said, "I think the real issue is she just doesn't know what to make of him, you know? You can't spend your life hating somebody and just wake up and decide to change gears without looking suspicious. It'd be like if...the Dark King just up and decided he wants to throw you a party out the blue. You'd think that shit was a trap, right?"

"Yeah," I acceded, then said, "That's actually something that happened in real life."

Portia's expression transfigured from contemplative to intrigued as she said, "Really? What happened?"

I started to tell her about that fateful trip to Bowser's palace in honor of Junior's birthday and how we all should have seen through that, but then Lise came striding back into the clearing with Troy stalking behind her. She had a blank expression on her face but something about how tense she was gave away her apparent anger. Troy was walking close to her but to the side so as not to trample her hair under his burgundy boots.

He grabbed her elbow and cried in frustration, "Can't you see I'm not the same person anymore? I've changed!"

Lise shut her eyes and smoothly slid her arm free of his grip, then took a deep breath in and out.

In a controlled voice she stated, "Seasons change, Troy. You, on the other hand..." She gave him a sharp once-over and shook her head before turning to me.

"Commander, is it not time we moved on to our next station?"

I stood and nodded and told her, "Uh, yeah I guess."

Lise gave a small nod back to me and turned on her heel, heading towards the station in the woods. I glanced at Troy and saw him scowling, but he just blew out a shoulder-sagging sigh and followed after the pretty young woman who'd snubbed him. Deanna also rose and went that way, shaking her head with a private, still-amused smile and Portia whistled. She rolled onto her back and I offered her a hand. She almost pulled me down with her; she was astoundingly strong for her height and weight. There wasn't much to the girl, but she still reminded me of one of the volleyball players from high school. She let her gaze linger after where Troy and Lise had disappeared to while the bushy-haired boy quietly followed his group members.

"They're gonna' end up murdering or marrying each other," Portia remarked before leaving as well.

And though I at first questioned her words, they did give me an idea.

After his thousand-year-nap, the red-haired former King of the Badlands sat up and yawned, showing the world a mouthful of sharp white teeth. He scratched at the top of his head, near one of his horns, and glanced over at the other inhabitant of the cave, besides the spiders and various insects, that is.

Hm. The little monster's asleep, he noticed while gazing at his son. The boy was lying on his side atop his pallet of luxury pillows. Bowser stood slowly so as not to make a sound.

Don't want him waking up and asking me a million questions, the king thought irritably.

He scratched at his stomach, under his shirt, and let the blankets fall away from his body as he ascended. He had a different mindset today, he actually didn't want to cause trouble. Well, at least not in the way he did yesterday. No, today he wanted to conduct an experiment on just how oblivious the villagers were below. To do that, Bowser first raked through his hair with his fingers so that it laid down somewhat towards the back of his head. He then donned a cloak over his stolen clothes and pulled the shallow hood over his head; it just barely hid all but his nose and mouth. He then went over to the spot where he'd dumped all the useless trinkets and picked up a tiny sack of gold he'd knicked from someone during yesterday's marauding. Having slipped it into his pocket, he started to head out the cave.

But then he noticed something he normally wouldn't have: Junior's hat was gone. His wild red hair spread about his head like a lion's mane as he lay still in slumber. Bowser just shook his head because the boy was forever losing things.

He dug his hands into his pockets and trekked quietly from the mountains to the city below. He stopped as soon as he reached the first building, for there was something that made him want to laugh.

Well I'll be damned, he thought, almost not recognizing what he was seeing. He used to see them all the time, but that was when he was a great big reptilian beast. Now it took him a moment to understand that, plastered on shop windows and doors and scattered along the ground, were wanted posters. His wanted posters.

"Hey Mister, you looking for something?" Someone asked him.

He'd reached the tavern, now, having gotten there at a languid pace so as to fully 'appreciate' every single one of his posters. He had a smile on his face and that sort of unnerved the guard at the tavern.

In answer, Bowser said, "Just looking for a drink."

"Well them come on in," The burly man greeted, then added warily, "But be on the lookout for this nasty fella'."

He handed Bowser a poster and the king bridled a snort. He took the paper and thanked the man and had this to say.

"If I see the handsome bastard, I'll let you know."

Into the tavern he went, and his good mood diminished. It was alright in his mind for him to indulge in alcohol and to brood or pass the time, but when others did it, it was just distasteful. He scowled at the mass of human men and women loitering about at the many tables, clumsily drinking and eating and spilling food and foul language all over the place. He made his way in silent arrogance over to the bar.

"What'll it be, stranger?" the tall, scruffy woman asked him.

Bowser glanced over her and almost mistook her for a man with long blond hair tied in a low ponytail. But no, under that layer of dirt, that was most definitely a woman with brown eyes and a great way of wearing that white apron around her hips.

But I'm not much into blondes anymore, he thought idly.

"Just give me something light." He told her, wanting to keep a semi-clear head for the day.

She nodded and began cleaning a glass with a white rag. She peered up at him with her back hunched over a bit and pointed at his hood.

"What'cha got hiding under there?" She asked.

"Not a bar of soap if that's what you're looking for," He murmured.

She only laughed dryly and said, "Well you're a right charmer, aren't you?"

"I've been told as much." The fallen king shrugged.

He took his drink a moment later and headed to the back of the establishment. He sat and swirled the drink around and was pretty certain the woman had spat in it when her back was turned to him.

This place probably has lousy spirits anyway, He frowned. His thoughts drifted to Nikolai. The man was a renowned hunter, so the fact that it was taking him this long to procure the clone was beginning to frustrate the old king.

He should have been here by now; it's been too long, Bowser thought, then mused, unless he already has been here. Fucking fool, why did I settle things with the witch so soon? I should have waited until he brought me the-

Bowser scowled hard and sat up, no longer interested in a drink. The place reminded him of when he and Nikolai made their deal, which in turn fueled his suspicion and ire. He didn't know for certain if he'd been betrayed, but just the thought alone warranted a change in scene.

He left the tavern and came upon the old butcher's place. This brought another grin to his lips and his mood improved as he stepped through the half-open door. Like at the tavern, some beefy male was there standing near the entrance. He stared critically at Bowser as he stepped into the fragrant shop.

"What can I…"

The butcher was behind the counter chopping some meat and automatically began to greet his new guest. But when he lifted his head and saw the mysterious person, he grew wary.

"Is there something I can help you with?" He asked in a much less friendly tone.

Bowser shrugged and said, "I'll have some steak, if you've got any."

Now the butcher tensed and narrowed his eyes. Bowser grinned again and reached into his pocket. He pulled out the sack of coins and shook them in the air.

"Would this be enough to cover the cost?" He asked innocently.

The butcher came from behind the counter and took measured steps over to where Bowser had plopped himself down at a table. He took the money from the cloaked stranger, held the weighty sack in his hand, and nodded. He also relaxed a bit.

"You act like you've been burned or something." Bowser remarked.

The butcher gave a bitter laugh and said on his way to the counter, "Yeah, you could say that I have."

"Oh really?" Bowser feigned interest. "What happened?"

The butcher was behind the counter now and wiped his hands on his apron.

He said, "Some hotshot came in here with his kid and ordered a steak. He was a stranger, like you-"

"Oh, I'm no stranger." Bowser lied. "I live on the outskirts of town. Out there with the chickens."

"What's with the cloak, then?"

"Medical condition."

"Oh. Uh, excuse me for asking, then." The butcher backed off, looking embarrassed.

"Yeah, I don't get out much." The king further lied. "So what were you saying about the stranger?"

The hairy butcher blinked as if coming to himself and what was seen of his mustachioed face reddened in anger.

"Oh, right." He continued, "Some crook ordered a steak just yesterday and skipped out on paying for it."

"How…disgraceful." Bowser spoke slowly. He tilted his head as if in thought and said, "What happened to him?"

"He's a wanted man." The butcher replied.

"Properly so," Bowser nodded. "I mean, if somebody were to pull a stunt like that on me, I'd skin their ass alive."

"Hn." The butcher grunted in agreement.

"No seriously." Bowser reiterated with a half-smile. "I'd take a knife to them myself and just flay every. Single. Inch of flesh away from their bones. You know?"

The butcher stared at him.

"Well anyway, I hope you find him." Bowser spoke casually.

"...Right." The butcher said. "I'll go get your steak."

It couldn't be said if MJ and Larry had been well-received by the people of Arid Kingdom or not; their presence wasn't outright protested, at least, so that was a plus in Roy's book. He had enough on his mind and didn't need the situation to become any more complicated than it'd gotten already with the surprise arrival of his younger brothers. He'd taken them to the palace and set them up in their own rooms, then showed them around the entire grounds. Of course he'd had to talk to the king and explain that no, he didn't know how long they'd be staying and no, he didn't know if any of his other siblings were coming and yes, he'd be responsible for them and of course he was still going on that stupid carpet ride tomorrow.

Today.

The day had passed quickly once MJ and Larry arrived because it was now morning and he forgot about what awaited him later on. As soon as he was done not-eating his breakfast, he and Eriana and Ariadne would take to the skies.

At least if we start soon we'll be done soon, Roy reasoned, pushing his food around on his plate.

He sat at the table with the two young women. He was told his brothers were still sleeping and would be taking their meals in their rooms, something he wish he would've done if only to have a few more minutes of sleep himself. He felt like he hadn't slept at all, his thoughts kept him awake most of the night. He couldn't just sleep in the same bed as Eriana without thinking of what she'd told him. She may not have known it, but whenever he accidentally touched her while she was asleep lately, the girl flinched hard and curled in on herself like a small child.

Roy grimaced.

"Rex, you're not eating."

The only thing that kept him from blurting, 'no shit' was that it was sweet Ariadne who'd spoken and that would severely hurt her feelings. Roy sighed instead and pushed his plate to the side. He looked up to his left and right respectively at both females.

Ariadne's tousled blonde hair had a braid crowning her head, interwoven with thin golden flowers and leaves. Though pretty, the style was made messy by the flyaway nature of her corn-colored tresses. She had the heel of her hand up to her cheek and was rubbing a bit of those locks between her fingers absently while trying not to look at Eriana. By comparison, Eriana wore her hair up again, knotted at the back of her head with the usual litter of diamond and gold jewels. They sparkled brighter than her curious eyes, eyes she only had for Roy this morning. The girl was half-worried he'd done something after banishing her to his room yesterday.

No, he told me he didn't, she reminded herself, and he's very honest…but he's also impulsive…I hope he doesn't do anything crazy today.

Her fears were matched with Ariadne's confusion because the blonde knew there was something up with the Champion, she just didn't know what.

"If y'all are done, we can go." Roy suddenly announced. "I'm just not hungry."

He stood and the girls did as well, leaving their plates behind and following him as he headed for the palace gardens. That's where they'd be starting their journey. He opened the glass doors leading to the patio and saw two things: the King of Arid City, and a floating burgundy rug. That's what it looked like to him. Others would describe it as a deep, scarlet-colored cloth with beautifully-decorated teal edges and fine golden tassels hovering a couple feet off the ground. There was a big brown basket resting in the middle of it, as well three plush pillows and what looked like a folded red parasol.

"Good morning!" The king greeted with a huge smile. "Are you ready to leave?"

Roy nodded and asked, "How long is this gonna' take?"

"Well," The king replied. "Considering you'll be traveling at a leisurely pace from the capital city to the main gates, then around the entire country and back again, I'd say...you should be done before evening hits."

"That long?" Roy asked.

This is gonna' take all day! He frowned.

The king asked him, "Is there something else you needed to do today? Perhaps one of the servants could accomplish it for you."

"Nah, that's alright." The teenager declined, irritated.

Once again, he'd have to set back his plans until tomorrow. He was so caught up in his disappointment that he didn't notice Eriana gazing worriedly at him and Ariadne staring at them both. The king did see that all three young people were distracted, so he cleared his throat pointedly, making them snap their eyes over to him.

"I see you've all worn your best." He observed, and that was partly true.

Ariadne wore a very nice white dress, its material shiny and silky against her perfumed skin, tailored to fit loosely against her willowy frame and embroidered with golden dragons. In her ears were small gold rings and on one of her wrists was a gold bracelet that wound around her arm like a coil. She wasn't as decked out as Eriana, who not only wore earrings and bracelets as well, but toe rings, anklets, a teal and gold necklace, and diamonds pierced through her navel. Her belly was exposed between her white, off-the-shoulder cropped shirt and tight teal pants. Both girls did look nice in their own right but Roy, well; all he wore was a white t-shirt, pants, and boots. For once he didn't even have any jewelry on. The king was probably being a bit gratuitous when he'd spoken.

He now said, "I'll have to ask you to remove your shoes, though. The carpet is quite sensitive, you see."

Roy stooped down to do so and watched the girls do the same. He stepped forward and moved from the cool stone to the hard wood of the ladder, then cautiously laid his bare feet against the soft, smooth red rug. It was steady under his weight, so he went ahead and sat down atop it. With the king's helping hand, the other two girls sat on either side of him with plenty of room left.

If MJ and Larry wanted to come, they probably could've fit, Roy now realized, though he knew the two were too busy enjoying the comforts of a real bed to want to come along. He adjusted himself on his pillow in the center with the brown basket in front of him. Eriana sat sloping towards him with her legs tucked under her and her hand on his leg. Ariadne kept her hands clasped in her lap and sat on her knees.

"Well don't you look cozy?" The king winked.

"How do we get this thing goin'?" Roy asked him, not at all amused.

"Just pull on one of the tassels," He instructed, and also said, "Pull on them three times to stop."

"Got it." Roy responded.

He reached over and his arm brushed Ariadne's knees as he pulled on the tassels. The girl shifted and fiddled with her hands as he sat back in his spot and the carpet began to rise. The king gave them a wave as they got higher and higher into the air and they didn't stop going until the garden below looked like a tiny labyrinth of miniature plants and hedges. Then they started soaring forward.

Roy had to admit, the first few minutes of the ride took his mind off of his issues completely. He'd only been so high up once with his older brother, and the feeling was exhilarating. Neither Ariadne nor Eriana had done this before, so the experience was wholly unfamiliar but thrilling all the same. The pace was neither at a breakneck-speed nor a turtle's crawl, it was easy and pleasant and for about a half hour the trio traveled in companionable silence. They flew over the majority of the city and were coasting over the residential areas when someone spoke.

"So Rex, who are those boys you brought in yesterday?" Eriana spoke casually.

Ariadne looked over and wanted to thank her for asking because she, too, was curious about the newcomers. She was just a bit too shy to broach the subject.

Roy, who was cloud-watching, said absently, "My brothers."

"Your only brothers?" Eriana then asked.

"Nah."

When he didn't speak any more, Eriana gazed at his profile and rested her weight on the arm that rested on his leg. She was beginning to get accustomed to his poor conversational and listening skills and just decided to pull the information out of him.

"So you have more brothers?" She asked, then tacked on, "How many?"

"Uh, four? No, five." He answered, looking from the sky down into his lap. "I got five of 'em, plus a baby sister."

"Aw," Eriana smiled, "How old is she?"

"Fifteen." He replied, and Eriana's adoring smile faded.

"That's...not a baby, Rex." She stated. "That's like our age almost."

"I know," Roy shrugged, "but she's still little to me."

Eriana smiled and drummed her fingers over the fabric of Roy's pants leg and said, "I think I know what you mean. I have-had a little sister. She was beautiful."

Perhaps her bittersweet tone of voice hooked the pink-haired boy's attention, but now he looked down at Eriana and studied her.

"Oh yeah?" He murmured. "What happened to her?"

"She moved away." Eriana replied softly. "Far away."

"Mine, too." Roy told her.

He then turned to Ariadne, who'd been paying attention to their every word but just didn't feel comfortable enough to join the conversation. Roy now gave her an invitation to add to the discussion in the form of a single question.

"What about you, Ariadne," He asked her, "You have any brothers or sisters?"

"No." She answered, "I'm an only child. All I have is my uncle."

Roy frowned at that, remembering that her parents were murdered when she was very young. He felt sorry for the girl who'd been quiet up until now and sort of understood a little more about her.

That's probably why she's always asking me and Eriana to do stuff with her, he guessed, she's probably just lonely. He vowed within himself to include her more often in his affairs.

"Well now you've got me, too." He told her, locking eyes with the girl.

She held his gaze and smiled after a few seconds gratefully, then bashfully ducked her head down to her lap under that boy's handsome returning smile. Roy turned back towards the front and realized that both girls had him only. Ariadne had no real relationship with her uncle and Eriana had been on her own for years. He looked over at her and then his expression turned sour as he thought of what she'd endured while on her own.

This is never gonna' leave me alone, he scowled.

In more silence that was twice as heavy than before the three rode on. Over an hour passed before one of them started to get hungry. For their own reasons, they'd all only eaten a bit of their breakfast and were starting to feel the consequences of that.

"Are you ready to have lunch?" Ariadne asked Roy.

She felt a bit bolder now after the brief moment of understanding that passed between them and spoke without an ounce of timidity. Roy didn't look at her because his eyes were down below. She wondered why an angry look passed over his face as he stared at what looked like an old abandoned building. Eriana glanced down, too, but only for a second before she paled and swallowed, looking disturbed.

What's going on, Ariadne wondered.

She asked aloud, "Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah, there's something wrong, alright." Roy sneered, "And I'm lookin' right at it."

"What do you mean?" Ariadne inquired, looking at the building and seeing nothing wrong. Just like everyone else in town.

"I mean there's a-"

"Rex, you said you wouldn't bring it up!" Eriana whispered near his ear.

Roy sighed and forced himself to look away from the warehouse and then crossed his arms. Ariadne looked between him and Eriana and wished she were as close as they seemed to be. Eriana wished she'd never stopped pretending to be the empty-headed whore she was taught to be. They all just wanted things to be different.

The trio had reached the gates and were turning around now.

Again Roy glanced back at the warehouse. He wanted to just lean over and shoot a blast of energy right at the top of the building so that the whole place would catch on fire and burn those awful human beings to ashy nothingness.

But there's also innocent people in there, Roy knew, and it ain't right to kill them, too. Well, it's really not right to kill anyone. Is it? I mean, what if they deserve it?

Roy looked down at where Eriana was secretly gripping the fabric of his pants tightly in her fist and was doing a good job at hiding the fact that she was trying to get her breathing under control. He shook his head.

Whoever hurt her, they definitely deserve to die. If they'd done those things to Wendy, I'd want them to die. Some people do deserve to die, He reasoned among himself. But I won't kill nobody. I guess.

They ate their lunch and traveled around the country and, when it came close to sundown, made it back to the gates. There they paused the carpet and watched the sun go down over the horizon before heading back to the palace in the capital city. All the while, Roy was plotting, thinking, planning. Eriana fell asleep before they made it back and Roy carried her inside to his room. But before he and Ariadne parted ways, she gave him a bit of advice.

She said in the garden, "I don't know what's bothering you, but maybe you should talk to the king about it. He thinks so highly of you, Rex, and I know he'd do anything to make you happy."

Roy stood on the patio and let her pat his shoulder before walking through the glass doors. He still stood outside, mulling over her words. He wanted to take matters into his own hands, but perhaps it would be wise for him to consult the king first after all.

I mean, he really does like me, the boy figured, shoving his feet into his boots. If I tell him about what's going on, he might be able to do something about the situation.

He bent and picked up Eriana's sandals and hooked them over one finger while shifting the girl to a bridal-style position in his arms. She slid her own around his neck and shivered. The nights were freezing in Arid City so Roy knew he'd better get inside.

Stupid chumps didn't even bother to check under the hood, Bowser cackled as he headed back up the mountainside. Medical condition, hah! Can't believe he bought that flimsy ass excuse!

He'd thought that, for all the signs and the guards, a few extra measures would be taken by the townsfolk when dealing with strangers but no, they all had no idea that the very 'fiend' they were looking for had just waltzed in, taken a meal, and strolled right on out with little more than a warning to keep a sharp eye out for himself. He laughed.

Dumb humans, he smirked.

The few that did question him about the cloak or recognized his voice a little were soon put off when he lied about having some ghastly skin problem or an allergy to the sun. He told a different story every time he was asked. And he rolled his eyes at all the brawny men around the town. They must have posted guards at every shop because he saw dozens of them, dressed as regular citizens as if their huge muscles didn't give them away. He snorted at the wanted posters because, though they littered the area, no one seemed to put two and two together.

Or maybe they have and are following me right now, he mused.

He was only joking and knew before he did so that when he looked over his shoulder, there'd be no one at all. Nothing except for the birds were stirring for miles. He shook his head. Yes, fooling the humans in town had earned him a few laughs, but he yet craved more. It'd been a while since he messed with people like this and he was a little rusty. Maybe it was because of his mind not being all there, but he couldn't think of any interesting ways to entertain himself.

He stepped into the cave he'd been sleeping in for the past week and a half and tossed his cloak aside. The first thing he'd noticed was that Junior was still asleep. That was odd. But from the town Bowser had bought food for his son, a satchel with fruit and bread and cheese and sliced meat. He went over to where his child lay on his side and nudged the boy in the ribs with his boot.

"Junior, get up." He commanded.

The boy lay still and Bowser rolled his eyes.

"Get up, Junior." He called again.

When the child still didn't move, Bowser frowned and bent down to shake his shoulder. He got a weak moan out of the boy before he just decided to roll him onto his back. Junior was pale, very pale, and his face was scrunched up in pain. His skin was slick all over, like he'd been sweating, and he immediately rolled back onto his side and brought his knees to his chest. Bowser dropped the satchel and hoisted his son up by the underarms, then stood and studied the boy.

"What's the matter with you?" He demanded to know. "Look at me!"

Junior blinked his eyes open though his head and eyelids kept drooping forward. Bowser shook him a little and knew the boy wasn't just tired.

"What's wrong with you?" Bowser asked again.

Junior told him, "I hurt."

"Where?"

"Um, down here." Junior answered, splaying a hand over his stomach.

"Why?" Bowser then pressed.

Junior opened his mouth but it wasn't to answer the question. He threw up over his coat and pants and would've caught his father's boots if Bowser hadn't held him at arm's reach at the last second. Bowser grimaced at the child and the mess he made before setting Junior on his feet and stripping him down to his bare body. Junior shivered and Bowser threw the dirty clothes in a pile, then wrapped his son very tightly in one of the silk sheets. Only his head stuck out and he nearly tripped with his arms and legs restrained, but Bowser scooped him up and laid him on his own pallet.

Then he stood and thought for a moment.

The boy's never been sick a day in his life, to my knowledge, Bowser accounted. And he's got a fit immune system; I mean, he came from me so he can't be weak. That means he must have been poisoned or something, but how? When? And by who?

He replayed the events of the last few hours over in his head and knew his child went into town yesterday. He knew the boy wore his hat, so it wasn't the cold that got to him.

But he wasn't wearing his hat earlier, the fallen king remembered. No, it's not the cold. He has been poisoned, and if he lost his hat when he went into town, somebody might have known he was mine and might have poisoned him to get at me...

Bowser's heart rate elevated as he grew infuriated. He balled his fists at his side and his features became cloudy.

No wonder they didn't say anything when I went into town! The fuckers were probably waiting for me to find out about what they'd done! And which one did it; the butcher? He certainly would have the ingredients, the king rationalized grimly, or was it the old tailor? He'd have the motivation.

It really could have been anyone, seeing as how he'd ticked off so many people. And not knowing who did it or what they used or how long his son had to live put the king in a foul state. But even through his anger he began to smile.

Well they did say they were looking for a fiend...

A/N: Thanks for reading and sticking with me. Sorry this took longer than expected. I wonder how many times I've said sorry throughout these stories. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this latest installment.

Please continue to review! The reviews are great emotional boosters and I look at them to motivate myself to write more so go ahead and just tell me what you think of things so far. And thanks for everyone who has reviewed already!

I'll try and get the next chapter up soon, no dates/no promises bc I hate letting people down.

Until next time!

~DymondGold~