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 Twenty-Three
He wasn't a worrier by nature so there was only so much stress he could feel about his impending punishment. He'd gotten back to his room and paced and wondered what might happen to him. After a while he just figured it didn't matter. His brothers were safe. Ariadne was safe. Eriana was able to take a nap without jumping in her sleep; he didn't mind taking the fall for what he'd done. Having made peace with that, he decided to confront the king and get it over with. He ran into his retainer on the way and the portly man must not have heard the news, or didn't care, because he beamed at Roy like he hadn't just killed a man.
Roy stopped.
He was almost there at the king's study but that word was still so jarring to him. He could hardly believe it was true. But the circumstances weren't normal, and he knew it wasn't like he was an awful person, he just wanted to protect someone he cared about. If it had been Wendy he would have done the same thing.
He sighed and rolled his shoulders and continued the rest of the way to the study, knowing he was unrepentant of his actions. He wasn't surprised that when he walked into the airy office the king looked especially somber. He even wore all black, as if in mourning.
Mourning his lost respect for me, Roy thought with uncommon introspection.
When he saw who was at the door, King Reginald waved the boy in with a strained smile. He gestured for Roy to sit across from him but the teenager remained standing, tapping his fingers along the edge of the king's desk. It was as if the King of Arid City only just now saw the other side of this boy and his strange but incredible powers. He was beginning to see how dangerous Roy could be.
"You wanted to talk to me?" Roy stated impatiently more than asked.
The king nodded and looked up at the boy. He didn't want to have to banish him or put him in prison because he truly was a remarkable individual, but his actions had to be dealt with. So, to appease his curiosity and give the young man a chance, he decided to listen to his side of the story.
"So I'm to assume by your demeanor that your confession was an honest one?" He dreaded to ask.
Roy nodded and the king's heart sank.
He stated dimly, "Rex, I won't lecture you because I'm sure you're mature enough to know that what you did was wrong—" here Roy rolled his eyes, "—but I would be interested in knowing why you did it."
"What does it matter?" Roy frowned. "You're just gonna punish me anyway."
The King smiled tiredly again and said, "Please, Rex. Humor an old man, would you?"
Roy hesitated. He turned and looked out at the morning sky to the right of the room and was quiet a moment. Talking wasn't his forte, and if anything supported that it was his most recent actions.
"Do you know what goes on down at that warehouse?" He asked at last, fixing his eyes on the king.
"I…what warehouse?" The king asked, taken aback by the way he'd initiated the conversation.
"The one near the gates." Roy answered testily.
King Reginald's tan face reflected his sudden understanding and he asked, "Who told you about that?"
"So you do know," Roy surmised, getting angry. "How could you let a place like that exist? Why didn't you shut it down?"
King Reginald leaned back tiredly in his seat and sighed. "Rex, it's not that simple-"
"They hurt Eriana!" Roy blurted. "She told me they abused her and beat her and killed other girls down at that hellhole!"
The king stared at Roy and murmured, "She said that, did she?"
"What, you don't believe her?" Roy challenged, getting even madder.
I know she wasn't lying, Roy thought with conviction.
The king leaned forward again and rested his elbows on his desk and said passively, "No, no. I don't doubt the girl. I knew they'd gotten her from the 'Academy' but she was in such a fine state I thought maybe she'd dodged the ah, horror stories."
Roy's brow furrowed when he asked, "You knew about that, too? Well then you know why I did what I did!"
The king nodded and stood and came around his desk. Roy saw him approaching and wondered what he was about to do. He was befuddled at this point, for he didn't quite believe Eriana himself when she'd told him the royals were in on whatever conspiracy this was, but now he'd heard proof and couldn't be sure of where this left him.
"Take a walk with me, Rex."
That wasn't what he was expecting to hear, but Roy just nodded and followed the king out of the study. He trailed behind the royal and scratched nervously at the back of his head. He wished the king would just tell him what his punishment was and cut the suspense already.
They arrived at the doors of the garden and didn't stop there; no, they started walking past the patio area into the maze-like hedges beyond. The whole garden was settled on a plot of artificial soil not native to Arid Kingdom's dry terrain. From it sprouted the impressive, healthy green labyrinth they strolled through now. Along the way the scent of flowers and plants intermingled within the shrubbery caught the younger male's nose and he glanced around at the strange, exotic flowers.
"Rex, you remind me of these gardens." The King spoke once they'd turned a few corners at a languid pace.
"...Okay." Roy responded unsurely.
I guess that's not a bad thing, He assessed, this garden is the king's pride and joy, besides the arena.
The king plucked a pink blossoming flower and gazed down at it fondly. He smiled and twirled it by the stem around in his fingers and seemed to look beyond its red-rimmed petals. He let out a wistful breath and then dropped it as he walked. With that same fond smile, he faced Roy.
"You, like the gardens, don't really fit in here." He explained. "You're not the norm. I mean, who keeps a garden in the desert?"
Roy was even more perplexed now as he thought, why is he talking about the garden instead of my punishment? What does this have to do with anything?
"However," King Reginald spoke, wiping his hands on his pants. "I see the good in your presence here."
Roy's face mirrored his inner cluelessness perfectly, right down to the vacant expression and cocked pink brow. He trailed beside the king with his hands shoved in the pockets of his white pants, waiting for the older man to start making sense again.
"Why did you kill that man?" King Reginald asked, as if testing the boy in some way.
Roy answered baldly, "I told you, he hurt Eriana. Even bragged about it."
"I see." King Reginald spoke down at his feet.
"I didn't mean to kill him, but he stabbed me." Roy elucidated, his eyes and mouth turning downwards. "We fought and it got out of control."
"But you sought him out, did you not?" The King asked pointedly, glancing sideways at Roy.
He got defensive and rose his voice. "I had to do something! You don't know what it was like, seeing Eriana so damn miserable and afraid." Roy's heart beat faster just thinking about how she tossed and turned and sobbed at night. He said passionately, "I just wanted to make them pay for that! Whoever had a hand in hurting her, I wanted to make them pay."
"I see." The king said again after a hefty pause.
They walked a few feet in silence, the only sounds being their steps thudding against the cobbled foundation of the labyrinth's pathways. Roy's heart hammered in his chest. He was irritated.
Why is he asking me all this? What's his point?
King Reginald rubbed his tan chin and stopped walking. They'd come to the center of the maze and there were four stone benches spread out in a square. In the middle of them was a big empty space of stone ground. The king chuckled and went over to sit down, patting the bench next to him until Roy took a seat as well.
"I meant to put a fountain there," The king remarked, glancing at the middle space. "But I couldn't spare the water, you see."
Roy couldn't see the humor in that, not at a time like this. So the king stopped smiling and cleared his throat and rubbed his hands on his pants awkwardly. Roy sat rigidly, turned to face the king, in anticipation of bad news. The king spoke with great deliberation, weighing his every word.
"I do see the good in your being here." He said. "That garden has brought pleasure and joy to me in my wife's absence, and though it's odd and costly to maintain, the benefits of having it here make it worth keeping around. As long as it's well looked after, it can continue to-"
"Sorry, yo, but what does this have to do with, like, anything?" Roy interrupted in the politest way he could.
The king smiled warmly down at him and said, "I told you, Rex, you're-"
"-Like the garden, yeah I heard that part." Roy finished in annoyance. "But why go on about that when you're probably about to throw me in jail or something?"
"Rex, just bear with me, okay?" King Reginald entreated.
Roy looked anxious and disgruntled, but nodded and grew silent once more. King Reginald glanced to the side and once again was careful with his words.
"I understand why you did it now." He stated. "You sought to help the girl in the only way you knew how; with violence and vengeance. I don't particularly agree with your methods, but I admire your intentions."
"So what does that mean for me?" Roy couldn't help interjecting.
King Reginald said, "I think it means you are of strong moral fiber and good character. Any time you risk your own safety for that of another, it attests to your own bravery."
Didn't understand that, but it sounded like praise, Roy thought to himself.
"That's why I said you aren't the norm, Rex." The king went on. "Any other in your position wouldn't care about a mere concubine. The consensus here is that the females in that, er, profession deserve whatever nasty hand fate deals them."
"What?" Roy flushed the same color as his shaggy hair in anger. "That's stupid! Eri told me most of those girls are kidnapped and the ones who volunteered didn't know what they were getting' into, but you're tellin' me they deserve to-"
"I didn't say I held that same opinion, Rex, calm down." The king said, holding up a placating hand. His face and eyes crinkled in a smile and he said knowingly, "See? That shows you have a good heart; you're getting all riled up about the welfare of people you don't even know."
"I have a little sister." Roy mumbled as if in explanation of his rage.
The king's dark eyes twinkled gently, but his voice was sad. "That doesn't stop a lot of people from looking down on Eriana and girls like her."
"Then a lot of people are idiots." Roy muttered.
The king chuckled and said, "Be that as it may, I rule over everyone here, idiot or not, and unfortunately, I'm obligated to do what's best for the entire kingdom, even if that means...allowing certain evils to exist."
"I don't get it." Roy replied.
"As much as I sympathize with you concerning young Eriana's situation, I'm afraid there isn't much I can do about it." The royal admitted.
Roy scowled and said, "Bullshit! You're the king! How come you can't just arrest all those slavers and burn down that warehouse?"
The king shook his head and said, "It's not that simple. This system has been in place for many years. It's not going to be undone overnight."
"But you've gotta' do something!" Roy insisted.
King Reginald sighed. "Like what, Rex? Kill them as you have? That would only create more problems for myself and the ones I hold dear."
"What are you saying?" Roy frowned. "They can't come after you; you're the King, yo."
"I am, but these slavers and their affiliates are everywhere." King Reginald revealed. "They're bakers and tailors and law enforcers and, well, they even hold seats among my board of advisers. Their power trumps even my own."
"That's fuckin' whack," Roy scowled deeply. "But still. There's gotta' be something you can do. All of this that's goin' down, it just ain't right."
"No, it's not." The king agreed. "But my power is limited."
Roy lowered his head and balled his fists. He didn't know what to say. If the king was powerless to do anything about the situation, what in the world could he do? He started when he felt a large hand rest on his shoulder, and he lifted his head and met old, sparkling eyes.
"There is hope, yet." The King told him. "Although I am old and there is no fight in me to take on such a mammoth of an issue as this, you can still do something about it. You can change things, Rex."
"What?" Roy spoke, saying, "I thought you were gonna' put me in jail."
"Not hardly," The king huffed. "You deserve a medal for your valiance."
"But I killed a man."
"That you did," The king's mouth turned downwards unpleasantly. "And it wasn't right. But I'm sure you understand that heads cannot roll until you are officially king, hm?"
"...What are you talkin' about?"
"When you are king, you'll have the power to do whatever you want." King Reginald stated plainly. "Cowardice and weariness have tied my hands, but you'll be able to greatly influence the way this kingdom is run. I know you will. You're brilliant, Rex."
"But..." Roy blinked, "You told me...about Ariadne-"
"I hastily bound you to my niece," the king said, "And the reality of the danger she could be thrust in became apparent last night. I don't want her paying for her union with you, as much as I do care for you Rex. I just know that your reign will be a revolutionary and controversial one, and you'll accrue many enemies along the way. I don't want to lose her. 'Adne's the only family I have left."
"Um," Roy swallowed. "So I am gonna' be king?"
"If you want to be." The king offered. "I can see no one better hands to leave Arid Kingdom in than yours. After you've had a bit more guidance, that is."
Roy thought about what it would be like to be in the older man's place. He couldn't think of the first thing he'd do with all that power, but he knew he'd try his best to make things better.
"What about the slavers?" He asked, wanting to do something about them now.
I don't wanna' wait 'til my twenty-first birthday, Roy thought.
"What if they come after Eri or Ariadne again?" He asked.
The king narrowed his eyes and hummed thoughtfully. "Yes, I can see how that will be a problem." He gazed at Roy affectionately and said, "I didn't want to get involved in these...peculiar politics, but I suppose I could launch an investigation on the goings-ons of the warehouse. That would at least hold them at bay."
Roy nodded, not voicing his distaste of that plan because it was obvious the king was just trying to help. But he couldn't stop the thought of, what good will that do? He already said there were slavers in the law enforcement agency.
The king stood and dusted off his black garments. Roy stood and his jaw was set as he thought hard on the talk he'd had. It should have made him feel better, knowing he wouldn't be punished and that the king was on his side, but it only troubled him to know that the web of deceit was much bigger than he'd first thought.
"What do you mean she's gone?"
I didn't want to be rude but I couldn't understand what I was hearing. I'd been checking up on Daisy in the infirmary every five minutes, just lingering in the hall when the doctor shooed me out. After a while, though, she took pity on me and let me sit in a chair near Daisy's bed. I'd been there the whole time, holding her hand. I guess I nodded off once or twice but hey; the girl had been out the whole entire day. It was morning again and I was flabbergasted because I'd woken up to an empty bed. The thin white sheets were made and the flat pillow sat neatly at the head near the metal frame. But there was no Daisy, not even a trace. I'd stood then and looked around. The infirmary was much bigger than the doctor's personal office, and there were about twenty or thirty other metal beds aligned in perfect rows all around the white-walled room. Daisy was nowhere in sight. I did see the doctor, though, walking in to check on another patient; I'd hurried over to her and asked about my fiancée and that's when she gave me the disturbing news.
"She left while you were asleep," the woman told me, "She was feeling much better."
"Well did you find out what was wrong with her?" I asked worriedly.
The woman shook her head and said, "I'm afraid not. The princess wasn't too keen on sticking around. She wanted to get to a meeting or something like that."
A meet-I don't believe this! How could she be thinking about a meeting at a time like this?!
On the outside I remained composed and took a calming breath. I nodded with my eyes shut and then addressed the doctor once more.
"Would you happen to know where the meeting is?" I asked politely.
The doctor smiled apologetically and shook her head, but that was okay. I was soothed both by her serene demeanor and by the fact that, if she was so nonplussed, it had to mean Daisy was alright.
I mean she carted herself off to a meeting for goodness sakes; she must really have recovered.
But I still winced at the memory of her holding her temples and fainting. As I walked out the infirmary and down the corridor, I wondered at the cause of her sudden illness.
I used to get headaches when I stressed out, I recalled, maybe that's what Daisy's going through. She's been working nonstop, maybe this is the result of all that wear and tear.
I saw what I knew was Daisy's head full of wavy brown hair ducking into one of the rooms ahead of me and I sped up to catch her.
"Daisy!"
Some of the people going into the room glanced at me and I recognized none of them. This wasn't the council. They were mostly much younger and were dressed in Chai's colors of navy and black. They all filed into the room and the door shut before I could even reach it, but when I did I didn't think twice before busting in there.
And was promptly embarrassed because everybody's heads and eyes swiveled over to me and man there was a lot more people than I first thought there would be. I stood there looking like an ass while the fifty-something people stared at me. They were gathered around a round table and someone near the door, closest to me, spoke up.
"Is there something you're looking for, Master Luigi?" The man spoke. "Something we could help you with, perhaps?"
"I um."
I swallowed and more sweat came on top of the amount I had from running. Then I heard a sound I remembered from high school, the sound of someone trying to stifle their laughter. Looking to the opposite end of the room I saw Daisy was the culprit, her light eyes sparkling in mirth.
Is she just gonna' leave me hanging?
"You should join us, Commander." A smooth voice suggested. "You may have something intriguing to add to this morning's discussion."
General Zair.
He's here, too?
Yeah he was, looking his usual fit and unfazed self, sitting next to Daisy. He nudged the person beside him and they scooted over and one of the royal attendants standing around brought in another chair.
Great. I get to sit next to my favoritest person in the whole wide world, I sarcastically thought behind a strained smile.
I walked into the room, shut the door behind me—it made an uncomfortably loud sound amid the silence—and shuffled awkwardly around the backs of countless men and women until I got to that empty seat. When I passed Daisy, I dipped my head down and kissed her cheek and then sat beside Zair.
"Morning." He drawled softly in greeting with his brow raised and a quirk to the end of his mouth.
I smiled at him and this time it wasn't faked.
The meeting began and one of the attendants brought me a charcoal pencil and a small stack of parchment, as well as a glass of water. I looked around and saw all the others had the same thing.
"Okay," I heard Daisy say, sitting up and clearing her throat. "I suppose we can do a roll call."
I leaned forward in my blue-cushioned wooden chair and tried to catch a glimpse of the girl as she called out several names. It was futile; I couldn't see more than her hair and hands as they closed around a Chai-version of a clipboard, thanks to Zair. I shot him a look but he was busy drinking his water.
"Um," I whispered, nudging his shoulder.
He was the only one in white today, wearing a sort of dress shirt and silk pants. He frowned with the glass up to his mouth and I gestured towards Daisy.
"Could you…" I trailed, motioning towards the back of his chair.
He smirked knowingly and placed his glass on the table and very slowly leaned all the way back in his seat, crossing his arms and propping his ankle over his knee. I was surprised he'd been so obliging and was grateful for the unobstructed view I was now afforded. But then I frowned.
As Daisy called out the names, I saw her lips quivering every now and again. Not to mention her hair was mussed and unkempt and hung over her shoulders and draped down her arms, making her look small in the shimmery gold dress she wore. It had a high collar tucked under her chin and reminded me of a Chinese top with the diagonal clasps and the short sleeves, embroidered with red flowers. I glanced down at her lap and saw the hem end in the middle of her tan thighs and my frown deepened when I saw her knees shaking a bit. She glanced over at me and then at her legs and then closed one over the other, resuming roll call.
Is she really alright? Is she cold or weak?
Beside me I saw Zair's black eyes dart her way when she paused momentarily to look at me. In that short time, he appraised her like I did and a flash of concern filled his features. He looked over at me in want of an explanation but I could only shrug helplessly. He shook his head subtly, disapprovingly, and I shot him a defensive look in turn. His expression grew blank and he faced forward. People were speaking now.
I sat at the edge of my seat and looked around. Zair was the one who said I might be able to add to the conversation but I had no idea what was being discussed. From what I heard during roll call, the lot of these people were generals of Chai and I kept hearing the words, 'ambush' and 'attack' being thrown around.
It wasn't long before I glanced around Zair at Daisy. She wasn't saying anything. In fact, she looked withdrawn and haunted, staring down at her hands in her lap and only entering the present again when someone asked her advice or approval on an issue. The meeting was far more boring and far less important to me than finding out what was going on with Daisy, so I got an idea.
Rather than try and whisper behind Zair's back, I got to work on a note. Using the charcoal pencil in front of me, I scribbled something down on the parchment and folded it in half. I leaned back in my chair and pretended to stretch my arms behind my head, intent on passing the note to Daisy.
It was intercepted.
Zair plucked the thing from my fingers and before I could protest he read over what I'd written, glancing over at me with an 'are you serious?' kind of expression and I assumed he was wary of my handwriting.
Yeah, it's chicken scratch but it's none of your business, I thought, watching him take a new parchment from his own stack and fold it in half.
He wrote something in flowing script and slid it to me. I glared mildly at him and looked down, lifted the top half of the paper up, and read over what he'd written.
What's the matter, love?
It wasn't much different from what I'd written earlier, which confused me. I felt confident enough to talk to the General about this in a hushed voice since everyone else were engaged in the discussion and Daisy was staring at the floor, her hair pooling around her head like a curtain.
I asked, "What was wrong with what I wrote?"
General Zair sighed down at me and spoke in a low, patient voice, "You asked if there was something wrong. That's a bit obvious, isn't it?"
I colored slightly and opened my mouth for a rebuttal but he was saying something to his fellow generals. Instead, I focused on writing another, more detailed note.
I asked, Is there something the matter, Daisy, because copying the General's note would be an admittance of defeat. I reached around the back of Zair's seat and dropped the paper directly into Daisy's chair, behind her back. She immediately stiffened and turned around, looking at me. I pointed to the note and she picked it up and sent me a playful, curious smile that was lacking in its usual luster. Her face looked paler and her features were drawn.
I then leaned forward and laid my head on the table to disguise my obvious voyeurism. I saw the girl open the note, blink, and then write something. She then chewed her bottom lip, scratched that out, and wrote something else.
"Are you feeling well, Commander?" Someone asked me across the room.
Conversations halted and I sat up and smiled disarmingly.
"I'm alright," I stated. "Just uh…"
Just what?
Everyone hung on my words, waiting for me to finish, and that's when Zair spoke up for me the second time.
"The Commander's fine," he assured them, moving things along with the mention of another subject of interest.
When the voices picked up again around me, I looked over at Daisy. She was staring at the note and tapping her charcoal pencil tip against the parchment, but abruptly she wrote something else down, scratching out what was previously there.
She tapped the General's bicep and he glanced nonchalantly down at her, as if he was none the wiser of what was going on here. She glanced pointedly at me and handed him the note and I was afraid he was going to read it again, but he just nodded and took it from her. Under the table he conspicuously passed it from his left hand to his right and then slid it to me. I moved my hand to take it but his fingers remained locked atop the paper. I glanced up in question and his gaze was severe.
"What?" I whispered.
"I trust you won't forget this kindness?" He whispered back.
My face was a question mark's incarnate.
He sighed and said plainly, "I should like to know what's bothering her."
"When I find out, I'll let you know." I muttered.
I looked at the note and opened it in my lap. In response to my earlier inquiry, Daisy had scratched out yes and scratched out no and wrote three little words in the end.
I don't know.
I felt an icy coil wrap around my heart at her indecision and wished I could whisk her away to someplace quiet. This place was the opposite of that. I didn't know if it was because they were generals or what, but the people were shouting now, talking all over one another and trying to speak louder than the person next to them. It wasn't a hostile loudness, more like a rowdy ruckus.
I wrote, Do you wanna' talk about it?
She got my note and sent me a small-fonted, later.
I nodded and met her eyes. She gave me a watery smile and turned back to her lap. In the next ten minutes I found myself bored and out of water to sip and uninterested in doodling after Zair gave me a seriously amused glance at the dinosaurs and mushrooms that littered the off-white parchment in front of me. Just because I wanted to and with the aid of the grey-skinned man on my left, I struck up another conversation with Daisy.
I asked, so. How are you?
Good I guess, she told me, mentioning nothing of her recent incident.
I broached the subject with, do you know what that was about yesterday?
She'd taken a while to write me back but said, it was nothing.
Daisy, I frowned, unsure of why she wouldn't tell me.
The girl glanced over at me hesitantly before writing, It's hard to explain. I have to tell you later.
'You promise?' I mouthed over at her.
She nodded and started a new note on a piece of paper of her own. When it got to me, I smiled.
She'd told me, Wish I could talk now. This meeting is boring as hell.
How are you bored? You're the princess, I wrote back.
Daisy grinned and sent me, doesn't matter; still bored. And loud. I am so sick of all thes freaking meetings.
I said, Yeah, I bet you are. And I didn't want to, but I had to point out, also, you spelled 'these' wrong. Just saying.
She read over that note twice, looking scandalized and amused. Her pencil pushed quickly over her next note.
It read, thank you ever so graciously, Professor Luigi. I'm sure if I could actually read half the things you wrote I'd find some similar mistake.
And so shots are fired, I thought as I read that.
I wrote as if I didn't know, are you talking about my handwriting?
It's terrible, she giggled softly as she handed that one to Zair.
I shook my head and wrote, please be kind. Not all of us had such good breeding and schooling as you, princess. Don't forget I was raised mostly by Mario in a city full of jerks.
She made a face after reading that, pretending to be aghast, and wrote, it's a wonder you turned out so sweet and polite, then.
If you say so, I wrote back.
It took me by surprise and made my insides ache when she replied, I love you. So simple and yet I heard her voice in my head as I skimmed over the words.
I love you, too Daisy.
And then, because I really was good at drawing, I sent her a picture of a flower. A daisy. It took me a couple minutes to get the shading right and of course I got carried away and added some grass and clouds and a bird and the sun, but I was proud of it. I slid it over to her by way of the General while the others were distracted and Zair espied the flower. I couldn't be sure since he was so good at muting his expressions, but I think the one he was making at the moment was as close to a, 'not bad' as I was going to get.
Nosy old man. He's worse than Peasley.
It's beautiful! Daisy wrote me. I didn't know you could draw so well.
I shrugged over at her sheepishly and she smiled brightly, her skin losing some of the sallowness and matching the vividness of her lovely light eyes. She didn't write me anymore because she had to close out the meeting. She was clearly good at multi-tasking because she was able to give great remarks as if she'd been paying attention the whole time. I was glad to see the meeting adjourn because it meant I'd now get to have some alone time with the girl. I stood when the others did and while they exited the room, I went over to Daisy.
Oh, but Zair.
He blocked my way with his tall, lean body and smirked. "Why the rush, Commander?"
"Could you just-"
"Don't fret, she isn't going anywhere," He said while glancing over at the door.
I followed his gaze and saw Daisy standing there as others passed, holding herself. Her happiness was gone, replaced with frustration and unease.
"I still want to have that talk with you." General Zair stated quietly, his hands behind his back.
"What talk?" I frowned.
He said, "I want to hear of your encounters with the late Dark King."
"Oh yeah." I remembered. "Sure. I'll uh, get in touch with you when I can."
Zair nodded and added, "When you do, you can tell me what ails her."
I glanced again at Daisy and nodded, too. I wanted to know that just as badly as him.
"Who is that from?"
Mario had a perturbed frown on his face as he sat at the foot of the bed, reading over a letter. Peach wanted to know why it upset him and thought the sender's identity would lend her clues. She emerged from their bathroom and tied the knot on her downy-soft white robe. Next to him she sat and draped her arms around his shoulders.
"It's from Luigi," Mario murmured absently, tilting his head and meeting his wife halfway for a quick kiss.
"Luigi?" She spoke lightly. "Is he well?"
"He's alright," Mario spoke with a faint scowl. "It's just. Well. He wants me to send him some weapons."
"Guns," Peach's clear blue eyes widened. "Why?"
"He's a Commander now, and he needs 'em for his troops." Mario explained.
He put the letter down beside him and ran both hands over his rugged face. His feelings of pride for his sibling were only overshadowed by intense dread and foreboding. On the one hand, he didn't like the implications behind his brother's request: it had to mean trouble was afoot. But on the other, if a certain reptile were to rear his ugly head and his brother was in the middle of conflict, Mario didn't want him to be inadequately outfitted. He wanted to shield Luigi from the dangers of this foreign world, but he remembered how badly that turned out the last time. Luigi had been furious at being left out of the Great War.
Mario sighed, flapping his lips tiredly. He glanced at Peach, who gave him a supportive smile, and kissed her cheek.
"Peach, can you hand me that pen and paper?" He entreated.
She nodded and retrieved it for him, and he wrote a letter on his knee.
So you're a Commander now? Way to go, baby brother! Hope they're not working you too hard. I'll send you the guns, enough for a hundred, you said? But be careful, alright? I want you to keep me on top of what goes on over there concerning, well, you know who. I don't want you jumping into nothing alone, even if you had a thousand soldiers behind you. We're in this together, got it? Write me when the supplies land, I'll be sending them by air-mail so watch the skies. I love you loads, little brother.
–M.M
"Isn't Luigi with Daisy in Chai Kingdom?" Peach asked when her husband was finished.
Mario nodded. "Yeah, why?"
"Well they are the most advanced kingdom in the entire Mushroom World, technologically, medicinally, and in many other ways speaking."
"We're pretty great here, too!" Mario quipped, knocking under her chin teasingly with his knuckles.
She smiled and said, "That's not what I meant. Don't you think they'd have advanced weaponry as well?"
"They don't have these." Mario said a bit smugly with the guns in mind.
"What's so special about the weapons you have?" She wondered.
He reminded her of their use in the former series of battles against the Dark King and she gasped, remembering them.
"Mario!" She exclaimed, her eyes suddenly going wide.
Mario winced, preparing himself for a lecture on ethics or the danger of even getting his hands on that kind of firearms. Instead, he was met with a tone of encouragement.
"You should see if you can get these to our allies and other countries as well. They could use the extra defense." She stated.
Mario grinned and kissed her full on and told her, "Woman, I am so glad I married you! That is a stupendous idea!"
"Well one of us has to come up with them." She softly chuckled, still not used to making such sassy jokes.
She was taught that joking was for little boys and jesters. Mario, however, roared in laughter and stood, offering her his hand. She took it hesitantly.
"Come on, let's go eat!"
"But we just had dinner, Mario!"
"I know, but I'm starving!"
Peach smiled and removed her robe, revealing her pink pajamas beneath. But as she allowed herself to be led to the kitchens so late at night, her smiled faded and she wondered if her husband was eating away his feelings again.
I know he's worried about Luigi, but I'm certain he and Daisy will be fine. They're both so strong.
A/N: Thank you for reading everybody! I will update again this week. Please review and, depending on how much feedback, I may update again today.
Until next time folks!
~DymondGold~