Man everything that could go wrong has been lately but it's alright, I still have a job, my family's okay, and I'm still here. Hope the month and a half wait wasn't too, too long for you guys, so sorry about that. Anyway, now that I'm back...for whoever's still reading...

Enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-Four

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.

So soon our friends were leaving. I thought things would be awkward between me and Dean, but I'd actually gotten on real well with him. Just because he was quiet didn't mean he wasn't good company. I was sad to see him go because his presence brought something fresh to the week. I could tell Daisy felt much the same about Alicia because the two of them were talking sadly, going on about how boring it'd be without the other and how much they'd miss each other. They walked down the stairs ahead of me and Dean at a sedate pace with their arms around each other's waists and their heads leaning together.

"Excuse us, Majesty."

There were two servants carrying Dean and Alicia's luggage. They brushed by the young women with a respectful bow for Daisy and it wasn't long before our group joined them at the bottom of the stairs. That's when Alicia stopped and rounded on us with her phone drawn like a weapon. I knew what was on her mind and suppressed a groan.

"Just one more," She said right to me as if she could read my mind.

I shrugged and Daisy glanced at me with a smile. Alicia waved us all together and Dean and I stood on either end, beside our fiancées. A tired smile I strained, though deep down I didn't mind this, especially not when Daisy slipped her hand in mine. Such a simple action yet it meant so much when she did it.

"What a handsome group of young people."

Lacking its usual boisterous enthusiasm his voice was, King Boo's. I turned around mostly to see why that was and was faced with the somber visage of the immortal royal. He wore all black from the crown of his sleek hair down to the ankle-length, Matrix-style trench coat; the only reprieve from the grim shade was his pale white skin and the splash of red at his neck, his ascot. He had his hands behind his back and walked towards us slowly, as if he were in objection to where his body was leading him.

"Something's wrong." I predicted.

The others had turned now, too, and Dean and Alicia were looking warily at the king. Dean just looked creeped out but Alicia seemed on guard as she scoped out the king.

She asked, "Where did you come from?"

"I don't believe that is of much importance, my dear." The immortal told her with a thin smile. He glanced at me but stopped in front of and addressed Daisy when he asked, "A word in private, if I may entreat?"

"Your Majesty."

We four turned at the sound of this new voice, a servant-no, a guard from the front of the palace. The woman's uniform gave her away but her slated features belied nothing as she bowed for the princess. When she rose, she spoke quickly.

"There is a man asking for you at the door." The woman explained.

Daisy asked, "Did you get a name?"

"No, Majesty." The guard answered, then added, "He has a child with him, and I suspect he be armed. I could escort him to the-"

"No, that's okay." Daisy frowned, heading for the door. "I'll see who it is."

She spared none of us a glance as she made her way towards the entrance. I shared a glance with Alicia and Dean, there was confusion on their end, before following her. I could sense King Boo behind us but his steps were too silent to hear. We all strode to the door and the staff and servants moved aside. The ones carrying Dean and Alicia's luggage were there already, standing to the left of the huge wooden archway. The guard who'd alerted Daisy was the one to pull open the enormous doors, revealing the two previously mentioned visitors. One of them I actually recognized.

"What the..." Daisy murmured, her eyes going down to the same place as mine.

The man was a mystery of a person, someone I'd never seen in my life. But the child at the side was more familiar, if only by a few days. I don't think I'll ever forget that enigmatic little clone of Ludwig's. His emerald eyes only darted my way a second before locking onto Daisy's and there they remained, his face fixed in an unreadable expression. I glanced back at the man and, reluctantly, Daisy did the same.

"Who are you?" She asked him, then, "What are you doing with this boy?"

The man had some of the sharpest, clearest blue eyes I'd ever seen, so acutely aware of everything around him. They pierced those of my fiancée's for a moment before shifting around as if in search of something. Instead of answering my princess, he stared at something behind her and grinned slowly.

"Hello, Katerena."

Had it not been for her being so close to me, I wouldn't have known who he was talking to. This stranger had found what he was searching for and, by the hitch in her breath right near my ear, it had to be Alicia. Which was odd, because he'd called her-

"Whoa," Dean exclaimed as loudly as was warranted in the situation.

His fiancée, after getting this wide, deer-caught-in-the-headlights look in her eyes, grabbed his arm and bolted towards the stairs. I would've called after the girl or the guy she was half-dragging up the steps, but a second later I was reeling from an impromptu assault of my own. The stranger, with the little clone-child's arm in his grip, knocked me over when he came barreling into the palace. I fell backwards and Daisy rushed over to me.

Kneeling she asked, "Are you alright?"

I picked myself up with her help and said, "Yeah, fine. Who is that guy?"

This made Daisy return her gaze to our friends' pursuant and she yelled, "Hey!" Of her guards she ordered, "Stop him!"

They tried. The man wasn't running so fast so as to evade capture, plus the child was slowing him down. By the time he was halfway up the steps the guards were on him, grabbing for his coat. He turned and stretched out his hand and they went flying backwards. However, in the time it took him to lash out at the guards, Alicia had gotten herself and Dean to one of the upstairs guest rooms and had slammed the door shut behind them. That didn't seem to deter the man because he released the child and made for their room. He grabbed the knob, rattled it, and banged on the door several times before another set of guards were on him. Too distracted with the door he was this time, but that didn't stop him from struggling with the men and women who tried to apprehend him. Again he lashed out at them, it had to be magic he was using because they went soaring down the stairs and over the balcony like a bomb had gone off.

Boo attacked him.

That was evident after the man went down like the laws of gravity and all eyes shifted to the immortal with his hand in the air. King Boo glanced at me and Daisy and she gave him a nod of appreciation. Some more guards went after the man, who was much easier to bind and cart downstairs in his prone state. Two of them held the unconscious figure between them and dragged him towards me and Daisy. The rest of the palace, which had erupted in alarmed shouts and mild chaos, quieted in wait of the princess' verdict.

Daisy studied the previously violent man and while she did I caught sight of Ludwig's clone coming down the stairs. We locked eyes again but this time he had a glare for me. I frowned and it disappeared. Something was different about the child. It only made me wonder more about why he was in the company of someone like this greasy-haired madman.

Though his host grew up around two madmen; Bowser and Boo, so I guess some things are just destined to be.

"Follow me." Daisy spoke, walking forward.

I followed after her quickly, remaining a few steps ahead of the guards who carried the stranger. The rest of the staff resumed whatever work they'd been attending to and calm refilled the castle once more.

I didn't speak to Daisy as we walked because she looked like she was processing a million and one things as she strode purposefully around the staircase and down a hall. She stopped at a room on the right and held the door open for the others to come inside. I stepped away so that the guards could bring in the still-knocked-out man.

"Put him right there." Daisy instructed, pointing at a chair.

There were two on either side of the one the guards lowered the slouching man into, and there were three across the table from those. On either side of the head there were two more. I walked into the room and once again felt Boo come in behind me. While Daisy sat in the middle chair across from the stranger, I sat on her left with Boo at her right. She immediately turned to him.

"He's got magic, doesn't he?" She asked, and when the king nodded she said, "If you can, would you make sure he stays put?"

"It's already done." King Boo answered.

"Thank you," Daisy breathed, opting to study the man across from her again.

The guards stood in place on either side of him and both flinched when someone else came strolling into the room. They relaxed when they saw it was only the clone child.

"Shut that door, please." Daisy spoke, and one of the guards did so.

I happened to see the clone glance at King Boo a fleeting second and the look that crossed his little face was not at all pleasant. He actively ignored the immortal after that as he climbed into the seat next to the stranger and sat on his knees. Daisy looked at him and smiled softly. He averted his eyes like he was shy or...guilty. Weird.

"Nngh."

The stranger was just now coming to and we were all silent for that. His black brows drew together and his head lolled backwards, then rolled around on his neck as if working out the kinks. When his eyes opened they blinked rapidly and he first saw the child, then panned his gaze around to the rest of us. He looked down in his lap and seemed to realize something, then jolted out of his seat. With amazing ease, the guards each grabbed a shoulder and slammed him back down.

"Woman," He glared at Daisy, "Call them off before I kill them."

I glanced at Daisy and saw her actually concede with his demands. She motioned for the guards to leave and, with a bow, they did, filing out of the small meeting room silently. That left the stranger free to stand and follow right behind him. Daisy glanced at King Boo who offered her an affirmative smirk. She sat back and folded her arms as the stranger attempted to leave the room. I saw him just stop.

"What is this?" He asked.

His voice was accented and ripe with anger. He turned and alternately glared at King Boo and Daisy.

It was Boo who admitted, "That would be a barrier of mine."

"You've bound us all to this room?"

"No," Boo stated. "Just you, Nikolai."

The man approached the table and angrily slammed his palms against it, asking the old royal, "Why are you helping this girl?"

Daisy frowned, probably at being called a 'girl' by some stranger. King Boo frowned as well and countered the man's question with one of his own.

"Why are you helping the Dark King?"

The man, Nikolai as I'd heard Boo call him, scoffed and raised up off the table. He must have lost his coat in the earlier scuffle. He crossed his arms over his chest and, with his short-sleeved white shirt baring both arms, I could see inky blue tattoos spiraling down his biceps and wrists. He tilted his head back and narrowed his eyes at the king.

"What a funny thing to ask." His voice was significantly quieter. He told Boo, "You know the League's had a long-standing alliance with the-"

"Yes, but you're not with the League, are you?" King Boo interrupted.

I was content to listen to this all play out but Daisy chose to join the conversation with a single inquiry.

Of Nikolai she asked, "You know where Bowser is?"

He glanced at her with none of the deference due her station and turned back to King Boo. Daisy unfolded her arms and raised up in her seat, affronted.

"Drop the wards." Nikolai demanded of the other magician.

"Hey." Daisy snapped, getting the man's attention. "I asked you a question."

"Yes, I heard you." Nikolai drawled with a patronizing smile.

"Well are you gonna' answer me?" Daisy huffed.

Nikolai gave her an indifferent once-over and replied in like tone, "The matter doesn't concern you."

Daisy narrowed her own light eyes and said, "Doesn't concern-Are you kidding me?"

Nikolai cut his attention towards Boo, demanding once more, "Release me from this room; drop the barrier. I don't have time for this."

Daisy ordered, "Sit down. You're not going anywhere until you answer my questions."

"Drop the wards." Nikolai was totally ignoring Daisy now and that really irritated me for her sake.

This guy was an asshole.

Fortunately King Boo was still on our side for the moment and I knew it was him who had slammed Nikolai back down in his seat in the next instant. For the second time, Daisy glanced at the magenta-eyed immortal and mouthed a word of thanks before glaring at the stranger. Hers matched his in intensity, for they were both aggravated. While the stranger struggled in his seat, his arms seemingly glued to his sides, the only thing on him that moved was his tangled, greasy black hair and his chest with the force of his heavy breathing. Daisy was breathing slightly quicker than normal as well. She rolled the sleeves of her feminine dress shirt, a mint green, satin thing, up to her forearms and folded her arms at her chest. She crossed one leg over the other and breathed deeply, calming herself.

She spoke slowly. "Look. In case you didn't know, I'm the Princess of this country-"

"I know who you are." Nikolai said testily, "And really, I don't care."

"You'll care when I have you thrown in jail." Daisy predicted.

"On what grounds?" Nikolai challenged, his tone mocking. "Hurting your feelings?"

"Excuse me?" Daisy quirked a brow.

"It's just like a woman to let emotions govern her decisions." Nikolai continued derisively.

Wow, I thought, so this guy's sexist and an asshole; watch out ladies, this one's a keeper.

"Who are you?" Daisy tilted her head with a scowl of her own.

Nikolai jerked in opposition to Boo's invisible binds and replied, "That's none of your business."

"Why are you here? Why were you chasing my friends?" Daisy then probed. "Can you at least tell me that?"

The man stilled, seeing as he was having no progress. By this point his hair was unkempt from his efforts and covered one of his blue eyes. With the other he met Daisy's gaze and sighed as if vastly annoyed.

"I came here to collect my wife." Here he looked to King Boo. "And if you'd stop impeding me, I'll do just that and be on my way."

Daisy frowned, perplexed. She said, "You...must be confused. Why would your wife be here? Of all places?"

"She's here." Nikolai spoke assuredly. "I just saw her."

Okay, it didn't take a genius to put two and two together, and the conclusion I gathered shocked me into speaking for the first time.

I asked uncertainly, "Alicia?"

"Aisha Katerena Petrov." Nikolai first corrected, then smirked at me. He leaned back in his chair and said, "Of course you would understand; I should've known I'd get nowhere speaking with a woman."

"Hey," I responded resentfully.

Wait a minute; he just said Alicia's his wife, which is impossible; so that makes him a delusional, sexist asshole. This guy just gets better and better.

"Alicia isn't your wife," I heard Daisy proclaim.

Nikolai responded, "And how would you know?"

"She's my friend." Daisy defensively replied, again straightening in her seat.

Her hair toppled over her shoulder and those brunette waves cascaded down her back and fell beautifully against both sides of her face. Now was probably not the time to be checking her out, but I couldn't help when these moments of enlightenment struck. It'd just hit me all of a sudden, how gorgeous she was.

But she was also getting mad.

Nikolai had this smug smirk and was saying, "Oh yes." He glanced at Ludwig's clone and then back at Daisy. "You are friends, but how close can you be when you know nothing about her?"

"I know a lot about her!" Daisy shot back. "You're just crazy. How could she be your wife when she's engaged to Dean?"

A sour look spread over Nikolai's face. "That boy is of no consequence; she was mine first and that's all that matters."

Shaking her head, Daisy sank back into her seat and said, "You're insane."

"That's your opinion, woman." Nikolai sniffed. "I wouldn't expect you to understand the complexities of the bond between myself and the witch-"

"Witch?" Daisy blurted, her ruby lips loosening in a grin. "Now I know you're crazy. Alicia's not a witch. You're obviously confused."

Nikolai just shook his head at Daisy and said to Boo, "Release me."

"Not a chance." Daisy spoke for the immortal, gaining full solemnity once more. "Tell me where Bowser is."

"How should I know?" Nikolai groused.

King Boo said casually, "Oh, well weren't you on your way to drop this boy off to him?"

Daisy and I glanced at Ludwig's clone at that moment and the boy steadfastly stared at his tiny hands on the table. His shoulders looked tense and his jaw was set like he was clenching his teeth.

"Actually," Nikolai drawled with an acerbic frown in Boo's direction, "I just left the Dark King. You see, I didn't have what he was looking for but then...you already know that, don't you?"

King Boo merely gazed at Nikolai blankly, his magenta eyes hooded and his hands clasped docilely over his stomach. He looked to be at ease but the stranger's words made me think. What could Bowser be looking for that Boo knew about?

It had to be his power.

But that was with Ludwig. So did that mean that Bowser knows that Boo knows where Ludwig is, and that this stranger knows that Boo knows that Bowser knows he knows where Ludwig is? Damn I'm confusing myself. I glanced to Daisy to see if she had a better handle on this and was not surprised to see her tucking her hair behind her ear absently as her lovely eyes drove holes into the other pair of men in the room; that mind of hers was coming up with something.

To Boo she said, "You told me you had the snake's power sealed in your estate."

"So that's where it was!" Nikolai exclaimed, smiling for the first time. He tilted his head and said, "Brava, Lord of Illusions. Your greatest trick yet." Nikolai thoughtfully remarked, "For all his might, Dark King's not too clever, I should say. He may never find it there."

"He already has." King Boo murmured gravely.

Nikolai shrugged and muttered, "Well, I did tip him off. I told him you had the boy."

"You're the one who snatched him." King Boo accused, glancing at Ludwig's clone.

Nikolai said, "Now I did no snatching; I was very careful in securing my prey. Always am."

"Wait a minute, back up," Daisy held her hands in the air and faced Boo. "Are you telling me that Bowser has his power back?"

I saw the clone child's head snap up so fast it made my own neck hurt in sympathy. His emerald eyes, so big and full of fear and panic, were dead-set on King Boo's. The immortal was slow to speak.

He said, "I'm afraid he does."

Daisy flopped back in her chair and her shoulders dropped. She was silent, looking from left to right but seeing nothing, and I could practically feel her falling apart. She swallowed and kept herself composed, though.

Very quietly she asked with her eyes closed, "How did this happen?" Those eyes flicked open and accusatorily settled on Boo's. "You said you had it sealed! How did he get it back?!"

"...Apparently he had help." King Boo stated.

"Of course." Daisy sneered scathingly. "He can't do a damn thing on his own."

I winced at the animosity in her tone and leaned forward to ask, "Who helped him?"

King Boo looked like he'd kissed a lemon; either that or he really, really didn't want to answer that question. He glanced at Ludwig's clone before doing so.

"You may not believe it." King Boo began, "But it was...young Ignatius."

A pause.

"Iggy?" I spoke, astonished. "Not Iggy?"

"Why would he do that?" Daisy questioned, just as lost as I was.

King Boo replied honestly, "I don't know, but the Dark King is now fully restored and on the loose, and the only one who might know of his whereabouts is him." He dipped his head towards Nikolai.

The strange, raven-haired male had gotten free of Boo's hold because he sat lazily in his seat with his arms crossed as all our eyes leveled on him. He sought Daisy's out since she was the one to next address him.

"Where is Bowser?" She hissed, insistent on getting an answer.

Nikolai replied snarkily, "I told you, woman, I don't know." He then stood and said, "I've spent enough time going in circles with you. Boo, drop the-"

"SIT DOWN!" Daisy commanded firmly.

At the same time as him she'd flown to her feet and now had her hands down on the table, clenching the ledge of the old wood with white knuckles. Her body was leaning towards Nikolai's and everything about her just screamed agitation. Nikolai was also bent over the table, his eyes and smirk and voice taunting her.

"What, are you going to make me, woman?"

Daisy donned a smirk of her own and stood fully, laughing without real effort or humor. She propped her fists on her hips and openly appraised the black-haired male.

She kept that smirk when she claimed, "You know, I really loathe your type."

Nikolai's jaw ticked but he remained silent.

Daisy ticked her fingers off as she described, "Chauvinistic, domineering, arrogant; think you own the ground you walk on. Well here I'm ruler and I won't stand for any of that," She spoke strongly. "So if you know what's good for you, you'll sit your ass down and cooperate."

Nikolai asked softly, cheekily, "What can you do, little girl? I am an immortal sorcerer."

Daisy's subsequent smirk was darker, more callous than before and in truth it was sexy but it kind of scared me. She leaned forward on the table just a little bit more towards Nikolai who was still bent over there, and her voice dropped yet again.

"Trust me," Her words were almost as eager as they were cold, "If you keep it up with the disrespect and the asinine comments, I'll take you to a place where it's just you and me and a whole lot of pain." She glanced Nikolai up and down and added in a whisper, "and I should tell you I can get real creative when it comes to dealing with people that piss me off."

Though he made no move to sit down, Nikolai made no move towards the exit, either. In fact he just stood there, as frozen as I was. I'd never heard Daisy talk like that before. Nikolai must not have expected this either for he gazed at her as if seeing and noticing her for the very first time.

He pulled back, but not without saying, "No wonder he's obsessed with you. You're just like him."

The words seemed to really get to Daisy for she blinked and rose from the table at the same time as the door opened. Like a caged animal poised for attack Nikolai sprung towards the newcomer.

He was instantly repelled.

I can't explain it because it happened too fast, but the moment he would have made contact with the person in the doorway, he flinched all over and burst into flames. The fires were put out almost instantaneously and he stood a few feet away from the young woman, shuddering and rolling his shoulders.

"Did you really think I was that stupid?" Alicia asked him, sounding tired and insulted.

Nikolai said evenly, angrily, "No. Especially not after that death-trap of an apartment-"

"You went to my apartment?!" Alicia's dark eyes widened indignantly. "You just don't quit, do you jackass?"

"Get away from her!"

Daisy recovered from Nikolai's remarks and was beside her friend in an instant. Alicia took Daisy's hand.

"I need to talk to you." She said, glancing around. "In private."

"Yeah, yeah." Daisy nodded. She glanced at me, threw a glare at Nikolai, and told Boo, "Make sure no one leaves this room."

"Of course." King Boo nodded once.

A/N: I'm gonna chop it off here. We'll see what Alicia and Daisy talk about in the upcoming chapter.

I will give you a hint about the title; even though Bowser has his powers back doesn't mean he'll be flying solo.

We'll see what goes down next very soon! Thanks for all your support everyone! Once again, sorry for the wait, but I have to depend on the library resources since I have no computer/internet anymore. Oh well.

Until next time!

~DymondGold~