Enjoy!

Chapter Forty-Seven

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 in, too

For weeks he hung around the League, staking out in various disguises and doing his best to blend into the shadows as he observed each and every member. He had to avoid even looking at Callian because it made his blood boil so badly his jaw would lock and he'd start grinding his teeth. He channeled his anger into his personal crusade against the leader and worked that much harder to learn the tics and habits of all the sorcerers. He was looking specifically for the one member that was least notable, most forgettable, the one that existed in every group; the peon, the grunt. It didn't take long for Ludwig to weed him out and, once he did, the second part of his mission began.

He'd killed before but killing a sorcerer? That was new to him. He was single-minded in his determination for revenge so this wasn't so big an obstacle that he couldn't overcome his own lingering insecurities and slay the member he'd be passing for during the next month. He had to be sure his presence was not questioned and thus couldn't stay too long or too briefly. Flying under the radar was crucial and the less suspicion he caused himself, the better.

A month and a half came and went and he was well into the third phase of his plot, now slowly and surely infecting Callian's rancid parodies of meals with a little something he stole from the head honcho himself, a mixture that would bring him down from his usual level of magical alertness. Where the eagle-eyed leader was previously able to notice when there was, say, a fluctuation of energy in the area, he was now blind to the fact that Ludwig had started walking around without masking his original magical signature. That was the teenager's cue to move to the next step in his plan.

Here was where it got particularly difficult for a variety of reasons. He was a very skilled individual but he was still a teenager. Well, barely. In the past few months he'd voluntarily shed most of his own innocence along the way in his hateful quest, whether it was by spilling blood or visiting whorehouses and impersonating prostitutes. He needed to mimic how they performed and behaved so as to thoroughly persuade even the most astute magician that he was one of them. He also chose to study Callian, his tastes and preferences in the women he decided to lay with. To say he hated females, he slept with a lot of them and, not surprisingly, they all looked sort of the same. They all resembled his ex-wife. That meant a couple instances where the teenager-turned-league member spent time passing a bottle of liquor between himself and the others, garnering information on the leader's former spouse. He'd gotten sick and could add having a monster hangover to his growing list of firsts. Ludwig convinced himself several times that the trauma he was bringing by his own hand would be worth it once he had his revenge.

It was a good thing Callian's senses were dulled by both the constant poisonings and the spirits he'd imbibed earlier in the night because Ludwig was positive the older man would pick up on his energy. He was all over the place; nervous, scared, anxious, thrilled. He'd made it this far and was dead-set on not screwing up now. He was too, too close to what he'd been working towards for the better part of three months.

Behind Callian he walked, his gait a bit more forced than the other individual's clumsy ambling. Ludwig had gotten that walk down, that one he'd seen the more experienced women adopting, but it looked like it was for nothing because Callian really didn't seem to care or notice him at all. Of course he knew Ludwig was there, er, well he knew the woman who looked strikingly like his ex-wife was there behind him, following him into that pigsty he called a bedroom. There were clothes all over the room, so much so that it was hard to see where the bed ended and the floor began. And the bed; really? It was just a couple mattresses on the floor, more or less. The lighting was bad and made the teenager's charmed sea-green eyes hurt and there was an odor he definitely did not like. He'd been here before, he had to get familiar with the room after all, but he still made that disgusted face like he had the first time he'd had the misfortune of stepping into the room.

Probably for his own sake, his memories regarding the brief fumbling and fawning that made up the first few minutes of Callian's acknowledgement of him—her—remain rather sketchy. He just remembered hating every second of having the immortal pawing at him. It made him act quickly. All he had to do was get above the other man and all the pretending could end. He'd played it off as some kind of kink, wanting to tie Callian up, and the miracle was in the fact that the immortal allowed it. After that things got ugly.

He may not have noticed when Ludwig pulled out the knife or when he started changing bit by bit back into his original self but, pretty soon, he sobered up. He had to. He was getting castrated, after all.

As soon as he made the first incision Callian started howling and bucking but he was tied up and he was weak, the poison was the only thing holding him at bay. He had enough power, however, to make himself lucid all of a sudden. He stared right at the teenager above him with blood on his hands and more filling the sheets and his howling turned to feral growling and guttural noises that terrified Ludwig. He wasn't ashamed of what he'd done, he wasn't sorry, but he was now terrified because Callian knew exactly what he'd done and there was no way he was getting away with this.

Callian called the League, hoping they'd apprehend the teenager before he got a chance to get away but he obviously had no idea what it looked like to the members, to see their fearsome leader half naked and with his best parts dangling and covered in blood. His whole lap was soaked and he looked ridiculous, his arms above his head while he practically foamed at the mouth. Ludwig was too preoccupied with getting out of there to gloat and revel in his quasi-victory.

"We're stopping again?"

She had her back to me but I could tell she was annoyed. Daisy didn't even get off her horse. In fact she still had the creature trotting forwards slowly as if she thought I'd change my mind in the span of a couple seconds. Nope. I had troops to look after and I was taking this seriously. I knew how badly Daisy wanted to get to the palace, I mean we were already in the Badlands now so it'd only take us a few more hours to reach it.

"I just wanna' make sure everybody's alright." I told her, walking from the horse I rode towards where my soldiers were cooling off.

Daisy pointed out, "We just took a break this morning."

But she was getting down and fanning herself as well. It was a warm day in the barren lands and I was sure my princess needed this break just like everyone else, even if she didn't admit it. After I checked in with the troops, I took some water from my pack and went over to where Daisy stood impatiently.

Even with her hip cocked and her arms folded and her mouth pouted and twisted to the side as she squinted up at the sun, she looked adorable. That only increased when I stepped in front of her, cleared my throat, and handed her the water. She looked from the sky to me and then to my hand and then back to me with a slow, rueful smile.

She said with her voice and features soft, "Thank you, baby."

"No problem." I shrugged.

I put an arm around her shoulder and plucked the underside of her cap. She had one hand balancing the water up to her lips and used the other to shoo my fingers away.

"Cut it out," She laughed.

It was becoming a personal goal of mine to get at least one of those out of her a day. I took her hat and started fanning her face and she closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

"We're ready, Commander." One of my troops called over to me.

Daisy opened her eyes and this time they were fierce and ready and she handed me the water back in favor of pulling that map from where she had it tucked at her side between her shirt and pants. I rolled my eyes and knew she was back in mission-mode.

Everyone relaxes in their downtime and the Lord of Illusions was no exception. He sat reclined at the head of his dining room table, chair on its hind legs and his legs crossed at the ankles atop the white cloth. His minions were entertaining him immensely as they fashioned themselves into a ferries wheel and were tottering around, chittering and covering their eyes when it was their turn to make a rotation in front of him. Boo would have been out terrorizing, er, visiting some of his denizens down in Evershade Valley but today was a slow day. Here it was nearly night and he hadn't had a real bit of excitement yet.

Well that was about to change.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG

All the boos fell out of position and swathed their stubby hands over their eyes, trembling and pursing their mouths tightly in fear. King Boo rose from his chair, leaving it still suspended on two legs, and glided over to the front door. He'd only just left the kitchen when the banging continued. It was like there was a madman at his door.

"Hm." Boo thought idly, "I could always activate the trap door under their feet."

But he stopped in his foyer and examined the magical signature of who was at the door and that made him lift a brow.

"Well then," He murmured, "What in the twelve realms could he want?"

Boo turned abruptly when he heard a crackling noise, the sound accompanying a novice teleporter. He only looked even more surprised when he saw his former protégé looking like he'd been through a meat grinder.

"Ludwig," King Boo whispered with a frown. "What happened to you?"

He was panting and sweating and his hair, back to its bright blue hue, was greasy and stringy, like it hadn't been washed in weeks. The boy was dirty from head to toe and his clothes had spots of dirt and blood and grime all over them, not to mention they were torn in places. This was odd not only because Boo knew the teenagers was among the cleanest and always kept himself well-groomed, but because of how weak his signature was. His magical energy was nearly depleted. No wonder that teleport had been so sloppy; it must have drained him of all that was left in him.

There was more banging at the door and Ludwig nearly jumped out of his skin. He was so skinny. Had he been eating right? King Boo was filled with concern for the boy but there was a more pressing matter at the door.

"Ludwig," He hoped against hope that the boy would answer in the negative after he asked, "Is Callian chasing you?"

As if answering for him Callian banged at the door even more. Ludwig gazed up at Boo with sheer terror in his emerald eyes and then turned white when the older magician began walking towards the door.

"Well if you're not going to tell me—" King Boo drawled.

"No!" Ludwig shouted, grabbing his arm and nearing tears when he begged, "Don't let him in here! Send him away! Please!"

This was one of the rare times King Boo had heard the young sorcerer use that word. He sounded desperate and afraid.

Boo opened the door.

"Where is he?"

Callian threw this question behind him as he barged right in. He marched through the other immortal's estate with a bitter scowl on his face.

"Well I've never!" King Boo gasped, feigning offense. "Why Callian, you didn't even speak."

Callian was near the staircase and he stopped, pivoted on his heels and gave a mock-bow with a gratuitous, fake smile.

"Does that please you?"

"Somewhat."

"Where's the boy." It wasn't even a question anymore.

King Boo smiled gently and asked, "What boy?"

He'd taken Ludwig by the wrist and was holding him just a few inches behind him. It was disturbing him how badly the boy was quivering, how loudly and quickly his heart was beating. This only cemented his decision to keep the teenager invisible and completely undetectable by the other being.

Callian barked, "You know damn well what boy I'm talking about! The one who—you know who I'm talking about, Boo!"

King Boo quirked a brow and asked innocently, "You're referring to Ludwig?"

"Yes."

"What of him?"

Callian was gnashing his teeth now as he growled, "You know where he is, don't you? Give him over to me, Boo. He's got to be dealt with."

"What on earth has he done to you?" King Boo asked.

"Oh you must have heard!" Callian snarled, whipping out his hands and tearing the place apart with his mind's eye.

It didn't look like it, but the League of Immortals' leader was turning the whole place over, searching and searching for the teenager that had slighted him.

King Boo weathered this calmly and said, "No, I haven't heard. But as you can tell, he's not around here." King Boo clasped both hands over Ludwig's arm and said nonchalantly, "I haven't seen the boy in months."

Callian grunted in an aggressively skeptical way.

"The last I heard of him," King Boo continued blithely, "he had his heart set on joining the League."

Callian scoffed and said, "Little fool! He should have known better."

"You turned him away, didn't you?" King Boo enquired.

Callian said, "Not before I milked him for all the petty labor I could. He earned the League a good amount before he went and wised up."

"Well that doesn't sound very nice." King Boo hummed.

Inside he was indignant because he was still very protective of Ludwig and to hear his naivety had been exploited to such a degree made him angry.

He remarked passively, "Perhaps whatever Ludwig did to you was in retaliation at being used so callously."

"You're defending him?!" Callian bellowed, his black eyes narrowing angrily.

King Boo shrugged and said, "I merely remind you that Ludwig is only a boy—" here Ludwig bristled and King Boo tightened his grip on him—"and his actions would probably reflect that. Try not to judge him too harshly."

Callian looked at Boo as if in disbelief and huffed, "He knew what he was doing and he'll get what's coming to him."

King Boo sighed.

Callian looked over at his old friend and spoke with a tad less rage and a bit more empathy. His change in mood was more due to his realizing he wouldn't getting ahold of Ludwig today. Boo was the Lord of ILLUSIONS, after all; if he wanted something hidden, Callian knew he'd not be finding it anytime soon.

As a friend he told Boo, "Look. I know you…" Callian rubbed his hand over his face and put it gruffly, "…harbor some kind of affection for the boy but he's done something I can't overlook." His features hardened when he said, "So don't try and persuade me to forgive him."

King Boo held up his hands in a gesture of surrender but he was thinking about how funny it was that Callian would even say something like that knowing he was never known to forgive anyone of anything. Ever. Boo was a little unhinged but he wasn't crazy enough to think he'd succeed in doing that during this lifetime or the next.

"Wherever you're stowing him," Callian scowled, "You keep him there. Keep him out of my sight because if I see the little demon bastard I can guarantee that you won't, not all in one piece."

Was it possible to vanish furiously? If so, Callian had mastered the act and was gone much more quietly than he'd arrived. Ludwig nearly collapsed in relief and might have sank to the floor were it not for King Boo still gripping his arm.

The immortal looked down at the eldest Koopa and gave him a look that demanded he tell him everything.

Of course he didn't tell everything, Ludwig never told anyone everything, but he did spread his honesty around. He revealed a few things to his baby sister, and a bit of truth he shared with the princess who now resented him. King Boo got the biggest share and when it came to the events surrounding his sudden life on the run, Ludwig had been pretty generous. He'd told the immortal about getting used and about the humiliating moment of truth and he'd glossed over his revenge; so vague he'd been on that.

The only ones who know are me and Callian himself, Ludwig thought as he reflected on his actions. He smirked and recalled how shocked then amused he'd been when, after braving himself up on a few occasions to spy on the League, he'd found out that Callian had wiped everyone's memories. Not only did he take the embarrassing near-castration from their minds, but the identity of who he was altogether. For all they knew, Callian had them hunting some random blue-haired snot who'd stolen from them.

And there wasn't a single place I could go where they didn't find me, Ludwig's smirk faded and fell into a bitter frown. He recalled the days and nights that stitched together into one never-ending perilous 'adventure' that had become his life for weeks and weeks. He'd not been able to sleep after the first two or three times of being woken up with immortals surrounding him. He hated to admit it, but he'd come crawling back to his old haunt as a last resort, having nowhere left to run. He didn't want to go back at first because he thought it'd be too obvious, but it got to a point to where he didn't even care. He just wanted to have a sole night of safety and didn't care how pathetic he looked. Surely he figured an, 'I told you so' was in order, but King Boo had done no such thing. He'd listened, he'd gotten mad on Ludwig's behalf, and he'd immediately asked when the last time he'd eaten was. There was no judgment, no scorn.

Ludwig started to fidget.

His insides were acting strange. He was feeling something, the thing between guilt or shame and sadness. He realized, so acutely that his chest, no his heart started to hurt, that King Boo was probably the only one to actually care for him. Like genuinely care about him.

Well…cared that is, he thought. He knew the last thing he said to the royal, no, going further back, their last encounters over the past several months had to have pushed the king away. He'd alienated the only person who put up with him and his arrogance and his mess, his complications and moodiness. He did feel ashamed and it hurt but then he got mad.

Emerald eyes narrowed when he thought, What's the point? Nothing matters anymore. I'll be dead soon, so.

Well that was if Callian didn't have the same plans for him anymore. Back then, when he was spying, Ludwig also found out that Callian had a very special future in store for him, and it wasn't the membership the boy had coveted either.

"Are you positive that's what he said?"

King Boo had to be sure because if Ludwig was not mistaken in what he'd heard, then he was truly facing a fate worse than death. Because death was final, death ended. Immortality went on forever and ever and to endure that longevity as a slave to another would be nothing short of…Ludwig would probably try to kill himself. King Boo was worried.

Ludwig sat, so obviously skinny in the large dining room chair, recounting what he'd been doing for the past several weeks. He was being awfully ambiguous but when he mentioned Callian planning to give him a mark of eternal servitude King Boo had to interject.

In answer to what Boo had asked, Ludwig nodded and said, "He's got the whole League after me. If they catch me I'm…" Ludwig swallowed and shifted and it pained Boo to see how anxious and scared he looked. He brought those usually sharp eyes up to the king's and pleaded, "You have to let me stay here."

King Boo sighed and said, "Ludwig—"

Misinterpreting his tone Ludwig spouted desperately, "I have nowhere else to go! Please, I know I was an ass to you and I'm sorry but I have nowhere else to run to! They keep finding me and I…" Ludwig ran a shaking hand over his leg and begged, "J-just let me stay here until it all blows over."

"Ludwig," King Boo sighed again, "This isn't going to just 'blow over'." He tilted his head and asked, "You know that saying? 'Time heals all wounds'? Well it's the opposite for Callian." He predicted, "He'll only loathe you more and more."

"Then what am I supposed to do?!" Ludwig shouted, his voice very raw.

Boo stepped around the table over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder and winced when the boy flinched. Had he been touched or something? Or was he just jumpy from living as a wanted individual?

"I don't know what you did," King Boo said gravely, "But Cal is furious and he's known to hold a grudge." He stated sagely, "It'd be better to face your problems than run from them."

"I'm not strong enough!" Ludwig declared.

"Then you'd better not cross paths with him."

"He's HUNTING me!"

King Boo sighed again and Ludwig was sweating profusely, his heart was pounding so hard it was hurting his ribs and making it hard to breathe. Seeing him this way was making the royal use his index finger and thumb to massage his forehead. He sighed for the fourth time and this time was the heaviest.

"Ludwig," He murmured aggrievedly, "you get yourself into such…" King Boo looked up at the boy and said softly, "There are ways…you can hide your magical signature, for one. That'll make it much more difficult for the League to find you."

Ludwig began to sit up in his seat, his eyes growing hopeful.

King Boo told him, "You can also make a temporary double of yourself and send it away; it'll self-destruct once it's traveled so far. That'll keep them off your scent and…confuse them—oh, Ludwig, why didn't you listen to me?" King Boo asked fervently. He said, "If you'd only listened to me—"

"Teach me!" Ludwig cried. "Please! Show me how to do all that!"

King Boo frowned and hated that he was giving the impression that he was not going to help, because that was absolutely not an option for him. He cared too much not to help. But he wanted Ludwig to learn something from this. He couldn't just go off getting into these kind of messes. He wouldn't always have someone to save him.

The older sorcerer yet again sighed and asked, "Ludwig, you do realize the seriousness of what you've done, don't you?"

Ludwig blinked, looking stunned, then he looked enraged. He flushed and his dirty alabaster skin turned red as he stood from the table and slammed his palms flat against the once-unsoiled cloth.

"How could you ask that?!" He shouted. "Of course I do! Look at me!"

"Calm down," King Boo waved at him. "I mean to ask do you know why this is so? You do understand why this has happened?"

"You're saying this is my fault?!" Ludwig sounded frustrated and betrayed. His teenage hormones were at an all-time high.

King Boo gazed at him and said as gently as he could, "Ludwig you must take accountability for your part in this. I do understand Callian did you wrong, but you must know two wrongs don't make a right; it just makes war."

"All I wanted," Ludwig gritted his teeth and his voice shook, "was to be part of the League. He could've just told me no."

"You underestimate your persistence," King Boo smiled fondly. "You wouldn't have taken no for an answer, not even from him."

"So you're saying it's right for him to trick me like that?" Ludwig snapped. "You think it was okay for him to fucking use me like that?!"

"Ludwig." King Boo stated firmly. "I'm only saying what I've said: you're responsible for your own part of this. Callian was wrong, but so were you. You shouldn't have chosen to retaliate."

"He HUMILIATED me!" Ludwig yelled, and there were hot, outraged tears in his eyes at having to defend himself against someone who was 'supposed' to be on his side. He asked, "You think I should've taken that laying down?"

"You have to learn to pick your battles, Ludwig." King Boo told him carefully. "You have to think things through. Look at what seeking revenge has gotten you. If you felt so passionately about the matter, you should have waited until you were powerful or clever enough to attack without bringing detrimental harm to yourself."

All Ludwig got out of that was that Boo was telling him he wasn't strong and he wasn't smart. He scowled and grew even more defensive.

"Are you going to help me or not?" He hissed. "If you're not I can just leave and face my fate, like you put it." He flew out of his chair and knocked it back, heading for the door. "It was stupid of me to come here. If I knew I was just gonna' get a lecture—"

"Ludwig, stop." King Boo grabbed the young man's shoulders and Ludwig tried to shake him off. "Stop it! Look at me." Boo commanded.

He held Ludwig fast and looked in his eyes until the boy calmed down.

Then he said, "Ludwig I'm not lecturing you and I'm not trying to insult you. I just want you to grow from this. I don't want to create a cycle where I give you advice and you ignore it, then go out and get yourself up a creek and leave it to me to come and rescue you—"

"Fucking forbid you have to do that!" Ludwig jerked away. "I'm not asking you to rescue me!" He sneered.

"LUDWIG." King Boo used the sternest of tones to quiet the boy because he was getting on the usually good-natured sorcerer's last nerve.

How can he not understand this? Heavens, was I this clueless when I was his age? It's been so, so very long, King Boo thought.

Ludwig exhaled slowly, looked at the door and then back at Boo. Unfortunately he picked up next to nothing that King Boo was trying to relay. In his mind he decided to put aside his pride and bear with who he was calling in that moment the 'overbearing old know-it-all' for the sake of having somewhere safe to be.

He sounded subdued when he looked up at Boo and said, "Please, just please teach me those things you were talking about. Help me stay away from Callian and the League and I promise I won't ever bother you again."

"Ludwig—"

"You don't even have to let me stay with you." The teen continued. "You don't have to give me a room or anything. I can sleep out back with the horses."

"Ludwig—"

"If that's not enough I can work for you." Ludwig offered, starting to talk faster. "I can do something like clean up or…or be an enforcer or something like that. I'll do any kind of work. Just please let me stay."

King Boo rubbed his face again and groaned because the boy just wasn't getting it and he was at a loss for ways of breaking it down any further.

He said dully, "Okay, Ludwig, you can work for me. You can be my enforcer."

"And you'll train me in exchange for that?" Ludwig asked insistently.

"Of course." King Boo replied.

He'd do it at no cost at all but he knew Ludwig wouldn't have that; that would be too much like charity, like 'rescuing' him. So to let the boy save face he gave him his self-proclaimed role of protector of his lands and taught him all he needed to know to avoid Callian and the League without having to live under a rock for the rest of his life.

How ironic and undoubtedly twisted was it that, now that he had finally understood what King Boo was talking about, he was about to meet his end? Ludwig understood it all so clearly and it vexed him that the meaning of his mentor's words had never sunk in until now.

Accountability, he thought. Yeah, he was accountable for this, he and he alone. He looked at the metal table and then at his lap and bit his lip.

He thought about the things he'd done in his life, the things he'd blamed others for. There was the debacle with the League at the forefront of course, since that's what he was dealing with now. Then there was the thing he'd already felt remorseful about, the time where he tricked Daisy into coming back to the Badlands with him where he then imprisoned her with the Dark King. He winced.

Even she was trying to tell me the same thing Boo was, he recalled.

He'd really hurt that girl. She was the first person he'd ever developed any sort of feelings for and that was how he'd treated her. He remembered how damaged she'd been after going through all the abuse and he'd put his own desires first and had touched her, kissed her when she'd asked him not to. He was so disgusted with himself he k. And that wasn't even the end of it. There was the time he called his baby sister a whore; his darling little sister, the one he adored. He'd been a monster to her. There was the time he practically enslaved his little brother. Young Ignatius, who'd never hurt a fly, not even in the name of science. And then there was the time he was under the influence of his father's subconscious and did God only knows what. But even then he knew what he was doing. He could fight it, the urges, it was just hard as hell. Still, it was his fault for absorbing Bowser's power in the first place. Why had he done that? Why did he do anything he did? What was his motivation?

Ludwig wished his hands were free so he could soothe his temples; his head was starting to ache. This was too much to consider. Why now? No, he knew that. Imminent death right? Besides. He had a feeling he knew why he'd done all that. At the root of his desires was one thing: a lust for power. A drive to prove himself and be the greatest…fill in the blank that there ever was: king, sorcerer, the titles changed but that unyielding restlessness ate away at him since he was young. How young?

It started with him, Ludwig clenched his teeth and thought back to when he'd first become conscious of what power actually was and that was around the time he was, oh, about seven or eight. He'd realized that he had an unnatural infatuation with his father, a need for attention and approval from the psycho that led to him developing some kind of complex. Was that it? He saw what his father wanted most and he figured, if he could become that, maybe his father would love him. But Bowser was incapable of love and that was probably a whole other story in and of itself but as soon as Ludwig realized this, as soon as he began to understand that there was nothing he could ever do to get his father to do more than show rare and half-assed acts of affection, he started to resent the creature and all that adoration turned to hate. It was still an obsession. He was still consumed with getting that respect. And what better way to prove he was stronger than his sire than to best him and take his power from him?

Ludwig groaned from the inside out. He was thoroughly revolted with himself because it was starting to look like he owed his whole life to his father. Everything he was, he was because of that old bastard. And here he was, about to face his fate while the snake was still on the loose. Worse yet, his brothers and little sister, the ones he was supposed to, was trying to protect at first, were out there on their own.

MJ might be alright, Ludwig assessed, thinking of his dark-haired sibling. Even though the scar-bearer seemed to follow in Roy's shadow, being on his own lately had to have brought out his more independent side.

But Roy, Ludwig thought sourly, Roy is screwed. Not only was he a king now—and that was bound to catch Bowser's attention—but he was so easily manipulated. He was like Ludwig in a sense, secretly craving approval behind that tough front. Ludwig also knew he could be kind of thick, his heart of gold notwithstanding. Roy was in trouble.

Ludwig figured his youngest siblings were in no real danger, and that maybe Iggy's brightness would attract Bowser's intrigue but Iggy was much too smart to aid the Dark King…

Then again, Ludwig recalled with a sigh and a close of his eyes, Iggy was the one to have given him back his power in the first place.

Once again Ludwig saw himself in his sibling for, like Iggy, when he wanted something, like really wanted it badly, he didn't care about how he got it or about the consequences his actions would have on anyone else. If he wasn't mistaken in Ig's rationale, the young brainiac would have no further dealings with the Dark King now that he'd no doubt been granted what he'd asked for. Hopefully.

And then there was Wendy. Perhaps she was the safest of all, and Ludwig hated to admit this.

No matter how much I loathe that little weakling he's pretty good at hiding, Ludwig felt a tiny bit of relief at the fact that Munson had been able to get away and continuously hide from his father, one of the most adept sorcerers in the world.

But Nikolai was always the better hunter, Ludwig mentally remarked, smirking a bit at Callian's old sore spot.

Yes, it'd aggravated him when he'd found out about Wendy eloping with that boy; why did it have to be that boy? Ludwig couldn't stand him. But if he was wise enough to keep her safe in the other world, Ludwig supposed he had nothing against him. Well that was a lie. He'd always have something against any male who went after his sister, whether she was fifteen or fifty-five. He loved her the most and, naturally, stressed over her just as much. She was only fifteen, so young, and Munson wasn't much older. Two kids in that other world.

Even I had a hard time over there, he thought, but it wouldn't do to make his final moments of life filled with anxiety. He had to believe they would be okay. King Boo cared deeply for him, he could see that now, he was more than positive that care extended to his siblings as well. Boo would look out for them. And they would be okay. That was all he cared about at this point. To Hell with his father.

A/N: Sorry if that was wordy but strange things cross your mind when you know/think you're about to die. I didnt know it but I thought I was once, and it wasn't very pleasant.

Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!

~DG~