Enjoy!
Chapter Fifty-Three
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
Daisy was right about the map, it took me and her straight to the place we were before. That wasn't the palace at Sarasaland, that was the palace in the Badlands. The second one where the children were at. Fortunately we were able to acquire a horse and hoof it the rest of the way to the kingdom. It didn't take us nearly as long, but with the desert for comparison, just about any trip was a piece of cake. She and I got back to Chai early in the evening. Not bad at all.
"So what now?" I asked her.
Since we'd slowed down enough not to have the wind ripping the words out of the air before they made it to her ears, Daisy responded fairly quickly with a shrug. I took it not to mean she didn't know, but to mean she was still too distracted to give me an answer. All morning she'd been to herself, thinking hard about something. I sighed and resigned myself to wait for her to reveal her thoughts later.
We turned in the horse at the gates and walked the rest of the way to the palace. She was quiet, so I figured it was up to me to wave and smile confidently at the people in the streets, watching us and whispering uncertainly. They didn't know what was going on. We'd just shown up here and without the army we'd left with. Who knows what they were thinking?
By the time we reached the palatial front steps, General Zair had been alerted and he was there, blank-faced as usual. He stood in front of the Council and when I looked at him, he lifted a brow. He was probably wondering about my soldiers, too.
"It's alright," I told him when we were closer. "They're okay. We just came back alone because it was faster." I pointed to the map at Daisy's hip.
He looked there and then at the princess. She was still somewhere else, so I smoothed a hand over her back and she blinked and looked up. She glanced at the Council and there was a look and a nod exchanged with Councilwoman Strauss, the gold-eyed nag, and then she smiled faintly at Zair.
"Good to see the Kingdom's still in one piece." She teased him quietly.
"Did you expect anything less?" He replied with a slight smile of his own. He then asked, "You are well?"
"Yes."
"And you, Commander?" He turned to me.
I shrugged and said, "I'm good."
"We didn't come to stay long." Daisy told him, then took my hand and said, "Come on sweetie."
She led me inside and we passed the General and the Council. They'd started to ask Daisy questions but she was fast about dismissing them. I think she just didn't want to deal with their pressing questions.
"Princess—"
"Your Majesty—"
"Welcome back, Princess."
"I'm sorry, I can't speak right now." Daisy called as she dragged me behind her, then whipped her head back around and said, "Thank you."
She made one stop and told someone, "Go and send a message to King Boo. Tell him to please come here immediately."
"Yes, Princess." The man replied respectfully, then ran off.
Daisy then kept rushing through the palace, up the stairs, and to our bedroom in the tower. I shut the door behind us and waited for Daisy to explain herself. She didn't.
"I'm gonna' take a shower."
"Why?"
"Because we've been riding all day and—"
"No," I said, coming over to her. I asked, "Why did you send a runner out to King Boo?"
Daisy smiled and said, "You'll see, baby. I want to explain what I have in mind when everyone gets here."
"…Alright." I said, and the way I said it made Daisy tilt her head and frown.
"You trust me, don't you?" She asked me.
Why did she ask me that?
"Yeah, Daisy, you know I do." I replied.
She smiled again and then reached down towards her waist and pulled her shirt up over her head. She went into the bathroom to finish undressing and I went over to the closet. I knew I should shower first, too, but instead I just changed clothes, swapping out my sweaty ones for a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I went over to the bed and laid down. It was already evening time, I imagined the runner wouldn't reach Boo until maybe tomorrow. Evershade Valley wasn't a hop, skip, and a jump away after all.
Perhaps in anticipation of what he was about to do, the fallen Dark King was in an especially good mood. So good that he didn't notice or didn't care that there was extreme tension among the other two who currently shared his company. He had other things on his mind as he walked through the streets of Arid City with his long-time ally and said ally's son by his side. He was clearly a firm believer in the principle of the 'early bird catches the worm', for he was up bright and early and was determined to carry out what he'd wanted to do since he first saw the state of things in the kingdom.
He strode along confidently and with a grin on his face, a contrast to the menacing way Callian walked beside him.
Callian hadn't stopped scowling all morning and his focus was mostly on his son, though he would glare off to the side in thought. See Callian knew Ludwig was gone. He'd noticed it shortly after he'd noticed one of his magical artifacts was missing and immediately suspected the blue-haired sorcerer. He glanced sideways at his son.
There's a possibility the boy may have done it, he acknowledged. He knew he and his son weren't on good terms by any stretch of the imagination. Munson certainly had the motive, but the means? That's where Callian had his doubts.
He scratched his stubbly chin and thought, the boy's so weak, I don't think he even has it in him to cross me. And his skills as a sorcerer are damn near nonexistent; even if he did want to betray me, what could he have done?
No, he ultimately ruled out Munson as a suspect in the incident. He was definitely mad about losing out on Ludwig and it made him so much more bitter than he'd been before but he still didn't suspect his son.
He knows better than to deny me that revenge, Callian reasoned, glancing at his boy again.
Munson was nervous, more nervous than he'd been in his life. He'd talked big with Ludwig back in that room, saying that about his father not suspecting him. He honestly didn't know.
With the way he's staring at me it's like he knows what I've done, Munson feared, but kept his face and body language cool. He strode easily and maintained a careful air of indifference with just a hint of impudence; if his father still thought he was mad about being enslaved, he'd look innocent. Munson knew that if he just played it off, he'd be safe. If his father had even the slightest inclination to probe his mind or memories, it was over. Munson had no doubt his father would kill him. For this offense he would most certainly die.
Yeah, just act normal, just act like you hate and you should be fine, Munson coached himself, running a hand through his hair in feigned agitation as he walked.
He focused his thoughts on other things. The sooner he stopped dwelling on what he'd done, the sooner this would blow over. He thought instead about what was currently going on.
Here he was, chained to his father via invisible leash, forced to join him in his plans with the Dark King. This was Munson's first time seeing the Dark King, well, like this at least. He'd seen Bowser in his other, beastly form plenty of times and it'd terrified him. He was no less afraid now, because even though the redhead appeared handsome and jovial, there was a definite aura about him that just screamed, 'unhinged'.
"This is it." Bowser said, stopping in front of a big white building.
Callian glanced at Bowser and said, "So what?"
Bowser grinned and said, "So let's go inside, Cal." He headed towards the building and said, "Follow my lead."
The redhead bounded up the steps and kept striding towards the doors and was stopped by the guards. They pointed their weapons right at his bare, built chest. He looked down at their weapons, amused.
One guard said, "Stand off. You're not welcome here."
"That's right." The other guard said, "We know who you are."
Bowser glanced at Callian and swept his hand towards the doors, stepping back. Callian got the message and raised one of his own hands and without warning he blasted the large white doors open.
Munson stepped back and shielded his face as his father's magic took the form of electric vines and wrapped around the doors' frame, then tightened around the stone and forced the foundation to crumble. He was fortunate enough to avoid the destruction but those two guards both died, having been crushed under the sudden avalanche. Bowser just looked at Callian and shook his head.
Not the method I would've chosen, he thought, but who cares? Cal got the doors open, that's all that matters. As for those two saps, well, they shouldn't have gotten in our way.
Bowser stepped over the rubble and the corpses and Cal followed him and Munson had to look away as he walked or else he'd get sick. He knew his father was a killer but he hadn't been around the man in so long…this was more than he was prepared for.
Almost instantly, probably from the sound of the blast, there were more guards to obstruct the trio in their path. Leading the group of law enforcers was the chief, Anthony Carrow. He pulled up short, not expecting such damage, and glared at Bowser.
The redhead just smiled and said, "You must be the one in charge."
"You got that right," Anthony sneered. "What's the meaning of this?!"
Bowser told him, "You'll see. Gather your agents and meet me at the warehouse; you know, the one down by the gates? I have an announcement to make."
"Arrest him!" Anthony barked, ignoring the self-professed emperor.
Like drones several agents ran at the Koopa and Bowser need only glance at Callian for the latter male to strike them all down. Like a cord he projected a line of his electric energy across their necks and clotheslined them. That was Callian showing mercy, for if he'd applied a bit more force it was off with their heads.
Bowser dipped his head towards the gaping hole at the Justice Hall and he and Callian and a very reluctant Munson made their exit.
Bowser was leading the way through the city, towards the warehouse, but Callian held out an arm in front of the man who matched him in height.
"What's that?" He frowned, narrowing his eyes at something on the opposite wall.
Bowser looked curiously at what Callian was staring at. It looked like the side of a building at first, then he saw the defaced posters that acted as a flap for a hole in the wall.
"They're talking about your boy in there," Callian deduced after picking up on both voices and thoughts. He added, "They've got it in their minds to kill him."
Bowser's smile faded and he said, "Is that right?" He led the way over towards the side of the building and said, "Come on."
Bowser didn't just move the flap aside, he burned it to ashes and effectively silenced everyone in the dark, barely-lit room. They all stared at him.
"Well don't stop on my account," Bowser encouraged, his smile patient. He asked, "Who's the one leading this meeting?"
A man bravely or foolishly stepped forward and Bowser jerked his head at Callian. The League leader then appeared in front of the admitted speaker, an older man, and the crowd gasped at large. They only then cried out in horror when Callian grabbed the man by the back of his neck and forced him over towards Bowser.
"Stop! What are you—ack!" the man protested but Callian ignored him and so did Bowser.
The fallen king smiled and gave the crowd a little obliging nod and continued on through the city. He got even more looks now that Callian was making a spectacle of the dissenter but only Munson noticed, cared, and was ashamed of those looks. He walked as far behind his father as he could.
When they got to the warehouse, Bowser smiled widely.
"Oh look, they beat us here!" He grinned, "But then, we did make a little detour." He glanced at the man who'd worn himself out and was being dragged along.
Bowser saw the agents hanging around the front of the warehouse and bypassed them, then saw a ton more of them were gathered inside. One may say he was outnumbered and the way they closed the door behind him and Callian and Munson could be seen as an intimidation tactic, but it was hardly effective. Bowser just grinned harder.
The agents all swarmed the room, surrounding the trio and covering the first floor of the building. Behind them, empty cots were pushed to the walls and on the upper floors, despondent young women and girls peeked over and around the bodies of stern-looking slavers and 'masters'.
Down on the lower floor, Anthony Carrow made his way to the front of the crowd, standing across from the redhead. He crossed his arms and glared hard at the fallen king. Bowser was at ease as he stood with his head high and tilted, presenting himself with confidence.
"So what's your announcement?" Anthony hissed, disfiguring his lips around a tight scowl.
Bowser said, "I'm glad you asked." Facing them all in turn by looking from left slowly to right, he said, "I am the Dark King. I'm here to fortify this kingdom as my empire's capital, led by my son and heir Rex."
Several distasteful murmurs and scoffs went up at the mention of the pink-haired teenager.
Anthony hushed them with a raised hand and looked down his tanned nose at Bowser. He snorted lightly and shook his head, not impressed with the other male at all.
"You obviously don't know how things are run around here," Anthony drawled, and some of his agents snickered.
Bowser dropped his head to the side and widened his eyes a little as if listening intently.
Anthony said, "You done made a fool of yourself here today and if you knew what was good for you, you'd take your boy and leave." The Carrow patriarch frowned and said, "You've caused enough trouble here but then, destruction apparently runs in your family."
Bowser grinned again, genuinely, and said, "You know, you're absolutely right. And you know what else runs in our family? I mean, besides good looks."
He threw a smirk over at Callian and the stiff sorcerer just cut his eyes to the side and shook his head.
"Power." Bowser stated, the humor gone from his voice and face. He stared at the agents and then at Anthony and said, "I have immense power and so does my son," he gestured to Callian, "and so does my friend here." Bowser then spoke casually, "If I wanted, I could level this entire city."
"Try it!" Anthony challenged, disgusted and disbelieving.
"Nah," Bowser declined. "I told you, I want this city as my capital."
"And I told you," Anthony's voice tightened to match his frown, "Get your boy and your freakshow friend and leave!"
"I'm not going anywhere." Bowser smirked but the expression was forced; he didn't take too well to being yelled at. "And neither are you."
He looked to Callian, who had to check his anger at being called a freak, and the sorcerer turned around and looked at the door. He just looked at them and a white light spread from the cracks below and around the doorframe. It enveloped the warehouse entrance and then formed a criss-crossed web that barred anyone from even being near the doors without feeling a nasty shock. The agents there backed away.
"What's this?" Anthony demanded.
"No one's leaving this building," Bowser stated simply. "Not unless you swear your allegiance to my son and agree to submit to his, and by extension my authority."
"Alright, I warned you," Anthony turned to his agents and signaled for them to attack.
Bowser stayed Callian's hand as they charged for him, then stretched out one of his own and Munson paled. Bright hot fire rushed from Bowser's hand and spread like a wet spill over his assailants. He roasted them all and the rest of the agents stopped in their tracks. The plan to mob him died faster than the ten or eleven agents a second ago. Now they stood there, in shock of what they'd just seen.
I gotta' get out of here, Munson thought, wishing he could teleport somewhere far away and bleach his mind of that awful sight.
Anthony may have thought he was being subtle when he eyed a few of his agents and they came at Bowser from behind. They met much the same fate and when the putrid tang of burnt flesh filled the stifling air of the warehouse, Anthony broke. Upstairs the girls were getting hysterical, wailing and crying and screaming at what they'd seen. The slavers and masters couldn't get them back into their cage-like rooms fast enough and, once they were gone, their cries more of muffled background noise, it was nearly silent.
Bowser sensed no further attack and crossed his arms across his chest, looking neither remorseful nor satisfied. Munson was facing the nearest wall, going to his happy place. Callian sneered at Anthony and the chief seemed at a loss.
He asked Bowser, "What do you want?!"
"I told you what I want and I'm not repeating myself." Bowser replied smoothly. "Now whoever wants to walk out those doors needs to swear your allegiance to me…" His mouth twitched in a smirk as he elaborated, "…by kissing my feet."
He was barefoot and the heat had done his appendages no favors. The agents and Anthony immediately began to protest and Bowser dropped his arms by his sides. He turned his hands palms-up and a fire blazed from the bottom perimeter of the entire building, startling and silencing them all. Having made his point, Bowser retracted the fires and closed his fists.
"The choice is yours," He told them. "I'm here to stay until I get things in order, until I'm convinced my son can handle ruling on his own. Then I'll move on with the rest of my empire." He narrowed jade eyes and threatened, "Whoever comes against my son will have to answer to me. Now what's it gonna be?"
The agents were silent and nobody moved.
"I haven't got all day." Bowser stated.
Still no one spoke or stepped forward.
He rolled his eyes and another smirk twitched over his lips as he said, "Fine."
He shot his fist out and set one of the walls on fire, for real this time. The entire wall went up in flames and the foundation began to smolder and crumble and part of the warehouse started to collapse. Upstairs there was louder, wilder screaming and Bowser frowned. He glanced at Callian.
"Do something about those girls."
"You want me to kill them?" Callian asked flatly.
"No." Bowser frowned. "The kid'll be pissed. Just get them out of here."
Callian looked like he'd rather not waste the magic but he still did something, not something physical other than close his eyes, and in a few seconds all that screaming and yelling ceased. Callian opened his eyes and looked over at Bowser like, 'it's done'. Bowser nodded.
He started to ask where the sorcerer put them but then he realized he didn't care.
Either because of the girls' disappearance or because of the rapidly deteriorating warehouse, the slavers and masters came busing out of the upper rooms in search of what was going on. Bowser egged the fires on until there was smoke everywhere and parts of the roof started falling down, injuring and killing more agents. Callian made sure no one got close enough to incapacitate the Dark King. It was difficult to breathe, let alone remain defiant against this clear madman.
"I can take the heat!" Bowser shouted above the deafening roar of the flames, "But can you? How much longer do you think you're gonna' last?!"
One by one, coughing and begrudging, agents started to come forward, and Bowser made them do it. He stood there with the biggest, smuggest grin on his face as they bowed to him and actually kissed his feet. It was hilarious to him and he thought of that girl, that little woman who tried time and time again to tell him that he couldn't do this, that he couldn't make people do what he wanted.
Everyone does what I want them to…in time and with the right persuasions, he smirked. And if they refuse, they die. To him this logic was infallible.
When Anthony came to him, eyes red through and through, Bowser wondered if the old man's pride would force him to burn. But then the chief started to lower his head and Bowser grabbed the back of his hair. He jerked the man's head back and stared at him.
"Aren't you the one that tried to frame my son?"
Anthony bared his teeth and gritted his jaw.
Bowser nodded and said, "Yeah, there's something I need you to do for me."
Sometimes when I first wake up, I forget where I am and what I was doing before I went to bed. That's how I got up this morning. I blinked and saw the canopy and the bed and then looked over at Daisy and forgot we'd been on a mission just hours ago. It was easy to dissociate from the heat and anguish of the desert now that I was in a cool room in this giant bed with the girl I loved. It was almost like old times.
Hopefully, I thought, if we're successful, things will get back to that.
But for now they were bound to get worse and rougher. I was just glad to have this little reprieve. I laid on my back and stared up at nothing for a while, just glad to be able to do this. I knew not to take the peaceful moment for granted. And then I turned on my side and stared at Daisy.
She was still sleep obviously, or she'd have been running around issuing orders and trying to do a million things at once and what not. Now, in sleep, she was forced to be still, to take it easy. She looked so beautiful and calm.
I didn't want to wake her, so when I moved to stroke her hair I was extra careful. I ran her long, messy dark hair through my fingers and took on the task of pushing it all away from her face. I fixed it neatly on both sides of her head and stared down at the girl, watching her breathe and knit her brow and move her mouth as if trying to say something.
I moved onto my stomach and got closer to her, again making sure not to wake her, and started smoothing a thumb over her forehead very gently. I wanted to soothe her. It worked. After a little while, she relaxed on her own and lay still again.
I wouldn't be surprised if she was having a bad dream, I thought sadly.
I kissed the young woman's forehead, softly and slowly, and then kissed her cheek and her pliant red lips. I was above her now and there wasn't an ill intention within me. I just wanted to watch her and touch her and I could do this all day. I held the side of her face and then rubbed it down her neck and shoulder. There I felt the hardness of the locket. It must have come lopsided during the night. I took the chain and pulled until the heart-shaped metal was up from under the fabric of her black shirt. No wait, that was another of mine.
She must be going through my suitcase, I reasoned, since this was a different one from last time. It had, 'star wars' in yellow block letters on the front. Ah, I remembered those days, I think I was seventeen or eighteen when I got that shirt. I'd been hurt at first because it was a gift from my big brother. He just didn't know it was Star Trek I was into, not Star Wars, but over time I got over the disappointment and accepted Mario was just really, really absent-minded sometimes.
I looked down and studied the locked in my hand. Using both, I pried it open and saw the faces of my fiancée's cousins inside.
How are they doing? Did Meech get any better?
Probably. It'd been a long time since the engagement party. I bet they were doing fine, especially if they were still working at the palace. Well Danny was. He was really growing up. I then felt a little selfish for all the complaining I did about missing Daisy; how did they feel when they hardly ever got to see her?
Dropping the locket, I pushed my shirt off of Daisy's shoulder a bit and stared at the scar near her chest. it looked like it would never heal past the pink scratch-looking stage. Gently I touched it and felt the one on my chest start to tingle and burn. It was kind of amazing. I bent down and kissed her scar, and my own started to react more intensely.
Somebody knocked at the door.
I whipped my head over and then looked down at Daisy. I had to move from on top of her so that she could turn on her side with a faint frown. From the bed I climbed and wondered if that could be Boo.
Nah, he would've just appeared out of nowhere.
I walked over to the door and scratched my side and opened the door and saw it was Zair.
"Hey."
"Good morning." The General greeted quietly.
"Did you um…"
General Zair said, "I came to ask you in more detail about your mission."
"Oh." I said, rubbing my arm. "It was good. I mean not good but we're all alive so…yeah."
Zair nodded, his black eyes fixed on me and his expression mostly blank but it was like he wanted something. Then it hit me. Duh! He was still a father, after all.
I told him, "Portia's alright, if you were wondering. She's back with the others at the inn in Arid City. In fact, I left her in charge."
Sort of.
Zair didn't seem surprised, he just nodded and I could barely catch his relief under that stony mask. Maybe having executive authority was wearing on him because he seemed quieter than usual. He stood there, staring down at me and he may have been thinking but for me, the silence that stretched on was turning awkward. I rubbed my elbow again and glanced behind me.
"Did you um, did you want to come in and…talk or something?" I asked him.
General Zair lifted a black brow and said, "If you are offering, Commander, I won't refuse."
I stepped aside and he removed his heavy black boots at the door. He then walked into the large room and glanced around with subtle curiosity. He stopped when he saw Daisy because the girl was stirring.
"Princess," He greeted with a bare little smile.
She yawned and covered her hand and frowned, then sat up and saw who it was and grinned.
"Good morning, General." She spoke hoarsely, then coughed.
She clambered over to the edge of the bed and then stood and stretched her arms up high. I saw her slim body in my shirt and those shorts and she saw me looking and tossed me a mischievous smile.
She told me, "When King Boo gets here, tell him to get Peasley, alright?"
"For what?" I asked, becoming more confused about her plans now that our blonde friend was involved.
Daisy shrugged and went into the bathroom. That was her way of telling me I'll see later I guess. I turned to Zair. He'd moved to the bed and was sitting at the foot of it. He was so tall and it looked kind of weird for him with all his height to be sitting there on the romantic canopy bed. He had the curtain pushed behind him. I came and pushed it all the way back like a shower curtain and looked to him.
He seemed to be waiting for me to make the first move because he had his arms crossed over his chest and that sort of blank stare was the curious kind.
"So um." I started, standing in front of him. "How've you been?"
General Zair seemed the slightest bit amused at me and replied, "I've been well, Commander."
He looked well in his black slacks and loose white dress shirt. He managed to be at the same time elegant and rugged with his hair up in a top knot and his expression in want of conversation.
"Did you want to talk about that stuff before?" I asked him, "Like, my experiences with Bowser? We've got some time before Boo gets here so."
General Zair gave me a half smile and an obliging nod.
"Okay." I said, holding my hands behind my head. "Um. Where do I even start?"
"When did you first encounter the Dark King?" General Zair prompted with quiet enthusiasm.
I looked up at the ceiling and said, "Uh. That was a long time ago, like a bunch of years ago." I sat on the floor and thought about this.
Soon I relaxed in the other man's presence and relayed, "It was after Mario and I found a gateway to this world. We started coming through just for fun at first, and to explore it and stuff." I smiled nostalgically at the memory of our bumbling adventures.
Those were our secret because if anyone were to find out about the things we'd seen, there'd be trouble. We would probably get committed or something and maybe the government would get involved and try to control our world-Mushroom world relations, or maybe they'd try to take over. I didn't put it past us as a race. At any rate, Mario and I were just having fun.
I told Zair, "It wasn't long before something bad happened. We got to the Mushroom Kingdom and it was all good and stuff, but then Bowser came and started terrorizing everyone." I grimaced at that first encounter because I nearly passed out.
I'd never seen anything so huge and loud and…ugly.
"See," I chose to state, "Bowser didn't look like he does now. He was bigger and uglier and looked like some kind of mutant turtle slash dragon hybrid thing." I felt silly trying to describe my fearsome enemy in those terms but it was hard to put into words how he looked back then.
"Red hair and this loud, megaphone roar," I used my hands cupped around my mouth for emphasis and Zair lifted both brows, highly interested.
I said, "Mario had to have eaten a few too many of those magic mushrooms if you know what I mean."
Zair looked at me in confusion so that clearly told me he didn't.
I explained, "I'm just saying Mario was pretty crazy to try and go up against Bowser. And drag me with him. He was all like, 'we gotta' do something!' and I guess he was right." I shook my head. "I mean I know he was right. We took down Bowser and we did it again and again and again."
"I have heard tell of your legendary victories," Zair admitted softly.
"Well, who hasn't? How famous are the Mario Brothers." Another voice remarked.
Coming from the wall like something out of a sci-fi horror movie was King Boo, looking somber and reminding me of a Victorian-era vampire rising from his coffin.
"Who else could defeat the mighty Dark King so effortlessly?" King Boo asked rhetorically, nodding at me.
He then looked to Zair and they also shared a nonverbal greeting and I blinked.
"You know King Boo?" I asked the General.
Zair said, "The Lord of Illusions? Yes."
King Boo asked me, "Why have you summoned me, arch-enemy?"
He said it so solemnly I got a chill and then glanced back at the shut bathroom door. There was water running.
"Daisy wanted me to ask you to please go and get Peasley." I conveyed the message politely.
King Boo frowned and asked, "That's it? You summoned me here to fetch the prince?"
"That's all Daisy would tell me." I told him, hands up in a show of innocence because he sounded slighted.
King Boo nodded and vanished.
That left me thinking…was King Boo just playing around or was he seriously offended? I didn't really know. Maybe he was in the middle of doing something important. I thought about how he'd been so worried last time when Ludwig got taken by that bounty hunter and wondered if King Boo was trying to get him back or something. Then I felt bad because it did look like we'd pulled him away for stupid reasons.
But Daisy knows what she's doing, I rested in that. The girl had something planned for sure.
General Zair asked me slowly, "If you and your brother were so skilled at defeating the Dark King, then how could the Great War have happened?"
A shot of pain and hurt flashed through me and before I could help it I said wryly, "You're asking the wrong person."
General Zair frowned.
"See, I wasn't around for that." I revealed, leaning back on my hands and stretching my legs out on the carpet. I said, "I was in Brooklyn and for two years it went on without my knowledge."
General Zair looked let down since it was clear I wouldn't be able to shed any light on this area.
What I could tell him was, "Bowser really racked up his allies and I think that's what made it harder. And maybe because Mario tried to go into it alone instead of bringing me for help."
"Did he tell you why he didn't seek your aid?" General Zair asked me.
I shook my head, then was honest and said, "He told me something about trying to spare me or keep me safe."
"He was wise in doing that," General Zair remarked. "The Great War was one of, if not the worst wars to hit the Mushroom World."
"Yeah, I heard." I said grimly. "That's when Bowser got hit with some kind of curse and it changed him. He became the way he is now. All humanish and stuff. But he also got crazier."
"How so?"
"Well he may have always been this crazy," I mused, "But we just never could tell because he couldn't talk and express himself like he can now."
General Zair nodded.
"Some things stayed the same, though," I shrugged. "When I came back here for my brother and Peach's wedding, Bowser was there and he kidnapped her." I shook my head for her even inviting him in the first place. "Daisy and I helped to get her back."
"How did you manage that?" General Zair asked patiently.
I told him, "We did a lot of spying and inside work. Daisy was able to get inside the palace and she worked with Peach to poison him and tell us his plans and stuff."
I didn't want to get into too much detail because I would get mad again. That's why id didn't even mention Ludwig.
"You were successful," General Zair declared. "I saw the proud couple at your function weeks ago."
"Yeah, we pulled it off but barely." I rubbed my face. "I got locked up and Daisy…she became his prisoner and he…"
Alright, that's enough, I thought when the grisly thoughts and emotions started coming back.
"…Yes, she told me about that." General Zair wasn't looking at me anymore.
I suppose he was doing like a lot of people and was putting in Portia in place of the princess. That had to be why he had that tight frown and murderous glint in his black eyes. He blinked long and released a stream of air through his nose and shook his head.
"Did you fare as poorly as she?" He asked me.
I shook my head and said, "Not by a long shot. Bowser would come down to my cell and question me a little and sometimes he said things to get to me, but he hardly ever even touched me. And I got fed the whole time." I scowled and said, "He only wanted to torture her. He was obsessed with Daisy."
"But what of the other princess? Peach?" the General was confused.
"Yeah, he was stuck on her at first," I responded. "But he was ten times more obsessed with Daisy. He still is."
"Do you think that could be used to the advantage of our cause?" General Zair inquired innocently enough.
Hell no. Never again, I thought.
I just said, "I'd rather not put her in a position like that ever again."
"What position?"
King Boo was back and it was Peasley who'd spoken. He stumbled into the room out of nowhere looking like the walking dead. His golden hair was unkempt and his eyes were red and he was a little pale, not to mention he couldn't keep his eyes open. He came and collapsed onto the floor next to me and dropped his head in his hands.
He was obviously dressed for bed in his thin grey pants and white shirt, so I assumed he'd had a bad night.
I nudged his shoulder and asked, "Did you just wake up?"
"I'd have had to be asleep for that to happen." Peasley grumbled, his face in his hands. He lifted his tired gaze up to Boo and asked, "Do you have the…"
King Boo reached into a pocket near his bright silk ascot and pulled out a small vial of what looked like water. He handed it to Peasley, who removed the cork from the little glass tube and downed the liquid. My best friend pulled a face and squeezed his eyes shut.
"What was that?" I was a little concerned.
King Boo told me, "Just something to revitalize him." He remarked idly, "You know, Peasley, you shouldn't exert yourself so much. Any new magician must come to know his own limits."
I glanced at Peasley, who was rubbing his face, and tapped his shoulder again.
"Does it work?"
Peasley lowered his hands slowly, sniffing the air. He looked much better. His tan skin was glowing again and his eyes were clear, not to mention he seemed more alert as he deduced that the smell was coming from me.
"Luigi, you smell awful," He turned up his nose. "Haven't you been wearing the cologne I gave you?"
Oh yeah. It worked.
I rolled my eyes and said, "I haven't had a bath yet."
Daisy came out of the bathroom just then and was dressed in a tank top and baggy pants. With her hair down, damp and wild, I was blown away by how casually sexy she looked. She saw me first and smiled tiredly, then looked to Boo and Peasley.
"Thank you for coming." She told them and I stood.
I was gonna' go shower—thanks, Peasley—but Daisy stopped me.
"Since we're all here," She said, "I was gonna' send for some breakfast. Anyone else want any?"
General Zair and King Boo declined, but Peasley claimed he was famished and, since we'd stolen him away from his beauty sleep, some breakfast was definitely in order. I told Daisy I'd have whatever she got and then went into the bathroom to shower.
I did that and the whole time thought about what she was planning. I used our guests as clues. She had Boo here, so she might need his magic for something. And Peasley, well, he was nosy as all get-out so she may want his opinion or information on something. I was still lost, though.
I got out and passed Peasley's sniff-test and ate on the bed with him and Daisy. I saw Zair talking to King Boo out on the balcony.
"What have you been up to?" I asked the blonde royal.
Peasley shrugged and said, "Stretching the boundaries of my magical abilities. And performing surgery at least once a weak." He cut into his breakfast sausage and said coolly, "I can't remember a time where I haven't been elbow-deep in someone's intestines."
I choked on the glass of water I had and fumbled for a napkin. Peasley looked at me, as if he'd said nothing out of the ordinary, and it didn't help that Daisy kept eating, unruffled. She looked over at me wiping my face and giggled.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" She solicited.
Peasley winced and said, "Oh, right. I forgot about your sensitive stomach."
No you didn't
"I didn't mean to disgust you."
Yes you did
"Right." I narrowed my eyes at Peasley and Daisy both.
Now I had to get that nasty mess out of my head so that I could finish eating. I was starving, I couldn't afford to lose my appetite.
Peasley waxed solemn and said, "You know, I've been thinking." He looked down at his hands and told us, "A lot of people have been saved by my hand but many more have died. It makes me realize that the most important things in life are not how much money you've earned or your titles in life or even class or prestige…" Peasley said to us softly, "There's nothing sadder than seeing someone spend their last few moments alone. No one to come and see them in the hospital, it's just…awful."
He shook his head and I looked at Daisy. She blinked and put her hand in Peasley's and he squeezed it and kissed the back of it. He looked us both in the eye in turn and smiled.
"What matters the most is family and," His expression faltered. "Since my parents are gone, my friends are my family. I love you both."
I sat there, not knowing what to say or do. Daisy pushed the food away and wrapped Peasley in a tight hug.
"I love you, too, Peasley," She told him, resting her chin on his shoulder.
He rubbed her back and I nodded and said, "Yeah. Same. But…is anything wrong, Peasley?" I panicked and asked, "You're not sick or anything, are you?"
"I'm fine." Peasley insisted, flashing a very charming but melancholy smile.
Daisy sat back and wiped her mouth and hands primly and pushed her hair over her shoulder. She looked at me and made both brows hop like, 'okayy'.
"Well on that note," She stated, "Let's get this meeting started."
Why did it feel like she was waking from a coma? She was sore all over and all her arms and legs were tingling, like the circulation had been cut off for hours and hours. She had enough strength to blink and open her eyes but that was about it.
What…where am I?
She didn't recognize the pale, off-white wall in front of her face. As she lay on her side, she realized this bed wasn't the one she'd gone to sleep in. It was smaller and not as comfortable. And it was moving.
What?
She forced herself to roll onto her back and the rose up slowly. Then several things became clear. She wasn't at the house by the beach in Maine. She didn't know where she was but wherever it was, she wasn't alone. The bed was moving because Larry was shaking it. He sat on his big sister's legs and was shaking his own nervously as he glanced back and forth between the other two people in the room. MJ and Ludwig were arguing and raising their voices.
She blinked, so confused, and looked over at the door. There were two very small people in the doorway, looking on with eyes that saw much but understood very little; she'd almost overlooked Lemmy and Bowser Junior.
What's going on?
Wendy shifted again, pulling her feet from under her brother. Larry glanced at her and smiled. He climbed over and hugged her tightly and she hugged him, tears coming to her eyes because she'd missed her little annoying brother.
"—you see what happened to Roy and people actually liked him so what do you think they'll do to you?!" Ludwig shouted, exasperated. "Where do you think you're gonna' go?"
"I don't care!" MJ yelled back, "And you don't either! If you did you wouldn't have just dumped me—"
"What would you have done, MJ?" Ludwig snapped. He remarked agitatedly, "You're so quick to complain and criticize but what would you have done in my position?"
"I wouldn't abandon my only family in different countries, all split up over the world—"
"Oh, but I had you all together and you couldn't stand each other," Ludwig rolled his eyes. "You wanted to get away."
"That's because you had us packed in there like we were in prison or something—"
"What would you know of prison?!" Ludwig suddenly demanded viciously. "You have no idea what it's like to be in prison. Please. I damn near killed myself trying to set you all up for success and this is how I'm thanked?!" He threw up his hands and said, "You're so ungrateful! What do you want from me?!"
"Nobody asked you to set us up for success or none of that!" MJ shouted. "All I wanted was for you to CARE! To just give a damn about us! And be around us and—"
Funny how the soft sound of Wendy crying brought silence to the room. She swallowed and shook her head, looking very small among the blankets and sheets with her knees up to her chest.
Larry was the first to embrace his sister and he wrapped his arms around her middle. MJ looked like he wanted to do the same and he stepped towards her, but then he faltered and stepped back, then glared at Ludwig like this was his fault.
"Why are you fighting?" she asked her other brothers.
Ludwig looked down at her and looked pained and ashamed and angry as he glanced away. MJ just scoffed.
"Why bother asking, Wen? It's not like you're getting an answer." He remarked bitterly. He then shook his head and said, "I'm sick of this shit."
Ludwig saw him heading for the door and told him, "Do what you want, Morton, but don't blame me for whatever happens."
MJ pushed the two little boys out of the way as gently as his mood would allow and slammed the door behind him. Wendy flinched hard and looked at Ludwig, bewildered.
"Where's he going?" She asked fearfully. "What's going on?!"
"Calm down, little sister." Ludwig hushed her and reached for her hand.
She took it and he helped her stand and held her as closely as he did when he first carried her from the bed in Maine to this palace. He stroked his sister's hair and back and kissed the top of her head. She swallowed hard and looked up at Ludwig with eyes so bright blue and wet and earnest it broke her brother's heart.
"What happened?" She asked. "Why am I not—"
"In Maine with that boy?" Ludwig finished.
Wendy blushed and stammered, "I'm sorry for running away with him but I love him! Where is he?!" She hit Ludwig's chest and accused, "Did you do something to him?"
Ludwig let her assault him and just rubbed his thumb over her cheek, wiping fresh tears away. He didn't seem mad or upset or even put off at the mention of her boyfriend.
"I didn't hurt him, Wendy." Ludwig pulled something from his pocket, a slip of paper covered from edge to edge in writing.
He handed it to her and said, "The boy wanted me to give this to you."
Wendy looked over the paper, her pretty eyes moving left and right furtively over the page. She grew increasingly more upset as she read and brought a hand to her mouth as she choked on a sob. It was hard for everyone present to witness the girl's heart shattering right in front of them. Ludwig felt angry with himself and that boy and Larry was on the bed, uncomfortable and feeling like crying himself. To him this family was falling apart.
Wendy's crying, he thought, MJ's gone away, Roy might be in trouble, and not even Ludwig can fix it and make it all right again.
Even little Lemmy knew things were bad. He didn't like the yelling and he definitely didn't like seeing his sister this way. He, with Junior in hand, went over to the girl and they each laid their heads against her hips. She didn't look at them because she was crying and reading over the paper again and again.
"What is this?!" She cried, looking up at Ludwig. "Is this really from him or did you fake this because you want to tear us apart?!" She shoved him and demanded, "DID YOU?!"
"Wendy." Ludwig spoke evenly. "I didn't sabatoge your relationship, as much as I didn't agree with it."
Wendy searched his face, wanting to believe he was lying but finding no evidence that suggested as much. So that meant he was telling the truth and Munson had written this letter explaining how he'd gone to see his father, gotten trapped, and would never be able to see her again because he was forced to stay with his father and the League. She broke down again.
Ludwig held her and let her cry, and as much as he wanted to leave this place for the safety of himself and his siblings, he didn't. MJ had struck a cord within him. Their argument was, despite how much he'd done for his brothers and sisters, Ludwig didn't really care about them where it counted.
MJ doesn't think I love them, he thinks I'll only be proud of them when they're doing what I want them to do but that's not the case, Ludwig thought, sitting on the bed and holding his sister in his lap. He did love his siblings, he was just so bad at showing it and the fact that he'd screwed things up with them with his own selfishness in the past didn't help matters.
He laid Wendy on her side and Larry curled up next to her.
"Wendy," The boy said, his voice shaking, "Please stop crying. It's alright. MJ always leaves like that. He'll come back."
That only made her feel worse.
Ludwig looked at his sister, feeling helpless, then at Larry and Lemmy and Junior. Larry must have been able sense what his brother was about to do because he hopped from the bed and grabbed Ludwig's arm.
"NO, LU!" He cried. "You can't just leave! We need you!"
Ludwig didn't say a word. He couldn't move what he was feeling into words so why bother? He pulled his arm out of Larry's grip and brushed his brother's bright blue hair back, a fond look in his emerald eyes. Then he was gone.
A/N: That was kind of emotional but me and my family had an emotional couple of weeks. I got in a bad fight with my brother because he came down from another state on vacation with no money and it was like everyone expected me to just drop everything and take him in since I was the only one with a job and a place. I just felt like…man I had to work my behind off at this job, taking all kinds of crap with a smile on my face only to come to a place where I felt unwanted (when I stayed with relatives, they talk behind our back bc my mom and siblings are the only ones who have yet to get out of poverty/homelessness) and it really hurts. I felt like I was expected to make a way out of no way for my older brother and it was ridiculous because no one had done that for me (if I have to work for this why can't he) and I just exploded at him, called him a jerk, and even though we made up I still feel ashamed because I'll never be able to take those words back. I never lost it like that before (screaming and crying) but I just got tired of being homeless and hopping from motel to shelter to relative house and always having to move for this that or the other. Anyway, that's probably why my writing was so shitty because I was more depressed and man…I did not expect to get into all that.
Well, there's a bit of insight so yeah.
I'm feeling better now because I'm on my own, saving my money so that I can get a bike and move to California (where I was born) and just try something new in life. I get a lot of flak because I didn't finish college but I don't think that's the only path in life. I want to help people (psychologist) and I want to do something different because I've been poor all my fucking life and I'm tired of it. I'm doing something different. Wish me luck.
So I'll try to keep personal mess out of this in the future. Thanks for reading everyone and as usual, I'll see if I can post again soon.
~DG~