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Chapter Fifty-Nine
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
"Where are we?" Daisy asked.
At first she traversed the grasslands in silence like everyone else, figuring silence was her best option after a stunt like that. But then she'd reasoned that if that attempt hurt her situation, there was nothing she could do to repair it, especially when Callian kept glaring at her like filth every five seconds. What did she have to lose by asking questions? The more she found out, the more she could relay to Luigi.
Unfortunately, her inquiry was met with a small glance of acknowledgement and nothing else. That wouldn't do. Daisy stared at his profile as he walked, he did that so confidently after just getting shot at, it was aggravating.
I was glad he covered for me, for whatever reasons, Daisy thought, I mean, if it meant Callian not killing me then great. But now I think he only downplayed the situation because he still doesn't take me seriously.
She didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. Unlike him, she could put aside her pride and admit that it was in her best interest for the delusional side of him to take over, for him to want to continue their game of cat and mouse, but it still stung.
He probably thinks I'm the same weak little victim he tortured in his dungeons, she thought bitterly, glaring up at him.
His resting gloat-face did nothing to disprove this theory and she felt the spitefulness multiply within her.
"What the…" Bowser looked down, frowning.
Daisy stared ahead like she hadn't just ran her heel into the top of his booted feet. He wasn't wearing combat boots and she'd done it with a lot of strength so he had to have felt it. It wasn't anything big, it wasn't like that did anything, but it got that stupid, insufferable smile off his face and that was good enough for her.
She didn't smirk because she could feel him casting glances at her. Innocently she looked up at him and blinked.
"Did you say something?"
Bowser looked like he wanted to but didn't. He didn't know he was provoking her. She took her cues from him and feigned nonchalance.
Daisy crossed her arms and said curtly, "You didn't answer me earlier. Where are we?"
"You'll see very soon." Bowser replied.
"Can't you tell me now?" Daisy argued. "What are we here for?"
"Didn't anyone ever tell you?" Bowser tapped her forehead and quoted, "Questions are a danger to you and a burden to everyone else."
Callian snorted but her battle was with the one running a hand through his wild red hair. Daisy stared from his hand towards his throat and noticed something familiar hanging from the back of his neck. It was that same medallion from before, knocking against his bare torso in between the open space of his black jacket.
"Why do you have that if it doesn't do anything?" She asked aloud what was on her mind.
He used it for power before, but he's got his power back now so why does he still have it?
Bowser touched a hand to the heavy gold piece and smirked at her. "Now who says it doesn't do anything?"
"Does it?" She pressed.
He smiled broadly and shook his head. "You really do ask too many questions. Why can't you be more like me and just let things play out?"
"Because I'm not a disgusting—"
"Look, that's where we're going." Bowser pointed.
While he had the girl distracted with the sight of a beautiful, somewhat small castle, he wrapped his arm around her waist. She immediately shoved at him but he brought heat behind hand on her hip and dropped his head.
"Stop fighting me," He whispered, grabbing one of her hands and holding it between them. He told her, "I'm trying to send a message to these people. You and me, we run the world. So we gotta be…" He wove his fingers through her captive hand and said, "…we gotta be solid, you know?"
"I know you're insane and you need to get your hands off of me," Daisy whispered back viciously, pulling away.
He didn't speak to her anymore but he didn't let go of her waist, either. Pettily she stopped walking but even then he jerked her along and kept moving forward. When she started aggravating him too much he sighed and moved his grip to her forearm, then took her off to the side. To Callian he offered no more an explanation than a meaningful look and took the girl far from their group. Daisy braced herself for a fight with him or some kind of attack but he just stared at her a moment, irritated but silent.
Very quietly he stated, "I didn't force you to come here. You came to me, remember?"
"What about it?" Daisy snapped.
She was not pleased at what he was implying; he was making it sound like she actually wanted to be there. After this trip, that was a definite lie.
Bowser sighed and said, "Would it be too much to ask that you cooperate with me instead of—"
"No way," The words shot out of her mouth and were followed by, "What, you want me to just sit by while you kill people? That's why you came, isn't it?" She narrowed her eyes and huffed, "Please. I'm not your queen or your…bottom bitch or whatever you think I am so quit acting like it."
Bowser gazed at her. She was already red in the face from her rising anger and his staring was making it worse. It was a cool night but his body was so hot; he was just as mad as she was and the heat was coming off of him, she could feel it. He masked his anger so well and closed his jade and gold eyes and exhaled.
"You came to me because you wanted me to leave your kingdom alone," Bowser reminded her, then asked, "Why should I…graciously honor that request if you keep pissing me off?"
"You liar!" Daisy spat.
Bowser rolled his eyes and asked, "That's all you got out of that? I didn't say I'd attack your poor country, I just want you to think for a second, little woman."
"Don't—"
"Listen," Bowser intoned, stepping closer and looming over the girl.
She glared up at him and let her left hand hover over one of the knives at her hip. She wished badly that she'd not lost her gun.
"You want me to do as you say?" The redhead asked, "Then do as I say. I won't ask you to kill, if that's what you're worried about. Hell, I won't ask you to do anything. Just don't make trouble for me, princess."
Daisy shook her head. "I'm not gonna' go along with whatever sinister plans you have in mind. That wasn't part of this arrangement."
"The terms of this arrangement were very ambiguous," Bowser claimed idly. He told her, "I don't want to be unclear, though, so let me say this: if you keep grieving me, there won't be anything stopping me from—"
"Oh, you're threatening me now?" Daisy sneered. She laughed once and without humor, "So much for 'solidarity'."
Bowser smirked at her and said, "Precious, that's not a threat. You won't be laughing when your kingdom's in flames."
Daisy said evenly, "You're lying."
She didn't think he'd just burn down such a strong, magnificent and long-standing country like Sarasaland. The vast territory alone was enough to tempt a power-hungry tyrant like the Dark King.
"You always lie." Daisy muttered, her faith in her earlier statement strengthened by this logic.
"Maybe." The redhead shrugged. "But will you really risk your citizens' lives just to call my bluff?" Bowser smirked again and chided, "That's very irresponsible, princess."
"Don't talk to me like that!" Daisy demanded.
She hated how he was spinning this like everything was on her; if her people got hurt, he made it seem like she'd be the one to blame instead of him.
He's the one doing the damage, she fumed, then thought, he does have a point though. I knew he was full of shit from the start, and even though this doesn't surprise me, it's troubling.
Aloud she stated slowly, "So you want me to stand around like we're this…perfect power couple or something," Bowser lifted a brow and she continued, "and you don't want me to complain about any horrible thing you do?"
"…Yes."
"Kiss my ass."
Bowser was going from frustrated to amused and was tempted to laugh right then, but the most he did was smile and glance over at their waiting party.
"I can't waste any more time with this," The redhead claimed. "If you want to stay with me, be with me. If not—"
She cut in flippantly, "Don't tell me, you'll go to my country—"
"No," Bowser glanced over at his ally and murmured, "There's other ways I think I can persuade you to obey me."
Daisy followed his line of vision and saw Callian go from scowling to frowning, confused, and then the unthinkable happened and the brute smiled. Well, smirked or something. It made her uncomfortable.
"You'll let him kill me?" She asked.
"In the event you prove to be too much of a problem for me," Bowser drawled, "I may have to let him intervene."
"Mm, that sounds nice," She used her snarky words as a cover for her augmenting fear.
The snake's one thing, but Callian…she shuddered. The Dark King she could handle, she could get to him just like how he got to her, but Callian was like a rock. There would be no reasoning with him, she could just tell.
The less I have to interact with him, the better, she decided.
She also decided she wouldn't push her luck.
Bowser asked, "Will you cooperate with me now?"
"Fine." She threw the word at him with as much venom and vitriol as she could pack into the single syllable, and when that wasn't enough she glared at him and said again, "Fine."
"Good." Bowser grinned.
Daisy walked with him towards the palace and made it so that her folded arms were the only sign that she was agitated.
I'm doing this for the good of my people, she thought, and for this mission. Not because he told me to.
To Bowser there was no difference and he was in an even better mood than before. He took up his place at the front but he moved Roy over to his right, next to Callian, and motioned for Daisy to come up to his left. She did so with a closed-off expression and all the poise and dignity befitting her station, unlike her actions before. This time she stood, arms folded, back straight, head held high, and didn't say a word. When Bowser moved his hand towards her she looked at it like it was diseased and, chuckling, the redhead retracted it. He contented himself to just have her near him and brought that same hand high in the air.
"Let's go," He called, striding forward.
The League members followed in a v-formation around and behind the party. Daisy didn't look to Bowser, she looked straight ahead and then feared the worst. There were guards in front of the modest, elegant castle and she just knew that Bowser would sic the League on them.
The redhead waited until he and his group were right on the steps before he gave Callian a look. Daisy turned towards the man—who she guessed smelled as bad as his attitude—and saw him lift a burly arm. She heard some noise ahead and saw all the guards lying comatose at their posts.
Daisy shuddered as Bowser bounded up the polished steps, unaffected. She followed, reluctantly, and was careful to step around the bodies. Were they dead? Or just knocked out? She couldn't tell because they laid there like they were sleeping. She hoped they were still alive but then again, she didn't take Callian as the type to grant small mercies. She looked over at him as they headed towards the big doors leading into the palace and shuddered again.
Yeah, King Boo was right about him, he's a formidable sorcerer…I'd better avoid him from now on, she thought, knowing it was a bad idea to rely on Bowser's capricious desire to keep her alive.
She stopped when Bowser stopped in front of the egregious white doors and she wondered how they'd get in since the guards were incapacitated. Daisy saw Callian raise his hand again.
"No," Bowser told him, turning to Roy with a smile. "Let my son do it."
"Do what?" Roy frowned.
Bowser gestured towards the doors and said, "You can get us inside, can't you?"
"…I guess." Roy glanced at back at the others and then at the doors.
He didn't look too happy about being put on the spot but then Bowser put a hand on his back and smiled encouragingly at him. Roy stretched out his hand like Callian and a bright pink light ran up the edges of the doors like fire did the end of a dynamite's wick. The light started at the two bottom corners and met at the top, then enveloped the entire frame so that a rectangular-shaped portal opened in front of them.
Bowser grinned at his son and said, "Incredible! Good job, son."
Such ordinary praise brought a small smile to the handsome young king's face and Daisy worried about that. She walked through behind Bowser to get inside and they encountered even more guards.
The guards were caught unawares, first by the portal, and then by the appearance of the redhead and his crew. This time Callian did sic the League on them while he and Bowser headed down a hall on the left. Daisy tried to get a good look at what was going on but Bowser took her arm and pulled her with him.
"Don't fall behind," He told her.
She jerked away and accused, "The League's killing them, aren't they?"
Bowser frowned. "How would I know? They're all the way back there."
He pointed to the entrance far behind and Daisy again tried to see what was happening. It was dead silent now.
Either the guards are dead, or Callian cast some kind of spell for that, she figured, a sick frown on her face.
She struggled to keep the pace with Callian, who was leading now, and Bowser as they turned down two more halls. She wanted to know where they were going but what was the point of asking? It wasn't like she'd get an answer. She soon fell back between the two younger men and couldn't shake that dreadful feeling inside.
"In here." Callian said and used his magic to bang one of the doors open on its hinges.
That immediately woke up the sole occupant, a man of average height and build with confusion and sleep filling the lines in his aging face. He rose, startled, and floundered with the sheets and covers and pillows until he'd righted himself.
"What is this?!" He cried.
He surveyed these newcomers while the last of them filed into his bedroom. Daisy was the last to enter, and while Munson held the door for her another look passed between them. Daisy frowned, wondering what the boy was trying to convey beyond those beautiful sea-green eyes.
It's like he's trying to tell me something, she mused, staring at the young man.
Munson only broke eye contact when his father saw who he was staring at. Callian forcibly turned the boy's head away by a firm grip on his jaw and sent a scathing look to Daisy. She looked at the man sputtering on the bed.
"Guards!" a coherent command rang out.
"We took care of them," Bowser stated.
While Daisy stood by the door with Roy at her left, Munson stood ahead of him and next to the young sorcerer was his father. It wasn't a very large room so even their small group made it feel crowded. The king in bed noticed this and the claustrophobia did nothing for his current bewilderment.
"You what?" He asked Bowser, then frowned and demanded, "Get out of here right now!"
Instead of doing that the redhead went over to the bed and sat on it, right near the flustered king. He beamed broadly, looking more like his five year old son, and blinked slowly. The king glanced furtively at the doors like he expected someone to burst through them.
"They're not coming," Bowser informed him. "I told you, I took care of them."
"Who are you?" The king was indignant. "And why are you here? What's going on?!"
Bowser frowned briefly because the man was shouting but replaced his smile and said, "You want to know who I am? I'm the Dark King. You've heard of me, right?"
The man went deathly white and whispered, "Impossible."
Bowser lit one of his hands on fire and brought the flames near the man's face, making his skin redden. Fear petrified the king.
"There," Bowser smiled, extinguishing the flame and patting the man's cheek. "Now you've got a bit of color back." He stood and told the king, "Don't be scared. I didn't come here to raise hell or anything."
"Liar." Daisy muttered.
Bowser glanced at her and told the king, "How rude of me. I didn't introduce you: this," he gestured towards her, "is my queen."
The king shifted on the bed and gazed at Daisy. She stared at him blankly but soon pity filled her light eyes and the king was confused.
"This is my son and heir," Bowser pointed to Roy, who looked somewhat uncomfortable, and then swept a hand over at Callian and Munson. "And these are my friends. Now that we all know each other, I'll tell you why we're here."
Bowser clasped his hands behind his back and said, "You should be honored, really. Your kingdom will be the first to join my new empire."
The man frowned and asked, "Empire? What are you talking about? What do you want from me?"
"Nothing much," Bowser claimed. "Just sign your kingdom over to me."
"Never!" The King refused.
The redhead said patiently, "Don't worry, you'll still be able to rule here. You'll just have to submit to a higher authority from now on."
"I said no." The king spoke firmly, sitting up and claiming a little regality in his posture, even from the bed. He told Bowser, "You've come here for naught. Guards!"
"Don't make this difficult," Bowser entreated, standing near the head of the bed. "I'm trying to give you a choice here."
"My choice has been made!" The king boomed. He glared at Bowser and said, "You come here in the middle of the night, you assault my guards and you expect me to just hand over the keys to my country? I think not."
The room grew silent. Bowser stared at the man and brought a hand up to his face. He rubbed his mouth and jaw and when he moved his hand away Daisy saw he was smirking.
He wants to do this the hard way, she garnered from his reaction.
She glanced over at Roy and saw the boy no longer looked uncomfortable, he looked just as expressionless as she was trying to be. She then looked at Munson but found Callian's eyes were waiting for her instead. He used his body to block her view of his son.
"Okay," Bowser said, looking down and holding his medallion. He looked at the king and said, "Alright."
Daisy frowned and thought, I know he's not giving up so easily…what is he up to now?
Bowser looked at Roy and asked, "What do you suggest, son?"
Roy blinked and shrugged, so the redhead moved his jade eyes over to her surprise and displeasure he came over to her, sauntering slowly and gazing right in her eyes like it was just him and her and she shivered. He stopped in front of her and put his hand on the wall right near her head, between her and Roy, and then lowered his own head so that they were eye level.
"What do you want?" She asked first.
He smirked and asked in turn, "Do you remember that conversation we had a little while ago?"
"I'm not doing anything." She shot back defensively.
He shook his head and said, "No, think back, precious."
She knew what he was talking about and she thought about playing dumb but he'd already seen that light of recollection spark in her eyes, a telling sign.
He said, "I told you, people are slaves to 'love'."
"That's not true." She frowned.
Bowser smirked and said, "It is true, woman, and I'll prove it to you now." he turned his head and asked the man, "Do you have any family?"
"No," Daisy whispered.
"A wife? Children maybe?" Bowser fished.
The man paled again and knew better than to answer. It didn't matter. Bowser looked to Callian and tipped his head. The sorcerer made his way towards the door and compelled his son to follow.
"What are you doing?" Daisy asked the redhead.
Bowser smiled at her again. He was so close to her now his medallion swung near her chest. There was magic in the thing. She could feel that restless thrumming that accompanied magical artifacts; it was almost like her locket when it was possessed by King Boo.
The room got very loud very quickly when Callian kicked open the door. He might have used his hands or magic if his attention weren't devoted to wrangling the wild child in his arms; it was a girl with all that hair but the rest of her just seemed like gangly arms and legs as she fought with the bigger, meaner individual.
"NO!" The king shouted, rising from the bed.
Callian held out a hand and stilled him in place and used that same hand to grip the young girl by the roots of her black hair. He wrenched one of her arms behind her back, making her howl even more than she already was, and forced her to remain still. And silent, if his open-mouthed, mute screams were the result of magic.
Roy winced and asked Callian, "What are you hurting her for? She's just a kid, yo. You ain't gotta' do all that."
Callian frowned at the boy and glanced at Bowser, who gave him a tiny shrug. Callian narrowed his eyes but eased up on the girl and instead held her two arms behind her back. She was free to pull and jerk away from him, to no avail of course.
"Let go!" She shouted.
Daisy felt a stab of pain at how young her voice sounded. She, too, looked to Callian but caught Bowser's eyes first and he gave her a warning look. She let her words of interference rest on her tongue and bit down on them both.
Then Munson came back and he had a child on his hip, a smaller girl even younger than Junior and she was just wailing and crying so loudly; it was heartbreaking. The look on Munson's face was carefully controlled but he obviously didn't want any part of this. The little girl squirmed and swatted at the young man's face and he tried to rub her back and jostle her a little to soothe her but it was useless. When the older girl saw her, she went into hysterics.
"Let go of her! Let go of my sister!" She shrieked.
One of her arms slipped and she accidently knocked her knuckle into Callian's mouth. He slapped her and Roy went over to the fallen girl. He glared at Callian and balled his fists. The little girl, being tougher than she looked, scrambled to her feet without tears and ran past the redhead to get to her father.
"Rex," Bowser cut in. "I need you to go see if someone's coming."
"Why don't you fuckin' pick on somebody your own size?" Roy challenged Callian, ignoring his father.
"Rex."
"What?" The youth rounded on his father.
Bowser sighed and knew it was time to enact a bit of damage control. Which to him just meant lying. He came over to Roy, and put his hands on his son's shoulders.
"Calm down," Bowser instructed. He looked to Callian and said severely, "The girls weren't supposed to get hurt. I was trying to prove a point." He gestured to Munson, moving his fingers towards the other king.
Munson was too glad to cross the room and set the little girl down on the bed. She toddled down onto the floor and her father, free to move again upon Bowser's command, scooped her up into his arms. The three of them held each other and eyed the strangers with fright and ware.
Bowser looked back to Roy and said, "See? Things just got out of hand." He dropped his voice so only his son could hear. "I told you Callian and his lot are rough and cruel, he just got carried away."
Roy still looked disgruntled, but he was remotely appeased with the fact that the children weren't in danger anymore. He looked at his father and frowned.
"Why's it gotta' be all this?" He asked. "Why are you trying to take over?"
"You heard what I said," Bowser replied. "He'll still be king. He'll just be a part of my Empire."
"But why you gotta' threaten him and his family?" Roy countered.
Bowser said, "I wasn't going to hurt them. Not really. I told you, Callian got carried away. But I had to instill just the right amount of fear in this man so that he'd get the message."
"What message, yo?" Roy still frowned.
"The message that I am in control and that he should submit to me, his Emperor." Bowser responded. "It's healthy for people to fear you, just a bit. When they fear you, they respect you. Understand?"
"…I guess." Roy answered uneasily.
"Good," Bowser squeezed his shoulders gently and smiled. "You were right to stand up for those girls, by the way. Like I said, Callian was way out of line and you did the right thing, okay?" He reiterated. "I'm proud of you, son."
Roy nodded and was so comforted by the fact that his father saw the merit in his actions that the teenager didn't stop to wonder why his father hadn't stepped up for the girls himself. Bowser reissued his command for Roy to go check the halls and Roy obeyed him.
Daisy couldn't hear what he'd said but she didn't have a good feeling about what she saw. She'd been proud of Roy when he spoke up for the girls, but then Bowser went and spoke to him and all that righteous fury just disappeared.
He's probably manipulating Roy to think like he does, she thought suspiciously. Maybe I can talk to the kid and warn him about this.
For now she let the boy brush past her and out the door. She stood with Munson, who looked like he was trying inch out the room right behind Roy.
Bowser and Callian exchanged a look and the Dark King approached the trembling family members.
He told the king, "You see how easy it is for something awful to happen to the ones you love?" Bowser hooked a finger around the older girl's long black hair and murmured, "Especially when they're so small and helpless."
"Take it! Take it!" The king cried, holding his daughters protectively. "You can have the kingdom! Consider it yours, you mad man!"
Bowser smiled at the man and said, "You made this a lot harder than it had to be. That's all I wanted to hear." He looked back at Callian before saying, "I'll need you to put that in writing."
"Yes, yes, of course whatever you want," The man stammered, "Just promise me you'll leave my family alone! My daughters are all I have, please! I'm begging you."
Bowser nodded and said, "I won't hurt them."
The man exhaled in relief but tensed when Bowser next spoke.
The redhead told him, "My forces will be here soon. Don't give them any trouble or it'll be the end of you." Bowser pinched the little girl's cheek lightly and added, "all of you."
Daisy felt repulsed to the core as she watched the man part from his daughters and follow the Dark King out of the room. On his way out, Bowser had the nerve to smirk at her and wink like this was some kind of joke.
He messes with people's lives like it's no big deal, she frowned, staring at the girls. She went over to them but they cowered; the little one did, but not the older one. She was a real trooper, that girl. So small with hair longer than the height of her body but in possession of a fearless type of protectiveness for her baby sister. She wrapped her arms around her sister and gave Daisy a warning look. The princess backed away.
She reminds me of myself, Daisy thought, which was sad. She'd seen the child take a hit and keep moving and it shouldn't be that way. Daisy turned to Callian and glared at him. He was busy looking at his son with his nose turned up like he smelled rancid meat. That was because Munson looked on at the two girls with his expression reflecting the sympathetic emotions in his soft heart.
"Alright, let's get out of here," Bowser stated, returning with the king.
The man was in one piece and looked grimmer and less shaken up as he clutched a wooden picture frame; no, it was a document encased in the thin glass. Bowser had the same frame in one hand but he tossed it to Callian and they both headed back outside.
A/N: Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. Please don't hesitate to leave your comments and thoughts, I love to hear them you know.
Thanks in advance!
~DG~