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Chapter Sixty

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

So I still wasn't convinced this thing wasn't broken. The map, that is. Didn't King Boo know this wasn't the time for shenanigans? He wouldn't give me a whacked out device, would he? I wanted to say no but this map was acting so weird. Daisy left out with Bowser earlier this afternoon, I saw that much when the dot started moving away from Arid City. But then the dot jumped like, all the way across the globe and started moving in a whole other country; what the heck? I didn't know what to think, so I tried to use the scar on my chest to get word from Daisy.

Some help that was, I thought, recalling how she'd touched hers, too but hadn't come to the mirror when I opened it. I had to assume she was alright but I hated not knowing. I waited to see if the dot would be still in the other country, someplace in the middle of nowhere, and it did. For about fifteen minutes. That was when I got my troops together and teleported to the place. But now that we were here, I saw the dot was back in Arid City. What?

"What do we do now, Commander?"

I didn't know who'd asked me that but I looked from the map to all of my troops. They seemed just as confused as I was. Or maybe they were confused because I was. I closed the map and looked ahead. It'd taken us right to a palace so kudos to Boo for precision I guess.

"Come on," I said after a sigh.

I led the way towards the palace. My reasoning was, if Bowser just passed through here, the people might need some help. Since we were already here, why not stay and lend a hand? Daisy seemed fine, she just wasn't answering me which maybe meant she wasn't in a position to talk right now. I would try reaching her again in a few minutes and then again once we got back in Arid. For now, I approached the modest-sized white castle that sort of reminded me of the white house in style and size. It made sense that this building wasn't so huge because the surrounding town beyond it was just as small, like a set of little villas.

What's that?

I looked down at something lumpy near my feet. There was a white sheet draped over whatever it was so…ah, man, that's rough. I had to turn away because there were more of them lining the porch of the front entrance; dead bodies I would say. The front doors were wide open and people brushed by me, coming in and out. No one was dealing with the bodies, though. They'd come out, look around, and then dart back inside.

I looked back at my troops and then at the fallen ones and gave them the command to bury the dead.

"With what?" Portia asked me. "We don't have shovels and besides you want us to just toss 'em in the ground? What about headstones?"

"Commander," Lise-Marie said in a grave, even tone, "You should ask if there's a cemetery somewhere around. Perhaps they have their own rituals for dealing with things like this."

Portia looked at her and nodded.

I rubbed a hand over my face and said, "Yeah, you're right. You guys stay out here and I'll go see what's going on."

I left them there and wasn't surprised when they started trickling down the steps, away from the grim sight of the dead. I went into the palace and saw more people milling about. They were either weeping or standing around, speculating.

I took one woman aside and asked, "Hey. Do you know what's happened here?"

She shook her head and said, "No, but the king would know. He's just down that hall over there, his door's open already."

"Thanks." I said, and headed in that direction.

She was right, the door was open and that was the only way I knew it was the king's bedroom because it wasn't much larger than the others, unlike other royal chambers I'd seen. I stepped inside and noticed it was quieter in there. The only sound I heard came from the din out in the hall and the shushing noises a man on the bed was making. I assumed he was the king and in his arms were two little girls. They were huddled together on the bed and when I walked in their heads swiveled over to me. The smallest girl's large eyes were wary, the slightly older girl looked straight up hostile, and the king looked like he'd seen a ghost.

I held up my hands and said softly, "It's okay, I'm not here to hurt anybody."

They didn't look like they believed me. I stayed where I was and lowered my hands slowly. I didn't drop them too near my sides because I was heavily armed, I didn't want to send the wrong message. The king stood, making the smallest girl cry and the older one hold her gently.

"State your business," The king spoke shakily, holding one arm in front of him, towards me, and the other fumbled around the nightstand for something. A weapon maybe?

"I only want to talk." I told him calmly. "I know the Dark King just passed through here. I was hoping you could fill me in on what happened."

The king stared at me a long time before deciding I wasn't a threat. He went back over to the bed and sank down onto it, dropping his head in his hands. The two girls came up and while the older one clutched his arm like a stuffed animal, the little one dropped her head in his lap and started sucking her thumb.

"It was horrible," The king mumbled. "He came here in the dead of the night, claiming he was the 'Dark King'." The royal raised his head and told me, "I don't know if that was true, but he was…something." The man shook his head and looked at his hands, whispering, "He could set his hand on fire without sustaining any injuries to himself and the way he talked was so confusing."

Probably because he's insane, I thought but didn't interrupt.

"He wanted me to sign over my kingdom to him," the king said, grabbing something from on top of the nightstand. He looked at it with shame and guilt and said, "He threatened my daughters."

"Did you do it?" I asked with as much tact as suspense would allow.

By the way he's acting, I'd say so but who knows…there's always hope.

The man didn't answer me. He handed me the item he'd grabbed. I crossed the room and took it from him. It was a glass picture frame with a sealed document inside. When I read it I grimaced.

I guess that answers my question, I thought dismally.

"You could still fight this," I encouraged slowly.

Really? You're gonna' ask the man to fight after what's happened? There's dead bodies on the porch and his daughters look traumatized.

"I can't." The king denied, looking away. "The Dark King said his forces would be here soon."

"You could fight them." I said, then suggested, "My troops and I could stay and help beat them back."

Or we could all die…die like heroes? Nah, that doesn't make it better.

The king shook his head and said, "No, you don't understand. If his forces don't kill me, the people will."

"What do you mean?" I frowned, handing back the frame.

The king took it and explained, "Word will no doubt get out about my submission to the Dark King and once it does, the people will be…restless. Someone will be blamed for the takeover and of course it will be me." He looked at his daughters and said, "I can't put these two in that kind of danger. They're the only family I have left."

I told him what Daisy was always harping about and said, "Your family is important but you're a king; don't you have a duty to stand by and fight for your people?"

"They will turn on me." The king predicted. He gazed at the frame and said sadly, "My fate has been written the moment I caved in to his demands. I've got to get away from here."

I frowned.

What could I say to convince him? He's got the fear of God in him so whatever Bowser did, it was highly effective at diminishing this king's will to challenge him but…there must be some way to get him to see—

"You have to fight, papa!" The older girl cried, pulling on her father's arm. She looked at me and said, "This man is right, you can't let those big bullies get away with hurting people like that!"

The king sighed and looked like he was about to shoot down the girl's passion but I interjected.

I said, "What kind of example will you be setting for your kids if you just run away instead of facing your problems?"

"Who are you again?"

I started to tell him, "I'm Lu…I'm an ally, know that. I don't like what Bowser's doing any more than you do, which is why me and some people I care about have gotten together to fight him." I looked at the little girl and my heart skipped a beat.

Those eyes, they were darker but they reminded me of Daisy's. I don't know if the child knew everything I was saying but she was listening intently and nodding her little head. She reminded me of Daisy, too, what with her fighting spirit.

I said quietly, "Look. I know how it feels to have the ones you love most threatened and in danger. Trust me, I do. But if you don't man up and do something about what's putting their lives and so many others in jeopardy, you're gonna' end up losing them anyway in the long run."

The king silently pondered my words. He seemed to be thinking them over as his expression went from scared to guilty to thoughtful and slightly hopeful, then back to scared, resigned, and defeated. I knew what his choice would be.

Even if I was thinking of talking to him more, I couldn't because that scar on my chest was burning. I looked down and saw the faint glow through my shirt and got excited.

"I'll be right back, Your Highness." I excused myself and then realized I hadn't even introduced myself or vice versa.

And I forgot to ask about the bodies, I winced.

I went into the hall and ducked into the first empty room I could find, which was a sort of cleaning closet or something. There was room for a broom, dustpan, mop, a bucket with rags in it, and not much else. I hit my head on the swinging light fixture and saw that the light was coming from a net full of glowing insects, tied to a hook in the ceiling with thin rope.

I sat down on the wooden bucket and pulled the compact mirror from my pocket. I was so relieved to see Daisy's lovely, haggard, beautiful, anxious face waiting for me.

"Luigi," She breathed out happily, "I'm so sorry it took so long to get in touch with you."

"It's no problem," I said, the majority of my brain filling up with good vibes at the sight of her.

She bit her lip and glanced around and said, "I can't talk long."

"Are you alright?" I immediately asked her.

She nodded and said, "Yeah. I mean I just realized I'm capable of hating that rat bastard even more but other than that yeah…I'm cool."

"Where are you?"

"In Arid City. In the palace." She told me. "The snake's not too far away but I had to talk to you."

"I understand. What's going on?" I asked. "Wait—how are you traveling so fast?"

Daisy made a face and said, "It's Callian. He opens portals from one place to the next. That's how we went from the desert straight to a place that was hours ahead of where we are now."

"That sounds pretty cool," I remarked, reminded of the stuff in my comic books.

"It's magnificent," Daisy admitted begrudgingly. "I just wish it wasn't being used to accomplish such dastardly deeds."

"Yeah," I muttered in kind. "I saw how messed up it is over here."

Daisy's eyes widened and she asked me, "Luigi, you're still there?"

"Yeah." I replied. "I wanted to see if my troops and I could help out. That didn't really go so well."

"What do you mean?"

"The king signed over his kingdom and he's probably leaving town." I said.

Daisy sighed and told me, "I figured as much. He was shaken up very badly." She then grew more solemn and said, "You need to get out of there. The snake's sending the League over to hold down his 'new territory'," Daisy exercised such great use of the air quotes she picked up by watching too much tv in Brooklyn.

Now's probably not the time to congratulate her, though.

"Yeah, I'm leaving." I told her. "I guess we'll go back to Arid and stake out in the desert; I keep seeing the League hanging near the warehouse."

"That's a good idea," Daisy approved. "You don't need to—"

Abruptly she shut the mirror and I frowned. Before long, she opened it again looking apologetic and angry.

"Sorry, baby," She whispered, "I gotta' go. Hurry back to Arid City and let me know when you arrive. I love you so much."

"I love you—"

She had to go.

…too, I finished in my head.

Well, I guess that's just how things are gonna' go. I can't be mad at her. She does have to remain conspicuous and all.

"What part of 'just a minute' don't you understand?!" Daisy snapped at the sorcerer who'd busted in on her.

Callian stood outside her bathroom door looking just as suspicious as usual.

"What are you doing in here?" He asked.

I wonder if my using the mirror set him off, Daisy thought briefly, rolling her eyes with added theatrics.

Instead of answering him she drawled, "You know, you did strike me as the 'Neanderthal' type. That would explain why you have no concept of time."

"Smart-mouthed tramp," Callian scowled, "Answer me."

"Or what?" Daisy challenged. "You'll make me? You can't use magic against me, remember?"

Callian shook his head. "You stupid girl, you put too much faith in his…affection for you. But even so, there are ways I could torture you for thousands of years in the span of minutes and your Dark King would never know of it."

Daisy shuddered inside but was the perfect actress as she remained unfazed in tone and expression.

"Really?" She deadpanned, crossing her legs on the toilet and glancing away. She said idly, "A thousand years of torture in minutes? I told you, you have no comprehension of how time works." She faced him and added roughly, "And don't call him, my anything, I hate his filthy guts."

"Then why are you here?" Callian asked that not for the first time and not just of her.

Daisy looked him up and down dismissively and replied, "Wouldn't you like to know."

Callian frowned. He went back to the start and asked again, "What were you doing? I sensed magic."

"It must have been your own," Daisy retorted, smiling sweetly and adding, "I'm not a witch."

Callian made an ugly face at her and she grew antsy. She didn't want him using his magic against her but if she showed how nervous she was that would only encourage him.

She asked coolly, "Are you done harassing me? It's been a long day…night, whatever."

Okay, so now I'm the one with no grip on how time works, she thought irritably. She was genuinely disoriented from Callian's method of travel and she wasn't lying about the day feeling long. Any experience involving the malicious redhead was a dragging, tiresome one.

"It's time to eat." Callian gruffly announced his entire reason for coming to her room in the first place.

Daisy made a face of her own and said, "I'm not hungry."

"Doesn't matter." Callian narrowed his eyes. "You take your meals with us."

"Fine." Daisy snapped. "Can you get out so I can shower and change clothes?"

"That would do you good," Callian remarked, staring her over and adding, "You look like a heathen in those pants."

Daisy was tempted to throw something at his face but he did her a favor and disappeared. She glared at the spot he was standing in and pulled the mirror from under her thigh where she'd hidden it. She wondered if the magic was only detectable when the mirror was in use. Otherwise, she didn't think she'd be able to hide it the whole time she was talking to Callian.

Then again, she trailed, deciding she liked 'Neanderthal' to be her personal nickname for him. She smiled.

That just might keep me sane while I'm forced to interact with him, she predicted.

Rising from the toilet she left the bathroom and went over to the bed where her backpack lay. From it she grabbed a clean pair of loose black pants and a t-shirt of the same color that was actually hers.

I wish it was one of Luigi's, she frowned, running her fingers over the cotton cloth absently.

She gathered the garments up and took out a pair underwear and headed back to the bathroom. After shutting the door Daisy stripped down to everything but her underwear bottoms and that was because there was no way she was getting completely naked with her tormentor in the vicinity. She didn't care that she was behind a shut door behind another shut door; he had fire that came out of his hands. He could burn them both down if he wanted.

And that's also why I'm taking this, the girl thought as she grabbed one of her knives from the floor and set it on the side of the tub. The plumbing here was basic; there was a faucet for tub water and a holey spigot for shower water above. She bathed quickly and washed her hair. It always felt good to have hot water pouring over her, but in this instance she opted for cooler water. It was blazing in Arid City.

Paranoia and a sense of efficiency kept her shower short. She was out in a few minutes, having scrubbed herself down and rinsed and all. She shut off the water and reached for a towel and dried off, then paused.

Perfumed towels? That's interesting, Daisy smiled as she sniffed the soft fabric. Arid City was a place of luxury.

After dressing she retrieved her knife. The girl stared in the gold-framed mirror as she combed her fingers through her damp hair. She gazed at her reflection and knotted her dark hair on top of her head with a black band. She was deliberately lax in hair and dress; it wasn't like she was aiming to please or impress anyone here. In fact, she would do the opposite if she knew what it was that turned the snake off.

If something does, he just plays it off, she frowned, leaving the bathroom and carrying her dirty clothes with her. She folded them and slid them under the bed and rooted around her backpack for her other weapons, then wrapped the blades in socks and put them in her baggy pockets.

Someone, probably Callian, knocked on her door loudly.

"Alright!" She called, annoyed.

She left her backpack on the bed and stepped into her combat boots and headed for the door. She opened it and was about to say something nasty but it was Roy, not Callian.

"Yo, you heard it's time to eat?" He asked quietly.

She nodded and said, "Yeah, I heard. I'm not that hungry."

"Me neither," Roy admitted, looking down.

Daisy stared at him and observed how he was acting. He looked down or thoughtful about something.

Good, he might be better at resisting his father than I thought, Daisy hoped.

"Rex, wait!" Daisy heard someone call.

Those girls were coming down the hall. She wasn't aware she was right near his room but it made sense; Bowser would want to keep the two of them close for his own reasons.

Daisy left Roy and headed to the dining room she'd been shown to on her first day. She was unhappy to see the Dark King already seated at the head of the table with Callian at his right going on about something. It would've been hard to hear him if she was right behind them because the dining room was so loud. Further down from where Bowser and Callian were, the League ate and carried on with their usual amount of gusto. Daisy frowned.

She sat down not at Bowser's left but next to Munson, leaving the three seats across from her open for Roy and his two friends. She watched as they sat down together with the boy in the middle.

Eriana held onto Roy's arm even after they were seated while Ariadne used both of her hands to smooth her white skirt underneath her before she sat. The blonde looked to her left and noticed how unfortunate a choice she'd made; Bowser looked over at her and his expression was unaffected but having those jade eyes on her made her stiffen.

He's got a bad aura, she thought, then looked to the right and wondered, maybe Eri will switch seats with me.

That was not happening. Eriana was already making faces at the League members further down, she would definitely not do well sitting next to the Dark King. The tawny girl let go of Roy and brought a hand to her mouth to cover her disgusted expression.

"Do we have to eat with them?" Eriana asked the boy next to her. "Rex? Can't we go back to your room? Rex?"

When Eri nudged him Roy said, "Hm?"

The girl repeated herself but Roy still didn't respond. He was looking down at his food, not seeing it, just going over some things in his mind. Eriana looked beyond him at Ariadne and they exchanged an unsettled glance.

Daisy watched them and thought, I wonder who those girls are to Roy; they both seem to care about him…

She glanced next to her at the other young man who hadn't lifted his head from the table since she'd arrived down for dinner. Munson's silky hair was getting into his food, it was so long. She doubted he cared, though, as he lay on his folded arms, slumped over and dead to the world.

He must be here against his will, Daisy thought, and she was only thinking that extended to being at dinner. She didn't know the full truth of her thoughts.

Turning to her own plate she grimaced. It looked good but it smelled awful. She picked up a fork and poked the diced…chicken? It was white meat. She didn't dare eat it.

"Get up," Callian groused, talking to his son.

Daisy saw Munson rise, he'd actually been asleep because he was blinking and frowning irritably like a little toddler woken from a nap. He touched his hair, discovering where there was food on it, and made the gunk magically disappear.

So he's a sorcerer like his father, Daisy catalogued, staring at the miserable young man.

Munson was miserable, Roy was somewhat brooding or zoning out, Eri and Ari were clearly uncomfortable, and Daisy was pretending the chicken she was stabbing and grinding with her fork was Bowser's heart. The only one at ease was Callian, who ate like the rest of his League. Bowser took one bite of the food and scowled.

"What the hell is this?" He asked, rubbing his tongue against the roof of his mouth to get the bad taste off of it.

"…It's food," Callian said evenly, looking slighted with his fork halfway to his mouth, frozen in offense.

Bowser didn't care that he offended his ally, he pushed the plate away from him in the style of his youngest son and glared at it sideways.

"That shit's disgusting." He declared. "I'm not eating that."

"What's wrong with it?" Callian put his fork down and sat back with his arms crossed.

"It's the nastiest shit I've ever eaten." Bowser replied candidly. "What's in it?"

"Magic."

"No fucking wonder."

"Hey," Roy looked up and called to his father, "You ain't gotta' do all that cussin', man."

The teenager glanced pointedly at Eri and Ari and Bowser lifted a brow. There was some hypocrisy in Roy's admonishing tone; apparently it was fine that he swear around his two female friends but when his father did it, it rubbed him the wrong way.

Bowser bowed his head obligingly at Roy and said, "Alright, son, it's your kingdom, your rules I suppose." He then looked at Callian and asked, "Can't you do something about this food?"

"Just put some salt on it." Callian suggested carelessly.

Bowser gave him a look and then turned to Daisy. She'd been listening the whole time and was a bit in awe of the fact that he let his son tell him what to do.

But she figured, he's probably trying to get on Roy's good side or something. Just like at that other kingdom when he was being all patronizing. How pathetic.

"You remember those steaks you used to make for me?" He asked her without knowing he'd struck a nerve with her.

That brought on some painful, fearful memories for her and the princess gritted her teeth. She knew where he was going with this.

"I want you to make some for me tomorrow morning—"

"NO."

"NO."

Both she and Callian responded in the same way, and Bowser rolled his eyes. Callian didn't spare her a glance. He threw back his chair and marched to the kitchens, jerking his head at Bowser along the way. The Dark King looked over at Daisy and winked before rising and following his ally.

In the kitchen, Callian was furious. He didn't know he'd be dealing with all this when he renewed the League's alliance with the fallen king. This was ridiculous. When Bowser came sauntering in, the brawny leader let him have it.

"Why don't you tip your head back and open your mouth for the poison or whatever else she's got for you?" He asked scathingly. "How thick could you be? You know that girl hates you and you want her to cook for you?!"

Bowser crossed his arms and snorted and said, "I'm not choking down that garbage you conjured up, Cal."

"Don't be so spoiled!" Callian scolded, narrowing ice-blue eyes. "When your empire's established, you can have whatever you want, prepared however you want by whoever you like."

"Yeah," Bowser agreed, nodding. "And I can have it now, too." He glanced away and added with a smidge of pride, "my little Empress knows her way around a kitchen."

"What woman doesn't?" Callian retorted. "You can fetch one from the city and I can bet they won't kill you, either."

"We've been through this, Cal; she's not going to kill me," Bowser explained patiently. "That's why you're here, remember? Didn't you say that…thing you gave me protects against any ingested poisons?"

"Why tempt fate, Dark King?" Callian said, with irritation and a slightly threatening or warning edge. He muttered, "Who knows? With even my protection she may still get her way."

"Just watch her the whole time," Bowser ordered, fed up with the conversation. "Make sure she doesn't try anything crazy."

"So you refuse to see reason?"

"I want that steak."

Bowser headed back out the kitchens and added, "I want it first thing in the morning."

"…spoiled, idiotic, childish…" Callian grumbled under his breath while the redhead smirked and made his exit.

As a rule of thumb I took any word or signal from Daisy as a matter of utmost importance, so when I felt the scar on my chest burning, I stopped what I was doing and pulled out the mirror.

"What is it, Commander?"

"Is it the princess?"

"What does she want?"

"Geez, give me a chance to open it first," I told my three other tent companions.

The fourth one was silent but only because she was mute; like Troy, Lise-Marie, and Portia, the redhead Deanna also looked curiously at me.

Things were laid back now that my troops and I were back in the desert outside of Arid Kingdom. We were right near the gates, less than five miles away, so a trip to the city to restock supplies would be a cake walk. With that in mind, it was easier to just hang out until it was time to move again. We didn't have to worry about running out of food or water and the tents were much cooler than the open sun because one, there was shade of course, and two, there was a fan in each one. Chai's fans were pretty much the same as Arid's; you had to crank them and they'd keep going for nearly an hour. It kept everybody cool and when everyone was cool, things ran smoothly.

I glanced at my soldiers in turn. Deanna sat nearest to me with her knees under her and her hands, her real mouthpieces, in her lap. Next to her was Portia, sitting with one leg drawn up at the knee and the other stretched out in front of her. She gave Troy a distasteful look sort of like the one Lise-Marie was donning next to her. The girl had cut her hair again, this time way down to a ragged bob. The breeze from the fan blew the ends of her choppy hair around near her chin. Next to her, sitting with both legs crossed, was the only other male, Troy. He was sweaty, he'd been patrolling with the others and his usually lively dark curly hair was matted down.

"You smell awful," Portia told him. "Your mustiness is catching the breeze and making this whole tent stink." She looked to me and asked, "Commander, can't you make him get out?"

"All of you should get out," I said, looking back at the mirror. "I'd like some privacy."

"Seriously?" The young woman frowned. "But I wanted to say hey to the princess."

"I'll send your regards." I smiled, "Now please go."

The four of them left and only after they were gone did I flip open the compact anxiously and searched for Daisy's face.

"…Daisy?" I murmured, trying to see if my voice would lure her beautiful face to the surface of the placid glass surface.

She didn't come. But she'd touched the scar, so I didn't understand. I touched mine and got another response from her, but she still didn't come to the mirror. I then tried rubbing the mirror along its gilded edges and that did summon someone, but not who I wanted.

"What is it, my friend?"

"Peasley?" I blinked at him and he nodded. I said, "Sorry, I was trying to reach out to Daisy."

"Touching the mirror will alert her, too?" Peasley frowned.

He looked tired again. I hated how it seemed like he wasn't getting much sleep anymore. He was too good a fledgling magician and seasoned vanity king to let it show, for there were no visible bags under his eyes or wrinkles but I could just tell he was tired by the way he talked with a little slur every now and again. And by the way he kept blinking to cover up the struggle to hold his eyes open.

"Are you sleeping these days, Peasley?"

The prince must have shrugged because his image jostled. All I could see was his face and some of his hair down in front of his ears.

"How does it work?" He asked me. "Your connection with your fair flower? She didn't really say."

"Oh," I looked behind me for my bag and took out some water, then told him, "It's the scars. She uh, found this shell in one of her kingdoms…no, she got the shell from the mermaids in one of her kingdoms: Muda, I think."

Peasley's eyes were at their widest, his sleepiness permitting, and his blonde brows were out of view.

He whispered, "The mermaids? So they're still around."

"You know about them?"

"Yes." Peasley smiled and said, "I read about them in a medical journal very recently. They were hunted by the Dark King a long time ago, he was under the incorrect impression that consuming the scales from their tales would make him either invincible or immortal…I don't remember, but it was wrong." Peasley furrowed his brow and added, "What a nasty idea, anyway."

"I know," I agreed, shaking my head at how Bowser could be duped by a rumor so outrageous.

So much for the mighty dark king, I mused.

"That must be why the mermaids hate him," I said. "Enough for them to offer to help Daisy take him down."

Again Peasley blinked and asked, "They offered their aid?"

"Well, not really. They gave her that shell to call to them for one single favor." I sighed and said, "But I broke it by accident so now that's out."

"Luigi, you clumsy oaf," Peasley murmured softly, smiling with humor. "So that explains the scar?"

"Yeah." I looked down at mine and said, "Daisy has one just like it, and if she touches hers, mine starts to burn, and vice versa."

"Remarkable." Peasley commented. "It would seem some of their magic has embedded inside you, linking the two of you."

"That's what I said." I responded. "So that's how I can know when Daisy wants to talk to me or when she's okay, even if we can't speak to each other."

"That's…poetic, don't you think?" Peasley quietly asked, glancing away. "Now you two are bound for life, as lovers and more…or until the magic wears off."

"I guess." I said.

I didn't feel too connected right now, not being able to see or speak to the girl I love. Hopefully she would answer me before morning.

A/N: Thanks for reading and I hope you liked this chapter, as usual. Well, another chapter down. I'm trying not to be so long-winded and to reduce the gaps between updates.

Thanks again everybody, especially you Jwill and Walkazo and whoever else is still onboard :)))

~DG~