Thanks for the consistent reviews everyone, and I will try to follow up with you guys. Hope this wasn't too late in coming.

Enjoy!

Chapter Sixty-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

Even though I saw the dot start to move sometime last night, I didn't immediately follow for a few reasons. The main one was I didn't want to blow Daisy's cover, obviously, and by extension ruin the mission.

But I think enough time's passed, I figured; the dot was back in Arid City but Daisy hadn't contacted me yet.

It did bother me, waiting things out like this. I know what Daisy said about giving it some time before showing up, but what if King Boo disguised me? Bowser didn't know the troops, he'd never seen my soldiers before and I doubt he would make the connection that they were from Sarasaland. If Boo could do something to make me hidden or at least disguised, we could show up and combat Bowser right as he was trying to take over.

But what if something happens to Daisy and I give myself away? Or what if he starts getting suspicious about us tracking him to his exact location? Man, what if the map falls into his hands?

At the worst, Bowser might come down on Daisy and question her or kill her.

But what if he's thinking of doing that anyway?

I didn't know what was happening on the inside. All I knew was what Daisy told me and that wasn't nearly enough. Plus, she had a habit of sometimes omitting things from me, important things.

Alright, it was time to go.

"Let's move." I told my troops and reached for the map.

They were already ready to go, assembled in rows in the desert. All of them went down the line and joined hands and Portia took mine and we disappeared from the spot. As I suspected, Daisy hadn't gone that far last night; it was morning back in Arid and it was morning here. The first thing I saw was that we'd appeared on top of a small cliff with the sun right in our eyes.

What a beautiful sunrise, I thought, staring at the great ball of orange gas and light resting on the horizon, seeming to be birthed out of the serene waters of the sea. Glancing away from that, I saw there was a lot going on down on the beach below.

I held up a hand to keep my troops from advancing behind me and tried to take in everything happening in front of me. First there was the music. I heard that over everything else because it sounded like the artist were putting their heart and soul into beating those drums and strumming those guitars or whatever stringed instrument my ears were picking up on. The music was so strong but melancholy. That was a good word for the people's mood as well. The whole tone I got from watching these people led me to believe something tragic had just occurred. Some were crying, either alone or in groups, holding each other. Others were rocking and swaying to the music, their heads either bowed or tipped skyward as they held hands with the people around them, humming. I got the chills listening to them. It was like sadness embodied in song. Other people had flowers in their hands and were lifting them up like an offering to heaven. Those were the same flowers I saw on another part of the beach.

To the right of the people, near the boardwalk, there was an anchor nestled in the sand, covered in wreaths of those flowers and many others with vivid-colored petals wrapped around the chipping black weight. Surrounding the anchor there were dozens of candles and all of them had words printed on them…no, those were names.

People who died, I put two and two together and felt sick and grieved at the same time.

Would they have died if I would have come sooner? Maybe we could have stopped this, maybe we could have helped, I frowned, totally against hanging back anymore.

"Commander."

I turned and looked at Lise-Marie and she dipped her head forward, towards the left. I followed her line of vision and saw that, beyond the people, there was a tanned man with a mustache and limp black, curly hair. He almost looked Italian. He had his arm around a woman's waist next to him, a seasoned but undoubtedly lovely woman with a thin wreath of white flowers around her head. She was holding a strong expression but tears steadily flowed from her face and threatened to do the same from mine if I didn't get it together.

The sadness is stifling, I noted, a lump forming in my throat.

The man I presumed was the king was waving me over. It wasn't obvious by the way he dressed, for he wore the same type of simple clothing as the rest of the males; just a pale white shirt with no extra seams or buttons and some light pants of the same color. His wife, again presuming that's what she was to him, wore a white dress. These looked like the type of clothes you just pull on and go.

"Come on." I said, compelled to speak softly out of respect.

Respect for those grieving on the beach and for the line of white rectangles along the shore to the far white. I'd been to the other kingdom and what's more I'd lived in Brooklyn, I knew what those were. The dead, carefully covered with sheets and out of reach of the lapping water. There were people around these bodies, uniformed individuals I figured were doctors or something, doing the hard task of transporting the deceased off of the beach and onto wagons headed towards the city.

I looked away from that and saw something else on my way to the king. It was probably the biggest sight here and the most painful for these people. It was a burnt and battered boat, a huge white thing that was nearly smudged black all the way around. It must have been beautiful but now it was just crumpled, smashed in, and ruined. The bow was missing, the masts were cracked and there was glass shattered all over the deck floor. There were also holes and red stains covering the deck floor, as well as broken tables and chairs and other evidence of prior festivities.

I stopped looking around because this was really starting to get to me. This was so much worse than what Bowser used to do before. Or maybe it just seemed worse because I was right here in the midst of these people's suffering.

While my troops and I trudged across the sandy expanse to get to where the king was, the people grew quiet and watched us. I knew my soldiers were doing like me and bowing their heads out of respect, and maybe that made the people start to receive us better. The music started up again, soft as a sigh, and some of the young people came over and started handing my soldiers and me a flower, a white one like the ones they were lifting up. I thanked the woman who'd given me mine with a nod and twirled it awkwardly as I continued to stride towards the king.

Alone I reached him, and bowed for them. The king nodded at me and squeezed his wife's waist. She wasn't here anymore. Her eyes were glazed over and she was resting her head on his shoulder.

"Who are you?" The king asked me.

I told him, "I'm a Commander over these troops and we came to help out. Maybe we could help search for survivors?"

The king shook his head and said, "There are no more. But perhaps your soldiers could assist with transporting our fallen back to the city?"

"Sure," I said, turning and giving my soldiers a nod to do just that.

"Come," The king told me, leaving his wife with a kiss to the forehead she may or may not have been aware of.

He walked off to the side and I followed and the man rubbed his tanned face and turned to me. He was suddenly skeptical.

He asked, "Who are you? You say you come to help, but why? How did you get here so quickly following this…are you in league with the one who did this?"

"No," I denied. "I am an ally, I swear. I can't tell you where I'm from because it would put myself and others in danger from the same one who did this."

The king frowned and asked, "And who would that be? He called himself, the 'Dark King' but the Dark King was slain."

"No, that was him." I sighed. "I know it's hard to believe, but that was Bowser. The same Dark King from before."

"Impossible," the king breathed, growing disturbed. He told me, "I thought he was just some madman enacting a terrorist attack on my kingdom."

"No, he's the real deal." I said, glancing towards the sea. I said, "I've been tracking his movements with my troops. You're not the only kingdom he's attacked. He's trying to build an empire."

"That's what he said," The king claimed.

"You didn't sign over your country to him, did you?" I feared. "I mean, not that I'm judging you—"

"Absolutely not." The king replied firmly. He said, "I'd sooner turn over in my own grave." He then looked at me and asked, "And you say you cannot tell me from where you hail?"

"No," I said. "It wouldn't be wise. I'm on a mission to take down the Dark King with some others and we have to keep the whole thing under wraps."

The king nodded and asked curiously, "You wouldn't be speaking of the Alliance for the Resistance of the Dark King, would you?"

"No." I frowned. "I've never heard of that."

"Of course not, it's an ended faction." The King told me. He then gave me a little smile and said, "Well, I know it's late, but I'm King Julius, and on behalf of my people and all of Ceaside I thank you for your help, young man."

"It's no problem." I told the king. "I wish we could have done more."

"Well, you could stay with us a while." King Julius suggested. "In case the menace returns. We could use the support until our own forces are prepared for defense."

Before, I would have just declined and went back to Arid City, but now I was conflicted. Not even that, I was decided, just not in favor of leaving. I did want to stay, I did want to face whatever Bowser threw at this place because it made me mad to think he was just going around destroying people's lives and families. What did anyone here do to him? Yeah, I was staying.

But let me let Daisy know first, I thought. If the roles were reversed, I'd want her to give me a heads up before making a rash decision like this. I might die, honestly speaking. If Bowser sent the League like Daisy talked about, I didn't know if my troops and I would make it.

I glanced over at my soldiers. They were loading people onto the wagons and helping the medics out. They were down for whatever.

"Excuse me," I said to King Julius, who nodded and went back to his wife.

I walked along the shore and touched the scar under my shirt. I got a response back after a few seconds so I pulled the mirror out of my pocket and waited for Daisy to appear. She did.

For the second time today I got this spike, this stab of pain in my heart. First it was because of the people and their plight, and now it was because Daisy looked like she'd been crying. She gazed back at me evenly, her expression withdrawn and subtly angry like a blazing fire that'd gone down to a quiet smolder. Her eyes were red-rimmed, that's how I knew she'd been crying, but that was the only trace of sadness. Now she was just mad.

"Are you alright?" I ventured, sitting down on the sand.

Daisy shook her head and said, "No, Luigi, I'm not. Where are you?"

"Uh, Ceaside." I said, remembering what the king told me. I said, "It's rough out here. I think we interrupted some kind of wake or something for the deceased."

Daisy closed her eyes and shook her head. Another couple tears fell from under her beautiful black lashes and her mouth twisted in a frustrated frown.

"Are you…this really got to you." I whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry? You didn't do this." Daisy snapped, her eyes flitting open and then softening. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to take this out on you, I just…"

Daisy used one hand, a shaking one, to rub her face and cover her mouth. Her eyes were wet when she murmured, "I can't stop thinking about what I saw last night. What I heard."

I didn't say anything. I just listened to her.

"I can't keep sitting by and letting him do this." Daisy dropped her hand and spoke decisively. "I won't."

"What do you mean?" I asked her with dread.

"You saw what he did," Daisy told me. "I have to do something to stop him from killing people. Maybe I can't kill him right now but I can do something."

"Daisy, don't." I warned. "If you put yourself in harm's way, you might not get this opportunity again. You know, because you'll be dead."

"You don't know that." She argued. Daisy bit her lip and said, "If I succeed, I can at least weaken him and save lives until we get the stakes. If I fail, you're right, he might kill me, but I doubt it." Daisy glanced away and muttered, "He wouldn't kill me."

"Daisy."

"Even if I had to get out of here, I could still maneuver from the outside, from Sarasaland." Daisy claimed. "But that wouldn't be as ideal because then I'd be shifting his focus back home and I'd be doing the opposite of saving lives. At least while I'm here, I can do something to directly affect him and—"

"At what cost, Daisy?" I frowned. I told her, "I hate to say it, but he's a killer. He's gonna' kill people. It's what he does and it's crazy for you to think you can do something to change that. You'll only get hurt—"

"I can do this!" Daisy insisted. "I know I can, I just have to put my mind to it and I can get to him, I can do something to knock him down. I always find a way to, and I will now."

I frowned and sighed. "…Alright, Daisy."

"You don't understand—"

"No, I do." I cut in. I turned the tables with, "How would you feel if I told you I'm staying here to face Bowser's forces with my troops?"

Daisy hesitated. She asked, "Are you really going to? Or are you just…"

"Yeah, I am." I said with resolve. "Now how does that make you feel?"

"What, are you trying to get back at me?" Daisy scoffed. "Really? That's just stupid."

There was something I wanted to say, that almost flew off the tip of my tongue, but years of being the quiet one helped me hone my self-control so I didn't say anything. I frowned and tried to calm down but this was the first time Daisy was really just pissing me the hell off. Why couldn't she understand she wasn't some martyr that existed solely to jump on the burning stake at a moment's notice? Whenever she saw the ugly side of how the world worked with tyrants on the loose, it was like she let her anger and emotions guide her to do rash things and she didn't even care that I love her and I need her. She was just so ready to get herself killed for what she believed was the greater good. Or her hatred was leading her to act this way, not a sense of duty.

Either way it frustrated me.

"Whatever, Daisy." I muttered. "You do what you feel is right."

I was hurt inside and it was making me bitter, so I knew that wasn't what I should've said, but oh well. Why should I have to be the one to just suck it up and take it in this relationship? Why did it feel like she didn't care about 'us' as much as I did? It just made me feel stupid for caring at all since she obviously didn't.

That's not true, a little voice told me, but I was too irritated to take it to heart.

Daisy could sense I was mad but she just cut her eyes to the side and mumbled, "Okay Luigi. I gotta' go."

She broke the connection first and I was left staring at myself with a ton of regret.

"I don't like it here."

"It's only temporary."

"What is...tem…temper—"

"It means it's only for a short time." Wendy explained, sighing.

She wasn't aggravated with Junior or his questions or complaints, not really. In truth, they gave her strength. Him being so fearful and uncomfortable caused her stronger attributes to come to light. Her desire to be there for him and her little brothers pushed her own fear and uncertainty to the back burner.

The girl crossed the small room and went over to the bed the redhead shared with Lemmy. She bent down and stroked Junior's tangled hair back and kissed his forehead, then did the same for her other brother.

"Don't worry. It's gonna' be okay." She promised them.

Behind her, Larry asked, "How do you know?"

Wendy stood and went over to him. He was in the bed across from theirs, the one she would share with him. The girl sat near where her brother was tucked in and drew him in to her side, then rubbed his arm.

"I just know, alright?" She lied, smiling softly down at him.

Larry looked up at her and he trusted her. But he was still afraid.

"What if those jerks come here?" He worried. "What if they try to kill us again?"

"They won't find us here." Wendy stated, hoped.

"This place is so creepy." Larry grimaced, looking at the wall.

Wendy looked and saw a fat, white ghost phasing in and out of the opposite wall. Outside the window adjacent to that wall it was raining. The sky was dark except for when lightning struck.

Wendy sighed and held her brother closer and whispered, "Yeah, it is creepy, but it's safe and that's all that matters."

"Why did you pick this place?" Larry asked her, blinking his green eyes up at his big sister.

He remembered it from the last time he and MJ visited it and the place was no more inviting than it had been before. To him it was full of dark corners and strange creatures lurking in the shadows.

Wendy shrugged.

It was something she'd thought of on a whim. She was alone and scared just like her little brothers. No one ever tried to kill her before. But she was the oldest so she had to be the one to step up and be proactive about the situation. That meant getting them out of danger as quickly as possible. She didn't have Roy or MJ or Ludwig, she had to do this on her own, and what she'd thought of first was coming to the hidden estate near Evershade Valley.

Wendy didn't know what would happen, she was playing things by ear, but when King Boo let them stay she'd been so grateful.

He's a powerful sorcerer, more powerful than Ludwig, Wendy knew. He'll be able to protect us until I figure out what to do or where to go. We might have to stay here after all. I wish Ludwig would come back and tell me what's going on.

Wendy felt Larry slip back under the sheets and she stood. She pushed his blue hair back from his forehead and gave him a gentle kiss, too, before going to the door.

"No, Wen! Don't go!" Larry cried.

He was panicking so badly because it was scary to him how quickly things were changing now. Would she be like MJ or Roy or Iggy; leave and never come back again for ages? He didn't want to split up anymore.

Wendy held her smile with all her will and told him, "It's alright, I'm just going downstairs. I'll be back."

Larry didn't believe her but she was leaving. He felt like crying. He was all mixed up. It was a wonder how he was handling the changes so poorly while Lemmy and Junior fared much better. But then, they'd been through sojourns with the Dark King himself.

Lemmy told his brother in the dark room, "It's okay, Larry. Wen's not gonna' leave us."

Junior nodded, even though no one could see, and held his friend, his brother's hand under the sheets.

Wendy didn't stop at the bottom of the stairs, she kept going towards the door. She didn't like lying to her brother but she didn't want to stress him any further. And if he knew what she planned on doing, he would definitely fret.

"Where are you going, my dear?"

Wendy would be lying if she said that voice didn't both unnerve and interest her still. She had mixed feelings towards the Lord of this estate. She turned at the door and saw the long-haired immortal gliding towards her.

Avoiding his eerie magenta eyes she said, "I just have to see if MJ came back. If he did, he must be so confused…"

King Boo frowned down at the girl. She wasn't very tall but she held herself that way in his presence and in her brothers'. She pushed her hair behind her ears; it was still damp from her being out in the rain. That was a surreal experience for the immortal, seeing the girl at his doorstep with the little redhead on her hip and her two brothers hiding behind her. It reminded him of the time Ludwig had come to him that way, and after an attack from the League as well, no doubt.

"You stay, I'll go check for your brother." King Boo advised.

Wendy nodded and said, "Thank you."

She didn't really want to go back but she would have if necessary.

Brave girl, King Boo admired.

He told her, "You're very lucky to have survived and attack from the League. Or very talented, I should say."

"It was luck," Wendy confirmed, rubbing her arms. "If it wasn't for Junior stepping in…" She shuddered.

King Boo wondered at that; he'd been given an account of what happened and he wondered how the Dark King felt knowing his son's life may have been in danger at the hands of his ally. Boo then wondered how the red-haired sire would react to the news.

"Have you seen my brother?" Wendy blurted. "Ludwig? Those guys were looking for him."

"I'm not surprised," Boo murmured. He told her, "I'm afraid I have no idea where he is."

Wendy despaired.

"Go and rest," King Boo told her. "I'll see about locating your other brother."

The neon castle was starting to live up to its name, thanks to a lot of time, ingenuity, and perseverance on the part of a self-proclaimed up-and-coming scientist. Iggy threw himself into bettering both the castle and his mother. He made it his goal day and night to work on shaping up the interior and exterior of both. First he had to patch that giant hole in the wall on the first floor, and he preferred to use his magic as little as possible when cleaning out the cobwebs and dirt along the several floors of the castle. It was more reliable to use a broom and mop than a spell. Spells had a tendency to come undone. Iggy was very proud of himself because, though the outside of the palace and the surrounding area needed more work, the inside looked tremendously better. It looked clean, it smelled cleaner, and it was pretty much ready hospitable enough for guests. His mother, she was much better as well. She didn't look like skin and bones anymore, thanks to his making her eat three times a day and drink plenty of water. A few sleeping spells never hurt anyone either, right? He had to make sure she was getting enough rest. Those dark circles around her eyes vanished and her mood improved…a little. She wasn't so skittish around her son anymore, but she was still very unstable and unable to be alone for more than a few minutes at a time.

That was why Iggy kept her close. He was working on an invention in the kitchen, an odd but efficient place for him to work, and he kept an eye on where she sat at the table. He had to do things like wash her hair, and his efforts were paying off. Those curls were healthier and full of body now as they swirled around his mother's often clueless face. He had to go into the city and buy clothes for her, too. This dress she wore now was her favorite, and so it was his favorite, too. It was a bright yellow, long-sleeved gown. It was good because she got cold so easily and the dress covered her arms and legs, all the way down to her slippered feet.

Iggy looked from her back to his work. He was drawing out the blueprints for a device that would make it easier for his mother to remember to eat on her own. If he got it to work, it would fit around her wrist like a bracelet and issue out a flooding aroma of bread. His mother did like bread, if no other food. That would jog her memory and hopefully help her start becoming more independent.

Iggy tapped his pen along his cheek, gazing beyond the paper. He felt some resistance on his sleeve and glanced over, then smiled. It was the little chain chomp munching on the hem of his jacket sleeve. Iggy tapped the rotund little creature on the head and it blinked at him, then released the fabric from its wide jaws. Like the piranha plants all around the castle, it was growing a little bit every day.

Iggy went back to studying the details of his invention and his mind started to wander to other issues.

He thought about Roy and about the last time he saw his thick older brother. He didn't like the way he left him.

I should have stayed a little longer, Iggy thought in retrospect. He'd been worried about his mother but she probably would have been fine in the meantime. She'd survived this long, so what was another week? Iggy was sure that would have been all the time he would've needed to do or say something to either cement in Roy's mind a healthy distrust of their father, or get his father to leave them alone for good.

Eh, maybe I'm overestimating myself, the adolescent frowned. He recalled how his older brothers never seemed to listen to him much in the past, especially not Roy.

But I want to do something for him, Iggy rolled the tip of his pen under his bottom lip. I don't want him getting caught up with the likes of the Dark King. What could I do, though?

He thought about it a while, came up with nothing, sighed, and went back to his invention.

Is it even possible for this day to get any worse?

The fact that Sarasaland's princess had to ask herself that was proof of the answer probably turning out to be a resounding 'yes'. It was morning, the beginning of the day, but already things started out bad. It wasn't a good sign that she'd woken up with a headache. Probably due to the frustrated crying she'd done the night before.

How was I supposed to just sleep that off?

The young woman sat on her borrowed bed and stared at her knees. Right now they were bare. She wore black shorts that ended right above them. Daisy rubbed her thighs and picked at the hem of her shorts. She felt terrible.

All those people…I wonder how many died…

She didn't want to think about that anymore. She'd been thinking of that and more all night. That's why she didn't get any sleep. She knew her restless night was the reason she was so short with Luigi a few minutes ago.

Oh, Luigi, she frowned, her heart hurting. It was a distant ache. She was more angry than anything. She blamed Bowser for this little rift with her fiancé. If he hadn't pushed her to this level of rancor with his senseless acts and repugnant attitude, she wouldn't be arguing with the man she loved.

I should apologize, Daisy thought. I will apologize.

Daisy took her mirror from the side of the bed near her and opened it, then shut it when her bedroom door flew open.

"Let's go." Callian barked.

Oh, he was especially mad at her today, considering what she did to him last night. The scar was gone but the scowl was still there, the damage was done. Daisy actually smirked, her mood a little lifted at the remembrance of her actions. She definitely wasn't sorry for them, but she knew she'd have to tread carefully around the sorcerer. The only thing keeping him from killing her was his questionable loyalty to the Dark King.

Daisy rose, sliding off the bed and letting her combat boots meet the surface of the floor with a soft thud. She stretched and followed the disgruntled immortal out of the room.

When she got to the kitchen, of course everything was laying out for her and she started to go about cooking without even thinking about what she was doing. But as she had the food in a pan over the stove, she paused and stared ahead, gaining some clarity.

So I'm just gonna' act like a good little…whatever he thinks I am and just cook his breakfast like he didn't just slaughter a ton of people last night? Oh, hell no.

Daisy didn't know she was projecting her thoughts a little too loudly; Callian picked up on them and sneered.

"Just do it, woman." He told her.

He wasn't on either side at this point; not hers, or Bowser's. He was honestly reconsidering aligning himself with the Dark King at all.

…It'll pay off once he's wedged himself into power, Callian mentally shrugged.

Daisy stood there with Callian at her back and contemplated just letting the steak burn.

Stop wasting time

"Get out of my head!" Daisy whirled around and snapped.

She glared at him and he just kept sneering at her, but he did retract his presence from her mind. Daisy turned back to the steak in an even worse mood than before. She didn't want to be doing this. She wanted to leave and go find Luigi and apologize for lashing out at him.

It's not his fault he wants to help, she thought about his choice of staying behind to find Bowser's forces. She knew she would want to do the same thing. But she worried for him just like he worried for her.

"Hurry up." Callian groused.

Shut the hell up, Daisy thought and didn't care if he heard her. She was a lot more forceful in her actions during the cooking process. She shoved the meat around in the pan and them practically threw it in the oven and slammed the door, then yanked it back open later and dropped the pan on the counter haphazardly. Using a spatula, she slid the finished product onto a plate and, while she poured wine in a glass, Callian inspected the food.

You saw me the whole time, how could I have put anything in it?! Idiot, she fumed.

"Go." Callian spoke, sticking the plate back out to her.

She snatched it and the wine and headed out to the dining room. That's when she lost her composure for a second. Seeing Bowser sitting there just triggered her reckless side. She brought the food over to him and set it down—not gently at all—but before he could take his first bite she bent her head down and spit on his steak.

Callian, who stood off to the side, just rolled his eyes. He was done with those two.

Daisy smirked, seeing the mess she'd made, and she felt a small burst of victory when Bowser just stared at it. He had a fork and knife in his hands and a vague look on his face as he blinked a couple times, set the utensils down, and reached for his drink.

He glanced at Daisy and asked, "You spit in this, too?"

The girl smiled very sweetly.

"Right." Bowser set the glass down and dropped a napkin over the ruined meal. He stood and said, "I don't have time to eat anyway. I've got somewhere to go." He glanced at Callian and then back at the cheeky young woman and told them, "Try not to kill each other before I get back."

"Where are you going?" Daisy pressed, stepping in his way.

Bowser looked down at her and pinched her chin gently with his thumb and index finger before stepping around her.

Daisy thought about following him but he and Callian exchanged a look and it just occurred to her that maybe they'd been communicating telepathically that way for some time now. She stayed behind and felt vexed because any plans to weaken him would apparently have to wait.

But it's better he's gone, she decided, watching him leave. There was something she wanted to do and it was better if he wasn't around to know or interfere.

Roy didn't know what was in that bottle he emptied last night but it felt like liquid bliss going down—after he got used to it, that is.

So weird, Roy thought, noting how it burned and tasted like acidic spit at first, but then he'd had more and more and he saw what his father was talking about. It wasn't the taste, that never really improved, it was the way it made him feel. The drink King Reginald gave him was more mellow, it made him zone out, like he was floating out of his body. The drink his father gave him made him feel like his whole body was vibrating, like he was full of energy and invincible. It made him feel good.

Not no more, though, he grimaced.

That wasn't easy to do when he was face-down in bed. He'd planked there sometime after he and his father and the others got back. In and out of sleep he'd been, but now he was definitely awake and had a killer headache. He rolled onto his back and made another face.

"Rex, you're awake?"

Eriana was courteous enough to whisper very quietly. She sat next to Roy, on her knees near the edge of the bed where he lay between her and her blonde friend. The tawny-skinned girl never left Roy's side since he came ambling into his room last night, crashing into bed without a word. She was concerned for him. Now that he seemed to be awake, she had so many questions for him.

But I don't want to disturb him, she thought, worrying her bottom lip. She slid her hands from between her thighs to Roy's shoulders and smoothed her thumbs over his skin. He was very hot, and that wasn't because of the usual Arid City heat. There were four fans going in the room, it was actually pretty cool, so she tossed a fretful glance over at Ariande before proceeding.

"Rex," She whispered again, earning a scowl.

Eriana moved her hand up to his forehead and wondered if he was running a fever or something.

"Are you sick?" She asked him.

Roy groaned.

"What happened yesterday?" She asked, lowering her voice and fearing, "Did your father do this to you?"

Roy groaned again and rolled onto his side.

What did happen last night? He remembered bits and pieces. Fire. An explosion. A lot of people running around and yelling; those things and several others were like images from a dream, flighty and impossible to hold onto and scrutinize. Thinking about the events of the night prior was only exacerbating his cranial calamity.

"Please, talk to me." Eriana entreated.

Roy didn't have the strength to do anything more than grunt and shift his body this way and that. He felt incredibly nauseous and feared moving too much or talking too much would make him heave. But he did summon the strength to at least say something to his older friend.

He told the girl, "I ain't sick, Eri."

"Then what's wrong?" The girl persisted, leaning her head down.

Her curly hair brushed the boy's cheek as she got closer to hear him better. He was mumbling something else, but she didn't catch it. She did, however, catch a whiff of his breath and she pulled back, her eyes wide and understanding.

"Rex, have you been drinking?" She accused.

"Shh!" Roy hissed, "Quit yellin', Eri. And yeah, I drunk something last night. So what?"

"So look at you," Eriana tried to contain her reproach. "You must have drank too much; you've got a hangover."

She got up from the bed and went into the bathroom and started running water. Roy turned his back to the noise and wrinkled his nose with his eyes shut tightly. He was starting to get an idea, probably a terrible one. He figured maybe if he drank enough of the other stuff, the liquor King Reginald gave him, he'd start zoning out and the pain would just be a memory. He was about to reach for the flask in his nightstand drawer.

"Rex," Ariadne's voice was soft, angelic. She, too, sat on her knees on the bed and tried to decide how to voice her concerns without coming off as judgmental as Eriana.

Speaking of her, Eri came back with a cool towel. She took up her spot beside Roy and started dabbing the wet towel against his forehead and brow and neck and behind his ears. She stared down at him, disappointed and ill-at-ease.

"Rex," Ari said again. "I think…maybe your father isn't the best influence on you."

Roy frowned and muttered, "Why you say that?"

"She's right, he's a terrible influence," Eriana chimed, soothing the boy's eyelids. She stated firmly, "I don't think you should be around him if this is what happens—"

"This ain't got nothin' to do with him." Roy defended his sire. He shrugged limply and said, "People drink sometimes, Eri. It ain't a crime, it's just life. He ain't put the bottle up to my mouth—ah!" Roy winced and rubbed his temple.

Eriana winced sympathetically and rubbed the area for him with the towel and Ariadne looked on, feeling conflicted. She was a little disappointed like Eri because she knew Roy was better than this; he wasn't the type to go out and get drunk. But she wondered if, like she was oft to do, Eri was overreacting. She did see Roy's point, drinking wasn't a sin in and of itself. Still. She didn't like the Dark King and how he was changing her friend.

A/N: Hey ho, how is everyone? I do hope you liked this latest chapter, as usual.

Um, I don't know what to say about the part with Luigi and Daisy, maybe I was projecting my own emotions off. I just wanted to show that sometimes you get irritated with the people you love and you argue and get attitudes and stuff. It happens. But of course, there's regret, because in this situation, they don't know when their next encounter will be their last, so.

Don't worry, this might be a spoiler-shouldn't be-but Bowser will get what's coming to him. Trust me. Just please bear with me until he does.

I'm excited to hear what you guys think so far so don't be shy, leave those comments! Like I said, I will work on sending you guys some replies without ruining what's to come.

Thanks again for reading!

~DG~