Chapter 13: The Trouble King strikes again
Luigi pressed his back against the wall. He took a quick peek around the corner to find the long hall abandoned. It was first then he dared to move again.
To adjust the cap was rather a habit of his brother's but he still fingered a bit on his green one as he glanced for any sight of a Smasher, anyone would do.
He knew he was better than he was getting credit for, but he would never complain. No, that was life and he was satisfied with it. There was a reason for everything. If people found Mario more likable, that was fate. If people always ignored Luigi, that was fate too. Perhaps it could be a blessing in disguise? Perhaps he could surprise the people that thought too little of him? To underestimate Luigi would be their greatest mistake.
He grinned at the thought of finally being acknowledged, although he really was fine with things like they were. Really.
He was "it" and there was no way getting around being "it". No "it" was never quite the same so you had to use your own special abilities to pass on this shame to someone who deserved it.
"You're it!" he exclaimed as he bolted into the living room and jumped straight at Jigglypuff who was watching TV.
"We're still playing tag?" Ness, who sat in the sofa, said sceptically before he jumped off it in perfect sync with young Link to avoid Luigi. Ness sighed and cast another glance at the TV where the commercial break just was over before he hurried out of the room.
Jigglypuff had rolled just out of Luigi's reach and she did not look pleased to have been interrupted. Luigi lay flat on the floor where he had landed, feeling like hitting it in agony over his constant bad luck, other would call it failures.
Jigglypuff's huge, azure eyes glared at him, and when it came to glaring she was in about the same league as Link. Luigi immediately regretted choosing to try and tag her. He hated being "it".
Jigglypuff moved in on him and Luigi tried to crawl backwards clumsily. Jigglypuff leant in close to his ear and started to sing. Although she could only utter the name she wore it was a fairly sweet song. Luigi felt his eyelids droop and he just had time to reach out and put a hand on her head.
"Tag", he mumbled before he fell asleep and curled into a ball on the floor. Jigglypuff inhaled angrily, her cheeks puffing up comically. But since Luigi was already asleep she had no choice but to find someone to tag so that she could go back to watching TV. No one knew she was "it" so it couldn't be that hard. But before she left she took her time to doodle a little on the sleeping Luigi's face.
Zelda was reading yet another book and leant against the reeling that, after following the staircase, continued a bit to the right before it was cut short by the bathroom. She held the book tightly so that she wouldn't drop it when suddenly someone grabbed her shoulders from behind.
"You're tagged", Link said with a grin and tilted his head a little so that she could see his face.
"Oh", she said with a sigh. "Are we still playing that game? I think you have tagged me four times already Link, and it is really getting rather tiresome."
"You should avoid me then", he teased and she smiled in return.
"I would never want to avoid you."
To her surprise he leant back so that she couldn't see his face, although he still held a tight grip around her shoulders.
"Well, I guess I will simply have to find someone to tag then", she said and sighed again as she closed her book.
Link's grip tightened.
"Perhaps you could… wait?" he mumbled.
Wait? But why?
Just then Bowser walked past them and judging by his wide smile he was on his way to the kitchen for a snack. Zelda managed to, despite being held by Link, stretch out a hand and touch his hard shell.
"Tag", she said. He turned around with slightly widened eyes before he snorted in annoyance.
"Not again!" he bawled. "I hate this stupid game! It's no fun! Who in the Mushroom Kingdom am I ever going to…" he trailed off and smirked evilly. Link, who had just let go of Zelda, immediately grabbed her again, so quickly that she almost stumbled backwards. You had to expect the worst when faced by such a terribly evil smirk.
"Thanks", Bowser said with a gleeful look in Zelda's direction before he trotted down the stairs.
"You think we ought to do something?" Zelda asked as she turned around to face her hero who had, for once, a serious look on his face. Any woman would say that it made him look handsomer than usual.
"He's definitely up to something", Link said with a furrowed brow. "But let's not get involved yet."
"You are probably right. You should not make enemies unless you are forced to", Zelda agreed.
Just then a high scream pierced their ears. Bowser came running out from the kitchen with Peach in his arms, and he had much trouble not to drop her since she did make quite a struggle to free herself.
"You, let me go this instant!" she demanded. The Koopa King would probably have been able to carry her easier over his shoulder but his sharp spikes made it impossible, besides, and this was a secret, he quite preferred carrying her bridal style anyway.
"I'm just tagging you", Bowser shot back and dodged a ball of fire coming at him. Another one was quickly aimed at Bowser just as the thrower, Mario, came out from the kitchen at such speed that he glided a great distance when he tried to slow down for a turn.
"You are just supposed to pat, touch or poke the person you're tagging!" Peach cried out in frustration.
"Link! We must do something!" Zelda said and grasped the front of his green tunic, dropping her book in the process.
"BWAHAHAHA", Bowser laughed as he reached the front door. "You'll never catch me." Then he slammed the door shut so that you just had time to get a glimpse of the triumphant look on his face.
"You won't-a get away-a!" Mario yelled and grabbed the door handle but another hand reached out and pushed the door shut.
"That idiot", Captain Falcon muttered and shook his head as he kept making it impossible for Mario to open the door because he leant against it. The plumber for once looked really annoyed as he was forced to stop pulling at the door handle and instead turn to the racer.
"Take it easy", Falcon said. "Just take a look out the window."
Plenty of Smashers ran to the windows, Link and Zelda included, and saw Bowser walk briskly across the field, although he wasn't all that quick and hadn't gotten very far. The great field seemed to stretch out like an endless desert in front of him.
"See, do you remember just how long it takes to cross that field… by car?" Captain Falcon said.
Everybody nodded, some just so that they wouldn't look stupid.
"I guess we'll have to go and get them, I doubt Bowser will be able to walk back. Let's go Mario", Falcon said and moved away from the door so that Mario could open it.
"That's so-a dumb! We'll be back soon-a", the plumber said before he shut the door.
Bowser was meanwhile busy laughing to himself since he had been so very clever as to use the game for another kidnap. Peach had stopped struggling and was watching the clouds with crossed arms.
"I knew you'd change your mind", Bowser said, convinced that things we're finally turning out well for him, and misinterpreted Peach's obedience for willingness.
"I haven't, I just know I'll be saved. Why bother to lower myself to brutalities when I know Mario will come to get me in no time?"
Bowser pouted. "Well, this time he won't be able to!"
"Yes, I assume it is because of your brilliant escape plan", Peach replied as she cast a glance at the city in the faraway distance. She had already figured out what many of the other Smashers had. It would be impossible for Bowser to succeed with this little escapade. Bowser did unfortunately not catch the irony in her voice and started laughing.
"Yeah! Brilliant, isn't it?"
"So what exactly is your escape plan, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Nah, I can't reveal it to you, but I promise I will once we're married."
"Married!"
"Oh, I wasn't supposed to reveal that either", Bowser mumbled quietly. "I mean, once my plan has succeeded I'll tell you all the details!"
Just then the Blue Falcon stopped in front of the pair, covering Bowser in dust but not Peach since the villain managed to shield her by turning away.
"What's the big deal!" Bowser yelled. "Come here and interrupt and to top it off cover me in…"
He didn't get further because Captain Falcon and Mario jumped out, Mario aiming at him with an open palm, ready to fire a ball of flames if needed.
"Hand-a over Peachie!" Mario said.
"Mario!" Peach cried happily in Bowser's arms. Then she turned to her kidnapper. "See? Didn't I say he'd come?"
"Why me", Bowser muttered as he carefully put Peach down and told her to wait there. Then he immediately threw himself at Mario who just barely avoided being ripped to pieces by Bowser's claws.
While Bowser and Mario disappeared in a cloud of dust Captain Falcon walked over to Peach.
"This way, please… eh… Princess."
"Thank you, Captain Falcon was it? I don't think we have conversed much."
"No, but I've heard plenty of good things about you from Mario", Falcon said, trying to make a better impression than he had recently done on people.
"Really? Like what?" she asked, wide-eyed.
"Well, eh…" Falcon said hesitantly as he in his mind went through the latest conversations with Mario. "He says you're cute as a doll and I have to agree."
He thanked his good memory when Peach beamed at him. He helped her to get into the car just about as Bowser was forced to yet another shameful defeat.
"Now-a let's go-a back", Mario said as he glared down at Bowser. "You better get-a up, Bowser."
Captain Falcon let his eyes wander between Bowser and his beloved F-Zero machine.
"You…" he declared, pointing at Bowser. "…you walk home!"
"What!" Bowser roared and jumped to his feet.
"I'm-a glad to see he's-a always ready for a quick-a recovery", Mario whispered to Peach as he took place beside her.
"It's just…eh…" Captain Falcon muttered as he eyed the many sharp ends on Bowser and then shifted his gaze back to his most precious property. "What if you somehow scratch…" he trailed of in a state of revulsion as he thought of what might happen to the Blue Falcon.
"You can't seriously mean for me to walk back!" Bowser roared as he put on quite a show with loud growls and stomping that made the ground quake.
"Oh", Peach sighed while Falcon angrily tried to explain to Bowser that he would never be let into the car. "It looks like rain", she said as she snuggled a bit closer to Mario.
"Well, perhaps you should think about the consequences before you go and kidnap princesses", Captain Falcon meanwhile finished the discussion and gave Bowser a small, dismissal wave as he agilely jumped into the car.
"Wait!" Bowser yelled as the rain started to pour down the second a low buzz from the engine could be heard and the Blue Falcon hovered a little before it drove away. "You can't leave me here! I'm the King of Koopas! My revenge will be your downfall!"
The moment Peach stepped inside the house, parasol in hand, Zelda came up and grabbed her free hand with both of her own.
"I'm so glad you are back. Are you all right?"
Link stood behind Zelda and although he didn't say anything even he looked slightly worried, if yet not to the same extent as all the other Smashers that came to greet her. Peach had been awfully nice to everyone, with the exception of Link, so you could not ignore her without feeling ashamed of yourself.
Peach made sure to smile kindly at everyone, carefully avoiding smiling in Link's direction. He had to be faking it, or she was simply imagining things.
"I am fine, thank you, no need to worry", Peach ensured Zelda and everybody else over and over. While the Princess from the Mushroom Kingdom was busy doing that Zelda noticed that Samus was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, being one of the few not to welcome Peach back.
"Such a relief that she came back safe", Zelda said, trying to make Samus open up a bit without forcing anything out of her as she took place beside her.
"Is it often like this?" Samus asked, and caused Zelda to raise her eyebrows at her. "I mean, you are also a princess who gets kidnapped from time to time, aren't you."
Zelda put on a blank expression as she forced herself not to cry out that she was not a common damsel in distress. It would only be childish of her and bring lots of trouble, not to mention that Samus hadn't meant to be rude, she had merely stated the truth without beautifying it.
"I assume it is a little bit like this, but often there are not all that many people…" she trailed off as she watched how everyone still stood gathered around Peach with either worried or joyful expressions on their faces. Now when she actually thought about it, none had really earnestly cared about her safety except for Link before. Not even when she had found herself in mortal danger.
"You two are lucky", Samus sighed but then seemed to realize just what she had said. "Not that I'd ever switch places with any of you. Too much pink for my taste." With a shrug the bounty hunter turned her back against Peach and the others to walk into the kitchen and sit down at the long table.
"Samus, would you mind if I asked…" Zelda said quietly as she approached the table slowly, her gaze fixed upon her own hands. "Do you ever wish that someone would… care about you… or is it…" Zelda looked up and stared into the visor, not quite able to make out Samus's eyes behind it. "Or is it awfully selfish to wish for such a thing?"
"It's not selfish…" Samus began with the softest tone Zelda had ever heard from her, but she didn't get to finish because Peach sat down next to her.
"There you are Samus", she said and smiled widely, which only seemed to lower Samus's good mood. "That was a nice drive", Peach went on as she stretched her arms towards the ceiling with a content moan.
"No one could have guessed you were in the middle of a kidnapping only a few minutes ago", Samus said, not fully pulling of the polite and concerned tone she had searched for.
"Oh, that was nothing", Peach said with a giggle. "A woman like me knows when it's time to worry, and this was clearly not one of those times."
Zelda found her attention drifting as Samus and Peach started discussing princesses and kidnappings. She almost smiled as she thought that it was like her eyes chose themselves where to wander if she didn't pay attention, like they felt and attraction towards something. Then suddenly something blue caught her sight and she found that she was staring at Marth, standing half hidden behind the wall at the vault leading into the kitchen. He didn't look startled and yet she was certain that he was when she all of a sudden turned to look directly at him.
"Excuse me", Zelda mumbled as she rose from her chair when Marth glided out of view for her.
"Where are you going?" Samus asked, but Zelda was already entering the living room and you just had time to spot the end of her long dress swish behind her before she was gone. Peach fell oddly silent as soon as Zelda left, but she had really wanted to befriend Samus, who seemed set on the fact that they were too different to ever get along. Samus didn't seem to want to break the silence that ensued after Zelda's leaving at all.
"So, Samus", Peach said as she shifted a little in her seat and aimed her most lovable smile at the bounty hunter when she no longer could stand the silence. "How come you decided to give up life as a woman?"
Samus could just as well have turned to stone. You could have heard Pichu's footsteps as if it had been Bowser's. After three minutes of complete silent, and not even a twitch from Samus, Peach decided to make a new try.
"It must be a pain to take care of your hair with that helmet, what shampoo do you use?"
When greeted by the same silence Peach started to think that perhaps she accidentally had insulted Samus.
"Oh! Perhaps you don't use shampoo?" she said with an apologetic tone to her voice and sympathy in her eyes. Samus still didn't answer which Peach found very impolite! She was only trying to be nice, the least you could expect of a person was to respond in some way!
"Is shooting things a hobby of yours? I hope you don't kill kittens. They are far too cute, if you now have the good taste to realize it", Peach said, dropping most of her amiableness purposely.
Still no response, even though Peach had tried her best to think up something that would provoke her. Well, shame on the one who gives up!
"I guess you have never had a boyfriend? It must be awfully boring when nobody sees you as a woman."
Still no response. Peach decided that she needed to be cleverer than this. What little did she actually know about Samus? She leant her head in her palm as she fell in deep thought. Then she remembered what had made Samus get fired up during another conversation.
"Say, I wonder where Zelda did walk off to", Peach said with a thoughtful expression to catch Samus's attention. "I'm sure she went to see Marth, don't you also think so Samus?"
She could see the helmet move a little in her direction. Peach was sure she had won.
"Why would she?" Samus said irritably.
She had won!
"Oh, I don't know. It was just the way she left in the middle of a conversation, as if she couldn't wait another moment. That is usually how a woman in love acts. Of course I don't expect you to know that, but I might just as well enlighten you."
"Really? If it now is so that she had to go because her heart ached for some company, I'm sure she'd go to Link!"
Peach gasped and put a hand over her heart, her fingertips brushing the cold surface of her turquoise broche. "How can you even suggest that? What woman in her right mind would even consider him?"
"What woman in her right mind wouldn't?"
"I might just as well state that you're insane!"
Samus's answer came with a second's delay after that remark. "Are you saying that I want him or I don't want him?"
"I'm not saying anything like that! I'm saying that you're insane and that's that!"
"I'm not the one saying that the kind, shy and thoughtful Zelda should spend the rest of her life with a man who you can hardly tell is man or woman, who clearly thinks of nobody but himself and who would never make any woman happy! Least of all Zelda!"
"Says the one who thinks Link is a better suggestion!" Peach cried, rising from her chair.
"Yeah! He is! He's so in love it's close to pathetic! He cares a thousand times more than Marth! I'm not even sure his royal ladylikeness knows Zelda's name! But Link would never leave, never let anything or anyone hurt her! He would make her smile…"
"Someone's been reading romantic novels I hear", Peach interrupted, but this made Samus jump out of her chair.
"The point is that if Zelda marries Link we won't have two brides walking down the aisle!"
"Ha! I'm not surprised you can't imagine Marth in a handsome tuxedo", Peach said and a dreamy expression smoothened out her features. "I'm sure Zelda would prove to you just how correct I am."
"She doesn't need to verify that I can't imagine him wearing anything manly."
"No, no. you silly! She could tell you that she would never choose Link over Marth!"
"Right! That's crazy! I won't listen to any of this!"
"That's because you know I'm right!" Peach exclaimed triumphantly.
"No, because it ain't worth my time trying to put some sense into you!"
Peach gasped again which made Samus wonder if she had been taught to act this dramatic.
"How about we ask Zelda then? Then you'll see that she prefers Marth!" Peach shot back angrily.
An image of Zelda immediately came to both of their minds. Her reaction could just too well be imagined. First she would look at them in confusion, and when realizing that there were no misunderstanding and that she could not escape she would smile, like a mother would smile at her children.
"Of course I could never choose between them. I care about them differently but they are just as important to me, and so are you…"
"Let's not ask Zelda", Samus said as she tried to push the scene out of her head and Peach nodded with her head hanging. "Besides, we know that deep down she loves Link and there's just no way she will ever end up with Marth."
"What!" Peach yelled as she balled her hands into fists. "You stubborn, stubborn, stubborn…"
"Yes?"
"MAN!"
"I'd rather be a man than a woman like you", Samus retorted heatedly.
"Once again you prove your horrible taste!" Peach exclaimed in fury as she pointed a finger at Samus. "You keep saying that I'm wrong but you do nothing to prove that you're right!"
She stepped up to Samus and did her best to try and look tall before the bounty hunter, not an easy task, not even in the shoes she was wearing.
"That's because everything coming out of your mouth is so bizarre that I don't have to!" Samus replied.
"Fine then! Fine! Since you refuse to try and find a solution I guess it's up to me!"
"What are you babbling about now?"
"At first I planned to put off the shopping until Link forgot about it! But now I'm really bringing him, and you'll see which one Zelda prefers!"
"No, you'll see!"
A loud bang as the door flung open cut their argument short as Bowser stomped inside, completely soaked and his fiery red hair plastered to his face.
"Where's that racer?" he demanded with eyes blazing and smoke leaving his nostrils. He was even surrounded by a burnt smell, as if the rain had quenched the fire which could usually come out from his mouth if he was in a less content mood.
"Bowser!" Peach exclaimed as she clasped her hands together and jumped in surprise. Samus took the opportunity to sneak away. As she crossed the living room she spotted Falcon and for a second she considered walking up to him to give him a warning about the ferocious Koopa that was after him, but then decided against it. Hadn't Peach just proved that you shouldn't waste your time on idiots?
Well, that kidnapping was a whole lot more thought through inside my head and then it turned out this rushed and made Bowser look more stupid than I had intended, but I don't care much. I will write about them going shopping. Actually, I already know what is going to happen in the next chapter (which isn't often I can assure). And Link, Zelda and Marth hardly showed up in this chapter and I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing since I wanted to have many of the Smashers in this story and still I just end up missing my favourites.
And thank you for all reviews (love, love, love). I'm so happy for Link, and I think I can reveal that it will be a lot of Marth in the next chapter (albeit I haven't written it yet so anything can happen, but he's planned to show up quite a lot). I try to make Link a little nicer but he just ends up the way he is automatically. It's funny really. I tried to write a little for fun, trying to make him all silent and super smart like in other stories and he still ended up the same… So look forward to the MarthZelda that shone with its absence this time (I'm so sorry! I'll make it up to you!)