Hey guys, hahaha I got around to another chapter. Yay me…..Yeah School has been absolute heck. So needlessly to say, Super Maria has not been updated. Please don't expect another chapter for the next three weeks either because my exams will be coming up so I must concentrate on them. Actually I'm looking at the outline for this story and I may have about three or four chapters left. Wow. It's going to be one year for this story soon…

Alright chapter 13 was very difficult for me to begin. I don't know why. Stupid writer's block. Haha Here goes nothing I suppose.

Oh Maria belongs to meeeeeeee. Lol

"No. You don't."

King Boo looked up at the once Koopa Prince. The sudden grunt from the usually-silent dragon surpised him. Unable to snap back , the dark royal muttered, "…what?"

Casting a sour glare at the ghost, Junior whispered, "You never…loved her… If you had… you wouldn't have done this…"

King Boo released a great sigh. His eyebrows knit together and his face melted into a complex expression that gave him the arua of absolute despair. Averting his eyes from Junior, the king paused. When he finally spoke, his voice was delicate, like glass. Breaking it would cause it to shatter into a million pieces. Even the air around him froze as he began.

"…Perhaps you are right. Maybe I did not love her. But I did treasure everything about her. Not just her beauty… Her very being… Her kindness… Yes, the way she looked at you. That's what sparked it. I never once saw that girl back away in fear from you…."

"…Were you… jealous of me?" the koopa prince asked surprisingly.

"In a way… yes, I was jealous of you. Maria never looked at you as if you were a monster. She would hold your hand with affection. Kiss you ever so gently. …I wanted that happiness. To find someone who would look at me, not as white blob of fear... However, power got a hold of me. I thought reviving my wife through Maria would give me both. Without a doubt… I was wrong."

A chilling air descended upon room. The king still refused to make eye contact with Junior. He merely stood, glaring at his hands which curling and uncurling into fists.

"Will you save her Junior? I'm not asking you to save her so I may be with her, but so you may rightful take your place…at her side forever…"

"Always."

King Boo gave the koopa prince a sad smile, his dull black eyes filled with bright blue tears, and with a snap of his fingers created a portal, large enough for Junior to walk through.

"There is no possible way to defend my queen by hand-to-hand combat," the dark royal commanded, wiping the joyous rain from his eyes, "The only way to break my queen is through her heart, which it is Maria.

Wrapping Maria's star necklace around the koopa's claw, King Boo gave him his last words of encouragement.

"If anyone can bring her back, it is you. It will be a long fight, but I believe you can prove your invincibility, Bowser Junior."

With a silent nod, the koopa prince spread his wings and flew through the portal.

Thump.

King Boo slumped to the ground, his body shaking and merely released a soft moan.

"…Forgive me…"

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It was quiet.

Too quiet.

Nearly an hour had faded away, and the Shadow Queen still was furious at the stupid little village. Impatiently she tapped the arm of her throne and her black eyes twitched miserably.

No violence.

No bloody gore fest.

Nothing.

Where was her goddamned entertainment?

"Well enough is enough. I'm going to shred that damned dragon and kill the worthless village myself."

The moment she stood up from her throne. The castle shook relentlessly, slamming the Shadow Queen against the wall. It took her a split second to process everything and when she regained composure she noticed her forehead was bleeding. Immediately her eyes burned an unholy, intense purple.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!"

A servant burst through the room and bowed quickly at the infuriated ruler.

"My lady… the dragon has escaped…"

That was the last straw. Seizing the minion by the throat with her claws, the Shadow Queen effortlessly broke the servant's neck and watched his sporadic movements cease.

"Of all the goddamned things to go wrong. I have had enough! I will take care of this pest… MYSELF."

The queen's shadow slowly inched itself upon the wall behind her, each second growing larger and larger. However instead of retaining the form of a woman the shadow twisted itself into a slender, shapeless figure with large claws and unfurling hair. Then without warning, the shadow became a life of its own! Peeling off the wall and wrapping its dark embrace around its host body. This was the Shadow Queen's true form.

"Now, " a dark an empty voice boomed, "I will finish this."

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Bowser could barely breath. The stench of death suffocated his lungs and nearly devoured him whole.

There was barely any green left on the battlefield. Just awful shades of red and brown. There was once red shade however that made the king feel worse.

The red-clad king who stood before him.

"Mario," the great koopa roared.

"Getting a-tired, Bowser?" the Italian retorted.

"Never."

"Good."

Again they rushed forward each screaming in protest, and awaiting another chance to slit each other's throat.

But that moment did not come. The piercing scream of fear penetrated their murderous thoughts.

"GOOD LORD! IT- IT'S THE DRAGON! …...oh my god IT'S THE SHADOW QUEEN!"

War rarely, if ever, stops during the final moments of a battle. It's the climax. The turning point to see who will lose, for there are never winners in war. But at that moment, a great battle was being fought. One that made even the two kings stop and watch the two powerful entities attacking each other.

One of good and evil.

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Junior could barely see where he was going now. Three times the Queen had attacked him and three times he had received the full power of her dark claws. One across his back, across his chest and finally down upon his left eye. He could barely dodge her let alone, counterattack.

"DEAD HANDS!"

Immediately Junior headed to the skies to avoid the dark hands which seemed to endlessly reach for him. Spinning around the prince spit fire onto them and aimed his breath towards the small host encased by the shadow.

He missed.

However, he did not listen to the cackling of the dark royal. He heard something else. So many times, he had heard this sound and he could never forget it.

Someone was crying.

The Shadow Queen had not seemed to noticed, for she merely sent another attack upon the koopa prince who barely escape the line of fire. He simply concentrated of discovering the source of the sound.

Again, he pulged towards the demon, this time coming inches from the possessed body. Reaching out to bite the shadow, Junior froze and quickly jumped back.

He had heard something. It was faint. But he heard it. King Boo had stated there was no chance he could defeat the queen. It was impossible. She was far too strong.

But…

There was someone he could reach. Not through violence. But love.

A small voice, yes, but one that was able to reach him, who at a one point was inches from his face. The quiet voice that whispered one word that shook Junior's very essence. One word alone.

"…Junior…"

I don't know why I liked this chapter, but I really did and I actually typed this in one sitting. It just came to me. I hope everyone enjoyed. Yes, King Boo is a creeper, and when he says forgive me; that doesn't necessarily mean just Maria or Bowser Junior. Hee hee hee. I love symbolical stuff. XD I felt it was a little short, but I definitely wanted to end it here. Until chapter 14 comes out, relax and I hope to see everyone the next round.