Exams are over! Woooooooo =3 I'm so excited for summer! Thank you everyone for being so patience! Here is to Chapter 14! I tried to make this the best chapter yet. Reading early parts of the story, I realized my writing is changing, little by little. So hopefully when I finish this story, I'll be even better and write some more! (I do have other fanfictions planned so hopefully I'll get them into gear.)
Chapter 14: How to Break a Heart! GOOOOO!
Guess what? No not chicken butt. I OWN MARIA. HA.
Junior recognized that voice anywhere. After hearing the angelic voice that rippled through his soul for so many years, nothing could eradicate that memory. Not even the queen of darkness. No, he would never let himself forget. That voice. Or the owner.
Maria.
------
"Maria..."
Again, she heard her name. The sound trembled her very being. The first time she had hear it, she thought it was a hallucination. But if that voice was just an illusion, her mind was pretty damn good at playing tricks. Bolting her head up to find the source, Maria's hope was crumbled by everything she saw. Actually, everything she didn't see.
Nothing.
She was surrounded a dark nothing.
She had never felt so alone.
Her head began to throb and she resumed her uncomfortable position to clear her thoughts. It was the third time she had heard his voice. However, the darkness that encased her, curled even tighter around her making her gasp for breath. Now she knew how a rat felt before being crushed by a boa constrictor. Absolutely terrified. That never ending fear of being consumed by a stronger force.
And now she was dinner.
"I swore that was...his...voice. I must be losing my mind," the princess thought and glanced at the abyss of hell around her, "I have lost my mind."
"Hee that's right. You're just an girl who has lost her will, her soul, her body as well as her mind."
Immediately Maria cringed at the red demonic eyes shining before her. The Shadow Queen stood before her in her original human form. Because Maria was locked away subconsciously, the dark royal was able to manipulate her environment as well as Maria's perception. The princess's hair shielded all eye contact and she shut eyes in desperate fear. Just staring at the girl made the Shadow Queen cackle with a twisted glee.
"I haven't done anything to you yet, and here you are curling up into a ball like some weakling."
"You're going to hurt me."
"Aw precious," the dark royal whispered, crouching to the princess's ear, "Why would I do that? You have given me your body...You're such a...wonderful slave...so obedient."
"Get away from me!" the girl cried out, still avoiding the cruel gaze of the queen, "I'm not some object you can abused!"
Immediately the queen took one hand dug deep into the girl's cheek, making tears and blood flow freely. The queen hissed happily, "Oh, but you are my dear. You are just a tool, perfect for me to use. Nothing will ever change that."
"...Junior will save me."
The Shadow Queen nearly doubled over in a horrendous laughter that seemed to echo perpetually across the vast darkness. She squeezed the restraints around Maria tighter and barked a nasty reply that left the princess pale.
"That monster will never save you. I'm going to kill him."
"...Y-you wouldn't?!"
"I would."
"No! I won't let you! JUNIOR WILL SAVE ME!"
"SILENCE" the queen roared and smashed the girl's head to the floor. "You willobey me, slave. If I have to beat you an inch from death..." a great claw morphed from her hand and hovered over Maria's face. A murderous gleam shined in the queen's eyes.
"...Then so be it."
"Luckily, you won't get that far, you monstrous bitch."
Instantly the Shadow Queen turned around, only to fly and tumble back several feet. Maria stared, mouth a gape, at the creature who stood before her. "Junior..." she whispered as more tears fell.
Quickly, koopa released her from her chains and wiped the tears away.
"...H-how did you find me?" Maria began.
"Simple: I followed your voice. I guess because we are trapped in separate entities are thoughts were able to collide. Pretty cool, huh?"
Small snickered sneak out the princess's mouth and hugged the koopa prince even tighter. "I was so afraid, I had lost you, Junior..."
"I'm here now. So everything will be alri--"
Junior couldn't finish his thought, however. Reaching from the shadows were thousands of death hands and the couple knew they had only one target: Maria. The koopa prince darted the attack before he was suddenly attacked by the Shadow Queen herself. Jumping back and forth, Junior tried his best to avoid the attacks of the demon and protect Maria from the merciless dead hands.
Then he tripped.
"NO MARIA!" he roared.
But it was too late, the dead hands grabbed Maria and slowly pulled her to a dark hole that had opened up.
"Oops," the Shadow Queen hissed, "Well what are you going to do now, Junior?"
King Boo's advice flashed through his mind and quickly he hollered to the princess.
"Listen to me Maria! Only you can conquer the Shadow Queen!"
"No, I can't!" the girl cried out as more hands pulled her under, "I'm too weak."
"No you're no-- AH!" The Shadow Queen slashed across his shell and quickly he stood at up and began his charade of dodging again. "I believe in you," he yelled, "You can defeat her."
"I don't have my psychic powers! There's no wa--"
"Maria! You never needed them!" the koopa prince cried out as he received another attack, this time cutting his eye. Before he fell down he cried out once more,"Your heart is stronger than any of that. You can do anything; regardless of what anyone else says." With that he tossed the only possession he had and it landed near the girl's hand. Maria clutched the object and stared at it in complete shock.
It was her star necklace. A sign of invincibility.
"...Junior...I-i."
"I BELIEVE YOU!" he roared.
Finally the Shadow Queen took her claw and scratched across the prince's unprotected stomach. Junior collapsed to ground, bleeding and growling in pain. Then without warning koopa's eyes slowly closed and his movements stopped. The dark royal stood over the corpse and laughed victoriously.
Maria screamed in protest. Dear god Junior was dead! She flailed her arms, pushed and grabbed anything, but the dead hands continued to drag her down. It was over. Even the Shadow Queen glanced over and smirked evilly. "It's all over now little girl. I. Win."
Maria finally closed her eyes and accepted defeat.
She waited for the darkness to swallow her whole. But one little voice danced around her mind.
I always be there for ya, Maria.
Junior never doubted her.
Ever.
"Junior..." she whispered holding the jewelry in hand, and with that the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom sunk beneath the depths of hopelessness.
I can.
Crack.
The Shadow Queen turned to sudden rupture in the wall. Her eyes widened as the crack leaked in something she dreaded.
Light.
Crack.
Another one.
Crack.
And another one.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
"Oh my god..." the queen hissed, "WHY IS THIS PLACE COLLASPING?!"
"Because my mind is breaking free."
For once, in all of her eternal life, the Shadow Queen slowly turned around to see Maria standing before her, her entire body shook.
She trembled with fear.
The dark royal was afraid.
"Y-you goddamned brat!" she roared, "I WILL KILL YOUUUUIUUUU!" Rushing forth, claws ready to attack, Queen Shi barely noticed the princess had placed one hand in front of herself.
That was she needed to do.
And that was the last thing the Shadow Queen ever saw.
With the touch of hand, Maria's dark world shattered into a million pieces, leaving nothing, but the light to destroy the Shadow Queen's body. The dark royal did nothing. Just simply stared in shock as her very essence was dissolving little by little and simply flew away as dust in the wind. Behind her a gentle groan could be heard. The princess quickly turned around to see the koopa prince regain his composure. Before he had a chance to say a word, Maria hugged him, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I knew you could do it," he whispered.
"All thanks to you," she replied.
Before they could say another word, the enlightened place shook and Junior quickly steadied Maria. Suddenly it dawned on him what was going on.
"Maria... I think our actual bodies are still fighting..."
"W-what?!"
"I think the trauma of the destruction of the Shadow Queen set everything off. Our bodies are trying to returned to their original forms..."
"Then what do we have to do?"
Junior simply looked at her and immediately the princess trembled with fear. It was that look when they learned their families hated each other. When King Boo attacked them. Even when the Shadow Queen grasped Maria.
They were going to die.
A gentle stream trickled down the princess's face. She did not even try to hide them. Before she could wipe them away, a claw carefully pushed every raindrop that fell from her saddened eyes. Holding onto that very claw, Maria looked up at the koopa prince.
"Do we have to do this?"
Junior gave her a soft nod. "We have to stop our bodies before they do anymore damage. A conscience have to attack each other full one." Realizing their fates were sealed, Maria clenched her fists, but with a small bittersweet smile, slowly walked away. However, she was gently halted by that ever-faithful claw and drawn into a hug with the koopa prince. A sigh escaped her lips and she squeezed her boyfriend harder. They were both delaying the inevitable.
"Maria..." Junior began, "before we do this... I have something I want to tell you..."
"I know," she giggled half-heartedly, "How about we make a promise?"
"Hm? What kind of promise?"
Placing one last kiss on his snout, the princess whispered ever so lightly that Junior had to lean in even closer than before.
"Tell me after we make it out of here."
---------------
Mario rolled over and carefully held his broken -if not shattered- arm. The battle with Bowser was brutal, but the recent addition of the dragon and Shadow Queen...well there were no words to describe all the destruction the pair was creating. The appearance of these two had halted the entire battle and now every soldier on both sides was dodging the chaos.
Suddenly the Shadow Queen released a piercing cry and her entire body slumped to the ground. Everyone on the battlefield froze watched as the dark figure ceased movement.
Then without warning the Shadow Queen regained balance and hovered over the Earth once more. However, something was different. The dark royal did not attack and merely stood motionlessly. Before Mario realized it, the dragon and the Shadow Queen were getting into postion. The Mushroom King's eyes widened with horror. Bowser and himself had been in that same situation so many times...
They were going to charge.
No one moved as the great entities rushed forward. Their cries echoed across the vast land.
A clash of their claws.
Then there was light.
------------------
Junior rolled over and coughed up more blood. Wait...blood?! He was alive! The koopa prince opened his eyes and immediately realized the Shadow Queen had scratched his eye and left a large gash across his stomach. Pressing against his wounds, Junior lifted his gaze to a small figure lying under a tree.
It was a women. Her long brown hair decorated the grass beneath her, and her body was covered in blood. While her hair covered her face, the koopa caught glance of the girl fluttering her pale blue eyes and Junior suddenly realized that the girl was Maria.
Inch by inch, he made his way over to the dying princess and carefully, leaning on one elbow, kissed the forehead of his girl.
"...J-junior?" she whispered.
"Yeah, I'm here," he replied. The princess slid closer to him regardless that blood was dripping across his chest.
"We made it," she finally breathed.
"Yeah..."
"So what were you going to say to me?"
Junior froze for a only second and looked down at Maria. Without a stutter or a cough, the koopa said,
"I love you."
Maria gently smiled back and Junior knew that look meant, I love you too.
A sudden rumble could be heard in the distances and they knew what it was and it was headed this way.
"Our parents are coming, and by the sound of it, both armies are too," Maria whispered.
For twelve long years a never-ending war attacked and punished the Mushroom Kingdom as well as the Koopa Kingdom. War never was a positive course. There was always violence...always hatred. If one side conquered the other, they would receive worldly things then go after more. It was a constant cycle that never relinquished. But Junior summed all that greed into two sentences.
"Let them come. I'm done."
With that, Junior rested next to Maria and wrapped his brawny arms around her. She accepted the warm and burrowed her face into his neck.
"So this is it..." she whispered, "W-we...we're going...to die."
"Yes."
"...I'm scared."
"Don't be," he said soothingly, "I'll be right here."
And that was the last thing they said. Junior could feel his vision getting heavy and dark. The only thing he could focus on was Maria closing her eyes and her breathing slowing down. Finally the temptation was too great and he too closed his eyes. A moment of peace drifted over the couple and for once in their lives they both knew something. Something that surpassed marching of feet or the dread of what tomorrow would bring.
They were finally together.
And nothing was going to separate them again.
Well that's it. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I thought it was a little rough, but just tell me what you think. That's kind of it for now. I plan to release the final chapter on this story's birthday. Yup =3 The next chapter is the last one *sniff* *sniff* :o Thanks for sticking around you guys! You have been nothing but supportive! 3