Another short chapter.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to the Mushroom Kingdom. Lol, technically it belongs to Nintendo but...we all know they have time shares in the Mushroom Kingdom so yeah :)

Chapter Eight

Nothing happened.

Not at first. That crippling agony still wrought havoc within him as if he hadn't yielded at all. But he had. He'd stopped fighting the entity within his head and had immediately felt it begin to swell and expand. Panicked, he'd mentally flinched with his magic vectors but called them off at once. He was at a veritable dead-end and had to at least try this method; the dark energy was indeed killing him. So he'd relaxed himself all over and had laid in bed, letting the energy do as it wished. The relief came swiftly as it swirled in the back of his head, then spread out to the rest of his body. Ludwig again panicked, remembering not to let that energy get too comfortable within him. He sent out his vectors and they sought out the dark energy but by then it was everywhere; from the crown of his head to the tips of his toes. Ludwig remembered jerking upright in bed, thinking he'd been had by the immortal King Boo and that's when his agony had returned. Ludwig had tried to undo his actions but the dark energy had been given an inch and had taken an allegorical mile: it was there to stay. He couldn't coax it back into the prison in the back of his head if he tried. And he had, to no avail. Weeks passed, and all the while a peculiar phenomena unfolded.

He got better.

His headaches were the first to go, and then his eyes got better. Sharp and clear and free of those angry red veins they were. His pallor wasn't so pale and his strength and appetite returned. He not only regained his ability to wield his magic, but he also felt the dark energy coursing through him, pumping straight from his heart it seemed, ready for him to use it. He'd tested it out and was quite pleased to find that the menacing flames that had so eagerly spurred from his adversary's hands now obeyed him as well. There was power, so much power, inside him and he couldn't wait to tame it. But he'd have to. Practice was a must, so he took up the habit of training his younger brothers himself, at the same time getting accustomed to his new abilities.

Like the pain, his temper waned as well. He was naturally patient when he needed to be, calculating and level-headed. His recent illness had nearly changed that, made him rash and impetuous. He couldn't allow himself to be that way, he knew he'd never get any work done, he'd never accomplish certain 'goals' he had in mind if he wasn't at his best, physically and mentally.

I almost forgot what the mall was like. I stopped going a long time ago. I never had the money to buy anything, nor did I have the desire to just walk around window shopping or hunting for a date while pretending not to be interested or whatever that thing is some guys do. Coming to this place just never really was my idea of a good time, but apparently Daisy was liking it so far. We hadn't even got into the entrance before her face lit up. I didn't see what was so great about it. Just a bunch of people who have nothing better to be doing on a Saturday afternoon milling about, buying things they really didn't need. That was one of the reasons I was glad to be broke at times; it really made me separate the things I truly wanted from the things I would have bought on impulse, had I had the money.

"So many vendors," Daisy remarked.

"Stores," I told her gently, "And yeah. There's a lot of 'em."

"It's like a giant marketplace," She grinned.

Personally, I knew having all these places in one area was just some ploy to get folks to spend more money. I didn't figure Daisy was the type to blow her money, but from the way she was gazing excitedly at nearly every store we passed once inside, I had some doubts. I showed her the top floor first, since she insisted, and we'd not been able to pass one open door or kiosk without her stopping to investigate. I didn't really mind.

"Ooh, look!" Daisy spoke in a hushed voice.

She was pulling me by the arm into another store, this one sold phones. Oh, this was actually good. I'd been meaning to get her one soon.

"What are these?" She asked, stepping over to one of the display phones.

"That's a cell phone," I told her, "It's like a two-way communication device. You can use it to talk to other people from anywhere else in the world."

And that was the simplified version of it. I hadn't realized until now how complicated phones were, especially cell phones. I'd be here all day trying to tell her the ins and outs of touch screens and blackberries and the like. I didn't even know all there was to know about some of these newer models.

"How can you do that?" Daisy wanted to know.

I paused. "It um, there's these things called telephone wires and they um, transmit signals over to the different satellites in space and..."

Daisy had lifted a brow when I mentioned the wires, so I knew she was lost when I started talking about space. Like I said, I didn't know how complicated this all sounded until I had to explain it to her. She smiled weakly and shook her head.

"You'll have to tell me all about these sometime." She said.

I guess that was it for this store because she was already walking out. Her next few stops were the shoe store, the hat store, and surprisingly, a baby store. She was in the middle of rubbing her fingers over a little yellow onesie when she suddenly turned to me, her expression grave.

"Luigi." She spoke.

"Yeah?" I replied hesitantly.

Daisy stood with the garment in her hands, her eyes narrowed solemnly.

"Would you rather have a son or a daughter?" She asked abruptly.

I didn't respond at first, I hadn't expected that of her. I thought about her question in the silent moment that followed, trying not to think of what it would take to have a child in the first place though my mind was going places it didn't need to at the minute.

"I uh, I guess it doesn't matter." I told her.

Daisy's face fell a bit. "Doesn't matter?" she echoed softly.

"What I mean is," I stated quickly, "What I mean is that I'll love any child you give me either way, whether it's a boy or a girl or healthy or sick-not to say that it'll be sick, but even if it were, I'd still love it. Him. Her. The child."

Daisy's smile was slow, but bright in the end. She dropped the baby outfit on the display table and tucked herself under my arm.

"Luigi, you're so good." She smiled. "You'd make a really good father."

All this talk of kids was starting to make me feel weird. I wasn't young, but twenty-six wasn't that old either. I mean, I wanted a child eventually, just not any time soon. I wasn't ready. It was enough for me to have just one more person in my life.

"Don't you think it's kinda' early to um, talk about children?" I asked Daisy, looking down at her.

She nodded at once, saying, "Yeah. We're not even married yet. But this place just had everything you could think of for babies and it just. Overwhelmed me, I guess."

"Ah." I hummed.

From there we headed to several more places. The only things Daisy actually bought were some spray and lotion and lip stuff from that store that smelled like a perfume bag. It was called 'bed and something works' or the other. I knew I'd walked past it before, but to this day I hadn't been in there. Daisy rectified that matter today by spending almost 45 minutes in there. I was beyond bored, but seeing the girl so happy kept me from saying anything to spoil her fun. I held her bags for her as she visited each and every store, then paused with her outside of one.

That lingerie place.

She peered through the open doorways. She chewed the edge of her lip indecisively. She blushed and smiled a nervous, twitchy smile, but she didn't go inside.

Thank God

I would've gone in with her, that wasn't the problem. I just knew my mind would have been wandering like kid in a corn field once I saw what was inside. The clothes didn't bother me, it was the thought of Daisy in those clothes that got to me.

Daisy bought some more things; a nice blouse, a pair of black jeans, a t-shirt, a jean jacket, some tennis shoes, and a pair of pretty sandals. That happened over the course of the next hour and a half. She now felt the hunger that had been plaguing me several stores back and looked around for something to eat.

"I smell the food everywhere," She observed, "but I can't see it; where is it?"

"Food court's downstairs," I informed her. "See, look."

I guided her with my hands full of her purchases over to the balcony that overlooked the pretzel and lemonade stands. She gazed down at it longingly, then reached into her pocket for her wallet.

"Save your money, I got it." I told her.

"Thanks," She smiled, adding regretfully, "I'm pretty sure I'm almost out of money."

"I'm not surprised."

Over the course of his life, Peasley had learned, like most people, to trust his instincts over whatever logic the situation would have him believe. The situation seemed so right. His country was basking in its new era of relative calm and so were many others. The Dark King was no more, there was no more war and, up until now, Bean Kingdom had no enemies banging at her gates. His current guest, ruler over many regions, was there to make peace and although his voice was soft and his words promising, Peasley had a hard time shaking off that foreboding chill that was climbing up his spine with each passing moment that he spent in the company of the young king.

There's something off about him, Peasley observed.

As the blonde regarded the new King of the Badlands, he had to tilt his head, for he'd not yet seen the famed young sorcerer in person. He'd heard tales of him from Luigi and others around, but it wasn't until now, with Ludwig at his palace door, that he saw the magician for himself.

He's...a tad ominous for one so young, The Bean Kingdom royal noted.

"Are we to conduct this meeting in the doorway, then?" Ludwig spoke in that same soft voice.

Peasley, never one for rudeness, stepped aside. He'd stopped the ex-enforcer at the door and had questioned him on his intentions immediately; he'd not let another into his home who harbored ill-will towards him or his kingdom again. But his civility only went so far before it was impeded by his suspicion and thus he didn't bother apologizing for his delay in showing him inside. Without a word, Peasley led his guest to his father's study and took a seat in the fine leather chair that was still a bit too tall for him. He let his hands fall on either side of his torso and then gazed at his guest again.

"Have a seat. Please." He forced himself to add in an uncharacteristically cold voice.

If Ludwig noticed this, he didn't let on as he sat down across from Peasley. He made the plain wooden chair appear as a throne as he sat with his back straight and his chin slightly raised.

He acts like he was born with gold in his blood, Peasley thought, bemused.

"So you were saying?" He prompted.

While a coolly-spoken string of words in explanation poured from Ludwig's mouth, Peasley continued to analyze the youth in hopes of pinpointing the source of his unease. Perhaps it was the way he spoke in that same, low tone, with no inflection or emphasis. Or it could've been his eyes; they had gold flecks in them, like the former beast of a king of the land Ludwig now ruled. It would be a subconscious prejudice, but the mind did work ever strangely.

He's unlike anyone I've ever met, that's for sure, Peasley deduced.

"Well?" came the slightly agitated shift in tone.

Peasley's lime eyes re-focused onto Ludwig's emerald ones. He raised a slim brow in question and saw Ludwig's eye twitch for a moment; if there was one thing the young ruler detested, it was being ignored. Or tuned out; it was all the same thing in his book. He hated to repeat himself, but with his regained self-control, he quelled his irritation.

"The document that would bind us in agreement is right here," He said again, "all you need to do is sign it."

"Bind us?" Peasley drawled somewhat lazily.

His mind was still vigilantly seeking the root of his seemingly unfounded skepticism of this young man. To Ludwig, though, he seemed as if he weren't even trying to pay attention. He seemed to be disregarding both his presence and intentions. Ludwig felt the makings of indignant offense build within him, but stuffed them down and kept his face blank. In his usual fashion, he addressed this at once so as not to waste time dealing with an unwilling royal.

"You don't trust me." He spoke evenly.

Peasley said almost conversationally, "I certainly have every reason not to."

Ludwig lifted a brow, in want of an explanation. Peasley, who was becoming less anxious and more curious towards the ex-enforcer, decided to elucidate.

"For one, I have no idea who you are," Peasley spoke, "I mean who you really are."

Ludwig slated his already-clear features even more.

"I've heard that you were the slain Dark King's protege," Peasley continued, "or at the very least a close affiliate of his. And yet you had a major hand in his rather untimely but highly celebrated demise."

Peasley was choosing his words carefully, trying to gauge the ex-enforcer's reaction. There wasn't any from Ludwig's end. He remained neutral in the face and demeanor. Peasley thought he might see a bit of emotion, were the youth actually attached and loyal to the Dark King in some way. But he saw nothing, no hint of a grin or grimace or anything.

How disappointing, Peasley frowned.

"What else have you heard?" Ludwig asked quietly.

The blonde royal said, "It doesn't matter, not really. The fact of the matter is, it's all meaningless to me. I won't believe a word of any other either for or against your character from anyone else's mouth, no matter how reputable the source."

Ludwig's mouth twitched, downward maybe? Peasley couldn't make out the action since it happened so fast.

"You're allied with the Mushroom Kingdom," Ludwig said in a voice he couldn't quite thaw all the ice out of, "Did you scrutinize his character so stringently as well?"

Peasley smiled a bit, wryly and despite himself. He could tell that Ludwig was a little bitter and that somewhat amused him but he ultimately wanted to know why; did that bitterness extend towards the plumber, Mushroom Kingdom's ruler? Or just the idea that the plumber's character was accepted when Ludwig's was not? Peasley couldn't be sure but he wanted to know. This ruler both intrigued and unnerved him.

In answer to Ludwig's question, Peasley admitted, "No. But that alliance was formed when my parents were alive. Had I been in the position to form one with him now, I'd seek after him and his character just as avidly as I do yours now."

"What a suspicious creature you are," Ludwig remarked.

"You could say that I am," Peasley shrugged, "but certain events have made me that way."

"Fascinating." Ludwig deadpanned.

"I won't be signing that paper of yours." Peasley then told him.

Ludwig didn't show any outward sign of disappointment or anger, but inside he was getting more and more ticked off.

"I'll have to remain neutral," Peasley stated, "For the sake of my kingdom."

"...I see." Ludwig spoke in a low voice.

"That's not to say there won't be an alliance in the future, should you prove to be someone worth allying with," Peasley remarked with deliberate arrogance.

He didn't get a rise out of Ludwig as he'd hoped, but that was only because Ludwig was already aware of what Peasley was doing and he didn't want to play into his hands by revealing anything to him. He figured this meeting was a very informative one, though it didn't quite play out the way he would've liked it to. He planned on making as many allies as possible, but knew he'd probably have to write off Bean Kingdom, at least for the moment. This visit did, however, tell him a good bit about Peasley.

The rest I'll have to research later, Ludwig thought to himself.

"I'll have a servant show you to the door," Peasley offered, since he wasn't keen on doing it himself.

"Don't bother," Ludwig told him, then vanished from sight.

Peculiar, that one, Peasley remarked in his head.

A/N: This is the last chapter before the important time skip, since there was a skip with Daisy being at work for a month and all. Let me know what you guys think so far!

Why do you think making allies is so important to Ludwig?

What do you think about Wendy and Munson?

Who do you think is gonna' die first?

lol at the last one. Nobody dies, er, at least I don't think so. Right now it isn't in the plot but you never know, heh.

Well I'll see you guys next chapter! Until then,

~DymondGold~