Enjoy :)

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 :)

Chapter Twenty-Five

This morning was one of those rare times that I actually woke up before Daisy. It was very early, too, which was another first. Getting up for work was one thing, but on the weekend or, like now, on vacation, it was unprecedented. I smiled a little and that smile only grew the more I stared at Daisy. My lady. My love. The girl I cherished and adored and sometimes, often times, thought was too good for me. The only girl to ever seem absolutely, wonderfully perfect to me, even with all her humanly flaws. Not only was she incredibly beautiful on the inside, with her kindness and thoughtful behavior and her innate goodness, but she was beautiful on the outside, too. I'd actually gone through a lot of stress in my teenage years, when I first thought of dating. I wanted a pretty girlfriend, like any other red-blooded pubescent male, but I didn't want a jealous bitch with a terrible attitude. The thought of having to choose between someone with a great personality or great looks was a distressing one. In the end, I figured my love for the potential girl would blind me to any of her imperfections because there was just no way I'd get lucky enough to get a girl with the total package to fall for me. And yet, I'd met Daisy.

One of these days that's gonna' stop seeming so surreal

I gazed down at the sleeping girl.

But not today

Daisy was just so amazing. This was my head, my thoughts, so I didn't have to censor myself. She was everything that I wasn't and then some. Brave, funny, optimistic, resilient, adorable, heroic, gorgeous, sexy; I could literally go on for hours. But I didn't have hours. Noon would come soon, and we'd have to get to the parade. But for now, I contented myself with just staring at her.

I sat up a little so that I could better admire her. Sometime before going to bed yesterday I'd gotten a chance to change into a t-shirt and some sweats, much more comfortable than the dressy clothes I'd worn to the feast. I was thankful for them now because it made lying beside this girl so much more comfortable. She clearly found comfortable as being right up against me, tucked into my side with her fingers spread against my chest.

"Daisy..." I murmured.

She stirred a little bit. She clenched my t-shirt with her slim fingers and I studied them. The nails on them were pink and the tips were clean and white. She took real good care of herself. Of course, with her long dark hair all messy around her face you wouldn't know it. I took my own fingers and smoothed the strands away from her lovely face. Then I used my thumb to rub over her eyebrows gently and then ran the pad of it down the bridge of her nose. She had a very pretty nose. Or maybe I'm just biased.

"...Daisy..." I sort of sang to her.

No one was here to hear me dote on the girl, so it didn't matter. I stroked her cheek down to her neck and held her shoulder. With much regret, I gave it a little shake. She roused immediately, her light eyes flying open and then blinking rapidly. When they locked onto mine, her face lit in an exuberant grin.

"Good morning," She spoke hoarsely, then blushed and cleared her throat.

So adorable.

I kissed her head and said, "Good morning to you, too."

"What time is it?" She then spoke, her voice more level.

"Not noon," I answered, "but it will be soon. We should get ready."

"...We should." Daisy said with a slow, devious grin. "But we don't have to."

"Oh we don't?" I said, lifting a brow in turn.

The girl shrugged. I almost thought of indulging her, but I couldn't. It was my brother's wedding this week, I had to show some kind of respect and participate in the festivities. I kissed Daisy on the cheek and got up. The best way to resist temptation for me was to remove myself from the source of it. I headed to the bathroom and set to brushing my teeth. Daisy was right behind me.

The way the bathroom was set up, two people could groom themselves at the same time because of the dual sinks. I watched her every now and again as she did the same things as me. While she washed her face, she flashed me a coy smile. I tried ignoring it, tried to focus on figuring out what to wear to the parade. I mean, what does one wear to a parade? I would wear something casual, like pants and a t-shirt, but I think the standards were raised considering this was a royal parade. Maybe another pair of dress pants and that green silk shirt Mario gave me would cut it.

"I mean it." Daisy suddenly said.

I had my hands on the sink in front of me while I thought aloud. Daisy dipped under my right arm and wrapped her own around my neck and stood on her toes.

"We don't have to go, do we?" She asked with her light eyes only half-joking.

I smiled fondly at her and said, "He's my brother, Daisy, so yeah. We do."

"Do...not?" She tried, looking up at me prettily.

I laughed and said, "And what if we didn't go? Then what?"

I knew what she was getting at, but I still wanted to ask. The girl seemed glad that I did. She beamed up at me and pressed her body to mine. The shirt she wore to bed was soft and worn and rode up so that her warm stomach pressed against me.

"Then we could do this," She murmured, laying a kiss on my jaw. "And this," she added, kissing the corner of my mouth.

I was already weak when it came to her so I did give in to her, held her face in my hands and kissed her back. The girl just wasn't satisfied. She kept one hand on my shoulder and then moved that one to the back of my neck. Her fingers in my hair felt better than I thought they would. Her other hand went down my back and under my shirt. I twitched at the feel of her smooth palm on my skin and then sighed against her neck.

When did I start kissing her neck? I was kissing her mouth just a second ago

This was escalating fast. If I didn't stop it soon I'd end up missing my brother's parade for real. The thought of my brother was a sobering one, but all it took to throw me back into the passionate fire was for Daisy's nimble fingers to ghost over the middle of my pants.

"Daisy." I spoke, my breath coming in as quick as my heartbeats. "Daisy, stop."

"Why?"

"You know why," I told her wryly.

I gripped her chin lightly and leaned my forehead against hers to get her attention. Then I took her hand, the deviant one that insisted on testing my limits, and laced my fingers through hers.

"You know what that does to me."

"I know." She smirked.

"We need to go." I told her. "We gotta' go do that thing..."

"What thing?"

"You know, that thing where we socialize with people."

"We're people," Daisy pointed out, trying to free her hand. "We can 'socialize'."

"Other people," I clarified.

Daisy let her shoulders droop and smiled ruefully. "Okay. I guess."

"I think I'm a bad influence on you," I admitted.

Daisy's expression faltered but she covered the change with a sly smile and said, "Oh trust me, you're the good one in this relationship."

"I don't know about that."

"I said trust me."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The parade hadn't started yet, but there was something going down in the city square that was garnering a lot of attention. The city square was where the citizens and guests were to gather before heading as a mass through town to follow the parade. Seeing as how some of the younger participants hadn't the longest attention spans, especially two young men in particular, it was only a matter of time before something interesting happened. It'd started out as an argument between two brothers, one driven by mutual frustration and ire at their situation, one that culminated into the spectacle that was more than just a simple fist-fight. For one, neither of the young men were truly mad at the other, and two, they were both using magic and other superhuman abilities.

"Is that all you got, yo?"

By this point Roy was just showing off. That initial physical contact between his fist and his brother's jaw had let him know that girls, no matter how pretty and sweet, would never give him the sort of release he craved. He was much more suited to the gratification-laden sport of fighting. It got the blood pumping, engaged his mind in a way that tailored to his strengths. He was feeling the stress of dealing with his sister and arguing with his eldest brother fade away fast. He stood off to the side of the giant ring the large crowd formed around he and his brother, flexing and stretching his arms. He glanced towards a group of young women, all eyeing him and his shirtless form with eager, excited eyes. He shot them a confident grin and winked, making some of them blush and others giggle.

"Come at me, MJ!" He coaxed in a taunt.

MJ was a lot happier now. He'd missed spending time with his brother, missed their sparring and their casual companionship. He didn't feel connected to any of his other siblings like he did with Roy. He idolized Roy to a degree, hyped up anything he said and followed him like a shadow. Roy was his inspiration for training and getting better. All week, for several weeks actually, MJ had been out of sorts. He could see his siblings acting weird and just felt out of the loop, like he'd missed something. This was a moment where Roy was acting more like himself so MJ decided to enjoy the moment while it lasted.

"Alright," MJ grinned, "But you asked for it!"

And then MJ lunged for his brother like a raging bull. The crowd took another few steps backwards to give the brothers room and anticipated the next bout of blows. MJ knew his force was nearly unstoppable and used this to his advantage. The further he ran, the more momentum he gained. He balled his fists at his sides and grinned, making the star-shaped scar above his eye crinkle.

So fluidly Roy ran a few steps backwards before his brother could touch him and grabbed MJ's arm with both hands. Roy used his brother's speed and velocity against him, swinging the black-haired boy around and tossing him to the side. As big and brutish as MJ was, he was lithe in the way that he flipped onto his hands before his face could plant painfully into the stone ground. Once his feet were back on the ground, he raised both hands in the air and clasped them into a single fist.

Roy's face showed a flash of panic before it split wide in a grin.

"You're gonna' do that here, yo?" He said over a laugh, bracing himself.

MJ beamed as well and brought his hands down onto the ground. Like a crack of thunder the air rippled with the sound of the stone floor's surface being marred by the spread of a massive crack. Roy leapt deftly to the side so that the gap didn't affect him, but the crowd gave a collective roar as they yet again moved away from the dueling teenagers.

"Don't tell me that's your best," Roy grinned.

MJ narrowed his eyes in challenge but let his actions do the talking. He began pounding the ground again and again, with less force this time. The result was a series of mini-earthquakes. As the ground seized, Roy lost his footing and almost tripped. He caught himself, but another wave of quakes threatened to make him lose his balance. He quickly shot a blast of pink energy from the core of his body. It hit MJ somewhere in the chest and knocked him onto his back.

"Sorry, Mort," Roy smirked, "Didn't mean to embarrass you in-"

No sooner had he spoken did MJ retaliate, shooting a blast of energy of his own. It clipped Roy's shoulder and made him suck in a hissed breath. Roy was a quick learner, though, and had mastered a basic healing trick that Ludwig taught him weeks ago. The amount of energy he had to pour into his bleeding shoulder did wear him out a little. He raised his hands in resignation towards MJ, who was picking himself up off the ground. They'd been going at it for a while and were both ready to call it quits.

Roy came over to his brother and clapped a hand on his back. Embracing the crowd's cheers and applause, he grinned. A connection was formed in that instant, a connection deep in his mind that correlated achievement with praise. It had the same effect on him as a drag of opium would. He was immensely satisfied, but he craved more of the sensation once the people moved on and his high began to wear off. Clinging to the happy emotions lest anxiety and frustration take their place, Roy turned to his brother.

"Not bad, MJ." He praised, "You're almost as good as me."

MJ snorted and said, "Right. That's what you think."

Roy faced the men and women and children gathered, especially the women, and crossed his arms.

"Ain't nobody stronger than me, yo." He claimed. "That's a fact."

"Don't you mean there's nobody cockier than you?"

Roy's pride and anger rose at the sound of his younger brother's voice. It was Iggy, with Larry beside him. They stood in the crowd this whole time but only just made their way to the forefront. Larry looked amused and excited from the show but Iggy looked less than impressed. He had his hands shoved in the pockets of his plain white pants and had his head tilted. Those lime eyes may have been shining with just the faintest bit of amusement. He wasn't as shy and reserved as he used to be. He was the one who'd spoken and found that provoking Roy was becoming a bit of an amusing hobby for him.

Roy clearly didn't share in the sentiment. He rolled his shoulders and scowled, heading over to his brothers with MJ on his heels.

"What'd you say to me, Brainiac?" He growled.

Larry piped up with, "Don't call him names, Pinkie! Besides, he's right; your ego's almost as fat as your head!"

Larry laughed at his own joke, and in doing so broke an unwritten comedic law. He nudged Iggy but the thirteen-year-old didn't join in, just smiled briefly.

"You little twerp!" Roy sneered, "Why don't I come over there and...you know what, get lost."

Iggy and Larry were confused at his change of heart until they saw him throw another wink at some girls. He obviously didn't want to get ugly in front of them. Iggy rolled his eyes and Larry pretended to gag. MJ, who wasn't into girls or dating just yet, just shook his head.

If all the angst and melodrama and moodiness of all her brothers combined into one conglomerate mesh of emotion, it still wouldn't hold a candle to their sister's. She refused to be anything other than miserable on this trip and was determined not to enjoy herself at all. Thus, she'd shut herself away for the day at the inn. Ludwig had taken one look at her as she lingered in bed while her other siblings rose to the door upon his arrival that morning. He'd taken just one look, opened his mouth, and then seemed to think better of it and just left with the boys instead. She smiled a little.

So he can be merciful, She thought to herself. Wendy had a bit of anxiety at the thought of Ludwig forcing her to join in the fun and merriment just to regain control over the situation. She was glad he didn't. She didn't know if she could stand being around him at all. Even being around her brothers was becoming too much for her. She just wanted to be alone.

No, not alone. I wish I could be with...

Even speaking his name in the privacy of her mind was painful. She turned onto her side in the bed she shared with Roy. There were tears brewing in her eyes. Absently she wiped them and sniffed. The girl brought the sheets up to her chin and closed her eyes. She figured a series of naps would wile away the hours. There was nothing else to do. So she slept.

And slept.

And dreamt of chains.

And slept some more.

And then she woke up because there was someone tapping on her nose. Her nose of all places. She blinked and frowned. Her bed was facing the window and there was a great light from the sun pouring through them. She focused her eyes on the offending finger with some difficulty, then glanced at who it belonged to.

"Oh, it's you," Wendy spoke groggily.

She sat up and stared at the little child. Five years old and still so small. He was at normal height for his age, but Wendy did have a soft spot for tiny children like him. Despite the hollowness of his jade eyes and the slight sulk to his diminutive shoulders, he was absolutely adorable. She smiled on the inside and yawned.

"What did you want, Junior?" Wendy asked.

The boy stood with his thumb in his mouth and pointed to the window. Wendy frowned, glanced there, and saw nothing. She smiled on the outside this time and brushed her hand over Junior's tangled red hair. Both of them were still in their bed clothes.

"What's at the window?" Wendy had to ask when Junior pointed there again.

The child still didn't speak. It didn't frustrate Wendy, it made her sad. Junior used to speak all the time, non-stop. He used to be so energetic. There was no way his old self would have slept in when there was a parade going on. She sighed.

"What's out the window, baby?" She asked him still, then guessed, "You want to go outside? Is that it?"

Junior nodded after a pause. Wendy paused, too. She didn't feel like lingering outdoors, but supposed a step outside would do the both of them some good. With the sun shining and the fresh air on her face, she could pretend her life wasn't total crud at the moment. So she dressed in a white shirt with a red dinosaur on it that used to belong to Larry until today and some red pants with tortoise patterning. After she put on a pair of black combat boots, something she convinced herself that Roy wouldn't miss for a day, she turned to Junior.

"Okay, little one." She spoke aloud, "Where are your shoes?"

The Crown Prince shrugged his shoulders. Wendy did, too. She took him by the hand and then led him out of the room. He was a little kid, it was alright for him to go around in his baby blue silk pajama pants and white t-shirt. It was also okay for him to go barefoot; his feet weren't so easily affected as a normal child's.

"Where's the exit?" Wendy asked herself.

She had to stop and think for a minute. Once she gained her bearings of the place, remembering how she and her siblings left out for the feast last night, she continued on. When she passed a mirror in the hall, she noticed her hair was like a golden bird's nest. She stopped and Junior looked up at her in question. While she combed through her locks with her fingers, the boy shifted from foot to foot. Wendy hadn't the impetus to do more than take a strand of hair and braid it as a crown over the rest of her golden hair.

Oh well. It's not like I'm gonna' run into anybody or anything, she thought dismally.

"Alright, Junior, let's go." She announced.

The boy's hand was warm in hers. They headed towards the exit once more, but before they could make it, something odd happened. As they were passing the last room before the double doors that led to the inn's lobby, someone snatched her from behind and pulled her into the nearest room. She immediately struggled in the new, dark room and tried to get out. The person released her body but took hold of her hands.

"Shh, it's me!" The person cried, "It's me, Wendy!"

The girl froze. That voice, she knew that voice. She knew who it was in front of her, even before they moved to turn on the light. This room was smaller than hers, and there was only one bed and one nightstand and a couch along the same wall as the door and a giant window along the far wall. But her blue eyes missed all that. The only thing she saw was...

"Munson."

Said young man grinned broadly. He hadn't changed at all. Still so handsome with his thick dark hair that fell in waves to his shoulders. His sea-green eyes were alight with fondness and his dark brows were raised in delight. He was dressed peculiarly in black linen pants and a heavy black cloak. She remembered him wearing something like that the last time she'd seen him and felt a bit of foreboding. She remembered what lay under his clothes; some sort of blue markings or tattoos.

Those musings left her mind once Munson came towards her and swept her into a hug. He kissed the top of her head and then took her hands and kissed them, too. She had tears in her eyes.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" She cried, "I mean, not until I was old and gray and out of my brother's palace."

Munson smiled charmingly and said, "Don't be silly. Didn't I tell you? I'll always find a way to see you. I love you."

"...I love you, too." Wendy said back, then said, "I do love you, Munson, no matter what my brother thinks."

There was a knock on the door. While Wendy's heart thudded in her chest, A wary look crossed Munson's face. The knocking continued, a humble little sound that couldn't possibly come from Ludwig.

No, knowing Ludwig he'd just barge right in and let his tyranny rain down on us all, Wendy thought bitterly.

Knowing this, she glanced at Munson and then turned to open the door slowly. A great swell of relief washed over her at the sight of the young heir of the Badlands. He looked scared, prompting him to speak for the first time that day.

"I didn't know where you was," He said in a small voice. "I had thought, um, I thought somebody had took you away because I didn't see you nowhere."

"Oh, baby," Wendy whispered softly.

She bent down and hugged the child to her. He wrapped his arms around her neck and she stroked his shoulders soothingly.

"Don't be scared, Junior. I'm fine. Everything's okay." She assured him. "I need you to go back to the room now. I'll be there soon."

Junior asked hopefully, "And then when you come back, we can go outside?"

"Yes, we will, now go." Wendy shooed him. "Oh, and Junior?"

The child glanced up at the crouching young girl with alert jade eyes. He had his thumb back in his mouth.

"Don't tell Ludwig any of this. If he asks where I am or where I went, tell him you don't know, alright?" Wendy asked.

Junior nodded and said, "I will not tell him nothing because my Daddy don't even much want me to talk to him anyway."

And the child turned to go. Before Wendy could shut the door, Junior turned back to the couple and made a strange face, as if he was deep in thought or concentration. When he next spoke, it was to Munson.

"My Daddy says he remember you."

"What?" Munson frowned.

Junior says, "My Daddy says he remember when you was a baby. He said um, he says where is your daddy at now?"

Munson paled and glanced from the boy to Wendy, saying, "What is going on?"

Wendy rolled her eyes and said gently, "It's alright. Junior's just. You heard about the fall of the last king of the Badlands, right?"

"Who didn't?" Munson asked in answer, still shaken.

Wendy said, "Well, this is his son and he isn't really taking things so well."

Munson gazed at her, bewildered, and she turned back to the child, nudging him on his way. Once more Junior stuck his thumb in his mouth and headed down the hall. Wendy closed the door and sighed.

To the door she said, "Junior's dad was evil and all, but he was still the only family he had. I think Junior hasn't been right ever since. I see him talking to himself sometimes. I wouldn't take anything he says to heart."

"He mentioned his father," Munson stated slowly. "He mentioned him as if he was still alive."

Wendy shook her head and said, "No, he's not alive anymore, but I don't think Junior understands that. I wouldn't take anything he says to heart. He's only five."

"Right." Munson responded, gaining some of his color once more.

Wendy turned around and felt her calm demeanor disappear at the sight of the young man again. She smiled but felt the familiar prick of tears return. Munson saw her sadness and happiness duke it out for precedence on her flushed face and chuckled. He brought her into another hug and felt strong emotions of his own when she squeezed him back in return.

"What are you doing here?" Wendy asked with her chin nestled on his shoulder.

"Wendy, it's been weeks." He said softly in answer, "I had to see you."

She pulled back and asked, "How did you know I was here?"

"It's Prince Mario's wedding." He explained, then smirked and said, "I told you, my dad's a big fan."

"Where is your dad, anyway?" Wendy asked vaguely. "Did you come here with him?"

"...Not exactly," Munson answered.

He held the girl at arm's length and inspected her carefully. Wendy blushed under his thorough scrutiny, forgetting about her previous line of inquiry.

"What is it?" She asked nervously.

"Nothing." Munson replied, "Except I think you've gotten even more beautiful since I last saw you."

"Oh." She remarked shyly.

Munson then asked, "How have you been?"

"Awful!" Wendy declared at once.

"It's your brother, isn't it?" Munson spoke astutely.

"Yes, he's been acting like a monster." Wendy relayed. "He forces me to train and locks me in that stupid palace and any time I mention your name he goes ballistic."

"I see." Munson murmured.

He now had a disturbed look on his face. He ran his hands down Wendy's arms and then went to stand in front of the window with his back to her. Wendy stared at him with a frown.

"Munson?"

The teenager turned round and said, "I hate to think that I'm the reason your brother is causing you so much strife."

"It's not you," Wendy stated. "He's coming down hard on everybody. He's acting like a dictator back at the palace."

"So you think our being together is driving a wedge between you and your family?" Munson asked in a rare show of insecurity.

"Ludwig is the wedge." Wendy told him dryly.

Munson turned round and sighed. Wendy came over to him and sat on the bed. She smoothed her hands over her pants and stared dead ahead.

"I'm gonna' run away."

"What?" Munson whipped his head down at her, startled.

Wendy said, "I hate it there, Munson. Really, I can't stand being there anymore. I have to get away."

"Wendy, you can't just run away." Munson said gently, "The world is so dangerous, especially for somebody so young as you."

"I know." Wendy said slowly. "That's why I was thinking we could leave...together."

Munson locked eyes with the girl, seeming to consider her words. Then he shook his head and turned back to the window.

"No," He said, "Running away wouldn't solve anything. Chances are, your brother would track us down, hang me by my toenails, and lock you in some ivory tower for the rest of your life."

"Then we'll go someplace he can't find us." Wendy challenged.

"And where would that be?" Munson asked half-heartedly.

"I know a place," Wendy told him, "Another world. A world my brother couldn't get to in a million years, and even if he tried he wouldn't know the first place to look."

Munson's sea-colored eyes alighted in understanding.

"You don't mean-"

"The world the Mario Brothers come from?" Wendy cut in. "I do."

"We'll need some time to plan this," Munson said, suddenly very interested. "I didn't know you knew about that other world. I have an aunt who lives there, I can get us to her place but I'll need a few weeks to set everything up."

"Okay," Wendy said, "I suppose I can endure for that much longer."

"Please try, little love." Munson said softly, bending down to lift Wendy's chin.

She smiled at the attention and the pet name and nodded. Munson then held her face in both hands and gazed at her solemnly.

"There is so much I want to, have to tell you. I promise I will." Munson vowed, "So long as you're serious about this, about the way you feel about me. Because I love you, Wendy. I really do. With all my heart."

Wendy didn't speak, she was taken aback. She didn't even blink in the face of such blatant adoration. Munson leaned down and kissed her sweetly on the mouth and then on the nose.

"I'm serious." Wendy then said. "I want to leave and be with you. Just you."

"Okay." Munson said, his smile slow but sure. "Alright. Then I'll come and see you once I have everything worked out."

A/N: I know I should have made this shorter but I am not feeling well at the moment. Hm. I don't know what it is, I just feel like I'm coming down with something. Hopefully my little sister won't catch it since she's the only human in the house with me for the duration of Spring Break.

Anyway.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I don't like adding too many OC's, so that's the last we'll see of little doe-eyed Asa. However, the ones I do have are kinda important; Pepita was relatively relevant in FI, and Munson is key in this fic. All will be revealed as to who he is and what his purpose is later on, haha.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on him, though.

Or any other thoughts you have on this chapter. As usual, reviews are encouraged and I will 'see' you next time! Until then...

~DymondGold~