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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 Forty-Four

It took us a night, a day, and another agonizingly long night to reach Bean Kingdom. Riding in the back of the cramped wagon was a small price to pay to see Daisy, I just wished it hadn't taken so long to get here. I was anxious to go to her, to deliver her out of the hands of the enemy. I didn't like thinking about what was going on with her with every passing moment. It was killing me just wondering if she was in pain, if anyone was touching her or hurting her or starving her or abusing her. Painful and masochistic as dwelling on those thoughts were, I couldn't help myself. It was in my nature to worry and dread the worst. I couldn't shut it off.

But now, at this late hour, we'd reached Bean Kingdom's hospital at last. Now I could take full responsibility for how soon I got to reach her. I climbed as carefully as I could, under duress, over the sick child swaddled in blankets and hopped down from the wagon. The old couple didn't miss my absence; while the wife ushered her sick child into the busy hospital building, the husband set about finding an inn to go and settle their things into. I noticed the large and beautiful building that was Bean Kingdom's newest hospital, but I didn't have time to admire it fully. I headed straight for the palace. How different, how alien the capital city seemed now that I wasn't with my girlfriend or my best friend. I made my way through it quickly.

When I did reach the palace, the guards all knew me. I'd been there enough for them to know at least my face. One of them lowered his weapon and came over to me.

"Master Luigi," He spoke formally, "What is it you require?"

"An audience with the prince." I stated simply, just to get results.

The guard nodded and led me inside. He didn't go up the stairs towards Peasley's bedroom like I thought he would, which momentarily threw me off. I followed the guard in silence. We rounded corners and descended steps and I began to seriously get confused. The more we walked, the deeper into the belly of the palace we ventured. Finally, we got to a large set of double wooden doors with a long, elegant knockers. The guard clutched one and banged gently.

"Who is it?" I heard Peasley ask from within the other room.

The guard looked at me expectantly and I told Peasley it was me.

"Me, who?" He then asked.

"Luigi." I told him in turn.

There was a pause.

"My Luigi?"

"Peasley..."

The door swung open slowly on its ancient hinges and Peasley stood probably wearing a grin. I couldn't exactly tell because his entire body was hidden behind a black cloak. Beyond him, I saw that he was in some kind of library. There were shelves of books stacked wall to wall, nearly touching the low ceiling. There were no windows, but there were tons of short, fat white candles littered around the room on the dusty stone floor and on the various wooden tables and chairs. The lighting they provided was dim and gave the room an eerie feel. I frowned as Peasley went towards one particular table where several books lay sprawled atop. One was opened wide and that was the one he placed a bookmark in and closed abruptly.

I glanced at the guard and the worry must have shown on my face because the uniformed man gave me a sympathetic look.

Quietly he told me, "His Majesty has been here for several days. He rarely takes meals anymore. We're all very worried about him."

"You needn't worry, I rather like it down here." Peasley spoke, coming towards us. "And by the way, I'm ill not deaf."

"My apologies, Highness." The guard bowed.

"Think nothing of it." Peasley stated, then dismissed him.

I was still pretty creeped out. This was not how I expected to find my friend. I mean, I knew he was eccentric but this was a bit much. I stepped into the room and let him close the door behind me. Peasley then took my hand and I grew even more bewildered. He led me towards his work table and grew solemn.

"Now don't be alarmed by what I'm about to show you." He warned.

Now I was really getting freaked out. I watched him grip the two folds of the front of his cloak and then pull the garment from his shoulders. He let the black thing drop to the floor, revealing to me all the splotchy redness that had been hiding beneath it. All over his stomach and arms and neck and on the side of his face was that pervasive redness, like a rash. I didn't know what to say. I had no idea he was going through this.

"It's the mark." Peasley stated softly. "It's spread all over my body."

"I see." I responded, not trying to be funny but in awe of what I was looking at.

He had silk pants on so I couldn't exactly see beyond his waist, but I trusted his word. I still didn't know what to say.

"Does it hurt?" I asked in concern.

"No," Peasley told me, then amended. "Not on its own. It burns in extreme light, hence the candles; even that low amount bothers me, but I deal with it because I've got to have light to read."

I glanced at one of the books he was reading and had yet another surprise for the night. The books on his table were thick or thin, tall or short, red or black bound, but they all had one thing in common; I mean besides the yellowed pages and caked on dust.

"Dark magic?" I asked him. "You're reading about dark magic, Peasley?"

"I have to." He told me, resigned. "Cackletta's escaped prison and it's come to my awareness that she's the one cursing me. If I could just figure out the nature of this curse, I can go about dealing with it."

"Oh," I spoke in understanding.

I felt a bit enfeebled. Here I was, running to Peasley, expecting him to just drop everything and help me when all the while he's been dealing with problems of his own, to an equal or greater caliber. Peasley took a seat at the table so I did, too, but it was him who spoke first.

"So what's going on?" He asked me with his hood back up. "I hardly think this is a social call. Though do feel free to correct me if I'm wrong."

"It's not." I replied in a sigh. "Daisy's in trouble."

"Oh?" Peasley spoke gravely, asking, "What's happened to the fair flower?"

"Ludwig took her."

"When?"

"Two days ago."

"And you know, without a doubt, that it was him?" Peasley asked me, suddenly gaining an urge behind his voice.

I thought back to the pile of blue and silvery glitter powder I'd found on the ground and erased any ounce of questioning that remained in my mind. It was him. I just knew it. Before I could answer, Peasley reached over and covered one of my hands with his own.

"Listen," He told me seriously. "I know what it's like to want to blame someone so badly that you'll allow the absence of grounded evidence; if I hadn't been so blindingly biased against him before, I would have been able to see that it was Cackletta who'd cursed me all along, and consequently could have been finding a cure this whole time."

I couldn't fault his reasoning.

"So please," Peasley implored, "Make sure you're not mistaking anger and pride for proof that he's done this."

"I'm not," I answered assuredly. "He did this. I know it."

Peasley then sighed and said at last. "Well I always knew he fancied the girl, but I never thought he'd actually abduct her."

"Me either," I admitted bitterly.

"Why do you think he's taken her?" Peasley contemplated. "Surely lust isn't a strong enough impetus to capture another living creature?"

"Why does it sound like you're being sarcastic?" I asked him wryly.

Peasley looked a little hurt when he said, "I promise you, I'm not. I would never make light of your awful situation."

Now I felt kind of bad. I was doing that myself for a minute, trying to lessen the macabre hold that had taken over the room. But now it was back and I was ready all over again to do something about what was going on.

"I came to you for help." I told the prince. "I need to get to the Badlands but I don't know where it is and I need something faster than my feet. Or a wagon."

Thoughts of the slow, creaking journey filled my mind and I pushed them away frustratedly. Peasley clasped his hands in front of him and thought for a moment.

"A horse would be best." He declared. "I'll have to pack you some supplies as well. Do maps serve you well or would written directions be better?"

"A map is good." I replied.

The prince then went deeper into the library and searched around for something. There was a brown satchel wedged between two thick books and he pulled it out quickly. He opened the flap and rifled through its contents for a minute, then returned with a rolled up piece of paper. When he handed it to me, I saw it was an all-encompassing map of the Mushroom World.

Peasley said, "Forgive me, my friend, I would go with you, but I cannot risk it. I don't know what it would do to me. The curse is worsening every day and I must stay here and seek out a solution before something befalls my kingdom."

"It's cool." I told him. "I totally understand, Peasley. You've got a lot on your plate right now, I wouldn't even think of asking you to do this, it's not your problem."

Peasley might have been smiling sadly at me under his cowl but once again, I couldn't see so I couldn't really tell.

He said, "Go up to the higher levels of the palace and ask a servant to prepare the same bounty that they would for me if I were going to the land of Orderve. That should sustain you for your trip. And you can get a horse from my men at the gate."

"Alright, thanks Peasley."

"Luigi," Peasley then said softly. "Please be careful. It wouldn't do if I were never able to see you again."

I shrugged and told him, "I'll be alright."

I had no idea if I would.

Since she'd had no luck whatsoever with getting information from the former Lord of the Badlands, Daisy had resigned herself to waiting for Ludwig to return. She figured, since the sorcerer said he'd be back, she could make one last attempt at appealing to the small bit of humanity he had left. It was better than trying to appeal to Bowser's rational side. Even without his emotions he was still a mystery. Talking to him was like talking to a brick wall, especially considering he'd stopped talking around yesterday afternoon.

That was when the girl had retreated back to the bathroom and retired for the day. She'd only come out when she smelled a meal, and though she was only half-hearted in her efforts, she still tried to get a rise out of the Dark King. It didn't work. He would only stare at her and shake his head, if he chose to do anything at all. She was done with him.

This must be the last meal, She figured.

The smell of chicken made its way to the tub where she lay on her side. Daisy was feeling much more level-headed now that she was being fed on a regular basis. She knew that, even if Junior was the one bringing the meals, it had to be Ludwig giving the order to feed them.

Hm. So he treats his prisoners better than the Dark King does; that's not the greatest accomplishment, not relatively speaking, she thought pessimistically.

But whenever there was food she was glad to see it. So now she climbed out of the tub in her work uniform still and headed into the room. Bowser only spared her a brief glance before tearing into his food. Though 'tear' wouldn't be the right word. He was eating much too regally for that. Which confused her as well. In all he did, he seemed to be in no rush to do it. He was much too calm and placid these past two days. It wasn't like him.

"Hello," Junior greeted her.

Daisy took a seat at the vanity and said, "Hey, sweetie."

Junior brought her food over to her and she stroked his cheek fondly, thanking him. She still couldn't fathom that the boy could have ever come from someone as malevolent and evil as Bowser. Junior sat at her feet and stared up at her. He was bored.

Join the club, she wanted to tell him.

Now that she'd given up on getting through to Bowser, she was starting to feel restless and she knew that was only a precursor to feeling fearful and helpless. Planning and acting on those plans made her feel proactive, in control. That was why she couldn't wait until Ludwig returned so that she could do something again.

After she ate, Daisy handed Junior her plate and stretched. She didn't have to look in the mirror that she'd turned to face to know that Bowser was watching her. He was always watching her. Instead, she glanced down at the varnished wood. She knew what lay in the drawers above her lap and she pondered going through them.

It couldn't hurt, she thought. I do need a bath, and those clothes are just pieces of fabric; it's not like I'm betraying anyone by putting them on.

She glanced at the king, who seemed to read her mind. He spoke to her for the first time in hours.

"They belong to you," He told her matter-of-factly.

She frowned and said, "There's nothing for me here."

But she opened the drawer and started gathering clothes anyway. She plucked out some underwear as fast as she could and rummaged around for a gown. She couldn't find one, but she did find some white pants similar to the ones that the king was wearing; wide banded, loose, and silky they were. They would do. Daisy found a white shirt that felt more like cotton and took it as well. One of those skimpy excuses for a bra brought her back to her former dilemma when she'd been here last, so she decided she'd just keep using her own.

"Sooner or later you're gonna' have to start sharing that bathroom." The king called behind her.

She ignored him but right after she slammed the door, he laughed at her, and it sent chills up her spine because there wasn't a thing that had changed about that laugh.

Nodding off every now and again was the first sign. Several more had come after that, like my vision blurring and my eyelids drooping of their own accord. The very last straw was when I'd actually fallen off the horse because I'd apparently gone to sleep. I knew it was time.

I had to make camp.

I'd been traveling at a rapid, set pace for as long as I could, from the moment I left Bean Kingdom 'til now. It was starting to wear on me. My legs were aching and my body was too tired to go on. What use would I be to Daisy if I fell off the horse again and my head hit a rock and I got a concussion? Or got trampled by the animal that carried me?

I hardly thought that last thing would happen because when I'd fallen, the horse just stood there patiently, waiting for me to get up. I did, but I didn't mount the beast again. Instead I looked around and tried to find an ideal spot to go to sleep. I had no clue where I was, but luckily I didn't have to worry about that.

The map Peasley gave me was enchanted. There was a golden glowing dot representing me and where I was currently, and the trail that I needed to take was highlighted in bright blue light. By its calculations, I was already in the Badlands. It would take me a few more hours to get to the palace. I knew exactly where I needed to go so by morning, with the compass stamped onto the corner of the parchment that worked like a real one, I'd set out again. Right now I needed sleep.

I took the horse's reins and led it over to a tree, where I tied the leather straps around the wide trunk. It probably wouldn't have left even if it were free; the guards told me the horses were loyal to a fault, said, 'if you were drowning, they'd be right there beside you'. I'd never heard of such a thing. It was actually pretty sad.

I didn't speculate on it long, though. I was too weary. I took the sparse blanket from the backpack of supplies I'd been given and threw it over me as I sank down against the tree and closed my eyes. I wished then that I had my phone, because then I could set an alarm for myself. I wanted to wake up at the crack of dawn. I needed to get to Daisy.

Standing under the steady spray of warm water was good for her body but it was making her sleepy. She didn't want to spend another night in the tub, thought it was definitely big enough for someone twice her size. Comfort wasn't the point. She was just craving the familiarity of a bed.

The one in there is out of the question, she thought with a frown. Even as a last resort, she'd still choose the bathtub over that bed.

Why am I even debating this like it matters, she thought in frustration, I need to be focusing on how to get out of here.

That wasn't so easy to do, especially with her recent failings with getting through to the king. Waiting for Ludwig to come back was another risky bet. If he did come back, who was to say he would even hear her out? She frowned again and sighed.

I'll make him listen to me, she thought resolutely.

Daisy shut off the shower and stepped onto the smooth tiled floor. She reached for one of the thick white towels and thought how unfairly pure it seemed to be belonging to the nasty Dark King. The girl dried her body thoroughly and began to get dressed. When she had only her underwear on, she began to hear voices; and no, they weren't in her head.

At least I don't think they are, Daisy mused with a shadow of doubt.

No, the voices were hushed, and were definitely coming from somewhere in the bedroom. Daisy jolted inside, thinking Ludwig had made his appearance. She hurriedly threw on the rest of her outfit and kicked her dress uniform in the corner near the sink, then tried not to slip in her haste to get to the door. She put her hand on the doorknob but stilled.

Is that...a woman's voice?

Daisy's face puckered in slight disgust at the thought of the Dark King having taken a woman to his bed this evening. She wouldn't put it past him, but that would unfortunately mean her camping out in the forsaken bathroom yet again because there was no way she was walking in on that.

Daisy stood at the door and very carefully placed her ear to the surface of the wooden panes. She couldn't make out what was being said. So very carefully, she twisted the doorknob all the way to the right and then gently pulled the door towards herself. Into the crack she pressed her body, trying to locate where the voices were coming from. Thankfully it wasn't the bed, but the wall; the same far wall that Bowser liked to occupy. She'd never seen him spend so much time on the floor before. He was always sitting there, doing nothing.

She snorted softly and thought, some king.

There he sat now with his legs folded and his hands on either side of him, staring blankly at the woman to the right of him. Said woman was tall and shapely and buxom, with blond hair that sat high up on her head in a sort of beehive fashion. Daisy made a face and, were she in a less anxious mood, might have pretended to gag.

Talk about gaudy, she thought in regards to the slew of what looked like costume jewelry piled onto the woman's wrists and fingers and neck. Daisy took the next few minutes to focus not on the red-clad woman's appearance, but on her conversation with the king. Whatever had been said previously had obviously put him in no mood for pleasantries.

He asked the woman bluntly, "Why the hell did you even come here?"

"To proposition you," The woman spoke in a voice that was all high and sugary.

Bowser wasn't affected by it.

He just shook his head and said, "The last time I joined you, woman, you disappointed me."

"This time it'll be different!" The woman claimed immediately.

She crouched to the floor and scooted towards the king, then tried to cling to his arm. He just brushed her off without a shred of feeling. The woman was unperturbed.

It's almost as if she actually...likes him or something, Daisy observed, partly in awe and partly in disdain.

"I cursed the prince of Bean Kingdom." The woman admitted, "He'll be out of the way before the season is out. The throne will belong to me."

"Good for you." Bowser remarked tonelessly.

"I can help you expand your empire, too." The lady offered. "It'll be easy!"

"I don't need or want your help." Bowser snubbed.

The woman clung to him yet again and said, "Please consider it, Bowser-"

Here Daisy actually saw the king, the mighty Dark King cringe at hearing his own name on this woman's lips.

"We can join forces and reign together." The woman declared with passion.

"Not. Interested." Bowser said curtly. "Don't you know how to take a fucking hint?"

That was the only sign that he was getting aggravated, as his face and body language remained passive. The woman still didn't catch on.

She frowned and said, "I don't understand why you don't want to do this."

"Because I don't need to."

"That never stopped you before." The woman argued. "Why the sudden change? Did something happen to you?"

Bowser blinked his eyes slowly in annoyance and asked, "Have you been under a damn rock or something?"

Daisy felt a smirk come on at the other female's expense, then scowled. It wouldn't do to share in the Dark King's humor. Daisy fixed her gaze on the woman again. She had her hands on her hips and was pouting almost petulantly.

"You know I've been rotting in a cell this whole time," She spoke plaintively. "The last I heard you were about to finish off those fool plumbers."

Bowser told her, "That didn't go as planned."

"Why not?"

"You remember those brats that used to work for me?" The king spoke in question.

With a furrowed brow the woman asked, "The orphans?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't they die in the Great War?"

"Apparently not. The oldest one came back to me last year." Bowser recounted with neutral features.

"For what?" The woman wanted to know.

"Doesn't matter." The king dismissed. "He betrayed me."

"You?!" The woman exclaimed. "Why?"

"I don't know," Bowser drawled, "Maybe 'cause he's a greedy little shit? He cast the Convergence Spell between us."

There was a loud gasp.

"So your powers are gone?" The woman nearly whispered, then asked, "Wait a minute, why are you awake then?"

"He fucked up the incantation and now my mind's split." Bowser told her plainly.

"Let me guess." The woman smirked, "He got stuck with your subconscious? Hm. Rookie."

"He's playing right into my hands," Bowser spoke languidly. "He already delivered my queen, now all that's left is for him to return the subconscious to me."

"Your queen?"

His queen?

Daisy sported an uneasy expression at that and tried to will her tumbling stomach to settle. The other woman looked put-out.

"Who is she?" The woman demanded. "Where is she?"

"That's none of your business." Bowser told her. "It's not like you would've ever taken that spot anyway. I do have standards, after all."

Even in his dry, almost bored tone, the words made Daisy flinch for the other woman's sake. She was seeing once again just how harsh the old tyrant could be. The woman only sniffed arrogantly and folded her arms.

"Hm. Whatever." She stated spitefully. "I still have a handsome prince waiting for me."

"Fascinating." Bowser deadpanned. "Now do you understand? I don't need you."

The woman again frowned and said, "But I can help you get your powers back!"

"They'll come back to me." Bowser stated.

"How?"

This is what Daisy was interested in knowing as well as she peered a bit closer out the doorway.

"Once the subconscious is returned to me," Bowser explained, "The rest of my consciousness will follow, and the effects of the separation-"

"Would be enough to kill the boy." The woman finished impatiently, "But how long will that take? Days? Weeks? Months?"

"I can wait." Bowser stated.

"But you don't have to," The woman entreated. "I can have you back on the throne in a matter of days, or at most a single week."

There was a moment of silence.

The Dark King said, "I'm listening. But I'm not the only one; check that door."

Daisy's heart thudded in her chest as the woman hurried over to the bathroom door. She shut it but a second later the blonde woman burst through with all piss and vinegar.

"You must be the one, then." She sneered.

Daisy stepped back near the sink but didn't show a gram of fear. She stood with her back straight and her chin lifted. The blonde woman snorted in an unflattering manner and jerked Daisy by the arm.

"I don't know what you see in her." The blonde woman said as she shoved Daisy towards the king.

Daisy stumbled but regained her footing near the king's feet. He gazed up at her with a certain softness that hadn't been there a moment ago and shook his head.

"Nosy little thing, aren't you?" He told her in a low voice.

He then said to the other woman, "Put her in the closet. It locks from the outside."

"Let me go!" Daisy shouted as soon as she'd been seized by the blonde.

She wasn't released until she was inside the spacious closet, and only then was she tossed in like yesterday's garbage. Daisy clambered to her feet but it was like deja vu the way the door slammed just before she got to it. She slammed her palms on the door and jangled the handle. It wouldn't budge.

"If you so much as break her nail, I'll hang you by your extensions," Bowser threatened from the other side.

"Calm down," The woman snapped, "I didn't hurt your precious little skank. You saw the way she was clawing at me like some kind of savage."

"She's a fighter, like me." The Dark King seemed to praise. "Which is more than I could ever say for you."

Daisy pressed her ear to the door to listen to the rest of their conversation, but the last word she ever heard for the night was the word, 'muffliato'; the silencing charm.

His nerves were bad. This he knew. The prince was racing against time to find something to help his condition and yet he had no idea what he was looking for. He'd sorted through so many books but none of them seemed to be helping. Basic Spells for Beginning Users, A history of Magic and Sorcery in the Mushroom World, The Complete Guide to Chants and Incantations, Etymology of 101 Curses; none of these books were helping him.

And if that weren't bad enough, someone had started banging madly on the double doors of the library. Peasley jolted, his abrupt actions knocking over a stout candle. The flames ignited a nearby book, one that he hadn't read yet, and then the wax that dripped onto it helped douse the fire. Peasley looked at the ruined mess with a sigh.

"Probably wouldn't have helped anyway." He mumbled to himself.

The royal adjusted his cloak and headed to the door. When he opened it, he was met by a frantic looking guard.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

"Yes, out with it." Peasley spoke patiently.

"Cackletta and her minion have been sighted by our Imperial Scouts!" The guard exclaimed.

"Well don't leave me in suspense," Peasley prompted. "Where were they?"

"In the Badlands." The guard answered. "Near the old king's palace."

"Why weren't they captured?" Peasley then asked.

"We didn't have the arms or clearance to do that, Majesty." The guard spoke. "I came here on behalf of my Commanding Officer requesting your signature."

Here the guard fumbled around, pulling a long scroll of parchment out of his tunic. He held it and a reed pen up to the Prince.

"What's this?" Peasley asked, skimming over the paper.

"It's a permissive document that would allow for our scouting parties to be replaced with more capable men," The guard informed him. "We need only your executive order to send out armed soldiers into the Badlands to search and destroy the two prisoners at large."

The prince went over to his work table and turned the document onto its blank side. He began to write something in his gliding, fancy script.

"Here is my executive order," Peasley stated. "You are to arm your men accordingly, search for the two prisoners wherever they may be, and do whatever is necessary to retrieve them and transport them back here. Alive."

"But Majesty-"

"These are my orders." Peasley spoke firmly. "Report to your Commanding Officer and enact them at once."

The guard bowed low and said, "Yes, Highness."

A/N: Another chapter, hot off the presses for you guys. I hope you liked it, it took me two days to write it. I'm still going through some personal issues, but I find solace in putting the fingers to the keys and telling this story. I also find joy in each review, as you know! So thank you for those!

As you can see, some things are coming to light here. You know, as Daisy knows, that if Bowser 'kills' Ludwig, then the Mushroom World is screwed, as the king will be back with a vengeance (and who's to say he won't twist the mind of a certain pink-haired teenager to help him in his ambitions?)

So it's kind of imperative that Daisy not let him go through with this. Right? Or is she so fed up with Ludwig that she'll just let him get what's coming to him?

Will she convince the king to have mercy?

Will Cackletta get him to join forces?

Will Luigi get to her in time?

Will Peasley find a cure to his curse?

Will Bowser Junior get a dollar for that missing tooth?

Will these questions ever end?

Lol. I've rambled enough. I'll see you guys next time! Until then...

~DymondGold~