Once again, I am posting these as I feel inclined, so please don't let my attitude detract from your reading experience. Just enjoy it as you normally would {or wouldn't, lol} and keep on leaving those reviews telling me what you think and such.
Don't worry, I am fine, just very tired and conflicted with my life right now. I appreciate your concern and inspiring messages, I read every one and it truly touches me to know you people care so thank you!
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-Eight
Somewhere in the universe there's got to be a massive shift going on from how much things have been thrown out of whack with the hero-nemesis tides lately. I knew that King Boo was my enemy and, under no uncertain terms, tried to kill me. He sent his little minions after me countless times, and he sometimes lets the malevolence that I know is within him show through those eerie magenta eyes. I knew that, whatever mystery shrouding his current form and his immortality had to have sinister explanations. I knew that his intentions probably weren't pure and that, once I joined hands with him, I'd be at his mercy, but I didn't care. Couldn't care. My girl, the only woman worth living and dying for was in trouble and if I had to risk tangling myself up with the infamous King of Mischief, then so be it.
I joined hands with him.
He was finally grinning now, but it only lasted a moment when we locked eyes. That grin was probably because he knew I still feared him and maybe that amused him. Whatever. I needed all the help I could get and, if he knew something I didn't that could help Daisy, I'd put up with him.
The two of us warped through time and space and I had a strong urge to vomit. This sensation passed as soon as it came and suddenly we were standing atop a rolling hill. I knew we'd arrived at our destination because King Boo led me up to the very peak of the grass and dispelled the invisibility spell over his mansion, revealing the elegant estate.
"After you," He smirked faintly after opening the doors.
I stepped in front of him and went no farther than the foyer. This was no social call. I wasn't here to waste time. Ludwig could be back in two hours or two minutes so I'd rather just get the information from King Boo and just camp out near the palace.
"Would you care for some refreshments?" King Boo asked almost genially.
I shook my head and said, "Can we just cut to the chase?"
The immortal nodded a little to himself and put his hands behind his back. With them clasped he stepped in front of me and headed to the left.
"To the dining room, then." He sighed.
He walked right through the double doors that I had to push open and strode over to his seat at the head of the oaky table. I sat at his left and resisted tapping my foot in anticipation.
"Well?" I stated expectantly.
King Boo ran his slender fingers through his long black hair and the dim lights glinted off of a silver ring on his hand. I saw him draw his mouth out into a thin line of displeasure and he took a moment to speak.
When he did he said, "I don't want to alarm you, old boy, but I've come to some startling conclusions."
That wasn't a good sign of this conversation's future. I shifted in my seat and rested my bag in my lap. Staring at the pack for a minute, I swallowed any apprehension and took the band-aid route: it would be best to just get into the matter quickly.
"What kind of conclusions?" I asked. "How does this involve Daisy?"
King Boo again paused. He raised a hand and glanced to the right; a Boo came popping out of the far wall and floated over to its master. I heard the immortal whisper something and the Boo twirled rapidly and then vanished. Moments later it returned with a black bottle in one hand and a silver goblet in the other. King Boo gave his minion's head a fond pat and then poured himself a helping of what looked like white wine. Everything he ate was white, I remembered. After downing some of it, the immortal looked at me. His expression was somber.
"What is the nature of your little lady's relationship with the Dark King?" He asked.
I frowned at the random question and asked, "Why does that matter?"
"Just indulge me with an answer," The king entreated.
Wracking my mind for memories, I came upon the ones where Daisy told me of her experiences with the king.
I said, "She used to make his food at first, and then she was his prisoner. From what she told me, I think he was pretty obsessed with her. Why?"
King Boo nodded absently upon hearing this and seemed to be thinking to himself. He leaned back in his chair and drank more wine.
"I say this because I believe..." Here he faltered.
The king scared me because there was some compassion in those eerie eyes and that was just not a common sight. I felt myself tense up and felt a coil of dread settle permanently in my stomach.
King Boo looked into his glass when he said, "Despite my admonition and multiple warnings, Ludwig has, in short, revived the Dark King."
"What?" I blurted. "Why?"
"His reasons are beyond me." King Boo admitted.
I let his words sink in and still couldn't believe what I was hearing. The Dark King was alive? That was just crazy. I know for a fact that I saw him die, I saw Ludwig deliver that gory final blow.
"How can Bowser still be alive?" I asked.
King Boo shook his head as if lamenting something and told me, "Ludwig didn't really kill him at all."
"But I saw-"
"You of all people should know that the eyes can be fooled by subtle illusions," King Boo chided with a faint smile. "Or did you forget our adventures together?"
No, I did know that to be true, and if Ludwig was really as great a sorcerer as a lot of people claim him to be, this was definitely the case. But man, Bowser still alive? Who, in their right mind, would let that monster live? What could have possessed him to keep Bowser alive?
"I don't understand," I spoke to the king, "Ludwig hated Bowser. Why wouldn't he make sure he was dead?"
"He wanted his power." King Boo explained. "Ludwig performed a spell that would transfer the former king's powers to him. That spell called for a living host."
"Okay," I said, trying to understand.
"That spell is a particularly dangerous one." King Boo relayed. "If not executed precisely as it should be, the effects on the caster can be tremendously calamitous."
"Did Ludwig do it right?"
"No."
"Oh?" I was a little surprised to hear this.
Usually Ludwig was so meticulous and such a perfectionist that his personality bordered on neurotic. Not to mention he was so arrogant that to hear he'd messed up was near-stunning news. He never messed up.
"Something went wrong and, to make a long story short; the Dark King is alive and well." King Boo told me.
"All because of Ludwig wanting power." I deadpanned. "So does Bowser have his powers right now?"
"No," King Boo said slowly.
He looked at me funny, as if he was looking for something that ought to be there in my face or features.
I said, "What?"
"Nothing," King Boo stated airily, "You're just taking this a lot better than I'd expected. No more Baby Luigi, eh?"
"Don't call me that." I frowned.
"I suppose I can't now, can I?" King Boo remarked nostalgically. "You certainly have hardened up on me."
"I've been through some shit." I muttered mostly to myself.
King Boo must've heard me because he chuckled a bit and said, "Join the party, old friend."
It still unnerved me to hear him call me 'friend' or anything else that would denote a relationship other than that of two enemies. I shifted again in my seat and came to grips with this new reality: the Dark King was alive. He was alive and Ludwig was the cause of this. Once again, the kid acted on his own and now he's brought back one of the most deadly villains this world has ever known.
Wait a minute.
"If he's alive," I started to say, "Where is he? And where is Daisy?"
King Boo took another long drink of his wine and then poured himself a fuller glass. Only after he'd finished that one too did he speak.
"Remember when I said the effects of failure could be calamitous?" The immortal asked.
I nodded.
"Ludwig has been suffering from them for months." King Boo said with some difficulty. "I've seen him. He isn't himself in dress or behavior. He doesn't take meals, doesn't eat, he's foul-tempered and rash. I fear these symptoms may have driven him to the brink of madness, and even further to the point to where he may have..."
"May have what?" I pressed.
I was on the edge of my seat now because I just knew there was bad news coming. I could tell not only in the way King Boo was drinking like a fish, but also in the way he kept stopping. It was as if he didn't want to tell me what was going on. How bad could it be?
King Boo drummed his fingers on the chair arm and said, "You must understand, Luigi, under normal circumstances, Ludwig would never do half the things he's done in the past several weeks. I begged him to let go of the power, to give back all he'd taken and just end the old king's life as he ought to have before. He's beyond reason, I'm afraid, and that's why..."
"Just tell me!" I implored the immortal anxiously.
The suspense was killing me and I was starting to draw some conclusions of my own. I didn't want to be in the dark any longer, I just wanted to know for sure what was happening.
With a heavy sigh, King Boo told me, "If what you said of the Dark King's...fondness for girl was in fact true, then I believe...again, I tell you, Ludwig has been struggling stubbornly with this great pain and sickness, and he refused to give up the power. I believe he may have made some kind of bargain with old Bowser, one that allowed for him to be able to keep the power so long as he granted the Dark King something in return."
"...Daisy." I spoke in quiet understanding.
So that was it. Ludwig not only took it upon himself to steal from Bowser, but when it started coming back to bite him he sank a step lower and used Daisy, who had been through so much hell already, to try and fix the problem he created himself.
"So let me get this straight," I said, and my voice sounded so numb because I couldn't even process this right now.
"Luigi," King Boo spoke in warning.
I said evenly, "The Dark King is alive right now, probably in his palace, and Daisy is down there with him?"
King Boo was silent.
I took that to mean I was right and that's when the emotions started hitting me. All this time I was not only right about Ludwig kidnapping her, but was wholly justified for hating his guts this entire time. Of all the times I held my tongue and kept the peace around him and this is who he truly was all the while. Conniving, sneaky little lying snake.
I got up and didn't know how violently I did until I heard the chair fall to the ground behind me and the jarring sound of the plate and silverware in front of me being pushed away. It was only a few strides until I was at the door. King Boo didn't block me, but he trailed right behind.
"Luigi, wait." He stated gently. "I know you're angry-"
"You know a lot, don't you?" I suddenly said, rounding on him. "You said you went to the palace before me and 'came to disturbing conclusions', so you must have seen her, didn't you?"
King Boo said, "If it's the girl you speak of, then yes. I saw her."
"Then why didn't you help her?!" I shouted. "Why didn't you get her out of there?"
"You must be forgetting that the Dark King was present as well." King Boo answered in a low voice.
"You know tons of magic," I argued, "You could have gotten her out of there."
King Boo said in turn, "No, Luigi. It wasn't the time."
I scoffed and said, "I know we're enemies and all but damn; do you know what she might be going through? She was with him before and he beat her and tried to rape her-"
"Luigi, don't think me so callous," King Boo spoke in quick reproach. "I told you before, we're not enemies, you and I; not really. And I do worry for the girl. I've known old Bowser longer than you have and I know exactly what he's capable of."
"Then why didn't you do something?" I asked frustratedly.
"It wasn't the time." King Boo said again. "We must pick our battles. I know you must think I fear him, but I don't. I do know that Bowser is a formidable being and to slight him now would be grievous for me and my own kingdom later on, if he survives."
"So that's it?" I frowned. "You're not gonna' help me?"
I mean, not that I should expect it, I thought cynically.
"No, I said I would help you, and I will." King Boo promised. "But you mustn't let your ire overtake you. If you go storming in that palace right now, you will die. Whether by the hands of the armed guards, or the Dark King himself, or even Ludwig, it matters not. You won't survive the encounter."
I shook my head disgustedly and said, "You don't know that. I have to try. Every second I waste here-"
"Luigi, this is not time wasted." King Boo insisted. "Together we can work out a feasible plan of action-"
"We?" I huffed. "You said yourself that you wouldn't do anything to slight Bowser for the sake of your kingdom."
"Luigi, don't deride me." King Boo said, "I understand your frustration but you need to listen to me. Acting alone will get yourself killed!"
I didn't listen to him. All I knew is that I needed to get down to the palace and get Daisy out of there. If Ludwig got in my way and he did have the intention to kill me, then I'd have the same aims towards him.
"Normally, attacking your king would be considered an act of treason; but for you, I'll make an exception."
She heard those words but only vaguely. Her attention was settled on the sooty black ashes of what used to be a tasty-smelling plate of dinner. That pile of ash was a blatant sign that something was not right about this situation. Hesitantly, Daisy dragged her light eyes from the burnt remains and faced the king who'd spoken. He stood with his arms folded and a slightly smug smirk on his face. No, fully-smug, because he wasn't one to do things by halves.
"How did you do that?" She asked him.
He smirked more broadly and said, "How did I do what?"
His attitude was childish and made it clear that he wouldn't be telling her anything. Still, Daisy persisted. In the face of his insolence it was easier to let go of her fear and act brave.
"How did you use your powers while Ludwig is still alive?" She asked.
"Is he still alive?" Bowser countered.
Daisy frowned. "There's nothing you can do to him from here."
"That's what you think." Now the king was grinning. He said, "You always assume so much, little girl."
What does he mean, Daisy wondered. Did he have his powers this whole time? Was he only pretending to be without them? No, he doesn't have that much self-control to restrain from using them 'til now. Or maybe he does, and I just assumed he didn't have them because that's what Ludwig told me. Can I even trust Ludwig? Well, he hasn't exactly lied to me, even though he's been a monumental jerk.
"You know, I can almost see that clever mind of yours at work," Bowser drawled.
Daisy again looked up at him and saw him come towards her. She stood her ground and prepped her body for a fight; clenching her fists and lifting her chin. The king didn't touch her.
He said, "Don't try and figure it out, Precious. Just know that I won't hurt you and I meant what I said; I won't force you to come with me."
"Where are you going?" She asked then.
The king gazed at her appreciatively and said, "Away."
"Where?"
"Far away."
"Don't you even know?" She challenged.
He shook his head and said, "I know what you're doing and it won't work. If there's something I want you to know, I'll tell you."
"How should I know if I want to come," Daisy persisted, "If I don't know where it is I'd be going?"
"It's called 'trust', sweetheart." Bowser told her. "Trust your king."
Predictably it took hours for me to reach the Badlands without fancy things like magic or a horse or directions, but even without my ride or my map, I made it to the palace. I partly relied on instinct and partly relied on luck to guide me towards the ridiculously fortified palace of the late, or not-so-late, Dark King. I must have been especially looked down on with favor from the cosmos because I ran right into the person I wanted to see.
"Hey." I called with surprising calm.
The sorcerer looked weary. He was with some short man and had a burlap sack over his shoulder. I think that may have been blood smattered on his mis-matched clothing but I couldn't be sure. His hair was all limp and tangled and his eyes were irritated and red. I could see that King Boo was right, whatever Ludwig was dealing with was clearly draining the life from him, but I didn't care. I really felt like he deserved it. Rotten little snake.
Ludwig took one sidelong glance at me and walked towards his palace. I was tired just like him but I had energy coming at me from some hidden reserves inside, energy that propelled me forward so that I was right on his heels.
"What do you want?" Ludwig sneered.
I said, "I want you to let Daisy go."
Ludwig stopped and looked over his shoulder. He was just about to go through the heavy wooden doors that led into the palace. I was prepared to do the same if he didn't tell me where my girlfriend was.
"What makes you think I have her?" Ludwig sighed.
I told him, "Cut the bullshit, I know you kidnapped her and I know why. It's not right to make her pay for what you did so let her go."
Now Ludwig narrowed his eyes and said, "You don't know what you're talking about."
"You sold her out to Bowser." I shot back. "Or am I wrong? Let me know. I'd hate to waste your precious time."
Ludwig shook his head and sneered, "Look, it wasn't personal. You don't know what I've been dealing with, so when he asked for her, I gave her to him."
"So you admit it?" I asked incredulously.
He shrugged and said tonelessly, "I did what I had to do. Sorry your girlfriend got burned in the process. Like I said, it wasn't personal."
Neither was my fist sailing right into the side of his jaw. Oh wait, yes it was. I'd been wanting to do that for so long now and it felt amazing. The stinging and aching, I could do without, but otherwise it was amazing.
Ludwig dropped the sack he held in favor of cradling his jaw. He at first looked incredulous, then furious. He stalked towards me. I was ready. No more words were exchanged. We both couldn't stand each other, that had been clear from the time we first met. Without Daisy here to act as a buffer and dispel the tension, the both of us were ready to tear each other apart. And yes, I knew I was the older one by six years and I knew I should be the better person but I was sick of being the nice guy. I was sick of quelling my emotions. I was tired of 'letting it go'. It was time to let him have it.
It was crazy because I didn't even know how mad I was until I punched him in the mouth. I should have known he wouldn't be fair though; it wasn't even a few seconds before he started channeling his energy to his fists and hurling bolts of light at me. I was good at dodging two then three attacks, but the fourth one clipped my shoulder and knocked me off balance. It was like a linebacker had just rammed into me.
"Your hands too pretty to use in a fight?" I taunted.
And where had that come from? It wasn't me, it was the frustration and anger talking. Ludwig looked a little off-kilter, though, so I'm not sure that was the best thing to say. I had no weapons and no other defense besides my fists and my own two legs to move out the way, so the odds weren't in my favor anyway. I wanted to level the playing field.
Ludwig balled his fists but the light had yet to drain from them. He came at me swinging and I not only evaded but countered his strikes and got him good in the jaw again. Enraged, Ludwig narrowed his eyes into slits and I watched them turn white.
What the hell?
He shot his hand out and burned the side of my stomach with that blue light. I doubled over and saw him coming my way. I tried to sweep his legs out from under him but he hooked his foot around my ankle and beat me to the punch. I caught myself as I fell backwards and Ludwig tried to bring his foot down onto my chest. I grabbed the offending limb and he blasted me point blank. I rolled onto my back but not quickly enough; now my body got hit right between the blades.
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to my feet and stumbled. I was in a lot of pain right then but I struggled to put some distance between me and the sorcerer. I couldn't stay right on him because then I wouldn't be able to dodge his energy blasts. But then if I got too far, I was useless; all I had were my fists.
Standing around deliberating proved to be a dangerous thing to do because Ludwig was on the prowl. He looked like he was out of his damn mind; not only were his eyes still white, his movements were becoming frenetic and sloppy and he was breathing like an asthmatic. I had to sprint left, right, left, right, and back again just to stay out of the way of his magic. He was throwing curses now. Silent, fierce curses that plagued my body with cuts and sores and first-degree burns.
My knees hit the ground and that's when I knew I was in trouble. My vision was getting blurry and my head was pounding. All over my body there was pain, rampant pain. I still staggered to my feet, though, because as long as I could bypass him and get to the palace, I could make a run for it in there and look for Daisy. She had to be in there, he'd admitted it himself.
But good luck getting there, genius; instead of picking a fight, why didn't you just get in there in the first place?
Because I was mad. I was consumed with the anger and the rage. I let my emotions cloud my better judgement. Well, I was paying for it now.
Insane!Ludwig had not a scratch on him. Except for where I'd punched him, he was completely unharmed. It made it all worse. He was doing the crazy dance, walking towards me with his hands clenching and unclenching and a veritable wall of electricity crackling and sizzling all around his body. I'd underestimated just how much he was off his rocker. But before he even made it towards me, he kicked up the cuckoo notch a tick further by dropping to his knees and screaming out in agony.
I didn't know why he was clutching his head and gasping and trying to tear his long navy hair out until I turned around. Now I figured the crazy was spreading because it looked like the angel of death was making his way towards me. He had his billowing black cloak on and his long, spindly fingers stretched out towards Ludwig. I heard his voice, papery and hoarse, chanting in what sounded like Latin. Whatever was wrong with Ludwig was because of this grim reaper.
When old grim got beside me, he grabbed my arm and I hissed in pain. I'd been burned about four times too many right there, and it was not helping matters for the wounds to be clenched in this person's unforgiving grip. The person loosened their fingers at my exclamation of pain and, to my surprise, began stroking the afflicted area soothingly.
"I'm so sorry, Luigi, but we have to get out of here."
Wait a minute...
"Peasley?" I blinked as if that would make the spots leave my vision.
I saw wisps of blonde hair behind the cowl of the person's black cloak and heard my friend clear his throat.
"Luigi," he spoke hoarsely still, "We need to leave."
I stood clumsily and leaned on my best friend for support because at this point, I was screwed. Peasley helped me to his horse and helped me again to mount it, and then we were off. We stopped in the Black Forest. While he climbed down from the steed, I seemed to just fall off its back. Peasley was there, helping me up.
"Careful there, easy now," He coaxed until I was sitting with my back to a tree.
Peasley tied the horse up to the tree and sat across from me, then pulled something from the folds of his cloak. It was small and folded like black paper. He dropped it on the ground and spoke a few words, then to my astonishment the paper expanded and erected like a tent all around us so that we were bathed in sudden darkness.
"Illuciano," Peasley whispered, and a tiny orb of light flickered into being.
The orb was like a tiny sun and offered a very minimal amount of lighting in our cramped makeshift tent. I saw my friend take his cloak off and give me a very somber expression.
"What were you thinking, Luigi?" He asked me gravely. "Why would you attack Ludwig like that?"
"He kidnapped Daisy." I said in answer.
Peasley said, "Luigi, he could've killed you! He's not in his right mind. And even if he were, he's a powerful sorcerer, you were no match for his magic."
I knew that, now. I knew that it was a losing battle against a 'trigger-happy' crazy person, but at the time I was too mad to care. I should have gone about that encounter so much differently but it was done now.
I had to ask, "What did you do to him?"
"That was a bit of dark magic." Peasley spoke reluctantly. "I didn't know what else to do. I've been reading so much on the subject that the curses just stay in my mind."
"What did you do?" I asked again.
Peasley said, "In short, I gave him an aneurysm."
"Ouch." I remarked dully.
"On anyone else, that would be murder." Peasley spoke, "But I had to do it. He was destroying you."
"How did you know to come?" I asked.
"I didn't." Peasley replied. "I was on my way to question him, you see. I just got word that he's slain a scouting party of mine. From what I've seen today, I have reason to believe he's working with the enemy, with a prisoner of Bean Kingdom named Fawful."
I thought back on the old foe and remembered beating him with Mario in the past. Then I thought on the short man I'd seen with Ludwig. Definitely a dead-ringer.
"So he's working with Cackletta," I surmised, then winced from a random ache.
Peasley nodded and said, "He's made himself an enemy of mine first by slaying my men and now for this offense against you. I advise we head into the city and seek out medical care."
"Aren't you a doctor?" I asked.
"This is beyond my reign of expertise." He admitted. "I've been neglecting my studies in favor of researching this curse laid upon me."
"Oh, speaking of that," I said, "I know someone who might be able to help. Ever heard of King Boo?"
"The Lord of Illusions?" Peasley asked with a frown.
I nodded and said, "I think he might be able to help you with your curse issue. And he's real close to Ludwig, he'll be able to tell me what to do to get past him. I know for sure now that Daisy's in that palace."
"And perhaps he can help you with your injuries." Peasley stated with concern, "If not, I'm taking you to a hospital."
A/N: Like I said people, just enjoy the story. Don't worry about me. I'll work this out. I'll keep posting for as long as I have the motivation and hope to hear your thoughts/comments in a review. They help me get my mind off RL.
See you next time!
~DymondGold~