Are you guys getting bored of this? If not...

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 Sixty-One

The fact that so many had crossed in and out of the palace without so much as a by your leave was simply unacceptable, which was why Ludwig took the following 48 hours to go about strengthening the wards that were already in place, as well as setting new ones. By the time he was done, he'd expended a great amount of magical energy, which was nothing he couldn't handle, and he was certain that none would be able to enter or exit the castle without him knowing, whether it was by magical means or otherwise. He had to instate more Koopa guards throughout the vicinity and instill in them the importance of performing their duties with excellence under threat of unpleasant consequences. He'd locked down the entire palace for the time being because for the next several hours, he'd be incapacitated.

"The perimeter has been secured, Your Majesty."

Ludwig gave a curt nod to the Koopa who'd spoken and was keeping the pace with him as the twenty-year-old strode with purpose through the throne room.

Ludwig told the taller being, "Good. Return to your post."

The Koopa nodded and went off obediently, leaving the ex-enforcer to make the rest of his journey towards the lower levels of the building alone. He was much more level-headed now, much more confident with the Dark King's stolen power. He felt like the godly figure his ego had always led him to believe he was with that much power at his fingertips. Before, setting and strengthening all those wards would have been impossible to do in one sitting, even for him, but he'd bounced back with a decent meal and just eight hours' rest. He ran a hand through his long hair and knew it was back to its healthy, clean state. His appearance was once again immaculate, though he often wore black and nothing else these days. There was no area of his life that wasn't in his control anymore and that only bolstered his arrogance.

Everything I planned is coming to fruition, he thought as he headed downstairs, past the training rooms. He had to scowl, though, because the only thing spoiling this season of triumph was the fact that somewhere, out there, a tiny little liability rested in the hands of who knows what person, and the only way to ensure his success didn't come crumbling down, he had to play along with some tooty-fruity prince's mind games.

It's not my fault he's too pretty and spoilt to do his own dirty work, Ludwig frowned. No matter. He'd do what he had to do for now, but he'd make sure to be wary of the golden-haired royal in the future. He couldn't exactly understand him and that unnerved Ludwig to some degree.

He reached his destination and cast a wordless charm over his eyes, one that enhanced them to the point to where they glowed bright emerald and allowed him to see in the pitch black cellar room below. The steps he was descending led him to the breeding grounds of the Koopas, an area with a sooty expanse of stone floor with chambers in all directions. Ludwig took a seat in the middle of the room and glanced at each of the guards that were in place. He spoke to the ones near the door.

"Lock them." He ordered, then added, "If anyone tries to get past you..."

Tear them to fucking pieces

"...Put them in a cell and I'll deal with them later." Ludwig spoke against the primal voice in his head.

Yes, the less savory and animalistic urges and intonations that came with Bowser's magic was still present in his body and mind, but unlike last time, he was sane enough to combat them with ease. He crossed his legs and clasped his hands in his lap, then concentrated with all his might. He'd need to be totally focused for this technique to work.

It was a tricky thing, mind control. He'd learned about it as a child by accident and had been fascinated with the concept ever since. The technique he was performing now had been set in motion earlier, just after the fancy prince had left. In short, he would be experiencing events vicariously through the old magician Fawcet Fulsom.

No, Fawful, Ludwig amended.

He'd be witnessing everything that was going on with the deceitful cod as if he was seeing them through the old creature's very eyes himself. To do this and not be detected was the hard part, but Ludwig wasn't one to shy away from challenges. He'd found the creature right where he'd left him huddled on the floor and in his emaciated state it wasn't hard to get the technique started. All he had to do was place a tracking spell over him as a diversion; he was banking on his enemies to underestimate him enough to believe he was careless and sloppy in his work. If they were hung up on the tracking spell, they would notice the other seed planted deeper in the recesses of Fawful's mind. But the tracking spell was just a fail-safe. Ludwig had been meticulous in shielding the evidence of his work from even highly trained eyes.

"En sabah nur," Ludwig murmured, activating the technique.

His emerald eyes saw not the back of his eyelids anymore but bright flashes of green and blue. Fawful was making his way hurriedly on foot through the Badlands. It only took a moment for the sorcerer to pinpoint his location and also realize that if he was traveling on foot, he clearly had to be recovering from when Ludwig had drained his magic reserves before interrogating him. Otherwise, it would have made more sense for Fawful to just teleport.

Should have left him with a little something, Ludwig now thought, at this rate he could be traveling for days.

The ex-enforcer rolled his shoulders and relaxed his body. He was prepared to wait.

That weird feeling that kept squeezing at my heart persisted even after we left the store. It was something about me and Daisy walking with the child to the car, the three of us huddled under my umbrella while the rain poured relentlessly. The little boy kept tripping over his feet as we hurried and he would glance up at me and Daisy with those big, blank emerald eyes. I'd been around him more so I knew that they weren't really blank, not fully. There was curiosity in them most times, it was just very faint.

"Wow, it's really coming down," Daisy told me with a small laugh.

Her hair was slightly frizzy from the spray of water that got past the hood of the umbrella but her smile was bright. She hoisted the child up onto her hip when we reached the car and was quick about buckling him down in the backseat. I didn't mind getting wet and let her keep the umbrella while I got into the driver's seat. We were out of the lot and back on the road in less than a minute. In silence I drove to the warehouse, the old abandoned one where the warp pipe was. Daisy stared out the window pensively and I was still lingering on that strange feeling gripping my insides and making me feel sentimental. The child was playing with his new toy.

The closer I got to our destination, the more I was aware of our imminent departure. I wouldn't be driving down these streets anymore, well, I wouldn't be driving period anymore. No more Brooklyn, no more working at the parlor, no more living in my apartment and eating tv dinners and just existing. Once Daisy entered my life, she'd changed it for the better. The girl had irrevocably changed me for the better. I couldn't bring myself to regret a single thing since I'd met her.

I killed the engine in the back lot of the warehouse, making sure to park in a place that was both close to the building and out of sight from anyone passing by on the street. While I got out and popped the trunk, Daisy let the child climb into her arms like a little baby monkey. I gathered our suitcases in both hands and led the way inside the building. Since this was the back entrance of the warehouse I had to kick in the boarded-up door. It was a testament to my new strength, strength gained through trying times, that I could do it in one fluid motion and without missing a beat. Daisy and the child followed behind me as we got to the luminescent green pipe.

"I'll go first," Daisy volunteered.

I shrugged and watched her sit on the lip of the pipe with the child in her lap, then swing her legs over and smile dimly at me before letting her fingers slip from the edge. Her dark hair fluttering behind her and the child's arms tightening around her neck was the last thing I saw before they both disappeared down the hole. I looked around and sighed.

"Well I guess this is goodbye," I murmured aloud. "For now, at least."

And with that half-hearted farewell, I clutched our luggage and disappeared down the pipe as well. I met up with Daisy on the other side, which was only a short distance from the train station.

"Are you okay?" She asked me.

I adjusted our bags and nodded. She took my hand and I took the boy's between us and we made our way to the station. There was a window where exchanges were made, and there I traded all the cash I had left in my wallet for gold coins, then I bought myself and Daisy train tickets. The child would ride free.

"It'll be here in about seven minutes," Daisy told me while looking at the huge clock on the wall of the station.

She and I sat down on a bench to wait for our ride to arrive. It was late in the evening over here as well, and it had been a long day so far. I was looking forward to getting some rest. I yawned and covered my mouth while the little boy observed me with interest. He then went back to playing with his toy. I put my arm around Daisy and she leaned her head on my shoulder. People started doing the same thing, looking at us with those gooey expressions as if we were just the cutest thing they'd ever seen.

One woman told us we had a beautiful daughter.

Before I could even point out the first of many reasons why she was wrong, the lady was gone. She'd made the remark in passing and Daisy laughed. The child hadn't even glanced up from his toy. Her word did stay with me, though, they rolled around in my head and made me think.

It was only after we were on the train and Daisy was sitting by the window with the boy in her lap and her head on my shoulder and my arm around her waist that I realized why I'd been feeling something yank at my heartstrings. While she slept soundly and the child slept in her lap and I had my head atop hers, I couldn't help but feel a certain longing, a yearning. Running errands with the boy, shopping with him and Daisy, and getting all cozy right now with people casting adoring glances our way only made me come to one blatant conclusion.

I wanted a child of my own, a child that came from me and Daisy.

I wanted to marry her and have a kid, or maybe two or three, and be a family. I wanted it badly. It actually hurt how much I longed for this, but now that it was clear to me I did feel a wave of relief at having solved the dilemma of where those feelings were coming from. Maybe right now wasn't a good time to go baby making, but I did want a family and I knew Daisy and I would be great parents when the children did come.

A/N: I hope you don't mind the brevity, there's more to come. Thanks for reading.

I didn't want Luigi and Daisy to have a child right off the bat because, well, they're not even married yet and it just felt rushed. They may as well be engaged, however, because as you can probably tell they're pretty committed to each other. I do believe extreme circumstances like the things they've endured together can strengthen a bond to the point to where you don't need to be together for years to know who you're with is 'the one'. They really do love each other. Sorry that this is a slow burn, but I just want to make their relationship as believable as possible, which means I have to take into account Luigi's personality and Daisy's recent traumas and such.

Speaking of that; do you think I have Daisy out of character when it comes to how she's being with Ludwig? I know she's not really prone to hatred and grudges, but the girl's been through a lot . Bowser did incredibly depraved things to her, which makes hating him warranted, and Ludwig basically sold her out to Bowser knowing what she'd been through. I couldn't see her just brushing that off, even if she were as forgiving as she was in the games. Plus I sorta painted Ludwig out to be a total ass, by the way, and pretty much everybody hates him on some level. {I still love him :3}

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think in a review or comment or message. Until next time!

~DymondGold~