Chapter 19 Demonic Foe

Before Ludwig even knew what was going on, the demon rose into the air and bolted toward him and Aria. Both of them jumped out of the way, with Ludwig jumping to the left and Aria jumping to the right. When he landed, Ludwig tried to tackle his ever-increasing breathing rate. It went through the roof, threatening to make him pass out from the extreme bout of hyperventilation. He looked over at Aria, who stared at the demon as it changed course, looked at her (how could it see her if it didn't have eyes?), and bolted straight towards her, this time with its mouth wide open.

Aria ran over to Ludwig. The oldest Koopaling looked into her face, noticing for the first time how… shockingly not shocked she appeared. With determination and heat in her eyes, she reached into her hammerspace. Ludwig breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her pull out the magic wand from before. Oh, that was perfect! That would certainly defeat the demon!

Aria cleared her throat and faced their opponent, all without one drop of fear. She raised the wand.

"Encantus nijiro herring…"

Before she could speak the last word of the purification spell, a long, slimy, black tongue shot out of the demon's mouth. It grabbed hold of the wand, yanking out of Aria's hand. Aria gasped, now looking frightened as the beast used its tongue to fling the wand all the way to the other side of the room. While Ludwig was thankful it didn't swallow the wand, he also didn't find much comfort due to the fact that now Aria was required to move in order to find a way to defeat this beast. Aria exchanged a look with him, recognizing the danger as well.

"RAWWWR" the demon roared.

Aria put her determined face back on. Clearly trying her best to not let her fear get the better of her, she rushed toward the wand. Ludwig cringed with each reverberating step that she took, practically feeling the horrible hunger and anger that the demon developed the longer Aria ran. Sure enough, the demon flew back towards her. She ducked, causing the gooey purple… thing to crash into the wall. She smiled, and Ludwig smiled with her. She was just an inch away from the wand now. She reached out her hand to grab it…

Only for the demon's tongue to wrap around her ankle. She yelped, no doubt cringing at the slimy touch. She got knocked down on her belly as the demon dragged her across the floor. Ludwig cringed at the scraping sound. However, he was not at all prepared for the demon to hoist Aria into the air and throw her against the wall. He gasped when she landed, seeing blood gushing out of a cut on her forehead.

"ARIA!"

The demon roared again. Despite Ludwig's terror, he knew he had to do something. So, he banished his fear, pushing it to the deep, dark, far off corners of his mind where it belonged. Humming a low D note, he rose into the air. Flames overtook his entire form, threatening to send the whole cave up into a fiery blue blaze. Without much need for forethought, he shot a barrage of fireballs at the monster. He yelled at the top of his voice as he did this, determined to avenge Aria and make the beast who hurt her pay dearly.

Unfortunately, Ludwig's fire (which was usually his most effective weapon) had no effect on this demonic creature. When the fireballs made contact with its skin, they got absorbed, disappearing into the monster's body. Ludwig stopped for a second, his terror sky rocketing. He only felt worse as the beast took a deep breath and shot the fireballs it absorbed back at him. Ludwig shrieked, putting his hands to his head and flying out of the room. He didn't think, didn't stop to consider if this was the best course of action. He just flew, his survival instincts taking over and telling him that if he wanted to walk out of this situation alive, he needed to bolt.

And he did. That is, until he remembered Aria, lying unconscious in the other room. Terror struck his heart as he realized that he had left her unattended with the demon that had knocked her unconscious. He internally berated himself for making the foolish, selfish decision to run. So, despite every fiber of his being telling him he needed to leave, he flew back toward the room with the demon. He told himself that he would fight, no matter how dangerous it might appear to him. Aria needed him. Since she was knocked out, it was now up to him to defeat the demon. On some level, that thought terrified the Koopaling. On another, it motivated him in a way that he had previously never thought to be possible.

When Ludwig got back, he shrieked at the sight. The monster leaned down above Aria, its mouth open and saliva dripping off of its many teeth. Ludwig gasped, realizing exactly what this monster planned to do with her. Anger filled him once again, and this time, he shot a stream of lightning in the demon's direction. Thankfully, the electricity wasn't nearly as ineffective as the fire. The demon shrieked upon getting shocked, jumping back and pouting in a similar manner to how a dog would. With his enemy wounded and incapacitated (for the moment), Ludwig flew back over to Aria. His brow furrowed as he got a good look at her. The cut on her head looked particularly nasty, like it would require a long time to heal. Ludwig cringed just looking at it, realizing that a healing spell was probably necessary to make sure that she didn't experience any unwanted consequences.

Wait, spell! Oh goodness, he had completely forgotten about the wand! How stupid was he; he needed to get that wand! He needed to use it so that he could defeat the demon! Now with more determination filling him than he had ever felt before, he looked back over at the wand. He telekinetically picked it up, making it come to him.

Unfortunately, the demon was smart enough to realize that this would spell its doom. It shot its tongue back toward the wand, wrapping it around it so that it could no doubt swallow it and officially spell Ludwig and Aria's doom. Ludwig grit his teeth, planting his foot firmly into the ground and sweating like a pig as he telekinetically pulled. He pulled with all his might, knowing that he needed to get the wand. He would not turn away, he wouldn't even dare unleash his hold on the object. After all, that object was the only thing stopping him and Aria from having an entry in the next obituary in the newspaper.

The demon didn't let up either though, no doubt also realizing what Ludwig did. To the Koopaling's shock, a tentacle that had been concealed by the many folds of purple skin shot out out of the demon's body. Ludwig only barely managed to get out of the way just in time, and even then, he had to keep flying to make sure the monster didn't grab him. Unfortunately, in his panic, he had lost his grip on the wand. The monster pulled it closer to its mouth, now more determined to swallow it than ever before. Ludwig shrieked and grabbed the wand just in time. He concentrated with all his might. Beads of sweat poured down his face. It was only after a little while that he got an idea. Not unleashing his hold on the wand, he shot his other hand forward. Electricity shot out of his finger tips, hitting the demon and causing it to let out the most shrill of shrieks. It dropped the wand, and its tongue retracted back into its mouth.

Ludwig grinned. With the speed of a rabbit, he pulled the wand back over to himself. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this grateful to yield a magic wand. Clearing his throat, he glared at the monster, which still shrieked and whimpered at the angry touch of Ludwig's electrokinesis. Not even its tentacles and teeth served as much of a threat to the Koopaling anymore. With his breathing rate slowing down to a much more manageable rate, Ludwig smiled and pointed the wand.

"Encantus nijiiro herring MAZOH!"

A barrage of colorful lights shot out of the wand's gemstone. Satisfaction filled Ludwig as the demon let out the loudest and most painful sounding shriek Ludwig had ever heard. It sounded like every last inch of its body, both inside and out, was being burned to a very ashy type of crisp. Ludwig soon saw that that wasn't too far off from the truth, as holes that looked like they were made by burning flame appeared along the demon's body. A burning scent also filled the room, clogging it up as a matter of fact. Ludwig didn't loosen his grip on the wand though. After another round of shrieking from the demon, the monster exploded into a glittery mess. Ludwig smiled, deactivated the purification spell, set the wand to his side, and let out a sigh. He did it. He actually did it. He managed to beat a ferocious, wicked demon. Man, he… he felt like a badass! He felt like the best type of badass, the kind that would make any guy wish they could be like him. Was there a more satisfying feeling in the world, knowing that you just did something that many people would probably deem as impossible?

Ludwig let out a breath when he had his thought, almost laughing with how satisfied the last few minutes made him feel. He turned back to Aria, now feeling loads more confident. If he could defeat the demon, there was no doubt in his mind that he would be able to patch her up good as new. He walked over to her, getting into a kneeling position as he held the wand over the cut on her forehead.

"Healing spieling."

The tip of the wand glowed a soft blue. The cut also glowed the same color, and Ludwig smiled as he watched it shrink and close up. Seriously, watching a healing spell do its thing was very satisfying to watch, like watching a steam roller flatten pavement, or watching a video of someone cutting up some very expensive looking soap with a carving knife. This satisfaction only added onto the happy feelings in Ludwig's mind, making him feel like he was on the highest and fluffiest version of cloud nine.

Eventually, the cut on Aria's forehead completely disappeared. Once Ludwig deactivated the wand, she began to stir. It took a little bit for her eyes to open, but when they did, Ludwig couldn't help but feel grateful to see her fully awake.

"Ludwig…" Suddenly, her eyes grew wide. She sat up, fear taking over her expression. "The demon! Is it…?"

"Don't worry," Ludwig said, doing his best to keep his voice low. "The demon's gone. I defeated it."

Aria blinked. "You defeated…" A smile grew on her face, one very big and impressed. "I can't believe it! You actually defeated… Ludwig, that's awesome!"

Ludwig smiled. He was just about to thank her for the compliment when she did the last thing he expected her to. She pulled him closer to her body…

And hugged him. She wrapped her arms around him, squeezing with a boatload of gratitude. Ludwig was so surprised he couldn't even blink. Was this really happening? Was… was Aria really hugging him? Oh man, this was even better than the time she hugged him outside the Paace of Spice! He… he didn't even know how to feel about this, to be honest. It felt… it felt so lovely, so warm. His heart fluttered like a pair of newly hatched butterfly wings. He hugged Aria back, his expression slowly rising. And yes, as embarrassed as he was to admit this, he cried. Actually, legitimately cried. Everything about this… it was perfect. He never wanted to leave her hold. Sure, he didn't feel like he was worthy of it, as he still had the secret about Frostwall he was keeping from her. But… but this moment was so wonderful! Her holding him close, her refusing to let go even as time ticked away… oh, Ludwig wished he could stay in this moment forever. He wished he could freeze time to make sure that Aria never let him go.

Eventually, though, the sound of footsteps could be heard coming down the path. Ludwig lifted his head and saw Jarod, running into the room with wide eyes.

"I heard screaming!" He exclaimed. "Is everything…?"

He stopped. His eyes were wide as he observed the scene. Ludwig didn't care though; the only thing he cared about was embracing Aria for as long as possible. Everything about it was just too perfect. So perfect that Ludwig would always want to relive this moment, always look back on it with the biggest and happiest of smiles.

Eventually though, Aria did let go. She smiled into his face when she did, the expression so warm that Ludwig almost didn't mind the hug coming to an end. He smiled back at her, letting out a breath of relief as he did. They then both stood up and went over to Jarod.

"Everything's fine," Aria said. "We just had a little… tussle with a demon."

Jarod's eyes filled with an understanding. "Oh. Oh man." He actually looked a little frightened now. "Well, I'm glad both of you are alive."

"Oh believe me, we are too," Ludwig said. He took a step towards them. "Unfortunately, that demon was all we found in this cave that seems to hold any magical power."

Aria's face grew grim as she nodded. "Yeah, there weren't any magical items."

Jarod's face fell. "Drat," he said. "I didn't find anything either; I was hoping you guys did." He sighed. "I guess this hunt was a total bust." He smiled. "But hey! You guys managed to defeat a demon! That's one less nasty little monster that the world will have to deal with!"

Ludwig chuckled. Yes, that was true. He supposed, on that note, he had even more of a reason to feel proud of himself. Seriously, he could say from experience that demons were the worst kind of pain in the ass to deal with. So, to say that he had managed to conquer one, sending it back to the pits of hell where it rightfully belonged… it felt good. It really felt good.

"Yeah," Aria said. She took a deep breath and straightened her hair a little bit. "Well… I suppose we should get going now. No point staying here if there is nothing else to find."

Both Jarod and Ludwig nodded, and together, the trio made their way back toward the cave exit. As they walked, Ludwig kept his eyes on Aria's back. His heart fluttered as he thought about the hug, and how absolutely amazing he had found it to be. He wished he could do it again. Oh, how he wished he could do it again…

…

About three hours later, Ludwig landed just outside the doors to Bowser's Castle. He took a deep breath, thinking about the night he had just had. From finding a sacrifice site to defeating a demon to getting the most amazing hug from Aria… oh man, this night was pretty eventful. Sure, some of the events were events that he never wanted to experience again. But others… oh mama mia…

With this thought in mind, he opened up the door. When he did, he was surprised to see all of his siblings hanging out on the other side. When they saw him, they all rushed forward and talked to him.

"Ludwig, you're back!" Lemmy exclaimed.

"How did it go?" asked Larry. "Did you kick the sorry asses of any demons?"

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you're all in one piece," said Roy.

"What kind of magical items did you uncover?" asked Iggy.

All of these questions spoken overtop of each other only served to overwhelm the oldest Koopaling. "Alright, alright! Everyone, back up!" Thankfully, all his siblings did, allowing him to give them a questioning look without fear of beng trampled to death. "What are you guys doing up anyway? It's like one in the morning!"

"Lemmy told us that you had agreed to go on a demon hunt with Aria," Iggy said. "We wanted to see if what would become of you."

"Yeah!" Wendy went up and took hold of Ludwig's hands, her eyes filled with concern. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? You could have been killed!"

"We all would've been really sad if you did," Morton added, his brow furrowed.

Ludwig let out a breath before smiling. "Well, I didn't die." His smile grew bigger. "In fact, the whole thing went well."

He began to explain what exactly had happened on the outing to his siblings, not leaving out any details. He had to admit it was pretty entertaining to see their eyes grow wide when he mentioned the fight with the demon. However, when he got to the hug… well, he didn't know if he could do it justice. He tried his best though, which caused pretty much everyone to look at him in awe. When he finished talking, he actually felt a little squirmy looking into their awestruck faces.

"What?" he asked.

Wendy was the first one to say anything. "Oh, you've got it bad!" she said through a fit of giggles.

"Got what?" Ludwig asked, his confusion going off the charts.

Lemmy bounced forward, giddiness present in his sparkling eyes. "You're in love with Aria!"

Ludwig's face grew at least ten degrees warmer. "What? Are you crazy?" He shook his head. "I'm not in love with her! The hug was one hundred percent platonic!"

"Riiighttt…" Larry said with a smirk.

"You do not have to be ashamed of your biological urges, Ludwig," Iggy said. "It is clear you feel some sort of attraction towards her. At the very least, it's physical. At most…" he giggled. "It seems that you genuinely like her.

Ludwig shook his head. "Well, I do like her… as a friend! That's it!" He crossed his arms. "That's it!" Everyone laughed at that, causing his face to grow even hotter. "I'm serious!"

"Dude, don't deny it," Roy said. "It's obvious you've gotta fling for her. Take it from someone with a girlfriend; it's nothing to be ashamed of."

Ludwig felt like sinking into the floor. He wanted to tell everyone that no, they were wrong. Aria was a friend! So what if he really enjoyed the hug? It meant nothing!

Instead, he shook his head. "I'm going to bed…"