Man, it seems like with everything I post these days I have to apologize for it being unreasonably late. But yeah, sorry.
School just started and there's too much freaking homework. So that's my excuse.
I actually started writing this chapter months ago, but just finished it now. I've been slacking off big time where writing's concerned. I gotta get back in the groove.
As always, enjoy.
Bowser felt a mixed set of emotions. On one hand, he was overjoyed. With Peach out of the way, there was nothing stopping him from conquering the Mushroom Kingdom once and for all. This will have taken its toll on Mario, too, and he liked to see him suffer.
On the other hand, well, he couldn't deny that he had had feelings for the princess. He even thought that he was in love with her. He felt a little twinge of guilt, thinking of her small body bleeding on the ground.
It was for the best. Everything he was doing was for the best. Why should he feel guilt? The Mushroom Mushroom Kingdom had cleaned out their oil mines, killed their troops... They were the ones that should feel guilty.
He felt slightly drained, so he stopped at the power up store to eat more mushrooms. He noticed, after he was finished, that he had begun to make a dent in the supply.
He fingered the heavy, metal wand. He had been in training to learn how to use one at one point, but never followed through with it. He had only learned the few spells that interested him, like killing curses and the like. It had always been too difficult to learn, and he'd never had much patience. And besides, he was a king! Why would he want to be a magikoopa?
Speaking of magikoopas, he had to find Kamak and set things straight.
Where would he be right now? Perhaps in one of the many hallways? Ugh, it was too much trouble to find him in the huge castle.
Kamak was trying to lay low. If Bowser ever found out that he had helped the other side... Well, he'd rather not think about that. He was wandless and vulnerable, but he thought Bowser still had some respect for him. He had raised him, for crying out loud.
Even so, he felt it best to stay away from him as of late.
The news that the Mushroom Kingdom's ruler had been killed spread quickly throughout the kingdom. Families near the bombings in Toad Town huddled together in their living rooms. People in Mushroom City, though not getting the brunt of the attack, still hoped for it to be over. Troops mourned their losses, but kept fighting.
It looked like Dark Land had won.
Mario wandered through the halls of Mushroom Castle, searching for Daisy. What if she was...? No. He couldn't bear to think that everyone he cared about had left him forever.
It suddenly struck his as to how unfair all this was. Everyone around him was dying and suffering, and what did he have to show for it? A few cuts and bruises? That didn't come close to what the others had been through. He needed to end it.
He realized that he had not known where he was wandering, and found himself at the castle entrance. Behind the heavy wooden doors he could hear endless fighting, guns going off, fists hitting flesh, screaming, shouting. There were people out there dying, he knew all too well.
He couldn't open the doors, that would leave them wide open for enemy troops, leaving them with no hope of winning. Hell, there was no hope. The only thing he could do was kill Bowser.
Mario had fought Bowser many, many times, and always came out victorious, but never succeeded in killing him. Bowser was strong, there was no doubt, and that was without the extra power he had gained from the mushrooms. Bowser had already almost killed him once. What if there was nobody there to save him a second time?
"Kamak!"
Oh, no.
Kamak's stomach seemed to drop a few feet, his heart rate increasing. "Yes?" he said, turning to face the powerful Koopa king.
"I need to talk to you." He rummaged through his pockets, extracting Kamak's wand.
He was thrilled for a moment, and his hand made an involuntary movement towards it. Bowser yanked it back out of his reach. "Do you know where I found this?" Not waiting for a response, he continued, "Toadstool had it. How could you leave this lying around?"
"I dropped it, nothing to worry about if you'd give it back to me."
"I can't, because I've noticed something else odd, too." His eyes flickered around the room. Kamak was surprised; he was a lot more calm than he expected. "Before I took Peach, I had a little... disagreement with Mario. When I left him, he was near dead. There was no way be could have survived without magical help."
Kamak was quiet. Bowser knew. How did he find out? How?
"You, of all people. I thought I could trust you, Kamak, you were practically my father!" Ah, here was the anger the wizard had been expecting, though that didn't make it ant better. "I can't believe it! Why?"
Kamak hesitated before answering. "Bowser, this has gone too far, and you know it! All this senseless killing... Why do we even need the Mushroom Kingdom? We could take over the smaller kingdoms surrounding it, we wouldn't have to do anything, really..." Kamak was aware he was rambling senselessly, but he knew it was because of the guilt.
Guilt? Wait. This was stupid. He'd killed so many other people, why should he feel bad for killing Mario's brother.
"Kamak, you're being an idiot!" Bowser roared. "What have we been working for all these years? How could you just say that? It's like you want to throw it all away, everything I've dedicated my life to!"
"No, you're the thick-headed one, as usual!" Kamak shouted, abandoning all self control. He had years of pent-up anger at this dumb lizard, and it was suddenly spilling out of him. "All your life, I've cared for you, cleaned up after your messes, made sure you didn't kill yourself in every attempt to take over the Mushroom Kingdom! Do you think I wanted a son? No! I was stuck with you when your father left. You're nothing but a nuisance and a disappointment."
The air got a lot thicker. Bowser hardly flinched; his eyebrows may have knotted together tighter. He lashed out his hand, and for a second Kamak thought Bowser was going to hit him, until he realized he was holding his wand out to him. "Here."
Kamak snatched it none too gently out of his hand. There was no reason to start regretting what he said, that would just make him look soft.
He turned on his heel and left the ruined castle, leaving Bowser feeling as if he'd lost his father for the second time.