Left Behind: Chapter 18

I had never been so exhausted in my entire life. I opened my eyes, and all I wanted to do was close them again. I knew that I had slept for an extended amount of time, but I have no idea as to how long I did.  I started to close my eyes again. However, I just kept them slightly open. Someone (or something) was watching me. Whatever it was approached me.

"I know you are awake." a voice spoke to me.

"So?" I responded. "Why can't I sleep more?"

"You have been asleep for a few days, green one. No more rest, or you may rest in heaven as a result."

"I wouldn't mind that." I sat up, my body burning with pain. "I would be with my mom." My head hurt like someone had hit it with a racing kart. "Who am I talking to, anyways?"

"One of King Koopa's guards, green one." he responded. "I had specific order to check on you and your recovery. We thought we were going to lose you."

"Has he...thought of an answer to my question?"

"He requests that you talk to him when you feel well enough. He needs to know a few more details before he gives you one." I began to stand up, but I lost my footing. The guard caught me and sat me down on the ground again. "If you wish, I can stay here and aid you."

I nodded, too exhausted and in too much pain to answer. With the aid of the guard, I managed to stand up. I opened my eyes again, and realized that we were still in Toad Town. I looked around slowly, and my neck burned with every movement I made.

"We didn't want to move you, for fear that we would kill you." the guard explained as we started off. "His Majesty wanted you alive."

"I have a question." the guard looked at me. "Should I call him 'Your Majesty'? Or is "Your Nastiness' better?"

The guard pondered the question for the next few blocks. The area around us was completely destroyed. Close to nothing was standing anymore. The town looked worse than when the Shroobs had attacked it. I shuddered at the thought of those little purple demons, and instantly regret it as my entire body burned with pain. I sucked in air between my teeth, and the guard offered to stop so I could recover a tad more. I declined, and we continued forward. We got back to the fountain (where Fawful was a couple days earlier). The fountain itself wasn't functioning, but there was water in it. Rain, most likely. Bowser was standing next to it, tapping his long claws against the railing. His eyes were closed and his face was etched with the expression of deep thought. To my shock, Wendy and Rose were there too. They were sitting on the railing, talking quietly to one another. Every once in a while, one of the sisters would raise their voice to offer Bowser a solution, but the giant Koopa would just shake his head. He would mumble something, and then the sisters would continue to talk amongst themselves. As we got closer, I could distinguish their voices from one another, but no words. On the other side of the fountain, it looked like Wario and Waluigi were playing Rock Paper Scissors. As we got closer, they indeed were once I could see what they were doing. From the expression on their faces, I took it as Wario was losing horribly.

Some things never change, even if someone almost died.

"Are you alright?" Wendy asked quietly as we approached.

"I'm fine, other than extremely sore." I responded. "Could you look at my neck? I'm afraid that something is wrong with it. Should it hurt this much after being strangled?"

She ushered me over, and I sat in between the sisters. Rose lightly filled me in on the situation as Wendy slowly drew the hood back. She tossed my hat off and slowly took the mask and scarf off. I heard her sucking air between her teeth and watched Rose's eyes widen in worry. That told me that my neck looked terrible.

"Can you turn your head at all?" Wendy asked stepping into her 'doctor' mode.

I turned slightly, and winced in pain. "Not without it hurting badly. I try not to move it. It might be damage from extreme heat from the fire, too."

"Well, nothing looks burned."

"What does it look like, then?"

"…Purple.  It is dark purple and badly bruised. Swollen, too."

"You can see where his fingers were." Rose commented. "It looks like it hurts."

"Trust me, it does." I responded.

I screamed in pain as Wendy placed a cold patch around my neck. I felt tears sting my cheekbones as Rose held my hand.

"Sorry." Wendy spoke lightly as she stood me up. "I need to see the rest of you. To see if there are any more wounds I need to care for. Don't you dare say anything!"

The last statement was directed towards Rose, who had a wicked smirk on her face. I rolled my eyes as Wendy carefully took the cloak off of me. It landed behind me, and I sighed in relief. It felt like a thousand pounds just shed off of me. Straining to not cry out too much, I managed to undo the buttons. Wendy took my shirt off. The cold damp air felt nice against my hot sticky self. She looked around my arms and shoulders. By the look on her face, I took it as that my body was in good condition; probably I just overworked myself. She came in front of me and the look in her eyes changed from examination to despair.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked a tad worried.

"That will be one nasty scar." Wendy replied fingering it lightly. "Does it hurt at all?"

"No. why?"

"The stitches weren't on very tight. Your skin broke away from it."

"Sorry..." Rose whispered to me.

"Lie down for me," Wendy commanded, "so I can properly remove the stitches."

It didn't take as long as I had imagined. I stretched out on my back, and Wendy knelt down beside me. I asked if I could make a perverted comment, and I received a smack in the head. I groaned in pain, but Wendy made no motive to see if I was okay. I looked up at the sky, and saw all of the Stars. Looking at them made me think of my parents. I sighed. My mind trailed off at the thoughts of meeting my dad for the first time as Wendy finished up my chest. I didn't notice that I was crying until she sat me up and dried my eyes with her gloved hand. I continued to look at the sky, and instantly thought of Luma. His chattering voice echoed through my memory. I freaked out because I thought I heard him call for his Mama. I looked around me, but the little guy was nowhere to be seen. I found the pin in my cloak pocket, and held it in between my hands, wishing that the little guy were here with me. I didn't notice that I was crying again until Bowser mentioned it.

"Trust me," he grumbled opening his eyes, "I am not the one who sympathizes for others. But I am concerned about the tears. May I ask what caused them?"

"It's nothing important." I responded wiping my forearm across my face. "Really, it isn't. I just miss my Luma."

"Not to mention what happened the day before." Waluigi said as he and Wario approached the rest of us.

I nodded.

"We need to rid of L before anything else happens." Wario said.

"Like my death." I whispered more to myself than to anyone else.

Silence. Everyone was too busy thinking about how to rid of him.

"Well, the one thing that is certain," Rose spoke standing after a few minutes, "is that the only person who can truly kill L is Luigi. No one else can."

"In order for the Dark Seed to flourish in the real world, it must kill its host." Wendy added. "The Seed will continue to live as long as the Host does."

"There's no way."

All of us looked at Waluigi.

"He's too strong." He continued. "There is no way that Luigi can take him on alone. Not only is L's strength too powerful, but we must remember that he has at least two cards up his sleeve: Luigi's fire power and Mario."

"As long as Mario is around, no one will even land a scratch on L." Bowser mumbled. "You know, he was like that with you, green 'stache."

"It's Luigi, not green 'stache." I corrected as I grabbed the hat, scarf, and eye mask. "One of these days, my name will be famous."

"If this doesn't do it, I have no idea what will." Rose commented.

"What about an ambush?" Wario asked. Silence. I finished equipping myself during this intoxicating silence. "Well, what we could do is pull one of the 'evil villain' moves, and have Luigi write a note, saying that the final showdown will happen now. He has to sign it by L, of course. We lure the two nimrods to our location of choice, and then we ambush them. L may have Mario, but we have to remember that you have a few more allies than L does."

"He would drag the Princesses into it." Bowser fired automatically. "If there is one thing that can destroy a man, it is the loss of his woman."

"That's why they," Wario gestured to the sisters, "kidnap them. Or at least get them someplace away from the fight."

"Knowing both of the Princesses," Wendy spoke lightly, "I don't think they would cooperate. Both of them would want to see the fight and help out as much as they can, giving them power-ups and whatnot."

"I got it."

I had never felt so on-the-spot in my life. I stood up where I was sitting, put my shirt back on and replaced my cloak.

"I cannot say my plans out loud." I stepped into the role of L (which threw everyone off). "There is one teensy little reason why."

Faster than anyone could blink, I spun around and tackled the shadow in the alley. A girl scream escaped from its throat as I pinned it down. At the scream, Rose and Wendy scrambled as to not throw my new captor off. I approached the light, and the shadow turned into Peach. She was still struggling to break free of my grasp, but when she saw the other three, she stopped dead. I felt the fear tremble through her.

"It seems that we have a rat;" I hissed. "A filthy, dirty rat."

"You won't get away with this!" she screamed in anger. "Mario will-"

Bowser proceeded to laugh his deep-throated laugh, cutting her short of her statement. I was careful not to let her (or Bowser, for that matter) know that the hairs on my arms began to rise. Peach began to cry out of fear.

And how many times has she been captured by Bowser?

"What do you want us to do with her, Boss?" Wario asked.

Both he and Waluigi laughed in a very suggestive manner.

I let go of the Princess, and she dropped to the ground like a sack. The poor girl couldn't move; she was paralyzed with fear as she continued to weep. An idea started to form in my head as I heard Mario approaching behind me.

"You need to work on your sneaking abilities, Mario." I turned my neck (which was still extremely sore) to face him. "I could hear you from a mile away."

"Let her go!" he threatened.

"And why should I?"  I grabbed her again, and fully faced my brother. "Do you have a reason? And saying 'because I said so' doesn't count." That threw him off."Well, no matter." I said releasing my grip on her with one of my hands. She tried to escape, but my flame barrier between myself and Mario stopped her. She pushed closer to me, her fear of being burned growing within her. "You know just as well as I do that the only person who can defeat me is that excuse of a brother you seem to have acquired."

"He's not useless!" Mario fired.

"You know, Mario; I just realized something. I have an upper hand in this battle between us. Unlike most enemies, I happen to know your weakness. Unless you want me to share this with Bowser, I suggest that you let us leave quietly, and follow my last demand."

"Which is…?" Mario's face drained.

"The final battle; the fight for survival tomorrow."

"I need-"

"You? You're not the one fighting, Master Mario. It is the other who has to fight. You know that as well as I do. This is a fight that you cannot fight for him. His chance is soon, and do you want to take that away?"

He said nothing.

"Tomorrow, then?" I asked again.

"Tomorrow." He agreed. "In the area between Bowser Land and Toad Town."

"Done."

Bowser roared and breathed fire, blocking any chance of Mario rescuing Peach before tomorrow. Wario and Waluigi accompanied me as I walked back in the direction of Bowser Land with Peach slung over my shoulder. Rose and Wendy hid in the shadows, following us.

Tomorrow will be the day; the day I will succeed in destroying L once and for all.