Sta.sh
CHAPTER 5
RECKONING
Toad Town was being leveled as comets of molten fire continued to slam down from the sky. The fog was gone, blasted away by the thunder that began the attack, and all could see the source of the destructive malice. Bowser stood on the bow of his great air ship and hurled streaks of lighting down from his great paws. The sound of his laughter echoed over the valley as he struck down random individuals and toppled buildings with his dark koopa magic.
All but a few of Bowser's armada had landed, and the Koopatroop deployed. They burst into the houses that were still standing, and seizing the cowering toads inside, demanded allegiance to their new Lord. All who did not do so were ran through on the spot. A few brave citizens fought back, but they were no match for Bowser's trained and ruthless Koopatroop.
A terrible voice bellowed from above, "Seize the castle! Bring me those whom I demand!" A special squadron of Bowser's soldiers poured out of a grounded air ship at the sound of the King's command. They quickly extinguished a small section of the fire that was raging around the castle in order for them to enter. The same that was occurring on the outside, now happened on the inside. Shrieks, panic, bloodshed. Many tried to flee, but only met the edge of the sword. Those inside, being closest to the Princess, refused to swear allegiance to Bowser; it was their end. The dance floor became a crimson lake shimmering in the light of newly started fires within, climbing the walls along the banners of the Princess.
Those whom Bowser wanted alive were now hostage, inside the ascending airship from where the Koopatroop deployed. This was Bowser's sign that they had been captured; the air attack ceased.
The prisoners were taken bound and chained to Bowser's personal airship, wreathed in smoke and painted with an orange glow from the valley below. They stood before the great iron doors that led into Bowser's throne room; beaten, bloody and tattered. The ceremonial gong sounded, and the doors slowly opened.
There stood the terrible beast before his throne that had wrought such terrible destruction upon the peaceful town, smiling arrogantly. At his side was his youngest son, and at his feet, a scantily clad Princess Daisy and a chained Yoshi.
The captives were pushed into the room, and as they were led closer to the bottom step that ascended to his throne, the imperial horns sounded, and a voice cried out, "Bow down now, to the Great Demon King Koopa, Lord Bowser!"
All in the audience chamber knelt to Bowser upon bended knee, except for a defiant Peach, Mario and Luigi. The Koopatrol slammed them in the back of the legs with their pikes and forced their submission.
Bowser took his seat. "Rise," he commanded. All did so but the three, who remained on their knees.
The King sat silent for a moment, staring with an arrogant look at his prisoners. The three were silent, gazing back with hatred filled faces.
The Princesses anger burst forth, "How dare you attack us! How dare you murder the people of this valley! Just who do you think you are!? I demand to know why who have done this to us again!?" Peach was cut off as Bowser raised his hand to silence her. "You are in a position to demand nothing, Princess. However, I shall answer your question. I do it because I can, and because it gives me great pleasure to do so."
Of course Peach knew what his answer was going to be, yet she was still shocked into momentary silence. Then she noticed Daisy clutching to Bowser's leg.
"And Daisy, you're the one who took her!" She fixed her attention upon the smiling woman at Bowser's feet. "Daisy, I'm so sorry. We'll find a way out of this."
Bowser laughed, "A way out of this? Who says she wants a way out of this? She loves being at my service, don't you Daisy?" Bowser petted her hair. She looked up at him smiling and said, "Of course I do, my King," she looked at Peach, "I would never want to leave you."
Peach demanded of Bowser, "What did you do to her?!"
"What I'm going to do to you. One way or another Princess, your heart and mind will belong to me, even if it takes a bit of supernatural persuasion," Bowser replied as his youngest son handed him the magic wand he was holding.
"Control my mind with anything you wish Bowser, I will never love you!" Peach defiantly shouted.
Bowser laughed as if slightly amused, "We'll see."
The King's attention was now drawn to Mario as he spoke up. "You won't get away with this! We've beaten you before, we'll do it again!" Luigi chimed in, "You're such a fool that we can take you anytime, anywhere!"
Bowser's fury was ignited at Luigi's insult. He leapt out of his throne and paced up to Luigi and screamed, "Fool, am I!?" He struck Luigi on the side of the head, sending him flying into Peach. His anger subsided as it passed through his arm into his victim, and he made his way back to his throne. "Fool? I'd ask, who are the ones taken prisoner as their city burns? No, this time I have taken precaution. A fool does not learn from his mistakes, I have. Before I would have simply taken the Princess and waited for you two brothers to arrive, aided by all your shiny little weapons. But not this time, for at this very moment my seven children are striking all of your armories where you have stored weapons for use against me. You'll have nothing to harm we with. And the sickly plants? I gladly accept credit for that as well. No, a fool does not think ahead."
Peach was astonied, "How did you of all creatures know where those were?"
"Oh, you mean you don't know? I had a little helper." Bowser waved with his hand to bring him in.
The three were silent, shocked. Peach though, was hurt badly, as if ran through with a dagger. "Fingle, you? How, how could you? The people trusted you," her eyes began to well up with tears, "I trusted you."
Before Fingle could respond, Bowser replied, "Because he was not satisfied with your pathetic existence. He wanted more than a sad town full of toads could give him, and so he came to me and offered his services for a reward." Bowser looked over at Fingle, and said in a proud voice, "And now Fingle, it is time for your reward." He looked back at Peach, "Princess, do you remember my old Doomship?"
"Of course I do," she replied with bravado and disgust.
Bowser looked back at toad, "Well Fingle, this is your reward. You get the Doomship, and all the riches and luxury you wish for," Bowser paused for a moment, trying to hide a sinister smile, "and you will spend eternity with it in the grave."
Fingle was confused. "Excuse me, my Lord, but what do you mean?"
Bowser replied, "I hate traitors. They cannot be trusted. If you so quickly betrayed your own kinsman and those who love you, who is to say that you will not do the same to me. And besides, do you really think I would let a toad have any power at all? I despise you creatures! Therefore, you shall die."
Fingle became panicked and began to plead with Bowser, dropping to his knees. "Please, my Lord! I only wanted to serve you!"
Bowser commanded his guards, "Take him away and strap him to the front of the Doomship and crash it into the castle." He fixed his attention on Fingle again, "You will have all of the wealth and luxury you want there, forever."
An explosion of shouting and weeping filled the room as they hauled Fingle away. Peach, although hurt and filled with anger toward her former servant, began to cry and curse Bowser for his coldheartedness. Mario and Luigi vehemently joined in.
As the noise continued, though, they did not notice Bowser slipping on a strange device onto his hand. One in which all of the finger caps were of gold. Connected to these by gold threads was a round precious stone, red in color, at the center of his palm. It was held in place by beaten sheet gold that wrapped around the top of his hand and forearm.
Growing increasingly angry at the shouting and insults being hurled toward him, Bowser charged the three and back handed Peach in the face, she fell upon the floor, dazed, but conscious. Mario and Luigi became all the more enraged and increased in their verbal threats. Bowser growled at Mario and said, "I've wanted to do this for a long time." He held his hand with the device on it aloft and it began to glow. An orange and red beam of energy, twisting and turning like silk in the wind, emanated forth from the stone in his palm into Mario's forehead, causing him great pain. He began to grit his teeth and scream in agony as blood ran out of his nose and ears. Feeling the blood of his enemy trickle into his hand cause Bowser to growl deep within himself from great satisfaction.
Luigi was still shouting at Bowser, and so quickly, he grabbed Luigi by the throat and squeezed, while not letting his gaze nor torment off of Mario. Luigi lost consciousness and collapsed in a heap and Bowser shook his hand as though he was holding something profane and wished it's stain removed. The terrible King now placed his free hand around Mario's throat and lifted him up while the beam of searing pain continued to burn into his mind. To both of them, time seemed to slow to a crawl. For Bowser, a desire for the moment never to end; for Mario, the sheer dread of his situation.
The whistling of a quickly descending object filled the room, and moments later, Bowser's ship rocked from the blast of the Doomship colliding with the castle below. Bowser was snapped free of his desire to murder his foe on the spot, and released the beam from Mario before it killed him, and hurled him across the room. He slammed into a wall and pulled down the King's banners upon him, and was motionless.
Bowser stood for a moment, breathing heavily before sitting upon his throne again, saying nothing.
Peach, realizing that Fingle was dead, and witnessing the torture that had just taken place, only lay upon the floor, weeping quietly, "You're a monster, a monster."
| Deviant Login | Shop | Join deviantART for FREE  |
Take the Tour  |
and what sounds kinda funny? im at a loss cuz this is a dark chapter
I just figure its funny that I find Bowser to be more cold and horrible than before but that's somehow a good thing