The storm roared dangerously above their heads as they all looked up. It was getting pretty rough, so they decided to take refuge in the castle overnight. As Karma was about to close the dented castle doors shut, Doopliss looked back at the Mario Bros. As the rain trickled down their bloody and battered faces, a feeling of pity fell upon Doopliss. It just wasn't right for somebody to die like that. Karma seemed to be feeling the same thing, as she halted the doors. The poor brothers seemed to be half dead as the raindrops made it appear that they were crying on the ground. Doopliss and Karma both looked at each other with confused faces. Should they bring the brothers in, and risk losing the hat? Doopliss felt sheer guilt stab at him, as he merely shook his head and retreated inside. As for Karma, her feelings were different.
She gazed at the Mario Bros, and a slight shudder followed. A flash of lighting streaked across the skies as the hybrid stood at the doorway with guilt taking her down. She laid eyes on Mario, and saw the heavy damage she had bestowed from jabbing him with her spikes. His entire abdomen was blood-stained and contorted into an unnatural shape. Ludwig had caught sight of her staring into the open, and walked over. She took notice, but returned to staring. Nonetheless, Ludwig had joined her.
The two Mets stood at the mouth of the castle, wondering how they should feel about their deeds. The two both looked at each other simultaneously. Their faces were stained with rainwater and a little bit of dirt. Karma asked him what would become of the Marios if they left them out here. Ludwig, staring at them with looks of disgust, said they would probably die. But, he started to wonder about that aloud to Karma in particular. Was this worth it? In an attempt to get the hat, they would end two innocent lives? Would they stoop so low to beat someone to the brink of death, and just let them lie in an unforgiving torrent of rain? It didn't seem the right way to do things, even if his entire family hated them with endless amounts of rage. Up until now, it was just a game of keep away with Princess Peach between the entire kingdoms, now it seemed like much more. Would they go so far as to end the lives of two plumbers that defended the glory of justice? It seemed like the most unholy thing in existence... Ludwig felt as if DAD himself was urging him to drag the unconscious pair of plumbers inside the castle.
Karma felt the cold rainwater strike her face as Ludwig finished with a sigh. Much to her confusion, she felt a warm tear stream down her cheek. As she wiped it off, it felt weird. As many times as they had battled, and as many lives were taken by them, she felt sorry for the Marios. She didn't want to feel that way, since Mario was the very reason she was separated by her family, the ones who accepted her from the very beginning. Because of them, she was now living under the roof of a tyrant, and had very few that actually cared for her. Because of them, her parents were probably dead now. Because of them... No, she thought. She couldn't blame them for everything. It did feel awkward, though, staring at the two who made her a waif.
Karma turned to Ludwig, who appeared to be transfixed on the bros. She was about to say something when lightning struck violently from the heavens. A flash of white clouded their eyes, and they heard Popple scream inside the castle. When the light cleared, the two saw the lightning had struck in Pleasant Path, and a forest fire had started! It crept forward, and it's furious heat hammered down all the flora in an unforgiving rage. Both Karma and Ludwig just stuttered, trying to find the words fit for this situation. Both of them just stopped and ran outside, rescued the Mario Bros, and sprinted back inside, closing the damaged door shut.
The two dragged the Marios inside, huffing with exhaustion. Karma rested Luigi on a wall, while Ludwig did the same with Mario. Popple and Doopliss ran over with surprised looks, each differing the other uniquely. Doopliss had one with relief, but Popple boasted one with fiery anger. Popple, while still filled to the brim wiht white-hot fury, ran up to Ludwig. He cursed with words that made them all wince, and demanded to know why the brought them in. Before Ludwig could talk, Karma interjected with a disgraced look. She grabbed Popple by the shirt with both of her hands and picked him up, bringing him to her eye level. She was furious, they could all tell by the look in her eye. This look was unfamiliar to Ludwig. Normally, she would give him a sarcastic frown if she was mad, maybe a grit of the teeth to go along. But this time, she was bearing her teeth so they were shining with a bright gleam, and her eyes were cut so her glare would pierce through a thwomp! Her muscles tightened around her fragile frame so hard that it actually looked painful. She looked like she was about to rip Popple apart!
While violently
shaking him, she asked if her had no shame at all. The two may have been
their enemies, but leaving them to die would land him a spot within the
infinite tortures of oblivion. Would that make him a man? To kill
two innocents
without the slightest mercy for them? To keep his image as a mighty thief
and a horrible murderer?! As you just swim in your pride?!! She dropped
him, still huffing in anger, still not relieving the scowl on her face.
The Shadow Thief landed on his back, mouth agape. She growled intensely,
and finally broke the glare when she saw fit. Karma walked over to Doopliss
and Ludwig, who had looks of You-know-she's-right written across their
faces. They all waited for Popple to reply but he said nothing. He merely
sat and twirled the hat on his hand while the other three made their way
to the top of the castle, going to retrieve the makeshift beds from earlier.
As Ludwig, Karma, and Doopliss walked up the stairs, they were all thinking the same things. Why had Popple acted so cold? It seemed as if he had grown more and more dark as this adventure passed by. Finally, after they reached the top of the first staircase, Doopliss finally spoke up. He asked why Popple would act so immaturely.& Ludwig and Karma both sighed in unison and said nothing. Doopliss got irritated and advanced to the next set of stairs quickly. Karma and Ludwig both had to sprint to keep up with the angered sheet.
As an impatient Doopliss reached the top of the stair flight waiting for his friends to come up he heard the thunder roar. Fearing his own safety, he gulped. Being whipped around in the rain wasn't his idea of fun. He still had wounds healing from the last time out there! He peered his head through a window to see that the fire on Pleasant Path had started to get worse. Ludwig and Karma had clambered up the stairs and saw Doopliss hanging out the window. Karma turned to Ludwig, but he merely shrugged.
The Koopa Prince had started opening the door to the rusty outdoor catwalk, when Karma pondered aloud about Popple's recent actions. While pushing, Ludwig said that lust does funny things to people. Karma smiled a bit and her eyes went back to Doopliss hanging out the window. He pushed himself back inside while murmuring about the wind picking up. He decided to meet up with the two later, and with that, he jumped off the staircase, gently floating down to Popple.
When the doors had finally opened completely, Ludwig and Karma walked onto the catwalk, shivering in the rain. Thunder danced across the skies as they both walked onward, freezing their tails off. They were too fatigued to run, so the two walked side by side as the frigid rain impacted merciless on their faces.
When the Mets reached the small stairway to the door, Karma noticed the damage from earlier when the Bill Blasters exploded. The bridgeway was demolished at that point, leaving a ten-foot gap in the way. She watched as Ludwig drew back into a stance, and after a few seconds of preparation, he dashed for the gap. At the very end, he jumped over it, gliding gracefully over the endless fall with ease. Karma had drew back into the same stance, and followed up as soon as Ludwig reached the other side. She pushed off with all her might, but got distracted by a quick flash of thunder in midair. She screamed in terror as her foot slipped off the edge of the gap and she gripped the end with both paws!
Ludwig heard the scream and turned around, seeing Karma holding onto the cliff for dear life! He ran over to her and grabbed her forearms. The rain prodded them as he summoned all his strength to pull Karma up. He had her about halfway up when the lightning struck the ground, knocking a tree over. The tree smashed into the old castle, sending somewhat of a shockwave to them. Ludwig lost his balance and he too, fell. He dropped Karma's arms and she screamed in pure fear. Ludwig gripped the end of the ledge, and looked down. Karma was gripping his left ankle wth every ounce of strength left in her. Ludwig asked if she was okay, and she nodded, still full of anixety.
Ludwig pulled his body up to the ledge, and rested his abdomen on the cold steel. His legs were still dangling with Karma holding him, so it was a miracle that they had done this so far. He shuffled his lower body onto the steel and swiftly exchanged his paw for Karma instead of his leg. She grabbed it and hoisted her paws up to his forearms, which were slippery from the icy rain. Ludwig pulled his legs up and secured them inbetween the mangled remains of the railings. Karma pulled with every ounce of energy, and her Yoshi nose was soon grazing against the debris on the ground. Great, now just my body, she thought. As she tried to throw herself onto the catwalk, she felt something warm hit her face. She looked at her nose and saw raindrops stream down it... Among a tear. Karma's eyes shifted upward to see Ludwig's eyes filled with tears. She had a weird feeling in her stomach for a second, and was then quickly hoisted upward.
Karma landed onto the ground and huffed with relief. She instinctively turned to thank Ludwig, and put her hand on his shell. Ludwig turned around, smiling, yet his eyes were still teary. He wiped them and sat next to her, huffing. Karma noticed he couldn't quite stop the waterworks, but he wasn't crying out of sadness. Maybe it was tears of... Joy? Ludwig had never felt anything but remorse towards Karma, and they had select few moments where he actually showed he cared. Karma sighed in confusion. She never really could follow him...
The two hurried inside inside the room containing the beds and brushed themselves off, trying to dry. Ludwig had stopped crying, but his face was still red from rubbing the tears. He rung out his wild blue hair, and told Karma to thank DAD they were alive. Karma nodded and rung her hair out as well, running her fingers through it. They decided to sit for a second and recuperate, though neither of them spoke. Karma thanked her Met for saving her. This was just one of the many times he risked his life to save hers. But this time, Ludwig had broken down into tears. Maybe this "Metbond" thing was beggining to be more important to him...
Ludwig poofed
his hair up to it's original stature, and rubbed his forehead. He was bleeding
a bit from when he, Mario, and Luigi collided with the door. Karma took
notice and rubbed his head, cleaning him off. She remarked on the bravery
he showed when saving her, and rewarded him a kiss on the cheek.
Ludwig turned
red and scratched the back of his head, smirking. After a minute's worth
of silence, they grabbed the two beds and walked back outside to see that
the storm had gotten easier. Both of them sighed in relief, and tightened
the grips on the beds as they traveled back.
Back downstairs, Doopliss and Popple still weren't talking. As Popple continued to twirl the hat, Doopliss finally lost it and grabbed the hat, startling Popple. The sheet looked at him with a rotten face, asking him why he was so cold towards the Marios. Popple shook his head, and said he wasn't cold, he just didn't trust them. Doopliss cut his eyes and threw the hat on the ground, making Popple shuffle towards it like a magnet. The sheet was particularly mad at this. How could he put greed before Bean nature? It just... wasn't natural.
About ten minutes later, Ludwig and Karma returned with the beds. Nobody spoke to Popple, since he was still mad at Karma and Ludwig for bringing the Bros. inside. The two rested the beds, but there wasn't enough for each of them. Doopliss decided that they draw straws to see who gets the bed, and he produced four straws. Whoever got the shorter ones got no bed.
After the four drew, Popple and Ludwig had gotten the beds. The prince just plopped onto the bed and fell asleep, snoring loudly. For Popple, it was different. He still was a bit mad at them all for their swift judgement on him. He sat in bed as the remaining theives nodded off. Popple sat on his bedside, looking at the Marios.
His eyes first fell on Luigi, the younger brother. He had bruises from when he collided with the pipe, and many slices, very thin. Popple deduced the were from thorns, since they were very long. His face boasted a clean slice across his upper cheek and down to his chin. Popple winced at it, knowing that was probably his own fault when Luigi jumped at him and he launched himself into the stairs. His body appeared battered and broken, and twisted into an unnatural shape. Popple could relate. He remembered when he fell off the Beanstar at about 100 miles into the air, and having his body mangled when he impacted the ground like a meteor.
The Shadow Theif then turned his attention to Mario, the older and bigger brother. His head was all wet from the rains since he had no cap. His mustachioed face boasted alot of lost blood, since it was drenched with it. Popple looked at his chest and gasped quietly, seeing the damage Karma inflicted. His whole chest was wet from blood as it seeped down his pantlegs. Popple shuddered and rubbed his eyes, and looked back at Mario. He saw his right glove was torn off, revealing his hand. It was covered in a big bruise, making his hand look like a black and blue raisin. The Shadow Theif finally let the guilt take him as he lifted from bed.
Knowing he probably didn't have the energy to lift Mario up, he merely pulled the plumber's head back and placed his pillow behind it. Popple had no problem dragging Luigi over to his bed and tucked him in. He stared at the Marios and laughed to himself. Before, he was threatening to kill them, but now he was being hospitable to them!
The guilty feeling had left him, but not entirely. He really couldn't really shake off what Karma had said earlier. He pulled the hat out of his pocket and and stared at it, followed by a heavy sigh. She was right. Killing two people wasn't worth any amount of money. It then struck him that he was getting soft. He clenched his teeth together like he was biting a bullet, and then flexed his hand in and out. Was this the reality? Was he truely as cold as they had implied? At that moment, Popple knew he had a reservation in oblivion, never to see the lights of heaven, or see the illustrious DAD... He frowned, and gripped the hat harder. It was... A minor inconvinence at best, Popple thought.
A few hours of sitting around, it was around 3:00 A.M. Yawning, Ludwig awoke from his slumber with a stomach ache from the chocolate pudding, and opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he saw was Luigi alseep on the bed where Popple once was. Ludwig jumped up and got on guard, expecting a fight. While shuffling around, he caught eye of Popple, sitting on the stairs. He lowered his guard and walked to him, unsure of what was going on. Popple noticed him and looked his way. Out of pure shame, he lowered his head and closed his eyes. Ludwig stood in front of him, all awake now. He asked Popple why Luigi was on his bed, and The Shadow Theif replied he wanted to make up for past deeds. Past deeds? Ludwig thought for a moment, and remembered Karma yelling at him. He nodded in approval, and Popple gave him a weak smile. He chuckled a bit as Ludwig retreated to bed. On his way back, he accidentally scuffed his foot on Mario's boot. Mario mumbled something, and slowly opened his eyes. Popple looked his way, and blinked a couple times. Mario got up and stared, trying to remember what happened. He saw Popple smile and flash his tomato-colored hat at him. Mario instantly knew where he was and drew into a deadly stance. Popple smiled and got up, opened his arms, signaling Mario to make a move. Ludwig looked back and saw Mario growling at Popple. His eyes widened, and his muscles tensed. He shook his head vigorously. No! He wasn't going to believe it! Mario would go so far as to kill Popple?!