A diamond hidden within the gray line

Chapter 24: Roy's rage max's acceptance and fawful's blunder.

-Roy pov-

*Thump thump...thump thump...thump thump*

I can hear my heart beating while i just stood there, looking down at max as he was trying to say something and gasping for air while dad and junior, who is still in that weird shadow form of mario, looked on in horror. We have dealt with crazy shit before, especially when it comes to mario...but this? Watching my brother take the hit in my place after appearing out of flash of light that appeared out of nowhere? This is different...

*Thump thump...thump thump...thump thump.*

What is this? "Fawful may have chortles, but i'm also having the confusion...why does everyone have the caring of a nobody? A human?" I heard fawful say while iggy, and kamek came rushing in. I should be glad that my shades are on simply because it hides a lot of emotion...but as i clenched my fists...i just...didn't care about my shades...i'm..i'm gonna...

-Narration-

Bowser was about to go into a rage, had it not been for roy clenching his fists and growling. "You...YOU..." He started saying as a red outline appears on his body, which came as a shock to even fawful. "YOU FUCKING PIPSQUEAK!!" He yells, which is loud enough for the entire parking lot to hear him. If it weren't for roy's shades, everyone close by would be seeing the ominously glowing whites of his eyes. However, his skin didn't darken nor did the weather become stormy. "Fawful has surprise..." He utters, who had never even seen roy like this before.

    Nobody has.

-Bowser pov-

Roy...now he has it? At least it's not dark fury, which is a sigh of relief, especially since it's not becoming stormy, but...could this be the lesser variant of it? Is this form something i have? As for max...one moment he's standing away from fawful and roy. and the next moment he suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of roy, who is now growling in a furious rage. I..shit..i have no idea what i should do...

-Junior pov-

R-roy..? What's happening to him?! This is just insane...no one, not even the other koopalings has ever pissed roy off like this before!

-Mike pov-

No way...i've heard that roy can be protective of his family even though he's never openly admitted it, but this? Great arceus...this is crazy! But what's even crazier, is the fact that max appeared out of nowhere in front of roy to take the hit for him...just what in the hell was that brief flash of light?!

-Iggy pov-

I've seen roy angry before...i-it's scary. But no one has ever seen roy like this, and i'm...i'm frightened, yet i'm so glad it's not directed at me....

-Ludwig pov-

Though i'm the closest to see what is happening, even i must admit that hearing roy yell like that is far from normal. It was not until i ran up to the scene that i saw it. Roy had that red outline on his body...and max is on his knees and had what looked to be a deadly injury considering the blood in front of him. And...fawful? Hmph..why is he here?! But the bigger question, is what the hell is happening to roy? And junior..in that shadow form he always claims he can turn into. My, my..so this is shadow mario? How interesting...

-Kamek pov-

This is getting out of hand...most of the magishadow have been dealt with, and with minor injury to almost everyone except max. But this? This has instantly become worse than even i could've imagined!

-Narration-

The rest of the koopalings are all finding their way back once they heard roy's angry roar, who is getting ready to stomp towards a stunned fawful. "I'M GONNA..-" He yells, who is about to charge towards fawful until max gently grabbed his arm. "S-stop..." Max says weakly, finally able to speak as marx looked on, eagerly awaiting what he believed was going to happen. "Come on...say it..." Marx caught himself saying quietly, who is watching on top of a silver 2009 nissan altima nearby. "M-max?" Roy uttered, who was in a state of furious rage and about to tear fawful apart, is instantly brought out of it the moment max put his hand on him.

"It's ok...i..i got this..." Max says, who to everyone's amazement, began to slowly get up.

"You think you can do the fighting with me? Looking like that? You are the dying like a wilting flower!" Fawful says with a triumph grin. "Wrong...i'm far from dead...especially when..i accept." He says, looking at fawful with the look of intensity before raising his right arm, seeing the same cracks, but this time...they were glowing. "They're back..and it doesn't hurt..." He says with a relived smile, as roy backs away from max. "Woah..um..what's happening to him?!" Roy practically demanded in shocked surprise. "I have curiosity! What a sudden turn!" Fawful says, before he sees junior, but mistakenly thinks that mario has arrived.

"You...mustache that is mario...FINK RAT!!" He says before screaming at 'mario', who looked at fawful with a death stare.

"Your fight is with me, fawful." Max says as his voice started to sound echoey as the clouds began to look like storm clouds. "All of you, get out of here! NOW!" Bowser demanded as kamek gets roy, iggy, ludwig and junior who had been too stunned to move base on what he's seen to stay back far enough to not get in the way. "I'm staying! I need to see this!" Mike responds as bowser looks down at him with a nod. "I understand now...all of the subtle nudges my family were giving...i guess they knew long before i did. Even my stepdad knew." Max says, as more cracks formed all over his body, but this time, each crack began to glow brightly.

-Bowser pov-

He's..he's breaking the concealment spell! At last, he's done it! But why..why is his dark fury form coming out? It's also so strange that these cracks are glowing...is that a good sign? It has to be...right?

-Mike pov-

I won't leave max. This is a very personal experience for me. To watch max break this spell that had been placed on him is definitely a major achievement for him. And to this dark fury form...it looks like i'll be seeing it for the first time!

-Kamek pov-

He did it...the spell is broken. But the danger is far from over. And judging from these storm clouds...it's about to get worse!

-Narration-

"I may never know what caused the roaring hurricane to happen, but i now realize...i'm far from human." Max looked up at the forming storm clouds as it began to rain while the cracks suddenly shatter and max's entire body shines brightly while fawful laughed like a manic psycho. "'Roaring hurricane'? That is a new one! Especially since the roaring of the hurricane was none other than bowser himself after i tricked him into inhaling any and all! Fawful has amazement to the fact that max wasn't the inhaled! But now? FAWFUL HAS..-" Fawful began to yell before nearly getting hit by marx's giant lollipop weapon, who appeared out of nowhere. "Shutting up to do. Seriously, shut up!" Marx says in annoyed tone, as fawful was in total shock that a white teddy bear with a strap on its body just tried to crush him. "You shouldn't have said that, fawful!" Mike says to him, who was struggling to not take his katana and cut fawful down right then there. "A teddy bear..?" Fawful utters in disbelief.

-Bowser pov-

Marx...he's been here the whole time?! I guess the bloody mess i saw was his doing then...but a giant lollipop? SERIOUSLY?! That's his weapon of choice?! This guy is just so weird. That, and i -HATE- that memory. Mainly because max was actually nearby during that time and...while it probably wouldn't have bothered me then, it certainly does now...but seeing fawful getting what he deserves will cheer me up!

-Mike pov-

Fawful. Is. the one. Who CAUSED IT?! He made max suffer without realizing the consequences! Oh, he's lucky i'm refraining to use vorpal slash on him...only because i think max will end up taking him down!

-Narration-

It began to rain and thunder as the bright light from max's body slowly dissolved, as mike, bowser, marx, fawful, and everyone else that is watching saw for themselves what the light was hiding. "I have panic..." Fawful says with a whimper, who now realizes far too late that he shouldn't have said what he was bragging about.