A diamond hidden within the gray line

Chapter 30: Mike's grief and rylie's arrival.

-Narration-

Bowser, who was is wearing a now disheveled maua lani spooner kloth tailored shirt, a watch on his wrist, and gray shorts sat next to mike, and could easily see that the pikachu, who wore a blue champion jersey tank top and tan short cargo pants, looked very tense. "You ok?" Bowser asked. "Y-yeah..i'm just..so glad max is ok..." Mike says, stammering a bit. "Look, mike. He'll be fine. I can tell you care for him, and so does everyone one of us." Bowser says, putting his hand on mike's shoulder. "I-know..it's just...it would've..b-been..." Mike stammered again before bursting into tears. "H-hey! Mike, it's alright...it would've been like what?" Bowser asked him, who was caught completely by surprise.

"If max died..it would've been like losing my parents all over again..." Mike says as he looks down.

-Bowser pov-

I just sat there in stunned silence for a moment. "What..? W-wait..what happened to them?" I asked him in shock. I had no idea his parents are dead. Then again...me and my kids have never asked, and i only knew a small bit of info about them up until now. "They were murdered...right in front of me fifteen years ago. Guys in hooded robes similar to the ones we saw killed them because of whatever information my dad got ahold of. I would've been killed too had it not been for me electrocuting the absolute hell out of them. It didn't kill them, but they left me to die thinking that i used up all of my energy.

Luck had to be with me, because two koopas from koopa village who saw my thunder ended up finding me five minutes later and adopted me right then and there and were horrified when they saw my parents dead. The katana i have? That was my dad's...and i became a brawler in order to keep the guilt of me not being able to save my parents at bay...but it keeps coming back...it won't go away.." Mike explained to me, who bursts into tears once more as i saw a few others nearby, some koopa, a human or two watching nearby. All of them had sympathy in their eyes before quickly walking away when i glared at them. Except for one pokemon who sat there, but averted his gaze.

No wonder mike's close to max...he's an orphan too. Losing both parents is a heavy blow. It has to be fate for these two to end up coming to my kingdom. First mike , and then max later on. As for me? Kamek once said to me that i should see a therapist who can help me deal with my...past. I quickly scoffed at the idea at the time thinking that it would never again come to haunt me and buried it deep down. But now? Hmm..maybe kamek's right, but it doesn't mean i'm gonna do so immediately.

"I wish the two koopas who found me would have come with me...but they're an older couple, and they considered koopa village as their forever home. I owe my life to them." Mike says while calming down. Ah..an older couple. I had no way of knowing if they're still around, and me going out of my way to find these two would definitely make me look suspicious to the mushroom kingdom.

Bweh..curse that truce. Even though i know it was for the best at the time, i actually find myself missing the days where i would always find ways to defeat mario. "I can promise this. If the magishadow were the ones who killed them...then..there will be hell to pay..." He utters. Grieving, and vowing for righteous vengeance...that last part is right up my alley, but while grieving? I have heard that it leads to tragedy...i may be seen as a 'evil' king, but even i believe that would only lead to madness. Perhaps...perhaps i can help mike understand that? Eugh..i am so glad that no one can hear my thoughts...the thought of me becoming a goody two shoes like mario makes me want to puke! However...i'm about to help max's best friend in a way that he'll never expect. Hmph..at least mario won't see this. Even if he did, i won't be judged by him or by greenie!

Before i could say anything else, a female koopa had arrived at the waiting room. "Excuse me? Is..is this where max is?" She asked me.

Wait..i know this one...

"You must be rylie, correct? I met you months ago." I tell her. "Oh? Ah, yes! I remember now...and to think that i once said you must be well known to max. I..had no idea you were the koopa king until i met kamek." She said to me sheepishly. WELL KNOWN? I am the king, how can she see me as 'well known'?! I give her a split second dour stare, but chuckled. "At least you didn't tell him i was king. That's something i wanted to do myself. I hate that it was done for me..." I say with a sigh, as mike had calmed down enough to at least be able to talk with her. "You didn't know he was actually a koopa, did you?" Mike asked her.

The look on her face, was as if she was seeing a huge bullet bill heading towards her.

"W-what? Hey gave no indication that he is a koopa. The fact that i'm hearing about this now, is news to me." She says to me. "Neither of us knew. Yet the moment i saw him, was the moment i knew he was more than just a human. I never imagined it would lead to this." I say to her. "You're free to wait with us. The koopalings and junior are currently seeing max right now." Mike offers. "O-of course." She says. I had the feeling that since everyone else hadn't come back yet, that roy most of all, would be in for a shock just like i was, but i had a sneaking hunch that he wouldn't at least be angry with max.. But there's no doubt that he will have questions.

Finding maximilian will definitely have to be a top priority when the time arises. I can't help but have questions as to what he's been doing all this time.

-Narration-

Ten minutes had passed since bowser and mike had talked with rylie arriving right at the end. What's going on in max's hospital room at this very moment, is now anyone's guess.