A diamond hidden within the gray line

Chapter 46: Heated conversation and future uncertainty.

-Narration-

Ludwig raced up the stairs, panicking due the fact that kooky may come out, but quickly found that wasn't the case. Instead, ludwig felt as if that, while kooky is indeed very angry, he is also in shock. "I never thought my past would arise again...especially now." Kooky mutters as ludwig enters his room. "You need to explain, kooky. Why are you suddenly interested in what's happening?" Ludwig asks him as he looks at his dresser mirror. Who he sees is not only himself, but kooky as well who looks a lot like ludwig, but has messy hair.

Ludwig's room is straight out of gentleman's bedroom from the 1800's that has a plush carpet and has a grand piano close to his king sized bed with classic white sheets. He also had blue curtains to cover on his windows, and his walls had been painted during which he believes that his room is classiest, even though he assumed his room is considered the third biggest.

"Oh, i was interested in what was going on. I just wanted to see how it would all play out...the fact that max went to the ancestral plane...those visions...i never would have surmised that max could be.." Kooky says, before trailing off. "Could be what? Kooky, what are you saying??" Ludwig had a hard time understanding what kooky is taking about. "I wish to talk to max." Kooky answers.

"But..why? You're not gonna try to attack him are you?" Ludwig quickly asked. "Do you really think you can stop this from happening? I am far older than you, boy." Kooky says to ludwig with an agitated grunt that shocked ludwig to his core. "Just..just trust me." Kooky utters. "When would you want to speak with him?" Ludwig asks, unsure of what kooky's motive is.

-Ludwig pov-

He's...older than me? Why has he never said that me before?! I have have known him all of my life...he's been there to at least comfort me when i was young, and his influence has helped with a lot of ideas to help defeat mario...some of which had come close to actually beating him, but never succeeded! But now? This is something that i have never once seen from kooky. Could he..could he actually be from the ancient past and never told me?!

-Kooky pov-

So..after so many years..it is all coming back to the surface. I kept quiet about it out of shame, but i cannot do so any longer. I knew one day this would one day happen, and the fact that the von ghoul family and the magishadow were mentioned...i knew. I knew that i could no longer hide, but i chose to keep quiet in hopes that it would not be dragged out any further. I was wrong, and now all the painful moments of the past are about to be revealed. I have held my anger in for so long, and took it out on ludwig's family to alleviate myself from the pain...the shame...the guilt of not being able to save those kids...but it was only for a temporary moment.

Perhaps...with max...there is a chance?

-Ludwig pov-

"If what has been said is all true, then...surely you know who marx is, correct?" I ask him, believing that since marx seems to know what's going on, then surely kooky must know! "I have no memory of him ever existing. This marx creature is new to me." Kooky responds. Impossible...i can't believe it...they never met? It's quite obvious that marx has no malicious intent towards max, but i will always have my eye on him. "That is for me to decide. But do me a favor...don't be surprised if i have let out aggressive anger towards max." Kooky says, giving a blunt answer first, before giving the indication that max's eventual encounter won't exactly be a pleasant one.

I am scared for max...kooky is known for being violent and sometimes verbally abusive towards others, but not with girls. Sure, he might yell at them, but he's never physically attacked them. I'm just thankful that mario has never had to deal with him. Not that i give a damn about him...i would much rather see dad beat him than kooky.

-Narration-

Just outside ludwig's door max had just set door on the second floor when he hears ludwig and someone else talking. "Who is that..?" Max wonders, but didn't stand there long when bowser had arrived with junior in his arms who is already fast asleep. "You can hear them talking can you?" Bowser asks. "Yeah..but how is it that i have never met him?" Max asks. "It's..difficult to explain. But i have no doubt that you will encounter him at some point." Bowser says to max, worried about his safety.

-Max pov-

I don't like where this is going. Whoever this kooky person is, he seems to be someone i have never physically met. I better make sure i'm prepared for this meeting.

-Bowser pov-

It's a good thing that my son's room is close to my room...he's always wanted to be close with me, and he always wanted to be just like his old man. As for max? I now worry about him. Even more so when it's inevitable that he and kooky will meet. Kooky can be rather violent at times...he's even tried to to attack me once! None of which max is aware of. What's worse is the thought that the dark star  seems to be  playing a sick mind game with him...playing on his emotions...i will have answers, and i WILL have them soon rather than later!

-Narration-

"Good night, kiddo." Bowser says before walking up to the third floor. "Good night." Max says before walking to his room. He is very wary of a lot of things. One being xaczxar and the vision he has seen, whether or not the dark star is playing mind games with him, and finally, the one about kooky. He has no idea what will happen, no idea what to expect from tomorrow, and now he has no idea what the concealment spell has ultimately done to him aside from him no longer being human.

For now, all he can do is get some sleep...he will need it knowing that the uncertainty he and his family will start to finally unravel.