Love in the Oddest Places (bowuigi story)

Chapter 1: Taken Prisoner

Fire roared around him. The Koopa Army cackled and roared around Luigi, shaking their weapons; blue magic swirled between them. The arena was scorching with heat as the lava pool bubbled in the distance. Luigi whimpered as he was pulled along by the guards, these short creatures wearing red cloaks and white masks; he felt like he was in a gladiator arena. The army gathered in a massive circle around him, and the king's throne sat on the end; it was a massive pillar of obsidian with scarlet red banners hanging from each side. A yank on his chain forced Luigi to look up. The human choked back a scream.

There he was.

The Koopa King sat on his throne, crimson eyes staring intently at him. Luigi's mind struggled to comprehend the sight. A towering figure of pure muscle, protected by a green, spiked shell; razor-sharp fangs glimmered in his draconic muzzle. Flaming red hair sprouted from the king's head neatly swept back between a set of horns. Luigi audibly gulped, feeling his skin crawl; if he could, he would be moving away from the massive Koopa's gaze. The cloaked guards pulled him until he was mere feet away from their leader, causing the already frenzied crowd to become even more unruly.

"Silence."

The king's booming voice instantaneously stopped the chaos around them. The koopas and other creatures stood up straight, their weapons in the air as a salute. Luigi was both terrified and impressed at this. After all, what kind of king could have such a hold on his people that they would stand at attention with such fluidity? Not even the military back home could boast such a feat! Luigi tried to control his trembling, but it was useless. The dragon-like Koopa huffed, almost like he was bored, then slid off his throne; the ground softly shook with each step.

Thump, thump, thump...

Luigi could not even tell if the sound was from his racing heart or the beast's footsteps. What has he gotten himself into? One minute he was home, in Brooklyn, going about a day's work, and the next he was running for his life through a fiery landscape as he is being chased by skeletons! Luigi did not even stop to hesitate when he broke into that castle, did not stop to think of whom it may belong to, and now he was paying the price. All he could hope for is that his brother could come for him.

A sudden blast of heat startled Luigi from his thoughts. Visibly trembling, he locked eyes with the frightening Koopa King. Never in his life has he felt so small. The powerful king had to be almost eight feet tall; a mountain of shimmering yellow scales decorated with black spiked accessories. The guard beside him saluted. "King Bowser, we caught this intruder in the west wing! His resemblance is uncanny to that of the human in the Mushroom Kingdom!"

A growl escaped the king. "Does he now?"

Luigi gulped again. Maybe he should say something? Perhaps, he could finesse his way out of this situation or at least escape the lava pit that was surely waiting for me. Honestly, Luigi had no idea what he got into. All this kingdom drama was giving him a massive headache.

"I wouldn't be daydreaming if I was you right now."

Luigi yelped and took a step back, startled by the fact he was being addressed directly. The man in green mumbled something incoherent, causing the king to raise a bushy eyebrow. He raised a hand and lifted his chin with a clawed finger. "Not sure if you know who I am," he said. "But I'm about to rule the world."

Luigi chuckled nervously. "Wow uh... Hehe... Yay?"

An invisible force lifted him upwards, the claw beneath his chin dug deeper into his skin. Bowser slowly moved his hand away, his knuckles rubbing against Luigi's cheek before grabbing the end of his mustache gingerly. "But there's one problem. There's a human, has a mustache. Just. Like. You." He growled, pulling ever so slightly.