Sing for me {SMB BowserxOC}

Chapter 18 - The Decision

Chapter 18 - The Decision

Cinder didn't know exactly where she was going. Walking through the vast corridors of the castle, she was killing time, looking for something to do since she had been left alone. The day before, Bowser had ordered his army to prepare for a confrontation with Princess Peach on the way to the kingdom of Beanbean. The castle had begun a descent to the ground this morning, just after flying north most of the night to arrive in time to challenge the princess. This landing had lasted barely ten minutes, very little time according to Cinder who feared that this face to face encounter had ended very badly. After that, the castle had risen again and she hadn't heard anything about Bowser all day. She just hoped that he had followed her advice to the letter or his anger might do some serious damage... She didn't dare to imagine it, just as she didn't want to see his dejection after a refusal.

Now she was wandering without really knowing where she was going... Completely alone in these corridors. Somewhere above her, probably on the central platform, she could hear music. She remembered hearing this kind of music in the past, especially when she arrived in this castle the very first time, when Bowser ordered her to sing in front of everyone. Festive music, were they celebrating something up there? She asked herself as she continued to walk with a pensive expression. It was strange to see how deserted the corridors were when usually there were Goombas but also Koopas guards or some Spiny passing by. Apparently, they were all on the central platform to celebrate something in particular.

Glancing at one of the windows on her left, Cinder saw that the sun was setting on the horizon. Strangely, there were fewer of those black storm clouds levitating around the flying castle, allowing her to get a brief glimpse of the world below. It was incredibly big! There were huge towers in the distance shrouded in a thick white mist that made it impossible to see the ground. Was this what the kingdom of Beanbean looked like? Cinder had seen almost nothing of these worlds, so she could only imagine what they might look like.

For a few minutes, she admired the landscape that passed before her at a cruising speed. It had been so long since she had seen the sun... The rays were warming her skin, creating a feeling of bliss in her heart that had been fickle lately. She realized that something was wrong with her, with her feelings, but she didn't understand why. What was wrong with her exactly. Was she depressed? In a way, it seemed so. She had been in a sullen mood for the past few days and this gloom was affirmed when she found herself alone with her thoughts. Her mind was always occupied by a certain giant Koopa who had an angry temperament but who also had a surprising gentleness hidden deep inside.

Behind this famous shell.

Her smile gradually faded from her face as a small frown changed her features. This pressure in her heart was real, almost distressing... She had developed feelings for King Koopa that were not even reciprocated, and this reality was very painful to accept. She had only realized it when the two of them were just practicing in the basement, after Bowser had declared his love with Peach in mind. The tenderness in his deep voice, the sweetness of his words, his ember eyes and his heart-melting smile... At that very moment, she had understood that she had fallen in love with him. The great and evil King of the Koopas, one of the most feared beings in the universe, who was actually a very touching person. Someone capable of loving, just misunderstood. But unfortunately, the heart of the fire-breathing turtle was already taken by another who didn't even love him back...

Junior was right to say that the world was really cruel sometimes. And then she would never compete with a princess, she knew she had no chance. A disillusionment that amplified the feeling of despair she felt every time she thought about it.

Grieved, Cinder moved away from the window with a sigh to start wandering the empty hallway again, playing thoughtfully with the bottom of her maid's dress. Humming a melancholic melody, she quickly lost herself in her thoughts. The sorrow engraved on her pretty face. She continued to strut like this for long minutes listening to the muffled sound of rock'n'roll music played by the Koopas musicians. Someone was singing, she could hear a male voice as she soon reached the next intersection. Not far from Bowser's room. The woman spun around slowly as she lost herself in her own notes accompanied by the muted music. Then suddenly, she opened her eyes to stop dead in her tracks.