A Nutcracker and the Beast

Chapter 35: A Rat King Waits for an Invention

"What do you see, Madame Clairvoya?" Neville asks as he watches the crystal ball. The day had finally come to get an update on Luigi's future. Neville hoped it was good and nothing bad would happen within the next 49 days.

"I see good things..." Madame Clairvoya started, only having eyes on her crystal ball as Neville lit up to the sound of that news.

"What good things? Is he safe? Does King Boo get defeated? What is it?!" Neville asks, wanting to know what happened.

"Looks like our dear friend has fallen in love with the Koopa King. I see them dancing as a human and Koopa, and it looks like he breaks the curse or temporarily stops it. The Clockwork Soldiers have been stopped as well." Madame Clairvoya said as she looked, smiling as she kept going, "Luigi has grown to be his size again and he's going to confess to King Bowser at sunrise on one of these upcoming days."

"Delightful! Good things are finally happening, Madame Clairvoya! I must go tell him," Neville said as he was about to leave the room, but Madame Clairvoya's words stopped him.

"Do be careful, Neville. You must tell King Boo first of what is to come." Madame Clairvoya warned him. Watching as he turned to face her again.

"I know. I'll let him know of the 'bad news' that Luigi is still out of reach. Then I'lll go and let Luigi know." Nevile rescues her. Leaving her in her room as she wandered away from her crystal ball, not knowing that Grimmly watched from the shadows. Grimmly soon follows after Neville as the crystal ball future turns from delight to horrors that wait to unfold.

Neville had to turn his cheerful attitude to a gloomy one as he made his way to King Boo's room. He had to make sure that this plan stayed the same, not letting the future change like he made it change last week. When he made it to King Boo's room, he took a deep breath. As he opened the door, he saw all the Boo there, floating and laughing as King Boo sat in a lounge. Neville floated over to him, the Boos giggled, leaving in the room till it was just King Boo and him.

"My King," Neville said as he bowed. Watching King Boo as he drinks his wine. He had been calm, not in a hurry these last few days. At first, Neville thought that something was off, but King Boo told him that he was just waiting. After all, Grimmly had yet to come back, and King Boo wanted this plan to work, so he's playing it safe for now. Yet, Neville knew that it would be his downfall.

"Neville, please tell me you bring me some good news." King boo said in a bored and tired voice. Waving his now empty wine glass as he waits to hear what Neville will say.

"Sadly, I have none, My King. Luigi is still with Bowser and in his castle." Neville lied to King Boo, who let out an annoyed sigh as he got up. He fluted over to his little table, where he kept his wine, and poured another cup.

"Shame. What about the Koopas we sent?" King Boo asks as he puts the bottle down. He took a sip of his drink, his back still toward Neille.

"No more have yet to be found.'' This put a sinner smile on King Boo's face. King Boo turned to the side so he could see Neville out of the corner of his eyes.

"Good, if that's all you can leave." King Boo said, that sinner's smile never leaving as Neville bowed and shortly left. King Boo soon hears the slight cough of a scared man. Grimmly had come out of the dark, his hands holding on to the brim of his coat as he waited for King Boo to speak to him.

"Grimmly," King Boo started as he floated over to the hermit. Slowly getting close to his face as if he was about to make a threat, he only asked, "What did she really see?"

"She saw that Luigi had fallen in love with King Bowser and how he was dancing with him as a human. She may think that he broke the spell or at least put a temp stop to it. She also mentions how they stopped the Clockwork Soldiers and how Luigi confessed his love to King Bower," Grimmly said. This set King Boo off; to think that Luigi would have fallen in love with a beast he had created made his blood boil. After all, King Boo made Bowser into the monster he was, the villain that would start wars and destroy the connections his kingdom had made. Ruin and drain the power the Darkland once held, all in the name of overthrowing that love-sick fool. Now, that love-sick fool took what belonged to him, and he wasn't going to let him have it. King Boo floated away from Grimmly, taking a deep breath in before letting it out. He could wait a bit to destroy this little romance; right now, he needs to make sure his spy didn't get caught.