A diamond hidden within the gray line

Chapter 101: Candymaker's departure, family bond and raw tension.

-Narration-

"Hey, it's ok..don't let him get to you!" Marx says after walking to max and putting his hand on his shoulder while bowser had already walked down the stairs and stared up at candymaker, who in turn, stared down at him. For bowser, it wasn't often that he had to look up at anyone and while it hardly bothered him, he still saw just how much damage candymaker truly had up close. "If only you were around back then...maybe mario would have been dealt with..." Bowser says with a growl while marx giggled for a moment. "After what max went through, i highly doubt that mario would do any better. Besides, their purpose has been realized, but i have feeling that they will remain here in a different way." Marx says in jovial tone, making it sound as if he knew something even the koopa king didn't.

-Bowser pov-

This zöhm punk has made this personal for far too long. Just watching max react like that was just..ugh, painful. As for candymaker...how i would have loved to use them to take mario down..however...as much as i hate to admit it...this thing probably wouldn't just stop with mario. Also, just what the hell is marx even talking about??

-Narration-

Aside from larry, the koopalings didn't dare get closer to candymaker. As for king boo...while he looked stoic, especially since he is still in his human like form, he is actually secretly horrified which is something that no being, alive or dead, or wherever candymaker is had ever accomplished before. Max on the other hand, simply stood up, and stood before candymaker who in turn, stared at him, but this time, with a calm stare that almost looked sad.

-Marx pov-

It took max quite a long time for him to finally get it, but i suppose it's better late than never! As for me, i can finally have my own purpose realized! However..i can't help but wonder about that barn...the one place i was never able to go to. What could possibly be in there?

-Max pov-

"Thank you..." Was all i could say to candymaker. I don't know why i felt the need to say that...who, or what, could have possibly sent them after me? Before i could even get lost in thought of wondering, i felt candymaker's hand gently touch my shoulder. The stare in their eyes...it almost seemed as if they're..proud of me even though they showed a bit of sadness.

Is..is my mind playing tricks on me, or..am i seeing that right?

-Narration-

Before anything could be said by anyone else, the smell of cotton candy became prevalent as a whirlwind of cotton candy envelopes candymaker's body which surprised max while it became windy for a few seconds before candymaker slowly vanished from this world, never to be seen again. While the wind died down, max felt a sudden wave of relief, but at the same time, all the guilt ha had been suppressing and ignoring had become impossible for him to hide. However, he had completely forgotten about everyone else as he looked around him. Everyone looked shocked and dumbfounded at how candymaker vanished the way they did.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!" Morton yelled in confusion. None of them, not even max who is nearly consumed with emotion, had ever seen anything like that before! However, before anyone could even answer, it became evident that max needed them at this moment. "Max.." Bowser walks up to him, seeing the emotion in his eyes. "What have i DONE..." Max finally answered after a few seconds of silence. The guilt of what had happened all those years ago had finally spilled out in the open while bowser quietly hugged max as all the koopalings walked down the stairs and some of them hugged max as he broke down in tears while in bowser's embrace.

-King boo pov-

And here i thought i had guilt...poor kid...seeing those images only made it worse! I slowly turn to baron, and saw the look on his face. The look of shame and regret is definitely there, and with mike's assumption that he practically made out of thin air...is there actually truth in it?