Heartburn

The Meeting

Bowser was sitting on his throne, menacingly, his eyebrows furrowed in thought. 

 "Sire?" He heard a timid voice coming from somewhere shrouded in the darkness of the throne room. He rolled his eyes.

"What? What do you want?"He glared at the figure, it shrunk back.

"There's- uh- someone here to see you-"

"WHO?!"He shouted. He obviously wasn't in any sort of mood for this.

"L-luigi, sire."

"The green one?"

"Yes, sire."

"Okay. Bring him in." Kamek scuttled off in the direction of the entrance. Bowser decided he wouldn't pass up another chance to beat one of them up, even if he'd already lost. He thought he should've felt angry, but- something about this wasn't anger-inducing. Leaning back in his throne, he let out a sigh that echoed throughout the stone walls of the chamber.

***

"Man, is this even a good idea? Maybe I should have listened to Mario..."

"Oh god oh god..."I muttered. Kamek pushed open the heavy stone doors and Luigi walked inside the throne room, slightly shivering There he was, scales and all. Luigi's heart sped up. Before he could say anything, Bowser spoke in his booming voice.

"Why are you here." He wasn't being inquisitive, he wanted an answer. And he was intimidating. Luigi decided to just go for it. Miraculously, he didn't even stutter. He took a deep breath in, and started talking.

"Look. I know I defeated you, and you tried to sacrifice me and all, but I thought- maybe we could try to work it out? I don't want to leave you like this, you haven't been trying to take over for a month." The Koopa king looked stunned, but shook it off.

"I mean, uh, if you want to. I'm just trying to help people here." Bowser chuckled.

 "What could you possibly offer me to convince me of this?" He spoke in a calm and collected manner. "And why, of all people, are you trying to make up with me? Your brother is my sworn enemy."

"I- I really don't know... but I feel like there's more to you than this." Bowser seemed surprised, and maybe something else- for a second, but he snapped out of it, and unfortunately, got mad.

"Listen here, green bean. I am the king of the Koopas. I am feared, and will always be. There is nothing you can do to change that. You're either with me, or against me."

Luigi froze.

"Now GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

He ran off clumsily, Kamek escorting him out of the castle.