Dreams Come True

Dry As A Desert

We all stared silently at the skeletal turtle dragon, the wind picking up as the seconds ticked on. Those of us with hair had it whip behind us, the words from the undead koopa ringing in our heads. I let out a quiet whimper, and the adults carefully shuffled me and the other kids behind them in a weak form of protection. Jenny, Ralph and Galacta were at the front of the group, glaring Dry Bowser down.

"I know Bowser", Ralph snarled, balling his fist as tightly as he could. "You aren't him, so I don't get why you call yourself that, you living fossil."

Dry Bowser laughed, sending a chill up my spine. "But I am him. In the game I was introduced in, I am the result of Super Mario sending his eternal rival into the same pool of lava. Only that one time melted the flesh from his body, the koopa king clawing for freedom. But he couldn't escape, and I was the result."

Most of the others, especially those who knew Bowser, looked faint at the image that formed. "You're horrible..." Majima growled, trying to keep himself from getting sick.

"But it's the truth!" Dry Bowser flailed his wand around dangerously, and as it sparked most of us flinched. "I was just second fiddle to my living counterpart, to the point I was just relegated as his clone when we played sports or raced. I was always in his shadow, despite being a massive reason as to why King Koopa didn't fade into obscurity!"

Merida scoffed. "Sounds like you just have a wee' bit too big of an ego there, Dry Skin. You ain't all that important. If you were, Caleb would have told us by now!"

The dragon gave me a flat look, and shifted his skull so he could smirk. "Please. That boy is much too terrified to say a thing. Plus, he knows I'm not to be trifled with. One thing you should know about us skeletons...

"WE CAN'T BE KILLED." The clouds became pitch black, only the glowing blue flames from Dry's eyes and mouth giving off any light as he spoke those dreadful words. I saw the adults all tense, but they didn't back down.

"Sure you are", Star said in a snarky tone. She peered around Maria, shooting the skeleton a glare. "If you hadn't noticed, we've got guys on our side who're way stronger than you. So if you make a move, you're done."

Dry Bowser chuckled sinisterly. "You say that, yet this world has made me just as dangerous." He lifted his wand, and it sparkled with energy. "This wand has given me all I need, such as building a duplicate... what do you call it? TARDIS?"

He gestured at the red TARDIS look-alike, and I shivered.

"Okay, but how did you know about this?" The Doctor asked. "I've never seen you at all. And even if you were from another universe, how did you know about the TARDIS?"

A villainous look flashed over Dry's face. "I was dumped off in a time that knew all about you, Doctor. A place that was so defenceless it was almost too easy to extract all the information I needed."

The Doctor's face shifted from a determined glare to horror. "Who? Who did you find?"

"The Face Of Boe", the skeleton said casually as he examined his claws. "He knew I wasn't supposed to be there, and I would be more than willing to mess with time by killing him before he could tell you his last secret. So he spilled and squealed like a coward, and I learned all that I needed."

The Doctor suddenly washed over in pure rage and stomped over to Dry. "You have no right to mess with the people I love! You don't-" He completely froze when Dry aimed his wand right at him.

"I can take away all your regenerating powers, Doctor", Dry said flatly. "And with my own TARDIS, I can go and kill each and every past incarnation of you one by one. So you'll step back, and shut up."