The beginning of this chapter has implications of a...negative kind. Reader's descrestion is advised.
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-Narration-
For a few seconds, everyone remains silent aside from kooky angry breathing. Max on the other hand, felt as if something had clicked within his mind even though he now has a black eye. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!" Kooky screams as max slowly sat back up. He wasn't pissed at being punched, which would more than likely piss roy off for sure, but not max. If anything...that one punch triggered memories that flooded his mind. Of pico's...HIS memories. "...Do you have any what YOU'VE done?" Max retorted which caught everyone except for baron off guard.
"You honestly think punching me is gonna make me suddenly remember that i have to be like YOU? An ass kisser who is stuck in the old way of living? Tell me, is living in the shadows worth living for?" Max had a look in his eyes that could unsettled anyone, but not kooky. "OH HERE WE GO AGAIN!! AFTER ALL THIS TIME, YOU STILL THINK OUR FAMILY IS WASTING AWAY WHILE ALSO BEING DYSFUNCTIONAL?! NOTHING WAS EVER TRULY WRONG!!" Kooky yells, looking as if he was disgusted. "WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST HELP YOUR OWN FAMILY?!"
"HELP?! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO HELP WHEN NEARLY EVERY VON GHOUL WAS AT EACH OTHERS' THROATS?! SOME WERE SO INSISTENT IN REMAINING IN THE SHADOWS AND MAINTAINING THEIR OWN SNOOTY BELIEFS THAT THEY BECOME TWO FACED COWARDS! WHILE THE OTHER HALF WAS TIRED OF IT AND I WAS ONE OF THEM AND SOME WERE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER!! AND THEN THER'S THE ONES WHO WERE IN POINTLESS DENIAL!! ALWAYS DOWNPLAYING AND TURNING THEIR BACK ON THISE WHO WERE SUFFERING! AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID!!" Max yelling could be heard from outside even though no one was around....that they knew of.
Kooky's mouth was agape as max who looked at him with pure anger. His angry gaze hid the fact that max, while he looked horrified at the fact that he's remembering any of this, had truth in his words that he didn't like. "HOW DARE YOU?!?!?" He roared at max.
"Tell me. Did you even bother hearing the stories? Some consisted of others being abusive to their own family and while some von ghouls knew about it, they didn't do a damn thing. Shameful. Just shameful! There are other stories, but i can't even say them out loud knowing that they would rather talk about it themselves, and that's assuming that they want to talk. BUT, the one rumor i heard the most, is one that mentioned you knowing who my parents were at that time. I need to-" Max was quickly interrupted by kooky who became infuriated while everyone except baron just looked gobsmacked and possibly terrified when max started talking calmly.
"ENOUGH! i told you that i would tell you when you're ready." Kooky snapped. "IT'S BEEN ONE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND YEARS!!! I DESERVE TO KNOW!!" Max yelled before baron intervened. "That is enough..." Baron's tone of voice sounded almost horrifying that it made even max flinch.
"I won't have you two at each other's throats. Too much has happened and i cannot allow this to continue. Not when the magishadow and zöhm have become far too dangerous for anyone to deal with alone." Baron says with sigh while showing how disheartened he is.
-Kamek pov-
Baron von ghoul himself...in the flesh...and to hear kooky and max argue like that...to hear that the von ghoul family was dysfunctional...it couldn't be..no historical records i've come across has ever mentioned such a thing! Also..what other stories is he talking about..? He makes it sound as if we're better off not knowing...
-Bowser pov-
This is all too much for me to process...never have i ever seen ANYONE yell at kooky without them getting seriously hurt! Well, max did get a black eye, but that's besides the point! And..i never want to hear that baron guy talk like that ever again...
-Mike pov-
Yeesh...baron sounded terrifying just now...that hardly matters considering what kooky and max were yelling about! Max is pico, but..he hardly looks like him!
-Tyson pov-
Hm..a chill down my spine...not often that happens...
-Roy pov-
Max just got clobbered...HAH! I knew that it was only a matter of time, and i would be laughing my ass off if it weren't for all of us seeing max and kooky yelling at each other! And that guy...ugh, how creepy can he get?
-Iggy-
Ehhh...i know i can sound 'creepy' as others say, but this guy just took it on a whole other level! Besides, i can't believe all max got was a black eye knowing that kooky would do a lot worse!
-Wendy pov-
I'm..too freaked out to like, say anything...
-Lemmy pov-
That guys' voice just now...that sounded like a nightmare...
-Morton pov-
Geez...this day keeps getting crazier and weirder by the minute...
-Larry pov-
...I never...EVER want to hear that guy talk like that again...
-Junior pov-
First, we see his king boo guy in a whole different form getting his ass kicked by max, and now THIS?! Rrrgh! Why is it always max who gets to be in the middle?!
-Narration-
"...You knew what xaczxar was...didn't you? You took him in even you knew what zöhm did to him...right?" Kooky asked max who remained quiet. "...When i first met him, no. I just knew that he didn't deserve to be alone which is why i brought him here. He deserved better. What i do know, is that...i knew it was him when he..." Max trailed off hoping in vain that he didn't have to say it, but knew that it was inevitable.
"Max..? What are you trying to say?" Mike asked max while bowser looked both confused and annoyed. "That third time...i saw his eyes go from pure glowing red, to red eyes that looked as if they were glowing for a brief moment. Dark bowser and xaczxar...they are the same person." Max answered reluctantly.
"W-WHAT? But..HOW?! Are you sure of this?!" Kamek screeched while bowser looked completely dumbfounded while trying to hide the fact that he's pissed. "I am. I don't know how or why he looks like dad, which i assume that was when the 'dark star' incident happened, but i never wanted to say anything because i knew that it would make things far more complicated!" Max says with a sigh while the koopalings all looked uncomfortable and shocked upon hearing this.
-Bowser pov-
How...HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!?!? I can't believe this...max KNEW and said NOTHING?! Ohh, as much as i wanna wring his neck, i can see that this does make things complicated...especially for me considering that it's without question that this xaczxar was...just a kid? DOES THIS MEAN THAT I WAS FIGHTING A KID THAT WHOLE TIME?!
-Mike pov-
I knew it...i KNEW that max was lying, but he didn't lie just because he could. He knew that this would make things far more complicated not just for him, but for everyone else, and i can't say i blame him...
-Narration-
Before anyone else could question what max just said, roy suddenly became agitated. "Can we JUST see what this letter says?!" Roy says almost shouting impatiently. "Yes, i want to read this letter too..." Bowser says just as max slowly got to his feet. "Where are you going?" Mike asked him who began to walk off. "To what was once my room..." Max says gloomily as he walks towards a nearby staircase and slowly walks up the stairs. "Such drama...never have i expected this!" King boo says with a chuckle after being silent for a long while. "Yeah? Well -I- never expected to see you in this...form of yours and watched you get your ass kicked!" Bowser quickly says to him which made king boo growl. "Quiet, you.."
-Kooky pov-
Ugh..i was always told that i was hotheaded by pico...i can't believe that i'm agreeing with him for once even though he physically looks so different. I'm beyond glad that i don't have to hold back as well. "I'll let ludwig be in control...just..ugh! I've had enough for one day..." I say angrily before i let ludwig gain control. This day has become infuriating..and painful.
-Narration-
As soon as ludwig became himself again, he looked a little disoriented and worried. "He's never pulled that before...please tell me didn't do anything bad..." Ludwig muttered before looking worried. "There's..a lot you gotta know..." Larry says nervously while Mike walked up to bowser with the letter in hand that he himself just read while roy was more interested with the letter.
"FINALLY. Let's see what this damn letter says..." Bowser grumbles as he almost snatches the letter from mike's hands. What he wasn't aware of, is that the letter he's about to read, will ultimately lead to heartache.