Third person! Massive storyline! Pissed off Canadian has returned from the blackness!

This story is derived from the storyline of my first true fanfic ever written, but it has been rewritten for obvious reasons. The storyline was forged one year ago, but the writing was done very recently. There's also going to be a massive plot twist that wasn't originally there!

If you haven't done so already, I suggest you read 'I'm Alone', as it's a backstory to Larry's event eight months prior. Read it if you want to find out why Larry acts the way he does in this story. Being one of the main characters, it's best to know all available information about him.

The Koopaling's can't recede into their shells in this story, which is completely contrary to canon. Reason being is that there's no biological way that they'd actually be able to fit – not to mention the structure of the shell itself. Take Lemmy for example: he could literally wear his shell as a hat, but apparently his head fits inside, along with his limbs and internal organs. Just doesn't make sense to me, so I'm leaving it out.

Shells aren't the only thing that's completely out of line with canon in this story. As far as characters' personalities go, I'm going to conform them to what's widely accepted but I may modify them to fit with the storyline.

There may be occurrences of some real-world objects making their way into this story, so any brand names/trademarks mentioned belong to their respective owners. I also don't own any of Nintendo's characters whom are mentioned/used.

Anyway, location is pretty standard, as suggested by the title. Mushroom Kingdom exists. Darkland exists – the usual.

What else is there to say about this story? Go ahead and read it!


Going to remind you again: if interested, read 'I'm Alone' before this one.
It's not required, but that story tells you a bit more about Larry.
Keep in mind that 'I'm Alone' is an older story, so the writing is more primitive. Don't let it put you off, though, as this story's much improved.


Mario and Luigi walked alongside one another through Frosted Glacier's brightly-lit sparse evergreen woodland. The air was cool and the breeze nonexistent. Their current location was well-known for its abundance of Ice Flowers. Mario was carrying a medium-sized leather duffel bag which was filling with the flowers; each one collected was placed inside. Mario and Luigi were frequent users of the plant which maintained its constant demand. The bag was weighing Mario down, though unnoticeably. He was highly capable of pulling his own weight along with some extra.

The brothers continued through the white-covered green woodland. Being the only ones in the vicinity, they had nothing to worry about; no one to get in their way as they continued along the trail which curved gently alongside an increasingly treacherous slope. The mountain curved to the right, obscuring much distance from view. The sun was bright: its rays reflecting off the snow-covered woods, creating a difficult visual situation. Despite the glare, both brothers continued along the trail in hopes of quickly filling their duffel bag.

Mario's main mission was to collect the Ice Flowers while Luigi maintained a heightened awareness of the surrounding environment – watching out for any hazards that could potentially complicate their simple task. The one keeping an eye peeled noticed something about the environment: he felt as if they weren't the only ones present. The subconscious thoughts weren't enough to concern the younger brother, allowing him to disregard them completely. Luigi continued along with Mario, though they were abruptly interrupted by a loud shriek which echoed all around. It came from no particular direction, though it seemed to be loudest from behind a large boulder that completely blocked the path in the distance.

The close brothers shockingly exchanged glances before quickening their step. Whatever – whoever made that sound was audibly distressed, calling for the heroes' immediate action. Mario dropped the bag of Ice Flowers to shed some weight before quickly bolting towards the obtrusive rock. They stopped directly beside it, being interrupted by multiple audibly-unstressed voices.

"Pass it over here!" one shouted: a friendly high-pitched voice which brought immediate recognition to both Mario and Luigi; they couldn't put a name on it, however. Mario and Luigi slowly faced each other through disbelief.

"I found it up here, so I should carry it back, smart one," another one interrupted: slightly deeper and considerably louder than the previous.

The bewildered brothers shared gazes momentarily, struggling to correlate names with the voices. They eavesdropped longer, and were reassuringly interrupted. A third voice broke the silence: a young male with no particular character. "Let's just get out of here now, guys. I don't want him to get us in trouble." He sounded somewhat worried which further intrigued the brothers. They continued listening: the first voice replied in a very calming tone; "He's not going to care if we're just a bit late. I know you're very scared of him, but I'll make sure he doesn't say anything to you."

"It's not that I'm scared of him; I just want to make it back home without a problem," the third one nervously added.

"There will be no problems," the originally arrogant voice objected, though this time non-arrogantly. "He's going to be happy to have that Starman in the end anyway. Don't worry about it."

"Let's just go back since we have the Starman," the first voice momentarily suggested. "Besides, I'm getting a bit cold up here."

"We can go into that cave and warm up for a few minutes before heading back," the second voice suggested.

The tiniest voice quietly agreed, barely audible to both eavesdropping brothers. They slowly turned towards each other, but were abruptly and quietly interrupted. "I'll just stay out here for a couple minutes... To look around."

"You sure, Larry? Just want to be alone for a minute?" The highest of the voices questioned. It momentarily continued; "Pass me your scepter, then. We can use it to warm up the cave during your absence."

"We'll see you when you come in," the slightly deeper voice added.

Both Mario and Luigi's jaws dropped simultaneously; they knew exactly what was occurring. The dumbfounded brothers' gazes met yet again, this time with the oldest one mouthing the name 'Larry Koopa'. Luigi slowly nodded with full recognition. The younger plumber hesitantly pointed towards the rock, signifying Larry's presence on the opposite side. "He's completely unarmed," Luigi silently whispered. Mario leaned in and nodded, excitedly whispering; "I can snatch him up without anyone knowing." Luigi nodded profusely in agreement. Mario then silently continued; "Get ready to hold him down."

Luigi agreed, and Mario slowly faced the rock. The shorter plumber stealthily crept around the boulder, taking a very quick glance around the other side. He immediately retreated as Larry Koopa was standing a mere two meters away, visually immersed within the stone before him; the same one Mario was standing directly beside. The plumber rapidly turned to his brother on the other side, and signaled for him to be prepared. Both plumbers were ready: to capture a vicious Koopaling.

Mario needed to remain cautious in order to proceed undetected: the plumber silently placed his hands on the rock's side, and peeked around it utilizing the stealth of a ninja. The target had receded slightly; he was examining a small pine tree growing beside the path, gently brushing his hands amongst the needles. The Koopaling appeared calm and relaxed, though Mario only wanted his information – completely disregarding Larry's well-being during the process.

As quickly as humanly possible, Mario pounced towards Larry with blinding speed, immediately slamming the completely unaware Koopaling into a thick blanket of white snow. A silenced yelp was released – barely audible to Mario. The plumber remained cautious of Larry's spiked shell – it was the only immediate hazard. He had the upper hand; Larry wasn't putting up much of a struggle.

The Koopaling struggled under the snow, and under the weight of Mario, but was unable to move. He was unable to breath with his airways blocked by white powder. Larry frantically waved his arms around, attempting to clip anything, but was unable to strike above the snow's surface. He couldn't see his attacker, sending him into a state of perpetual panic. His airways were blocked; his body forcefully pressed down. He couldn't fight; he couldn't speak. Larry was nothing more than his usual useless self. His vision momentarily darkened due to lack of oxygen, and he felt death approaching; few more moments buried in the snow and he would suffocate. No one was around to help.

Larry's weak struggle faded momentarily. The plumber leaned in, and quietly demanded, "I'll lift you up and you do not make any sound. Understand?" He was met with nothing more than Larry's lessening struggles. The plumber abruptly pulled Larry's head away from the compact snow, causing the Koopaling to let out a small shriek. Mario immediately silenced Larry by clamping his snout shut by hand. He struggled to break free, but his efforts were of no use. Mario's strength was too much for the young Koopaling to handle, especially after his weakened struggle with blocked airways.

Larry attempted a nod, but he was shaking far too violently for it to be detectable. His sense of fear was overwhelming; he had just been ambushed out of nowhere with no rational explanation. The Koopaling recognized the stern voice behind him, and it brought no pleasant memories. He immediately stuck his thumb up, signaling agreement with his attacker.

Mario saw Larry's signal in plain sight, but completely disregarded it. He continued roughly handling the helpless Koopa in hopes of gaining some information. Larry's body was beginning to give out: he continued squirming, but became increasingly easy for the plumber to handle. Mario let out a small sigh of relief, having to no longer deal with a difficult struggle.

"I'm just going to ask you a couple questions," the plumber then sternly explained to Larry. He felt Larry nod while mumbling something, but disregarded any communication the Koopaling was attempting to initiate.

Mario pulled Larry to the other side of the large boulder to where Luigi was patiently waiting. He eased up on Larry – slowly setting him down on the path. The plumber retained his hand over the Koopa's snout, but loosened his grip upon seeing Larry's expression: he was shaking rapidly, and staring at Mario with his huge blue eyes in conjunction with terror. The Koopa was also breathing heavily in immense fear with tears vigorously rolling down his snout. Larry's expression was enough to convince Mario; "Just don't make any noise when I remove my hand," he quietly suggested, further easing up on the young Koopa. He was met with a desperate nod, initiating the cautious removal of his hand. He maintained a firm grip on Larry's arms, and continued his task by hushing the Koopa – instructing him to remain silent.

Larry was too distraught by the events recently taken place. He wanted to mention the reason for his presence, though his emotional situation would not allow him to speak. Larry was terrified of his enemy, but simultaneously relieved. He was physically freezing, but Mario easing up brought him warmth inside. He was crying uncontrollably, but felt secure as no one was attacking. The only burden left for Larry was to answer Mario's questions – ones which he dreaded to hear. The Koopaling listened in, taking deep breaths in attempt of calming himself down. His thoughts were racing in the face of an enemy; regaining control was essential.

"So, what are you doing up here?" Mario forcefully asked, leaning in closely to Larry. The Koopaling's immensely teary face backed away, forcing Mario to pause. He was able to perceive how Larry was feeling, but wanted his information immediately. "I'm not going to ask you again," the plumber then sternly threatened. "What are you doing up here?"

"Hey, ease up a bit there," Luigi nervously interrupted amongst the midst of Mario's aggressive questioning. "Can't you see how terrified he is? Give him some space to breathe."

"He's also one of the Koopalings," Mario replied. His discriminatory choice of words offended Larry, but he made no mention about it. Instead, the young Koopaling turned away, shedding more tears. Luigi saw the nonsense in his brother's eyes; he could almost feel Larry's pain. "Just let me handle this if you're not going to do it properly," he demanded. Mario disagreed with his brother, but backed off slightly. Luigi kneeled down in front of Larry, and was able to see just how terrified he really was. Larry stared at Luigi with a gleam of hope in his eyes, causing both plumbers to soften their expressions.

"I'm going to make this very clear," Luigi began, with a level of professionalism previously unseen by his older brother. Mario backed away further to allow Luigi to close in, though he retained his tight grip on Larry's arms. Luigi then calmly continued; "We just want to know what you guys are doing here, and why you're here in the first place." The Koopaling continually stared at the taller man with his fear receding. His body stabilized; the shaking slowed. Luigi's soothing voice was enough to subtly comfort Larry, bringing him to a more stable state of mind. He opened his mouth, but was unable to produce anything more than a small peep. Luigi soothingly asked, "Do you need a bit more time to calm down?" He was met with a very subtle nod, along with some slightly relaxed tears and sniffles. Luigi turned to his brother; "That's how it's done."

Mario scoffed before releasing pressure from Larry's arms. Luigi gently took the Koopaling's hand, insisting for Mario to let go completely. The taller brother turned back to Larry, and softly explained, "Let me know when you have something to say." He continued holding Larry's hand, stressing the Koopaling slightly. It was being done for good measure, however; to prevent escape. As settled down as Larry was that moment, he remained potentially unpredictable.

All three sat in silence for a moment. Luigi was practically kneeling in front of Larry who was practically pinned against the large boulder. He had nowhere to run, and Luigi holding his hand rendered escaping impossible. The Koopaling sighed helplessly, but the brothers seemed to be respecting him. His event eight months prior drastically altered the way he saw those around him, and he didn't wish for anyone to feel the way he did: treating those around him with respect was in order. Besides, there was no reason for Larry to fight, as neither Mario nor Luigi imposed an immediate threat.

Mario wanted his requested information, though he saw Luigi's reasoning. The Koopaling drastically calmed down upon Luigi taking over. The older brother watched on, and was ready to speak with Larry. At this point, it was completely up to Larry to initiate conversation. He sat in silence with his eyes closed, sobbing silently. Luigi could feel every gentle convulsion of Larry's body, but decided against mentioning it. He understood Larry's shock, and decided it was best left as-is. Besides, they had not seen any of the Koopalings for quite a while, and they may have possibly changed.

Larry's confidence was building; he felt less isolated. The brothers weren't particularly making contact with him, though he finally came up with something to say. The blue-haired Koopaling gently tapped Luigi's shoulder; the plumber turning towards him immediately. "I was sent out here," Larry nearly-silently explained to Luigi. Mario leaned in, intently listening to the young Koopa before him. Despite the pressure of the onlookers, Larry nervously continued, this time excessively avoiding eye contact; "We... We just had to look around... Nothing more."

Both plumbers recalled the speech from earlier. The oldest one remembered a key point which his brother had completely forgotten about. "That's not everything," Mario said, causing Larry to subtly recede in fear. "You guys are taking something from here," he continued, recalling the aforementioned Starman.

Luigi increased the pressure on Larry's hand, causing Larry back away further. He, as with his brother, remembered what had been mentioned earlier. He glared at the Koopaling who turned his head away in shame. "You didn't tell us everything," he said, this time with a stern but calm tone. "That's all I asked of you, and you couldn't deliver."

Larry retreated towards the rock slightly. Despite his fruitless attempts at convincing the brothers that he was innocent, they were seeing straight through him; his lies were exposed. "I'm telling you all I know," he then mumbled, looking at Mario with wide eyes. "We're not taking anything," he silently continued, bringing his eyes back to the cold ground. "I'm telling you all I know."

"Except you're not," Mario insisted, leaning in closely to the Koopaling. "I don't know what we should do with you now."

"Well there's really no point in doing anything to him," Luigi calmly interrupted from behind.

"We'll just have to go after the real perpetrators," Mario replied, glaring into Larry's eyes. "Tell me where they went," he continued, further narrowing the gap between himself and the nervous Koopaling. He received no answer, though Mario didn't want to physically harm Larry as he didn't have reasonable grounds to do so.

"I reckon into that cave over there," Luigi added, nodding towards the obtrusive boulder. He narrowed his eyes on Larry who further backed away before nodding slightly and shedding a tear. "Thank you," the taller brother contrived. He turned his attention towards Mario, and explained, "We have to take back what belongs here before anything."

Mario nodded. He then reached towards Larry, and aggressively pulled him off the cold ground. "You're coming with us," he scoffed. Larry let out a small whimper which didn't deter the disappointed plumber from rough treatment. "Let's get that thing back from them," Mario continued, dragging Larry along while Luigi followed.

Seconds later, they arrived at the cool black cave entrance. Larry didn't fight his capturers along the way as he knew what was to come. Both plumbers appreciated that Larry was cooperating at this point, but his previous unwillingness led them to proceed with heightened caution.

The small entrance radiated with a highly subtle aura of green and blue light; both separate. The gentle curve severely affected visibility, though someone was certainly within. Mario glared at his younger brother while simultaneously grabbing hold of Larry's snout. "You are not to make as much as a peep," he aggressively whispered into Larry's ear. The stouter man then pointed forwards towards the mixed aura emanating from within the cave.

The three proceeded: the cave's dingy interior made for a difficult situation: nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Mario and Luigi could only hope for the best; that the remaining Koopalings would be willing to reason. They pressed on, and were abruptly met with two glowing balls of light – along with two highly familiar faces above them. They turned immediately with immense shock: Mario and Luigi had their struggling brother, and they were not supposed to be present.

Despite Mario's labored attempts, Larry managed to wriggle himself free without as much as a scratch. "Lemmy! Iggy!" He shouted upon escape. "Run for it!"

Both plumbers immediately lunged forward in chase of the Koopaling, though Larry was too agile for their unfit forms. Larry picked up what appeared to be a folded towel before commanding his older brothers towards the exit: they abruptly picked up their scepters from the ground and bolted towards it. Mario and Luigi followed them desperately, though were met by an abrupt shriek before tumbling down upon one another. Something had landed in front of the brothers before tripping them. There were high-pitched screams of agony, and then; "Lemmy!"

"We have to keep going! They won't hurt him!"

The dazed brothers clumsily brought themselves up amidst darkness. They were met with an apparent whimpering which radiated from a small crumpled form beside them. They examined the rather small Koopaling, whom they immediately knew the name of, but realized he had nothing on him. "Forget about it," Mario demanded. "They have something with them. This one's pointless."

Luigi subconsciously held the desire to tend to Lemmy, though he and Mario had a much more important task at hand. He blindly picked himself up before following his brother who had already resumed tracking down the sources of light.

The brothers' short-lived run came to a sudden end when they were met by a wall of blinding light. Two figures were outlined by the contrast: one considerably taller than the other; the latter holding something small. The plumbers froze in place: perhaps Larry and Iggy would be willing to reason.

"Just step down!" Mario demanded. He was abruptly hit with a small gust of air caused by a small figure dashing past. Lemmy ran up to Iggy, who gratefully took him into an embrace before glaring profusely at Mario and Luigi. Despite all the negative interaction, both parties maintained their footing.

Larry glared at the plumbers, though not for long. They didn't particularly mistreat him behind the boulder, so he had no reason to take offensive action. The youngest Koopaling was acting purely on the defensive; he wouldn't attack unless absolutely necessary.

Iggy turned towards Larry to whisper something which was inaudible to both plumbers. Larry nodded, accepting his magic scepter from Iggy while the latter retained his own. Lemmy hadn't his as its spells would prove ineffective in the environment.

Despite the plumbers' high alertness of the situation, they couldn't immediately react to all three Koopalings pouncing backwards and continuing down the trail ahead. The two men followed, but struggled to keep up: the three Koopalings were far too agile.

They ran down a relatively safe path for a moment before reaching a highly treacherous section: the path immediately converged into a vertical drop – less than a meter from a vertical cliff face on the opposite side. The trail was difficult, but doable – in ideal conditions. Unfortunately, the previously-warm weather combined with freezing currents made for a less-than-ideal trek.

Everyone upon the mountainside continued scuffling along the path regardless of the treacherous conditions. Larry held the folded towel containing the Starman; Lemmy was at Iggy's side who was following his brothers. Mario and Luigi maintained a safe distance from the Koopalings – the tallest of which held his scepter at the ready. There was a covered overhang ahead; the three Koopalings dangerously sped up on the path, lessening the distance between it and themselves.

With nothing around for balance retention, Mario and Luigi couldn't do more than fall back to maintain their footing. They scuffled along the treacherous trail for several more meters until they were effectively halted by a soft sobbing emanating from around a corner ahead. The responsible brothers immediately approached the source, stopping at a very concerning sight: Iggy kneeled down on the ground tending to Lemmy who had his face down in a saddening posture. Larry stood directly behind Iggy, intently glaring at Mario and Luigi whilst holding the folded towel in one hand and his scepter in the other. He threateningly pointed it towards Mario and Luigi who were forced to maintain their ground.

"A fight up here won't end well, Larry," Mario sternly began, eyeing down the Koopalings with utmost sincerity.

"I don't care!" Larry choked out in response with tears threatening to pour. "Leave us alone!"

"As much as I'd love to leave you alone, we just can't!" Mario shouted back amongst the gentle mountainside breeze. "Just put your wand down at the very least!"

Larry threateningly waved his scepter around, but couldn't bring himself to use it. Despite the pressure around him, he subconsciously knew the consequences of fighting Mario upon the hazardous trail. The young Koopaling pulled his scepter to his chest before subtly nodding at Mario. Larry looked towards his right: Iggy had finished consoling Lemmy and was then persuading the small Koopaling to proceed. "Run for it! Now!" He shouted.

A loud shriek shot around the terrifying atmosphere in response, bringing everyone's attention towards it. Lemmy visibly vanished – dashing towards the overhang's end which continued along the deadly mountain trail. Unfortunately for Lemmy, his small feet were unable to grip the ice enough to prevent slippage. Despite being relatively small, his momentum took ultimate control upon the slippery path – which happened to be directly adjacent to a nearly-vertical drop.

Lemmy felt his feet slip subtly, though didn't take much notice until his entire body followed. Subconsciously flailing around to grip anything; there was nothing to hold onto. A miniscule second of panic ensued: wasted panic, as his vast surroundings spun wildly. Before any further reactions could be made, everything went black.


Time froze upon the overhang; there was no reaction or interaction. No one made movement; the happening could not be averted. A helpless shriek stunned everyone within earshot, though nothing could be seen. Both sets of brothers had just witnessed the impossible – though one pair was immediately devastated.

The intense and still tension was suddenly interrupted by the tallest Koopaling falling to his knees. He stared into the vast expanse of the Mushroom Kingdom – hopelessly wishing for an answer to the past; an explanation of the inevitable future.

Next to Iggy stood the youngest Koopaling: Larry. His entirety froze: he had just observed the unimaginable; the impossible. One of his only companions – vanished. Nothing remained. No one was left to withhold him from thoughtless action. Running solely on fear and shock, Larry lunged towards the void past the cliff's edge – jumping into what remained.

His body became weightless; free and limp. Time froze eternally – resumed by everything suddenly jerking to a halt – continued with severe pain on his snout.

Larry looked upwards – downwards, actually, as a terrifyingly steep rock face lay ahead – lined with pristine snow at the base. Two valuables continued the original path – endlessly falling into what Larry avoided. An unheeded scream escaped his throat while his body was – almost magically – pulled upwards. Incredible pressure surrounded his ankle as everything was slowly retracted.

Rushed and panicked voices ensued above the vertical drop. There were uncontrollable tears of regret, accompanied with relieved sobbing and overworked breathing.

Iggy's uncontrollable bawling was most prominent. Sickness reigned through his body while he helplessly grieved for Lemmy. Nothing could replace the small cheerful Koopaling – his small cheerful Koopaling who labored endlessly to keep Iggy's mind in check.

Iggy helplessly rammed his scepter into cold stone beneath – along with his hand. Numbness took over; numbness to pain. He repeatedly rammed his hand into the stone to no avail. Iggy was completely drained of decision; he was at the end. His body fell forward; there was nothing left. Endless sobbing was all that remained for the tallest Koopaling.

Despite not knowing the fallen Koopaling very well, Mario and Luigi were nothing but affected. The oldest of the pair didn't think before acting; he had acted upon the reflex of required action. His hand maintained an iron grip around the ankle, but their combined weight proved too much for the slick rock.

"Help!" Mario desperately cried out. His call was immediately answered as a familiar-feeling warmth gripped his shoulder.

"I've got you," the tallest of the inseparable pair hastily said while pulling up with all his might. His strength combined with Mario's was enough to hoist Larry back over the edge. The Koopaling shakily pushed himself away from the edge in fear for his life – after having some time to think about the decision.

Within several panicked moments, everyone beneath the overhang fell motionless. Mario and Luigi sat at each other's sides, resting against the opposing rock face. Iggy lay upon the cold stone path, motionlessly sobbing into his own arms. Larry was completely frozen in fear and shock: he remained close to Mario.

The red-clad plumber drew his vision towards Larry, unwilling to look away. Despite their opposing relationship, Mario would not allow Larry to repeat his thoughtless actions.

Luigi remained thoroughly panicked, though simultaneously comforted by the fact that no one else was lost. He subconsciously connected with Larry and Iggy by momentarily thinking of Mario going missing. He resented the mere thought, further enforcing his incentive to assist the weakened enemy.

Luigi slowly pushed himself forward, narrowing the gap between himself and Larry – the seemingly softest of the pair. No reaction was made, signaling the plumber to retain his distance. He blankly sighed in order to not startle the two remaining Koopalings.

The ground suddenly shook with relentless power. An ear-piercing BANG ensued, followed by the crumbling of dry rubble. In the direction of the previously-treaded path, there was mass movement – directly at the small cave's entrance. Brown dust quickly floated from the snow-constricted exit, ending with nothing more than the wind's constant groan.

Everyone's head shot up towards the explosion's direction as it occurred. No one was directly affected, but the shock forced more horrified tears from Iggy's eyes. Larry stared at the cave without aversion. Fear slowly consumed him, though he made no further actions in a subconscious effort of self-preservation.

Completely out of the blue, Mario felt the need to break it to everyone. They couldn't remain upon the overhang for much longer; danger was imminent as suggested by the cave's collapse. He professionally cleared his throat, crisply stating: "We have to get to the bottom." The plumber attempted clear speech, but his words were ridden with unsteadiness.

He pushed himself from the frigid stone ground, directing his attention towards the path's continuation. "Let's go," he coldly stated. The oldest plumber was met by a glance from both Koopalings, though they carried out no reaction. Mario carefully stepped around Larry's resting body while maintaining his distance. Iggy lay mere meters ahead, though he made no movement upon Mario stepping by; he was far too horrified.

"Come on," Mario quickly suggested upon stepping past Iggy's whimpering form. "He might even be alive."

Mario's final cold statement was enough to avert the Koopalings' attention towards himself. They curiously gazed at the plumber; he directly stared back at them with sole seriousness. His words brought them hope during despair. Lemmy's death was uncertain; a narrow chance remained through unlikelihood.

Luigi was the first to heed his brother's suggestion; obeying one another was usually their main priority.

Larry and Iggy were next to follow suite. Picking themselves off the freezing ground was painful, but the effort was their only portal to what little hope remained.

Upon observing that everyone was prepared to leave, Mario stepped towards the continuation of the treacherous mountain footpath. Subtle tears continually stung his eyes with Lemmy's death looming around them. His previous statement was produced to motivate the Koopalings. In reality, Mario was certain that nobody – nothing – could survive such a plummet. Bowser would be furious, but collecting the body was in tall order for the group. The plumber would not dare break his certainty to the rest of the group; everyone needed to remain calm, especially the two remaining Koopalings.

Two broken brothers began following two horrified brothers down a deadly mountain trail. Lemmy's body rested at the bottom; his state unknown but his death was certain – for the most part.


And that's it for the first chapter. It ended with a cliffhanger, that's for sure.
*Awkwardly waits for someone to laugh*

Anyway... There's much more to come! This story is not going to be small by any means, so be sure to follow if you enjoyed it and want to see more.

I'm not going to update this one too frequently as I have other things (life) which gets in the way of writing. I can see once a month being the norm, as that gives me ample time to write in-depth, proofread, and edit.

What else is there to say? Don't forget to review, and I'll be back soon with another chapter!