Ludwig stoically looked around as the small chamber he was in shifted into darkness. He knew what to expect, for the most part. He'd helped design the rooms, after all, even if he had never physically tested them himself. He also knew that the one in charge of the machine couldn't see what he was going to experience, only his reaction. Perhaps it would be to his benefit; he did not know what he was about to face. But, then again, perhaps it would also be to his detriment, for he was unsure how he would react.
There was a part of him, buried in the recesses of his mind, quiet while still clamouring to be heard, that really didn't want to know.
He firmly pushed the concern away, refusing to acknowledge it.
Nien. No fear going into zhis. Zere vill be enough of zhat in a moment.
He remained unmoving as the room slowly faded to black. Experimentation with the chambers had taught him not to move too much, for though the emptiness appeared vast, three steps would have him running snout first into the wall. He'd seen many a minion experience that feeling. He let out an impatient sigh, eager to get this over with, and idly tugged at the virtual reality sensors running up his arms, designed to make the simulations as realistic as possible. There was one that was itching on the back of his neck though he didn't dare move it lest he delay the inevitable.
Ludwig could not expect the unexpected at this point, for he had to admit that despite his genius and self-awareness, he did not truly know what his greatest fear would be, nor did he know how virtual reality would present it to him. He had always viewed himself as the fearless oldest brother, keeping cold and calculated under pressure, and being a support to his younger siblings, regardless of if they wanted or acknowledged it or not.
The anticipation of not knowing probably concerned him more at that point than the actual fear itself.
But this was quick to change.
Ludwig started as he heard a cry from his second-youngest brother. Looking around, he spotted Larry, battered and bruised, a fang chipped and skin dirt-covered, as the darkness slowly threatened to consume him. He reached out to the oldest, immeasurable pain and fright clearly visible from his vibrant, baby blue irises as he crawled forward, desperate to escape the blackness. Ludwig was frozen in place, faintly wondering to himself what was going on.
A thick vine, the shade of clouded midnight, violently lashed out, wrapped itself around Larry's body, and covered a part of his mouth, dragging him back into the abyss that surrounded them. Ludwig allowed a cry to emit from his mouth, piercing through the silence that had formed as Larry was swallowed up.
"Larry!" He took a step forward, eyes wide.
No. Calm yourself. This is not real.
Despite his attempt at reassurance, Ludwig found himself frozen in shock. While Larry wasn't exactly the strongest, he also wasn't a pushover. But he had been taken away so easily, and-
Another shriek sounded directly behind him. This time it was Lemmy who was clamouring to get to him, left eye halfway closed, looking even worse than Larry had been, his lower legs consumed by the blackness.
Ludwig did not allow himself to hesitate this time, and rushed over to the second-oldest, grabbing onto his hands with a firm grip.
"L-Ludwig," Lemmy whispered, voice hoarse and frightened, "D-don't let me go…"
"I von't, brozzer," Ludwig replied, gritting his teeth as he attempted to maintain composure. The last thing Lemmy needed was to see him looking afraid. "I am in control. I vill not let go. I promise you."
The wall of ooze began to slowly cover Lemmy's body, taking its time to consume the smallest Koopaling, almost as if it was mocking them. The tension between the brothers and the wall eventually grew taunt as Ludwig dug his feet into the ground. Lemmy's body rose with said tension, until they were at eye level with each other.
The blackness continued to consume Lemmy, and he would not budge. It was as if he was stuck in a blob of tar. Ludwig suddenly lost his grip when the blackness covered most of Lemmy's left arm and yanked it away. Becoming ever more desperate, the musician, being the quick calculating Koopa that he was, grabbed onto Lemmy's right arm and held on for dear life as Lemmy began to cry out of fright and pain.
"Ludwig…" Lemmy choked on the name, eyes widened in terror. The mysterious ooze was now up to the back of his head, and Ludwig knew he was fighting a losing battle. Despite the situation and his panic, a small fraction of his mind continued to speak to him.
Let him go. Eet's not real. Zhis eez all an illusion undt you know eet.
Yet the older sibling part of him refused to listen, and for good reason. His brother's life was at stake and he was not about to risk that, no matter how simulated the situation was. He felt himself slipping on the cold floor beneath him as his arms gave way to fatigue. He let out a strangled cry as he lost his grip and fell onto his tail, being far overpowered by whatever it was that he had been fighting against, and Lemmy was flung backwards into the ooze with a strangled cry of betrayal, leaving Ludwig alone once more. The last thing Ludwig saw of his brother was his hand, the mire taunting him as it was slowly pulled in.
"Lemmy! No!" Ludwig screeched and tried to rush forward, but it was as if an invisible wall pushed against him.
Composure. Zhis is all a simulation. Everyzing you see eez a lie.
He was starting to get irritated with his logic. He didn't care if it was real or not at this point. He just wanted his siblings back. Yet, strangely enough, he did not feel much fear. Anger, sadness, confusion… yes, all of those emotions were there. But fear? It had yet to make itself manifest. Ludwig attempted to ponder this conundrum, wondering what this could all mean.
More cries interrupted his thought process. He glanced around to see Wendy, Iggy, Morton, Junior… All of them, looking as battered as the two that had been taken before, stared upwards at the oldest, begging him for help. He looked at each indecisively. He couldn't save them all in time. He would have to make a choice.
It was a rare moment when he allowed his emotions to dictate his actions, and he leapt for Junior, the one closest to him. After all, better to try to save one than allow for everyone to suffer, right?
All four were simultaneously ripped from his grasp, regardless of his decision, and he landed roughly on his stomach.
Ludwig got to his knees in horror, looking down at the floor, not wanting to believe it, his eyes as wide as they had ever been. How could he have allowed this to happen? All of them taken away by the shadows, leaving him alone, with only the thought that he had been unable to save them. Morton, Iggy, Larry, Lemmy, Wendy, Junior… everyone, gone. All of his siblings, ripped from his hands in this desolate, nightmare-fueled–
…Wait.
Wait just one second here.
Where…?
Where was Roy?
What had happened to him?
Was he okay?
With a shaky breath, Ludwig stood up and looked around again, glaring icily into the inky shadows, as if threatening them to mess with him again, and challenging them to taunt him with his unseen brother.
A familiar cackle echoed from above, and Ludwig looked up. It was deeper, darker, and crueller, to be sure. But it was undeniable who the voice belonged to, despite the alterations.
The shadows parted, and there stood Roy, smirking down at him, teeth gleaming in a non-existent light. He was ten times Ludwig's size, and as he looked down Ludwig noticed the blackness rise up in front of the large Koopaling, covering over his hands, which he held as if he was preparing to play a piece on a piano. Strands of sludge slowly descended in front of him, each holding one of his siblings, all unconscious, as if they had been turned into live marionettes.
A sick, twisted thought.
Roy's glasses gleamed with his fangs, and Ludwig swore that the black glass was even darker than before. Because of the shades, the oldest couldn't tell if Roy was being controlled by the parasitic sludge, or if he was doing this of his own accord.
Truth be told, Ludwig wasn't sure which option terrified him more.
"You've lost, Ludwig," Roy snickered, three siblings per hand, bouncing around as he moved his fingers in all directions, like playing a song. The motions did seem familiar to him, and Ludwig suddenly felt a jolt run through his memory.
They seemed familiar because they were.
Roy was imitating his sixth sonata, the most famous by far and his pride jewel in his collection of musical masterpieces.
On cue, the song played around him. But it was different this time. Altered. Tampered. Corrupted.
Ludwig would have been furious had he been less concerned for his siblings' safety.
"Roy, let zhem go!" he commanded, in an attempt to regain his control.
"You've lost, Ludwig," he repeated again, quieter this time, voice filled with satisfaction. The slime covered over their unconscious siblings, obscuring them from Ludwig's view. The black figures of his siblings gained eyes without pupils and mouths with dark teeth, the colours corresponding to the shades of their shells when they should have been white, all grinning wickedly down at him, whispering the same words that Roy had uttered moments ago.
Ludwig felt his composure slipping away, as if it had gained form and was dripping down his back, pooling at his feet. "Stop eet! Enough! Zhat eez an order!"
Roy could only laugh as the black ooze covered over him as well, leaving Ludwig alone once more, save for the cackling voice of his brother and the echoes of his other siblings. He shivered as his composure continued to stream down his body. It took him a moment to realize that what he was feeling wasn't his poise rushing away from him, and looked at his shell. The slime had lodged itself there, and stuck to his body, refusing to relinquish its grip no matter how hard Ludwig pulled at it. Only his face remained fully free of the substance as it webbed its way over his back and onto the backs of his arms and legs, turning him into a puppet. It felt like a mixture of spider webs and tar.
He hated it.
Once it had solidified, Ludwig could only stare in futility as the scenes rapidly changed before his eyes.
First, his room. It was a chaotic mess. Papers everywhere. Most flying out the window, and some of those falling to the lava below. The pages that survived were taken by others, who claimed them as their own.
He couldn't bring himself to rage.
Another scene went past, this one of his siblings. He felt slight relief that they were okay, but this was quickly extinguished when he saw them, Roy excluded once more, being chained like Chomps and stuffed into Ukiki cages, their screams and fright burning into his mind. All the while, his hotheaded brother laughed along with the despicable Mario Brothers, and he counted coins as they were transported away to slave for their enemies.
He couldn't bring himself to cry.
A third scene came up, this one of his father pressing a crown and sceptre into his hand. He was forced in front of the Kingdom, forced into becoming heir. The troops cheered as he was pushed out onto a balcony, a royal robe being draped over his shoulders by two Paragoombas, while his siblings were absent from the scene.
He couldn't bring himself to scream.
No. No no no. This was not what he wanted to have. This was what he wanted to avoid. He had done everything in his power to avoid this. Any of this. His plans, everything that he had worked so hard to achieve, they were all crumbling around him. He couldn't stop anything from happening, as the tar-like substance made painfully aware. As the scenes continued, each making him helpless to circumstance, he felt his stomach tighten and bile rise in his throat. Panic enveloped his mind, growing ever stronger, until–
Ah. There was the fear.
And with it, his logic suddenly returned, a plethora of repetition. Two three worded sentences, over and over, as his mind shouted what his heart refused to accept.
It's not real. It's an illusion. It's not real. It's an illusion. It's not real. It's an illu–
"SHUT UP!" he howled, clutching at his head while he looked down at the floor, wide-eyed, in a vain attempt to drown out the voice. He allowed hot tears fall from his face and onto his legs as he crouched down on his knees and wept. He hadn't noticed that the goop was gone by this point, vanishing with the illusions that had first petrified him, and leaving only the voice behind. His body shook as panic poured out from his mind, and he could not bring himself to do anything but cry and scream. The repetitive voice would not cease, echoing into the room, a voice not his this time for it carried no accent with it, and no familiarity whatsoever. He shoved his hands over his ears in a desperate attempt to silence the noise. "Shut up shut up SHUT UP!"
A loud thunk shook him from his panic and he looked up, unsure what to expect anymore. A mirror had been placed in front of him. He stared at himself, frightened, as the image warped and shifted until a villainous, smiling face shone behind him. Ludwig didn't dare glance away to see if it was truly a reflection or not, lest something dangerous happened. Only the eyes and mouth were visible, as well as a control bar for a marionette, which was held in a ink-like hand and connected to Ludwig's arms and legs, where the ooze had lodged before.
It was then that realization struck him.
He had lost control.
He had lost control over everything.
He had even lost control over himself.
Ludwig curled up again, squeezing his eyes shut as the multiple illusions began to play simultaneously, overwhelming the musician. He clenched his teeth so greatly he feared they would break, and, digging his claws into his skull as he cried once more, Ludwig silently begged the operator to end the simulation, to end this nightmare where he could not affect anything around him; where he had no choice, no command, no control.
…
…But zhat's it. Don't you see?
Your greatest fear.
Eet eez your fear of losing control over vhat eez around you.
"…A fear… my fear… of losing control…"
The words left his lips in a whisper, silencing his logic, silencing the cries of his siblings, the laughter of his brother, the cheers of the minions, his own sobs, everything.
He wasn't sure of what made him come to that conclusion. Perhaps his analytical nature had worked it out in the background, while he suffered through the scenes that the simulation had placed before him. Regardless of how it had occurred, he was relieved by the peace that followed it.
His eyes wide once more, Ludwig stared at the floor in front of him, the bottom of the mirror just outside his line of vision, as he worked out what had just occurred.
It made sense, now that he thought about it. In each scenario, Ludwig had been powerless to do anything. He could not maintain the order of his room and save his music from falling into the hands of others. He had been unable to save his siblings. He had been forced to take up the position of heir.
Ludwig slowly came to the realization that, throughout his life, he savoured control. Everything was in order. He had plans for his plans, and hated when things became out of place. He was not obsessive, per se, but his messes still had an order to them. Even when he had lost his hearing, he was still able to have control in that he could continue with his music. Even when he had lost his mother, he still managed to find control in guiding and helping his siblings, leading and directing them.
But the sense of having no control whatsoever over his circumstances was truly what he feared most.
The cruel face in the mirror shifted expressions, from one of harshness to one of compassion, and handed him the control bar. Ludwig looked up in shock, startled that the face in the mirror actually had a source. He hesitated, not sure whether he should take the device or not. A gentle nudge helped him come to a decision. He accepted the control bar and held it in his left hand, while wiping the tears from his eyes with his right forearm.
Another voice spoke up, yet this time there was a hint of identification to it. Ludwig had no idea what it was, though, but it did seem a bit more… recognizable. Not the same as at first. There was more emotion this time around.
"Learning what one's fear is can be the first step to conquering it."
Ludwig nodded as he stared at the two crisscrossed bars in his hand, the inky strands leading to his arms and legs slowly bubbled away, freeing Ludwig from its hold.
"I… zink… I understand…" Ludwig murmured, looking up at the face, which had shifted to his left. "I… must accept zhat zere vill be circumstances beyond my control at times. Yet growing zrough zhat vill aide me in becoming viser. I have no need to fear losing control, for it vill be inevitable. Learning to adjust to circumstance vill make me stronger." He paused. "Isn't zhat right, Fizzlip?"
The machine shut off, and Ludwig found himself in the small simulation room, staring directly at a small camera. Bright lights filled his vision, yet he did not break his gaze.
He had come to realize that the first voice was simply part of the simulation. But this second one was not. It had had an outside source. The shift in emotion at the end, that sense of compassion, had revealed that. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together to figure out whose voice it was, but it sure did help.
He let out a breath of relief. Ludwig could not deny how intense the entire thing had proved to be. He knew that the simulations would have been stressful, designed to pinpoint the worst nightmares and exuberate them to appear realistic, but he didn't think that they would be to that extreme. Though, having never actually experienced it, he never could have fathomed what would happen. He suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the first test subject, a Koopa with arachnophobia. He shuddered as he could only imagine what the poor minion had gone through, given his current experience. At least now he truly knew his greatest fear. Perhaps he had always known, but it had been part of a subconscious, self-created illusion to give him the satisfaction of appearing to have more control.
Oh, the irony of the situation.
As got to his feet and began to remove the virtual reality sensors from his arms, legs, and shell, his thoughts shifted to his siblings. A pink-headed tough guy in particular. What part Roy had to play in this entire self-revelation, he had no idea. But he was definitely avoiding the hothead for the rest of the day; that was for certain. It wasn't that he was scared of him or anything.
It was… just in case.
Because he felt like it.
There was a crackling from an overhead speaker and a nervous voice echoed into his chamber.
"I-I'm sorry, Prince Ludwig!"
"I zought you vere instructed not to interfere vith our self-revelations," Ludwig raised an eyebrow, too relieved that the simulation was over to be annoyed.
"I-I know, I know! B-but King Bowser wanted me to say that to the first one who realized their fear! H-he said it was guidance for later, or something like that!"
Guidance…? For later? Vhat een Darkland eez he… "Vell, at least you vaited until I came to ze realization on my own. I suppose zhat means you kept your vord..." Admittedly, he would've preferred if the interruption had come a bit sooner if it meant saving face.
With a deep exhale, Ludwig took a moment to regain his composure. Or, now that he thought about it, to regain his control.
A grimace spread across his face. Overcoming zhis may take avhile… "And ze ozzers?"
"A-all the simulations ended at the same time, as per the instructions."
Vait, zhen zhat means… "Ze ozzers proved unable to complete ze challenge?"
There was a small gulp. "Y-yes…"
This bothered Ludwig more than it should have under normal circumstances. Then again, this day hadn't exactly been normal… ever since this morning's events, things had felt… different. Especially around his siblings, and he couldn't exactly put a claw on it.
Surely at least Iggy or Vendy vouldn't have been phased for long. And vhat about Roy…?
He felt himself shudder involuntarily. Speaking of different, why was it that his most stubborn brother had become so nerve-wracking to him now? Sure, he'd been the cause of a lot of the trouble throughout the simulation, but… it had all been an illusion. He wouldn't actually do any of that.
…Right?
"I vill meet vith you soon to analyze ze results."
There was no reply except for the click of a door being unlocked, and he glanced back to see the exit slowly swinging open. Ludwig wished that he could've at least seen the subordinate's face, so that he could try to figure out what had happened in the other rooms.
Oh vell. In a few moments, zhat vill not matter anyvay.
Ludwig quickly hurried to the door, wanting to inquire of his siblings as to what they had experienced. The first thing he saw when he exited the simulation chamber was Roy's fleeing shell. He almost called out to him, opening his mouth to shout, but something held him back. Maybe it was Roy's stance, the tightness of his clenched fists, or his own uneasiness. Regardless, no sound left his throat and he slowly closed his mouth and stared after his brother's retreating form until the purple-shelled Koopaling rounded a corner and was out of sight.
The other rooms' occupants slowly trickled out as well. From what he saw, their expressions were annoyingly impassive, though a few seemed to be turning away from the others, rubbing their faces in what could only be an attempt to cover up the fact that they had possibly been crying.
Considering how Ludwig had reacted, he didn't blame them for hiding. He would have done the same.
It was a bit concerning that none of them were speaking to each other, though. Not even Lemmy and Iggy exchanged glances as they went their separate ways. It was a bit… disappointing, if he was being completely honest. He had hoped that at least Lemmy or Larry would've tried to give or receive comfort to one of the more receptive Koopalings, but even they were being distant.
Within moments, he was the only one remaining in the hall. His mind clamoured for music to calm his nerves, but something else was nagging at him, and he wasn't about to let go of it so quickly. With a nod of resolve, the German-accented Koopaling began to make his way to the control room for the simulation chambers.
He glanced around the darkened room as he entered, the only lights coming from the various screens and machines he and Iggy had recently assembled, under King Dad's orders, of course. The first thing that caught his attention was a clock on the wall opposite him. Despite how long it had felt, the simulation itself had been very brief. Barely ten minutes had passed since the start of the experiment, and he knew it had taken at least a quarter of that time to make his way over here. It came as a bit of a surprise, since his own experience had felt so lengthy, but he supposed fear had a way of creating such an illusion.
There was a large control panel taking up the entire left wall. Above them were various stat screens, slightly angled towards the floor. In the middle of the room were two smaller control panels, designed to control the simulation rooms and alert the operator of any emergencies that came up during the process. They also stored the information extrapolated from their earlier brain scan that had been designed to program the simulation chamber and cater to each of their individual fears and incorporate said elements into virtual reality.
It really helped to have two geniuses who were willing to work overtime, but it had taken months to design, test, and finalize everything to the point of functionality. As he stood at the entrance of the 'daymare machine's brain', as Larry had so eloquently dubbed it, Ludwig reflected back on when they had first been tasked to such a project.
Weed out the weakness. That was the only explanation his father had given them.
But first put us into psychological shock and risk PTSD. Zhat's clearly productive.
With what felt like an obligatory roll of his eyes, Ludwig turned to the only other figure in the room: a young Fizzlet, born and raised in the castle's grounds, who was currently undergoing training for becoming an AED.
How ironically useful.
Though his purple skin was practically invisible in the room's darkness, his bright yellow eyes gleamed with guilt as the prince approached.
"I-I'm sorry, Prince Ludwig..." he repeated, "I didn't mean to interfere… I know I should've waited until afterwards to relay King Bowser's message, but... I really couldn't stand much more of this!"
"Do not allow it to upset you, Fizzlip." Came the exasperated reply. "Vhy zhey assigned a youth such as yourself to such a potentially traumatic task is beyond my comprehension."
Seeing that any chance of getting a fireball to his face had dissipated, the minion allowed himself to relax.
"Alzhough..." Ludwig continued, regarding his young friend with an appreciative nod, though his expression was as serious as ever. "I don't zink I'd be able to trust anyone else vith such a task."
"Hey, thanks, captain! Least SOMEONE has confidence in me..." Fizzlip glared at the screens. "Knowing the rest of them, they probably gave me this task because they don't think I'll keep my mouth shut just because I'm 'still a kid'." A few small sparks burst from the preteen's head as he briefly squished down in annoyance.
"Please. Of all ze electric minions getting trained under my claws, you're ze least of my concerns."
"I'm just glad you and Miss Slasha have my back. You're both good friends!" He shook his head - or rather, his entire body - to refocus himself. "But enough about that. You obviously wanna see the results before they get transferred and wiped."
"Zhat vould be ideal, yes." He gave the minion a warning glare. "But to furzher emphasize zhis-"
"-anything that I see doesn't leave this room!" Fizzlip replied, shrinking a bit under the dragon-Koopa's dark gaze. He'd seen the consequences of having a big mouth, and they weren't pretty.
"Good." With a single nod, Ludwig stepped back and directed his attention to the far left monitor - his own.
To initiate the video feed playback, Ludwig pressed his hand against a blue square button on the main control panel. The screens below lit up simultaneously, all beginning with them entering the rooms. Out of curiosity, he started with himself. He winced as he watched his slow descent into madness, his panicked reactions, and his loss of composure.
Yes… zhis is definitely going to take avhile…
Not wanting to relive that experience, he glanced over at Lemmy's screen. The smallest Koopaling was lying on the floor, curled up in terror, his mouth opened wide in what Ludwig could only assume was a scream as tears streamed freely from his eyes and pooled onto the floor.
Seeing the second oldest in such a petrified state unsettled him, but he knew it wouldn't even begin to compare with what was to come.
Instead of continuing down the line, curiosity got the better of him and he decided to go straight to the end and work his way back. He was very intrigued to see how the so-called 'bane of his existence' (a name given to Junior by the minions who thought he hated the youngest prince) would react to facing his deepest fear. He had never seen much emotion from Junior, and especially not terror. And seeing that he had failed along with the rest of them, it should be interesting to watch his reactions, as sadistic as that probably sounded.
He didn't glance at the other screens as he made his way over to the final one. He figured he might as well stay focused on one at a time rather than getting distracted by them all at once, as it may prove detrimental to his focus. On reaching Junior's monitor, he took in a deep breath to prepare himself for what he would face.
He was surprised to see how similar Junior's reaction was to his own: teeth clenched, balancing on the balls of his feet as he clutched his head and looked off at nothing with terror-filed eyes. Junior's tail vibrated with fear, curled down between his legs. He could only speculate as to what could fill the youngest with such fright.
Ludwig turned his neck to look at the next screen. Larry was huddled in the far left corner, his head tucked into his knees as he shook. Ludwig couldn't see his brother's expression, but he could only imagine that it wasn't a happy one, especially with how tightly he seemed to be huddled in a ball.
Morton was next, and what Ludwig saw wasn't what he expected. He had thought Morton would have been running around the room like a fool, his mouth going a mile a minute, waving his arms in the air like the uncultured buffoon that he was.
Instead, Morton stood solemnly in the middle of the room, eyes shut tight as he fought back tears, fists clenched. He shook a bit, taking great efforts to keep calm. But the most prominent factor was that he clearly said nothing. His mouth didn't budge an inch, not even to bar his teeth, as he stood absorbing whatever it was that was surrounding him. Morton's evident silence was what disturbed Ludwig up the most.
Wendy's reactions were stunningly downplayed to what he had first assumed. All she did was sit elegantly on the floor, looking down with closed eyes, facing the camera as her hands rested gently on her lap. There were no tears, no shaking, no evident terror; in fact, it looked as though she had fallen asleep. Her face was calm. Not even her mouth moved. She seemed so relaxed, and he wondered what exactly her simulation was. Ludwig figured she should have been the one to initiate the shutdown sequence because of her stoic expression. No matter how long he stared at the video, which stopped before the illusions were shut down and began again, it was always the same. She would slowly enter this position, and never show any visible fear.
Ludwig shot Fizzlip a questioning glance, but received nothing but a shrug in reply.
Iggy came next. The second last screen that he was to check displayed a very angry Koopaling. Not so much fear, though that emotion was still evident, albeit supressed. Iggy seemed to have something, or someone, in focus, and glared at whatever it was with a strong sense of what appeared to be betrayal. He seemed to be yelling something, leaning forward with fists clenched.
But his expression soon changed to one of horror, and Iggy reached a hand forward, before collapsing to his hands and knees in defeat.
Vell zhat vas certainly interesting… Ludwig shifted to the final screen, I vonder vhat zhat vas all ab-
The oldest froze on seeing the final screen. Roy's screen, to be precise.
In short, he had never seen such terror before in his entire life. None of the others could even compare to what he was witnessing now.
Roy rested on his knees, facing at a slight angle away from the camera. His hands were clenched onto his head, his forearms in front of his face, as his body trembled violently. He was leaning over his knees, slightly hunched up. His teeth were clenched so fiercely together that they looked ready to break at any second, and he had tears streaming down his face. Never before had Ludwig ever seen such utter petrification from his toughest brother – in fact, he didn't think such raw terror could be evident in any single individual. Not even Luigi could compare to this.
Ludwig felt himself losing nerve just by looking at the screen. He didn't even want to know what could cause such a nightmarish result from the toughest Koopaling of the bunch.
Reflecting on his own experience only fueled the unease in his mind as he turned to face the young minion that had suffered through all of these reactions at once.
"Zhat vas… unexpected."
"I know…" The Fizzlit didn't dare glance at the screens. "I… never thought some of those reactions were even possible. They can really shake a minion up…"
Too troubled by what he had seen to be able to formulate a plan at this moment, he turned to his young friend curiously. "Vhat do you suggest should be done about it?"
This took him aback, and he visibly shook from nervousness and fright. "M-me?"
"Do not be so concerned," Ludwig reassured him, "You've had more time to digest zese reactions. I simply vish to know vhether or not you had any ideas about how to handle zhis."
"W-well… maybe King Bowser would have some advice? Since he's the one who told me to say what I said earlier…?"
"Hm. Zhat's not a bad idea, actually."
"H-he said he'd be in his planning room if you wanted to see him…" The two of them started as a small beep interrupted the tense quiet of the room. Fizzlip glanced at a small screen off to the left, where a USB was glowing a faint orange colour. "And the results just finished getting transferred to his personal drive as well as his private database, so he's probably looking at them right now." The minion moved aside as Ludwig plucked the USB from its hold. "All that's left is for me to wipe the systems."
"I suppose he von't mind if I did ze same for personal analysis… I'll see vhat he says on ze matter." With a single nod, Ludwig pocketed the miniscule storage device and began to leave. "Zank you, Fizzlip. Carry on."
The minion hopped in determination to follow his instructions. "Yes, captain!"
He reached the door, fully intent on confronting his father about what he should do.
"And…"
Ludwig paused.
"Whatever happens… I hope you can all overcome your fears!"
A small smile spread across the oldest's face, unseen by the young minion that was like an adopted little brother to the rest of the castle.
"I hope so too, young von. I hope so too."
And with that, Ludwig turned and left, the gears turning in his mind as he began the long trek to find his father.
XXXXXXXXX
Ohhhh maaaaaaaaan this chapter is actually so oooooold I'm worried it's not very good… I feel like this chapter was a little jumpy and rambly, but like I said it's very old so it shouldn't continue like that XD
So there are a few headcanon things I'm going to explain here that should make things easier to understand later on!
First, each of the Koopalings is a 'Captain' of a certain group of minions and heads their training. The groups are divided into species with like abilities depending on their worlds. For example, Ludwig's focus is sky and electricity, so his group is made up of Fizzlets, Bzzaps, Lakitus, etc. Lemmy's group would be made up of Cooligans, Ice Bros, and so on and so forth. Just a little side note to help explain a few minor details!
Second, this fic, for obvious reasons, references 'An Oldest Brother's Comfort', but it's not required to read that one-shot before reading this! I think it's still pretty good though so feel free to check it out if you want to! ^^
Third, this fic is mostly planned out but I do appreciate any positive feedback! That being said, as much as I want to, I can't guarantee regular updates but I'll try not to take forever on this!
Fourth, a minor detail, but there will be OCs mentioned. They don't really play a role in this story, and are mainly there for filler!
And lastly, the next chapter should be up later this week if possible! Much shorter, but hopefully it's good!