Lemmy and Roy ran for quite a while, finally stopping to rest once they'd left the city. Lemmy thought he'd collapse from exhaustion long before they'd stopped. Now he could finally rest. His legs felt like jelly and every breath stabbed at his lungs, but at least he was safe.

"Take deep breaths," Roy said, "It's going to be okay."

"Why did they...want to kill me?" Lemmy said inbetween breaths.

"Because you...well, you're 'it', I guess..." Roy responded hesitantly.

"'It'? What does that mean?"

"I barely know myself. It has something to do with some kind of sick game, I'm told."

"Huh?"

"Apparently, everyone just knows when someone is 'it'...and whoever's 'it' is supposed to be killed. It's something I guess no one can resist."

"No one except you?"

"Yeah. The five of us knew all of it from the start. Well, everything except that you were the one that was 'it'. We all knew when we saw you, though, that you were the one. I don't know how it works or why it works the way it does. Apparently, though, if the person who's 'it' is able to survive for three days, they'll have a wish granted or something like that."

"Really?!"

"It's not that simple, though. In order to get the wish, there has to be a life given in the process. You give a name and the person dies. It's apparently also something you can't avoid. It's necessary to have a wish granted to get out of being 'it'."

"B-but I don't know anyone in this world except for you guys!"

"That's exactly the problem. People don't give their names out that easily in this world for that exact reason."

Lemmy held his head in his hands, trying to think of what to do. Roy then placed a hand on Lemmy's shoulder.

"When you have to give a name," Roy said, "I want you to give them mine."

"What?!" Lemmy cried, "I can't do that! I couldn't do that to you!"

"It might give you guys a chance to go home and get out of this mess! If I have to die to get you guys home, that's something I'm willing to do."

"B-but why?!"

"Because I'm not about to watch you guys kill each other, that's why!"

Lemmy stared at Roy for a moment while trying to take everything in.

"I'm not going to let you say no," Roy interrupted. Lemmy shrank back, biting his lip. Roy had always been the most stubborn of the Koopalings and, when he had his mind set on a goal, he'd do stop at nothing to make sure that goal was accomplished.

There was silence between the two Koopalings for a while. Lemmy laid back in the grass and stared at the dark, dingy clouds overhead. Before he knew it, tears began streaming from his eyes. He shut his eyes tight and bared his teeth. All of this was more than he thought he could handle. He then glanced back at Roy, who was now staring off into the distance. Suddenly, Roy tensed up. Lemmy sat up to try to see what Roy was staring at and immediately saw it on the horizon.

"Iggy!"

Lemmy scrambled his feet and raced toward his twin brother, who met him with a warm embrace. Roy arrived soon after.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you!" Lemmy exclaimed cheerfully.

"I've been looking for you everywhere!" Iggy said, "Where are the others?"

"Don't ask," Roy said, sounding somewhat miffed. Iggy stared at Roy for a moment in bewilderment.

"Now that the three of us are together, we can take on anything that comes our way!" Lemmy cheered, pumping a fist in the air.

"I wouldn't trust him if I were you," Roy snarled, glaring at Iggy. Iggy took a step back, sensing Roy's hostility.

"Come on, Roy!" Lemmy retorted, "Iggy's completely trustworthy! He's my twin brother! The two of us are closer than anything!"

"Cut me a break!" Iggy said defensively, "I'm not some kind of murderer!"

"Everyone else seems to be, though," Lemmy explained, "Lud, Larry, Morton, and Wendy all tried to kill me a minute ago! It was really scary!"

Iggy reeled back in shock, rendered speechless.

"It's all part of some kind of sick game," Roy said, "It's like a reverse game of tag, only, if you're it, you die."

"Is Lemmy 'it'?!" Iggy exclaimed, staring at Lemmy in horror.

"Yep," Lemmy replied gloomily.

There was a moment of silence between the three Koopalings.

"Well," Iggy finally spoke up, "It's too dangerous to stick around here. Why don't we hop on a train to Armorie?"

"Armorie?" Lemmy repeated in confusion.

"Yeah," Iggy replied, "It's practically a weapons stockhouse. I was there a little just before I came here."

"It'd give us some ammo to fight back with, that's for sure," Roy interjected, seeming to try to push Iggy out of the conversation.

"We're not going to hurt anyone, are we?" Lemmy asked. Iggy cringed at the question.

"We're going to try not to hurt anyone," Roy answered, "If we have to, though, we will defend ourselves."

Lemmy was hesitant to reply. He couldn't stand the thought of having to pull a weapon on one of his siblings, but Roy was right. He had to have something to defend himself with and Armorie seemed like a good place to get it.

"All right," Lemmy said, "We'll go to Armorie."

"Great!" Iggy exclaimed, "All we have to do is get on a train! There are trains departing from the station here all the time! All we have to do is catch a ride on one of them!"

"How will we do that without being seen by someone who'll want to try to kill Lemmy?" Roy asked.

"Simple! We just hop into one of the boxcars!" Iggy answered, "It's the perfect solution!"

"Let's go, then!" Lemmy cheered, "Armorie awaits!"

Iggy then led the way to the station where they'd catch their train to Armorie. Lemmy followed close behind and he quickly noticed that Roy was trying to stay close to Lemmy.

"If you don't trust him, you can just tell him," Lemmy said, falling back next to Roy.

"I can't help it," Roy said, "If we can't trust the rest of them, it's really going to be hard to trust Iggy."

"He's my twin brother, Roy," Lemmy countered, "He and I are closer than close. I know he'd never do anything to me. He couldn't possibly."

"Are you sure you're not just saying that?" Roy said skeptically.

"I know for a fact he can't hurt me," Lemmy said, "His mental state won't let him; not with his co-"

Lemmy stopped short, slapping his hand over his mouth. He'd completely forgotten himself and almost told Roy what he promised Iggy he'd never tell anyone. It was Iggy's darkest secret and Lemmy had sworn to never tell another soul.

"What were you about to say?" Roy asked.

"Nothing!"

Lemmy raced back ahead to walk next to Iggy. He'd dodged a bullet there.

"What were you talking to Roy about?" Iggy asked.

"He doesn't trust you," Lemmy explained, "I was trying to explain to him that you would never hurt me."

"What if you can't trust him?"

Lemmy froze, stopping where he was.

"I'm just saying-"

Iggy was cut off by a low rumble in the distance that seemed to be coming closer.

"I think that's it," Iggy said, taking Lemmy's hand and leading him forward. Lemmy's head began to hurt, with horrible thoughts racing through his mind all at once. What if he couldn't trust Roy? What if Roy was trying to play him for a fool like Ludwig was earlier? Roy had helped him out then, but what made him so sure that Roy was really on his side?

Within a moment, a large, black steam train appeared on the horizon, getting closer. Once the Koopaling trio was close enough, they found an open boxcar and jumped inside.

"Whew!" Iggy sighed, leaning back against one of the walls, "We made it!"

"What was it that you were saying earlier?" Roy asked, looming over Iggy.

"Lemmy and I were just talking, is all," Iggy answered, sounding slightly unnerved. He was visibly trembling and twitching.

"You said that Lemmy couldn't trust me," Roy snarled.

"Th-that?" Iggy stuttered, "I-I just-"

Roy snatched Iggy up by his shirt collar before he could finish.

"You have some nerve, genius," Roy growled, "I'd never do anything to Lemmy."

"I wouldn't either!" Iggy retorted, "You have to believe me!"

"Quit fighting, you two!" Lemmy cried, "I don't want you to fight!"

"I want him to go away," Iggy muttered.

"What was that?" Roy snarled.

"Lemmy should come with me," Iggy continued, "He'd be safe with me and we could get away from anyone who might want to hurt him. I don't want to take a chance on trusting you. Lemmy's too important for that."

"No freakin' way!" Roy retorted, "There's no way I'm letting Lemmy go off on his own with a psychopath like you!"

"Iggy wouldn't hurt me, Roy!" Lemmy shouted, "I already told you that!"

"I can't be sure of that!" Roy replied, "I just want to keep you safe, Lemmy!"

"I don't know if you're telling me the truth, Roy!"

All three Koopalings fell silent. The only noise for a brief moment was the clattering of the train's wheels on the tracks below.

"You keep saying that Iggy's not trustworthy," Lemmy continued, "but did you ever stop to think that you're not all that trustworthy either? You've been bullying us since we were little and I have no reason to trust you with my life in any situation, much less this one. Then, you suddenly come out with some crap about wanting to get us home no matter what the cost? Why should I believe all that?"

"Iggy's been putting ideas into your head," Roy muttered under his breath.

"Lemmy's right," Iggy said, "There's no reason why he should trust you."

"What about him?!" Roy said, tightening his grip on Iggy's shirt collar "He's being pretty obsessive right now, and, quite frankly, it's starting to creep me out!"

"I know I can trust him!" Lemmy explained, "I have every reason to trust him!"

"What reason do you not have to trust me?!" Roy countered, "I saved your life back there! Doesn't that mean anything?!"

Lemmy was struck speechless. Maybe Roy was right.

"Don't listen to him, Lemmy!" Iggy shouted, "He's trying to trick you!"

"Shut it, you psycho!" Roy said, shoving Iggy across the box car and causing him to tumble to the floor. That's when Lemmy had enough. He rushed toward Roy with a piercing shriek and tackled Roy with all his might, knocking the larger Koopaling over. Roy tried to push Lemmy off of him, but Lemmy held on tight against all of Roy's struggling. Lemmy then grabbed Roy's head and, mustering every ounce of strength in his tiny body, slammed it against the floor, knocking Roy unconscious. Lemmy then collapsed on top of Roy and began sobbing.

"Lemmy?" Iggy said, getting up, "Are you okay?"

"It hurts, Iggy," Lemmy sobbed.

"What hurts?"

"Everything."

Iggy immediately rushed over to Lemmy and pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Don't worry," Iggy said, "I'm here now. It'll all be okay."

Lemmy sniffed and wrapped his arms around his twin brother.

"I know you'd never hurt me, Iggy."


Lemmy stared at the scenery soaring by outside the door of the boxcar. He and Iggy were sitting next to each other against the wall on one side of the car while Roy still lay unconscious on the other side. It had been like this for about an hour now. Since then, the sun had set and night had fallen on the world.

"Do you want me to check out that cut on your cheek?" Iggy offered

"Oh!" Lemmy responded, remembering the wound, "Sure. If you want to, you can."

Iggy moved in front of Lemmy and ran his fingers over the wound on Lemmy's face.

"How did it happen?" Iggy asked.

"Ludwig did it," Lemmy answered, "He was going to stab me, but Roy hit him and he only ended up scratching my face."

Iggy groaned at Lemmy's reply, stroking the cut he was inspecting. Lemmy decided to quit talking about Roy for the time being and let Iggy take care of things. Iggy then pressed down on the injury, causing Lemmy to wince.

"That hurts!" Lemmy said as Iggy pressed down harder. Strangely enough, though, Iggy didn't stop. He kept applying more pressure until his fingernails dug into the wound, causing Lemmy to cry out in pain. Iggy immediately pulled his hand away after that and frantically tried to clean his blood-covered fingernails on his shirt.

"What was that for?!" Lemmy cried, holding his hand against his cheek. Iggy didn't respond, but simply stared at Lemmy with a terrified gaze, once again trembling and twitching.

"Are you okay?" Lemmy asked.

"I-I'm sorry f-for the p-pain," Iggy stuttered.

"It's okay! It's okay!" Lemmy said quickly, "I'm fine! I'm sorry I yelled at you!"

"I-I can't live without you," Iggy continued, seeming to be in some sort of daze, "I-I love you. I-I'd never...never...never..."

Iggy began getting even closer so that he was almost on top of Lemmy. Lemmy, thinking he read Iggy's intentions, hugged Iggy tightly to seal his apology, but Iggy quickly tore Lemmy off of him and tossed the little Koopaling to the side. He then pounced, pinning Lemmy to the floor before pulling a knife out of his pocket and holding it above his twin brother, ready to strike.

"I-Iggy?!" Lemmy screamed, "Wh-what are you doing?!"

"I-I-I have to do it! I-I can't not do it!" Iggy began shouting in a frenzy, "I-I can bring you back to life! It'll be simple! I love you! I love you! I love you! I love you! I love you!"

Iggy then plunged the knife into Lemmy's right shoulder. Lemmy screamed in agony as Iggy twisted the knife around inside.

"Am I hurting you? Is this bad? Does it matter? I can bring you back to life! I can kill you and bring you back to life! Nothing can ever separate us! I can't let them do it! I have to do it! I belong to you! I'm the only one who deserves to do it!"

"Stop, Iggy! Stop!" Lemmy shrieked.

"I can't stop! I won't stop! I'll never stop loving you! You're the only one in the world I love! I love you! I love you! I love you! I love you! I lo-!"

Iggy let out an unearthly shriek as he was tackled to the ground by Roy, who had finally regained consciousness.

"Let me go!" Iggy screamed, "I have to do it! I can't let you do it! It has to be me! I love him! I love him like you never will! Every bit of me belongs to him!"

Roy quickly yanked Iggy to his feet and punched the psychotic Koopaling hard in his jaw. Iggy was sent stumbling backward toward the door of the boxcar.

"Iggy!"

It was too late. Lemmy's blood ran cold as he watched Iggy tip over backward and fall out of the boxcar. Roy immediately rushed over to the door and looked out to see if Iggy was all right. Lemmy's head began pounding and his vision began to blur. Everything he'd thought about Iggy had been absolutely undoubtedly wrong and now Iggy might be dead because of it. It was then that he blacked out.