Throughout the walk to where Bowser supposedly was, Ludwig took the time to mull over some of the reactions he had seen. Though they weren't the scariest, Morton's and Wendy's had definitely been the most unique. After all, they hadn't exactly shown fear, per se, but that didn't mean they weren't feeling it, either. Iggy's had been similar to his own – in what appeared to be stages as opposed to a direct exposure. Larry, Lemmy, and Junior had all had very similar, immediate reactions, though Ludwig felt the most sympathy for the youngest – with the least amount of experience with dealing with frightening situations, it wasn't surprising that he had seemed so terrified.
And then there was Roy.
His was the most worrisome. He hardly blinked when a giant raging chain chomp was heading his way or a Thwomp accidentally crushed his foot. Whatever it was that had broken him into such a terrible state was enough to make even the most stoic of the Koopalings nervous.
The fact that he wasn't aware of any of his siblings having phobias made the current situation even more concerning. It meant he couldn't accurately hypothesize about their fears or try to come to conclusions, especially if they didn't even know themselves what they were afraid of. He didn't want to be counterproductive by assuming one thing only for it to be something totally different.
I dohave last night's events to fall back on, but… if the simulation ended by acknowledging one's fears, is it possible zhat zheir true fears are completely different from zheir nightmares?
He stopped suddenly, in front of a plain-looking wooden door that served as the entrance to his destination. Ludwig quietly slipped into his dad's planning room, where the owner of said room was currently analyzing a note-covered whiteboard. The room itself was covered in pieces of paper, most being memos or brainstorming sessions or blueprints, some crumpled into pieces, some with charged edges. Larger pieces were taped onto the wall, many overlapping as new ideas overshadowed older ones. A large, tan-coloured map with different locales listed on it took up a large portion of the left wall, while knickknacks and memorabilia surrounded it and struggled to be seen underneath more pieces of paper. Many of the names on the map were crossed out with red ink, reminders of failed plots or kingdoms that were no longer worth going after. The centre of the room was home to a massive, elegant looking wooden table that hogged most of the available space, surrounded by matching chairs with red velvet cushions and rounded backs. The seats matched the thick carpet that barely managed to surpass the table's size. Numerous bookshelves lined the walls, full to the brim, and piles of books could also be found in the corners, alongside unmarked binders and journals of various sizes. From atop the table, directly behind his father, a small laptop sat in the middle of this extreme fire hazard of a room, internal fan whirling dutifully in an attempt to keep the device cool. Despite its purpose, the place had a distinct nautical vibe, as if he had walked straight onto a pirate ship.
Bowser didn't even glance over to see who it was. "I expected you to show up after all that."
Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "Did you now. Undt how exactly did you come to zhat conclusion?"
Bowser shrugged as he stared up at his writings. "Call it a hunch."
"Vell, your hunch vas evidently correct, if I should be tedious enough to state ze obvious." Ludwig approached his father and stood next to him, looking up at the whiteboard in front of them. A piece of paper was taped to the top of the board, neatly displaying the results of the simulation in eight short columns. All of them had a red X under their stats except for his, which was a green circle.
"I assume you saw zhe video footage of zhe test," Ludwig prompted. He wanted to selfishly feel a sense of pride at the fact that their dad knew that he was the only one who had passed, but concern for his siblings overruled any feelings of complacency.
Bowser nodded, gesturing to a large computer off to the side where the eight different scenes were playing on repeat.
"Obviously something's bugging you if you didn't run straight to your piano. What did you want?"
Ludwig opened his mouth but hesitated to respond. He honestly wasn't sure why this was bothering him so much. Perhaps looking at his siblings' reactions hadn't been the best idea… and why should he be so concerned with their failures, anyway?
It wasn't like this would come back to bite them later.
Bowser let out a sigh on seeing his son's uncertainty. "If they can't face their fears on their own, then they'll need the help of someone else if they want to beat 'em. Someone who has coped with their own fears before."
Ludwig glanced over in surprise, partially because his father knew what was bothering him, and partially because he didn't expect his initial advice to be so deep. "Vhat do you mean?"
Returning to his notes, Bowser began to explain. "Us Dragon-Koopas are as stubborn as we come. And despite what they think, they need your help to deal with this. I mean, they probably won't trust you much, but it can't be helped."
Despite himself, Ludwig let out a groan of annoyance. "Vhy must it be me? Vhy can it not be you? Zhey vould probably open up more to you zhan to me regarding zhis."
"Ludwig, do you really expect them to just waltz up to me and tell me what's going on? Especially when I get after you all for showing weakness in the first place. You're the closest thing they have to mental and emotional support."
The eldest had no response to that. As much as he hated to admit it, Bowser had a point. As the oldest, they looked up to him. They trusted him, as the confiding session the night before had proven quite well. If left unchecked, this could potentially break them. And couple all of that with the fact that he himself had actually passed the simulation while the rest of them hadn't… well, he was definitely the best candidate for the job.
"The main problem is they don't even realize what their fears are if they couldn't pass the simulation, which could cause big problems in the future if we don't deal with it. It keeps you distant from each other, and even your true selves. You've got a certain level of maturity and wisdom that lets you acknowledge and confront your fears. But you matured so early, and the others are still far behind your level of understanding."
"So, you vish for me to assist them in conquering zeir fears so zhat zey may mature as vell."
Bowser shrugged. "Somewhat. Point is: Unless you overcome your fears, or at least learn to face them, you won't get stronger, and you'll suffer more than you should if someone used them against you. They have to learn how to cope with them in case that ever happens." A sigh escaped his lips, and he glared bitterly at nothing. "Given the enemies we've fought, that wouldn't surprise me."
"But I didn't cope, eizzer. I simply acknowledged."
"Oh come on. I don't expect you all to get over this overnight. You're not even adults." Bowser stared down at his son. "Acknowledging is just the first step. Once you know, you can work towards overcoming it."
Ludwig raised an eyebrow at his dad. "Vhen did you start gaining visdom?"
"Can it, you. I'm smarter than I let on." Bowser's sudden guffaw jarred Ludwig's sombre attitude. "Have to be!"
"Vell, I suppose it cannot be helped if I'm ze only one capable… I suppose I'll start vith Lemmy undt go from zhere."
"Sounds like a plan. But, uh… you may wanna save Wendy for last. You know how she gets when she's… emotional."
"Solid advice." He let out an involuntary shudder. "I'd razzer deal vith a star powered plumber zhan vith zhat."
Bowser said nothing more, returning to his board and resuming his analysis. It gave Ludwig the opportunity to muse to himself as he exited the planning room and began to assess just what it was he should do.
I vouldlike to speak vith Lemmy as soon as possible, seeing as he vould be ze easiest to confront, but I doubt rushing into a conversation vould be vise, undt I doubt he vould be in a proper state of mind so soon after ze simulation. Force vould not be vise here… I need to keep zhings as calm as possible to optimize my success. After all...
Fear doesn't go avay overnight.
The entire rest of the day was quite… awkward, to say the least. Most of his siblings either straight out avoided each other or were cautiously courteous whenever they were forced to interact. And frankly, he didn't blame them. Getting shoved into your nightmares wasn't exactly the best way to start off a morning…
Unfortunately, if this kept up, it was going to make his 'mission' a bit more difficult to complete than he'd like.
He was the only one that stuck around during lunch, the rest of them grabbing their food and scuttling off, and even the gym and living room were devoid of any siblings from that point forward.
Of course, it gave him plenty of time to think – and distract himself from his own… ahem… simulated concerns – but the normally elusive silence was eerily unsettling. As selfish as it was, he was slightly annoyed that he was forced to waste such a quiet day on what appeared to be a wild goose chase. Sure, he was planning to speak to Lemmy first, but at this point he would've taken any almost opportunity that had presented itself, just to get one of the confrontations over with. But Ludwig hadn't realized how easy it was for his siblings to disappear when they didn't want to be found. He managed to have brief interactions with Morton and Larry, but they were clearly nervous and came up with excuses to go on their way before he could attempt any meaningful conversation.
The only time the family finally assembled was when dinner rolled around, due to Bowser's insistence on having at least one meal together. Much like most of the day, it was unnervingly quiet, the only sounds being the clinks of cutlery – for those who bothered to use it at all – and the occasional cough or creak of a chair.
Bowser didn't seem the least bit perturbed over the silence, and he knew the minions were relieved for having an 'easy' day, but Ludwig's nerves were beginning to fray from the unusually still atmosphere. Chaos he was at least used to, especially during supper. He looked from one sibling to the next, and let out a sigh of resignation.
Suppose eet eez time for ze eldest brozzer to step up yet again…
"…Vell."
The single, accented word seemed to command everyone's attention, a few of them jumping in surprise. They were clearly caught off guard that the one who always insisted on silence was the first one to break it.
He chose not to look at anyone directly, instead deciding that the candleholder that served as a centerpiece would maintain his attention for a few moments.
Even so, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bowser's mouth twitch as he tried to hide a smirk.
I swear eef you delegated zhis to me for your own amusement I vill assign Cloudy Skies to Boom Boom during ze next kidnapping excursion…
"…eez everyvon prepared for ze tournament zhat vill be happening in just over two veeks time?"
He wasn't irked by the confused glances between the siblings, nor was he irked by the almost inaudible snort from his father. It was to be expected.
Cautiously, as if he was walking straight into a trap, Larry opened his mouth and responded accordingly, speaking slowly lest something somehow go wrong. "…tournament? What tournament?"
Of course they hadn't been paying attention. He'd been meticulously setting it up for months, making sure everything was ready, keeping the minions informed and up to date, and after going through intense emotional stress NOW they decide that it's worth their time to listen?
He let out another sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ze tournament I made sure you vere all informed about months ago so zhat you vould have time to prepare."
"You never told us anything, Ludwig," Wendy replied, utterly baffled.
Morton piped up in agreement. "Yeah, and she'd know for sure with how much she loves to win!" He glanced at Wendy, only to receive a glare from the female that prevented him from saying more.
"I think you're just making this up," Roy muttered, taking a large chomp out of a piece of bread.
"…No, I do remember you mentioning something along those lines," Iggy mumbled, staring down at his soup, "But from what I remember, you never gave us any details. And you never brought it up again, so I figured it was just conceptual."
"Vell, zhis is your two veek notice, zhen."
"So you're not even gonna tell us what it's about?" Larry whined.
"I made sure minions vere sent to inform you. Eet eez not my fault if your pitiful memories can't recall such important information."
The comment instantly sparked Roy's temper, and Ludwig flinched as he smacked a hand down on the table. "You just don't wanna tell us cuz you're hoping you're gonna win!"
Unfortunately, his little distraction was working a bit too well. Not wanting to start a fight, Ludwig chose to be a bit more straightforward in his reply. "Nozzing to vin, brozzer. At least, not for us individually. But you'd know zhat if you were actually avare of vhat ze tournament vas all about. I'm especially surprised zhat you've forgotten about it, seeing as eet's your division." Despite the potentially insulting comment, his tone was mild, leaving no room for accusation, only confusion from the third eldest.
"Wait… my division?" He could see the gears turning in his head, but before either of them could continue to speak, the second youngest spoke up, excitement back in his voice.
"Come on, Morton!" Larry was on his feet in an instant, face lighting up with the prospect of having something to do. "The sooner we can find out what's going on, the sooner we can train to win!"
"Yeah! We're gonna take home the prize! We're gonna reach for the skies! We're gonna-" He continued to rant as the two of them raced from the room to find the nearest minion in the know.
"Wait for me!" Junior called, scuttling out after his brothers and leaving his food half-eaten.
"Well, if it's MY division, then I'VE got the advantage," Roy smirked, getting up and heading for a different exit, opposite the one the youngest trio had taken, "No sense in stickin' around here while they're out chasing their tails."
"Oh NO you don't, Roy!" Wendy barked, heels clicking as she followed him, "I'm not gonna risk losing just because Ludwig didn't specify what was going on!"
And then there were four. The rest of them sat in silence for a full minute before another chose to take his leave.
"Well, if everyone else is being excused, I've got things to take care of." Iggy pushed his chair back and made his way to the door, completely ignoring the commotion that could still be heard as Larry, Morton, and Junior competed to try to be the first to learn about the tournament.
Ludwig frowned at his brother's actions. He hadn't so much as glanced at Lemmy the entire time. The two of them almost always left together, even if Iggy was going to work on one of his projects. But, not wanting to call anything to attention at the moment, he filed the information away to use at a later time.
At least most of them seemed back to normal. Except…
"Lemmy? You okay, squirt? You've hardly eaten anything."
"Sorry… I'm… not hungry." Lemmy sighed, a hint of sadness in his voice. "…Dad, can you get Paloma to handle ice training tomorrow, please? I kinda just… wanna be alone right now."
Bowser didn't normally approve of the idea of the Koopalings shirking their training responsibilities, but this hadn't exactly been a normal day. "…I guess, just this once."
"Thanks." He shimmied to the floor from the too-high chair and walked out of the room, albeit a bit shakily. That's when it suddenly occurred to Ludwig that he hadn't seen Lemmy riding on his circus ball all day.
If the alarm bells had been loud before, they were deafening now. First he isolated himself –which he never did when he was upset – then he didn't speak to Iggy or even so much as say farewell when he exited, then he didn't even touch his favourite Fruity Hamburger, then he wanted to skip ice training and be alone, and now he was going so far as to walk to his room?
That tore it; Lemmy couldn't be left alone, not like this.
As much as he wanted to plan what he was going to say, give it a bit of time, it would be too risky to ignore it now. Lemmy could get better with time, sure, but he could also hold onto the problem and allow his emotions to consume him.
He said nothing to Bowser as he got up and left, knowing that he'd understand exactly what was going on. Sure enough, a hum of approval proved his hypothesis was spot on, and he didn't hesitate to follow after the smallest Koopaling.
The last thing Ludwig heard while he was within earshot of the dining room was:
"…well, I guess if they're not gonna finish their food, I shouldn't let all this meat go to waste!"
Bowser both lends to a serious atmosphere and also kills it dead I love it
My apologies - I didn't mean to take so long to upload the second chapter! I knew it would be delayed a bit, but not by THIS much... hopefully the next chapter won't be delayed as long as this one was.
Don't worry, Lemmy! Help is on the way! Brothers forever!
