Shelled Secrets.

Chapter three.

It was a close one. Ludwig managed to get some action in it before Wendy got to them. He would have to make up for how short it was later, but for now, they have to relax. A knock on his door. "Come in." Ludwig calls out. Clawdia walks in. "Hello, Ludwig. Can I talk to you?" "Of course, mother." Clawdia closes the door. "I know about it, Ludwig." "…You do?" Ludwig asks, frightened. "Yes, son. Why didn't you say anything?" "Well…I didn't think you would respect me for being gay" "…I wasn't talking about that. I was referring to you needing some time alone." "…Me and my big mouth." He sighs. "Please don't tell anyone, mother! Please don't!" "Son…don't worry, I won't. It will be our little secret. …Does Lemmy know?" "Yes, mother." He says, and explains the whole situation.

Thumps are heard from Roy's room as he punches his punching bag. "There is no way…" punch "…I am going to…" punch "…let the gay…" punch punch "…live in the same kastle as me." He puts up his punching gloves and trys to think of a way to get rid of Lemmy with out being punished, but finds it difficult to think at all. "The gay is going to leave the house somehow. But how? "Maybe I can be of service?" Larry says from the air duct. "GACK! Don't DO that, Larry! You scared me half to death! …But what do you mean by you being of service?" The money loving Koopa hops out of the air duct, and lands on the wrestling mat. "Pay me, and Lemmy is as good as gone." "How do I know you will do it? You cheated me once before, you know." "Pay me half now, and half later." "Hmm…how much?" "100 coins." "25." "50." "Deal." And he pays Larry 25 coins, to which he frowns. "Your half way to the first payment…" "Don't tell me you meant 50 coins per payment!" "You already agreed to it." "…I hate you." He remarks as he pays him 25 more coins.

At the dinner table, Bowser has gotten every one quiet so that Larry may speak. "Thank you, father. Before I begin, I would like to thank mother for this wonderful meal!" Clawdia blushes, not knowing that Larry will do anything to seem like he is doing a good thing, even if it involves lying to his mother. "I would like to ask Lemmy to repeat something he said a while back. Could you tell me what got you to realize you are a homosexual?" "Well, it was when I mistakenly walked in the bathroom with Mario in it, and after the raid, I started thinking about his…" "Stop there, Lemmy. Now, family, we all hate Mario, correct?" "Where are you going with this, Larry?" Bowser interrupts. "I plan to get to that, father. Just answer my question." "Well…yes, I hate Mario." "And does the rest of the family?" they all nod. "No, not all of you. I have proof that Lemmy is, in fact, on the Mushroom side!" he exclaims as he pulls out a picture of Lemmy with Mario embracing a kiss.

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO, KILL US ALL!" Bowser yells at the confused and terrified Lemmy. "Mario is the drain-brain enemy! And your on HIS SIDE!" "But dad, I never did that! I swear on my shelled behind!" "Then why does Larry have a picture of you!" "He could of photoshoped it!" "…You may be right. Ok then. You have one week to prove it. If you can show me that you did not go out with Mario, then I will let you stay. But if you can't, you're dead to me." Bowser kicks him out of the master bedroom, and Ludwig walks up to Lemmy. "You didn't really do it, did you?" he asks, holding back tears incase someone is watching them. "No, Ludwig. I swear." "…I trust you. I will help you find a way to show you're innocent." Lemmy smiles a week smile. "Thank you."

Ludwig is looking at the picture with a microscope. "Hmm…He did a good job, but he left a few dots hear and there. I can see the date on the picture. It was taken…on the eighteenth of February. …Lemmy, isn't that the day we went on our first date?" "Ya! We went to Earth to go to Disney Land! I still have the ticket!" "So do I! We can use the tickets to show you couldn't of been near Peach because you where with me!" "…But Ludwig…they are going to ask why you took me to Disney Land." "…Your right. We have to find another way to prove your innocence." And without another word, he looks at the picture a little longer.

"Larry, you're a genius!" Roy says happily. "In a few days, the gay is going to be kicked out of the kastle!" "Roy, two things. First, at least call him by his name." "He isn't worth that kind of respect." "Roy…second of all, you still owe me coins." "Oh no, the gay is still in the house. You get paid AFTER he leaves." "…I would do anything for money, Roy, but this seems really low…" "If you are thinking of helping the gay, you will be beaten up so much, you will need a tube to feed you pudding for the rest of your life. You got it?" Larry nods. "Good. Then you better keep your mouth shut."

Ludwig has been up all night for the last six nights. "I have one last day to help him. How am I going to do this? Oh, DAD, please. Give me guidance. Please…" Six days and nights of lack of sleep have taken there toll on him, as he falls asleep abruptly. And he dreams.

He is in a field of clouds. He is weightless, and he sees someone who looks like an ancient Koopa. "Oh my DAD…its DAD! The first Koopa Troopa EVER!" and he bows to him. "Get up, Ludwig." He calmly replies. "I get enough of that at the Famlikoopa Churches." "Oh, DAD, I am not worthy." He says as he gets up. "Ludwig, you can drop the worship. I was choked with the silver spoon in my mouth. Look, you're trying to help out Lemmy, but you can't use the date, right?" "Right. Why?" "Follow in the footsteps, Ludwig." "What?" "You'll figure it out. Good bye, Ludwig. And good luck." He says as he fades into the light. "Wait, what do you mean?" he yells, but then the clouds fade into black, and his eyes open from his sleep. He thinks about what DAD said, and looks at the picture again.

"Well, Lemmy? You have five minuets left in the day. Where is your proof?" Bowser asks the whole family there. Roy is grinning evilly, thinking to himself "Finally, I have a chance to kill the gay!" Larry is biting his tong to say nothing so as not to be killed. And Ludwig walks up to Bowser. "I have the proof, father." He says as he walks to a Microscope connected to a television. "First, we all know What a Koopa footstep looks like, right?" They all nod as they know a Koopish footstep looks like a chickens, but the toes are thicker and closer together. "Then look at this." Ludwig says, as he zooms into the tail of foot steps right behind Lemmy, which do not look like a chicken's trail at all. They are left by high heals that Lemmy is not wearing. "That is proof that Lemmy was photoshoped and framed." He says, laughing at his joke. Bowser looks at Larry, who, knowing Bowser would kill him much more painfully, looks at Roy, who has no one else to look at.

"However, father. I would like to say something else while we are all here." "Oh, son? And what is that?" Bowser asks. "I had another way to prove Lemmy innocent. The date…" "Ludwig, no!" Lemmy interrupts. "Lemmy…I know what I'm doing." He says, and Lemmy looks in Ludwig's eyes in awe. "Father, if you look at the date, it is the Eighteenth of February. That day, I took Lemmy to Earth to go to Disney Land." "…Why?" Bowser asks. "Because, Father…" and without explanation, he embraces a kiss with Lemmy.