After Roy's fifth birthday (his birthday about 10 months after Ludwig's) Bowser takes the boys out to see the Dark Land capital. "Feel free to look around Main Street. I have to go find someone."

Ludwig watches his father leave them alone. "He doesn't have very good parenting skills." he says. "Who leaves there children alone like this?"

Roy shrugs. "Better make the best of it."

He nods. They walk down a busy street, and pass by a magazine and newspaper stand. Roy pulls out a Nintendo Power magazine. "Look, Ludwig, I'm reading!" he exclaims as he reads it. The blue boy smiles. Roy had made great progress over the past months. Ludwig feels a beam of pride. He had taught his brother to read. Then, a magazine for modern composers and classical lovers catches Ludwig's eye.

He pulls it off the shelf and speed reads it. He finds a page that says:

Symphony Contest: Send in one of your symphonies and we will pick the best one! Prize for winning: 500 coins and a chance to play it at an upcoming classical concert in Dark Land. The winner (and runner up, in case that the winner cannot perform) will be announced in next month's issue. Send it in with the form on the back.

I could send in one of my symphonies! thinks Ludwig. I could have a chance of playing one of my symphonies in front of real people! He decides buy the magazine and subscribe to it with his allowance (which he had brought along just in case). He is incredibly excited to get home and choose one of his best symphonies.

The boys wander around the street, visiting each shop until Bowser returns a few hours later. "I'm back. I had to go to court for something."

Ludwig tilts his head. Why would he go to court...?

"Anywho, did you like walking around the capital?"

The boys nod eagerly. He grins. "Great. I'm sorry we can't stay longer, but I'm tired and I'm not walking around all day."

They return to their castle home, where Ludwig immediately runs back upstairs and into his room. He puts all his symphonies in a neat pile and looks through them all carefully. This is good, but too lighthearted. This one is too bland. This is perfect! No... He can't find a symphony worthy of being sent in. "They're all terrible!" he shouts, shoving them off his bed. He lays his head on his pillow. As he despairs, he gets an idea for a symphony. He takes out a music sheet from the pile under his bed. He quickly scribbles down the notes as they appear in his mind. Three music sheets later, he is finished. He returns to the first page to name it. He writes The Jurisdiction of the Wicked on the sheet. He looks at his symphony proudly. My best symphony yet, he thinks. I know I can win with this!

He fills out the form (it just asked the name and address) and staples it to his symphony. He walks downstairs and scours the cabinets for an envelope. Kamek catches him climbing into one. "What are you doing?" he asks.

"I'm looking for an envelope." he replies, pushing cans of food around. "I need it to send in one of my symphonies for a contest."

Kamek frowns. "You enjoy writing symphonies?"

The blue boy knocks over a can. "Yes. I only told Bowser I hated them because we didn't have any music sheets around and I wasn't allowed outside the castle confines."

The old man sighs. "You can't lie to your father like that." he says.

"What do I care? He's no father of mine. No wonder my mother hates him and won't visit me like she promised."

Kamek looks at his grandson strangely. "Your mother isn't one to keep promises, you know."

Ludwig pokes his head out of the cabinet door. "What do you mean?"

"She promised to stay with Bowser, and then she leaves the second she lays her egg."

The young boy drops onto the counter. "Of course she left! If Bowser had been around, I would be a lot less intelligent. Besides, she only needed him to lay her egg. You're not too stupid; you should at least know that."

The short old man folds his arms. "That's no way to speak to your elder."

Ludwig snorts. "I don't care."

Kamek smiles. "You remind me of your father when he was young."

The boy glares. "So?"

The old man looks over his shoulder and shouts, "LORD BOWSER!"

Bowser trudges in a few moments later. "What the hell is it, Kamek?" he asks grumpily.

The old man motions towards Ludwig. "Your son here offered to help me alphabetize the entire library! Isn't he sweet?"

The brute man looks at his son and smiles. "Good boy, Luddy." The boy winces at the name. As the man walks out, he says, "And don't disturb me again with such pointless things."

"Yes, Lord Bowser."

He turns to Ludwig and smirks. "You're lucky I didn't tell him everything you said." He picks up the small boy. "Now let's go sort those books."

Ludwig grimaces as the old man carries him away. Kamek sets him down on the floor when they enter the library. "Do we really have to sort the entire library?" the blue boy asks.

The old man nods his head. "Yes. I've been meaning to resort this place for years; but we'll only do A, B, and C today." He climbs up a ladder to where the book shelves are located. "Come on then, boy." he says, beckoning Ludwig, who was just standing around. "These books won't resort themselves." The boy grimaces again as he climbs up the ladder. His grandfather pointed to the first ten large shelves on the left. "These are the A shelves." He pulls out his wand and knocks all the books off the A shelves with a spell. "Start alphabetizing them. I have to go and meet your father at the courthouse." The old man leaves the library. The young boy begins to read the titles and place them in specific piles. "Lazy old man." he mutters angrily. He picks up another book and glares at it. He flings it behind him. "I'm not doing this." he hisses to himself. He pulls a book of fairytales off the shelf and reads it aloud to phantom listeners.

The old man returns a few hours later. "Have you finished, boy?" asks Kamek.

"See for yourself." Ludwig growls in reply. He climbs up the ladder and stares at the remaining mess. "I thought I told you to alphabetize these, boy." he hisses.

The blue child shuts his book. "I didn't feel like doing it." he says in an almost bratty tone. Kamek glares at him. "That's it, boy." The old man picks up a book simply titled The Family Album, climbs down the ladder, and then chucks it into the fireplace. "OH, LORD BOWSER!" he shouts in a psychotic, merry voice. The man flings the metal door open. "WHAT IS IT NOW, KAMEK?"

The old man points to the burning album. "Your boy threw your family album into the fire!" he exclaims.

Bowser looks at his son questioningly. "Is that true?"

The boy shakes his head frantically. "I didn't do it, I swear! It was Kamek!"

Kamek laughs. "The boy is quite a liar, Lord Bowser. Remember, he lied to you about not liking to read." He smirks at the boy. "And he also lied to you about hating composing symphonies! Why, just today I saw him looking for an envelope to put his symphony in for a contest! How he beamed with arrogance when he told me so!"

The brute, red-haired man glares at his son. "You lied to me again?" He looks ready to explode with anger. The boy hangs his head. "I'm so sorry, Bowser."

Bowser's voice softens. "Why do you keep lying to me?" he asks sadly. The boy remains silent. "You can tell me, I can handle it." he says.

Ludwig sighs. "I lie to you because..." He pauses, hesitating to state his feelings. "I lie to you because I have no respect for you. I lie to you because I can get away with it most of the time. I lie to you because..." He pauses again.

"...because I hate you." The king looks taken aback. The blue child points to his father. "I hate you so much! You took me away from my mother! I wish you weren't my father!" Ludwig is on the edge of tears.

The king hangs his head, expression hidden. Kamek's smirk has turned into sad frown. There is a long silence. Not a sound was heard, except for the boy restraining from crying. Finally, Bowser sighs. He puts his hand on his son's shoulder. "I know I shouldn't have taken you away from your mother." The boy glances at his father. "I know I should have left you where you were..." He pauses. "...but I wanted you back from your mother because I felt cheated. For my own selfishness, I took you from the place you deserve to be."

There is another long pause. "And I'm sorry."

He turns away from his son. "If you want, I'll take you home to your mother."

Ludwig looks at his father for a while. He wipes a few droplets of tears from his eyes. "I'll stay."

The man turns around. "What?"

"I'm going to stay here." Bowser is puzzled. "Bowser, I don't truly hate it here. I love Roy, I love this library, and I love this castle. I only acted bratty and unhappy because of you." He turns and faces the fire. "You've apologized, though. That's something I wouldn't expect from a man like you." His eyes reflect the burning fire. "And I forgive you."

The king walks over to his son and hugs him. "Can we put this all behind us?" he asks.

"Yes, father." replies the boy.

His father lets go and smiles. "So, Kamek tells me you're trying to win a contest?"

"So you like king dad now?" Roy asks as he read a short book of fairytales. Ludwig nods. "Yeah, and I can honestly say that this is the first time I've felt like I've had a family since I left my mother's home."

Bowser opens the door. "Boys, there's someone who I want you to meet."