A/N: In King Lear, Junior's character is present the entire time during Ludwig's punishment, but I made him come in later for dramatic effect. I also added some more things about Bowser and co.'s flight, and left Ludwig's revelation until after Iggy and Wendy left.
Act III. Scene vii.
Wendy, Iggy, Larry, Junior and Daisy had finished discussing their plans shortly after the rain had stopped. "Okay, you two, go get Ludwig!" she commanded to the two Hammer Bro. guards she and Iggy had brought with them from Mushroom Castle (and who were originally from Dark Land). "I hope you won't mind going back home without them," she added to Larry.
"No problem… Daisy's all the company I need," he grinned. On Daisy's other side, Iggy's face was murderous.
"Well in that case, get going. Roy needs to know about Peach's forces. The puny invaders don't stand a chance, but I'd rather not take any chances by leaving the Koopas out of the battle."
"I think we all feel that way," said Larry, as he and Daisy stood up to leave.
Just then, Toadsworth appeared in the door.
"Ah, you're just in time, Toadsworth," began Wendy. "Larry and Daisy were-"
"Bowser has escaped!" exclaimed the old Toad.
"What!?!" chorused the Koopalings.
"Ludwig must've gotten wind of your plan, m'lords, because he let Bowser and all his scalawags into the hangar and they've made off with the Koopa Cruiser – bound for Rogueport!"
"Yeah, well they won't make it!" Wendy turned to Junior. "You go with them to the hangar and alert the squadron. Tell them to shoot the Cruiser down! If you're not back in five minutes, we'll send someone else, so don't dawdle!"
"Chai Rocketons are faster than the Cruiser," said Iggy, looking calmly over as Junior clambered to his feet. "We've got plenty of time."
"They have a head-start," warned Toadsworth.
"Not good enough," shrugged Iggy.
"I say, maybe that's why he didn't go too," remarked the ancient Toad.
"Wait, Ludwig's still here?" gasped Wendy.
"Oh, yes indeed, madam!"
"He probably stayed behind to argue on behalf of King Dad," said Larry.
"Let us deal with him, you guys get outta here!" said Wendy, pointing emphatically to the door. She and Iggy were alone for barely a minute before the Hammer Bros. returned with Ludwig, who was angry and unrestrained.
"I'm here to-"
Ludwig was cut-off with a blast from Wendy's wand. He was taken off-guard, and by the time he drew his own wand, Iggy was ready to knock it from his hand with a barrage of lightning. Wendy then flung out some more of her candy rings to bind Ludwig's arms and legs. Another wave of her wand sent Ludwig flying through the air. He landed in the throne and Wendy glued the rings wrapped around his ankles, upper arms and wrists to the chair.
"Vat are you doing!?"
"Securing you," said Wendy, as she advanced on her brother with a mad gleam in her eye.
"You betrayed us," continued Iggy, as he and his sister stood menacingly above Ludwig.
"You're zee traitors! After all you've done to Fazzer!" spat Ludwig.
"We know what you've done," said Wendy. "But it won't work – the Koopa Cruiser will be shot down before it reaches the Mushroomian border."
"Zat's vere you're wrong!"
"Oh no, dear brother," said Wendy, reaching out and seizing a handful of Ludwig's wild blue hair, forcing his head backwards. "That's where you're wrong."
"Release me," said Ludwig, staring unwavering into Wendy's icy blue eyes. "Release me now and I won't arrest you for treason."
"Arrest us!" laughed Iggy. "You're the one plotting with Peach."
"I haven't been in contact vit Peach since zee Divison of zee Kingdom."
"Maybe so, but you sent Daddy to her, and you planned to use her invasion as leverage to force us to cow down to Daddy's ridiculous demands and his outrageous behavior!"
Ludwig had no idea how Wendy learned of his plans – perhaps he and Daisy were overheard. Nevertheless, he would not back down. "All I vant is for you to treat Fazzer vit zee respect he deserves. He vas a great King and now he is next to nossing – because he gave it all to us! And how do you repay him? By forcing him out into a hurricane!"
"He went out there on his own accord," argued Iggy. "He's crazy!"
"Because of vat you did to him!"
"You had a part in this too," reminded Wendy.
"I let you go too far – I should have put my foot down sooner," agreed Ludwig.
"Now's your chance to help King Dad," said Iggy, leaning forward. "He trusts you – call him on the radio and tell him to land."
"So you can strip avay vat little dignity he has left? Never!"
"He can die in peace or he can die in pieces – it's up to you," said Wendy.
"Zere is no 'peace' ven you're concerned," sneered Ludwig, shaking his head. "I vill not sit by and vatch you destroy our fazzer!"
Wendy frowned, and tightened her hold on Ludwig's scalp, ramming his head back into the throne and holding it immobile. "You'll sit alright – but as for the watching, I think something can be arranged."
Ludwig's eyes widened as Wendy whirled her wand around in her hand and brought the pointed end up to Ludwig's face.
"Vait!" gasped Ludwig, as Iggy reached forward and helped Wendy hold his head steady. "You're not gonna- You vouldn't!"
"Oh, I would," said Wendy, and as Junior skidded back into the room behind her, she drove the end of her wand straight into Ludwig's left eye.
"No!" roared Junior as Ludwig screamed in pain. The youngest Koopaling pulled out his sword and lunged towards Wendy. She wrenched her wand from Ludwig's bleeding face to try and defend herself, but not before Junior's sword hit home.
"Ahhh!" she screamed as the blade sliced through her side.
"Wendy!" Iggy released Ludwig and sent lightning blasts in Junior's direction, stunning the Koopaling. He then sprang forward, and before he knew what he was doing, he had seized Junior's sword and in one fluid motion, sliced clean though his brother's neck. Bowser Jr.'s body hit the ground with a thud, his coppery blood pouring out onto the floor.
"Vat did you do?" wailed Ludwig, staring at the scene in horror with his one remaining eye. "You monsters! You killed him!"
"Shut up!" screamed Iggy, dropping the sword and lunging at Ludwig.
"Vait! No! Don't I- aaaahhhhh!!!!"
"Out, vile jelly!" sneered Iggy sadistically, pulling his bloody thumb out of Ludwig's other eye socket, the claws of his other arm still digging into his brother's face to hold it still. "Where's thy lustre now?"
"Ugh, Iggy – you're so lame," moaned Wendy, as she crumpled to her knees. Even as the blood cascaded out from between the fingers she had clamped over her wound, she couldn't help but chide her geeky brother about quoting Shakespeareguy.
"Are you okay?" gasped Iggy, rushing to Wendy's side.
"I… no... I feel… I…" Wendy's eyes were sliding out of focus as she attempted to speak.
"I'll get you to the infirmary," whispered Iggy, scooping his ailing sister into his hands. As he rushed out of the room he called back to the guards. "Kick him out of the castle! Let him smell his way to Rogueport!"
The Hammer Bros.' eyes slid from Iggy's retreating form, to each other, to Junior's corpse, to Ludwig. "Whoa," they said in unison.
"What just happened, yo?"
"I dunno, yo…"
"Hey," called Ludwig between ragged breaths, his bleeding face turned blindly towards the Hammer Bros. "Don't listen to him! …I'm still zee head of zis… zis castle. You can't… srow me out."
"Hey, we feel you pain, yo, but orders are orders."
"Yeah, you're a traitor, yo, you have no authority."
"If I'm blacklisted… And if Junior's d- dead… Zen zat means… Daisy's in-charge! …Bring her here… She von't… she von't kick me out."
The Hammer Bro.s exchanged another uneasy look. The first one spoke up, taking a step towards Ludwig. "Uh, we hate to break it to you, yo-"
"-But she's the one who sold you out, yo."
"She told 'em you're a traitor, yo."
"She said you deserved this, yo."
"I mean, ya, she didn't say specifically-"
"-'Poke out his eyes, yo!'"
"But there were some bad vibes, yo."
"I can't believe this," said Ludwig, hanging his head. "She vas out to get me all along."
"Pretty much, yo," nodded the first Hammer Bro.
"She's a witch, yo," sympathized the second.
"Zen zee stuff about Lemmy… She must've made it all up to get rid of him! Oh, how could I have believed her! I knew Lemmy vasn't like zat, oh vy did I let her do zis to me – to him!"
As Ludwig spoke, the Hammer Bros. walked around the growing pool of Junior's blood. The first one bent down and picked up Wendy's wand, which she had dropped when she succumbed to her wound. He waved it over the candy rings and they turned to dust. Ludwig slumped forward a bit, and then gingerly brought his hands up to his ruined face.
"Don't worry, yo-"
"Yeah, we'll help you, yo!"
"We'll take you to Rogueport ourselves-"
"-We know all the fastest Warp Pipe connections."
The Hammer Bros. took Ludwig's arms and pulled him out of the throne. He wavered around on his feet, weak from pain and shock.
"Lean on us, yo," said the first Hammer Bro., kindly.
"We'll get you to safety, yo," nodded the second Hammer Bro. as they set off towards the door.