A/N: Here's another doubled-up chapter.
The first scene's the much-needed explanation of what happened last chapter. I would also like to take this opportunity to say that Junior's plot to kill Petey Piranha was all my idea: the methods used to do away with Petey's character in Richard III were much less clever.
The second scene is much less interesting, since it's just the second Chorus; in Richard III it focused on a scrivener talking to the audience, in my version it involves the Hammer Bros. talking to each other again.
Act. III. Scene v.
"That was brilliant!" called Larry as Junior entered the throne room (which was empty save for the two Koopalings).
"It was your acting that carried us through," responded Junior.
"Don't be modest: it was your coughing fit that won them over, especially after they watched Roy go the same way. But how did you get those splotches to appear?"
"Photosensitive powder, courtesy of Kamek: I just put it on in my room with all the lights off, and covered it with my scarf. Kamek made it so the powder took a minute to turn red in the light so I had time to actually eat the food before I started 'breaking out'."
"Nice! But what if Ludwig checks the food on his own time, you know how thorough he is," asked Larry.
"Not to worry, I sprinkled normal bee's wax on the food – that's why I was late to the meeting. Unless Luddy's got a DNA analyzer handy, he won't be able to tell the bee wax from the Zinger Wax. After all, he doesn't have the 'magical insight' as Kamek does," said Junior, knowing full well that Kamek couldn't actually tell different waxes apart either.
"Speaking of Kamek, have you spoken to him since he got back?"
"Yes," started Junior, but then the door to the throne room started opening behind him. "I'll tell you later," whispered Junior before turning to greet King Boo and Toadsworth.
"Hello Mastah Bowsah Jr.! I say, I'll never get used to saying that in such a friendly mannah," said Toadsworth.
"Don't worry, I'll never get used to living in this palace," remarked Junior, looking around at the cheery Mushroomian decorations.
"Yes well, onto business. I've heard such terrible rumors about the events of this morning's council meeting," said Toadsworth, concerned.
Just then, Kamek flew into the room on his broomstick, and landed at Junior's feet "I am sorry to report that Petey Piranha has just been executed for treason."
"Executed! I heard he was just locked away!" exclaimed Toadsworth.
"I'm afraid the punishment for treason is death according to Dark Land law. But it hurt me so much to do it, Petey was my friend, I had already liberated him from jail once. He had been unjustly imprisoned, but now I'm starting to think that my brother Lemmy, and Kammy were right about him," sighed Junior.
"Don't beat yourself up about it," soothed Larry. "We were all fooled, no one saw it coming."
"Even I didn't expect it," added Kamek.
"Expect what, exactly?" asked Toadsworth.
"Petey Piranha tried to poison us," said Larry. "Or at least, Junior and I, but perhaps Iggy and Wendy too."
"Oh my! Whatever for?" gasped Toadsworth.
"Candy Kong," growled Junior. "She had it all when she was… servicing… Roy, and when he died she became bitter. Perhaps she figured that since Petey was such a great friend of the family, he stood a chance to get the crown if all of us with the birthright to it were killed, making her a king's attaché once again."
"That seems… erm… unlikely," said Toadsworth doubtfully.
"Many things are unlikely: life is funny that way. But not funny as in the laughing sense, "snapped Junior. "Do you really think I would allow my friend to be killed unless I was sure there was a reason? Until I was sure he wanted to kill me? I wish it wasn't true, I wish he could have lived, but that is not the case."
"This past week has indeed been quite turbulent. Three days ago we had a King, now traitors ahr trying to eliminate our next one before he even ascends the throne," said Toadsworth, shaking his head. "Who would have guessed I would be troubled by the thought of you Koopalings enduring such vexations."
"This is all very improbable, and it is going to get worse before it gets better," predicted Kamek solemnly.
"Well, let's not dwell on that, but I think the public deserves to know what's going on," said Larry.
"Smashing idea, m'boy, I'll hop to it right away," said Toadsworth, his energy rekindled, and he almost ran out of the throne room.
"Watch him," said Junior to King Boo, who laughed and disappeared to invisibly follow the old Toad.
"I better go too," said Kamek, remounting his broom and flying through the open door, closing it with a spell on the way by.
"Okay, now what exactly did Kamek tell you before?" asked Larry, resuming his and Junior's conversation from before Toadsworth's interruption.
"Lemmy's secret was that Iggy and Wendy love each other a bit more than siblings should," sneered Junior.
"What?" gasped Larry wrinkling his snout in disgust. "I did wonder why they were getting along so well these days, but I would never have suspected that."
"I did, but now we have proof. Not that we can use it outright," said Junior.
"Technicalities," dismissed Larry.
"Exactly. Our plan is looking better than ever, but you'll have to go and drop a line to Toadsworth about the affair, so he can tell the citizens. But make sure he doesn't know I told you, or that I heard it from Kamek."
"Well duh," said Larry. "But what do I tell him?"
"Kamek's already starting to spread the word to the commoners with his Toadies: the story is that a guard over in Dark Land heard Lemmy spill the beans in his sleep."
"Good story. I guess that's why Kamek had to fly off – make sure everything's running smoothly."
"Yup."
"But one more thing," began Larry.
"Lemmy's dead," said Junior, knowing what was on his brother's mind. "That part of the plan's working too: everyone back home believed it was suicide, and the information's leaking down through the ranks. We shall be 'hearing' about it any time now."
"Everything's falling into place," grinned Larry, but something inside him regretted having to kill Lemmy.
"Yes, I will be King in no time," said Junior confidently, not feeling a speck of remorse. "And when I'm King, I'll give you whatever you want: land, money, girls – you want it, it's yours. I couldn't have gotten this far without you, after all."
"Thanks," said Larry, his regrets melting away.
"Don't mention it. Oh, and don't bother telling Toadsworth the rumor just yet – we'll save that for tomorrow, so it's fresh on their minds for our performance."
"Will do," said Larry, turning to leave. "Anyway, I'm going for dinner, see you later."
"Bye," called Junior as Larry left the room. He himself had one final task to attend to before calling it a day, and that was blackmailing Wendy and Iggy. His sister was already paranoid about him: a mere whisper of the rumors was sure to get her holed up in her room. And if Iggy liked her as much as he supposedly did, he'd lock himself away with her, leaving Junior free to claim the throne.
Act III. Scene vi.
"Hey, yo!" called the first Hammer Bro. as the second one entered the hallway.
"Sorry, I slept in, yo! What's been shaking?" asked the second Hammer Bro.
"Lots of stuff, yo! I just heard that Lemmy Koopa's dead!"
"Seriously?" asked the first Hammer Bro., when his brother nodded he continued. "I thought Petey Piranha would be the last guy to go for a while – that Junior's been busy!"
"Actually, yo! They say Lemmy killed himself: the guards walked in to feed him and he was dead. The coroners confirmed he slit his own wrists 'cause of the angles of the cuts, yo!"
"That's heavy! But it sounds a bit fishy, Lemmy was acting a bit down, but he didn't seem the suicidal type, yo!"
"I know," agreed the second Hammer Bro. "It's got Morton Koopa written all over it, yo!"
"But he's dead, Yo!"
"I know, yo! But I was talking to Toad: he's not hysterical anymore but he's still a bit foggy on the details of killing Morton, like he was only half there at the time, yo!"
"You mean, like he was hypnotized?" gasped the first Hammer Bro.
"I don't know about that, yo! Garbled memories ain't a sign of hypnotism. But I still think Junior had something to do with it, yo!"
"You and everyone else, yo! He probably did have something to do with Lemmy's death too, after all it was him and Prince Larry that threw the guy in jail."
"Yeah, about that, yo! What was his crime again? The guy who told me that Lemmy was dead didn't know."
"Plotting against the crown. He apparently was keeping secrets about Iggy and Wendy – something about them breaking some old law, yo!"
"Weird, I say we try to find out more about it, yo!" said the second Hammer Bro.
"Good idea, ex-King Bowser's hanging out with Kammy today, so we've got nothing else to do, yo!"
"Awesome!" With that the two Hammer Bros. walked down the hallway, looking forward to their day of freedom.
