Hello again! Before we get into the next chapter, I would like to thank Pixlpower15859 for the continued fanart support of my story! As such, I have changed the cover image to his fanart piece titled 'Almost', based of my first chapter. Thank you again so much! I'm glad you continue to enjoy my work! :)

This chapter is being posted early yes... I GRADUATE ON SUNDAY! I earn my Bachelor's Degree the day this was supposed to be posted according to my schedule, so I'm doing it early for you all to enjoy (and nitpick) while I go through the chaos of grad week... forget parties, I'm sleeping my days off... until work of course. :)

Another thing. As this is an interlude, Tobi's mother history will not be detailed out until the next chapter. For now, I'll just let him give a few things here and there.

And now, please enjoy for I have, at the wise suggestion of Just Call Me J, may need to find an assistant to write my author's notes seeing how Bowser and his kids wanna burn me and all. Great stuff there... yeah... so I'm just gonna leave this chapter here and run now. Bye!

Oh, and of course, I owns me nothing except my story line.


Threshold

Interlude Chapter 29: Where to Begin

Lemmy was so tired from what he had heard last night, all the thinking and forcing himself not to break down yet again, and tired of fighting with his confusing emotions, he failed to wake up when Iggy and Ludwig both came and knocked at his door the following morning. The two brothers were concerned with how late it was getting and how little they have heard from the circus koopaling since a few days ago.

When both boys finally had the sense to open the door, Ludwig's heart stopped.

Seeing their brother curled in a corner of his own bedroom sleeping and half shaking from the breeze blowing his frail body did something to both Iggy and Ludwig. They couldn't explain the feeling, but it was painful beyond belief and they wanted nothing more than to push it away and help poor Lemmy.

'Lemmy... you were probably like this so many times before... you were alone in your room and had nothing to comfort you but the darkness and your own descending sadness. Tell me, little brother... how bad did we really hurt you? How far did we decide to push you away... and for nothing?' Ludwig thought numbly as he stared.

Iggy was the first to make any movement, carefully walking in the bedroom and trying to wake the sleeping boy. "Lemmy? Lem, come on... it's almost one in the afternoon, and you need to eat something..." Iggy said quietly as he shook his shoulder, being as gentle as he could manage.

Ludwig still stood by the door, feeling awkward even thinking about walking inside. His brother's bedroom just felt out of place to him.

He was used to seeing things everywhere, as it used to drive him crazy when Lemmy never put his weapons or toys or things away. But now that he stood in an empty room, with nothing but the peeling plaster of his favorite colors and shapes to look at, Ludwig realized he missed something else that made Lemmy who he was.

He missed the lively room his brother loved to bring them to.

He missed the loud, crazy noise Lemmy made every night, the happiness he would bring to their whole family, something they took for granted.

He missed his brother's genuine laughter and the giggles whenever Roy would try and 'beat' him up for something only they knew about.

He missed all of it. He was beginning to hate the silence.

"Ignatius..." Ludwig finally spoke after who knew how long. His mouth felt dry and even though he didn't want to do so, he walked into the room and knelt next to him and Lemmy.

"Let him sleep for awhile. He has not been able to in some time. Whatever Father has to tell us, we will inform Lemmy later on, when he is ready to wake up." Ludwig was unaware that Lemmy could hear bits and pieces of what they were saying, even though he was trying his best not to let them know it.

'I know why I'm like this, Ludwig. And soon you will all, too.'

Iggy nodded, watching as Lemmy continued to sleep through the conversation, just as unaware as Ludwig was. "I know he does, but he locks himself in here all the time and I'm scared he's gonna hurt himself again! I just spoke to him, he was fine when he left! Why can't he just be Lemmy again..." Iggy cried out, growing frustrated. He turned around and slammed his fist into a nearby wall, sending pain shooting up his arm. But he didn't care.

Iggy was beyond frustrated, but he knew he had no right to feel like that after what happened. "It's our damn fault, I know that... but can't he forgive us and let us make it up to him?! I'm scared we're really gonna lose our brother..." he finished, sinking to the ground and ignoring his sore arm.

"Ludwig, what can we do anymore? He's completely gone and I know him. He doesn't want this to happen again because when he does kill himself he'll succeed... so what should we do?" he asked, looking at him from over his shoulder.

Ludwig couldn't do anything more than shrug and he leaned forward to pick Lemmy up to get him away from the window. "I understand, Ignatius. You are getting annoyed with things that... that are far out of our control. If Lemmy is willing to, we can ask him later. He needs this right now. He... he needs to be able to dream."

His thoughts froze when he actually held Lemmy in his arms. "My Stars... Lemmy is not eating anything, not as he should. He is lighter than Junior at this point!" Ludwig exclaimed as he walked Lemmy over to his bed. Iggy got up.

"Should I bring him something to eat? He'll starve at this rate!" Ludwig shook his head no. "He will not be able to eat it and knowing him, he will fight it."

"What are we supposed to do now, Ludwig? Lemmy isn't coming home... is he?" the mechanic mumbled sadly, his face giving away a lot more than what he wanted to say as he watched Lemmy gently and carefully being laid in his bed. He sighed and walked over to close the window, but paused as he looked outside at the bright afternoon sun.

"He would have wanted to be outside right now... its nice out and he would've begged Dad to take us out somewhere, anywhere, just so we could be out of the castle." the koopaling reminisced before heading to assist him.

"I do not know. For now, we just... have to be here for him until he can tell us what he wants to say." Ludwig pulled the covers over his brother and motioned for Iggy to lower the windows down so the room wasn't as cold. He smiled to himself when he noticed Lemmy's shivering had begun to slow down and he seemed to sleep a lot better.

"Lemmy is still here, Ignatius. He must be here for a reason. So we will not give up on him. However, let him heal at his own pace. We have too many mistakes we have to make up to him, some... just far worse than others."

Iggy relecutaly agreed, even though a tiny part of him knew where Ludwig was coming from and understood what he was talking about. "You're right. I just want LEMMY back... I want our brother home..."

"We all do. Somehow, he will find his way. And this time... he will have his family to welcome him and lay this nightmare to rest for good." the eldest said softly.

A pause. Then Iggy spoke up once again. "You know, sometimes I wondered what Lemmy would dream about back then. When all this stufff happened." Iggy suddenly brought up. He stood next to Ludwig, watching his brother as well.

"I wondered if he ever had happy dreams like he used to or if they were all nightmares. I wonder if he would tell us now... or if he's still trying to keep us away..." He reached out and stroked Lemmy's uninjured cheek.

"He doesn't have to keep us away. I made him a promise I'd fix everything I did to him, and I will. You'll see, bro... i'll make this right. WE will make this right." he whispered to him.

Ludwig nodded. "Let us go, Ignatius. Lemmy needs to sleep and I am assuming Father is still waiting for us."

Both boys said nothing more as they left Lemmy's bedroom. Lemmy snuggled under the blanket he was resting under and sighed contently, unaware of everything that had just happened.

He just felt very warm for a strange reason... 'Maybe they turned the heat on or something', he thought.


'Hey, Lem. You're sleeping now but I wanted to let you know something. What you learned last night, I know that was indeed painful. Your mother went through some stuff trying to have all of you and to build you all to have your own personality. I was like that too... I still kinda am, and maybe that's why I can't move on right...'

'I'm not asleep yet, Tobi... well, I mean I can still hear you, but... I guess I'm just not trying to see them. I know Dad's gonna tell them what happened, and I just don't know what to think or feel... I was okay just getting by and getting things back to some kind of normal, but now I...'

'Its okay, little man. It's understandable why you're scared. They may not be mad at you, though.'

'Roy is... I know him. He gets really angry and since it's me, he's gonna come after me again, and I won't live to see another day! He's gonna make sure of it all over again... I just want to dissapear... I can't fight him!'

Tobi wished he could comfort him with more than words, because Lemmy needed it more than anything else. But this was all he could keep doing for his friend. 'Lemmy... Roy won't hurt you again. I don't know how I know this, but I don't think they will hurt you. Your father had a chance... he could have made you suffer for the loss of his wife. Maybe what you did changed his mind.'

Lemmy didn't say anything. Tobi didn't know whether that was good or bad, but he decided to change the topic altogether. '... maybe you should hear about my mom. It might help ease some of this off your mind. And besides, I owe you... well, I owe you a lot actually.' he finished with a chuckle he was glad Lemmy weakly joined in on.

'Your mother... she passed away too, right? I would love to hear about her. She sounds like my mom... she loved your family and without her, everyone came apart. I hope she didn't pass like mine did. It isn't right. Why do moms do that kind of thing?'

'What?'

'Die for worthless children like me... she had too much to do with her life that she needed to fuss over me... she had seven other children who loved her to death, and a husband who needed to treat her better but cared for her all the same. She had dreams and goals she wanted to reach, too! Mom was still young... she wanted to travel for so long, go see faraway lands, take us on family vacations, and do a bunch of stuff...'

Tobi didn't know how far gone Lemmy had gotten to thinking about the whole thing from last night, but he was going to end it right there and then. He beat himself up too much, anyways. 'Your mother was a person I would have loved to meet one day as well. From what I heard, she was the best. So was mine.'

Taking a reassuring breath, and calming himself down a little, he began to tell Lemmy about his mother, doing his best to keep the raw emotion he still felt even today out of his voice.

Tobi Yoshida missed his brother, but his mother was his world.

He missed her a lot. But he wasn't sure about his father.

'My mother's name was Hitomi Yoshida...' he began fondly. 'As you know, she was married to my father, Kenta Yoshida Sr., and she had me and my brother, Kenta. But let us start WAY at the beginning.'


And yes, believe it or not, interlude done! I had a feeling this chapter would be short because everyone's pulling me around left and right, so I'm sowie if this wasn't up to everyone's expectations!

However, now you learn Tobi's mother's name, so there's that... and a massive cliffhanger and ah crap, raging koopas... gotta love it, man.

Anyways, please review, comment, advice, all the greatness that helps me with this story!

Until next chapter!