AN: I was honestly debating whether or not I should publish this now. I mean, I've already got a million other projects going on, including two other Super Koopalings episodes that aren't even close to finished. I ultimately realized that all those other projects (except for Super Koopalings episodes 24 and 25) are side projects. Besides, I'm an impatient little brat, so I figured why not indulge my impatient nature once again?

(In all seriousness, I have a few big things happening in my life, so I don't know when I'll be able to get back on track with writing this series. So, this chapter is being uploaded as a placeholder. I hope you all enjoy.)

Chapter 1 Tumultuous Reverie

Larry Koopa looked down as he stood on top of a gray cloud. Rain cascaded into the dark sea below. The ocean was endlessly black, and it made enormous waves. Nobody would be able to swim to shore in this weather. No one would survive.

The water was growing, rocking, swaying. A strong, salty odor filled Larry's nose as an acidic flavor filled his mouth. It covered his tongue, dribbled down the sides of his face. He puffed out his cheeks. He slapped his hand over his mouth as his own legs wobbled and rocked like the waves below him.

Larry staggered. His head felt faint, foggy. His heart slammed itself against his ribcage. The powerful force of the pumping sent goosebumps down Larry's arms, legs, and core. He groaned.

"Where am I?" he asked himself.

He had never seen this place before. Larry's uneasiness increased a hundredfold as he felt a word build in his throat. The word felt strong, powerful. He couldn't put his finger on what it was though. He just knew that, if he were to call it out, it would signal salvation for him.

"Da...da…"

He had to say that word. He had to! He had to get away from here before he inevitably fell off the cloud and was swallowed by the sea.

Unfortunately, he could not get his tongue to cooperate.

Crackle!

Thunder shook the cloud, causing it to vibrate like a tuning fork under his feet. Larry fell straight on his tail. He screamed from the pain.

Boom!

He whimpered like a puppy. He got into a kneeling position and shut his eyes tight.

"Please stop this, please stop this, please stop this…"

It felt like something sharp was drilling its way into his stomach. Larry's voice caught in his throat as the sensation spread across his abdomen. His legs burned. The cloud beneath his knees, which he would have expected to feel soft, now felt like a collection of knives, and the blades were sinking into his skin.

Boom!

More thunder sounded in the distance, which jolted Larry upright. A green lightning bolt ripped the sky into two halves, both equally dark. Larry shrieked as the accompanying thunder rocked the cloud on which he stood. He gripped his temples.

"Somebody help me!" he cried. "Somebody end this!"

The word on the tip of his tongue felt stronger. Larry bit his lip, shut his eyes tight. He had to say it. He could sense it. Just what was it?

"Da...da…"

Larry knew that it would summon someone powerful. It would call forth a strong person to his side, someone who could face any situation without fear. It would be someone who could hold onto the poor pre-teen koopa and comfort him during this tumultuous time, even as the thunder roared and the sea raged.

"Da...da…" Suddenly, like two puzzle pieces clicking together, it fell into place. "Dad! Dad, please help me! Dad!"

Crash!

Larry turned as he felt the weight of the cloud shift. A green lightning bolt lit up the surrounding area, allowing Larry to get a clear view of the big, burly silhouette behind him. He smiled. "Dad!" With strength magically returning to his aching legs, he pulled himself into a standing position and ran over to his father. Bowser's smile grew bigger. Larry's heart slowed to an easier pace as he outstretched his arms. He could already feel the warmth of a much needed hug.

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" He embraced his father, holding on tighter than he had ever before. He closed his eyes.

Crash!

Larry felt his heart stop. The form he was hugging did not feel like Bowser's. The build was much slimmer, more similar to his. The person also wasn't carrying as much weight in their core. Larry opened his eyes and screamed.

It was not his adopted father he had been hugging. It was Jasper Starfold, his biological father.

Larry let go with a jolt. He hyperventilated as he stared at Jasper with wide eyes. Like the mirage of Bowser, Jasper was smiling. It complemented his wild white mohawk, his blue eyes, his stick-like body. This chilled Larry's bones more than the sound of the thunder cracks.

Larry's pupils shrank as he screamed. He tried to run.

"There's no need to scream," Jasper said. "Not when you called out for me."

"No! I didn't call out for you!" Larry objected. "I called out for my dad!"

"Oh, but Larry, have you forgotten?" Jasper asked. He softly approached, his hands held out. "I am your dad."

Larry shook his head. "No, you're not! You were never there for me! Bowser raised me, not you!"

Jasper, to Larry's shock, actually looked a little guilty. "I know. And I regret that I didn't get a chance to see you grow up." He sniffled. "I never even saw you guys as babies!"

Larry's breathing rate slowed down as he stared at his father. Tears formed in his eyes, and sniffles stomped out his nose. Jasper's brow furrowed at the sight of this.

"Please, Larry," he said gently. "Give me another chance. We are family, after all."

Larry tossed that word around in his head. That sounded so...appealing. Maybe Jasper wasn't so wrong about this?

Crash!

Larry shrieked and bolted over to his biological father. Jasper wrapped his arms around his son as Larry sobbed into his shoulder. Jasper patted him on the back.

This was alright. This was going to be fine. Larry just needed to rest for a minute in Jasper's embrace. If he did that, all his worries would melt away.

"It's okay, Larry. It's okay," said Jasper soothingly.

For a solid minute, the two koopas stood stock still, even as the rain shook the cloud they stood on.

But then, Larry remembered something. Something cruel. Something nasty.

"Wait." He opened his eyes and lifted his head. "Didn't you…"

Larry gasped. Jasper had a knife gripped in his right hand. The tip of the blade sparkled and shined as another lightning bolt lit up the sky. Larry shrieked and pushed Jasper back, causing his father to toss the knife over the edge of the cloud. It pitifully splashed in the ocean.

"You...you tried to kill me!" Larry screamed. He tried to run away from his father, but Jasper snatched his hand. He dug his nails into Larry's palm. Another green lightning bolt burned his eyes.

"Let me go!" Larry cried.

Jasper smiled maliciously. "As you wish."

With all the strength he had at his disposal, the Koopalings' father swirled Larry around and flung him off the side of the cloud. Larry screamed as he fell at an alarming rate. His vocal cords ached from the strain he was putting on them. The cloud he and Jasper had been standing on grew smaller and smaller. Larry felt rainwater and stormy winds surround him, beat him, and scratch him as he fell straight down. The scent of smoky lightning lingered on the ridges of his nostrils.

Crash!

One last thunder crack occurred as Larry's body broke the surface of the sea. The water surrounded him on all sides, filling his ears and pushing his tiny body straight down.

My dad didn't want me, he thought. A tear fell out of his eye and uselessly joined the countless other drops of water in the ocean. Without the strength to swim, without the strength to float, Larry just sank to the bottom.