NOTES: Here's the long-awaited Chapter 25, and the start of the bridging between Shard 3's adventures and the upcoming events of Shard 4, thus we may be seeing many questions answered. I hope this chapter doesn't feel rushed (as too quick a pace was the number one issue I had for weeks concerning this chapter, despite this chapter being my third longest so far, having a 6,000 wordcount), and I hope you enjoy!
Shards of Love: REDUX!
Shard III: Alliances
With the 'Big Three' alliance within reach, Peach and the Koopas must, at all costs, stop the Mushroom Kingdom and Sarasalandian forces from reaching Jewelry Land and forming an alliance with King Fret.
Chapter XXV
Reflection
Bowser lounges on the river's bank, taking in the sun as he watches the trout jump from the pristine waters. A strange peace overcomes him – a feeling as if everything will work out in the end. A feeling that he knows he'll see his family, his loyal magikoopa henchmen and his kingdom again, so far as he reaches the Float Castle. He's also optimistic about Peach's situation despite her "ex"-husband wreaking havoc in her kingdom during her absence.
Something about forests always gave him peace – perhaps because the life, the hope and the positive energy thrive under the forest's support, unlike the decaying woods outside his castle.
He hears a disturbance at the camp – the others seem to be awake. Taking a last glance at the river, Bowser rises and brushes the dirt off himself before walking towards the camp. There, Peach sings a soft melody as she slices mushrooms and throws them into their 2-liter water jug.
"Good morning!" Peach called out.
"You seem... Chippy today."
"You have no idea. I'm so excited for this trip to be over," the princess responded, "How far do you think the castle is?"
Bowser shrugged, "We could get there tonight or tomorrow. It depends how Grass Land goes. It's easy to get lost there and not know the directions because of its flatness."
"Either way, I'm excited for a bed and a shower," Peach dumped another batch of chopped mushrooms into the jug before putting the container onto a makeshift stove formed by a pit of loose rocks. Three metal rods – possibly scrap Peach found in the forest – make the grill, and a pile of wood lay unignited below.
Bowser releases a small fireball at the wood, and the fire roars to life. The jug's water starts steaming before it boils a few minutes later.
"What are you even making anyway?" the koopa king questioned.
"Well, there are lots of mushrooms here, and some could be poisonous if they're not cooked," Peach stated, "So I made some mushroom soup-"
-x-x-
The king observes his surroundings: mushrooms didn't plague the land – only the stone walls and torch-lit chandeliers making up his hideaway cave. He's seated at a table – before him rests a large bowl of a steamy soup. Bowser looks down; several sliced mushrooms float on top of the creamy mixture, their red pigment seeping into the broth.
"Hun, I made some mushroom soup," Clawdia gave her husband a slight smile before returning to their makeshift kitchen to scrub the dirty dishes.
Bowser grins before he notices his wife's smile. Seemingly genuine, until he notices the sadness and guilt present in her eyes. Something's wrong, but she's attempting to hide it from him.
"Something up, Dia?"
Clawdia remains silent, although the smile's now wiped from her face. Her dishwashing pace increases enough for Bowser to notice - he knows something's out of the ordinary.
"Clawdia?" Bowser sighed, "There is. What's up?"
Still silent; by now, her scrubbing hand's moving like a jet. The corners of her mouth twitch as Bowser notices her holding back tears.
Expecting the worst, Bowser groans before muttering, "Let me guess. It starts with an L, ends with an X. For the love of the Stars, tell me I'm wrong. Tell me I'm wrong, now!"
At the mention, Clawdia breaks down into tears. In her agony, she releases a clay mug; it barrels towards the ground before shattering into a dozen pieces, "Bowser, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
"I knew it!" Bowser shouted, "You always acted different around him! You always left for 'medical meetings' and didn't come back until the next morning! You were with him then, were you?!"
When she lacks a reply, Bowser stands up and flips the table in anger. The old wooden table's snap echoes through the cave while the soup spills on the ground, exposing the drowned mushrooms as the broth mixes with the cave's dirt floor. The koopa paces around the makeshift dining room, complaining.
"My own brother. My own damn brother," Bowser grumbled after his outburst.
Clawdia sighed, "Bowser... Dr. Truss T. says I'm gravid too."
"WHAT?!" Bowser roared as if a chunk of the cave's ceiling collapsed and crushed his tail, "So you not only cheated on me with my brother, but you two are having a kid?! Now you're expecting me to take care of the bastard?!"
"The docs said there are two of them: one boy and one girl," Clawdia stated, "But I want to be around my 'bastards' and see them grow up-"
"Great! You're having twins! THAT makes it better!" Bowser snapped, "What were you thinking? Were you even thinking?!"
"We met again after my nursing shift one day... Talyn left him and he was emotionally destroyed. So... So we hung out one night, and it just... Old feelings returned, and it progressed from there. But Bowser, he needed our help-"
"Stop treating Lennox like he's a child! He's a grown adult! That's what I can't stand about you and Alyssa!"
"Your sister had nothing to do with this!" Clawdia spat, "Keep her name out of it!"
"When my wife's diddling with my brother, who Alyssa always defends, I'll mention anyone I want!" Bowser retaliated, "Plus Alyssa's the one who suddenly got close to both Dad and Traw. She's the reason I'm stuck here, while Lennox does nothing but follow her every command!"
"Well, it happened! I don't wanna hide anything from you anymore!" She sighed, "Please, Bowser."
Bowser faces away from Clawdia, arms folded and speechless, his scowl still planted. Everything was just too much for him to take in all at once. He can't do this, not when everything else in the world's going against him.
"Go..." he finally stated in a near-whisper.
"Wha-"
"I said go!" Bowser shouted, "Go to your 'true love' and start your happy family there! You obviously want to be there more than here with me!"
His wife pleads, but Bowser stomps towards the back of the cave. He aided Kamek in raising the twins. He defended them from Traw and placed them under his responsibility before their father, yet they repay him with betrayal. He's done with his family; all of them.
-x-x-
Bowser opens his eyes—he's now in an elegant, white-themed room. Everything, from his cot to the nightstand beside him and all its contents, display a near-blinding ivory glow from the window's reflecting sunlight. He scowls; while mysterious, the room's too familiar for his liking, yet he cannot fathom why such feelings overcome him.
"Bowser, honey? I have some mushroom soup for you!"
The doorknob fumbles before the voice's source flings the door open. Bowser sits up: a slender female koopa smiles as she carries a tray towards him and places it on his lap. The koopa king stares at the fungi-saturated soup before studying the female.
Her jet-black hair. Her lime-green shell. Her heart-melting smile on her peach-colored face. He can't mistake her identity, yet he must be.
"... Clawdia?"
The female nods, "Bowser, hun... You act like you just seen me for the first time in decades! Please, lay down, eat this soup and recover; you took a hard hit to the head during the battle."
"Battle...?"
Clawdia sighs, "I hope you're playing with me. I don't want you getting amnesia."
Although bemused, Bowser avoids upsetting his wife and dips his spoon into the soup. After stirring the red-capped mushrooms around the broth, he grabs a spoonful of mushrooms and eats them.
"Uh... N-no, definitely not," Bowser rubs his temples as the confusion still overwhelms him, "But what about Traw?"
Clawdia raises an eyebrow, "Traw hasn't been seen in years! He's been declared dead."
"No!" Bowser suddenly shouted, "Traw's still out there! I know he is!"
"He's not! I'm worried about you, hun; you're having amnesic symptoms! I might need to get the doc!"
"Clawdia, I'm fine, now just get off my case-"
"I don't wanna see someone I love die!" Clawdia shouted, "It's hard! It's draining! When your brother was killed, it felt like I'd never be able to love again, but with time, I did—with you. I don't wanna go through that again, so take care of yourself! And don't tell me to get off your case! I'm your wife! I've been treating your bleeding for hours, and that's how I get repaid?"
"I-" Bowser stuttered, "I never thought about that before."
"Of course not! You put Peachbefore me! Your own wife! You probably love her more than me!" Clawdia groaned.
"What?! YOU started this whole affair thing-"
"We promised to NEVER mention the affair ever again, either to each other or to the kids!" Clawdia shouted, "Bowser, when was the last time we spent the night alone? When was our last date? Our last dinner? Our last picnic? Our last vacation?"
"I don't have time-"
"Because you spend it with Peach! What about me?!" Clawdia interrupted, "Or Ludwig? Lemmy? Roy? Iggy, Wendy and Morton? You accepted them under your care, yet you never see them! We're a family, yet we never see you!"
"I SAID I don't have time!" Bowser roared, "I DON'T want to be king in these times, Clawdia! But I have duties to my land and to my kingdom. The only thing uniting us is continuing to try to take over the Mushroom Kingdom!"
"That doesn't warrant being alone with Peach! You have duties to your family too! Yet you forget about us! We never hear from you!"
"You don't UNDERSTAND what I have to do!" Bowser argued back, "I don't want a civil war, and spending time walking around and picking up dandelions instead of commanding will only lead to one! What Dark Land needs is a leader!"
"And what I need is a caring husband! What the kids need is a father that's there! Before you can change the world, you need to change yourself!" Clawdia shouted, "I'm done talking. You're not wanting to change, so I'm wasting time. I'm going back to the battlefield, then you bet your sorry shell we'll be talking later. You need to change, Bowser. For the good of me. For our family. For yourself."
Before Bowser can utter a rebuttal, Clawdia disappears from the room, leaving the speechless king with a ringing skull.
"Bowser?"
Bowser snaps to attention as Peach utters his name. He looks at the concerned princess in confusion before studying the contraption in the jar.
"Are you okay?" Peach questioned, "You suddenly spaced out."
"Uh..." anger wells up within the king as the soup's pitiful scent surrounds him, but unlike with Clawdia, he attempts to keep calm around Peach, "I hate mushroom soup."
"Hmm?" Peach voiced, "We can catch some fish if you want."
"I'm fine," Bowser stated as he steps away from the boiling soup. He sighs; Peach needs to know his thoughts, "Can I tell you a secret?"
Peach's eyes lit up, "Of course! We should trust each other."
Bowser cusps his hands together, "Well. I've sort of been lying about our family. My family's more complicated than I stated, especially with Clawdia. She... Probably too much info on a previous relationship, but she cheated on me back when we were first married, while I wasn't giving her my full attention towards the last part of our marriage. We argued in both cases, and both involved mushroom soup. It just became a bad omen."
"Really?" Peach gasped, "You two seemed happy together from the pictures I saw and the stories you told."
"We were, especially as the marriage went on, but at the end of the day, it was an arranged marriage. We both wanted it to work, but we both had other love interests out there. She wanted to be with my brother, not with me; it wasn't until he was gone that she started showing me love."
Peach shrugged, "My arrangement with Prince Haru was awful; we weren't even married before I begged my parents to cancel it."
"It's not for everyone, but we tried to make it work because we felt forced to," Bowser replied before sighing, "I'm talking too much about my other relationships. It must be so awkward."
Peach giggles, "I've talked your ears off about Mario! I'm willing to hear about your life!"
"Well, okay," Bowser continued, "I hid away in a cave for the last few months of my dad's reign because I was framed for Traw's disappearance, so I technically didn't need to be married to her, but I felt like I needed to for my best; for Dark Land's best."
Peach nodded, "How'd it all end?"
"The civil war. The civil war that I caused during my isolation," Bowser whispered before standing back up, "I need to walk around and think."
"Okay."
Bowser traverses through a grove before sitting on a stone within a clearing. Truth is, while the post-war insurgency claimed Clawdia's life, Bowser always blamed himself for her death. When Bowser's rebel army took absolute power after the civil war, separationists from Morton Sr's old army created skirmishes, guerilla warfare and attempted coups throughout the war-town kingdom. Many soldiers and medic teams, including Bowser and Clawdia, volunteered in deterring the threats. Although Traw was never heard from again after the civil war, Bowser couldn't shake off the feeling that he played a role in the insurgency.
As stated in Bowser's memory, Clawdia takes care of a wounded-in-action Bowser. The subject they disagreed on may have differed slightly from the memory—although Peach has always been Clawdia's crutch despite the mutual kindness between the females—but their initial talk descended into an argument, and the two dismissed each other, thinking they'd be able to settle their differences that night at home.
But she never came home.
Not by herself, but carried by six.
Bowser sighs; the last communication he had with Clawdia was an argument. He drove her away—just like the first time—and he caused her to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. He thought the wounds healed with time, but the venomous memories only slash them open, filling his mind with the toxic, repulsive regrets. He can't help but question: is falling in love with Peach now betraying Clawdia's memory? Her essence and spirit?
But on the other hand, what would happen to Peach if he drove her away by being attached to Clawdia?
Kammy observes Pipe Land's landscape as she flies towards Pipeus's castle in Ironforge. From the Boletus Mountain Range's deep plateaus and jagged canyons, to 90 percent of Pipe Land's land remaining uninhabited wilderness, no unexpecting wayfarer would've thought the unforgiving Land remains the most populous kingdom on the Continent outside the Province. Nonetheless, Pipe Land's entrepreneurial spirit combined with financial investments from Upper Sky Land's banks makes Pipe Land the Mushroom Kingdom's economic powerhouse—and a prime target for weakening Mario's rule.
No doubt that Pipe Land's founding of the Pipe Maze—a dozen pipe-shaped islands just off its south coast—aided in uniting the two displaced populations on either side of the massive mountain chain, helping the 10 percent of the habited Land become booming cities like its capital Ironforge, Metallic City, Electrocity, and their suburbs. With the transportation system deemed a success, the Maze branched out across the Mushroom Kingdom before extending across the world.
Despite its name, the Pipe Maze wasn't a maze at its founding, but rather a simple area in which the user entered a pipe in Metallic City—west of the Boletus and about 200 kilometers north of the Koopa Troop's current location—and traveled east to the other in Ironforge, and vice versa—solely to connect two population centers isolated by a near-impassable mountain range. It's only when the other six Lands demanded their share of pipes that the Pipe Maze became the overwhelming mess of underground pipes, caverns and cloud-linked pipes.
Pipe Land doesn't control the Pipe Maze's entirety—they are two different entities and only share some overlaps—and Kammy plans on using such facts to her advantage. An island containing pipes leading to each Land's capital city, dubbed The Ninth Land by the Mushroom Kingdom, shifted into the Mushroom Province's hands years ago. Ditto with Pipe Island, which Jewelry Land also annexed before Bowser's first invasion, and remains the Koopas' goal to control. She knows King Pipeus was never overjoyed about such developments; perhaps she can use that desire in the Koopas' favour.
Kammy despises Pipe Land's success, not because of its increased quality of life, but because of the Mushroom Kingdom's desire to defend its western lands. With Pipe Land being on Dark Land's eastern border, the Koopa Troop's required to travel through Pipe Land or skirt around it just to invade the less secured eastern areas of the Mushroom Kingdom—such feats themselves drain plenty of their resources and reinforcements. On top of the military threat, the Boletus Mountains provide treacherous travel, whether through wacky weather patterns or being shot down by Kingdom-aligned bullet bill machines.
The witch observes the stone-grey rigid canyons and notices two destroyed fortresses. Although an invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom occurs once in a blue moon, the other Koopalings never dared to lure Mario into the Pipe Maze as the whimsical Ludwig did, and instead settled for a just as imitating pitfall-ridden canyon landscape without the risk of getting trapped in the Maze's metallic mess.
Kammy notices the landscape transition from a hostile wasteland to lush rolling hills – she's entering the kinder, less run-down, service-oriented portion of Ironforge. Amid the city's residential neighborhoods, ranging from tolerable townhouses to massive mansions, the white marble constituting Pipe Land's castle reflects the sunlight, making it appear large and proud. She touches down to the castle and approaches the castle's front, where two armored toad guards defend the door. The toads glare at the intruder.
"Purpose of your visit?" one guard questioned.
"I must speak with King Pipeus," Kammy requested, "This concerns the war occurring throughout Pipe Land."
The toads nod before they open the doors. Inside, a dozen anti-Darklandian koopa guards escort Kammy to the king. The witch stares at the castle in wonder: the inside's pipe-themed, much like how she'd find a Pipe Maze cave to appear as. White pipes carved into the walls create a regal, baroque-like complexity to the castle, indicating the king's love for his Land and its iconic symbol.
She reaches the throne room, where the design remains the same, but with added floral decorations. A fluffed red carpet lies flat between the doorway and the throne, also appearing to model a cross-sectioned pipe. In the throne, Kammy spots a fierce, green-cloaked, middle-aged toad glaring daggers at her.
King Pipeus of Pipe Land. From his family exiling all Pipelandian koopas to either Dark Land or Desert Land during King Desmond of Dark Land's rule in the 1950s, to him enslaving migrating koopas caught in the Land, King Pipeus may be the most anti-koopa ruler in the Mushroom Kingdom's modern history—yet she expects to form an alliance with him.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," Kammy greeted as she curtsies to the king. The king grunts at her formal display.
"Cut off the formalities and answer me," Pipeus rushed, "What are you doing here, and get your army out of my Land."
Kammy shudders before answering, "We need to take over the Pipe Maze from Mario."
"No," Pipeus scolded, "The Pipe Maze belongs to Pipe Land! It belongs to my kingdom! Now get your army out of my Land, Darklandian trash!"
"Look," Kammy defended, "Mario's army is invading us, and if we don't sacrifice our Land for the Pipe Maze, Mario will take over the entire world!"
"This gives you NO excuse to take the Maze away from me and my army."
"We don't want it! We just want it away from Mario! If you wanna control it, then fine, Your Majesty."
"I can easily defend it," Pipeus grunted, "And you will leave. Now."
"I hate to point out the obvious, but that's not going well, Your Majesty."
Kammy notices the searing wrath in Pipeus's glaring eyes as he picks up his scepter and points it at her— almost as if his eyes' intense inferno's transferring to her. He continues glaring before his eyes relax and lowers his wand.
"I should jail you for that insult to my plans and to my Kingdom, but I can't deny the truth," Pipeus confessed, "Pipe Land's been tired of being commanded by the Mushroom Province and the Toadstool Family for years, but Mario's completely unbearable. I can take Mario's army, but your Koopas are defeating my men, which gives Mario an advantage."
"The commanders have been avoiding that. They want to have an alliance, or at least a cease-fire with Pipe Land."
"And why should I accept? Why should I trust another enemy?"
Kammy sighs—she doesn't even know this guy, yet she's already tired of his antics, "Your Majesty, Dark Land has a smaller army than the Mushroom Kingdom. We cannot betray you like the Mushroom Kingdom can. Plus, either you ally with us, or the Mushroom Kingdom will force you to join them."
Pipeus rubs his chin before summoning a ptooie guard with his finger. The king and the guard whisper to each other for a few minutes before the ptooie pulls away. Pipeus stares at Kammy and nods.
"You and I now have an alliance," Pipeus stated, "BUT with these conditions: I'm in control of anything going on in Pipe Land, AND you must remove your troops from Pipe Land the instant the Mushroom Kingdom's defeated."
Kammy smiles, "You have a deal. Let me bring up my army's commanders."
"One more thing before we officially sign off on everything," Pipeus hesitated, "The Mushroom Kingdom's able to override Pipe Land's control of the pipes in the Maze."
"Hmm?" Kammy questioned, "Was this Mario's doing?"
"It may be, but I want someone focused on finding a solution also."
"We'll get that taken care of," Kammy promised, "Now, our alliance. We have mutual goals of overthrowing Mario, which involves the recapturing of the Pipe Maze."
"Yup," Pipeus nodded before raising his finger, "Oh, actually, another condition. The Mushroom Kingdom must also be reinstated to one of us Mushroom Royals. Or, hell, even Peach. I don't believe Mario's claim that she randomly turned evil. Anyway, I won't accept you Koopas ruling. Not now; not ever."
Kammy paused, "Well-"
"Accept, or I will back out."
The magikoopa sighed, "Fine. We won't control the Mushroom Kingdom. Now, can we get started?"
"C'mon, any day would be nice now, Kammy..." Lemmy sighs into the PA as he observes the deteriorating situation on the ground. By now, a barricade preventing the Mushroom Kingdom forces from reaching the Pipe Maze lies in shambles, allowing the Mushroomers to charge into the Koopa Troop. The Pipelandians, not enthused about their land invasion from either force, form a temporary coalition with the Mushroomers before three-way battles erupt outside and within the Maze.
"This is totally not like her," Wendy stated, "She's usually faster."
"Guys! It's been half an hour!" Iggy exclaimed, "Hold your horses!"
"You can't hold a war horse back, Ig," Lemmy grumbled, "We're in time-sensitive situations."
"Tell her to abuse the time-space continuum next time then! Personally, I'd love to see that!"
Lemmy shakes his head, still staring at the scene before eying his "emergency arsenal" control panel. He's not in the mood to joke around, especially when he must remain vigilant on the Koopa Troop's health. The lives of thousands of people depend on his seriousness, even if he doesn't want to express such traits.
"Lem?" Iggy questioned, "You okay? You usually laugh at stuff like that."
"I'm fine. It just wasn't funny," Lemmy murmured.
"I know that tone. You usually aren't like this. It's something deeper-"
"Iggy..." Lemmy seethed as he clenches his fists around the doomship's wheel, "Sorry, bro, but please... Just... be... quiet... Stop probing me and focus on the mission. Got it?"
"Lem-"
"IGGY!"
"Fine. Sorry."
Other than Lemmy issuing commands towards the army's offensive division from the air, a hostile silence falls among the trio. Wendy, careful not to overlap with Lemmy, commands the army's defensive division while Iggy monitors his doomship-turned-field-hospital and the patients' conditions. As he assists a white-robed magikoopa medic in changing a wounded koopa troopa's bandages, the magikoopa's wand vibrates.
"Mind if I get this, Master Iggy?" the magikoopa questioned.
"Go ahead."
On the magikoopa's orb, a live video of Kammy and a mushroomer king appear. Iggy gasps as he notices the king's green-spotted brown cap and his stern demeanor.
"Kammy! And greetings, King!"
Iggy observes the king's eyerolls before catching himself.
"Oh, right... Ahem, Your Highness."
"Yeah yeah," Pipeus murmured, "Your stupidity's tempting me to fight against you. Who's your leader?"
"Umm..." Iggy stuttered.
"That would be me," Lemmy stated, his eyes peeled on the doomship's windshield rather than on the conversation occurring via one of his magikoopa toadie's wands, "Lemmy Koopa."
"Lemmy Koopa?!" the Pipelandian king growled, "The same Lemmy Koopa who destroyed Pipe Land's economy because he shut down Ice Land's mining operations? Or cut their oil production? Or allowed Ludwig von Koopa to abuse Pipe Land? Or, frankly, allowed the rest of the Lands to be taken over?"
Lemmy rolls his eyes, "Just because I took over a Land doesn't mean I screwed the Mushroom Kingdom up. Besides, that was over ten years ago." He sighed, "Give me a break. I've grown up since then."
"Well, he mostly did-"
"Not now, Iggy!" the small koopaling interjected, "Anyway, what are your plans, Your Majesty?"
"First off," Pipeus instructed, "We need to secure that broken barricade there. Make sure your troops know not to attack us."
"Roger," Lemmy confirmed before switching his communicator's channel to the captains' channel, "General Lemmy Koopa here. We need all forces to halt attacks on the Pipe Land Guard. Repeat, halt attacks on the Pipe Land Guard."
"Hmm?" one of the captains questioned, "Is there an update, General?"
"We have secured an alliance with the Guard. Our primary duty now is to work with them to drive the Mushroom Army away from the Pipe Maze."
"Noted," the captain acknowledged. Lemmy turns the communicator off and turns towards the wand's tip.
"Our armies should be cooperating."
"Good, good," Pipeus nodded, "I have a plan on not only freeing the Pipe Maze, but to take over the entire Mushroom Kingdom from Mario's rule."
"We'd love to hear it," Lemmy stated, "But we need to go to-"
"I know. Your messenger told me, but that falls into my plan," Pipeus interrupted, "Have your army take control of the Pipe Maze. That way, you can go to Jewelry Land and form an alliance with them. We can then use our combined power to launch a full-scale raid on the other Lands. The PL Guard will stay in Pipe Land until we get everything ready. Deal?"
"Sounds like a plan."
"Good. Don't disappoint me again, Lemmy Koopa."
Ludwig continues piloting the doomship across the Onyx Ocean while scanning the ocean's surface for surprise enemy vessels. He looks behind him; a slew of the fleet still remain intact—a good sign. The doomship's radar alerts Ludwig that Jewelry Land's about two hours away, but the koopaling's unsure how the kingdom's faring militarily. He'll need more supplies if any Mushroomers or the Sarasalandian army found their way there.
Unfazed, the eldest koopaling sets the ship's autopilot on before lounging in the captain's seat. He might as well stay here; he needs the alone time to save whatever's left of his sanity. He never realized how taxing going to war—with everything at stake, nonetheless—alongside two rambunctious younger brothers can be.
His wish implodes as knocking from the cockpit's door erupts, followed by the door sliding open. A stern Kamek enters the cockpit, slides the door shut and plops into the co-captain's chair, all whilst glaring icy darts at Ludwig.
"Salutations, Kamek," Ludwig attempts to shake off his elder's stare, "Somezing ze matter?"
"I just got back from scolding Master Roy about the events that occurred back there," Kamek muttered, "He shouldn't have stepped out of line."
"Fantastic! It vas only a matter of time before ze szreshold of zat koopa's cognitive abilities vere to be passed-"
"Don't act as if you're off the hook, Master Ludwig, for what you did was equally abhorrent," Kamek interrupted, still giving Ludwig his frosty stare, "And you do know what Roy commanded out there was the correct decision, yes? It's better for the sneak-attackers to be fewer in number than the offenders."
Ludwig shifted in his seat, annoyed at his guardian, "Great. I don't need you taking Roy's side either-"
"This is exactly what I'm talking about! This isn't about sides or taking teams, Master Ludwig! This is about working together to obtain our kingdom! I was patient with you two, but Master Morton almost got killed because of the shenanigans you two pulled. This has been carried too far, and it needs to stop immediately!"
Ludwig shivers. He's known Kamek for all his life. Despite his apparent love for evil and chaos, the magikoopa's calm; his temper never became an issue. Even when Kamek had to discipline Ludwig, the magikoopa remained cool-headed. But from the current display, the eldest koopaling knows—Kamek's disappointed in him, and the wizard's angry at his actions. But even noticing Kamek's emotional anomaly, Ludwig still argues for his case.
"Kamek, you teamed me up with a gargantuan, over-emotional infant who's only capable of zinking vith his delicate feelings razzer zan his cranium. Zen you top ze disaster off vith a psychopath who vould not only be indifferent to a village set ablaze, but vould most likely utter sarcastic statements about how zey don't have to vorry about ze heaters vorking. As somevun who zinks logically, I simply cannot cooperate with such mentalities."
"Roy may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but he actually has officer training at the Academy; something in which you lack," Kamek stated, his typical assertive voice replacing his aggressive tone, "Being able to think in war is much more complicated than thinking only with emotions or logic."
"I'm not talking about var; I'm talking about life in general—outside ze battlefield," Ludwig argued, "So, vhy did you put us together?"
"I put you together with Roy in hope that you'd develop a bond, or at least learn how to associate with each other. Yet, you can't even cooperate to save your homeland; if that can't work, then nothing will. That leads me to ask: why, Master Ludwig? Why?"
"I'll ask ze better vhy question: vhy do ve even need a bond?"
"Master Ludwig," Kamek replied, "One day, you will be the king of Dark Land, and Roy will be one of your top military generals. A king must have a strong bond with his generals, else he won't accomplish the military feats he desires. With that in mind, I'll ask you once again, Master Ludwig: why?"
"As I stated, ve zink differently. I zink vith logic, facts and truth. Roy zinks vith emotion, ego and envy."
"Yes. Emotionally-aligned individuals tend to have such perceptions," Kamek nodded, "But do you know what they also feel?"
"Vhat?"
"Empathy."
Ludwig stifles a chuckle, no doubt finding Kamek's claim to be ridiculous, "Vhat? Roy Koopa and Empazzy don't belong in ze same sentence."
"Then you don't know Roy as well as you claim. There's no doubt he's his mother's son. He's just like how she was: tough, yet big-hearted," Kamek reminisced, "Ludwig, behind those seemingly ice-cold shades are his eyes. It took some nagging, but I've gotten him to open up after Clawdia passed on; he's prone to both empathy and fear. He hates it, but he feels it and he acts on it, albeit in unorthodox ways."
"I respect your opinion and all, Kamek, but I cannot believe you on zis claim."
"Think about it, Master Ludwig. When do you usually see him mad?"
Ludwig ponders over the question, debating on whether to state an "all the time" claim or to isolate a common factor.
"I'm not talking about the depreciating version of Lemmy's humor that he has. I'm talking about legitimate anger," Kamek clarified, "For much of his life, I've only seen him mad whenever the rest of you get hurt. Whether it's out of empathy, out of fear or a complicated combination, it's there. The rest of the time, his 'anger' is nothing more than typical roughhousing or he just wanted to appear tougher than he is for everyone to see. Roy's surprisingly calm and level-headed, especially compared to how he was."
"Huh... I suppose I've never zought about it zat vay before."
"In our talk earlier, I told him to think before he acts also, and to try to healthily funnel his emotions, but this will require patience on your part," Kamek stated, "Even if you cannot relate to him, can you please show patience?"
Ludwig sighs, "I'll attempt to be more patient vith him."
"Good," Kamek smirked, "Thank you, Ludwig. I deeply appreciate your commitment."
"But I can still zink in vhichever vay I vant about him."
"I'm not taking away that liberty, but your perceptions cannot cloud your judgment. Just because you dislike or even hate someone, does not mean you should wish for their failure as a military or political leader. If they fail, then we all fail together."
"I'll keep zat in mind. I've been up all night; If you'll excuse me, I need to rest," the koopaling stated before leaving the room.
Kamek shook his head and sighed as he approaches the doomship's controls, "Master Ludwig; smart yet stubborn, just like how his own mother was... Lord Bowser, why must we not only hide these kids' basic identities from them, but outright lie to them?"
Either way, the truth needs to be set free. Kamek cannot brush off the concern that somehow—in some way—they will be haunted by their past.