April 2nd, afternoon

Roy hopped to the side. Ludwig's fist rocketed past him. He grabbed his brother's shoulder, but Ludwig twisted free and back before he could ram his knee into his stomach. Ludwig leaped back, couching low to the ground. His grey eyes locked on Roy. The strongest Koopaling held his fists out at his sides, licking his chops as he circled around. His heart thumped, the rush of the fight leaving his muscles ready for even the slightest movement.

Ludwig lifted his offensive stance, standing to his normal posture. "I believe that will be enough."

"That's it? You're done?" Roy spat out a bit of blood, cracking his knuckles. "I could do this all day."

Ludwig titled his chin upward. "Maybe such, but I am not willing to do such a thing. Perhaps you could attempt with another?"

Roy shook his arms a bit, the minor adrenaline rush flopping back down. "Nah, there ain't anyone else decent." Lemmy was useless, Iggy was unpredictably vicious, Wendy would complain about her 'ruined fashion', Morton was already done sparing, and the youngest two were still under anesthetics.

Ludwig touched a claw to his chin, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Roy asked, rubbing a growing lump on his arm. Man, Luddy's got a serious punch. Maybe he outta spar against him more often, he certainly was more of a challenge than Morton. Roy knew nearly none of Ludwig's tricks.

"Well, I was going to see our brothers," Ludwig replied, "and I believe you should accompany me."

"Why? They're still out, and if anythin' changes, we'll know." Roy rolled his eyes. "You can go, but I ain't comin'. Waste of my time."

"A waste of your—?!" Ludwig inhaled a sharp breath. "Roy, you are injured."

Roy shrugged. "It's nothin'." He wasn't even trivializing it, all he had suffered were a handful of scratches and bruises. It wasn't real sparring if you didn't get a little scuffed up.

"Roy, we all need to remain in peak condition. If possible. Your injuries are minor, and it would only take a healing potion or two to eradicate them. Just because we are sure Fawful will not attack does not mean he will not." Ludwig let out a long sigh. He turned his attention to the horizon, the grass hills rolling and empty. "We could be fighting for out lives within the hour. Even a simple bruise could detriment your chances of survival."

Roy bit his tongue, his eyes tracing the blue sky. Damn it, he's got a point. "I hate you."

Ludwig chuckled. "Let us go, then."

The seven-minute walk to the clinic was silent. The brothers kept their strides even, their eyes forward. Roy couldn't help but think of Ludwig's words. "Just because we are sure Fawful will not attack does not mean he will not." He was right, and Roy hated it. They weren't safe. They had never truly been safe. Even with Kooky gone… Fawful could sweep the entirety of the once-Koopa Troop across the Eight Lands. Roy knew that DarkLand had by far the superior army.

They'd be screwed if Fawful tried to attack.

Why the hell hasn't he done it yet?

Junior and Larry needed to get a move on. They needed to strike first. They really should just leave the two behind. Larry was a coward and was useless in battle. He'd freeze at the sight of trouble. Junior could prove his use, but they could all survive without him. Plus, the hatchling would be blinded by his desire to save his father. Roy knew they could do without them. If only the others had shared his view.

Ludwig held open the door to the clinic, allowing Roy to pass through first. He kept his chin stiffly raised, ignoring Ludwig's sarcasm-tinted "You're welcome". He was just going to get his stupid scrapes patched up, and then he would be out.

Roy marched up to the receptionist's cube, where Nurse Blonde was scribbling something down. Roy shoved a toad aside, smacking a hand down on the counter. She jumped, turning a large-eyed gaze towards him. "Gimme a stupid healing thing," Roy demanded.

Her face dropped into a scowl. "You're going to have to wait in line."

Roy threw a glance back. There were… five clusters of toads awaiting service. One toad mother even had a rambunctious batch of six. He shook his head. "No. I can drink it myself, and it takes ya five seconds to grab it. There is no way in hell I'm waitin' on that line." A few toads gasped, and Roy sniffed. His tail flicked. Yeah, how dare I say somethin' that ain't so goody-two-claws.

"Fine," Nurse Blonde forced out of her teeth. She firmly set her pen down, enough that it made quite a noticeable sound. "I'm sorry to those who were waiting patiently." She marched towards a cupboard that was fixed to the wall. She pulled out a bottle filled with a red liquid. She glanced at Roy, tapped the bottle, and then came over to him. She set the potion on the counter, sliding it towards him.

Roy swiped it, retreating as he gulped the stuff down. The overwhelming sweetness nearly made him spit it back out, but he forced himself to swallow. He coughed out his displeasure, wanting to scrape the taste off his tongue. A glance down at a receding bruise on his arm told him the stuff was doing its job. He took a brief look towards the ward's door.

Eh, what the hell. He was already there.

Roy ducked as he pushed open the doors. Ludwig, who stood at Larry's beside, whipped his head to meet Roy's eyes. He gave a single blink, the motion spilling Ludwig's question.

"Figured I'd see what's up with them, since I'm here," Roy offered in reply. He went closer, assessing the conditions of them both. Larry's surface bruising was gone, his head nearly the rich shade of green it usually was. Junior was still wrapped up in bandages, but Roy guessed it was like a safety measure. His muzzle was was almost (if not completely) back to its normal colour, and his breathing was deep and rhythmic. The pair looked quite peaceful, really. It'd be better to leave them behind and attack now. If only it was his decision to make.

"Their recovery has been quite speedy," Ludwig commented, gently touching Larry's hand. "This was not something I expected from Mushroom Kingdom medicine."

"Why, 'cuz they ain't got magic wands to wave around?" Roy half-joked.

Ludwig shot him a scowl. "The power of their healing potions is truly remarkable… especially with the foremost ingredient being Power Mushrooms."

"And sugar," Roy added, curling his nose. He swiped his tongue across his chops, regretting tasting the overwhelming sweetness that lingered. "Those things are too damn sweet."

Ludwig chuckled, stepping over to Junior's bed. "Well, they are brewed with the tongues of toads in mind. From the number of candy shops in this town alone, I believe I can safely assume that their taste buds favour sweet flavours. Whereas that is something us dragon-koopas tend to grow tired of as we age."

Roy sniffed. "I knew that." There was a reason he stopped loving sweets and other crap, and he'd never seen his pop eat any sort of desert outside a special occasion.

Ludwig gently took Junior's hand, rubbing the back. "I never meant other—"

Junior let out a tiny groan.

"Oh… Oh my Stars!" Ludwig gasped. "Junior? Can…?" He reached out to touch the youngest's cheek. Roy leaned in close, scrutinizing his face.

An eyebrow twitched.

"He… is responding," Ludwig breathed. His other hand grabbed Roy's shoulder. "Roy, he is responding to my touch."

"Seems like you're annoyin' him, by the look on his face." Roy snickered. He hadn't failed to miss the start of what undoubtedly was a scowl forming on Junior's face. The hatchling was probably going to wake up and complain about being disturbed.

"Roy, this is serious. Get the doctor." Ludwig shoved Roy towards the door.

"Fine, geez." Roy made his way to the door. Stars above, Luddy's way too uptight. Junior was coming along fine. They would've been notified if something was falling south.

There still was a line in front of the cube. Roy's eyes frisked over the awaiting toads. None appeared to be in any danger (though one was coughing up a storm), and he couldn't smell any blood.

"Hey! Nurse Blonde!" Roy yelled over.

Tension snapped her body rigid. Her little toad hands curled into fists. "Wait in line."

"Uh, no. Junior's reactin' to touch, and gettin' annoyed about it, too. Luddy wants ya to check in on him."

That got her attention. She blinked at him, her mouth dropping a little. "My Eldstar, he is?" She turned to the line. "I'm sorry, but I have a previously critical patient I need to attend to. Dr. Toadley should be able to help when he's done with his current patient."

"You mean you're putting a koopa before us?" a toad called out, his raspy tone laced with a sharp edge. "Those monsters are the enemy!"

A fireball drove up in Roy's chest. He marched right towards the toad, and the others gasped and cowered away. The out-speaker shrunk back a little, as Roy's height easily trumped his. "That 'monster' she's gotta take care of was dying two days ago. That's what critical means, genius. Whatever the hell's going on with you ain't gonna kill ya, so you can wait." He whipped away from the toad, marching after Nurse Blonde. She had apparently been staring at him, but she quickly hurried into the ward upon his approach.

When Roy entered the room, Nurse Blonde was gently touching Junior's hands and cheek. Roy heard his little grunt from the other end of the room. He made his way towards them, stationing himself at Junior's bedside.

"This is a good sign," Nurse Blonde told them, a smile brightening her face. It means he's waking up." She gently touched his side, closing her eyes. She remained that was for nearly a minute. "His heart rate and breathing seem okay. He's doing really well. His recovery has been wonderfully smooth since we first got him stable."

"That is excellent. I am very glad to hear that news." Ludwig turned one-eighty, facing Larry's bed. "What about Larry? When do you estimate he will awaken?"

"After we take him off anesthetics. We've been keeping him in prolonged unconsciousness so he heals faster. Dr. Toadley is planning on taking him off either tomorrow or the day after. We'll assess his condition from when he wakes up."

Junior's fingers twitched, giving a sniff.

"Junior?" Ludwig leaned closer. Roy grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back.

"Don't," Roy murmured. "The last thing he knows is that you were attacking him." No reason to scare Junior after what he'd suffered through. The clone deserved a little break. Just this once.

Minutes passed. Roy tapped his feet and even took to counting the tiles on the floor. Ludwig flocked between the two bed-ridden dragon-koopas. Nurse Blonde kept a firm grip on Junior's hand.

A tiny grunt jerked Roy's attention over. Junior's brows scrunched, and his head shifted a little. Ludwig took a few steps, but halted and backed away. Junior groaned, his lids flickering up. His eyes were dull, hopefully from all the sleep he'd been getting. He turned his head to rest on his chin, blinking.

"Hey, squirt." Roy dropped to rest his arms on the bed, his face in front of Junior's.

"R-Roy?" Junior mumbled. He brought a hand up to rub an eye, grumbling a little. His other eye drifted around, likely taking in the room around him. He shifted his arms under his chest, lifting himself up a little. "Where are we?"

"Dr. Toadley's clinic," Nurse Blonde answered, drawing Junior's attention. "How are you feeling?"

Junior's jaws stretched in a yawn. He slumped back on his stomach. "Tired…" His eyes flittered shut.

"C'mon, ya can't sleep now," Roy protested, tapping Junior's head. "Ya just got up!"

Nurse Blonde scowled at him, waving his hand away. "Let him sleep if that's—"

Junior gasped, twisting to sit up. His breathing was sharp, and he stared down at his bandaged arms.

Ah, shit. He's rememberin' the attack. "It's been a few days," Roy half assured him, tossing the statement out. "It's over."

"I know that…" Junior whispered. His head raised, putting Ludwig directly in his line of sight. Junior's tail jerked to his leg, his arms darting to block his chest. He leaped to his feet. "Kooky! Go away! Leave me alone!"

Ludwig held up his hands. "Junior, no. It is alright I am—"

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Junior shrieked, scrambling back. His legs wobbled.

Roy put a hand on Junior's arm. "It's fine, chill—"

Junior whipped around and leaped onto him. Roy gasped, catching the clone as he threw his arms around his neck. He whimpered, his little body shaking. Roy could even feel the hatchling's stiffened muscles. "Make him go away!" he cried.

Damn, he's terrified. "He ain't Kooky," Roy told him, a growl edging his voice. "That's Luddy."

Ludwig nodded. "Junior, I am myself once again. I will not hurt you."

Junior's heart pattered against Roy's chest, thumping fast and hard. He hardly relaxed his grip. "Larry… where's Larry?"

"He's fine." Roy tried to pry Junior off his neck, but his attempts only made the clone's grip tighter. "Junior, let go!"

The hatchling whimpered.

"Roy, stop," Ludwig ordered, his voice soft. "He is in shock, and I cannot take him."

Part of Roy wanted to forcefully shove Junior into Ludwig's arms, but the big-brother side of him stomped that idea down. Junior was his little brother, and he needed him. "Fine. Everything's fine. You're fine, Larry's fine, Luddy's back and fine. "

"I want Mama," Junior whined. His voice rose up in both pitch and volume. "I want Mama!"

Oh Stars. Being a source of comfort was really going to be a chore. "Peach isn't here, and she ain't comin'. She's busy. You can see her later."

Junior sniffled. "Okay." His grip relaxed, and he tucked his head under Roy's chin. After a few moments, he asked, "How'd you get Ludwig back?"

Roy explained the whole thing to him, with Ludwig chipping in to add his own experience. During the story, Junior had grown restless, and Roy had set him down per the clone's wishes (and his own relief).

"So you kicked your own tail?" Junior giggled, covering his snout. "That sounds cool!"

Ludwig grimaced, twisting it into a smile so painful Roy nearly winced himself. "Yes. Very cool." He let out a long sigh, approaching the youngest. He knelt down in front of him, gently resting a hand on Junior's shoulder. "I am so sorry."

Junior blinked. "Huh? For what?"

"For… for all this." Ludwig gently traced a finger across Junior's bandaged arm, his eyes darting to the nearly-healed wounds on the clone's face. "For my hands being the ones that caused you such harm."

"Kooky did it, not you." Junior took Ludwig's hand, spreading apart his fingers. "You're a bossy-tail, Ludwig, but you're not mean anymore. That's Roy." He shot a cheeky grin towards the Koopaling in question, who growled.

"Watch it," Roy warned, his hands bundling up.

Junior snickered, and Ludwig gave a small, forced laugh. Junior turned his round eyes back to the eldest. "You're not mean anymore. You wouldn't hurt me or Larry. Kooky did it, and Kooky was… Fawful's thing. So stupid-face did it." Junior squeezed Ludwig's fingers, growling a little. "And I'm going to bite him when we go after him. And it's gonna hurt even more than I hurt." He lightened his grip. "Fawful hurt me. He used you to do it, but it wasn't you. You don't have to say sorry. You shouldn't be sorry, 'cuz you weren't you."

Well said, kid. Damn well said… Roy folded his arms, holding back a smile. He wasn't going to let the mushy crap get to him. He wasn't going to let the growing warmth in his heart leak into his face. Luddy, if you don't forgive yourself after that, you're a freaking idiot.

Ludwig was staring at Junior, his eyes stretched a little and mouth cracked open. He blinked. Twice, thrice. He pulled the youngest into an embrace, causing him to squeak. "Thank you, Junior."

Junior moaned. "Yeah, okay. Lemme go."

Ludwig's response was to rise to his feet, scooping Junior up in his arms. Roy snickered. Junior whined.

"Ludwig!"

"Alright." Ludwig loosened his grip enough for Junior to pull free. The clone wriggled free, but Ludwig touched his shoulder. "I very much appreciate those words, Junior. I am glad you see the larger picture." A smile lifted his face. "Such a thing is very important."

Junior puffed out his chest. "Duh! I'm the best at seeing big pictures! And painting them!"

Ludwig chuckled. Roy rolled his eyes. So much for seein' the bigger picture… The clone's moment of insight was just that, a moment. With who he was a copy of, a decent intelligence was definitely something that fell short.

"Excuse me," Nurse Blonde began, her words slow and face perked in a strained-looking smile, "I hate to interrupt your brotherly moment, but I have a whole line of patients waiting to be checked in. I just would like to take a look at your wounds, Junior."

Junior groaned. "Ugh, fiiiiiine."

The little dragon-koopa was surprisingly co-operative as the Toad checked his heart and breathing rates, reflexes, and vision. All came off normal. Nurse Blonde even wanted to take a few of Junior's bandages off, just to see the progress. She encouraged him to be brave, to which he replied with a sniff, "I'm always brave! You never need to ask me!"

Nurse Blonde slowly unwrapped his arms. She tore off the taped-on bandages from his side (Junior puffed out his cheeks, but didn't make a sound), exposing every last wound to the air. Roy winced. He had never actually seen the real damage that had been done to Junior, just where the bandages were. The amount of scabbed-up gashes that decorated the clone's body was sickening, and his stomach gave a small lurch. His eyes darted between a cut on Junior's side and a long laceration on his leg, the latter held shut by black thread. Damn… no wonder Morty was so frantic.

His eyes darted to Ludwig. The eldest Koopaling had put a hand over his mouth, his tail slumped and eyes glistening. He turned his head away, his shoulders rising as he took in a massive breath.

Roy shuffled over to him, leaning close to Ludwig's ear. "He's fine," he whispered. "He's tough."

Ludwig gave a slow nod, lowering his hands and rubbing his wrists.

"These are coming along really well," Nurse Blonde told them, her voice peppered with almost a motherly tone. She beamed at Junior. "I'll have to get the doctor's opinion on this, but I'd say you're nearly clear to go. All I'd have to do is remove your stitches."

Junior's face lit up. "Aw, yeah!" He hopped to his feet, baring his teeth and claws in a snarl. He growled a little. "You better watch your stupid shell, Fawful, 'cuz I'm gonna come and punch every last one of your teeth out! Grraaawr!"

Roy kneaded Ludwig's arm with his elbow, grinning at him. "See? Told ya, the clone's fine."

Junior gave a squawk. "Wha?! Hey!" He pounced at Roy, landing in front of him and puffing himself up a little. "Say that again!"

Roy pinched Junior's wound-less cheek, jiggling his face a little. "I don't have'ta, I know ya ain't deaf."

Junior pulled away from him with a snort and a shake of his head. "You think you're so big and tough!" He held up his fists. "I'm tougher than you!" He launched a punch to Roy's forearm. He felt it a little more than he thought he would (his expectation was nothing), but it didn't even hurt.

Roy scratched his head. "Huh. Didn't know there was a fly in here."

Junior growled, his eyes narrowing and body stiffening up.

"Alright, that is enough." Ludwig took a step between them. "You have proven your point, Roy. Junior is indeed in good health. Stop instigating him."

"Aw, alright. I got better things to do than pick a fight with a hatchling."

"Heeey!" Junior whined, his nostrils flaring.

Ludwig shook his head. "Junior, do not give him the pleasure of your attention. That is all he is after."

Junior tilted his head, his brow furrowing. He gave a nod. "Yeah, okay." He folded his arms, turning away and sticking his nose up in the air. "I'm not looking at you!"

Roy shot a scowl at Ludwig, bumping a fist against his shoulder. "That ain't true."

Ludwig smirked. "Is it?"

Roy growled.

"Well, whatever!" Junior hopped down from the best, bouncing on his toes. "I wanna go see Mama Peach! I gotta see her!"

Ludwig gave a nod. "If she is—"

"Actually, wait," Nurse Blonde chimed in, her voice's source at the doorway. Roy shifted his gaze over. She closed the door behind her (wait, when had she left?), two bottles held close in one arm. "Dr. Toadley thinks you should take another day of rest."

"Dr. Who-now?" Junior asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nobody important," Roy dismissed. He folded his arms, straightening himself up to glare down at the toad. "Why should we listen to what the 'doctor' says if he ain't gonna come and look at Junior himself?"

"He's got his methods," she replied. "They're… different, but they've proven to work. He's helped many patients with it." Nurse Blonde approached them all, but her eyes kept flitting between all of them, lingering the most on Roy. "He… he actually helped the Mario Brothers defeat Fawful before. After that was done…" her eyes shifted to Junior, "he actually saved your father's life."

"He… he did?" Junior asked, his voice quiet.

She came to a halt in front of him, their eyes nearly level. "Yes, he did. After the final battle against Fawful and the Dark Star, I still remember when Mario rushed in here, and how… Bowser… your dad had been badly hurt. Dr. Toadley was called over to treat him. He brought nothing but his crystal ball, and your father's alive and well."

Junior's head fell.

Roy let out a long breath. "Damn, he never told us that part."

"I suppose that explains why he was absent for such a period of time…" Ludwig murmured.

"Okay…" Junior whispered, sniffling. Roy spotted a tearlike gleam in his eyes. "S-since he helped Papa… I'll trust him."

Nurse Blonde smiled a little. "He really does know what he's doing, even if it's odd to us. I promise you, he's more insightful than he seems. He and that crystal ball really get around." She shifted the bottles to her hands. "He suggested you take another dose of mushroom extract," she raised the red-filled bottle, "and this will very much help you sleep." She lightly shook the other, holding a creamy purple substance.

Junior scrambled back on the bed. Nurse Blonde handed him the mushroom extract, which he downed in one gulp. His eyes shot open, and he grimaced as he swallowed. He grabbed his throat, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. Roy bit back a snicker, especially upon the warning look Ludwig shot him.

"Eeeww! Pah! Yuck! Why's it so gross?" Junior whined, his snout wrinkling up.

"Medicine is supposed to help you," Nurse Blonde explained, "not taste good."

Junior growled out a groan. He took the purple liquid, glaring down at it. He shifted his attention to Roy and Ludwig. "Um… see you lame-os tomorrow. And tell Mama Peach I said hi. And that she's the best mama ever."

"Grrugh, no." Roy retched, poking a finger into his mouth. "Tell her that mushy shit tomorrow."

Ludwig gasped, slapping Roy's arm. "Roy, your language, please! Junior is only six!"

"Eh, he hangs out around Pop. I'll betcha he knows more swears than you." He grinned at Junior. "Right?"

Junior snickered. "Yeah, Papa says bad words a lot. But I know not to say them until I'm thirteen."

Ludwig shook his head. "Dear Stars, what sort of uncouth generation are we growing in?"

Roy put a hand to his chest, holding up a dainty hand. He altered his voice to loosely mimic Ludwig's proper tone. "Would you rather us all walk around in business clothes and talk like we're— we are from ancient times?"

Ludwig shot him a deadpan. "It would certainly be better than teaching a six year old every swear in the book."

Junior giggled. "I don't say them, Luddy."

Ludwig put his head in his hands. "Junior, do not jump on that airship."

"Okay, fine, Ludwig." Junior's eyes trailed to the other bottle. "See you guys tomorrow." He downed it. The effects were nearly instantaneous, and Junior's eyelids started sagging only moments after he'd swallowed the foul-tasting (if his screwed-up face was anything to go by) stuff. The bottle slid out of his grip, and he slumped onto his side.

"Sleep tight, clone," Roy teasingly murmured.

"Notaclone…" Junior slurred out, then his eyes slid shut.

Roy chuckled. "Yeah, ya are. And I get the last word, 'cuz you're out." He didn't miss the disapproving look Ludwig shot him. Roy snickered. "C'mon, it's true."

Ludwig did not reply.

I love writing their brother banter. I need to do it more.

I promise 'Nurse Blonde' has a legit name; none of the characters have had the time (or bothered) to ask. Proof; Nurse Cordy Fesjony.