Chapter 7 Into the TVverse

"Oh my word!" Roy exclaimed. He ran over to the TV, gripping onto the sides with the fear only an older brother could display. "Iggy, you're in the TV!" He tapped on the screen. When that didn't produce the results he expected, he shook it. He even went so far as to ram his head into it. This did manage to create a very strong dent in the device's surface, but actually getting Iggy back into the real world? Not on your sweet life.

"Iggy, come on, I'm trying to rescue you!" Roy added more force into his head ramming. Parts of the screen went dark as the impression of the Koopaling's head grew bigger and deeper.

"Roy, stop!" Ludwig said. He approached the almost ruined TV, looking at it with an apprehensive wrinkle in his brow. "The best thing that destroying the TV would do is give you a splitting headache." He placed his hand on Roy's shoulder. The squeeze he gave was just strong enough to restrain him. "If we're gonna rescue Iggy, we need to use our heads."

Roy blinked. "But I was just using my head!"

"Not like that!" Ludwig sighed, staring at the screen with a furrowed brow. "Iggy managed to get into the TV. If he did it, there has got to be a way for us to do the same thing."

Roy slowly pulled away from the TV set. "That makes sense." He bit his lip, looking into the TV screen. He gently placed the tips of his fingers onto the surface. "Don't worry, Iggster, we'll get you out."

Ludwig let out a breath. He went back over to the Internet explorer. He took notice of the flashing lights along the rim, creating flashes that reminded him of a fireworks display.

He picked it up. "Iggy must have tweaked the engineering on this device in a way that allowed him to enter the TV." He held it closer to his chest. "I'd say that if we have any hope of finding him, we have to use this."

Roy came over, trembling as he did. "But how do we know that that thing is safe?"

Ludwig's heart sank. "We don't." He let out a nervous exhale. "However, this is the only lead we have." He faced Roy, hoping his serious expression was covering up his uncertainty. "We have to do it."

Roy shook as he nodded. "I…guess you're right."

"There's no need to guess; I am right." Ludwig chuckled a little, hoping his fearful brother would find humor in that statement. His face fall when Roy failed to deliver a laugh. He gripped onto the Internet explorer. "Well, I guess I'm going in first." He faced Roy. "Wish me luck." He was just about to place the helmet on his head when Roy stopped him.

"Wait! What…what am I supposed to do!"

Ludwig glanced down at Iggy's unconscious body as he thought about that. "If I get knocked out, try coming after me."

Roy visibly squirmed. "O…okay."

With one last nod, Ludwig placed the Internet Explorer on his head. Not even two seconds passed before everything went black.

…

"GASP!" Ludwig felt as if he had been underwater for one minute too long. He coughed and gasped some more, soaking in as much oxygen as his lungs could possibly handle. Once he no longer had any fear of passing out, he stood up straight and took in his surroundings.

This action just confused him. He blinked as he observed what appeared to be a courtyard. A path wound around a fountain, leading off to places unknown to the oldest Koopaling. The green of the grass put emeralds to shame, the sky itself glowed with a blue filled brilliance. He turned around, and he noticed that there were flower beds directly behind him. Pansies of yellow, orange, and violet rested in the beds, soaking up the sun and displaying their colors in an almost vain sort of way. A building, large and crafted out of red brick, rested to his right.

Ludwig turned his head from side to side. "Where…where am I?" He took a step forward, uncertain about his safety despite no signs of danger being immediately noticeable. He looked at the building, so tall and unfamiliar. He swallowed a lump, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of dangerous movement. The only living thing he saw was a squirrel burying a nut right beside a large shrub.

"How did I get here…?" Ludwig placed his hand to his head, and when he did, he gasped. "WHAT THE…?!" Instead of the scaly golden yellow skin and pointy white nails, this hand was covered in a soft, peach colored type of skin and had soft pink nails. The Koopaling's heart pumped. "Am I…human?" Right before he got a look at the other parts of his body, a loud voice broke the silence.

"LILY!"

Ludwig jumped. He just barely turned around when he got wrapped in a very tight, very passionate embrace. He gasped for air the second time this day.

"I've been looking all over for you!" His hugger said. Further inspection told Ludwig that this person was a human girl with butterscotch colored skin and a red ponytail so big and so wavy that it looked like it defied the laws of gravity. When she let go of him, he could see that her eyes were the color of the sunset. She also wore a navy blue skirt and a white, long sleeved button up shirt.

This girl smiled at Ludwig. "Everyone is going to be so happy to hear I've found you! We can all go to the mall now that school's out!"

Ludwig stood stock still. His mind raced, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. This girl addressed him with such familiarity, as if he wasn't just a random stranger that had just shown up in this place less than thirty seconds ago. He tried speaking, but no words would come ut of his mouth. Only long, uncomfortable, drawn out "uhs."

"Lily! Amber!"

Ludwig's eyes darted to this second person. This one had white skin and hair the color of a glowing sapphire, done up in a very prestigious bun.. By her side were two other girls; a purple haired one with glasses and a yellow haired one whose golden locks reached down to her waist. They all came over, the sapphire haired one looking at Ludwig and the girl with an almost motherly expression.

"Are you guys ready to go to the mall?" she asked.

"You betcha!" The first girl jumped up, holding her fist high above her head. "I'm so excited to see the new store!"

The yellow haired one giggled. "Let's just hope you don't devour the pretzel cart like last time."

The excitement drained from the red haired girls' face. She crossed her arms, steam practically shooting out of her nostrils. "Hey, I'm not that gluttonous."

The blue haired girl laughed before turning to Ludwig. "I'm really glad you could join us this time, Lily. Your grades have really been slipping recently and your mom hasn't given you much time not dedicated to homework."

Ludwig blinked, now feeling ultra confused. "What…what are you talking about? Who's Lily?"

The girls sent him confused looks. "Uh…you are," the purple haired girl said.

"But…Lily's a female name," said Ludwig. Once he said that and the girls sent him baffled looks, Ludwig's eyes grew wide. He rushed toward the fountain and nearly screamed when he saw his reflection.

"Oh no!" He felt his cheeks, his sinfully soft cheeks. "I'm a girl!"

The red haired girl laughed as she came over. "Of course you are! What'd you think you were, a pegasus?"

Ludwig gawked at his reflection. Peach skin, long platinum blonde hair, eyes so pink they put roses to shame...this was unbelievable! How…why….what?

The purple haired girl approached and put her hand on his shoulder. "Lily, are you okay?"

Something about the way she said it, whether it be her soft tone or gentle voice, finally managed to bring Ludwig back down to earth. He remembered that he had put the internet explorer on his head in order to go after Iggy. Who was in the TV.

Oh my developer, he thought. This must be a TV show, and these must be the characters. He looked back down at his reflection. And I must have taken on the role of another one of the characters. Realizing these things, he let out a breath and turned back to the purple haired girl.

"I…I'm fine."

The red haired girl whooped. "Great!" She pointed onward. "Then let's not waste any more time! To the Silverbrook Mall we go!"

The four girls made their way in the direction the girl pointed. Meanwhile, Ludwig just stood near the fountain shaking his head.

"Seriously," he said. "Out of all the shows I could get, I get the sappy teen rom-com?" He shook his head. "Man, when I find Iggy, he is in for a world of pain."

"Lily, come on!"

Ludwig sighed. Something told him that the best course of action would be playing the role that he had been assigned. Which meant he needed to go with those girls to the mall.

"I'm coming!" He called out. Putting one step forward, he went to join his supposed "best friends."