"Roy?" Lemmy asked, eyes widening at the sound that had just come from Roy's mouth. Lemmy had never heard anything like it. The little Koopaling wouldn't let himself falter, though.

He wasn't scared anymore.

His time in this place had made him tougher than that. He wasn't going to let anything Roy did catch him off guard. He'd learned that lesson too many times already.

...but, with Mario and Junior here...hadn't he been caught off guard already?

Before anyone could speak again, another person appeared in the middle of the boxcar between Roy and Junior, materializing into existence like a well-hidden chameleon deciding to reveal itself. How she'd gotten there was a complete mystery. Her masked gaze was fixed directly on Junior, fists clenched and body tensed.

"M-Marie?!" Lemmy and Mario exclaimed simultaneously.

Sure enough, she was here: the constant object of Lemmy's nightmares, Marie. She didn't move an inch, glaring furiously at Junior like she was about to tear him apart.

"Roy," she finally spoke, venom in her tone, "Leave. Now."

"What are you doing here, Marie?!" Lemmy shouted, once again assuming a battle-ready stance. He quickly noticed, though, that Roy didn't move an inch, almost seeming to be frozen in place.

"Did you not hear me!" Marie snapped, head whipping back to face Roy, "I told you to leave!"

Roy took a step back. He looked apprehensive, but there was also an unmistakable determination on his face as his grip on his scythe tightened. Lemmy wasn't about to let himself hope, but…

"No."

Lemmy's eyes shot as wide open as they could.

"What?!" Marie screeched, shoulders tensing even further, "Do as you're told you worthless piece of garbage!"

"You think I'm afraid of you?" Roy growled, "I've met clouds more intimidating than you."

Lemmy's face lit up excitedly as he let himself smile for the first time in ages. He barely even noticed the tears appearing in his eyes.

"Yeah, Roy!" he finally cheered, screaming as loudly as he could, "You can do it! Fight her!"

"Shut up."

Lemmy froze stiff at Roy's sudden order. All traces of joy fading from his face.

This was still wrong.

"So you're back?" Marie snarled, seeming uneasy, "Figures this would be my luck."

"It's over," Roy stated, "I'm not letting you control me again. Now, whatever you did to us, undo it."

Marie paused. Then, before Lemmy knew what was happening, she erupted into a fit of laughter, doubling over. Lemmy knew that hint of desperation, though. He'd heard it many times in his own voice. He knew she was at her limit.

"It's hilarious how all of you think it's that simple," she then said while she seemed to wipe imaginary tears from her hidden eyes, "that I can just hit some sort of magic 'undo' button and make everything sunshine and rainbows again. That's not how this little game of revenge works."

"What?" Lemmy spoke, barely registering the nearly silent word fall from his lips.

"The heck are you talking about?" Roy said curtly.

"What's started is something that can't be undone," Marie continued, "and when it's done, we'll all be immortal."

Lemmy shuddered, gritting his teeth.

"Whatever you're talking about, I want no part in it," Roy sneered.

"After everything I've done for you," Marie said, her expression growing sour again, "You're just going to throw all of that away?"

"You've done nothing for me," Roy snapped, "except twist me and make me into a monster."

Lemmy's eyes widened. That was confirmation in itself. Roy had broken out of Marie's control and made it clear that she really had made him do all those horrible things.

"R-Roy…"

"Fine," Marie said, standing up, "I don't need you anyway. I have better things to do than babysit you every waking hour of my life."

"Then leave." Roy stated flatly.

"In my new world, you won't exist," Marie said, stepping back, "I hope you know that."

"There won't be a new world."

Marie scoffed, leaning against the doorframe.

"When I have my new salvage, you're the first to go."

That's the last thing Marie said before she jumped. Lemmy knew she'd be just fine, though. She was Marie.

No, what Lemmy was more focused on was Roy.

"R-Roy," Lemmy said, stepping toward his brother, "Y-you're finally back, right? Is it really you?"

Roy stared at Lemmy for a moment, his eyes narrowing. His gaze then shifted to Junior. Lemmy realized this as well, looking back at Junior himself.

"H-he...He has amnes-"

" ѰЖѸЁ "

Lemmy shuddered at that unnatural sound again. Junior, though, scrambled to his feet, racing toward Roy as fast as he could and grabbing him in a tight hug. Lemmy's eyes widened.

"I-I guess...everything's okay. Right?"

"I'm sorry."

Lemmy straightened up at Roy's apology, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"Roy! You're okay!"

Lemmy ran to hug Roy as well. Roy, however, held his hand out, stopping Lemmy short. The Koopaling balked, stumbling backward in utter confusion.

"No," Roy continued, "I'm not your brother."

Lemmy felt his breath catch in his throat, his body completely catatonic.

"Wait," Larry piped up confusedly, "Lemmy? What's going on?"

"Roy," Mario then said, stepping forward, "What's going on?"

Roy was silent for a moment. He then turned back to Lemmy, taking off his sunglasses and staring at him with intense crimson eyes.

"I may not know who the lot of you are," Roy continued, tone cold and serious, "but I know that you're not supposed to be here. She did this to you."

"W-wait!" Lemmy stuttered, clenching his fists tightly, "If you're not Roy, who are you?!"

" n ʇ ɐ"

Lemmy reeled once more, confusion evident.

"H-huh?"

"She's been using me," Roy growled, "She's been twisting and rearranging me from the inside out. She made me think I was your brother."

"B-brother?" Larry stuttered, his voice cracking slightly.

"Y-you…" Lemmy started. He wasn't exactly sure what to say, though.

"I'm going to kill her," Roy continued, turning toward the door, "I'm going to kill her and make her pay for what she's done to me and ѰЖѸЁ ."

"H-huh?!" Lemmy exclaimed. His gaze then snapped to Junior, who kept his face buried in Roy's cloak.

"She can't keep running," Roy sneered, "I'll find her, even if I have to destroy all of Aura to do it."

Lemmy bit his lip. He had no idea what Roy was talking about, but…

"Take me with you."

Roy stiffened up slightly, turning back to Lemmy again.

"I've been here a long time," Lemmy continued, trying to make himself sound as useful as he could, "If anyone's going to be able to help you find Marie, it's me."

"I know where she is."

Lemmy grit his teeth. Of course he'd know. He was under Marie's control, after all.

"Well, I can still help you," Lemmy argued, "I can-"

"You can't do anything," Roy interrupted, turning back to the door, "You'd just get in the way. We don't need that."

"Marie can't keep doing what she's doing."

Lemmy jumped, whirling around as Mario stepped forward.

"If there's anything we can do to stop her," Mario continued, "we have to try it."

"And what are you supposed to do?" Roy sneered, glaring at Mario's ultimately unassuming appearance.

"I'm a hero," Mario explained, "I've saved my princess and my kingdom from fire-breathing monsters, sorcerers, sentient weapons, and even the embodiment of pure evil itself."

"Ignoring the fact said fire-breathing monsters were us…" Lemmy thought to himself. Roy, though, didn't respond, looking Mario over once more before scoffing and turning away.

"What Marie did to me and my family is unforgivable," Lemmy started once again, "If you're going after her, I have to be involved. I can't not see this through. Not after what she's done to us."

"Downpour."

Lemmy tensed at Roy's sudden cryptic declaration.

"Wh-"

"It lies at the center of the four cities of Aura," Roy explained, cutting Lemmy off, "Meet me there in two days. If I haven't found her by then, I'll accept your help."

Lemmy's eyes lit up.

"Th-thank you so-!"
"Save your breath."

Lemmy froze, staying silent. Roy then made for the door of the boxcar, although, to Lemmy's surprise, Junior followed him.

"Junior! Wait!"

"He's coming with me," Roy declared, giving Lemmy a cold glare.

"What?!" Lemmy exclaimed, "But why?!"

"Because right now," Roy explained, gripping the doorframe tightly, "he's my best friend."

Lemmy opened his mouth, but didn't get to speak before Roy grabbed Junior and vaulted out of the boxcar, taking Junior with him. Things remained silent for a while as Lemmy tried to comprehend what he'd just witnessed.

If Marie confused him before, this was enough to send his head spinning.

"Lemmy?"

Lemmy inhaled sharply, turning back to Larry. The younger Koopaling gave his brother an anxious look from his place in the corner of the boxcar, his teeth grit.

"What's going on?"

Just then, the train's whistle blared. Lemmy knew what that meant. They were coming into the station in Floria.

"I...I'll explain when we get back to the others…"

Mario shuddered as Lemmy led them through a cave system deep in the mountains. It was freezing cold and, though Mario had ventured through subzero climates in the past, it didn't make this cold any less uncomfortable.

He knew he wasn't the only one that felt this way, though. Both Lemmy and Larry looked incredibly uneasy, and it wasn't hard to tell why. They were probably just as confused about this whole situation as Mario was.

Just then, Lemmy and Larry made a sharp turn. Mario gasped, scrambling to join them. When they entered this next cave, though, Mario felt his breath leave him. The cavern, which had been turned into a makeshift living area, housed four faces he'd never expected to see again...and, judging by their faces, they never expected to see Mario either.

"You guys," Lemmy started, "We have a very big problem."

Ludwig was the first to stand from where he was sitting-at a small wooden table with Iggy, Wendy, and Morton. Every one of their gazes were locked onto Mario with looks of utter disbelief. Mario couldn't help but shrink back anxiously.

"That's…" Ludwig muttered.

"Mario," Wendy was the first to finally say.

Mario nodded, gritting his teeth. He couldn't help but notice the injuries of the other Koopalings, all gruesome in their own rights. Iggy's face displayed several stitches and his eyes were covered by a metal visor with LED lights, almost as if they were covering whatever had happened to Iggy's eyes. Wendy was covered in bruises and her head was wrapped with a blood-stained bandage. Morton bore an enormous scar around the width of his neck, very similar to Roy's. Ludwig was the worst off of the bunch, though, as his entire body was covered in stitches, as if he'd been sewn back together after being torn to pieces. It made Mario somewhat sick to think about.

"What is he doing here?" Ludwig asked, looking completely bewildered.

"That's part of the problem," Lemmy explained, "but we have a bigger problem than that. Someone's controlling Roy."

"We know that," Wendy said, "That creepy girl, Marie."

"No," Lemmy said, "She's not controlling him anymore. He broke out of her control."

"He what?" Ludwig said, eyes widening.

"Th-that's a good thing, right?!" Morton butted in.

"He's being controlled by someone else, though," Lemmy said, "It's almost like he's possessed or something. He told me himself that he wasn't Roy."

"So, if he's not Roy," Iggy said, "Then who is he?"

"I don't know," Lemmy said, "When I asked him, he...he made some weird awful sound. I-I don't know where it even came from."

"Lemmy."

Lemmy jumped, whirling around to face Larry. The cyan-haired Koopaling had an impatient look on his face.

"You promised you'd tell me what was going on," Larry said, "Who are Mario and Junior and why did Roy call himself our brother?"

"J-Junior?!" Ludwig exclaimed.

"Wait! Lemmy! He what?!" Morton snapped.

"Junior came here with Mario," Lemmy explained, deciding to take the least controversial topic first, "but Roy took Junior with him when he left."

"Junior's here too?!"

"He's not himself," Mario piped up, "Something's wrong with him too."

"Junior went with Roy willingly," Lemmy said, "I think whatever happened to Roy happened to him too."

"And that would be?"

Lemmy grew quiet at Wendy's question, shrinking back slightly.

"Okay, scratch that," Wendy sighed, "Where did they go?"

"They went to find Marie," Lemmy answered, "We're supposed to meet them at this place called Downpour in two days."

"Why do I sense a trap?" Ludwig muttered.

"It couldn't be a trap," Lemmy retorted, "He's just as angry at Marie as we are. He's on our side."

"And if Marie takes control of him again?"

"She won't. She said she was done working with him and it didn't sound like she was bluffing."

Ludwig pursed his lips, still giving Lemmy a skeptical look. Larry huffed as well, crossing his arms. It was obvious he was miffed about his questions being ignored. All Mario could do, though, was watch the Koopalings argue.

He then started to wonder how he was going to get home. He clearly wasn't getting home the same way he came. That was a one-way trip. He was pretty sure at least one of the Koopalings was a mad scientist or something, but would they be able to make a device to get Mario home? Would they even cooperate with him?

The many questions spinning in his head only filled him with even more dread.

Mario shuddered, staring back up. Now Lemmy looked to be arguing with Wendy and Iggy, Larry trying to chime in where he could. Ludwig, however, had backed away, his brow knit tightly.

"Mario."

The plumber jumped at Ludwig's mention of his name, the others oblivious to the situation. Ludwig then gestured for Mario to follow him, heading for the mouth of the cavern. Mario took a last look at the others, then followed Ludwig. Once they left the cavern, Ludwig turned back to Mario, his eyes narrowing.

"Why are you here?"

Mario jumped, staring at Ludwig with a look of bewilderment.

"What do you mean?"

"You're not here for nothing," Ludwig said, leaning against the rocky wall of the cave, "What are you doing here? Is it really Marie's doing?"

Mario paused a moment, then sighed, slumping against the wall next to Ludwig. He racked his brain for a bit, trying to find the right words to say.

"We found Lemmy's notes," Mario said, "Junior found them in a small town in the Mushroom Kingdom. He knew where to look.

"Notes?"

"From when he tried to bring you back to life."

"He what?"

"He didn't tell you?" Mario asked, addressing Ludwig's confused look, "He tried to bring you all back to life in a small village outside the Mushroom Kingdom. That's what Junior-"

"No," Ludwig interrupted sternly, "He didn't. We've all been here since we were brought here by Marie."

"We followed Lemmy's notes though," Mario continued, "They gave us the exact coordinates we needed to get here. Professor Gadd helped us build a machine to get here."

"That's not possible," Ludwig snapped, "We didn't know anything about this place before we were dumped here."

"But you did after you came back, didn't you?"

Ludwig's face twisted into a look of utter disbelief.

"You're delusional," Ludwig said, "We never came back. We've been trapped in this place ever since we first got here."

Mario froze, biting his lip. He suddenly remembered Lemmy telling him that none of the other Koopalings remembered returning home.

"I…"

"Wait," Ludwig said, eyes narrowing, "What did you think happened to us?"

Mario took a second to think if even answering the question was a good idea. Finally, he took a deep breath.

"We thought Roy killed you all in Bowser's castle," Mario replied, "Roy killed so many people in the Mushroom Kingdom as well...but that was Marie's doing, right?"

"So she brought Roy to the Mushroom Kingdom?" Ludwig muttered. It seemed like he bought that vague explanation. Mario felt bad for distorting the truth like that, but he figured that, if Ludwig was going to learn the truth from anyone, it should be Lemmy.

"For a long time, we didn't know what had happened to Roy," Ludwig finally continued, "Some of us thought it was Marie, but the prevailing theory was just that Roy had finally snapped."

Mario shuddered as Ludwig's tone grew dark.

"Now we know for sure it was Marie-or even something other than Marie…"

"That's a good thing, right?" Mario asked, "Now you can figure out a way to get him out of this mess."

Ludwig sighed, glaring at the floor.

"I don't know if I want him back anymore."

Mario gasped, stiffening up.

"H-huh?!"

"It's something I'd never dare to say around Lemmy," Ludwig continued, crossing his arms, "but the others know it too. They know exactly what I do."

"...What's that?"

Ludwig clicked his tongue.

"Lemmy's fragile. He's naive. He has some twisted hope in his head that things can possibly go back to the way they were if we could just get Roy back. None of us have ever wanted to say anything about it because he's been through enough already."

Ludwig turned away then, gripping the sleeve of his coat tightly.

"I don't know how much you know about what happened in this world, but we tried to kill him. We were all influenced by Marie at one point. It brought us to the brink of insanity."

Mario shuddered.

"S-so what does that have to do with Roy?" he asked, deciding to cut straight to the point.

"Roy was different," Ludwig said, "Roy was on Lemmy's side when the rest of us weren't. Then, suddenly...he wasn't. He was suddenly against all of us."

"Marie…"

"I still have trouble believing it," Ludwig said, "It was too convincing. He was himself when he killed us. I can never doubt that."

"B-but Marie-!"

"You can't convince me otherwise," Ludwig interrupted sternly, "so don't waste your breath. Even if he was being influenced, it only brought out the darkest place in his mind. Those were his thoughts. That's what drove him to kill us."

"He was possessed when we found him," Mario argued, "He couldn't-"

"That doesn't mean anything. Just because he's possessed now, doesn't mean he was then."

Mario stiffened up, unable to think of a comeback.

"That's why I can't forgive him," Ludwig continued, "and that's why nothing will ever go back to how it was, no matter how much Lemmy wants it to. Roy is a murderer and he killed us. That will never go away."

Mario bit his lip. He knew that couldn't be correct, but Ludwig's argument was solid. There was no telling what the truth actually was.

He then turned, looking back to the entrance to the cavern where the others were.

"Lemmy…"