The still quite young Bowser was lying on his bed, dead tired, as Kamilia sat at the table, her nose stuck in a spell book. It has been days since their defeat at Castle Mushroom and Bowser still lacked a decent shell. Without one, he would be unable to walk. Finally, the witch raised her head.
"This is hopeless, my child." She said weakly. "There are many spells in this tomb, but none that can curse your condition." She rested her chin on the back of her wrinkled and scaly hand. "There are spells that can cure a missing limb, but a shell isn't an arm or leg. Another one heals a scar or deep wound, but that still is not your case. There's spells to see into the future, break indestructible weapons, force love upon someone, even one that will give you immortality for small patches of time. But I do not know what else to say…"
Bowser responded by grunting. "What if there is no propose to my rebellion?" he asked hopelessly. "So far, every deed that I've done to try and bring justice to Mushroom Kingdom has led to disaster." He shut his eyes. "Perhaps now is the time to throw in the towel?"
This shocked Kamilia, but she kept her cool and tried to reason with Bowser, but quickly realized that the Koopa wanted nothing more than power. Raw, unimaginable power. Suddenly an idea emerged in her head.
"Bowser, I will provide you with a new shell." She started. "And I know just where to find one." And without saying another word, she ran out of the cottage and hopped onto her broomstick, flying off into the horizon, leaving Bowser to simply wonder.
This gave the Koopa a chance to think. He thought about what he should do. Should he truly surrender to the horrendous King? Surely not. Never would he give up his sister's life because he was afraid of failure. He knew there was a way to make his rebellion successful, but how?
"I need an army…" he said to himself suddenly. He knew that the words were true. Just where would he find such an infantry? He thought about the brave warriors who came over to their country. They were called the Shamefaced, because they refused to reveal their true faces. They came over and invaded every country they could, way back a couple thousand years ago. The effects of their invasion had worn off, and the Shy Men themselves were lost in anonymousy. But Bowser knew that, in order to take control, he needed more power…in the form of a grand army!
He reached for his small bed stand and pulled out from it a small map of the nation, Het Naamkaartje, and looked over the small countries that dotted its surface. There was Pilz (land of the Goombas), Wolke (land of the Lakitus), and Pflanze (land of the Piranha Plants). He smiled to himself, thinking of what the combination of all of these creatures could do to the King and his now pathetic Toad army.
His smile was short-lived, however, when reality seemed to strike him upside his head. Was it possible to invade all of these countries and force them to join his rebellion with just him and the witch? At the moment, the chances looked remarkably slim. At that moment, the door burst open, revealing a very tired, yet accomplished, Kamilia, holding a huge shell.
"How's this for a shell?" she asked, laughing triumphantly. The thing was nearly as big as Kamilia herself, if not bigger. It was large, of course, with a green hue and large spikes emerging from it. It truly looked menacing.
"The spikes are for balance," the witch stated. "Since it isn't possible to completely fix your spine, these spikes help you stay upright." Bowser studied the monstrous shell from his bed and nearly laughed.
"Kamilia, I'm very grateful," he said. "But this thing is huge. It will swim on me." The witch laughed at her small mistake.
"That is but a minor detail. It shall be fixed soon enough. Now lay still as I fuse it with your spine. You may feel a sting for a moment or two, but at least you'll be able to walk." After chanting a few ancient words and waving her small arms, a bright light lit up the shell and sparks flew from Bowser's back. He growled in pain, shutting his eyes tightly. After a few seconds of hurt, Bowser suddenly felt his ability to maneuver returning to him.
He tried to stand up, but nearly fell over due to the tremendous weight of his new shell. Kamilia chuckled slightly, but not loud enough for Bowser to hear, and said, "You will get used to your new shell soon enough. Now come with me. I have yet another surprise!"
Bowser tried keeping up with the witch, but the shell weighed him down so much that he felt like he weighed a ton. He was forced to hunch over, and his walk resembled that of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. He wished that he could have his strength now, instead of having to work for it. But he trusted Kamilia, now like a mother to him, and continued walking out the door of the cottage and into the warm region of Keep Canyon, seeking the witch's new surprise.
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