Junior re-entered his bedroom after concluding his morning shower. He picked up his tattered, worn bandanna from atop the dresser and stared at it for a moment. After so many years of wearing it proudly across his chest, Junior was just now noticing that it had seen better days. The menacing, sharp-toothed mouth that had been crudely drawn across it in crayon was now smudged and faded. The cloth had a handful of stains that refused to disappear despite the countless washings, and the continuous stretching and twisting of the material was causing it to gradually tear in several places.

Wendy had always insisted that Junior get rid of the 'nasty little thing,' and Ludwig and even Bowser had each tried on multiple occasions to convince Junior that he was getting too old to still be wearing it. But the prince could never quite bring himself to part with his bandanna. It didn't matter to him if wearing it as a young adult looked 'unbecoming.' This bandanna meant everything to him. Junior fondly remembered first drawing the mouth on the material as a child to try and look more intimidating as he trudged through a phase of shamefully hiding his baby face underneath it. Or when he used it to save himself and his father from the lava river on an adventure he could never forget. Wearing this dirty, wrinkled, aging cloth helped Junior feel safe. It was familiar and the distinct odor reminded him of simpler times. With his coronation now just two days away, Junior would've given anything to feel like a kid again.

Junior took a seat at the table in the dining hall with his breakfast. On the other end, Bowser buried himself in a newspaper in solitude. He didn't glance up once or give any sort of acknowledgement to his son's presence. Junior remained quiet himself as he was in no hurry to rock the boat after last night.

Ludwig was right. You aren't ready. And you know what? I doubt you ever will be…

Truth be told, Junior didn't have the slightest idea how to respond to such a comment. Surely he should've been glad that his father was recognizing the reality that the Koopa Prince was being pushed into all of these changes too quickly and that too much was being expected of him at his age. But still, that statement had come off as more demeaning and hurtful than Bowser might've realized. Did he not see how demoralizing it was for Junior to not even have his own father's support? It was bad enough that Junior himself didn't believe he could do this, but if Bowser didn't either, what hope was there for him? How was the prince supposed to move forward after hearing that? He suspected that Bowser wouldn't have an answer to such a question. Junior knew his father always had a habit of speaking without thinking first. Such outbursts were commonplace for someone like Bowser. Or at least…they used to be.

Still, was Bowser going to do anything about this? Was he going to help Junior at all, or was the Kingdom Council just too important to him? Deep down, Junior might've felt compelled to stand up and challenge Bowser's doubts under normal circumstances. He had been brought up to stand up for himself after all. But Junior had already admitted that he didn't feel capable of being king. There was no point in getting angry over his own spoken truth unless that anger was directed towards blaming Bowser for the latter's absence.

Yes, that was it. That made perfect sense. This was all Bowser's fault, whether he knew it or not. If Bowser really needed Junior to inherit the throne so badly, he should've done everything in his power to help his son get ready. But he hadn't done that. The question was, now that Bowser knew he had messed up and had even acknowledged that, how was he going to fix this?

Shortly after Junior's arrival, Ludwig and the other Koopalings entered the dining hall. Each one took a seat as they casually chatted amongst each other. The new additions to the table phased neither Bowser - who was still focused on reading his paper - nor Junior, who was deep in his thoughts. Larry took a seat next to the prince and took notice of the latter's silence.

"You alright, small fry?" Larry inquired. Junior didn't respond. His eyes remained downcast as he rested his chin on his hands. Just before he could speak, he noticed the dining hall flood in with servants, guards, and other various henchmen from throughout the castle. Kammy Koopa entered as well and stood near Bowser. Something was happening, but Junior was feeling too troubled to really care what it was. Bowser slowly set down his newspaper, stood up from his chair, and cleared his throat.

"Thank you all for coming here so early in the morning," Bowser began aloud as he addressed the crowded room. "I have an important announcement to make, and I strongly urge all of you to hear me out and listen to what I have to say before complaining about it." Confusion and worry began to swirl in the audience. "Now, I've given this a lot of thought recently. I'm not thrilled I had to come to this decision, but I have to do what I feel is best for everyone." The tension and fear in the crowd was growing. "I'm officially cancelling Junior's coronation." The audience gasped as mumblings began. Junior glared at Bowser, who seemed to anticipate this. He glared right back at his son as he spoke. "Simply put, he's not ready to be king yet, and I would be doing a great disservice to all of you as your current king if I left you in the hands of a leader who is currently unfit for the role."

"You can't do that!" a voice exclaimed from the back of the room.

"Yeah, you know how much work we've already put in just getting ready for this ceremony!?" another voice chimed in.

"We were just about to set up the decorations today!"

"I got all my best chefs working on the meal!"

"We just got done tidying up the courtyard!"

"This is bologna!"

"I don't believe this!"

"Ridiculous!"

One by one the dozens of outbursts poured in. Bowser absorbed each of them with his silence, though he appeared to be unfazed by any of them. The Koopalings spoke hysterically with one another as if they'd just been told the world was ending. Larry immediately looked at Junior, whose calm and laid-back reaction to this announcement was incredibly unsettling to him. The Koopa Prince continued to eat his breakfast quietly as he shut his eyes as if to block out all the concerned and judgmental looks he anticipated receiving.

"Your nastiness! Perhaps we should take a moment to talk about this!" Kammy Koopa suggested. Bowser folded his arms and shook his head.

"There's no need," he rejected. "I'm still the king right now, and what I say goes."

"But we've been working all week to get this place ready for the big day!" a paratroopa complained.

"I'm not doing this to punish any of you," Bowser replied. "I'm not pointing fingers at anyone. None of you are to blame for this. I'm sorry if this means throwing out all of your hard work. But I just can't make my son step up to this role when he isn't ready for it."

"But we've been bustin' our tails for years just tryin' to get the squirt ready!" Roy shouted.

"Yeah, ever since you stopped attacking the Mushroom Kingdom, training Junior is all we've been doing!" Lemmy agreed.

"Please, King Bowser! If there's something else we still need to do, just tell us! We'll do it! We'll make it happen!" Wendy begged.

"I'm sorry," Bowser denied. "I really am. None of you did anything wrong. But the fact is, Junior just isn't ready." The room fell silent as the Koopa King's words sunk in. Everyone turned toward Junior to gauge his reaction. Many of them anticipated anger or sadness. Instead, Junior calmly gathered his empty bowl and utensils, pushed his chair back, and stood up.

"That's just fine with me," the Koopa Prince declared at last. He strolled passed the dozens of confused and frightened faces and exited the dining hall. Slowly, the disappointed servants, guards, lackeys, and henchmen filed out of the room themselves, leaving only Bowser, Kammy, and the Koopalings at the table.

"Lord Bowser, please," the witch began. "Talk to us. What made you come to this decision all of a sudden?"

"It doesn't matter," Bowser responded.

"But it does," Ludwig spoke. Everyone turned to face him. "With all due respect, sir, I simply cannot accept your decision." The Koopaling stood up and began to pace around the room. "You see, as Roy mentioned earlier, we have been working very diligently to prepare Prince Junior for this day. Anything you have deemed necessary for him to learn, we have done everything in our power to teach him." Ludwig stopped pacing and glanced over at Bowser. "We have essentially abandoned our previous roles of commanding generals in your army for this new purpose. We have each forsaken our own individual goals, dreams and other aspirations; all for the sake of your son. If you have no intentions of revoking your decision, then in my humble opinion – which might very well be shared by my fellow Koopalings – you at least owe us an elaboration of your thought process. After all our years of servitude towards you, we would graciously appreciate that much." Bowser sighed.

"How many times do I have to say it? You didn't do anything wrong. This is about Junior, not you; not any of you. I appreciate everything you've been doing for him. But as his father, I can't make him do this." Ludwig clenched his fists.

He couldn't accept that answer. Not after how hard he had worked to become Junior's magic teacher. This role was all he had left. It was his only purpose. He couldn't allow it to be taken away so easily. Bowser rolled his newspaper up and placed it under his arm. He coldly walked past Ludwig on his way out of the room.

"Then give us one last chance to fix him!" Ludwig blurted out. Bowser halted in his tracks. "Prince Junior still has his magic exam tomorrow. Let this be his chance to prove himself to you," the Koopaling reasoned. Bowser stroked his chin and contemplated the proposal.

"Go on…," said Bowser.

"Yeah! Give us one more day to get him ready!" Larry submitted. "And if Junior passes-"

"When Junior passes," Ludwig corrected confidently. "Let that stand as a testament to your son's ability as well as the strength of our resolve." The room fell silent with anticipation. Bowser closed his eyes and crossed his arms to think.

"Hmmm…," the Koopa King mumbled. He opened his eyes a moment later and faced Ludwig with his answer. "Alright. You've got one day to work with him. Junior will take his magic exam tomorrow as planned." The Koopalings exchanged excited glances with one another. But Ludwig motioned for them to hold off on celebrating so soon, as he noticed Bowser wasn't quite finished speaking yet. "If he passes, he might be ready after all. But if he doesn't, that's the end of it. Not another word about this." Bowser shot a glare at Kammy. "Don't even think of making it an easy test. Got it? The future of this kingdom is on the line here."

"Of course, your malevolence…," Kammy agreed. The group watched as Bowser marched out of the dining hall.

"So…what do we do now, Luddy?" Lemmy inquired.

"All of you gather your wands and meet me down in training room number seven in 10 minutes," Ludwig instructed as he began his departure.

"Where are you going?" Wendy asked this time.

"To fetch our pupil."

Deep in the heart of the laboratory connected to his bedroom, Iggy Koopa was toiling away at yet another of his inventions comfortably in his black rubber gloves and boots. His unbuttoned lab coat was heavily stained with the memories of his many trial-and-error experiments. As he adjusted his glasses slightly, Iggy paused and took in the atmosphere. The air in the room was radiating with the sounds of boiling and bubbling testubes and clashing cogs inside various bits of machinery. Returning to his work, Iggy twisted and tightened the bolt within his wrench over and over in a rhythm. His mind was at peace. It began to wander until the sound of his toolbox being knocked off the workbench erupted nearby; its contents clattering loudly against the floor. Iggy turned around to eyeball the disaster. Standing over the mess was Junior; guilt plastered sheepishly across his face.

"Hehe…sorry, Iggy," Junior apologized. The Koopaling sighed.

"Look, Junior. Not that I don't like having you down here with me or anything but…are you absolutely sure you don't have anything better to do right now?"

"Nope. Nothing," Junior answered.

"Don't you have your magic test today or something?" Junior took a seat in a chair nearby and leaned back; folding his arms behind his head and relaxing.

"Not since Dad called off my coronation."

"…And that doesn't bother you in the slightest?" Junior put his feet up on the table.

"No, why should it? I wasn't ready anyway. Dad admitted that too. Now I have time to do whatever I want."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe he's just trying to toughen you up for the role?" Iggy inquired.

"C'mon, Iggs. That's bunk and you know it. If my dad cared about my training at all, he'd stop running off with the stupid Kingdom Council all the time and actually stick around to help me." Iggy set his wrench aside and walked over to the other side of the table near Junior; leaning back against it and folding his arms.

"I don't think you're giving Bowser enough credit, Junior," Iggy argued. "Just because he's not here all the time anymore doesn't mean he's doing it to avoid you. He does care about you. A lot. You should feel grateful that he at least loves you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if memory serves, your dad didn't have it quite as easy when he was on the verge of inheriting the throne. Bowser had to overcome a lot more than one single magic test. He had to kill his own father."

"Yeah, but things were way different back then, Iggy," Junior countered. "Dad had to get tough and become the king because Grandpa was crazy and mean and he needed to go down. If Dad didn't kill him, he would've never been able to marry Mom and I would've never been born," he recounted.

"Exactly, you at least have your father's support and you don't have to do anything that drastic!" Iggy exclaimed. "So in comparison, is having to do a little hard training without your dad being home all the time to watch you really so terrible?" Junior looked away and folded his arms.

"Well…no…," Junior replied with a sigh.

"Remember when you were little and you used to tell us all the time how you wanted to be big and strong just like your dad?" The prince nodded. "Don't you still want that?"

"Of course I do, Iggy! But-"

"Well, Bowser wasn't just born that way. He had to work for it and get there by himself. Don't you think it's fair that you'd have to do the same?" Suddenly, the metallic door behind the pair was thrusted open.

"There you are, Prince Junior," Ludwig called out as he approached the workbench. The Koopaling grabbed Junior by the wrist and turned to face Iggy. "You have my gratitude for watching him, Iggy."

"…'Watching' me?" Junior repeated. "I'm not a baby, Ludwig!"

"Oh really? You certainly could have fooled me with how immature you've been acting lately." Junior gritted his teeth.

"Well, sorry I'm not such a stuck-up, know-it-all like you!"

"Alright, that's enough!" Iggy interrupted. "How many times do I have to tell you two? No fighting in my lab! Not when I've got dangerous chemicals and explosive materials in here!" Junior and Ludwig ceased their argument for the moment. "If you really wanna slug it out, do it in the hallway." Without uttering another word, Junior yanked his wrist free and stormed out of the lab. Ludwig glanced over at Iggy. The latter had his arms crossed and looked as though he was dying to say something more. Yet he remained silent. Ludwig abandoned any efforts to press Iggy to talk and instead made his exit. Out in the hallway, the Koopaling marched past Junior and motioned for the prince to follow.

"Come along, Prince Junior. We have much work to do."

"Work?" Junior repeated, confused.

"Yes. We have one more day to prepare you for your magic exam tomorrow. There's not a moment to waste," Ludwig explained.

"Why bother? Dad cancelled my coronation. There's no point in training now."

"But there is," Ludwig corrected. Junior's eyebrows rose.

"Huh?" The Koopaling turned to face Junior.

"I negotiated with Lord Bowser earlier in your absence. He has agreed to reinstate your coronation ceremony, provided you pass your magic exam tomorrow." Junior's jaw practically hit the floor.

"How the heck am I supposed to do that!?" the Koopa Prince exclaimed. "I haven't practiced a thing! I think I read maybe four pages tops out of the first chapter of the book! You said it yourself, Ludwig! I'm not ready!"

"Not yet, you aren't," Ludwig corrected. "But you could be if you're willing to put in the work this time." Junior eyeballed the floor.

"Why do you even care so much?" Ludwig hesitated to respond right away. He took a small breath and searched for the words.

"We haven't fought Mario in years," the Koopaling answered at last. "Training you to be our next leader is the only purpose we Koopalings have left." Junior watched Ludwig examining his claw. "But more than that, I consider myself blessed to be so fascinated with the enchanted arts. It is a gift; one that I deeply wish you'd allow me to share with you, Prince Junior." The prince examined his own claw.

"I…guess I never really thought about it like that…" Junior confessed. Ludwig placed his palm on Junior's shoulder empathetically.

"I understand how much of a challenge it has been for you to grasp the deeper concepts of magic. You've had no one in your family to teach you while you were younger and at your most impressionable age. Surely now that you have me for a teacher all these years later, you find that you are at war with yourself; grappling with an older, hardened mind which refuses to change," Ludwig described. Junior's eyes met his and he nodded. "But I believe it is not too late."

"It's not?" Junior repeated.

"No, Prince Junior. I am here for you. We all are. Before you admit defeat, why not give yourself one last chance? If not for your sake, then for our's?" The prince smiled.

"Alright, Ludwig. I'll try."

"Excellent, then let us be off." Ludwig marched down the hall once more, and Junior picked up the pace behind him. The pair headed straight for the castle's training rooms.

The remaining five Koopalings had been waiting impatiently in the training room by the time Ludwig and Junior arrived. Ludwig motioned for the prince to kneel before them. The latter acquiesced without a word. Ludwig cleared his throat and began to pace.

"Now then," he started. "For the sake of time, I want you to forget everything I have previously taught you about magic, Prince Junior." The prince stared at him blankly.

"But…won't this whole thing take even longer then if we have to start over?" Junior questioned.

"There isn't enough time for you to learn absolutely everything. Besides, without a solid foundation, I guarantee you won't retain a single thing," Ludwig answered. "Therefore, a new approach is in order; a clean slate. Unfortunately, I trust you won't have much to forget already…" Junior rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"Uhh…hehe, yeah…"

"Regardless, I want you to concentrate on what I am saying to you right now. Only this moment matters. Listen to my words, let them flow through your veins, and they will guide your actions." Junior crossed his legs, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes as if he were meditating. The other five Koopalings stood silently and still; waiting for their own instructions. "Magic - at its core – is comprised of three individual types. These types are physical, mental, and spiritual."

"Physical…mental…and spiritual…got it," Junior repeated calmly.

"As long as you have a sufficient understanding of each type, your powers will be limitless. There will be no exceptions to your abilities; no spell you cannot cast; no incantation will elude you; no curse will control you," Ludwig continued. "All the same, you will need to demonstrate a basic comprehension of all three disciplines in order to pass your exam."

"Right," Junior agreed.

"We will begin with physical magic," Ludwig declared. He motioned for his co-instructors to approach him. Junior stood up as well. "Physical magic involves exertions and manipulations of the body. Transformations are perhaps the most revered form of physical magic in existence."

"But, how come I've never seen any of you guys transform or do anything physical before?" Junior inquired.

"Transformations are not the be-all, end-all of physical magic. They are the most advanced form of it. But, there are levels the lie beneath them which lead up to the existence of transformations; less impressive feats of raw power that still matter all the same. However, physical magic is also extremely limited in application. There is little depth beyond transformations, so most magic users find that their energy is better spent on mental and spiritual magic instead," Ludwig replied. "Still, it is imperative that you understand how physical magic works. Otherwise, the other two types will only confuse you more."

"Oh….okay," Junior accepted. "So where do I start then?"

"Picture your father, Prince Junior. Imagine his magnificent physical strength; all his punches, his kicks, his tackles and throws; every push and pull he has ever devoted even an ounce of his energy to. All of that, is physical magic."

"Really?"

"Yes," Ludwig confirmed with a nod. "For us Koopas, our physical prowess comes to life as a result of the natural energy within ourselves gathering and concentrating in one area of the body and fueling the movement." The puzzled expression on Junior's face indicated that Ludwig was losing him. Roy whistled and caught the prince's attention.

"Yo, Junior!" Roy called out from across the room and pointed to his bicep. "Just think of it like this. Physical magic is the stuff in my arm that lets me do…this!" The Koopaling wound his arm back and punched straight through a brick block; shattering it with ease. "Get it?"

"I…think so," said Junior. "Does breathing fire count as physical magic too?"

"Certainly," Ludwig replied. "Has your father been teaching you the skill?"

"Well…I wouldn't say teaching. But I've seen him do it a ton and I have been practicing it myself for a while."

"Would you care to show us?"

"Sure!" Junior agreed as he jumped to his feet. The room fell silent with anticipation as the prince inhaled, then exhaled deeply to concentrate. The audience saw the energy manifest in Junior's cheeks. Then, Junior spat a series of small, thin sparks of fire resembling spit wads up into the air. None of them quite reached the ceiling before raining down onto the floor below. Larry and Lemmy stamped out the flames before they could set the rug ablaze. "How was that? Pretty awesome, right?" Ludwig pondered his response for a moment.

"It's…a little rough around the edges I'd say. But you certainly took your father's skill and…made it your own," Ludwig commented carefully so as not to break Junior's spirit. Junior happily accepted the comment as praise as he smiled. "With a little more refinement to your approach, I'd say you will have demonstrated a basic grasp of physical magic."

"Enough to pass the exam?" Junior asked optimistically.

"Under the circumstances, fire breathing will have to be enough. A transformation would certainly fare better in making you look qualified to be a king. But we simply don't have the time to develop such a technique today," Ludwig explained. "Let us move on to the other magic types and if time allows, we will return to physical and polish your fire breath technique some more." Junior nodded and took a seat on the ground once more; anxious to start the next lesson. His teacher was pleased to see him so interested in learning magic for once.

"What's next?" Junior inquired.

"Let us move on to mental magic. This type is considerably more difficult than physical."

"Why's that?"

"True mastery of the art requires a focused, disciplined mind; one that is not easily enraged, distracted, or manipulated. When you control other elements with an unstable mind, it can lead to disastrous consequences. Your mind must be clear. Otherwise, the destruction can be ruthless and immeasurable," Ludwig explained. Junior gulped at the thought of the kind of damage his own insecure thoughts could cause.

Wendy watched Junior place a hand on his gut for a moment. He was surely thinking about his weight and her comment from yesterday about it being an exploitable weakness for him as a king. Junior caught a glimpse of Wendy approaching Ludwig and whispering something in his ear. Ludwig nodded in response, then stood back and allowed her to approach Junior. Wendy rustled Junior's hair, which startled him slightly. Then she kneeled down to his level. The prince didn't have a clue as to what was going on.

"You never came by my room after your training last night," she commented playfully. Junior tried admirably to hide the shock on his face when he realized he'd forgotten to do so.

"I…said I would think about it," he defended tactfully. "I never promised I'd take you up on that." Wendy smirked.

"Fair enough. But lucky for you, we can still do one of those exercises right now."

"O…kay…?" the prince replied, confused. Wendy glanced over at Morton, who was still standing with the other Koopalings.

"Morton, get Junior's bath ready, would ya?" she instructed. Morton chuckled and nodded. The large, grey Koopaling clapped his hands together and in the blink of any eye, he summoned a large wooden mallet out of thin air and held it. Morton then slammed the mallet down on the ground directly beneath him; causing a slight tremor to ripple across the room. Two large panels in the floor separated, revealing a small, circular body of water below. Junior had no idea the training room contained a tiny pool in the floor.

Morton twirled the mallet in his claw, tossed it up into the air, and then caught it. Suddenly, the mallet spontaneously burst into flames. Even more strangely, Morton didn't seem at all phased by this. In fact, the expression on his face suggested that he'd expected this to happen. The Koopaling began twirling the flaming hammer rapidly like a drill and dipped it into the body of water. With minutes, a cloud of steam blanketed the training room and the water came to a steady boil. Wendy yanked Junior's bandanna off from around his neck.

"Hey! What're you-" Junior shouted. But before he could finish, Morton hoisted the prince up into the air and over his shoulder. The Koopaling carried him over to the heated body of water, then carelessly tossed him into it with a splash. The water burned at first as it smothered his scales. But Junior adjusted and grew comfortable with it before long. The prince leaned back and rested his arms up against the pool's ledge as he relaxed.

"Comfy?" Wendy asked.

"Well…yeah," Junior affirmed. "But what does this have to do with my training?"

"It's like Ludwig said. You need a clear mind first," Wendy answered as she pointed a claw at her own head. "You're never going to learn how to use mental magic properly when you're a nervous wreck upstairs; and trust me, you are. It doesn't take a mind-reader to see that." Junior wasn't sure if he should've felt embarrassed or thankful to hear that.

"So…this is like a bath for my brain…?"

"Something like that," Wendy confirmed. "Now, just sit back and relax." She gently nudged Junior's head slowly under the surface until he was completely submerged by the bath. The prince shut his eyes and let the warmth of the bath engulf him. His senses grew numb in the darkness, and time slowed to a standstill.

Kammy wandered the halls of Bowser's castle in search of her superior. He wasn't in any of his usual spots, and his clown car was still parked in the garage. Bowser was still in the castle somewhere. But where? Turning a corner, the witch stopped when she saw a sliver of light peeking through the crack of a door slightly ajar. She slowly approached it to investigate.

Bowser fumbled casually through stacks upon stacks of boxes in the castle's dusty, cluttered storage room. He was looking for something in particular. But browsing aimlessly through his treasure trove of knick-knacks and forgotten memories was also just helping to take his mind off things in the meantime. His shell bumped the large cedar chest behind him. Bowser glanced over at it for a moment before turning back away and actively ignoring it. It was decorated elegantly with a pattern of roses and was engraved with a name that had too much meaning to Bowser. This was Celia's chest.

After his wife lost her battle with the consifrrus disease all those years ago, Bowser was so heartbroken that he shoved all of her treasures and personal belongings into this chest and locked it away in the storage room so he could try and forget about her. But while he had succeeded in forgetting about this chest up until now, Celia's memory had still managed to haunt him for many years after her death. The container wasn't locked, but Bowser couldn't bring himself to open it. He had since come to terms with his wife's passing. But even though it had been him who had filled the chest in the first place, Bowser refused to touch any of the items in there ever again in order to somehow try and honor Celia's memory by leaving her belongings in peace.

"I forgot this room existed…," Kammy commented. Bowser nearly jumped out of his shell from being so startled.

"Geez, a little warning next time!? You nearly gave me a heart attack, Kammy!" Bowser exclaimed.

"Sorry, Lord Bowser," the witch apologized. The Koopa King sighed.

"Whaddya want? Shouldn't you be watching my kid's training right now?" Bowser asked bitterly.

"Ludwig insisted that he and the other Koopalings work with Junior a bit more closely first. When they're finished, Junior will demonstrate for me everything he's learned and I will adjust him accordingly for the exam tomorrow."

"Don't you think it's pretty tempting for them to just goof off, knowing you're not watching them?"

"Perhaps, but I believe Ludwig considers this an assessment of his own teaching abilities as well. Somehow I doubt he'll take this opportunity anything but seriously."

"Tch, whatever…," Bowser commented as he rolled his eyes.

"What exactly are you doing in here, sire?" Bowser hastily stuffed the various items he'd been holding back into a nearby box.

"What does it look like? Trying to clean all this crap up!" He coughed as a small cloud of dust wafted across his face.

"I see…and you chose today of all days to do this?"

"What, you got a problem with that?" Bowser countered. "Junior's busy training, and I've got nothing with the council going on today. It's as good a time as any to get this done." Kammy stared at Bowser for a moment and analyzed him. The Koopa King appeared quite tense and uncomfortable in her presence. His arms were crossed, his mouth was bent into a scowl, and his tail was swaying back and forth like the pendulum of an old grandfather clock. All in all, Bowser looked as though he had just committed a murder and she walked in on him trying to dispose of the body.

"I'm certainly not trying to say it isn't," the witch reasoned. "I'm just saying I'm surprised you remembered you still had this room. The door's been locked for ages." Kammy glanced behind Bowser and managed to capture a quick peek at Celia's cedar chest before Bowser awkwardly jumped in front of her view. She turned away and sighed. "Lord Bowser, I am your faithful, loyal assistant. I wish you wouldn't try to hide things from me."

"Wha….who says I am!?" Bowser exclaimed.

"No one. But I know that's your wife's chest behind you. What I don't know, is why you still feel as though you need to hide your feelings for her from me after all these years." Bowser peered over at the chest, then turned back.

"I didn't come in here for that stupid chest," the Koopa King corrected. "But even if I did, I don't care if you're my assistant. I'm the king. I don't have to tell you everything, and I'd appreciate it if you weren't always trying to grill me about her all the time!" Kammy approached Bowser and placed her hand gently on his.

"Lord Bowser, please. I simply wish to help you. I know your wife is still a sensitive topic for you, despite how strong you've tried to be all this time. But the last thing I want is for you to feel wrongly judged or ashamed of your love for Celia. It's beautiful how deeply you care for her. I have nothing but respect for you because of it."

"…Really?" Bowser asked. Kammy nodded. Bowser's eyebrows rose and he scratched the side of his head with one claw. "Even though I yell and call you names and boss you around all the time?"

"I've never once taken it personally, Bowser. The loss you've suffered would change anyone for the worst. I may not have known exactly what you were like when Celia was still alive. But I can only imagine you were a wonderful husband," the witch described with a smile. Bowser blushed, then cleared his throat.

"Yeah, well…don't get any ideas. You're way too old to date me now, you old hag!" Kammy blushed herself, then chuckled hardily.

"Oh my! Lord Bowser, I wasn't thinking that at all!" Bowser laughed as well. This was the first time the two of them had shared a genuine laugh together that wasn't at the expense of someone like Mario. After a few minutes, the moment subsided and silence engulfed the storage room.

"Bowser?"

"Hmm?"

"If you didn't come in here for Celia's belongings, then…what were you looking for?" Bowser turned to a nearby box on the floor that he'd yet to open. As fate would have it, this particular box contained the very item he'd been seeking. The Koopa King held the object in his hands and faced his assistant.

"Actually, this is perfect timing. Kammy, there's something I need you to do for me."