Kammy sat alone in her room. Sitting was the only thing she could do to keep herself at ease, but it hardly helped. She gripped her wand firmly, but her hands continued to tremble. Her eyes were puffy and red behind her glasses as she resisted the urge to cry once more. Anxiety coursed through the witch's veins.

Her mind was racing with thoughts of the past and the future. Bowser's final cryptic order to her was still fresh in her mind.

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

"Yes, Lord Bowser?" Kammy replied. He handed her a small box.

"I want you to give this to Junior," Bowser instructed. Kammy lifted the flap, glanced at the contents of the box, and looked back at Bowser once more. "But only when he's ready for it."

"Why would you task me with this now?" the witch asked. "You yourself declared that Junior wasn't ready to be king yet. In fact, you forbade it. Giving this to him now will only-"

"Just because Junior isn't ready now, doesn't mean he never will be. He'll bounce back from this setback. I know he will, because he's my son. He's a Koopa after all. We don't quit after a single setback. And when that time comes and he's finally made it as king, I want him to know about this," Bowser answered.

"What's so special about it?"

"You're going to make it special," Bowser declared. Kammy's eyebrows rose.

"Me?" Bowser nodded.

"I want you to work some magic on it. The kind to protect Junior if things ever get really, REALLY bad. I hope the day will never come where Junior will be in enough danger that he'll have to turn to this. But I want him to know that he'll have help from it, even when things seem to be at their worst."

"I understand. He clearly needs it right now so I'll just-"

"No, don't," Bowser stopped her. "I don't want Junior relying on this as a crutch. In fact, I want you to put in some precautions to make especially sure he doesn't rely on it."

"I…don't understand…," Kammy confessed. Bowser walked over and forcefully gripped each of Kammy's forearms. The elderly witch was taken aback by the intensity in Bowser's icy stare.

"I want you to make this a hail mary, got it? Something that Junior knows about, but won't use unless he absolutely has to. We're talking life-or-death here. Use your magic to put some kind of curse on it or give it some sort of cost for using it. I don't care what. Just make it as clear as day for Junior to understand that he can't use it lightly. Only unless he's 100% sure he needs it in order to survive."

"Why would you ever want me to make something that could potentially harm your son?" Kammy asked.

"Because part of being a great leader is making important choices; ones that not only affect you, but the people around you. I want Junior to learn how to weigh his options and make tough calls with confidence," Bowser described. "If he doesn't learn this skill, all the magic and raw strength in the world won't help him. He won't be a true leader; just a fool who could get all of his family and subjects killed with one bad call."

"Why can't you just teach this to him yourself?"

"Because I know how Junior learns. Books and lectures are just in one ear, out the other with him. Firsthand experience is the only way he's gonna master this. As his father, I can't just put Junior in a life-or-death situation suddenly and tell him to choose. I still have certain obligations to protect him as a parent. But I'm also a strategic leader myself, as you know. I wouldn't have made the difficult decision of asking you to make something that could hurt my son if I wasn't confident he could grow and benefit from it too. Trust me on this, Kammy. It's for his own good."

Kammy glared at the box that housed her horrid creation. She didn't understand Bowser's logic at all at the time, and she still didn't now. How could anyone – much less Junior – understand the true meaning behind Bowser's request if he was simultaneously hoping Junior would never have to use this?

Kammy sat the box down aggressively on the floor and climbed up from her chair. The only thing that was clear to her now was her current role. In Bowser's absence, it was up to Kammy to ensure that Junior was protected from harm at all costs.

As she slowly meandered over to the exit of her room, the witch knew that Junior needed her protection now more than ever. Not just because he was emotionally and physically hurt. But also because she could sense in her bones that a terrible, dark evil was on its way to the castle right now. She needed to make the necessary preparations right away. As she hurried down the carpeted corridor, a single tear rolled down the witch's cheek. Kammy knew what needed to be done next. But her better judgement told her that her actions wouldn't matter in the end. There was no stopping what was coming next. All she could do was try to minimize the damage in the outcome.

The time of judgement was here.

Feeling well-rested and rejuvenated didn't mean Junior was on-board with Larry's plan. He begrudgingly followed the blue-haired Koopaling down the winding staircase to the throne room where the others were waiting.

"This is so dumb," Junior complained.

"No, what's dumb is how you ran off like that when you were hurt," Larry contested. "We gave you space like you wanted instead of hounding you when you came back, so now you need to keep up your end of the bargain."

The pair passed through the grand towering doorway, but Larry was the only one of them who made eye contact with the other Koopalings. A minute of silence passed before Wendy cut through the tension in the air and gave Junior a hug.

"I'm glad you're okay," she began.

"Just say it," Junior muttered reluctantly.

"Say what?" Roy asked.

"Say how disappointed you are in me," Junior clarified.

"What makes you think we're disappointed?" Iggy inserted.

"Let's see. I failed the test. I ran away when I was hurt instead of owning up to my mistakes. I pushed you all away when I needed you the most because I'm a selfish little turd. Take your pick," Junior clarified. Wendy hugged Junior again.

"We're just glad you're safe. That's all that really matters," she corrected.

"I mean, yeah we're a little peeved that you chose to shut us out when we're just tryin' to help ya," Roy added. "But that's all."

"So what happens now?" Junior inquired after Wendy released him.

"Whaddya mean?" Lemmy asked.

"Well, are we back to training? Am I ever gonna get the chance to try the exam again? Or is Dad gonna chew me up and spit me out when he finds out I'm back?" The Koopalings fell silent all of a sudden.

"We…don't really know," said Iggy. "Bowser hasn't said anything to us about it, and then he ran off again with the council so we're just kinda hanging out in limbo right now until he gets back."

Rain poured endlessly as the night wore on. Contemno leaped out from a portal of dark purple energy and stuck the landing on the roof effortlessly despite how slick and slippery it had become from all the water. The mage took a deep breath and steeled himself for his next advancement. He waved his arms, but stopped in his tracks at the last second as he sensed a presence.

"You anticipated my arrival with impeccable timing. Impressive," Contemno praised. Kammy emerged from the shadows. Lightning pierced through the darkness of the night and reflected ominously off her glasses. Her stern expression was unfazed by Contemno's compliment.

"You are not welcome here. Leave this place immediately," Kammy warned.

I've already been threatened by one old geezer. Contemno thought to himself. I will not allow this charade to continue.

"Tell me," Contemno began. "I heard this castle was the estate of the Great and Terrible King Bowser. So why then does he not jump to defend it himself from intruders?"

"If you were half as knowledgeable as you desperately wish to appear," Kammy began. "Then you would know that kings do not simply lay down their lives so easily. They have people to fight for them."

"True," Contemno responded. "But then again, Bowser is no ordinary king, is he? Certainly not the kind to run and let others fight his battles when he is directly challenged."

"Lord Bowser has no time to soil his hands with trash like you."

"I'd rather hear that from him. But since he's not here…" Kammy's breathing grew shallow.

How did he know that Lord Bowser isn't here? Just who is this fellow? Kammy wondered. Contemno pointed a gloved finger straight at Kammy.

"Consider this a declaration. I'm taking this castle for myself, and I will shed as much blood as necessary to make it happen," the mage threatened. Kammy gritted her teeth and gripped her wand aggressively. Thoughts flashed through her mind; images of Bowser, Junior, and the Koopalings.

They were all so precious to her. She couldn't bear to see them harmed by this monster. Aside from Bowser himself, they were all still down inside the castle below; unaware of the terror just above their heads.

It was up to her and her alone to handle this threat. Her last pleasant exchange with Bowser flickered through her memory one last time.

"I want you and the others to look after Junior while I'm gone."

This was a promise Kammy had no choice but to keep.

"Thank you…for everything. You always put up with all of my garbage. I yell at you when you don't deserve it. I've treated you like a slave for so long when I should've treated you like a friend. You're always thinking about what's best for me, and I never give you the respect you deserve for that."

"I don't want you to worry about our relationship now, Lord Bowser…," Kammy muttered out loud. "Just allow me to prove that I am worthy of your respect after all…" Contemno heard Kammy's resolve, but didn't comment on it.

"If you insist on standing in my way," Contemno began as he raised a hand towards Kammy. "Then you will be the first in this place that I strike down." Kammy gripped her wand firmly as the last of her memories flashed through her mind. The very last thing she saw was Junior.

Lord Bowser….I will protect him…..with all my heart.

Contemno launched a pair of magic chains in Kammy's direction. The red jewel at the end of Kammy's wand glowed. She casted a series of small magical walls to block each tip before they could make contact. They ducked and weaved and danced like serpents as they frantically searched for an opening to no avail. Contemno was slightly impressed at the witch being able to keep up with his movements in her old age. But he knew he could outpace her with time.

In the small windows of recoil between Contemno's whips, Kammy managed to launch a few magical blasts. Being much younger and far more agile, dodging the projectiles took little effort on Contemno's part.

Choosing to close the distance and end things quickly, Contemno rocketed high into the air. Just as he reached the peak of his jump, lightning cracked in the sky behind him. Kammy was caught off-guard slightly by the ominous silhouette that was cast, but her resolve ultimately remained firm. The mage dove down directly above Kammy. She waited for just the right moment. Contemno took note of her lack of immediate retaliation. But it wasn't enough of a surprise to halt the momentum behind his free-fall.

Contemno was now mere inches away from making contact with Kammy. Just as he waved his arm across his face to cast his next attack, he witnessed Kammy perform the same action – although in the opposite direction. As her wand crossed paths with his hand, its jewel began to glow. Contemno steeled himself for a point-blank attack as he shielded his face with his arms. Kammy smirked at Contemno's reaction. Had she been hoping for this?

Before Contemno could plan his next move, a large yellow block plummeted down among the rainfall. It crashed and shattered directly on top of Contemno; grounding him. Had anyone been there to witness their bout, they would recognize this technique effortlessly. Dropping wooden blocks had been Kammy's specialty ever since she first planted one on top of the gate of Goomba Village all those years ago.

Seizing this opportunity, Kammy leapt several feet backward towards the edge of the castle rooftop to gain some distance between herself and her opponent. The pieces of the broken wooden block began to hover in midair seconds later.

They spun and twirled round and round in a tornado formation. Contemno climbed to his feet, raised his palm to Kammy, and with the flick of his wrist, shot the wood pieces at her one-by-one like bullets. Refusing to miss a step, Kammy only had enough time to cast small, plate-like magical barriers to defend herself from Contemno's onslaught. She countered each one with precision as they reached her. Contemno launched as least a dozen projectiles, but not a single one had managed to so much as graze her.

"Bravo," Contemno praised. "I would expect no less from a grand master."

"Stow your petty compliments!" Kammy barked back. "If you're really in such awe, then stand down!"

"I would be betraying all that I strive for if I were to do that…," Contemno argued. He summoned his chains once more. "Witness the dawn of a new era of magic as I surpass you!" Contemno launched one of his chains towards Kammy. Before the witch could devise any sort of counter measure, the magical serpent smacker her wrist and sent her wand rolling and tumbling off the roof.

The now-defenseless Kammy only had enough time to glimpse her only means of protection plummet into the shadows before Contemno rushed directly towards her. The witch clenched her fist. The mage's chain transformed into a spear once more; dotted with a few small stains of blood from its last victim. Contemno reached his target in record time. He thrusted his spear towards her with all his might. Kammy opened her palm right in his face.

A dazzling flash of light blinded Contemno; forcing not only his spear to change course at the last second and narrowly miss its target, but for him to step back and cover his mask in recoil. Kammy rolled out of his range and thrusted her trembling arm out. Seconds later, her wand ricocheted out of the darkness like a boomerang and landed back in Kammy's hand. She waved her wand and cast a raw beam of magic at Contemno. The latter created a blast of his own from his hand. The two forces clashed and illuminated the stormy night sky in a rainbow of colors.

As the light subsided, Contmeno and Kammy continued to stare one another down. The latter was noticeably out-of-breath, and her wand was gradually beginning to slip through her boney fingers. Thunder crackled and lightning strobed furiously; briefly illuminating the intense resolve that was plastered across Kammy's face. Contemno clenched his fist.

"I've had enough of this pointless bout!" the mage threatened. "You will relent to my will, or you will perish!" Though exhausted, Kammy remained ultimately unfazed by her opponent's threat.

"You think yourself to be so high and mighty…," the witch began. "Your youth and your magical prowess betray you…"

"How so?" A minute passed before Kammy answered at last.

"You haven't the slightest idea where true strength comes from."

"Wretched old hag! You dare question my resolve!?" Contemno contested angrily. "You could never understand where my power comes from! You will die with your ignorance!" Kammy chuckled ominously. Contemno was caught off-guard by her response. The jewel on Kammy's wand began to glow brighter than it ever had before. The power contained within was almost too much. The jewel itself began to crack as the energy began to leak out in streams.

"I will strike you down with all the power I have left!" Kammy vowed.

"Let us just see if you live long enough to make it happen!" Contemno challenged.

The mage rushed towards Kammy with nothing more than an outstretched hand. He was prepared to throw himself into ground zero of whatever catastrophe his opponent was conjuring if it meant successfully disarming her. Just as Contemno grasped his target, the wand's jewel gleamed its brightest and shattered; unleashing a carnivorous crimson explosion in its wake.

Junior and the Koopalings sat together in the solemn throne room silently. No one had a word to say. Feeling utterly directionless, they were collectively content with simply existing in the moment and nothing more. Junior stood up at last, and everyone turned to him since he was the only thing moving in this vicinity. The Koopa Prince strolled over towards the double doors.

"Where are you going?" Larry asked.

"To find my dad," Junior answered.

"You nuts? It's pourin' out there," Roy objected.

"So? I'll take my clown car."

"Sure, great plan. As long as that includes getting struck by lightning," Iggy contested.

"Look, I have to do this. I'll be fine," Junior assured. Larry rushed over and placed his hand tenderly on Junior's shoulder.

"Junior, you'll get another chance. I'm sure you will," Larry reasoned. "Bowser's gotta retire sometime and whether he likes it or not, you're still the obvious one to succeed him. Let's just relax and talk to him when he gets back." Junior brushed Larry's hand aside.

"This isn't about the test," the Koopa Prince argued. "There's something else I need to ask him about..." The Koopalings only continued to stare Junior down.

"And that is…?"

Suddenly, the entire ceiling above collapsed in on itself and rained down upon the room's inhabitants below like an avalanche. The Koopalings scattered, ducked, and tumbled in every direction to avoid getting buried. As the dust settled and everyone reclaimed their bearings, they zeroed in on the source of the destruction that had just landed in front of them.

Contemno staggered to his feet. A few feet in front of him, Kammy was miraculously still standing. Her cracked glasses were still staring Contemno down in spite of the blast that had engulfed them seconds ago. The witch pointed her wand at him. The mage chuckled at what he witnessed.

The golden handle of the wand itself was still intact, but the ruby it housed was nonexistent; having shattered into pieces in the blast. From Contemno's perspective, Kammy was stubbornly trying to threaten him with a gold-plated stick.

Even with her eyes still hidden behind her glasses, Contemno could read Kammy's expression effortlessly. She was on the cusp of death. There was nothing keeping her standing except for the raw determination of her will. As frail as Kammy appeared to be now, Contemno surmised that it would take little more than a gentle breeze to knock her over. He took one pained step towards her and prepared to finish the job.

"Not so fast, bub!" Roy exclaimed as he and Morton led the collaborative charge towards the mysterious intruder. Contemno waved both of his arms like a symphony conductor and unleashed a wave of purple aura across all stretches of the throne room. Junior and the Koopalings were all caught in the blast. The wave pushed them off to the corners of the room. Before any of them could retaliate, purple chains materialized around each of their waists and stapled them in place against the walls.

"Now, now," Contemno began, menacingly. He folded his hands behind his back and cordially strode over towards the Koopa Witch. "I will deal with the lot of you in just a moment. For now, Kammy and I have unfinished business."

"Kammy!" Junior shouted. The Koopalings followed suit in trying to get her attention, but with little success. Kammy was frozen in place. She wheezed and trembled and failed to acknowledge the calling of her name. Contemno approached her and lifted her chin up with one finger.

The Koopalings continued to struggle, but none of them could break free from their chains. Roy gritted his teeth and pulled with all his might to escape; whether his arms came with him or not.

Kammy's glasses met Contemno's mask.

Larry could feel his heart racing in his chest.

The spear materialized in Contemno's free hand.

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Iggy's head.

Contemno brushed the side of Kammy's paralyzed face with his blood-spattered spear as he savored the kill.

"Kammy, please! Snap out of it!" Wendy begged one last time.

"Your era is over…," Contemno declared.

Lemmy shut his eyes and looked away.

"Now, we shall do things my way…"

Just as Contemno thrusted the spear forward, a golden crescent shaped blast of magic grazed Contemno's hip and sent him flying backwards until he crashed into the wall. The captive audience sat in awe.

"Ludwig!" Junior cheered. As the smoke from his fist dissipated, Ludwig rushed over from the doorway to Kammy's side to aid her.

"Kammy! Kammy! Can you hear me!?" Kammy didn't respond. Her breathing had grown even more hoarse and shallow.

"Nice of ya to join us, Luddy!" Roy called out sarcastically.

"I heard the explosion all the way from my private study and came running. Is everyone alright?" Ludwig responded.

"Forget about us! Get Kammy out of here!" Iggy ordered. Ludwig nodded and prepared to lift the elderly witch in his arms. Just as he began, Ludwig's entire body glowed in a sinister purple aura. The Koopaling was violently thrust straight up into the air, forcing him to drop Kammy onto the floor just before his ascension. Ludwig struggled, but could not break free of the magical constraint.

A levitation spell? Ludwig wondered to himself.

"Hands off!" Contemno warned. The audience of the room returned its attention to the mage. Contemno violently thrusted his arm. Ludwig was instantly sent flying across the room. The Koopaling crashed into the side of Bowser's massive throne and landed nearby. The impact had uprooted it as the towering stone chair rocked back and forth violently. Just as Ludwig climbed to his feet, the throne came crashing down on top of him; pinning him to the floor under its weight.

"I will not be denied!" Contemno continued. Ludwig tugged and pushed with all his might, but could not lift the chair. If only his physical strength could have matched Bowser's or even Roy's. With a snap of his finger, Contemno teleported directly over to Kammy, who was sprawled out helplessly on the floor. The mage snatched up his spear once more and lifted it high above his head.

"No!" Ludwig screamed.

"Stop!" Larry begged.

"Please!" Junior pleaded with tears in his eyes.

Having savored his moment, Contemno thrust the spear down with all his might.

...

...

Lord Bowser...Forgive me…

The room fell to a pin drop silence after the grotesque puncturing of flesh echoed all throughout the castle. Thunder roared and lightning strobed through the windows for a few seconds as the storm outside the castle raged on. The Koopalings sat still in horror as the lifeless body of their magical mentor began to float in a crimson pool of her defeat.