Author's Note:
Hey all, I have an important announcement. Starting from chapter 12 onward, I will now begin each chapter with a brief recap of the events from the previous chapter.
This was a suggestion submitted to me by a friend who is also reading the story. Since there are so many characters and subplots being juggled, I understand how it can be daunting for new readers to jump in. Also, since these chapters take a while to write and there can be significant chunks of time between updates to the story, it can be easy to forget what happened last time.
To remedy this, I'm going to start offering a brief summary of the most recent events to help readers catch up in order to help them become better immersed in the chapter they're about to read. I plan to do this for every chapter going forward. If time allows, I might go back and update previous chapters with recaps as well.
Hope this helps! Without further ado, on to chapter 12!
RECAP:
Having made his presence known in the Mushroom Kingdom, Contemno set his sights on Bowser's castle with plans to conquer it.
But, little did he know that Kammy Koopa foresaw his arrival and was waiting for him atop the castle roof. The witch knew her chances of winning against Contemno were slim. But she resolved to stand and fight anyway. Kammy vowed to protect Junior and the Koopalings with all her heart.
As Contemno and Kammy dueled on top of Bowser's castle, Junior and the Koopalings reconciled and discussed their next steps in the Koopa Prince's training. Junior was determined to find Bowser and ask him an important question. But before he could depart, the roof caved in from above.
Contemno detained the room's inhabitants. Despite a valiant effort from Ludwig, all were powerless to stop the intruder. Junior and the Koopalings were forced to watch in horror as their beloved master was brutally murdered in front of them.
Will they be next?
"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Roy roared. "LEMME DOWN FROM HERE! I'LL TEAR YOU APART! I'LL CRUSH YOU RIGHT HERE AND NOW! I SWEAR IT!" As the muscular Koopaling struggled and ranted, the others were silently content that the magic chains were holding him back. Clearly this was a dangerously powerful foe and provoking him further with threats of violence would likely only lead to more of them being executed.
As his spear disappeared into thin air, Contemno brushed the palms of his gloves together to casually dust them off. He turned around at last to face his captive audience.
"Now then, where are my manners? I don't believe we've met before," Contemno spoke with a calm, gentleman-like demeanor. Junior and the Koopalings were deeply unsettled as to how quickly this ruthless murderer composed himself. Did he honestly believe a cordial flip of the switch would change their opinion of him after what they'd just witnessed?
"Who are you? Just what the hell do you want?" Ludwig confronted. The mage turned to him.
"I am Contemno. As for what I want, well that's rather simple. I'll be taking this castle for myself." Contemno scanned the room. "If anyone says otherwise, you'll be sharing the fate of your beloved master," he threatened as he motioned towards Kammy's corpse. "Now then, tell me where your king is so I might…dethrone him."
Larry was disgusted when he witnessed Roy glance over at Junior for a brief second. He couldn't fathom the idea that one of his own brothers would even contemplate selling Junior out to this psychopath. Roy acknowledged Larry's icy stare with a stern expression of his own, and opened his mouth to speak.
"He's not here," Iggy replied. Roy and Larry stopped their silent conflict upon hearing their sibling speak up.
"Then where might I find him?" Contemno inquired.
"How should we know? He left without telling us anything!" Lemmy inserted. Contemno paused, as if he were plotting his next move.
"Is that so?" The mage strolled across the throne room and set his sights on Junior. The Koopa Prince's eyes widened in horror. "Then perhaps we'll just wait here for his return. He'll have to come home sometime." Contemno gently rotated his wrist in a circle. Junior could feel the chains that were binding him to the wall begin to move. They pulled Junior out of the wall, and lowered him down to Contemno's level.
"After all, he still has a son to care for." The Koopalings gasped softly under their breath.
"How did you-," Larry started.
"That's right. I know all about you, Prince Bowser Jr.," Contemno confirmed. The mage brushed his finger underneath Junior's chin in the very same fashion he savored killing Kammy.
Junior began to sweat as his heart raced and his breaths grew shallow. The Koopa Prince gritted his teeth and tried earnestly to hide his immense fear from the soulless black abyss that made up Contemno's eyes. But now that Contemno was close enough to be in physical contact with him, Junior was positive that any slight movement from the mage would be enough to make him wet himself at the very least.
"Then again…," Contemno started as he paced in a slow circle around Junior. The Koopa Prince refused to take his eyes off Contemno out of fear that he would miss the killing blow that put him out of his misery. "Every king grooms an heir to one day inherit the throne. Surely Bowser is no different." The mage stopped as if to allow the implications of his words to simmer for a moment.
Suddenly, Junior flinched as Contemno sliced the air with his hand. The chains binding Junior vanished into thin air, but he was too petrified to celebrate his newfound freedom with any greater degree of movement. The mage completed his menacing lap around Junior and refreshed his paralyzing glare at his prey.
"How about it then?" Contemno provoked. "Care to demonstrate just how far the apple truly falls from the tree?" The mage held out his hand. To the uninitiated, it would seem as though Contemno were offering Junior a hand of comradery to help him stand up. But as the inhabitants of the room had predicted, something far more sinister was at work.
In Contemno's open glove, a sword materialized. It was a bland, generic blade in appearance, but that did little to detract from the intimidating impression left by its presence. The tip was pointed squarely at Junior, but the latter was frozen in place.
"Consider this a sporting chance, my boy," Contemno elaborated. "An opportunity to avenge your beloved teacher, defend your subjects, and perhaps most important of all…," the mage hunched over until his mask was inches away from Junior's face.
"A moment of glory to show Daddy that you aren't such a failure after all." Junior's eyes lit up in astonishment as his jaw dropped.
How on earth did this guy know about him or his failed test?
To the on-lookers in the room, it appeared as though Junior was about to have a stroke. The silence of the moment was accompanied by an eerie stillness as everyone waited for Junior to make a move.
Feeling as though he'd wasted enough time, Contemno raised the sword above his head and swung down directly towards Junior. The latter fell backward and narrowly avoided getting sliced in half.
Junior glanced over at Larry, who was still pinned to the wall a few feet away. The sheer panic in his eyes was telling him not only to keep moving, but to fight back somehow. It was the only way out. Contemno charged towards Junior with his sword. The latter stood up in a panic and ran away as fast as he could. As the mage gave chase, he flicked his wrist.
A large piece of rubble from the ceiling slid across the ground directly into Junior's path. Failing to notice it in time, the Koopa Prince tripped and stumbled over the debris and fell to the ground once more. Before he could pick himself back up, Contemno pounced high into the air and thrust his sword straight down to pin his opponent in place.
Thinking fast, Junior retracted his head, tail and limbs into his shell. When the blade made contact, a shivering, unpleasant screeching noise rang through the air; one reminiscent of a knife scratching a plate.
To Contemno's surprise, the shell began to spin like a top and took off across the marble floor. The shell approached the grand hall's doors, but Contemno thrust his palm out; shutting them before Junior could reach his destination. Yet, this didn't appear to slow him down one bit.
The shell slid up the door's surface, then rolled back down like a skateboard on a half pipe. Zipping right past Contemno, the shell now made a beeline for the opposite end of the room.
Confused, but still determined to catch his prey, Contemno tossed his sword straight up into the air with one hand, and blasted it with a simple shot of pure magical energy with the other. The sword multiplied into a small army of levitating daggers. Pointing with his index finger, Contemno fired the daggers off one after the other with strategic timing and aim.
Each one barely missed the mobile shell. By the time Contemno and the Koopalings could figure out what Junior was planning, it was too late.
The shell rushed into the collapsed stone chair with tremendous might and shattered it into pieces. A cloud of smoke erupted into the air; obscuring the outcome of the collision. Contemno decided to halt his attack for a moment and wait for the dust to settle. This would allow him a moment to determine just what his opponent was seeking to accomplish in this battle.
Ludwig coughed profusely from all of the dust. Before the Koopaling could gather what had just happened, he felt a hand grab his own and lift his entire body out of the pile. He smiled when he witnessed Junior standing at his side.
"Excellent use of physical magic, Prince Junior," Ludwig praised. "I had no idea you were even capable of such a maneuver with your shell."
"I had a good teacher," Junior explained. The two smiled for a brief moment. Then their expressions sunk into determination when they realized their time was limited.
"So what's the plan?" Junior asked.
"You tell me!" Ludwig replied. "Clearly this maniac is intent on challenging your kingship in Lord Bowser's absence. You are in charge here as far as I am concerned." Horror flashed across Junior's face.
"What!? No way!" Junior denied. "I can't fight this guy! Didn't you see what he just did to-" Ludwig placed his hand on Junior's shoulder.
"Prince Junior, we cannot dwell on that right now, or else our lives are forfeit. We need a plan." Junior cupped his chin in his hand and pondered.
Meanwhile, the throne room remained still as it waited for the dust to settle. Larry was beginning to wonder if Junior was even still conscious in there. Contemno was beginning to lose his patience.
"I grow tired of this game, little prince!" Contemno exclaimed. "Surely you don't hope to find salvation in burying yourself with rubble." The mage waited for a response, but nothing came. Finally, the dust settled as two silhouettes came into view.
Junior hopped out of the smoke and faced his opponent. His mixed expression conveyed a desperate desire to face his fears despite lacking the confidence in his own ability to do so.
Without waiting for a response, Contemno waved his arms and pulled out his trusty pair of chains. Junior was too slow to avoid them in time. The chains wrapped themselves around his waist and yanked him forward. Junior wriggled but couldn't break free. He immediately settled on his only remaining option.
After struggling for a moment, the Koopa Prince managed to successfully withdraw back into his shell once again. The chains tightened their grip, but ultimately couldn't squeeze through the sheer durability of Junior's shell. Contemno groaned aggressively in frustration.
"Do you honestly hope to defeat me simply by cowering in fear!?" the mage roared. He received no retort from his opponent and accepted it. With all his might, the mage swung his newly-crafted ball-and-chain straight into the wall nearby. He repeated this motion over and over again. The castle shook violently and the cracks in the wall grew larger and larger with every blow from the shell. The grunts in desperation multiplied as Contemno struggled to break through Junior's defense.
"The hell is Junior doing!?" Roy criticized from the other end of the room.
"Buying me some time," a voice replied. The Koopalings all looked down to see Ludwig standing beneath them. His arms were stretched out as if he was waiting to catch them.
"Whaddya mean?" Lemmy inquired. The thunderous crashing sound in the background suddenly caught their attention once more. A rhythm was forming as the intervals of time between Junior's shell colliding with the wall fell into a consistent length.
"Surely even a mage as powerful as Contemno cannot divert so much of his energy into two tasks at once," Ludwig explained.
"COWARD!" Contemno roared. "I WILL UTTERLY ERADICATE YOU ONCE I SHATTER THIS CURSED SHELL OF YOUR'S!" He continued to slam Junior's shell into the wall.
After waiting for just the right moment, Ludwig yanked his arms back with all of his might. Suddenly, all of the chains binding his siblings to the wall vanished and each of the Koopalings touched down on the floor to join Ludwig. They wasted no time in turning their attention towards Junior, who was still trapped inside his shell and at the mercy of Contemno's chains.
"We need to get Prince Junior away from that monster and escape from here as quickly as possible," Ludwig proposed.
"But how?" Wendy asked. Ludwig put his hands together.
"I believe I can teleport all of us out of here at once. But it will take time to build up enough energy."
"Well, while you do your thing Ludwig, the rest of us will gang up on that dweeby elf!" Roy offered. "No way he can take all of us at once while Junior's got him distracted like this."
"Don't be so reckless," Ludwig warned. "Only a few of you should go. I'm going to be utterly defenseless here while I prepare the spell."
"He's right," Iggy agreed. "Ludwig's gonna be a sitting duck, and we can't throw all of ourselves into danger when we don't know everything that this lunatic is capable of." Morton placed his hand on Ludwig's shoulder.
"Guh," Morton uttered.
"Good thinking, Morton," Iggy praised. "You be his bodyguard."
"Lemmy and I will share our energy with Ludwig to help him charge up faster," Wendy submitted.
"Yeah," Roy concurred. "And Larry, Iggy, and me are gonna take point. Let's make this quick." Everyone in the group nodded in unison. With their roles assigned, it was time at last to put their plan into action.
"C'mon! We gotta help Junior!" Larry directed. He clapped his hands together and summoned his blue shield. Roy and Iggy followed his lead as they charged towards Contemno.
The mage turned to acknowledge the offensive entourage approaching him, but he wasn't fast enough to respond in time. Roy and Iggy tackled Contemno and pinned him to the wall. Larry tossed his shield like a boomerang. It sliced through Contemno's chains effortlessly; leaving Junior's shell to fall to the ground. An unconscious Junior spilled out onto the floor. Larry scooped Junior up in his arms and rushed back over to the group.
Roy pulled his arm back, and slugged Contemno across the face; creating a large crack in the latter's mask. But before he could continue his assault, a bright stream of purple light poured out of the newly-formed opening. Roy and Iggy released Contemno as they were blinded by the light. Still conscious, Contemno staggered, but remained standing as he wheezed.
"You worms…," the mage began. "You…will rue the day you trifled with me…" Roy gritted his teeth.
"Not before we smash your pompous face in for what you did to Kammy!" the Koopaling retorted. He charged towards Contemno once more.
The mage hunched over and cradled his chest in his arms for a moment. Just as Roy reached him, Contemno threw his arms up in the air and puffed out his chest; unleashing a deep, ferocious scream.
The eye sockets in his mask radiated with purple light. Suddenly, an immense wave of aura erupted from Contemno's body and covered the room. Roy and Iggy were sent flying backwards as they landed near the others.
"How's it coming, Ludwig?" Larry asked.
"I'm almost ready," Ludwig answered.
"'Almost' isn't fast enough! He's coming this way!" Iggy pointed out. Contemno slowly limped towards the group. His entire body was engulfed with a wild, unruly aura.
"Uhh…Ludwig…," said Lemmy.
"Not yet…," Ludwig denied.
A massive purple fireball materialized in Contemno's hand.
"Ludwig!" Wendy exclaimed.
"I need more time!" Ludwig shouted.
Contemno rocketed up into the air.
"LUDWIG!" Larry screamed.
Winding his arm back, Contemno pitched the fireball straight down towards the Koopalings with blistering speed. A surge of white lightning radiated from Ludwig's hands. Just as the fireball reached them, they vanished into thin air. The fireball dissipated when it reached the floor.
Contemno landed and glared at the empty space in front of him. Then, he gripped his forearm and kneeled over as the mage nursed his injuries. The damaged mask slipped off Contemno's face and shattered into pieces when it hit the floor. He smirked and chuckled.
"This…changes nothing…"
The world was slow to come back into clarity. Cutting through the dark abyss were blurry flashes of green and white. A gentle hum leaked through the silent distortion and produced a familiar, pleasant sound. As her sense of consciousness and control over her body returned at last, Peach sat up.
The princess found herself in a small clearing of the forest. Sunlight was gleaming through the treetops above. She felt at peace amongst the chirping of birds and the gentle swaying of the bushes and branches in the morning breeze.
But how did she get here? Peach simply could not remember, and in the serenity of this moment, she hardly cared.
The dew of the grass felt heavenly against her bare, blistered feet as Peach wandered towards the river nearby. After taking a small drink, Peach splashed some water on her face and ran it through her frizzled hair. This was hardly a substitute for a real shower, but it would have to do. She dipped her feet below the surface and allowed them to soak for a few minutes.
Aside from the events that had just unfolded, it had been a long time since Peach felt this relaxed. She desperately wished it could last forever, despite knowing well in her heart that it never would. All of the peaceful atmosphere in the world wouldn't change the truth.
Peach's entire world had crumbled around her.
Mario was missing and presumably dead. Her castle was in ruins and the rest of her kingdom was sure to follow. Anyone else who could possibly aid Peach in any way now had been captured and would be lucky if they even lived long enough to become prisoners. Contemno had proven to be enough of a cunning, all-knowing adversary that even if he hadn't already somehow gotten to Bowser, Peach surmised that it would only be a matter of time before he did.
Then there was Toadsworth.
The princess's heart ached as she wept. The man who had raised her practically from birth; her mentor, her teacher, her caretaker, her adviser. But most of all, the one whom she was more than content with calling her father, was dead. He died protecting her, and for what? Peach lost the battle. She failed him. His sacrifice had been for nothing. All hope was lost.
…or was it?
Peach ripped off her torn and scorched gloves and examined her hands for the first time in ages. Her skin was smooth and soft; so pure and pristine. Wearing gloves all this time had surely preserved her hands in this state. But this was the first real moment where Peach consciously observed her own, natural features. They were so untouched and so…inexperienced.
Peach realized in this moment that she had never truly lived.
All her life, the princess had been sheltered and safeguarded from the world. This was only made more evident by Toadsworth's final vow to protect her. Peach had lived her entire life within the walls of her castle. She had never been forced to soil her hands with any sort of hard work. She had never been given the chance to find her passion. She never developed her own grit.
Even when Bowser came along to expose Peach to the outside world in his own selfish, twisted ways by kidnapping her. Mario was always there to pull her right back into her sanctuary. Peach was never asked to do any work for herself.
Now, even all the progress Peach had made with her self-defense training and the Kingdom Council felt like a lie. What good were any of them possibly doing for the world by sitting around a table chatting all day when a threat like Contemno could waltz right up to their doorstep and devastate them as easily as he did? Only now when Peach was in her most broken and vulnerable state did she see the truth at last.
Peach had no legacy to call her own. Nothing worth fighting for or protecting.
Every aspect of her life that she once took pride in was a lie. Toadsworth, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Bowser, Pauline. Everyone else was living Peach's own life for her. Only now when she was truly alone did she see just how useless she really was.
Lost and afraid in an unfamiliar land with no one around to guide Peach or tell her what to do, what chance did she have of survival? How did she even manage to avoid death at Contemno's hand? There had to be a reason why she was still alive. But if there was, she just couldn't see it.
But did she have any other choice now except to find her purpose? There was hardly any other alternative course of action she could take. With no home, no caretaker, no friends, all Peach had was herself. She could no longer ignore her inadequacy and she refused to live with it a second more. The princess would have to learn how to stand on her own for once, or perish trying. But where to start?
Suddenly, her memory came back to her in a flash. The last thing Peach remembered before waking up in this forest was countering Contemno's attack with some kind of pink light. There was an explosion that had knocked her out. Could that light have been her doing? It had to be. Toadsworth's final words came back to her as she put the pieces together.
You were not born an ordinary child, princess. You have gifts I'm sure you never truly recognized until recently. The truth is, you have always had them. These gifts made you precious and…valuable. There were those who would seek to steal you in hopes of harnessing your power for themselves.
Now Peach was certain of it. She did have a purpose. She possessed some kind of power. Now more than ever, she needed to learn how to control this power and master it. Doing so was bound to be the only way to stop Contemno and reclaim her kingdom.
Maybe this was fate. Maybe the princess was destined to fall this far so that she could at last see the light of her potential glimmering in the dark depths of her despair. Peach would harness this power and use it to take back what was stolen from her, or die trying. The princess resolved that she would rather lose her life fighting valiantly for what was precious to her, than to hide and waste away into nothing.
Junior stirred a bit, then opened his eyes. He massaged his head as he sat up and took in the world around him. He had awoken in the clearing of some forest, though he hardly recognized it. Given the vast vegetation and life surrounding him, he was most certainly far from the Koopa Kingdom. The land Junior called home was rich in brimstone and lava. Natural life would never flourish in such a landscape. But how did he wind up here?
The Koopa Prince found his siblings nearby, who were each slowly coming back into consciousness themselves. But…something was wrong.
Junior recalled how Ludwig had managed to magically transport the group out of harm's way just as Contemno was about to strike them. Yet aside from Junior himself, only Larry, Roy, and Iggy were in attendance now.
Where had the others gone?
"Uggh…what a ride…," Roy moaned.
"I hate teleportation. Always makes me s-sick…," Iggy complained. He placed a hand to his mouth as if his dissatisfied stomach were about to make itself known.
"Is everybody alright?" asked Larry.
"I guess so," Junior answered. The blue-haired Koopaling scanned the area.
"Any idea where Ludwig and the others are?"
"Beats me. I still think we could've taken that dirtbag," Roy submitted.
"I don't. That guy was freaky," Iggy commented. "But hey, if you wanna jog back there and slug it out with him some more, Roy, be my guest. I want no part of it."
"Or maybe we should let our 'future leader' have the honor," said Roy sarcastically as he made a gesture towards Junior. "That's what Contemno wanted in the first place." Larry stormed over towards him.
"Are you out of your mind!?" Larry confronted. "That maniac just murdered Kammy in cold blood right in front of us! And you want Junior to just march back there and fight him!?"
"Yeah! Maybe! Maybe if he had actually been studying and passed his test the first time, he would've been ready to fight off that bastard and we wouldn't have had to run away with our tails between our legs!" Roy argued. "I mean, some king we got here!"
Junior clenched his fists and Larry gritted his teeth.
"That's a low blow! Don't pin this on Junior just because he-" Larry began.
"Step off, Larry!" Roy interrupted. "Quit babying Junior like you always do and let him stand up for himself for once! This is exactly why he wasn't ready! How could he be when he had people like you to always hide behind!?"
"If Kammy couldn't beat him, then none of us had a chance in hell and you know it!" Junior retorted.
"Only thing I know is training you was a waste of time!" The group fell silent. "We put all this time and work into you and look where it got us. Kammy's dead now and it's all on you!" Junior fought back tears as he continued his standoff with Roy.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Iggy exclaimed as he forced himself between his feuding siblings. "Look, we're all upset about Kammy. But pointing fingers isn't helping."
"Hmph," Roy snorted. "You're right, Iggs. But I know what will…," the large Koopaling turned and stormed off.
"Where are you going!?" Larry shouted after him.
"To do what our so-called king couldn't," Roy answered. "I'm gonna make that psychopath pay for what he did. And I'll do it all on my own if that's what it takes." Without another word, Roy turned and continued walking away. Larry began to give chase, but Iggy grabbed his shoulder; shaking his head.
"Let him go."
"But…Roy…"
"Can be a hothead. I know," Iggy answered. "When he's upset about something, nothing's gonna get through to him." Larry stared at Iggy with fear and frustration in his eyes. "Trust me on this, Larry. I've known him longer than you. He'll cool off. We just need to give him some space."
The pair looked over at Junior, who was curled up in a fetal position on the ground nearby; facing away from them. They could see his body twitching slightly. They knew Junior was crying and resolved not to call him out on it. Iggy sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Look, what happened back there was intense. Let's just…catch our breath for a second," Iggy suggested. His proposal went unchallenged as Junior wept and Larry looked onward after Roy, who was nearly out of sight by now.
Peach had been gathering supplies around the wooded area as her courage was igniting; stones, logs and branches, some moss, and a bushel of berries. Her quest began here. She had to make camp so that she would have some sort of home to return to each day as she explored the forest in order to better understand her surroundings.
She furiously rubbed a pair of sticks together and started a fire over a bed of logs. The friction had sharpened them to a degree where they rivaled blades. Peach blew the smoke off her makeshift knives and stared at one of them for a moment.
A gruesome image flashed through her mind of Contemno's spear and how quickly and mercilessly it ended Toadsworth's life right before her eyes. The princess gripped the stick tightly in her hand.
She vowed to never allow that cursed spear take another life. Not as long as she had anything to say about it.
Peach approached the river nearby once more and stared into her reflection. This would be the last time she would ever see this frightened, helpless little princess again when she glimpsed into a mirror. Of this, Peach had to be absolutely certain. She choked a large mass of her long, golden hair in one hand and held it out straight.
With her knife in the other, Peached jerked her arm upward in a swift, clean slice.
The liberated bundles of hair danced in the breeze before nestling atop the water's surface and drifting downstream. Peach solemnly waved goodbye to her old self and returned to her campsite. The princess summoned her three weapons – the frying pan, golf club, and tennis racket. Using her gloves as makeshift rags, Peach scrubbed away the dirt, soot and scuffs incurred in the previous battle.
After each item had been polished to a shine, the princess allowed them to disappear into thin air once more. Cleaning up her campsite and putting out the fire, Peach marched onward in search of carving out her new destiny.
Mario…Bowser…Toadsworth…
Please…
Don't watch over me. That's not who I want to be anymore. Instead…just…
Wish me luck.
The gentle roar of the waterfall radiated through the stillness of the forest. Having restored themselves to a degree with the pleasantries of the stream, Larry and Iggy soaked their feet and munched on some berries as they talked. They hadn't the slightest idea where they were going or what they should do next, but a destination hardly mattered to them after what they had been through the night before.
The siblings resolved to ease themselves through their pain by talking with one another about their feelings towards what they had witnessed for a few hours since the incident; their fear of Contemno, their sorrow over losing Kammy, and their frustration with Roy's uncalled for accusations and behavior.
"You really think Roy was about to sell Junior out back there if I hadn't spoken up?" Iggy asked. Larry nodded.
"Definitely. But it just doesn't make any sense. How could Roy even think of doing something so awful? He knew Junior wasn't ready just as much as any of us did. If Kammy couldn't stop that monster, what chance would Junior have?" Iggy placed a hand to his chin and sighed.
"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, Roy does have a point…," Iggy confessed. "It was Junior's responsibility to train hard and get ready to become king. We did everything we were supposed to do, but Junior slacked off and look where that got us." Larry begrudgingly agreed, but couldn't find the words to express it. "Now, going off alone to pick a fight with Contemno after Ludwig worked so hard to get us away from him may not be the smartest thing to do. But if we chase after Roy now, we'll only irritate him more. After all, that's how it's always been with him."
"But Kammy had decades of fighting experience under her belt and look what happened to her in the end. That Contemno guy is wicked strong." Larry countered. "I mean, I'm mad at Contemno too for what he did. But we can't fight him. We just can't. He's too strong, and Roy has no right to blame Junior for any of this." Iggy crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
"Well, we can at least deal with Roy and Junior on our own. But you're right about Contemno," Iggy agreed. "Unless we can find a way to stop him ourselves, we should probably start looking for a new home since that maniac set up shop in our castle."
"I wish we knew where Bowser was…"
"You think Junior knows?"
"Why would he?"
"Well, he seemed really determined to go out and find his dad just before the attack happened. Besides, we don't know the full extent of the last conversation those two had," Iggy theorized. "Maybe Junior has some idea of where to find him." Larry didn't comment on his sibling's idea right away. "What have we got left to lose?"
"I guess you're right," Larry agreed with a nod. "Let's go find Junior."
The two journeyed up the hill slightly to the waterfall nearby. Considerable time had passed since Larry and Iggy resolved to give Junior some time alone. They were surprised to find him sitting squarely underneath the waterfall with his legs crossed. He appeared to be in some sort of meditative state.
"Junior…?" Larry called. The Koopa Prince gave no response. Larry nudged his shoulder slightly.
"Junior," Larry repeated. Still nothing. Junior appeared to be in such a deep trance that he almost looked as though he were asleep.
"Junior!" Larry exclaimed as he shook Junior's shoulder with more force.
"What? Did you forget to blame me for Kammy's death too?" Junior replied bitterly at last.
"What? No, I…," the Koopaling started; he was shocked at how brutally blunt Junior was being for someone who looked some composed seconds ago. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like? I'm meditating," the Koopa Prince answered.
"Is now really the best time for that?" Junior opened his eyes and glared at Larry.
"Iggy said we should take some time to catch our breath. So I'm trying to clear my mind like Ludwig taught me," Junior explained. "I know I'm not rushing off to fight Contemno like Roy wants, but I figured I'd be a helluva lot more productive doing this than laying around crying like a baby and feeling sorry for myself."
Larry and Iggy were utterly speechless as they stood by in shock. They instantly remembered their last training session with Junior and how Ludwig had taught him to use water as a means of focusing his mind in order to harness mental magic.
Neither of them could believe that Junior was actively putting his training to good use on his own like this; and especially now of all times. His maturity in this moment knew no bounds. It was a night and day difference compared to how Junior had been acting as recently as the day before. Was this really the same Junior?
"Well, how are you feeling? Is it working?" Iggy asked. Junior stood up and stepped out from underneath the water stream; soaking wet, but utterly unfazed by it.
"Yeah, it worked. I know what we're going to do next," Junior proposed confidently as he walked right past the pair.
"And…what would that be?" Larry asked. Junior turned back to face him.
"Isn't it obvious? We're gonna take down that psychopath." Larry and Iggy continued to stare at Junior.
"But we're gonna do it my way."