Hi Everyone... I wasn't sure how I wanted to post this sequence so I'll be posting it in segments... Mainly because the rest of it hasn't been written yet... Depending on how the next few go I may just do a revised chapter.
Well... I decided a revised chapter was in order... I'm not sure if it improved this one but I actually like the way this one ended... Sorry the update was so few and far between... I had an idea for a Graphic Novel/Screenplay and I've been devoting my free time to developing that... It's just one of those mind consuming stories... I plan to work on both stories as often as I can tbough... Enjoy the update I hope...
Disclaimer... I don't own King Koopa or attend the Koopa Academy... The dream academy good night...
Day 132-
My 1st day at the Koopa Academy… Actually my king just calls it Koopa School; I dubbed it the Koopa Academy in honor of the cartoon shows back on Earth. Almost half if not all of the shows refer to the school as the "academy".
It doesn't really matter though. I personally think Koopa Academy sounds cooler and I believe King Koopa does too. He smirks every time I mention it and his amusement continues while I bounced on my heels all morning long.
My king was as good as his word escorting me personally after a hearty breakfast of scrambled Yoshi eggs and bacon with Yoshi milk biscuits. King Koopa laughed when I assembled my plate's contents into a sandwich. Copying suit my king praised my ingeniousness once again and complimented my talent keeping the eggs between the biscuits.
"Clever footstool but just one problem," King Koopa said shoving his entire sandwich in his mouth at once. Still chewing my king finished his thought, "Now it's all gone at once." He exhaled several crumbs in my direction.
I couldn't help laugh then offered my king the other half of my sandwich. He smirked again… I didn't realize how much my king smirks (Maybe it's because I amuse him or maybe it's because I don't know any other ways to describe his half smiles).
Anyway King Koopa smirked, "Well just a bite." He clamped his pearly whites dangerously close to my fingers leaving me about an inch of the breakfast mix. I exhaled a sigh of relief finishing my square. I didn't care. I'm too excited to really eat anything today anyway.
Arriving before a giant green door, my king opened the door with 1 clawed digit without it making a sound. We slipped in unnoticed and found the current lecture clearly boring six of the seven Kooplings required to attend.
The Kooplings were set up in an interesting array. Instead of in rows and columns they're arranged in a straight line by age across the room. It make sense since it's only the six of them but still they're each pretty large in size.
The first desk closest to the door we came through was empty. I'm assuming it was meant for Roy. I think he's the oldest and if I recall correctly only Ludwig was exempt from class. I wonder how often he cuts class.
Wendy wearing her pink poke-a-dotted bow talked on a cell phone style device chewing and twirling gum, I think, around her finger. Beside her sat a second empty desk. It must belong to Ludwig but why would it be here if he doesn't have to attend? Maybe it was an added barrier separating her from her brothers? It could be. I wonder how hot the chamber gets with all of them crammed on top of one another.
Following the line, my buddy, Morton, stared dumbfounded toward the pile of books. I wonder what's going through my friend's mind… Hmm… Friend? What an odd word choice? Just because we're sparring partners doesn't mean we're friends but I don't think I have any other words to describe him.
Does he think the same of me? Will he be my friend in class or will we be master and slave? Does our relationship only extend as far as pummeling each other? Some heavy thoughts…
Next Kooplings in line were the twins, Lemmy and Iggy. The first one had to be Lemmy. He was dressed in baggy pants, a green and brown spotted hooded sweatshirt with the hood up. The top looked kind of bulky and a wire seemed to extend down from it. I bet he was hiding headphones.
His brother on the other hand, Iggy, didn't wear any clothing just his standard shell and glasses. His distraction to today's lecture came from tinkering with some kind of machine using a screwdriver.
Larry counted nodding his head in rhythm while playing paddleball… No wait! That's a Chomp-Chomp. One of the dogs, I read about. I guess a toy one. I could hear it let off a small bark each time its metal head thwacked against the stone paddle.
Lastly Bowser Jr. sat farthest from the door. I think. Apparently the boredom of today's lecture was so intense that the youngest Koopling shifted upside down on his chair for amusement. All I could see were his yellowy scaled feet and tail.
My eyes transposed to the front wall decorated by a typical blackboard not all that different than the classrooms on Earth. However, nothing separated the Kooplings from the board. As far as I could tell, the room lacked a podium, teacher's desk, and even a teacher for that matter.
Only the pile of books Morton was staring blankly at occupied the far corner gap. Could the books be the teachers? I suppose it's possible considering my king's magical talent.
Speaking of magic while returning my attention to the Kooplings, I noticed stone replicas of my king that must have just appeared.
The images just in front of my new classmates were of King Koopa dressed in a cap with one of those, stringy fluffy thingy… a tassel wearing a gown holding a rolled up parchment. It was reminiscent of the graduations on Earth. Well the meaningful ones anyway like for college and high school.
I remember having to wear one going from 3rd to 4th grade once. Was that one of the important graduations? I didn't change schools or anything.
The next several figures I couldn't help being impressed by. They sat behind the Koopling and went to the back of the room. The statues lining the walls sort of reminded me of a declining evolutionary chart.
The sequence began by illustrating King Koopa holding a magic wand and a pointed dunce… I mean wizard's hat. The line continued depicting my king in a welder's mask holding a torch which didn't make sense to me since my king can breathe fire and a lab coat with a beaker and flask in hand standing in front of a network of tubes and Bunsen burners.
On the other side of the room showed my king breathing fire on some hot dogs? Well maybe Yoshi dogs, in front of a tent. The 2nd statue on this side was shattered leaving only stone images of my king's feet and some kind of thin tripod. My eyes fell upon the final image on this side a statue with King Koopa slashing through a replica of his nemesis. I couldn't help smiling impishly. I think my king noticed and chuckled. It was a really cool piece even containing gaps in Mario's abdomen where he was slashed.
Along the back wall posed the last three images of my king. On the left, King Koopa sat behind a series of vehicles from airships to go-karts. On the right, he held a bag with a dollar sign with the plumber crying with his pockets turned out. The middle statue had my king surrounded by hundreds of books with him writing while sweating bullets. It recalled the memories of students cramming the night before a big test… I wonder…
"Sire," I drew his attention. "Are the statues the classes?"
"Put that together already footstool," King Koopa smirked. "I knew you were sorta smart."
I laughed surprising loud causing Master Kamek to emerge from the pile of books. Apparently our presence went unnoticed until my king spoke.
"My lord," Kamek began but his smile faltered when he saw me. "What brings you to my classroom?"
"I'm enrolling my footstool into class," King Koopa said bluntly.
Every Koopa in the room gasped and either put on a face of pure surprise or shear disdain. The youngest Kooplings from the twins down mouthed surprise causing Bowser Jr. to fall out of his chair. Wendy and Master Kamek both snarled curling their upper lip back. Clearly they were appalled at the idea of an educated slave. Morton's stare started as shock but expanded into a half smirk.
"Is there a problem Kamek," King Koopa asked.
"N-No sire," Kamek lied.
"Good. Treat him as if he were one of my Kooplings," my king ordered.
It was my turn to gasps. 'As one of his Koopling,' my brain yelled. I couldn't believe it. 'When did I reach pet status let alone surpass it?'
"Y-Yes my lord," the wizard fixed his glasses. "Take a seat next to Morton, footstool."
"Yes, Master Kamek," I bowed.
Blocking Kamek's line of sight, Morton's smirk widen into a toothy grin. I neared my fellow classmates noticing that they all had notebooks open on stone desk tops but there weren't any backpacks or anything draped over the rock chairs…
I wonder if they carry everything in their shells. "Duh" I whispered to myself confirming my own assumption pulling a notebook from my shell.
"Bawdo," Morton whispered while Master Kamek conversed adamantly with King Koopa.
"Hey Mort," I whispered back. "Call me footstool during class. Something tells me, I'm going to be under Master Kamek's microscope."
"Ah Bawdy, Kamek doesn't hawve a mycowscwope," Morton answered rolling his eyes.
"I know Master Morton-."
"Footstool! No talking," Kamek shouted before returning to his conversation with King Koopa. I gave Mort a "you see" face making him laugh.
Two minutes passed during which Kamek expressed his disgruntled opinion having to teach a common "SLAVE" as he put so eloquently. King Koopa clearly expected this reaction. He waited patiently for the wizard to finish complaining without interrupting.
"What if he escapes the castle? Shares this information with your enemies," Kamek reasoned (a valid point in my opinion).
King Koopa's eye rolled to me sighing as if Kamek's rant was a waste of time. In fact King Koopa didn't interrupt until the wizard started his next rant. "You already give this SLAVE too much freedom!"
My king growled giving Kamek the same you-dare-question-me face that he gave his viceroy the day we met. The sage went silent immediately.
"He's my footstool," King Koopa sounded defensive. He continued matter of fact, "And I want him taught," ending the conversation.
"Y-Yes my lord," Kamek replied choking back his fears and tears. King Koopa turned and left. The door barely closed before Master Kamek appeared in front of my desk bracing his hands against the stone top.
He bent forward. "I…" he started. "Don't…" his arms bent. "Care…" Lowering his beak inch by inch. "What…" I could see his eyes usually hidden behind the soda bottles he calls glasses. "King Koopa…" They were a blue-green-grayish mix. Kind of sharp. "Says. You are…" His beak invaded my personal space. "Just a…" His breath smelled a bit like rotten vegetables. "SLAVE!" He finished pressing his beak lightly against my nose. "Understand?"
"Yes, Master Kamek," I responded however it did little to satisfy my new proctor's question since the turtle did not vacate my space. Figuring I'm going to be under a microscope and that the result of today will be inevitable, I did the only logical thing I could think of…
I gave the wizard a quick peck on the tip of his beak. "Thank you for teaching me, Master Kamek."
The Kooplings broke into gasps that quickly turned into laughter as Kamek hopped back wiping his nose with his robed sleeve profusely. I half expected his reptilian scales to come off as each swipe pressed harder and harder.
After his fouled mouth words finished spewing, Kamek looked at me first with soften eyes that gave way to an enraged glare. I knew it was bad because his glasses bent with his brow again.
"Detention after class," he yelled the consequences I was expecting.
"Yes, Master Kamek," I accepted without protest.
Surprised by my lack of rebuttal (I assume), Kamek's rage virtually disappeared returning only to command "SILENCE" from the Kooplings. All six classmates ceased their laughing fits on a dime.
Crazy 1st day and we haven't even gotten to learnding yet.
When Master Kamek finally resumed the lecture, the teacher read directly from a voluminous book tens of thousands of pages thick. I admit the excitement and anticipation that built up through last night and this morning started fading and fast.
Not from the subject matter, I found that information quite fascinating. Today's lesson was about different kinds of edible vegetation throughout the 8 kingdoms. The boredom came from the wizard's lack of interaction. If this is what the Koopa kids are subjected to, too, then no wonder they act out. Without any stimulation, their excess energy needs an alternate outlet.
Looking left, I saw Morton make a note on his paper after propping his sagging eyed head on his arm. The tedium he experienced prior to my disturbance gripped him once again. I peeked at his notes and saw Mort wrote H2O= Water on his paper…?
Strange Master Kamek didn't mention anything about water during the lecture. He's talking fire flowers… Isn't he?
Hoping I wasn't misinterpreting the professor, my head shifted past my right to Wendy's notes. Her hand writing was chicken scratch. It took me a couple minutes to decipher "l;[%| S|||"(which meant Fire Spell by the way… I'm awesome). It wasn't a flower but still fire.
A little more confused my head travel around the room. My head went from statue to statue finding my king holding the scepter then King Koopa holding the beaker. My brain clicked.
We were each learning a different subject at the same time. Morton even though two feet away was in Science class while Wendy sat in Magic class. (I assume. I'll have to remember to ask Mort at lunch)… I hope there's lunch…
I wonder which class I'm in. Let's see… Edible vegetation must be the statue with King Koopa eating hot dogs. Several more hours passed and my head barely remained in the air. In all fairness, this is a pretty ingenious idea to teach multiple subjects at once. It helps minimizes cheating but if there isn't any interaction like question and answer how effective can it be. It's like a video on endless loop.
"Time for lunch," Kamek broke his cycle. With a flick of his wrist, bowls of steaming Yoshi stew appeared in front of him and each one of the Kooplings.
Reviewing my notes, I was quite pleased that I managed to write down salad recipes, Super Leaves (must be some awesome kind of lettuce), radishes- yuck, Fire Flowers (I wonder if they're like jalapeños), and a few different types of mushroom—double yuck but have healing powers… Huh? Do any of the other ingredients have special powers? I wonder why Master Kamek cut himself off each time he seemed like giving a brief explanation.
While packing my notes in my shell, Mort's Yoshi stew wafted into my nose. Following the intoxicating smell, my eyes locked longingly on Morton's bowl. My mouth inadvertently opened dribbling a bit of drool while my stomach growled in agreement.
"Oh I forgot," Master Kamek waved his hand and a bowl of porridge appeared in front of me.
"Thank you Master Kamek," I said eating a spoonful happily seeing that it was saliva free. Grunting the robed instructor disappeared into the pile of text at the front of the room. I turned to Mort.
"Hey Master Morton, what are the classes each statue represents," I asked. "I think I have an idea but I don't want to assume."
Morton slurped from his bowl. "T'at won's," he pointed to the king holding the scepter "Magical Warts."
"Spell casting," I said involuntary.
"Yea and Defwense Warts," Morton answered. "It tweets yo' abiwitteas ta cwast and yo' wesistance ta magic."
'So there are multiple levels to a class' I thought finishing aloud, "that's pretty cool."
"Neck t'is Scihence," he continued to the scientist Koopa. "It incwudes Chwemistwee, Biwogee, bwah, bwah, bwah." Morton shifted to welding mask statue. "Mwetal, whood, and bwick showp…
"Ecownowmics," Morton shook his head identifying the classes awong(oh man now I'm talking like Mort) the back wall. "Mat. Ta midwool is Genwool Stwudies. Dwiver's Wed," Mort finished excitedly. "I can't whait fo' t'at won."
'Me too Mort. Me too' I thought. 'It wooks like I'll get to drive more than just go karts.'
My friend moved to the wall closest to the exit. He started with the hot dog figure, "Whillernwess Swuvivual and Phwysical Weducation." He finished pointing at the Mario statue.
"What's the broken one," I asked since Morton skipped over it.
"Cweative Warts," Morton responded nonchalantly. "Bwut it ain't a cwass anymo'."
"Why not?"
"Because of Ludwig," Wendy Koopa answered sort of snooty. "Ever since his first symphony, daddy's banned the class."
"That's awful," I said. "What about the other arts like dance and painting?"
"All done in secret," Wendy responded shyly. I recalled the day I caught her wearing a leotard (I couldn't help siding with my king after a little shudder). "Ludwig ruined it for everyone."
She's right though. King Koopa shouldn't have banned it. Those classes for some are what people need to release their excess energy. Regardless of how my mind perceives Wendy in tights, I have to side with her. I'll talk to King Koopa about reinstituting the "Creative Arts".
"Lunch time is over," Kamek reappeared causing all of our bowls to vanish throwing us back (well at least me back) into whichever class we were in before.
Several hours passed while I learned of edible feathers, starmen (I must have heard wrong. He must have meant starfish) and a few other food that I couldn't retain due to the boredom.
Suddenly a bell rung causing all the Kooplings to rise from their chairs like zombies and file half lazily from the room. I remained in my chair remembering my detention from earlier today.
Master Kamek was all set to leave the room when he noticed me sitting in my chair. "What are you doing here," he shot me a dirty look.
He must have forgotten about giving me detention. Unless Master Kamek wasn't expecting anyone to stay for one, I bet the Kooplings just get up and go at the end of the day. Do I remind him of my detention or do I make up a lie and leave?
I sighed, "You assigned me detention today." I guess I'm not a liar.
Master Kamek was clearly trying to recall the memory then he grinned. "That's right," Kamek turned to his pile of books. "Organize this pile of books by the class." He smiled, "Then you may leave."
"Yes, Master Kamek," I moved to the pile of books and flashed back to my visit to the library. All of the pages and covers were wordless.
"Have fun," Kamek laughed vanishing.
It took almost 4 hours to finally get the pattern down. Every time, I placed a book incorrectly the pile would automatically revert to the original disorganized state. Luckily, I still had colors to go off of.
I exited the classroom just after 7pm and had to figure out the way back to King Koopa's room by myself no less. Gulp… I never toured the castle at night and it was dark. I hope I don't get lost wandering the castle.
Traveling the corridor, the majority of the guards were Boos instead of the Koopa Troopas. I said hello but the Boos were as unresponsive to me as the turtles, Goombas, and the Thwomps.
The one thing they did do differently was harass me the whole way home. I mean to King Koopa's room. They tugged my hair and yank my shell almost making me fall. I miss the Koopa Troopas. Despite their ghostly distractions, I managed to find my route to the chamber rather quickly.
I started pushing on the door but it didn't budge meaning either my king was still at dinner so it was locked or he was in and had locked it. I knocked as heavily as I could but there wasn't an answer. So I decided to curl into a ball leaning against the door and wait for my king to arrive. It was a bad position because it brought my ear closer to my growling stomach. I hope King Koopa will allow me something to eat otherwise it's going to be a long night.
Almost two hours passed and my king arrived finding me asleep. "Footstool," he commanded me awake. "What are you doing sleeping out here? Why aren't you in the room?"
"Sorry my king, I had detention today and when I got back to our room the door was locked," I stood up. "I didn't mean to dose off though. I'm sorry sire."
"Our room," he growled. "Since when did MY room become our room?"
"S-sorry my lord," I apologize. I didn't even realize I said "our" to describe the room. "I forgot my place. How was dinner with Morton?"
"Good as usual," my king looked at me thoughtfully before moving past me to unlock the door.
"I'm happy to hear that sire," I smiled. I guess his dinners are usually good then. He doesn't tell me anything about his dinners. "Sire, may I have a bowl of porridge before bed?"
My king saw me holding my stomach before going behind his changing screen. "You didn't eat footstool?"
"No sir," I took my position in front of his chair.
He approached me in his robe. "Princess Toadstool a bowl of Yoshi Stew."
"At once my king," the statue barely finished before the bowl appeared.
"So detention huh," King Koopa handed me the bowl of stew. "And on your first day."
"Thank you, my king. You spoil this slave," I accepted my stew instead of lumpy goo. "Yeah, the first of many," I smiled, "but I'll figure it out."
King Koopa must have seen that I was exhausted because shortly after finishing my bowl of Yoshi stew he went to bed. It was a long day but I don't know why… Maybe the lack of excitement in class. Oh well tomorrow's my second day.