Hi Everyone... Happy Belated Easter... I originally planned to get a chapter or two up yesterday but stupid crazy things came up... Family holidays... I hope you enjoy this chapter... Thanks for the suggestion Sarah... Hopefully Baldo can find King Koopa's TV.
Disclaimer... I don't own the mean spirit of Master Kamek but I did watch King Koopa's amazing performance in Wreck It Ralph a bunch of times...(Best Part of the movie... King Koopa should have won an award)
Day 284-
I got my hero essay back and am very excited by the results. I got the highest score Kamek has ever given me and was going to staple it in my journal but I can't seem to find it. I wonder if Mort took.
He asked to read it and he seemed to really like it. My buddy even went as far as calling Kamek an idiot. Not something a Koopling normally says out loud. He ended up failing his essay too but Master Kamek gave him permission to redo it.
Morton looked at me but I shook my head. My score was the best I would ever get from the professor. Now if only I could find it…
Day 285-
The day before Bowser Day, Master Kamek asked the Kooplings what they had planned to give King Koopa for his birthday. (The best part of Bowser Day was no school. It operates like a normal holiday back on Earth). Each Koopling's head turned to Wendy.
"Why are you looking at Wendy," the instructor asked curiously.
"Um, like we're all giving daddy like, um, the same thing," the female koopa replied slightly embarrassed.
The wizard's head cocked curiously to each turtle failing to mask his surprise. "All of you, really," he asked. Kamek continued his inquiry seeing the siblings nodding affirmatively. "What is it?"
"It's like a secret," Wendy answered back winking and wagging her index claw after the others turned to her again. "But we all like worked really hard."
Kamek's hand cupped his chin. "Normally you all compete for King Koopa's affection and sabotage each others' gifts." The wizard's bottled lenses studied each Koopling. "What changed?"
This time all their eyes fell toward me. It was embarrassing yet rewarding at the same. To think a single slave could shatter the preconceptions and years of sibling rivalry with a simple dance. I was rather proud of what I accomplished in my short time in my king's keep.
Although my euphoria disappeared when the wizard's eyes (frames and all) narrowed on me. I felt obligated to intercept the instructor's fermenting words.
"It was just a suggestion-," I started.
"It's illegal for slaves to participate in Bowser Day," the blue robed turtle grumbled.
"Tsk, like, footstool didn't participate," Wendy tried defusing Kamek's building rage. "He's like a slave. Footstool came up with like the idea but like my friend, Baldo, got us, like, to work together."
"Yeah! Bawdy's tweets us awe eqwally," Mort defended.
"And even trusts us," Roy supported. Their support nearly brought a tear to my eye. I didn't expect all the Kooplings to speak up. "He doesn't assume the worst."
Kamek's head snapped glaring at Roy. "No one trusts you."
"Baldo does," I countered without any hesitation. "And I do too," I added. Hopefully speaking in the third person was enough to throw the wizard off his questions. Enough probing and eventually, one of the Kooplings would slip up.
It must have worked. Kamek, realizing he wasn't going to win, calmed down and finished the day's lesson. Somehow I was able to get out of there without a detention either.
"Whut awe yo' giving king dad tomowhoa," Morton asked me on the way to our final dance rehearsal. There was no point in trying to deny it. My buddy knows me too well.
"I made your dad a clock," I answered.
"Whoa he wikes cwocks," Morton replied semi-impressed. "Can I see it?"
His question stopped me in my tracks. Personally I didn't want to risk damaging it with all the obstacles in the halls. On the other hand, I kind of wanted to show it off. I mean like I worked really hard on it and it would be a shame if only King Koopa ever saw it.
"Okay, I'll go grab it now and bring it to rehearsal," I answered hurrying to my room. I mean my king's room.
'WHAT WERE YOU THINKING' my brain yelled at me. I had trouble focusing on today's rehearsal due to the exploding spells, scenery, clothing, and props. There were NO safe places for a sheet covered clock.
I nearly wrecked the Mario head diving to intercept a fireball cast by Bowser Jr. However through hard work, my determination won out and to my eternal happiness the clock survived.
"That's like it everyone. Tomorrow's like the day," Wendy dismissed the other dancers leaving only the Kooplings and me in the room. "So like what's under the sheet, Baldo?"
All seven kids filed around me. "My gift for King Koopa tomorrow," I said.
"Slaves aren't allowed to participate in Bowser Day," Iggy reminded me. "Why would you get him something?"
"He's still my king," I shrugged. "And he's treated me nicely since becoming a slave. It be rude if I didn't get him anything."
"What it," Bowser Jr. asked reaching out to poke the sheet.
"A clock," I removed the sheet.
"Ain't t'at ta same pwoject fwom cwass," Morton asked.
"Kind of," I set the clock to 1 minute before 7. "I had to make due since I don't have any money."
When the chime started, Princess Toadstool exited the castle walking elegantly past the flagpole and through the trees to the edge of the golden road. At the edge, the figure bent forward. All the Kooplings leaned toward her.
"Wake up my king," the princess repeated seven times bending forward for 7 kisses.
As planned, a life sized projection of Princess Toadstool appeared giving each Koopling a kiss on their forehead. All seven kids blushed while smiling awkwardly until the tiny replica disappeared back into the clock.
"T'at's weally neat," Mort coughed slightly bashful.
"I feel all warm and fuzzy," Lemmy and Iggy said in unison. (You know the way twins do sometimes… creepy).
"Mama Peach come back," Bowser Jr. cried out.
"Wow. Like daddy's going to like love it," Wendy sounded like a hopeless romantic.
Roy lowered his shades showing me his normal eyes. He stared sort of suspiciously at me. "How did you do it?"
"King Koopa left his wand in our room once," I explained. "I was able to cast a spell using it." I lifted one of the school rods. "But for whatever reason, I'm just not able to replicate it with the school ones."
I covered the clock again. "Bawdy, I'll wawk wit yo' ta king dad's woom on ta way ta dinner," Mort volunteered.
"Thanks, Mort," I smiled walking with him to the door.
"Hey Baldo," Roy stopped us. "When dad asks say "No" but keep the paper and wait for two honks." Then the turtle was gone around a corner.
"Whut t'at about," Morton asked. I shrugged trying to decipher the cryptor's(I don't know if that's a word… but it should be) message.
During our journey back to King Koopa's room, Master Kamek stopped us in the hall. For some reason his glare unnerved me today. Unconsciously, my hands tightened against the clock's base and the wizard noticed.
"What's in your hands, footstool," he asked behind an evil smirk. It conveyed one thing… He knew!
"My gwift fo'-."
"My gift for King Koopa tomorrow," I interrupted Mort's attempt to cover. I appreciated the offer but this wasn't something we could lie our way out of this time. "May I continue to King Koopa's room, Master Kamek?"
"Absolutely," the turtle sidestepped granting passage but his voice implied this wasn't the end of it. When we motioned forward, Kamek continued, "Slaves are forbidden to participate in Bowser Day."
Like lightning, the wizard pulled his wand casting a concussive lightning spell that careened me into a wall. Luckily I landed shell first and my rock shell kept me grounded against the electric bolt. Unluckily the attack struck the clock.
"Happy Bowser Day, Footstool," the turtle vanished in a blue cloud laughing.
"Bawdy," Morton stood over me.
"I'm alright Mort," I rose still holding the clock in my arms. "I hope it still works."
Removing the sheet, the overall design remained undamaged. I set the chime to 1 o'clock and the initial sequence started without incident but when the castle door opened…
Princess Toadstool's torso separated from her waist. Both arms snapped. One arm detached from the elbow while the other split from the shoulder. My final inventory showed her face severed from her head.
"Oh Bawdy," Morton said as sincerely as I ever heard him. "I dwon't know how ta fwix it."
"I do but I can't use magic with the school wands," I nearly broke down in front of my friend. Faint sounds floated through the hall. "And it'll be a miracle if King Koopa leaves his wand unattended again."
"Come wit me," Mort command leading me along a secret passage.
The sound grew louder and louder until we reached a door. The noise was fluid and sympathetic. Finally my brain registered it. Music! Not Ludwig music… Real music… The kind of music that comes from the unique vibrations from a violin.
I felt a tear trickle down my face the way empathic music does when it resonates with the heart. Although, the memory from the pass few moments didn't help stopping their flow. Suddenly Morton slammed open the door revealing Lemmy playing the stringed instrument.
"Stwop pwaying. Yo' making Bawdy dewhydwate," Morton yelled at his brother making the hipster koopa freeze.
"Morton, I didn't hear you," Lemmy tried putting the violin away in a panic.
"Lemmy don't stop. That was really good," I encouraged but apparently our little commotion unnerved the Koopling.
He rubbed the back of his head. "Think so…"
"Yeah, it reminded me of the music during Zuko's and Azula's final fight during their Agni Kai in Avatar the Last Airbender. It was a cartoon I use to watch," I added seeing both Kooplings confused. "Do you think you can play it again? And in front of a crowd?"
"Maybe but I don't usually play in front of others," the younger turtle replied. He sighed, "I'll give it a try."
"Great bring your violin tomorrow to the recital," I ordered with a smile.
"Whut," Mort asked when I cocked my head toward him with a stupid grin. "Oh no, Bawdy!"
Lemmy looked confusingly at us. The little musician (who's going to give Ludwig a run for his money) didn't understand the unspoken idea Morton and I shared. It was a product of sparring against each other.
"I think you should play that song during our final fight scene," I expressed the idea out loud. Now both Kooplings looked frightened.
"Bwut we nevwerd wehearsed t'at," Mort protested.
"Plus I don't know if I'll be able to play in front of a crowd that large," Lemmy looked worried.
I shrugged sort of dismissing both concerns. "The cues aren't all that different. We'll just dance as if it was to the tune we practiced," I addressed Morton's issue then turned to Lemmy. "Just think about it Lemmy.
"If you decide you don't want to play your violin, we can always perform to the music we rehearsed."
"Okay," Lemmy trailed off.
Checking my broken clock which at least still kept the time, it was nearly dinner time. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," I sounded chipper. Wow the power of music and dare I say friends. "I have to get going if I want to repair the clock by tomorrow."
Inside my bedroom, I mean King Koopa's private chamber, I immediately searched for some sign of my king's magic wand. After what equated to an hour, I had to go with Plan B. Replacing the desired princess token with the Bob-omb proved allot more difficult than I expected.
Every time I set the Bob-omb in place a new section of the clock would malfunctioned. Either a tree would fall over or one of the brick walls would collapse and on occasion the Bob-omb exploded in my face destroying the path and flagpole. Luckily my charm remained intact on the tiny explosive as it would repair itself just to "KA-BOOM" in my face again.
When I finally finished repairing the clock (as close to perfection as I could) I realized that I worked through the night. Fortunately for me, King Koopa did not return last night so I didn't get caught. The mystique is still intact. Covering the clock in the sheet, I slid the time piece under my king's chair before hanging my clothes over his changing screen.
I headed for the shower. I wasn't looking forward to the recital today considering I didn't get any sleep over night and given Roy's cryptic message, I couldn't afford to take a nap since I may sleep through the honk. I was left to ponder what he meant under the chilly 80 degree water.