Wendy, Roy, Morton, and Iggy sat on plush red couches across from each other, in the living room. They were the first koopalings to arrive last night for their week in the Volcanopalace, with the rest of the flagships slated to arrive the next morning.
Or, at least, that was the plan. But the fact that they were all awake at 4:13 AM instead of getting some much-needed shut eye (or in Wendy's case, "beauty sleep") painted a grim picture of the events that had transpired that night. They could still hear loud thudding of heavy footsteps several floors above, with the added din of objects shattering on the floor.
"He's still at it," Roy idly remarked.
"You know our father as well as I. He's just worried. This is a rather serious matter, after all," replied Iggy.
"So, the airship didn't bother checking in. I still don't see why I needed servants shaking me awake at butt-o-clock in the morning just because some idiot fell asleep at the switch."
"You're not even in the least worried?!" Wendy interjected with a wavering voice. While she generally had a disagreeable personality, when it came to family matters, she had her priorities straight. She was probably the one in the room having the most trouble keeping calm, with the obvious exception of Bowser himself, who, by the types of noises coming from upstairs, had found his way to the crystalware display cabinet.
Her brother's airship had dropped communications. Junior was missing.
"Roy," Iggy sighed, "ships do not simply go dark unless something serious has occurred. If everything is going well, Koopa Command receives a message every hour. If something went wrong, we would also have received a message stating as such. But we have received nothing for the past two hours."
Morton, who had been relatively quiet for most of the conversation, piped up. "Maybe, uh, they had a giant pancake eating contest, and someone spilled syrup on the radio or something." Unfortunately for the rest of the Koopalings, Morton's few contributions to the discussion had all been of similar caliber.
"... what?" Morton asked, visibly confused at the silent stares everyone was giving him.
"Remind me to punch you in the face tomorrow morning. I'm too tired to do it tonight," Roy replied, rubbing his head. He had forgotten his sunglasses on his bedside table, and he simply didn't feel right without them.
The stomping around from upstairs had subsided. "Huh, maybe we'll get some answers soon," Iggy commented.
"Maybe we'll all get to go to bed," Roy grunted in reply, earning a disgusted glare from Wendy.
Chapter 2
Radio Silence
Bowser punched a priceless vase off of a cabinet and sat down in a chair, arms folded.
"... Sire, if your grouchiness is ready to listen, we can discuss the details of the situation." Tubel, a short, blue-shelled Koopa, was standing a respectable (and safe) distance away from the Koopa King, not yet fully convinced that his destructive rampage was over. Tubel had been appointed as the new royal advisor after Kamek began teaching the heir-prince, Bowser Jr, the ways of a king full-time. At first, he had been ecstatic at the employment opportunity. However, he soon learned that not only was it an excruciatingly-taxing job, it also came with a distinct element of physical danger. Those who stood close to the dragon-koopa were liable to get burned, beaten, or a variety of other status conditions inflicted upon them.
Bowser slightly nodded, and Tubel placed a prepared map on a nearby table, with the planned route of Junior's airship marked from a location in the snow kingdom to the capitol in the Darklands.
"Every hour, each flagship sends a coded ping which changes based on the current time and a secret key that generates-"
"Look, I don't care about the sciency stuff. Get to the point," Bowser grumbled.
Tubel obliged, pointing at the map to a point of the route near the eastern edge of the Snow Kingdom. "This is the last known position of the missing airship. At 2 am Koopa Time, they sent a ping indicating all was well and that they were on course to arrive as scheduled. We calculate that the ping at 3 am would have happened around here," he pointed to a spot just at the coast of the large landmass before hitting ocean. "We ended up not receiving that ping, but missing a ping occasionally is not unheard of. It shouldn't happen, but sometimes it does. It was when they also missed the 4 am ping that we decided to wake your slumberness up."
"Why didn't you wake me up an hour ago?!" Bowser accused.
"As I said, sire, there was still the possibility of koopa error or some sort of communications mishap, so we did not want to risk waking your burliness up over nothing. Even still, that flagship is one of the best in our fleet. The chance of anything serious happening to it is considerably low. There aren't many people with firepower comparable to ours, and even less that would be willing to start a war with the Koopa Kingdom, so we can generally rule out an attack, unless they were somehow blindsided or under extreme conditions. I also find it hard to believe a storm could have done much more than cosmetic damage to the ship. In any case, one could assume that whatever caused the ship to go silent occurred between 2 and 3 am." He traced his finger on the map, in a line between the two points. "There are two possibilities. The most likely scenario is merely that their communications system has been damaged somehow. Even if the ship has sustained some damage from whatever they ran into, they should still be operational enough to complete their voyage. It's likely that they will still be arriving, if perhaps a few hours late."
Tubel sighed nervously and mustered his courage to inform Bowser of the second scenario. "However, we cannot fully rule out the other possibility, which is that the flagship has indeed crashed, due to some unknown reason. Last we knew, they were following the predefined itinerary, but our intelligence indicates there was a strong storm in the area, which may have blown them off course. There is also no telling whether they employed evasive maneuvers in the case of a theoretical attacker. In other words, there is no telling exactly where they landed." Tubel drew a circle on the map encompassing the two points between 2 am and 3 am. "This is our initial search area."
Bowser looked at the circle's location on the map, and his throat tightened. The search radius was almost entirely located on the fallen kingdom of Crumbleden. No one knew what people originally lived there nor what became of them all those centuries ago, but now it is home only to wild beasts, and bandits wanting to lay low. And now Junior could be right in the middle of it.
Tubel piped up, noticing the change in the Koopa King's demeanor. "It's still very unlikely that the ship was shot down, even if it was attacked. We're just planning for the worst-case-scenario."
"Send out a search party. Now." Bowser spoke softly and uncharacteristically calm. And yet, it felt as if it had more power and conviction behind it than even his mightiest roar, fire burning deep in his eyes.
Tubel could not help but feel chills run down his spine. "Right away, sir, except..."
"Except?" Bowser squinted, his temper beginning to rise once more.
"There aren't currently any ships available for that. If you recall, the entire reserve fleet was sent away to participate in war games."
"What idiot gave that order?!" Bowser slammed his fist on the table, cracking the hardened mahogany.
"... You did, sire. You said you wanted entertainment for your kids tomorrow, so you sent them all to Island Fortress B. The earliest they can get back is around six thirty, and preparing them to embark on a search mission will take another hour for refueling and such."
"Then ready my clown car! I'm going myself!"
"Out of commission. You crashed it into a building yesterday, remember?"
"Then get me another from the factory!"
"That was the building you crashed into. Twelve people were hospitalized." Tubel sighed in mild exasperation. It was too early for this. "Sire... The search radius covers hundreds of miles. We don't even know for sure that they've crashed. Even if you took your private frigate or one of your children's flagships, there's no way a single ship could cover that area. I would advise to wait for the fleet. If your son's flagship hasn't arrived by then, then we will begin the search."
"Who asked for your opinion, dimwit?!" Bowser roared.
"... I'm the royal adviser. That's my job."
"Just get out of my sight!" The dragon-koopa demanded. Tubel didn't need to be asked twice. As he departed from the meeting room, he mulled over the facts of the situation. He could hardly fathom the possibility of such a powerful flagship being attacked or struck down. No, no, the ship would arrive as planned, even if damaged. But what if the worst had indeed happened, and the ship was now crashed in one of the most desolate, dangerous places in the world?
"Stars help them," Tubel muttered silently to himself.
Bowser watched the blue-shelled Koopa leave. With no one else in the room, his posture immediately changed from one of anger to one of worry and sorrow. His head was swimming and he felt as if he was going to throw up. Crumbleden was home to terrifying creatures. Bowser had received firsthand experience with the fauna of the Fallen Kingdom during that one scheme where he tried to get married on the moon. And now his youngest son could possibly be trapped there, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. This was supposed to be the one time a year when he could spend uninterrupted time with his family. But how could he possibly focus that when Junior's life could be in danger? An entire kingdom at his disposal, and it would be hours yet until they could start looking.
Bowser rested his head back, looking at the ceiling. He did not like Tubel very much. He wished Kamek were still there. He had practically raised him, and was the only person he could truly confide in about family matters. Kamek had asked Bowser one night out of the blue if he could begin advising Junior, to prepare him for the throne. Bowser said that seven was too young for any such training, but Kamek had reminded him with a glint in his eye that Bowser was no older when he had started looking after him. "You have little else to gain from my advise," he said, "but your son has much to learn." And so Bowser had agreed.
But now Kamek was potentially in the same danger as Junior. Bowser knew that the old man could hold his own in normal circumstances. But Crumbleden was not normal circumstances.
Bowser felt a deep swell of sorrow envelop him. Could he possibly have just lost them both? Get a hold of yourself, he thought, Kings are fearless and strong. They don't cry. They don't...
Bowser's fiery resolution was as shattered as the crystalware shards and splintered wood littering the floor. Alone in the meeting room, the first tear began to escape. Out there, he would need to keep the facade of a king. But here, in this private moment, he didn't have to act like a king. He could act like a father.
"Is it just me, or are these levels getting weirder?"
Mario considered his brother's question and looked down the cave they were in. There were various cannons, cranes, and moving parts with a giant chasm underneath all it, every part moving endlessly in sync with each other. "I'm pretty sure you're supposed to step on this conveyor belt here, which launches you onto the spring and up to that crane. If you hold really still, bro, it should take us right to the goal!"
"You still gotta admit that this is kinda weird, right? I'm not making this up!"
"I dunno, bro. We've seen some wacky stuff before." Mario shrugged in reply.
"We just got done jumping over a giant statue of your head floating in midair!"
"Cmon, bro, quit your worrying! Time's-a wasting, Luigi!"
As Mario ran ahead, Luigi couldn't help but admire his brother's unwavering confidence and enthusiasm. Even if sometimes he, like this cave, didn't make a lot of sense sometimes.
Captain Fryton, a tall and lanky hammer-bro, was well-respected by his crew as a calm and level-headed person. Even as he stood in the dark purple ruins of Crumbleden, even with his beloved ship right before him in smoldering smithereens, and even with a broken arm and a large cut on his forehead, it was apparent that his reputation was well-deserved.
"Sergeant Pryce, status report," Fryton requested.
Pryce, a burly chargin' chuck and the flagship's first mate, responded with a crisp salute, and began speaking with a gruff voice. "The fire has been extinguished, and our troops are almost finished with the search and rescue effort. We have a lot of injuries, some more serious than others, but no confirmed casualties as of yet. There are, however several crew members still unaccounted for. We also have troops securing a perimeter around the airship, although if the stories we've heard about the Fallen Kingdom are true, I'm not sure it will do us much good."
Despite his calm exterior, Fryton mentally cursed. He was due for promotion in just a few days. This would have been his last voyage before he could finally reap the benefits of twenty-five years of service, with a high-paying desk job for the rest of his career. But now he and his entire crew were stranded in the middle of a desolate, monster-infested wasteland. He began tightly squeezing his fist (on the arm that wasn't broken) as he considered his predicament. He then took a deep breath and recollected himself. If he was going to get out of this, it would be one step at a time. "And what of our prince?" he asked.
Pryce stood to attention once more. "That was our top priority, sir. The stateroom suffered major structural damage and the roof collapsed on top of him. He has sustained moderate injuries and suffered a concussion, but our medics say he'll pull through just fine. He should regain consciousness by morning."
Fryton breathed a huge sigh of relief. At least he wouldn't have to answer for the death of Koopa royalty. "What's the status of our communication equipment?"
"Completely busted, sir. It seems whoever attacked us focused heavily on those areas. The ship they used must have used considerable firepower, almost matching ours. Happened fast, too. Night bridge crew reports that the alarm was sounded only a split second before the attack."
How had such a large ship sneaked up on them like that? It shouldn't be possible, unless...
"Let me guess... tonight's sentry duty assignments were Logan Spratt and Kai Ogilvy." Fryton muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. Pryce nodded affirmatively.
Of course. Those morons couldn't even mop the floors properly. Of course they wouldn't be able to carry out one of the easiest duties on the ship. "Find those idiots and bring them to me."
"Corporal Spratt and Private Ogilvy are currently MIA, sir," Pryce stated, without a hint of sorrow in his voice. "It is likely they were thrown overboard when the ship was attacked."
Fryton sighed. "That may have been our only chance to get any information on our attacker. Still, I suppose they died honorable deaths for the Koopa Empire."
"Actually," a cool, gravely voice interjected, "that is not the case."
Fryton and Pryce turned to see an elderly magikoopa riding a broom. "Kamek!" Fryton greeted, "Are you injured?"
"I'm still kicking," he replied with a smile. "And as for our two janitorial misfits..." He motioned over to Kai and Logan in the distance, who were standing to attention very stiffly, as if being held there be some magical force. "I have already taken the liberty of apprehending them."
Kamek adjusted his glasses and continued. "The pair floated down from the sky a few minutes ago; it seems the paratroopa's wings came somewhat in handy for the pair. Might I add, they are completely unharmed."
"Cowards," Pryce hissed.
Fryton tended to agree. "So much for dying with honor," he deadpanned. "Anyway, I suppose an interrogation is in order. Shall we?"
A wry smile crept onto Kamek's face.
When Kamek had apprehended the two of them, Kai had a sneaking suspicion that they were screwed. Now that he saw him returning, the captain and first mate approaching as well, his suspicions were confirmed. They were absolutely, unequivocally beaned.
"If it isn't my favorite two dimwits," Bryce snarked sarcastically. "You boys enjoying the fresh air tonight?"
Fryton figured it would be easier singling out one out of the duo to tell the story, rather than try to figure out two accounts at once. "Corporal Spratt, as the supervising officer of tonight's sentry, you are now responsible for telling me exactly what happened tonight. Who in tarnation shot down my flagship?! And how in the name of Merlon did they get the jump on us?! Why was the bridge not alerted sooner?! I believe quite a bit of explanation is required for actions on your part."
Logan figured he could talk his way out of this. Even if they were kinda slacking off, it's not like they weren't watching the skies. Hopefully his story would check out with the three commanding officers.
"So we're on sentry duty, right? And we see this big old storm cloud. But it's fine, right? We see those all the time. But then we see something in the cloud right as we're passing it. Then this huge ship comes out of it! Almost as big as ours! And like, we didn't have time to sound the alarm."
"Did you get a good look at the ship?" Fryton asked.
"No, sir! Just the side poker out of the cloud. They sure had a lot of cannons though, sir!"
"Is this story all true, Ogilvy?" Pryce glared at Kai, who nodded quickly.
"Kamek, have you ever heard of a ship hiding inside a storm cloud?" Fryton asked.
The elderly magikoopa mused for a bit. "Ships pass through storm clouds on occasion with no ill side effects. There was an incident during the Beanbean wars where one of our gunships used one for cover during an evasive maneuver, with only minor damage. If a ship is large enough and has reinforced hull-plating, I don't see why it wouldn't be possible. What I am more concerned with, general. Is who exactly our attacker is. If they were lying in wait in that storm cloud, they must have obtained a copy of our flight plan somehow. Additionally, they have at least one ship comparable in size to a Koopa flagship. I cannot think of many possibilities."
Pryce grunted. "Cloud cover, huh... well, I suppose we can't court marshal you, in that case. But I still want a full incident report on my desk once we're out of this mess." Kamek released the magical hold on the pair, and they promptly scurried off.
"Well, that was amusing," Kamek said. "Anyway, I have other duties to attend to, namely ensuring Lord Junior's proper care, so I will have to excuse myself, gentlemen."
Fryton nodded. As Kamek flew away on his broom, the captain pondered on what Kamek had postulated about the ship's attacker. Who had ships equal in power to the best Koopa flagships? How had they known the flagship's confidential flight plans ahead of time? Could this have been an inside job? Fryton shuddered at the thought.
"So let me get this straight," Luigi said, gazing into the hot, lava-filled castle they were in. "I'm supposed to take this buzzy beetle shell, throw it at the wall while simultaneously jumping on it over that wall and somehow getting through the tiny gap between all those spikes... then jump on those bullet bills onto that donut and into the goal?"
"Mhm!" Mario nodded enthusiastically.
"And I'm not allowed to touch the ground... BECAUSE THE SIGN SAID SO?!"
"Those are the rules, bro."
"Why did we even come in here? We could have walked around!"
"Well, that wouldn't be very fair to Bowser after he went through all the trouble of setting these up for us," Mario chided.
"You wanna talk about fair?!" Luigi exclaimed. "What part of this castle design is even remotely fair?!"
"It's called a Kaizo level, bro." Mario said, crossing his arms.
"I don't care what it's called! This is ridiculous, and I'm putting my foot down! We're finding a way around! Oh, look!"Luigi said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "A door marked 'employees only'! I think I'll take a look around!"
"Party pooper," Mario muttered softly, as he followed Luigi into the room.
The room appear to be a break room for minions, but it, like the rest of the castle, was currently unmanned. A giant portrait of Bowser hung on the wall.
"Do you think..." Luigi instinctively approached it and touched it. The painting warbled a bit. "Mario, does this lead where I think it leads?"
"To Bowser? Probably. We have one like it at the castle, ever since that time all the castle's power stars got stolen."
"Wait... we've had a portal leading straight to Bowser at the castle the ENTIRE TIME?! Why haven't we been using it?!"
"Well, that would just be boring!" Mario replied back.
Luigi facepalmed, feeling a migraine coming on. "Let's just get this over with, bro." He jumped into the painting. Mario sighed at his missed opportunity for adventure and followed suit, the world around him turning white.
Bright sunlight shone on the Volcanopalace loading dock as the fleet prepared to depart for Crumbleden.
"Are you sure we can't help somehow, daddy?"
"No, Wendy. Look after your younger brothers once they arrive. I'll be home by tonight." Bowser responded, not entirely sure if that would be the case.
A few crew members of a nearby airship lowered a plank onto the ship. Bowser saw Tubel motion onto it. "Right this way, sire."
But just as Bowser was about to board the airship, he heard a very loud and very familiar "WAHOO!" from above. Bowser looked up to see two overall-clad plumbers doing repeated front flips as they fell from the sky.
I hope you enjoyed this new chapter of my Junior fic, now with exactly 0% more Junior in it than last chapter! But don't worry, he gets plenty of screen time next chapter. What does Crumbleden hold for our rowdy anti-hero? I suppose we will find out soon.
This story received significantly more attention than I originally anticipated. Thank you to all of those who followed, faved, and reviewed.