A/N: I hate putting scenes from different acts together into one chapter, but it was the only match-up that made sense with these two little scenes.
In Lear, Ludwig and Iggy's groups lived in the same area, but I split them up for King Bowser; fortunately this worked out well for this first scene, because otherwise it would mean a Magikoopa can cross a continent faster than the Koopa Cruiser, and that's not right.
I expanded the opening exchange of the second scene to explain why everyone's using messengers to talk to each other, as opposed to using the phone or Crystal Balls, which, unlike in King Lear, are at the disposal of the main characters. I also added and changed stuff to fit Wario's appearance in the story, and shortened the later parts of the scene.
Act I. Scene v.
"Here, take this to Sarasaland," said Bowser, handing Kamek a note he had just scribbled down while waiting for the Koopa Cruiser to be warmed up. "Give it to my son, Ludwig; he lives in the castle in the province of Chai – the one really far west. I'm going to Mushroom Land to be with Iggy and Wendy, but I want Ludwig and the others to know what Larry and Roy are up to. I can't risk them being turned on me too."
"I'll go as fast as I can," said Kamek, bowing his head slightly as he took the letter.
"You better," growled Bowser good-naturedly. But as Kamek flew out of the hanger and disappeared in the darkness outside the castle, the King's face fell.
"If our brains were in our feet, don't you think they'd be in danger of getting all chafed and blistered as we walked?"
Bowser looked at Kammy. She was obviously trying to distract him from his troubled thoughts, and though he didn't particularly want to be cheered-up in such a manner by such a foolish old woman, Bowser decided to humor her. "I guess," he shrugged.
"Then if your recent actions are any indication, you have nothing to worry about, Your Brainlessness!"
"Ha ha ha," said Bowser flatly. It seemed Kammy was not trying to cheer him up after-all.
"You think Iggy and Wendy will treat you any better than Larry?"
"Why shouldn't I?" Bowser growled, his patience running thin.
"Do you know how a Clambo makes its shell?" Asked Kammy, changing the subject.
"No."
"Me neither. But I do know it doesn't build its shell up just to break it apart and hand out to its children, leaving itself destitute – that's for sure, Your Homelessness," said Kammy, bringing the conversation right back to where it started.
"I really hate you," scowled Bowser, staring into the blackness beyond the mouth of the hanger. "You know that, right Haggy?"
"Yes, Your Bluffingness," said Kammy, winking behind her glasses.
Bowser sighed. "Maybe I was being a bit unreasonable…" He then turned and glared at the unmoving Crusier at the back of the bay. "What the Underwhere's taking Morton so long to get that damn thing turned on?"
"Do you know why there are only seven Star Spirits?"
"Let me guess, because if there were eight of them, they'd be treacherous like my eight Koopalings, right?" Bowser whirled around and glowered down at Kammy. "Why don't you lay off me for a while?"
"If I were saying your kids are treacherous, wouldn't that mean I'm on your side?" Kammy had a point, but Bowser wasn't listening.
"Maybe I should take back my full authority, seeing as they're so quick to try and rob me of what I've got left…" he mused, looking towards the far wall of the hanger, his eyes unfocused as he pondered his predicament.
"Oh, Your Cheatedness, you've grown old long before your time," sighed Kammy.
"Flattery will get you nowhere," said Bowser absentmindedly. "I was always a good father… I don't see how they turned out so rotten…"
"Let me finish," said Kammy, holding out a hand. "I was saying you're old before your time because one should not grow old until they've grown wise."
"Oh yeah? Then you and I are in the same boat, aren't we, Batty? Now shut up and let me think!" In his youth, embers would have accompanied that admonition, but now all Bowser's tired body could manage was a wisp of smoke that curled out his right nostril and dissipated in an instant. Bowser sighed. "I have changed… I am not myself… Oh Koopa, I don't wanna go batty too!"
"King Dad!" Morton waddled up to the distressing King. "The Koopa Cruiser's all ready to go! I can't wait to see Iggy and Wendy, how 'bout you? Oh, and eat some Mushroomian dishes! They have the best food in all the land, that's for sure! And the Toad servants – or rather, retainers, I should say – are so funny! They're so scared of us that they'll do anything! Heh, it's so fun to boss them around and-"
"All right! All right! Let's just go," Bowser stormed away, with Morton, still chattering, at his heels. Kammy shook her head at the Koopaling's ignorance towards his father's desperate situation. A King should not be forced from his own castle, and as she followed in his footsteps, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Bowser – even if he had brought it all upon himself.
Act II. Scene i.
It was past midnight before Daisy saw fit to visit Lemmy in his hideaway. She often roamed around at night, and Ludwig was too trusting to suspect that she was up to no good if one of the guards did accost her. But she was in luck, and she made it into the garden without incident. Then, as she meandered through the trees, she came across Wario.
"What are you doing?" she snapped.
Wario jumped, dropping the berries he had been picking from a stand of bushes. "Who tha- Oh, it's just you."
"There's food in the castle," Daisy raised her eyebrows at Wario.
"None I can get at," he huffed, turning back to the bushes. "Your stupid servants have locked the kitchen doors."
"There not my servants anymore," said Daisy, her voice as bitter as Wario's.
"Oh yeah, I forgot that…" said Wario, before shoving another handful of berries into his mouth. As he chewed, he continued speaking. "I live out east, in Birabuto – not much goes on there. Tha only reason I'm here is because I needed ta pick up some rare antiques this guy's been holding for me."
"Yeah… I don't really care why you're here," smirked Daisy.
"Ya might care about this: those otha Koopalings are comin'. Ya know, tha ones from tha Mushroom Kingdom, or Mushroom Land, or whatever they're calling it these days. Anyway, they'll be here any time now."
"Really?" Wario was right: Daisy did care about that.
"Yeah, that's why I'm here: ta tell Ludwig."
"I though you were here to collect treasure?"
"I'm in Chai to get treasure, but I'm at tha castle ta tell Ludwig. I saw the otha Koopalings back in Birabuto; we were both fillin' up our airplanes at an oasis-side airport. Their plane was bigger, so it took way longer and they paid me ta tell Ludwig and those other two Koopalings they're coming, seeing as I'd get here first. It's got something ta do with the Dark Land Koopalings…"
"Interesting…"
"Yeah. Apparently no one's trusting the airwaves at tha moment – they don't wanna be overheard by their siblings and ol' Bowser – they're all usin' couriers ta talk to each otha. They're payin' for the gas too, so I might stick around after I get my treasure and make myself useful, wa ha ha!"
"Why are they using airplanes?" asked Daisy. "Why not Warp Pipes?"
"Warp Pipes are only good for small groups, and the Koopalings all have big groups of soldiers and servants with 'em," said Wario, rolling his eyes as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
"I figured that," huffed Daisy indignantly. "I was just making sure."
"Well, make sure somewhere else, toots," said Wario, belching. "Leave me to my dinner."
"Why don't you just go into town and buy something from one of the seedy bars?"
"The otha Koopalings promised me I'd get a free meal when I delivered their letter and I'm damn well gonna take it," growled Wario. "Then I'll go get some real food."
"I've heard of people eating out of boredom, but never spite. Is that why you're so fat?" jeered Daisy.
"Get lost, ugly," responded Wario, turning his back to the ex-princess and finishing off the last of the berries.
Daisy was done with Wario anyway, so she continued through the garden to Lemmy's hideaway. Reaching the apple tree, she pulled on a certain branch and pressed a certain knot, and a secret pipe popped out of the ground beneath a nearby bush. "Lemmy! Get out here!" hissed Daisy, down the pipe.
A moment later, Lemmy appeared from the hideout. "Did you talk to Ludwig?"
"You have to get out of here!" whispered Daisy, panic on her face. "Ludwig knows you're here – I don't know who told him, but somehow he knows."
"What! How?"
"I don't know," repeated Daisy, suppressing her irritation with some difficulty. "Maybe Wario found the pipe – he's been prowling around the garden."
"I didn't hear anyone-"
"Have you been in contact with Iggy and Wendy?" continued Daisy. "Did you say anything suspicious to them, because they're coming here – tonight!"
"No, I swear I didn't!" Lemmy had tears in his eyes, he couldn't understand why all this was happening to him.
"I hear someone coming!" lied Daisy, pushing Lemmy away from the pipe and down a path. "Hurry! Run! There's some Warp Pipes just outside the garden wall to the south, they lead to the village. Watch out for Wario, and for the Stars' sakes hurry!" Lemmy obeyed Daisy's urgings with a whimper, and rolled away on his ball as fast as he could.
Daisy turned around with a malicious grin on her face. She then took out one of her crystals and scratched at her arm, planning to frame Lemmy for that as well. She rushed through the woods, back the way she had come, and to her delight, she met Ludwig and Bowser Jr. just outside the door.
"Daisy! Vat are you doing? Vat happened?" he gasped, as she staggered up to him.
"Lemmy," she panted, feigning being winded from her "flight". "I- I confronted him and he attacked me."
"Vich vay did he go?" demanded Ludwig.
"Look, I'm bleeding," said Daisy, buying Lemmy more time to escape.
"Vere is Lemmy, Daisy?" urged Ludwig.
"He went west," said Daisy, pointing with her uninjured arm.
"Stop him!" commanded Ludwig.
"I'll try," said Junior, running off into the darkened garden.
"There is a warp pipe there that leads to Jewelry Land," she continued, wincing as she nursed her arm.
"Here, let me see zat," said Ludwig, taking Daisy's arm and inspecting the wound.
"It's nothing," she said, pulling her arm away.
"Fortunately Lemmy's claws are neizzer sharp nor long," said Ludwig, pulling out his wand. "Neverzeless, open vounds are not fun." He waved it over Daisy's arm and the cuts disappeared. Daisy smiled, not in gratitude, but in triumph. She had been a bit worried that if Ludwig got a good look at the cuts, he'd realize they were not made by a Dragon-Koopa, and she had hoped that by hamming up her performance, he'd take pity on her and fix the wound right away. Ludwig was so predictable.
"Now," continued Ludwig. "Vat exactly happened?"
"I found Lemmy hiding in the garden," explained Daisy. "He asked me to help kill you; I could hardly believe my ears! I told him I'd never do that, and he attacked me. He caught me by surprise, but I managed to stop him from doing anything worse than that scratch. When he realized he wouldn't be able to kill me too, he ran off – or at least, I think that's why he fled."
"Rest assured, ven he's caught, he'll be sorry he ever turned against us," said Ludwig, though it was clear he was still unhappy about the prospect of persecuting his own brother.
"I told him if he just came back inside with me that we could sort it out and forget this whole thing. Brothers should not turn against brothers like this," said Daisy, putting a comforting hand on Ludwig's arm.
"I don't understand vy he vould do zis," sighed Ludwig.
"Who'd do what?" asked Wendy, strolling up to the pair with Iggy, evidently, having just arrived.
"Lemmy has turned against me!" cried Ludwig.
"Lemmy!" gasped Iggy. "I don't believe it!"
"I can hardly believe it eizzer, but zee facts speak for zemselves."
"He's turning out just like King Dad," said Iggy. "We just got news from Larry that he's been acting like a brute all week, and stormed out of the castle before dinner tonight. He didn't feel he was being treated well enough in Dark Land, when in reality he was the one in the wrong. We came here to try and avoid him – at least, until morning."
"Hopefully by then Daddy would have chilled-out," added Wendy. "Or if not, we'll at least have had a few hours to think of how to handle his temper."
"Yes, zee last sing vee vant is for Fazzer to be lost to us, like Lemmy," nodded Ludwig sadly.
Daisy reached out to comfort Ludwig again. "Oh? What's this?" Wendy grinned; she had always suspected there was something going on between Ludwig and Daisy – why else would he be so nice to her? – and now she figured she had finally spotted some proof.
"Daisy vas zee vone who uncovered Lemmy's plot," said Ludwig. "She even confronted him at great personal risk. She tried to bring him back to our side, but he slashed her arm and ran."
"Wow, that's really nice of you to try and help stupid old Lems," said Wendy unconvincingly. "Or were you doing it to help Ludwig?"
"Both," said Daisy. "There's been so much fighting, I just don't wanna see my country ransacked by political upheaval again."
Wendy's face fell; if Daisy and Ludwig did have a relationship, they hid it well. On the other hand, Iggy's feeling for the pretty ex-princess were written all over his face, but Wendy never bothered casting a glance back over her shoulder. "Well," she said, "thanks for the help. It looks like our family's headed for a little upheaval of our own, and it's good to know you have our backs."
"Of course," said Daisy, bowing her head a little; the action pained her much more than he cut on her arm ever did.