Guess what. I'm back for another chapter! Yaaaaaay, niblet. Wait, "niblet"? Oops. Animal Crossing is rubbing off on me.
Let's get this show on the road, shall we?

Disclaimer: I don't own Koopas, and Koopas don't own me. Hopefully the latter stays that way.

Chapter 24: Not Enough Answers

Roy Koopa stood between both his brothers' cots silently, waiting for their recovery. The doctors had since assured that there was nothing more that needed to be done, and all of them had left, with one standing outside the door.

I swear to the Stars, Roy thought angrily, whoever did this is gonna pay. He looked at Larry. Come on, baby bro, he pleaded, as if his brother could hear his thoughts. Wake up. Please! Then he looked to Bowser Jr. and did the same. Come on, squirt, I know you're tougher than this. Why can't you wake up? Roy growled and squeezed the rails of their hospital beds. I can't take this!

Mario saw all this unfold from the back wall, while wearing the same lost expression since healing Larry. This is really doing a number on him. He looked on as Roy bent the rails with his grip. All that strength, and he can't do anything with it. That can't be helping anything. He probably feels like a failure to Larry and Junior. And I… I failed Luigi. "I get it," he suddenly said.

Roy barely heard him.

"Roy."

The Koopaling looked at him in dull indignance. "What do you want?"

"I get it," Mario repeated.

Roy snarled in annoyance. "Get what?"

Mario finally moved from his spot and walked to Roy. "I get what you're feeling right now."

The Koopa prince turned on him. "You don't know how I feel!"

The plumber was unfazed. "I have my own younger brother to take care of. We have more in common than you think."

Roy huffed. "Just 'cause we both got family in tough spots don't mean we're the same."

Mario put a hand on his shoulder. "Not the same. But we're close enough. We both care about our families, and we don't give up on saving them, no matter the cost."

Roy remained silent.

Mario continued, "And times like this when they're hurt, we feel like failures."

Roy growled at this and shoved Mario away from him. "What's it to ya, anyway?! Just leave it alone! Just leave us alone! You don't know what you're talking about!"

Mario looked at Bowser Jr.'s still form. "I know too well." He walked back to the wall and sat down on the floor against it, reminiscing. "Because I failed Luigi before. And it almost cost me everything."

Roy blinked at Mario's confession. Why is he telling me this?

Mario looked up at Roy. "Remember when your dad and a third of his army disappeared last year?"

Roy nodded hesitantly. "Yeah… You guys and Princess Peach did, too. Pop told us after he came back."

"Did he tell you what happened to Luigi?"

Roy scratched his head as he tried to remember. He immediately regretted it when he touched his bruise, only to remember that it wasn't there anymore since Mario healed him. "I don't think so. Mostly he just yapped about the wedding and how awesome he was."

"Of course he did." Mario rolled his eyes. "Let me tell you what happened…"

*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*

Princess Peach was feeling the stress that came with being a political leader. At the moment she was borrowing one of the hospital's telephones to call her retainers at Castle Toadstool. She wanted to collect as much information on the mysterious Bullet Bills as she could.

"... and if the media is to be trusted, then this is happening on a global scale," Bucken Berry finished.

"And that's all you have?" the princess asked.

"So far, it is," Bucken replied, "unfortunately."

Peach sighed in defeat. "Okay. Thank you for your help. If you find anything else, can you call Toadette, please? I left my personal phone at Granchio Island."

"Yes, Princess," Bucken answered. "And if I may, you should probably call your phone. Toadsworth is probably worried sick."

"Oh!" Peach had forgotten that she had left poor Toadsworth behind. "You're probably right," she said sheepishly. "Thank you, Bucken. Goodbye."

"Best of luck, Princess." With that, Bucken Berry hung up.

I can tell that you're just DYING to show your adoration and gratitude. But, as I am terribly sorry to report, flash photography is forbidden in this area, and I simply haven't the time for autographs (Dragon-Koopas and such).
Hmmm… Surely there must be SOME way to show your adoration and gratitude…

*a Darklandian war horn blows in the distance*

Uh-oh! Gotta run! Keep thinking, though. You're smart, so I'm sure you'll come up with something! See ya! *runs like heck*