Happy Birthday to me again! I'm writing this A/N the day after posting chapter 35 on the assumption that I didn't write or complete this FLASHBACK chapter by Oct. 18. How'd I do?
Siph: Well, it's either going to be yes or no. Like you said, this A/N is being written in July.
In any case, in this chapter, we will finally find out what event Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig alluded to back in the first act.
Disclaimer: The Mario series timeline is a bit different in the I Promised universe than the release order of games.
Chapter 36: Four Years Ago
4 years ago
Iggy Koopa wrote furiously on the boards in his laboratory. The sudden loud knocking did not stir him from his focus. "Who is it?" he called out, not even pausing in his work to turn his head towards the door.
A cheerful voice answered, "Your big-brother-best-friend-foreverrrr!" The owner of the voice was full of confidence and cheer, without any shame, guilt, or feelings of uselessness eating away at him.
Upon hearing Lemmy's voice, Iggy's hard focus softened and he put his marker down. He turned around and eagerly opened the door.
"You know if you just tell me it's you instead of knocking, we'd save time," Iggy reminded his small brother for the sixth time that week, even knowing it was futile.
Lemmy giggled. "I know! But you don't have to answer, you know. I'll understand if you want to be alone with your work!"
Iggy shook his head at the idea. "I always have time to hang out with you, Lem. Get in here, you."
Lemmy rolled into the thinker's lab and looked at the strange charts and equations on the various whiteboards. "What are you working on, anyway? You keep having more and more on this every time I'm in here."
Iggy looked around at his current research project. He sighed and closed the door.
This must be serious if he wants the privacy, Lemmy thought.
"I'm trying to figure out King Dad's new change in behavior."
Lemmy nodded. "This is about Mom, right?" he asked solemnly. "After she died, he started kidnapping Princess Toadstool from the Mushroom Kingdom."
Iggy grunted. "That's part of it. There've been a lot of inconsistencies with his behavior since Mom died. And with mine…"
"Huh?! Yours?" Lemmy asked with eyes wide.
Iggy sat down in his favorite stool, turning to face Lemmy. "Have you noticed Dad talks to himself a lot now? And not in the normal, sane way?"
Lemmy thought for a moment. "I guess? He's usually muttering, so I don't catch what he's saying."
"I do." Iggy pointed at one ear. "My hearing compensates for my poor eyesight, I guess. Anyway, I hear him say things like, 'I shouldn't be doing this,' and 'I can't fight you without her, but I have to try,' and 'if I do this, will you leave them alone?'"
Lemmy cocked his head and sat down cross-legged on his ball. "That's weird. But what does that have to do with you? Are you feeling okay?" Maybe he's just spending too much time in the lab. I need to start dragging him out more often, then!
Iggy shifted in his seat. "I'm fine. At least, I think…" He shook his head. "As I continued listening to King Dad's monologues, I focused more on them. I eventually asked Larry to stay out of the secret passages to his room so I could listen in on him privately."
"Listen in on Larry or King Dad?"
"King Dad!" Iggy answered a bit too harshly. Lemmy didn't blink. Iggy reached his hands out frantically. "Sorry! That was uncalled for. I shouldn't have snapped."
"I forgive you, Iggy!" Lemmy chirped. "All those pronouns were just confusing."
Iggy shook his head, regaining his focus. "Okay, so the more I listened, the more I…" He trailed off. Lemmy waited intently. "I started hearing another voice talking back to King Dad."
"Who?"
"I don't know! It sounded kind of like him, but something was different." Iggy gathered up some papers that had other notes and looked through them. He pulled out a page. "I heard the voice inside my head."
Lemmy nearly fell off his ball. "Huh?! What do you mean?"
"I mean just what I said," Iggy explained, "I heard King Dad's other voice inside my head. Not just when I was eavesdropping on him, either! I started hearing the voice when I was by myself, too."
Lemmy stood up and rolled towards Iggy. "Do you hear it now? What's it saying?"
Iggy shrugged. "No. He or it got really quiet suddenly a couple days ago. I've been trying to figure out the implications of it."
Lemmy was about to respond when both their wands started glowing, and Ludwig's voice was heard speaking through the gems.
"I received a report that Father is returning shortly. You had better head for the door now if you want to greet him, Lemmy." Ludwig ended the communication spell with a lighthearted chuckle.
Lemmy turned quickly and opened the door. Before he raced out, though, he turned and warned Iggy, "You might wanna stay out of your lab for a few days, Iggster. I think whatever this project is is starting to break your mind and make you go crazy."
As he left, Iggy shut the door and turned back to his work. "I'm not crazy," he sighed in frustration.
No… a voice murmured, causing Iggy to stand up straight, scales bristling on the back of his neck. You just know too much, Ignatius.
*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*
Lemmy Koopa eagerly waited at the large front door of the castle. When the door opened he rolled forward and jumped off his ball, arms spread wide. "Welcome back, King Da—wha?" he trailed off as time seemed to slow down.
The form before him that was most certainly not his father raised his… her?... hand towards him as the Koopaling desperately tried to turn his tackle-hug around. A strange energy shot from the twisted form of the Koopa King's hand at Lemmy, and the young clown lost all awareness of who he was.
*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*
Roy Koopa braced himself against the door as his Beanish-possessed father and four of his clearly brainwashed siblings pushed back against it. The Koopaling mightily stayed in place even with the force of five Dragon-Koopas pushing against him.
"Iggy," he grunted, "any idea how we can get outta here?"
The brainy Koopalings paced nearby, frantically thinking. "I don't know. We could use a secret passageway, but I don't know where the nearest one is from hear. Larry is more knowledgeable on this sort of thing…" He glanced at the door behind Roy.
Roy growled a curse. Larry had been the second Koopa to get brainwashed, along with Wendy. Then that… thing… found Roy and Morton working out together.
"That's right. I am."
Roy and Iggy jumped as Larry came out of a secret passageway near them. The sneaky Koopa charged at Roy. Caught off guard, Roy lost his foundation against the door, allowing Wendy, Morton, and Lemmy to push through. They were followed by their possessed father and the possessor's small, Beanish right-hand man.
"Much naughtiness from these Koopas!" the smaller Beanish exclaimed giddily in his strange vernacular. "Punishment for them, great Cackletta?"
"Cackletta?" Roy and Iggy repeated the name.
"Silence you fools!" the possessed Bowser screamed. "I am Bowletta now!"
Iggy deadpanned, "Ludwig's going to have a field day tearing that portmanteau apart."
The small Beanish charged at Iggy. "Mouthy, four-eyed mohawks get punished first!"
Roy rammed in the Beanish before he could get very far. "You're not getting anyone else!"
Bowletta held up a hand. "Enough, Fawful. This big one obviously has the power to fight us since we've lost the element of surprise."
Roy puffed up his chest and snarled, "Bring it on, I dare you!"
Bowletta pointed at the burly Koopaling and commanded, "Koopalings, fight!"
"Wait, no!" Roy froze as Larry, Morton, Wendy, and Lemmy stepped forward. "I'm not gonna fight you guys!" She's gonna make me kill them I just know it! But I can't!
Wendy tilted her head cockily. "That makes things easier for us."
They moved quickly and restrained Roy. He didn't move. I don't know what they might do if I fight back. "Iggy, run!" he shouted.
But Bowletta moved just as swiftly and grabbed Ignatius before he could get away. She looked Roy in the eye and said, "Just to take all the fight out of you, I'm brainwashing him first!"
"No!" Roy could only look on helplessly.
Iggy, however, stared Bowletta down. "Try it," he dared her.
She glared at his audacity and shot her energy at him.
No effect.
"HOW CAN THIS BE?!" she bellowed.
"His mind is too powerful," Lemmy informed her, in a voice that sounded like his, but at the same time didn't. Iggy gasped when he heard it. Lemmy continued, "You'll have to break his mind first before you can control it."
"NO!" Roy cried.
Iggy gaped at Lemmy, the feeling of betrayal evident on his face. "Lemmy…" he gulped as Bowletta's hand crackled with a different form of energy. Tears flowed down his cheeks as he croaked to his best friend, "I love you."
Bowletta struck Iggy's mind full force with her energy attacked. Iggy screamed in pain that felt like his mind was being split in two.
Roy screamed just as loudly, "IGGY!" He tore free from his siblings' grasp and rush to Iggy as Bowletta dropped his limp body to the ground. Roy cradled his immediate younger brother in his arms. I'm gonna kill him, he thought as his anger burned towards Lemmy.
But there was no time to act as Bowletta loomed over the two and sang, "Two for one!" And she brainwashed them both.
*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*J*
Ludwig ran through the hallway, huffing. I must get Bowser out of the castle. There is no way I am letting her touch him.
He rounded the last bend that lead to Bowser Junior's room, where the year-old prince was currently napping, only to find the very villains he was trying to avoid, along with his six brainwashed siblings. The eldest Koopaling uttered an ancient curse he had recently learned as he skidded to a halt.
"Just where do you think you're going, mop-head?" Bowletta leered at him. His siblings stood around her, clearly awaiting orders.
Ludwig stared her down silently, not letting his fear for Bowser Jr. show on his face. Unfortunately, he stole a glance at the door to Junior's room just behind Bowletta. There must be a way to get in and out quickly with Bowser.
Bowletta followed his gaze, saw the door and its decorations that were clearly meant for a toddler, and looked back at Ludwig with a wicked grin. "I see what you are up to. You want to save the last of your kind, don't you?"
Ludwig's eyes widened as he realized he had compromised Junior's safety. His mood quickly changed again as he furrowed his brow. "I want my family back, witch!"
He drew his wand and fired an impact spell at Roy, knocking his sunglasses off. Ludwig followed his blast by jumping towards Junior's door. He bellowed, "Photissimo!" As he said the name of the spell, he jammed the end of his wand into the tile floor with enough force to crack it. The spell immediately activated, and the blue gem in Ludwig's wand emitted an intense white light.
The brilliant Koopa opened the door as everyone else covered shielded their eyes from the blinding light. Wasting no time, Ludwig lowered the bars for Junior's crib and scooped the sleeping one-year-old up in his arms, blanket and all. He ran out before the home invaders could recover.
"Get them, you fools!" Bowletta screeched, reaching futilely in front of her.
"I have blindness!" Fawful replied, doing nothing to help the situation.
Ludwig ran through the halls once again, this time with with his baby brother cradled in his arms. The combination of bright light, loud noises, and bouncing with Ludwig's running disturbed the little one's sleep.
Junior rubbed his eyes and drowsily looked up at the Koopa carrying him. "Wuggy?" he said sleepily.
"Shhh," Ludwig shushed him, not slowing down. "I did not mean to wake you, little brother. Go back to sleep."
Bowser Jr. closed his eyes and nuzzled Ludwig. "'Kay," he answered before quickly falling back asleep.
Ludwig ran down another corridor and out of sight of his pursuers. He looked around for a quick way out. Finding nothing, he continued down the winding corridors until he found a window. He looked down out, debating whether he could jump to safety.
No, he realized when he saw the drop, that is not an option. Especially not with Bowser. He looked up and saw that across the field of view out the window was his own personal quarters. Ludwig's eyes widened. There. I just hope I can thunderclap with one hand, and without waking Bowser.
The blue Koopaling carefully freed one of his arms from holding Bowser Junior. Electricity crackled in his free hand as Ludwig focused on his room. There was a flash and the two Koopalings disappeared from the corridor. Soon after, a tremendous thunderclap boomed where they once were as they reappeared in Ludwig's room in a puff of dark clouds.
Ludwig gently placed Bowser Jr. on his bed and turned to one of his large bookshelves. He knew exactly where to find the book he needed. He pulled out the book of forbidden spells that he had stolen from Kamek's library out of curiosity.
He opened it on the bed next to Junior. I know I found a relevant spell in here. Which page was that on? Oh, of course. I can just cast a wordfinder spell to find it. He waved his wand over the book, and the pages flipped automatically to spell he was looking for. Here we are—the Nomore spell. 'Created for temporary removal from reality, with the intent of retrieval at a later time.' Why is this spell even in this book? There is nothing controversial or risky about it, from what I read. I just need to cast it on Bowser and then bring him back once all this is over.
He read the incantation he would need to recite, memorizing them.
I should recite the words in the form of a lullaby so he stays asleep. That way, when I bring him back, it will be like one long nap from his perspective.
Commotion outside his room caught Ludwig's attention. Against his better judgment, he walked away from Bowser Jr. and opened his door to loom out. Down the hall, there were Bowletta, Fawful, and the rest of the Koopalings, quickly advancing towards the two remaining princes.
Ludwig quickly closed the door and backed up against it. Impossible! How did they know I brought Bowser here?!
A sound at the door signaled their arrival. Ludwig whirled around and brandished his wand. "Barrio!" he hastily recited, casting a weak barrier spell on the door and the surrounding wall.
That won't hold for long. I have to cast that spell now!
"Open this door!" Bowletta hissed.
The Koopaling ignored everything outside his room. Right now, there was only Junior. Ludwig laid his hands on his baby brother, took a breath, and sang softly, "Muus menocibur da et oge ottim." As the spell took effect, Ludwig use what little time he had left to give Junior a small kiss on the forehead. "I love you, little brother."
As Junior disappeared from the room, he murmured back sleepily, "Wuv you too, Wuggy…" and he was gone.
Ludwig stepped back from his bed, wobbling. The genius fell to his knees, his head spinning. I did not expect the Nomore spell to take so much out of me. Between his blurring vision and the nausea in his stomach, he didn't know if he was going to pass out or throw up.
At that point, the others broke through Ludwig's barrier spell. He cried out as a magical shockwave from the shattered barrier struck him mentally. The mental assault was too much for him in his already weakened state, and the final Koopaling blacked out before Bowletta even entered the room.
Ta-daaaa! That mysterious event was Bowletta! So we see here that Roy couldn't hurt his siblings even as they attacked him, Lemmy was the one who suggested that Bowletta break Iggy's mind (although Iggy obviously harbors no ill feelings towards him for that), and as for Ludwig… well, I still haven't revealed the full extent of the Nomore spell. Next chapter~
Siph: Can I tell them where the hint is?
Sure. I was already thinking of doing that, anyway.
Siph: Look for a hint on the Nomore spell in Chapter 35. Also, touch up on your Latin. It's backwards.
Well, time to sign off for now. Any questions, comments, concerns, snide remarks? Any and all positive and negative feedback is welcome here! The review box below is open to your thoughts, and I want to hear them. Don't be shy, I'm confident in the writing abilities I have, and I can't get the writing abilities I don't have unless I know what the writing abilities I don't have are!
Siph: What happened to not asking for reviews?
What happened is I haven't been getting any and so I don't know what parts of my story I should be concerned about. Feedback is important for improvement!