NOT DEAD

NO DEAD KOOPAS

READ CHAPTER AND SEE

Disclaimer: NO BREACH OF CONTRACT HERE NO KOOPAS TO BE KILLING THE J PLZ THX

Chapter 61: Please Don't Leave

Bowser Jr. rushed towards Ludwig. "LUDDY!" he cried.

Ludwig held out his hand to stop him. "Don't touch us!" he warned. "Our magic energy might be unstable at this point and go into you!"

Tears welled up and began streaming down Junior's face. "B-but…"

"I-Iggy…" Lemmy beckoned his best friend to come closer.

Iggy obeyed and knelt down to look at Lemmy at eye level. "What is it, Lem? Is there something I can do to help?"

Lemmy chuckled sadly. "No… I don't think you can help me now."

Iggy sobbed as tears smeared his glasses. "Then what?"

"I can still help you."

Lemmy stretched out his hand in front of Iggy's forehead. His hand briefly turned to the yellow and white flame from before as white energy poured over the taller Koopa. Black energy evaporated from Iggy's head and dissipated with a hiss. As soon as the black energy stopped coming out, Lemmy stopped what he was doing and fell on his back.

"Lemmy!" Iggy cried.

Lemmy just smiled, looking lazily up at the sky. "Just a little magic left in that overflow." He chuckled. "Now no more headaches."

Iggy stared as he processed what Lemmy just said. Then he fell to his knees and pushed his glasses away to just sob.

Morton approached Roy, who immediately gave him a tired growl.

"Now I know ya heard Ludwig, Morton. I'm not lettin' ya hug me goodbye."

"NO!" Morton shouted. "Don't say that, Roy! This isn't goodbye! You're not going anywhere! Please let me hug you — PLEASE STAY!" Despite his heart's desire, Morton did not touch Roy. Instead the dark Koopaling fell in front of his best friend and wept just like Iggy.

Ludwig looked at everyone. "I wish we had more time, but we made our decision."

"Whatever it takes," all three repeated.

Ludwig turned to Bowser. "Father, I'm sorry we could not spend more time with you, and I'm sorry I've always been so critical of you. I've always seen you as the best father I could ask for, and the best king."

"Boys…"

"Iggy…" Lemmy began, "you don't have to work on that project anymore now that we know what's behind the mysterious voice. You can study whatever you want now. Just be sure to get out of the lab more often."

Roy chuckled, "I'm countin' on you ta do that from now on, Morty." He pointed to his best friend. "If yer chatterin' don't do the trick, you're strong enough to rip that door off its hinges and carry the nerd out. Speakin' of that, do not ever stop babblin' about anything ever. The world ain't right without yer voice."

"Wendy, keep dancing and singing and being a superstar," Ludwig started.

"Be the bestest, most beautiful princess of Darkland," Lemmy added.

"And do what I couldn't rockin' that pink," Roy finished.

Wendy sank to her knees, eyes squeezed shut and both hands clamped over her mouth.

Lemmy started chuckling again. "Hey, Larry, you better make it big as the only L name left."

Larry shook his head. "No…"

Roy looked at him sadly with his fading ruby eyes. "I'm gonna miss you tons, Baby Bro. Don't do anything stupid, okay?"

Larry shook his head again. "No…"

Ludwig smiled at him. "It looks like you get to be Bowser's best friend after all, Lawrence. Take good care of him."

Larry threw himself on the ground. "NO!" He curled up into a fetal position and cried.

Ludwig finally looked at Bowser Jr., whose breath caught in his throat at the eye contact. "I've seen what you're capable of, Bowser. You'll make a much better king than I could ever have dreamed of being."

The three Koopas gasped as their bodies started becoming more and more transparent, with thin wisps blowing away from them on a wind no one else could feel.

"And none of you forget!" Roy called out.

"We love you!" the three oldest bid as they vanished almost completely from sight, their voices echoing in the clearing.

NEXT CHAPTER NEXT CHAPTER NEXT CH—

"NO!"

Wait, what?

Bowser Jr. shot forward and slammed into Ludwig just before he disappeared, holding him tightly. Ludwig's body suddenly became slightly more opaque as blue and white flames of magical energy flowed from him into Bowser Jr.

Ludwig yelled, "Bowser, what are you doing?!"

"I JUST GOT YOU BACK!" the youngest Koopaling shrieked as more of Ludwig's magic entered him, causing them both to start fading. "YOU DON'T GET TO LEAVE ME AGAIN!"

Iggy and Morton both saw this and immediately held tightly to Lemmy and Roy, respectively. They shuddered as they felt the overloading magic flow from their older brothers into them.

Lemmy gasped, "Iggy, stop! What are you doing?! Our overloaded magic's going into you guys now!"

Roy started hitting Morton, trying his best to get the other large Koopaling off. "Are you stupid?! Get off of me and live!"

Wendy and Larry suddenly shoved two of the pairs together until all eight young Dragon-Koopas were in contact.

Wendy's aquamarine eyes blazed. "If your magic energy is overflowing, then let us all take some until it stops!"

"Let it all even out in all of us!" Larry added. "We're not letting go!"

Bowser wrapped his arms around his kids again, letting himself get caught up in the attempt at equilibrium. "I am not losing more of my family because of Orphan!"

Mario reached in and found Roy's shoulder. "You made your choice, Roy, but we're overruling it!"

Luigi grabbed onto Mario. "Bros. stick together!"

Peach grabbed both of them. "Your family and your kingdom still need you!"

Toad joined. "You're not done being a royal pain in our sides yet!"

Toadette, the Crystal Star party and Big Ape Cityfolk, all healed thanks to Peach earlier, also joined the group hug with words of affirmation, allowing the three eldest Koopalings' magic to overflow into all 22 of them.

Twink looked up to the heavens and cried out, "Oh please let this work, it just has to!"

A breeze blew through the clearing. Everyone stayed as they were for what felt like an eternity.

But finally, the breeze and the flow of magic slowed and stopped. No one moved for another eternity.

Appropriately Morton broke the silence. "Is it over? Everyone who's dead, say aye!"

"You're an idiot," Roy answered.

Somehow, the group hug tightened as everyone cried renewed tears, but this time there was no mourning. Only relief and unity.

How the heck did the story interrupt the cliffhanger?!

Siph: Probably for the better. Now you only have to post two chapters at once instead of three.

Yeah I'm thankful for that. And now everyone in and out of story can breathe a big sigh of relief! But we're not done yet. There are some loose ends to tie up.

Siph: And then the credits.