Playlist

by CheeseCakeParty

Every moment in their lives plays a different melody. (A collection of stories mostly about the Koopalings)

12. The Ones We Love the Most

ANG & Amanda Collis: The Ones We Love the Most (Arty Remode)

The Ones We Love the Most

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It's been about ten months of living in Bowser's Castle, give or take a few days, when Ludwig learns from Kamek about his family heritage and their genetic background.

It's a topic Ludwig has been pondering more of since the air had settled between Bowser and his siblings and his mind stopped its restlessness. He's finally beginning to accept his new surroundings as his permanent home.

He no longer wakes up in the morning wondering where he is or how he got here. His sleep-addled brain likes to faintly question if this is another self-indulgent dream he'll eventually wake up from and he'll find himself in the alley by the dumpsters living under a thrown together shelter once again. Thankfully, that fear is beginning to dwindle out, rarely crossing his mind much at all.

The abundance of these thoughts surrounding his genetics only grew more urgent and predominant when Lemmy once again fell extremely ill due to unknown circumstances—well, unknown to Ludwig and his siblings. Kamek and Bowser seemed to understand the context well enough to appear as crestfallen as they did.

Today seems to be that day.

Gathered in the library, Kamek takes center stage in front of all of the children, except for Larry—the toddler is physically incapable of sitting still during lessons due to his young age so he's whisked away by a nanny every morning before lessons.

Ludwig keenly notices Kamek's stance is hunched over more so than usual, like his shell underneath his robes weighs more than he can carry. There's an unmistakable sigh as Kamek's chin lowers to the book in his hands.

Sensing the immediate difference in the atmosphere as soon as they all walk into the room, Ludwig and his siblings remain eerily silent as they sink into their seats and pass around nervous glances.

While some, who are more exhausted than others because they never sleep at a decent time (Roy and Iggy), choose to let their eyes drift close, pretending not to notice the suffocating ambience.

Ludwig experiences a swell of pride at his siblings' obedient silence. They all simultaneously appear to have read the tension in the room and are now patiently waiting—or pretending to sleep like Roy—for an explanation before bombarding Kamek with their questions or tackling him with their concerns.

Kamek appears to be slightly taken back as well, his mouth, almost unconsciously, hangs agape before he gathers himself accordingly. He shuts his mouth with an audible snap, adjusts his rounded spectacles, and then dusts off the leather book's cover he's holding like he's possibly stalling for a bit more time.

Satisfied with himself and the cleanliness of the book, Kamek steps forward, opening the book in his hands. He clears his throat loud enough to startle Roy awake (he wasn't faking it after all), and begins today's topic with an inflection so stern, Ludwig half-expects a scolding somewhere thrown into the mix. It never comes; Ludwig learns rather quickly why Kamek's tone is so grim.

History isn't guaranteed to be full of rainbows and butterflies; the 'good guys' (Ludwig uses this term lightly because rarely is the world so black and white) don't always win the day. This appears to be one of those instances where the opposing side, hoping to destroy the system of peaceful trading between tribes, claimed victory, and forced others to assimilate to their ways or be left behind.

As Kamek begins further discussing the long and, oftentimes, bleak history of Greater Koopas, or interchangeably called Draconic Koopas, in precise detail; Ludwig wedges himself into an odd place between disbelief and relief.

All those times he and Iggy felt like the crazed conspiracy theorists ranting to Roy or Lemmy about their findings only to be outright ignored by them are proven right by Kamek's lesson. They are indeed different. They aren't just a bit bigger than other Koopa children their age; they're a different species altogether.

Ludwig and Iggy share a brief glance, exchanging pathetic little smiles as Kamek allows them a moment of respite after dumping tremendous amounts of information onto them in one long, wordy deliberation. In this instance, Iggy looks just as relieved as Ludwig feels.

After their brief break, Kamek begins to delve deeper into the biological mysteries of Draconic Koopas without a filter attached to his sentences. Unlike their parents, who refused to answer Ludwig's questions, Kamek doesn't dumb down his explanation and happily answers any inquiries the children ask without an ounce of reluctance or judgment to their lack of knowledge.

The circles their parents spun Ludwig in till he was more dizzy and confused than before he asked them anything, the carefully planned avoidance as his parents deliberately tip-toed around their discussions were torn to useless pieces as Ludwig received his answers without a crutch to lean on.

He excitedly learns they have special abilities that make them unique from a standard Koopa. Gifted with magic, insanely strong and resilient, and able to breathe fire; Greater Koopas are believed to be remnants of dragons that once roamed the lands thousands of years ago mixing with Koopa blood to create a new species all together.

Although, Kamek passively states, with a roll of his eyes Ludwig can't see but feel, those are merely silly fairy tales told to children which Wendy gasps excitedly at, begging to hear one of these fabricated stories when Kamek has time.

Those strange feelings stirring in Ludwig's chest and fingers whenever magic happened to be the topic are finally explained in detail. He finds himself staring down at his claws in childish awe, wiggling them and half-expecting, half-wishing for the magic coursing through his blood to come forth and make its presence known.

Magic. I'm capable of using magic.

As Kamek expands on the topic; Ludwig can't help but feel a bit lighter. After all, with this new information buzzing in his brain… maybe he can finally solve all his parents' secrets once and for all?

Why were they living on the outskirts of the Darklands if Greater Koopas were of nobility? Surely their species carried some form of title along with it?

Kamek ends the lecture early, a few hours before lunch, and claims he doesn't want to overload their brains all at once. This draws a massively unnecessary and annoying comment out of Roy about his brain hurting from all of Kamek's talking which causes Iggy and Lemmy to snicker and Ludwig to exasperatedly sigh.

As they pile out, Kamek calls out that if they have any more questions; they're allowed to personally seek him out. Ludwig notices Kamek's gaze lingers on him specifically before he leaves, treading behind his siblings with a small smile of relief resting on his face.

…

When they're free from their lessons, the older children simultaneously gather at the playroom to collect their thoughts and keep the younger children preoccupied.

Larry is already in the playroom with a nanny, who excuses herself when they arrive to sneak in a tiny break. The toddler makes a noise of delight at the sight of them all piling in.

Predictably, he runs to Ludwig first, arms expanded. Ludwig has yet to conclude a reasoning as to why he appears to be Larry's obvious favorite and he doesn't have the time to speculate this further.

Suddenly, with terrifying strength, Larry carelessly throws his arms around his waist. He begins to crush Ludwig's bones and squeeze the air from his lungs like he hopes to deflate him.

Ludwig gasps out a painful wheeze and peels his brother off of him to save his bones from snapping in half or passing out from asphyxiation. He chooses to hold his hand instead.

He knows trying to contain a rambunctious toddler that has been sitting still for over an hour without his siblings to entertain him is an impossible feat to achieve. Especially since Larry is an attention-seeking and clingy toddler when he's left alone for too long.

As soon as Larry says his greetings and is let loose from Ludwig's grip on his hand, he barrels over toys, attempting to taunt Morton into chasing him by wagging his tail excitedly and wiggling his little butt.

Morton doesn't take the bait and when Larry shifts his attention to Wendy, she mutters something about 'immature little boys', shielding herself behind Lemmy like she'll disappear or Larry will forget her existence if she stays hidden long enough.

Her apparent annoyance causes Lemmy to snort a brief chuckle as he half-listens to her bickering while he scans the bookshelf for a story to read to her. Ludwig sighs exhaustively as Larry pouts and complains, preparing to scold the toddler's rowdy behavior when someone finally decides to quell his bad case of restlessness.

Iggy is the sibling who bravely steps forward, claws playfully drawn, and roaring like a ferocious dragon about wanting to feast on children. Elated, Larry sprints around the room, a blur of blue and green, gleefully shouting about a scary monster.

He tumbles over Morton's lap to escape Iggy's wiggling fingers, causing Morton to grumble and huff, and climbs over and weaves through piles of toys to gain distance between them.

Eventually, Morton joins in, persuaded by Larry's excitement. He brandishes a colored marker like a mighty sword, swatting it around in a vain attempt to stop the notorious Dragon Iggy from getting too close to Prince Larry of Candy Island.

Ludwig attempts to chaperone the chaotic session of make believe, his warnings to be cautious are all but ignored, drowned out by the smaller children's raucous shouts of glee.

Despite his anxiousness, Ludwig knows this is the perfect opportunity to burn up all their energy now, but Iggy has the tendency to forgo safety for a little fun and running around a playroom littered with toys isn't exactly safe.

Still, the worst case scenario is someone accidentally bumping their head, colliding with another body, or falling down. Not exactly life threatening injuries, but could lead to tears or a tantrum if severe enough.

Ludwig can't exactly blame them for their restlessness either. With how antsy Ludwig's own fingers are; he didn't enjoy the lack of physical stimulation himself.

As much as his brain loves devouring new information; three hours of a nonstop and hefty lecture without a nice breather starts to get to an eager and studious student like him too.

It's fidgety moments like these where he longingly wishes for his piano to remedy the twitch in his fingers and silence the songs wanting to be composed to life in his head.

Perhaps the castle has a grand piano lying around somewhere? Not that Ludwig has been scouring every room seeking out his favorite instrument like a nosy child. He isn't one to wander without supervision; despite Bowser's continuous reminders about it being his home now.

And he's definitely not going to ask Bowser to spend his coins on him even more than he already has. Pianos aren't exactly cheap; they're probably one of the most expensive instruments to purchase and maintaining strenuous upkeep is paramount to a piano's long life—and that is also an expensive commitment.

Ludwig had been extremely lucky when his piano teacher had gifted him one for his seventh birthday. It was far from new, had noticeable dents in the wooden surface, and the black paint was chipping; it sufficed.

The worn down ivory keys still worked and, after enduring four tortuous tuning sessions where Ludwig could barely contain his elation; the stability of the piano returned to playable. Although, his piano teacher had told him it'd never be up to concert standards; it still played beautifully to Ludwig's unprofessional ears.

As Ludwig stills his twitchy fingers, he notices Lemmy has finally selected a book after Wendy's many rejections. The rambunctious and chaotic battle draws to a close when Wendy snaps at her brothers for being too loud and Ludwig's anxiety lessens because of it.

Without all the distracting shouts or anguished and overdramatized grunts of "pain" from Iggy, Ludwig observes an oddity he failed to recognize sooner; Roy's behavior—or lack of.

Roy is being uncharacteristically reserved while the laughter wanes and they all begin to settle onto the carpet. Usually, he's either bugging Wendy or Iggy with light-hearted jabs, moping about wanting to go outside, or pestering Ludwig with ill-received jokes the eldest deflects with unamused scoffs.

Instead of making his overwhelmingly noticeable appearance known to the world and beyond the galaxy, he chooses to linger towards the door, quarantining himself from the others during the entirety of the chase, and keeping to himself.

An odd choice for him.

Roy continuously scowls as his gaze flickers almost anxiously towards the exit like he's internally debating whether he should leave or not. Finally, with great reluctance and prodding stares from Wendy and Morton, he stomps to the center of the room to join their small circle, but retains enough distance from them to grab Ludwig's undivided curiosity.

Ludwig, of course, has to comment on his sour mood and find the reasoning to it. His agitation is seeping off him in irritating waves and polluting, what otherwise would be, a content atmosphere. Frankly, it's killing Ludwig's own mood and knocking back the flooding relief Ludwig feels. He experiences a spike of annoyance at this.

It's amazing how you manage to ruin the mood even when you keep your mouth shut.

That dark thought crosses Ludwig's mind and he immediately shuts it down to keep it from bleeding into his otherwise stoic expression. He harshly scolds himself for it. The display of maliciousness isn't warranted; Roy hasn't done anything wrong per se.

Clearly, something is bothering him, though. Ludwig shouldn't be upset with Roy, as the eldest with responsibilities, he should be figuring out what's wrong. With this goal in mind, he ponders the possibilities.

Although Roy despises sitting through history lessons; shouldn't he be happy to learn of their heritage? Shouldn't he also find respite from all the questions Kamek has willingly answered without the wall they've been staring helplessly at for years?

Meeting dead ends and determined to find the cause of Roy's silence, Ludwig stands up from the floor where the other children are gathered in a tight formation listening intently to Lemmy as he reads a story.

Ludwig dusts invisible dirt from his knees, smooths down his hair out of habit, delaying his approach to gather his thoughts for the incoming conversation. He places them in a neat pile; organizing them and preparing himself for anything since reading Roy is like reading a language you vaguely understand.

Approaching Roy tentatively, the eldest offers him a soft smile to show his intentions are good and he's not here to start an argument. Roy quirks an inquisitive brow, but says nothing to this.

Ludwig can't help but notice Roy's posture grows tighter as he closes the distance between them. His knotted arms are pressed firmly against his chest and a predominant scowl twists his face like it's stuck there indefinitely.

"What's wrong, Roy?" Ludwig asks out of a combination of concern and genuine curiosity, reaching out a hand. "You haven't said a word since we got here."

Roy's eyes drop to Ludwig's hand and huffs at his poor offer of comfort, refusing his advances by leaning back, just out of his reach. Annoyance spreads across Ludwig's face and he gets the hint and lets his hand fall limply to his side.

There's a sting of rejection in his chest which fades away as quickly as it came when he confidently assures himself Roy is just being difficult like usual. He shouldn't take anything Roy does personally; his actions don't always speak his mind.

Still, Ludwig waits for a response from him. Sensing his nosy big brother isn't going to disappear anytime soon, Roy growls aggressively, gnashing his teeth together, sparing the eldest a heated glance like it will get him to back down.

It doesn't.

Agitated, Roy twists his head to the side, breaking eye contact when he spots Ludwig's curiosity melt away into confusion. "It's nothing."

The iciness of Roy's tone tells Ludwig it definitely isn't nothing.

There's a cold laugh beside Ludwig which startles him and causes Roy to whip his head back in their direction, seeking out the source. It seems Iggy has now joined them, probably bored from the childish story, and yearning to remedy it by stirring up trouble.

Iggy leans in closer to Roy with an arrogant grin sketched across his face, causing Roy to take a defensive step back and bare his fangs in warning. The middle child relishes in his older brother's rare sign of discomfort, practically basking in it as he lets out another cruel chuckle.

"Awful at lying as always," Iggy dryly comments, accompanied by a snort and a taunting poke to Roy's snout. Roy snarls viciously, directing the middle child with a frigid glare. He swats his hand away from his face.

"Zip it."

Iggy cackles, unafraid. He folds his arms over his chest, gazing at him expectantly, and taps a foot for emphasis. With two of his brothers waiting for his response and nowhere to run, Roy grunts, uttering colorful words under his breath.

Ludwig wonders where he's learned such crass language from since their parents rarely dropped swears in front of them, but bites his tongue to keep himself from scolding him. He doesn't want to agitate Roy further or get off topic.

Completely trapped and slowly realizing he has no way to escape, Roy's shoulders slump slightly like he's giving up. Although, he refuses to drop his guard completely; arms still in front of his chest like a formidable shield and mouth in a taut line.

Ludwig is surprised when Roy opens his mouth and it isn't a rushing river of insults flooding the room, but a gentle exhale combined with an uncertain glance in Ludwig's direction.

"I was just thinking—" Roy begins, annoyance heightening his usually blunt tone.

"That's concerning," Iggy timely comments.

Roy sneers at Iggy, but decides to drop it for now in a rare display of maturity. Though his lingering glare promises payback at a later date. He moves on, gaze less hostile, but still sharp enough to make a point to them that he's not in the mood for Iggy's quips.

Roy noisily clears his throat, throwing his attention lazily to the side like he's bored. "So we're Greater Koopas, or Draconic Koopas, or whatever Kamek said."

Ludwig cringes at the obscurity and fragmentation of his sentence. How much had Roy actually bothered to listen?

Roy clenches his jaw, gaze wandering towards the door and idles there like he's checking for an available exit. Strange.

He snaps his eyes to Ludwig, something clearly on his mind and obviously pestering him. "That means, since we're different, we're stronger than all these wimpy Koopas in the castle. We can do all this stuff they can't do: like magic."

What does this have to do with his awful mood? Roy isn't the type to dance around the point he's attempting to make. He prefers a more brusque and straightforward approach to broaching subjects.

Roy would rather knock down the dam and deal with the damages and aftermath at a later date than map out the consequences beforehand. Ludwig figures this must lead somewhere, so he indulges Roy.

"I suppose," he says uneasily. "Though I would argue they have more experience than we do. We aren't exactly trained for combat."

"Whatever," Roy spits out, carelessly disposing of everything Ludwig had just said. Ludwig makes a face at this which Roy promptly ignores. "What I'm trying to get at is that our parents were also supposedly pretty damn strong. Dad had to have been using some type of magic to grow his garden, right?"

How astute for Roy to come to the conclusion so quickly. Then again, Iggy has been hinting at this for years. It simply took an outside source to prove Iggy's assumptions correct. As if on cue, Iggy scoffs.

"That's what I deduced when you guys ignored me and called me crazy," Iggy cuts in, sending them both annoyed glares. Although Roy remains unfazed; Ludwig winces sharply out of guilt.

It's true. Ludwig had thought the idea of their father wielding magic was absurd. Why would anyone hide the fact they could? Except the more he pondered the possibilities, the more it made sense, and the more apprehensive he grew.

He chose to deny it for his sanity's sake because it would only lead to more questions for his parents to skillfully dodge. He'd end up staring at a dead end sign, more lost and confused than before as he desperately looked left and right for an exit to the madness.

He never understood why their parents were so adamant about hoarding their secrets. Wasn't he old enough to know the truth? He could keep secrets, too. He wouldn't have told any of his siblings if their parents asked.

"That ain't important," Roy disregards with a swipe of his hand, rolling his eyes. He clenches his teeth, tightening his stance like he's prepared for an uproar—or he's ready to start a full-blown war.

"If they really cared and were as strong as Kamek says," Roy pauses, furrowing his brows, "then why didn't they do something during the fire? Why didn't they save us and themselves using magic? Why'd they just let themselves die?"

What?

Instantly, Lemmy's voice behind them stops reading. One agonizingly long second of silence ticks by, then two… three... All the gears in the older children's gears turn simultaneously, Ludwig can practically hear the metallic clanking as they digest Roy's words.

Ludwig reacts first, his face contorts and twists. There's a thin layer of chilly sweat beginning to form on his scales like he's encased in ice. He looks horrified by Roy's audacious insinuation, gawking at his brother in utter disbelief.

"You cannot be serious!" he yells out. His voice comes out raw like he's never attempted to use his vocal cords until this instance.

"I am serious. Can you prove me wrong, Mr. Genius?" Roy challenges.

If words could physically hurt him; Ludwig feels like he's been slapped across the face. Acidic bile rushes up Ludwig's esophagus, burning his throat as the disgust churns in his stomach. He wonders if it's possible to feel this nauseous without actually being sick.

Ludwig's own fingers curl unconsciously and begin to tremble as his claws dig into his palms. If he were to look at his palms, he'd probably spot tiny traces of blood peeking through the puncture wounds.

The cold chill he experienced only seconds before is replaced by a roaring fire in the pit of his stomach, clawing higher and higher up his throat. He can taste the smoke on his tongue, feel his lungs ignite.

Vividly, he recalls when Iggy's capricious composure had snapped like a feeble twig. In an anguished-induced rage, Iggy had charred the floor with a fireball and Kamek had nearly become a casualty. Unlike Iggy, Ludwig has better control of his temperaments.

Ludwig digs his claws deeper into his scales, the pinpricks of pain expand into tiny little daggers. The pain tugs him back by his shell before he plunges willingly into the burning pit. The fire brewing in his chest dies down to bearable cinders. He cannot let his anger stray too far.

Although, it's easier said than done when Roy's words whirl around in his brain like a vicious storm. It's a constant reminder, stoking the fire inside him to act out. It's testing his resolve, his patience, and his composure all at once.

Ludwig can't lose this battle against his rage, but he's absolutely appalled by Roy's malicious insinuation directed at their parents and the audacity to besmirch them so freely. They cannot defend their actions nor can they talk Roy down with calm words and stern, but somehow always loving and understanding, voices.

One glance at Roy and Ludwig can tell Roy is already wound up too tightly; his defensive stance, his curled claws, and exposed fangs all point towards Ludwig reacting too late to stop him.

The moment Roy is set free is the moment when he begins to parade around, shouting out anything he wishes to say without the fear of repercussions.

He has never minced his words or softened his blows and it irritates Ludwig how stupidly abrasive Roy can be.

Why can't he just—just stop talking? Forever.

Shut up. You need to shut your big mouth.

At this brief thought, Ludwig is suddenly too enraged to care or stop Roy's ire before it sets fire to the steady structure they've all built together, piece by piece for months.

No, as the eldest, this isn't what he should want. He should want equanimity and peace between his siblings. He should want them all to get along. But he can't calm himself down. His anger climbs higher. The fire in his throat threatens to consume him.

Roy's glare scans the deathly silent room, daring someone to oppose him. It lingers on Ludwig, expecting cold-hearted backlash, and Ludwig bites down on his tongue to keep the cruel remarks caged inside his brain and any possible fireball hoping to burst from his mouth.

Roy continues to stare coldly at him, purposely singling him out amongst the group like he wants Ludwig to push back. Ludwig refuses to partake and Roy takes his silence and lack of a retort as some sort of affirmation.

"They probably could have saved us and themselves. We wouldn't be in this situation if they had just done their jobs!" Roy pounds a foot against the floor.

Ludwig flinches, each syllable jabs into his psyche deeper and deeper. Then, Roy's hardened exterior cracks, like a simple flick of a switch. Pain and grief attack him at once, shoulders slumping, and he releases a choked laugh from somewhere in the back of his throat, rubbing at the moisture in his eyes.

"All this time I was blaming myself for nothing."

Blaming himself? The fire hadn't been anyone's fault! Why can't he see that? Bowser and Kamek have told them numerous times it hadn't been their fault. Roy surely knows this, right?

You're always looking for someone to blame, aren't you? I hate you.

No, stop, Ludwig can't think like this. That's not true; he's just upset with him. He doesn't hate him. He plucks out those darker thoughts, attempting to replace them with reasoning before they take root and spread like a disease.

Still, why is Roy still seeking answers to a question long answered? Why is Roy hurling the blame at their parents like they had started the fire with their own hands? Haven't they been over this before?

Ludwig supposes everyone handles their bereavements differently, but even he knows this is pushing it. Roy can't let it go.

There's the sound of pounding footsteps from behind Ludwig and an irritated growl erupts from someone's throat; it's light and higher-pitched.

Ludwig has an inkling of who it belongs to, but doesn't seek to validate his guess; he doesn't care at this moment. He's struggling to retain his fortitude, seconds away from hearing it figuratively snap in his frazzled brain and lash out.

"You're being stupid Roy. Mommy and Daddy love us! That's what you said!" Wendy snarls dangerously, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

Her abrupt and venomous tone startles Ludwig for a split second, ripping him completely out of his thoughts to gape at her. He didn't expect her—out of all of them—to butt into the conversation so viciously.

Ludwig can't help but notice she looks so out of place and contradictory standing in front of him. A green ribbon is tied neatly on her head, colorful scrunchies wrap securely around her lithe wrists; she's the perfect image of a cute young girl.

But when he stares at her pudgy face, contorted by a mixture of unbridled rage and pain, aged from their tragic experiences; he sees someone who cannot comprehend why they're experiencing such an overwhelming and complex whirlwind of emotions at once.

She's too young to completely understand the grief she feels because part of her developing mind believes death is only temporary or only happens to others even when Iggy constantly reminds her it's not that simple and life moves forward from outside her little bubble.

Unlike her older brothers, she's stuck, grasping at straws, hoping beyond hope that everyone is wrong about their parents' fate. Like Morton, she never stopped believing they'd come back to them and it hurts having to crush their spirits with reminders of their demise every time Morton or Larry asks when their parents are going to come back.

"Are you a liar, Roy?" Wendy brutally questions him. "Did you lie to me?"

Staring at his little sister's fiery, Ludwig can't help but wonder where Iggy stands in all of this. He expected Iggy to retaliate first; not Wendy. Maybe Iggy is too stunned to react or maybe, just maybe, he agrees with Roy, stumbling headfirst into the same twisted conclusion as him.

Ludwig doesn't have the will power to stomach the truth; he refuses to look at Iggy's expression, afraid of finding grim agreement shadowing his face. He chooses to glimpse at the middle child's curled fist, it's as far as his eyes can willingly examine, before another girlish growl interrupts him and pulls him back to Wendy.

"So you are a liar," Wendy taunts, taking Roy's silence as his confirmed answer. "A big, stupid liar."

Wendy's stance defensively tightens like she's prepared to fight back if she must, glaring daggers prepared to stab anyone unlucky enough to be at the receiving end of them. She isn't going to back down now. She is ready for any physical opposition.

Roy would never lay a finger on her though. She knows this, Ludwig knows this, and with frustration clearly written on Roy's face, he knows this too. Clever even at her age, she knows how to push Roy's boundaries without pushing too hard.

Unlike Morton and Larry, Wendy isn't afraid of Roy or his hot temper. For someone so young and seemingly naïve, she understands Roy's hostility is nothing more than a stupid front.

Why he insists on playing the tough guy, Ludwig will never understand.

Wendy hovers closer to Ludwig to show she's on his side, lips jutted out to form a pout. She continues to glower at Roy with a fire so hot Morton—when did he join them?—recoils behind a frozen Iggy with a pathetic whimper.

For once, Ludwig is relieved by Wendy's show of rebellion because Roy always dotes on her the most. Perhaps seeing his baby sister upset will quell his unnecessary rage towards their parents.

Of course, Roy is so set on his belief he refuses to back down. Annoyingly stubborn as always. His silence ends and he slams his foot fiercely against the carpet like he hopes it'll crack beneath their feet and swallow them whole.

"Grow up, Wendy! Our parents could be here right now!" Roy dramatically gestures to the playroom they're gathered in. "We could be home! Not trapped in this stupid castle!"

Ludwig immediately understands: it's not their cozy house. It's not the life they were supposed to live. Ludwig knows this isn't how events were meant to go. They were supposed to live ignorantly, but happy. He knows this, but for Roy to have the audacity to assume their parents didn't want them is absurd!

"Why didn't they do anything?! Why did they just let it happen?" Roy jabs a claw at them. Ludwig screws his eyes shut, squeezing his fists together.

He fights with his anger to keep his fists obediently at his sides. He steels his emotions, barricading his heart from the storm, bracing himself for the inevitable tidal wave Roy is about to crash into him.

"You guys are the idiots here, pretending not to see what's right in front of you!" Roy's voice climbs higher, but stumbles and chokes from a mixture of badly contained tears and blinding enmity. "M-maybe they were sick of us—"

There's a resounding slap that reverberates in Ludwig's head. At first, he momentarily believes he blindly reacted without thinking and lunged forward to silence the stinging words pouring out of Roy's mouth because some sick part of him sways, being pulled towards Roy's side like he's struggling against his waves.

But their parents wouldn't have abandoned them, right?

Ludwig thinks of Mother begging him to leave her trapped underneath his bedroom floor that had crumbled on top of her trying to get to Larry. Her only goal in those panic-stricken moments was for Ludwig and Larry to get to safety, to remain alive.

He vividly remembers how terrified she was as she forced Ludwig to abandon her and run. Her pupils were mere specks of an island in a white sea, tears flowed down her sooty cheeks, but never fell as the blazing heat around them evaporated them into the dry air.

He saw everything she felt in that moment, unfiltered and raw. Desperation, fear, pain, guilt, and… love; she loved them. Even if these were her final moments, she wanted Ludwig to continue on without her because she loved them so selflessly.

"I love you."

Mother had uttered those three words over the moans of the house's structure, and told him again and again when he refused to leave her side. It was apparent to him that her life mattered little to her; her kids were her world. Stowing away his heart, he swallowed his tears, spun on his heels with Larry in his arms, and ran.

No, Roy is completely wrong.

Ludwig flexes his fingers still at his sides, somewhat relieved he hadn't struck his brother because he relishes in how mature he claims to be. Though, his mind tauntingly whispers like a vengeful child that Roy deserved it.

He slowly opens his eyes to the scene in front of him. Immediately, Ludwig searches for Iggy, who has finally moved closer to the argument. He finds him standing there partially ahead of him like he was preparing to lunge at Roy.

Where Ludwig expects to find seething rage on the middle child's face, he sees a blend of confusion and shock. Iggy's eyes are blown wide and mouth agape, stunned into silence. Morton and Larry cling to each of his arms, constricting his movements in place.

Iggy couldn't have attacked Roy even if he wanted to. The youngest children are attached to him like a vice, unwilling to let go. Both Larry and Morton are as quiet and statuesque as Iggy with eyes the sizes of saucers. Wendy gasps softly, grabbing tightly onto Ludwig left side which means—

Wait.

Ludwig looks straight ahead and blinks, flabbergasted by what he sees. Lemmy stands in front of him, hand raised and tears dripping down his face.

"Do you hear yourself, Roy?" he asks, voice pitchy like he cannot believe what he's done as he's choked by his own tears. He retains his cold demeanor with a matching glare. Not an ounce of remorse crosses his face to melt it away.

Ludwig swallows roughly, fighting past the knot in his throat. He's afraid of Lemmy's sudden eruption. He's afraid of where this could lead.

What's happening here? Why does it feel like everything is falling apart after months of knitting the seams back together?

Sloppy and poorly stitched seams, but still progress. Progress Bowser worked his tail off to achieve, being unraveled so easily. Were they ever truly okay? Will they ever be?

Now, Ludwig watches it all rip apart without any idea of what to do. He clutches desperately to the hope this isn't about to be completely severed by whatever Lemmy has to say next.

Lemmy takes a brave step towards his physically bigger brother, daring him to try something. Like a shield he stands in front of the others, guarding them from Roy's claims. Ludwig cannot recall a time when Lemmy seemed so blindingly furious.

He's never seen Lemmy snap before or struggle to contain his animosity. Even when he was pushed around, he never dared to swing back. Ludwig wasn't aware Lemmy could feel this type of rage.

Which is such a stupid and one-dimensional belief when he thinks on it further. Lemmy isn't in a constant state of happiness, floating around and unaware; that's unrealistic and impossible.

Lemmy has been through enough in his short life to write a novel, to be a star in a tragedy. He's currently healing from a life threatening illness, he faced constant mockery at school, and he's a recently brought in stray; his life sounds like a heroic tragedy, but he's never lost his optimism.

After facing obstacles, again and again, Lemmy has never gotten to this point. He's never resorted to violence or harsh words, but here he stands in front of them ready to lash out if he must.

Lemmy's tiny body quakes, seemingly fighting against himself. By reading his tense body language like a book, because Lemmy rarely hides his feelings, Ludwig can tell Lemmy wants to hit Roy again.

The realization attacks Ludwig so suddenly. His eyes grow wider, mouth dry. He nearly swallows his tongue, unable to conjure up any response or plan to this.

This is a striking reminder that they've all changed since the fire. Pieces of their personalities disappeared, replaced by something more… frigid.

Ludwig cannot deny he's grown more pessimistic. Whenever he experiences something good in his life; he's afraid it will all be taken away again. He believes it's a fear they all share.

Despite what Ludwig wishes wasn't true; Lemmy's personality has hardened like the rest of them; it's just not as prevalent unless he's provoked to show his more cynical side.

The one sibling Ludwig hates to see poisoned by their past stands in front of him now, brandishing his claws like he's prepared to use them, and gnashing his teeth together. Lemmy teeters on his toes to gain more height, eye-to-eye with Roy.

"You're blaming Mom and Dad after they saved us. You really think that they wouldn't have done something if they could have?" Lemmy fiercely questions.

Roy says nothing, gaping at him, and that infuriates Lemmy more. He sinks the pads of his feet back to the floor and stomps his foot, prodding for an answer.

Speechless, Roy continues to vacantly stare off into somewhere unknown. He doesn't even look like he's on the same plane as them. Not once does he direct an icy comment towards his brother or retaliate. Unlike Ludwig and Roy's heated arguments; Roy clearly doesn't want to fight back.

"Do you think that, Roy?" Lemmy reiterates and Roy flinches at his coarse inflection. Roy slowly blinks once, snapping out of the stupor he had been trapped in.

Dazed, Roy lifts a hand to his face, rubbing his reddening cheek, and testing his jaw. He appears just as puzzled by Lemmy uncharacteristically losing composure. He recovers quickly, his stunned face tightening and molding into an expression of untamable rage.

Ludwig prepares to step in if Roy starts blindly swinging, finding the situation dreadfully ironic. Lemmy always plays the part of peacekeeper, and he plays it well. He listens to both sides of the argument without any bias or judgment.

Now it seems Ludwig is stuck in his place. To an outsider, it's a laughable switch, but there's not a trace of humor to be found on his face as he contemplates his options.

Is this what Lemmy feels every time Ludwig and Roy argue? This overwhelming helplessness, this seizing worry?

Wordlessly, Roy shoves Lemmy out of his way—Lemmy is quick to steady himself—and leaves the playroom. He pointedly slams the door on the way out causing Larry to whine and Morton to flinch.

With Roy gone, Lemmy sobers. All the guilt he must have stowed away hits him at once and Ludwig spots the exact moment it does. Lemmy's tight stance crumbles, shoulders deflating with a huge, but shaky exhale of air.

He stares down at his hands, face paling and twisted in agony. Ludwig catches Lemmy's round eyes beginning to glisten with more tears.

"I'm sorry," Lemmy apologizes, burying his face into his shaky hands. He sounds ashamed of himself, weighed down by all the guilt. "I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry."

Ludwig takes the initiative, stepping forward as Wendy clings to him. Her iron tight grip refuses to budge so he drags her along for the ride. He vaguely hears tiny sniffles bubbling from her, which she tries to unsuccessfully stifle.

Ludwig rubs her arm comfortingly, hoping to sedate her tears with an affectionate touch. He doesn't glance at her to see if it works; his focus is entirely on Lemmy. Wendy can wait. Lemmy is seconds away from collapsing. He cannot allow Lemmy to fall without him there to cushion him.

"It's alright, Lemmy," he soothes, uncertain if he should reach out. He's afraid he'll break him, he's afraid of drawing Lemmy's attention to him because what expression will he wear? Ludwig feels Wendy nod her head in agreement beside him, stepping towards Lemmy.

Tentatively, she reaches out towards their brother, her small hands wrap around his own still hiding his face. She slowly removes the barrier he's created. Immediately, Ludwig wishes she hadn't.

Broken. Lemmy appears broken. A waterfall of tears cascades down his cherubic features, his predominant dimples are nonexistent, and where a smile should be resting contently on his face is a quivering and bleeding lip from where he must have bitten it and chewed it raw from the guilt.

Ludwig cannot help but feel how wrong this is.

"Roy was being a doofus," Wendy lightly jokes with tears in her own eyes, but her tone is too flat. It falls short, the punchline doesn't land. Then, there's a feral snarl. Ludwig turns towards Iggy because—who else could it belong to?

"He wasn't just being a doofus; he's wrong," Iggy interrupts darkly. "He's wrong. He's never been more wrong! You'd think with such a big head he'd have a brain inside of it!"

Both of their younger brothers, still connected to Iggy's arms, frighteningly whimper at the guttural sounds escaping from Iggy's mouth. The anguished noises cause the fiery in Iggy's wild eyes to extinguish. He flattens his expression to something less hostile, spitting out puffs of smoke between his clenched fangs.

"Mommy and Daddy love us, right?" Morton asks, glancing meekly up at Ludwig, as he still hangs off of Iggy's arm. "Roy's wrong?"

Iggy and Ludwig share a painful glance that says more than any words can. Iggy shakes his head and turns away, unable to respond. Ludwig swallows roughly, throat parched.

It seems Roy's words have planted a tiny seed of doubt into the younger children. Dammit. They're at the age where they're views shift and change so easily, influenced by any source they can latch onto. In this case, it's their own brother. He has to unroot this before it sprouts.

"Of course, Morton. Mother and Father loved us all very much," Ludwig assures his little brother. Thousands of insults burn on the tip of Ludwig's tongue, all directed towards one target.

He wants to rip Roy to shreds for speaking out of turn, but he can't. Despite Roy's dismissive comments; he's hurting as much as them. If not more. He's still searching for who to blame when there's no one to blame for what occurred almost a year ago.

It's such an asinine truth they can't wholeheartedly accept. Unfortunately, tragic events like this just happen; even to him it sounds like a pitiful excuse Life fumbles through to hastily explain its poorly thought out choices.

"Roy is…" Ludwig swallows his pride and offers Morton a lousy smile, running a hand through his hair, and gives him his own mediocre excuse. "Roy is just upset."

Morton nods understandingly, accepting his answer at face value. Sometimes Ludwig is thankful for the younger children's ignorance. He couldn't handle more problems than he's currently juggling right now.

Satisfied with the answer, Morton releases Iggy's arm and Larry mimics his brother's actions. Together, they approach a miserable looking Lemmy still crying on the floor while Wendy holds his hands, humming gently to him.

Morton's steps are silent and cautious while Larry clumsily stumbles over his own feet to reach him. Wendy spares her little brothers a quick glimpse over her shoulder as they stand behind her.

Sighing softly, she releases her hold on Lemmy's trembling hands and lets them takeover for her, seeking out Ludwig instead.

With little time for Ludwig to react, Wendy silently shoves her face into his chest, throwing her arms around his torso. Immediately, he switches into "comforting big brother" mode and securely wraps her tightly in his arms.

She tries to stay quiet, but her body quivers and she sniffles. Even when she tries to act like the tough sister surrounded by a bunch of boys; the farce falls away when there's discord amongst the family.

As Wendy stays in his arms, Ludwig looks on as Morton stands in front of Lemmy.

"Is Lemmy okay?" Morton asks as Larry hovers behind him, peering curiously down at the Koopa in question.

Lemmy, in a sad attempt to appear somewhat decent, smiles through his tears and sniffs weakly, "Don't worry, Morty. I'll be okay."

Without a word or push, Larry clambers past Morton and clings to his older brother. Morton chooses to pat Lemmy's head and mesmerizingly sift his claws through his brother's vibrant hair.

These simple gestures are all it takes for Lemmy's forgery to crack. He breaks into frustrated cries of anger, regret, and mourning, pulling both of them close to him. Whether to muffle his cries or for comfort; Ludwig settles on a mixture of both.

Ludwig digs his teeth into the fleshy skin of his bottom lip till it hurts. Till the copper taste of blood floods his taste buds. He sighs, blinking away the building moisture from the corner of his eyes, rubbing Wendy's head so his brain can focus on something else. Now isn't the time for tears.

He manages to gain the strength to finally look at Iggy after avoiding him for most of the argument. He spots Iggy's glasses pushed to his forehead as he furiously wipes at his own eyes.

The middle child looks… shattered and beyond frustrated. More so than Ludwig. It's obvious Roy's words have affected him more, like Lemmy; he's barely hanging on.

Although seeing Iggy struggle with maintaining his emotions is heartbreaking, Ludwig is relieved to know Iggy doesn't share Roy's sentiments at all. Ludwig couldn't handle the situation if Roy had even one ally on his side.

Why would Ludwig ever doubt Iggy to begin with? His unpredictable nature doesn't make him heartless; Ludwig once thought it did because other explanations were complicated and out of his control.

He's never admitted it out loud, but he despises the lack of control Iggy seems to have over his own emotions when he's upset. Ludwig doesn't understand how one can lose control so easily when they're in charge of their own mind.

Besides, with a scathing reminder Ludwig directs at himself; Iggy isn't in a constant state of being an erratic mess. Most of the time he's quite tame, albeit mischievous. He always has been. Ludwig just seems to forget this fact, ironically blinded by his own frustrations.

Surprisingly, it's Iggy who pulls himself together first, further disproving Ludwig's negative thoughts, before Ludwig can take charge. It's not like he could do much to begin with; Wendy is unrelenting with her hold on him, and hasn't let him budge an inch.

Almost timidly, Iggy joins Larry, Lemmy, and Morton. Lemmy has grown quiet, sobs now tiny sniffs with the occasional hiccup. At Iggy's approach, Lemmy looks at him like a wounded animal begging for help.

Iggy offers his brother a ludicrous smile and a gentle hand, which Lemmy reluctantly takes, and allows Iggy to pull him shakily to his feet.

Iggy suggests playing outside for some fresh air, stating the room is too stifling for his tastes with a forced chuckle. Larry excitedly squeals at the prospect while Morton nods mechanically along, latching onto Lemmy's arm.

Iggy spares Ludwig a helpless glance as they walk out the door. It tells Ludwig's everything he's feeling for once, silently asking a question: what do they do now?

Ludwig's brain is too scrambled, weighed down by his anger. He's still fuming over the events to even formulate a proper plan to tackle this. He kneads at his face with his free hand, smoothing out the wrinkles and massaging at the tension behind his skull and eyes.

With Lemmy gone and no one to finish the book sprawled out on the carpet, Ludwig emotionlessly promises to read Wendy a story and Wendy toddles behind him like she's lost as they sit with crossed legs onto the carpet together.

Honestly, it's how Ludwig feels too. Lost. Confused. Sad.

He starts the story, monotonously reading along until he notices Wendy's lack of attention as she stares down at her claws folded on her lap. Setting the book onto his crossed legs, he follows his brotherly instincts, letting them guide him.

He lifts Wendy's chin with a delicate claw and smiles at her. Her eyes are puffy and red, but the bright blue of her irises drown him. Mother. He thinks of Mother. Wendy is gifted with vivid blue eyes just like hers. They were as lively and expressive as hers once were too.

"We'll be okay, Wendy," Ludwig whispers. "We always are. You know how Roy is."

Wendy nods weakly and gathers enough strength inside her to smile back. She wiggles closer to him to gaze down at the pictures, resting her head on his arm.

Ludwig resumes the story, barely registering a thing he's reading to her, and Wendy doesn't voice a complaint at his dismal tone. She falls asleep somewhere halfway through. As he closes the book, Ludwig sits in silence. For once, he hates the silence.

This argument can't last longer than a day, right?

Roy will realize his mistakes.

He has to.

…

Five days, three hours, and forty-seven minutes: that's how long it's been since Roy and Lemmy have spoken to each other.

Ludwig keeps count, eagerly awaiting for them to mend their wounds with apologies. That hope never manifests into existence. At this point, Ludwig would take anything for them to even acknowledge each other for more than a few measly seconds.

It never comes.

There are moments when Lemmy's somber gaze darts to Roy, mouth in a slim line like he's debating whether he should say something or not. Before his expression hardens slightly, cranking his neck in the opposite direction like he decides it's not worth his time.

Then there are other instances where Roy hesitates to enter the playroom when everyone stares at him before he puts on a mask of forced indifference and mopes in a corner, ignoring Larry's many attempts to play monster trucks with him.

Eventually, on the third day, Roy doesn't follow them to the playroom, but chooses to hide in his own room, door locked shut and room as silent as a mausoleum. If not for the lights sinking through the crack under the door, Ludwig would believe it's empty.

As of right now, Ludwig isn't sure how to tackle this dilemma even after five days of thinking of a solution. Conducting a plan to combat this isn't a simple task when both parties are being stubborn and uncooperative. He knows he should be helping mend the seams, but he can't bring himself to yet.

Something else is stopping him. Something he must solve first.

He sits in the quietest corner of the library at a long dark oak table reading about the history of Draconic Koopas and their variety of abilities. He throws all his energy into his research because, despite this information being the very reason they're all torn apart, Ludwig has to know why it was hidden from him.

He has to understand. He wants to understand his parents' logic. There's a reason for their silence; there has to be.

What is the reason their parents kept them secluded? Were they seen as a danger to everyone? He deduced their parents were definitely hiding them, but why? From who? From what?

Ludwig wants a reason to silence Roy's words once and for all. He wants to stomp the doubt dead into the earth where it will rest in its own grave for eternity. Ludwig refuses to doubt his parents, he refuses to be persuaded.

If he happens to come across some ammunition to fire holes into Roy's argument; he'll gladly pull the trigger the moment he finds whatever he's looking for. He's so enraptured in his search for clues, he fails to notice another occupant has joined him in the library.

It isn't until the floorboard creaks under someone's weight that Ludwig's concentration falters and he looks up like he's been caught. On the other side of the long table stands Kamek, a book in his hands. He must be returning it to its proper shelf, always particular about maintaining the complex categorization of the library system.

"I see you're studying up on your history." Kamek eyes Ludwig closely. He feels the intensity of his scrutinizing stare behind his frames and he withers in his seat."Or perhaps you're avoiding something."

It isn't a simple observation, but more like the opening sentence to an interrogation. Kamek is as sharp as ever. If Lemmy is the vigilant mind reader then Kamek is the all knowing god of reading emotions. Ludwig enviously wishes he had their talent or knew how to avoid their detection.

"A little bit of both," Ludwig admits sheepishly.

Kamek nods, accompanied by a low hum, his head tilts towards the open book. "Anything you wish to speak of? I hear I'm a great listener. Some would even say it's my job."

Kamek is a wise and intelligent advisor. He isn't afraid of applying the pressure of blunt honesty to the conversation and Ludwig could use a bit of that right now. He closes the book in front of him with a sigh, directing his sullen eyes towards Kamek.

"I don't understand why my father would keep this from us," Ludwig admits with a frown. "Why were we kept wandering in the dark for this long?"

Kamek nods understandingly, setting down his book on the table. He takes the seat across from him with a breathy groan as he sinks into the chair.

"I may have the answer to that."

Kamek leans back in his chair, it's the most unprofessional display Ludwig's ever seen from Kamek. He's quiet for some time; Ludwig half-believes he fell asleep on him.

That is, until Kamek sighs like he's exhausted, and sits up straighter in his seat. "You see, Bowser's father, King Samael, was a brutal Koopa and a heartless ruler."

Ludwig hadn't expected this to be the starting point of the conversation, but he supposes Kamek is bound to connect the dots and make a valid point along the way.

"The books don't say that," Ludwig mumbles, skeptical. He gestures to his pile of books he's read to emphasize how deeply he's delved into this rabbit hole.

Nothing but praises for King Samael IV graced the pages of his mountain of books. King Samael's accomplishments were never ending. The amount of gloating in these books made Ludwig want to roll his eyes to the back of his head. It got repetitive quickly.

Although King Samael was successful, his tactics to achieve them were… questionable and morally ambiguous. The people of the Darklands cared little for that; they needed results, not sympathy, results the barren center of the Darklands desperately needed to hear as the people starved.

The crops grown by the outer ring of the border could only supply so many citizens before the farms fell to droughts or faminine. Father often worked himself sick to yield better results, crafting formulas to create better fertilizers and elixirs to aid the overworked farmers in their quaint village.

Mother was the one to pull him away from his work when Father could barely stand. Without her, Father would have worked himself dead. Father's unbending need to help others was a trait Mother admired, but also despised. She tutted whenever she'd find Father sprawled out on his desk, asleep.

Ludwig fixes his confused eyes back to Kamek just in time to see the mage's expression darken, sending a frigid chill running down his spine. Kamek's frown turns impossibly more cruel as seconds tick by, disdain painfully written on his face. Then, as swift as a flash of lightning, it's gone.

"That's due to King Samael's belligerence. He didn't allow others to slander his name." Kamek's voice gives nothing away to his personal feelings as he says this with little emotion. There's no hesitation as he adds more bitterly, "The punishment for that was death."

Ludwig recoils, gnawing nervously at his lip. The morbid declaration sits heavy in his stomach. A scattered piece, drifting aimlessly in his mind, clicks into place. His eyes grow wide.

He thinks back to the moment Bowser displayed a brief flash of vulnerability when talking to Roy. At the time, Ludwig couldn't fathom what kind of life a prince could live to leave him so… hollow and rueful, but he supposes it makes sense now.

Bowser's father's cruelty also involved his son, didn't it?

Kamek clears his throat, yanking Ludwig from his thoughts and gains his rapt attention in return. "I personally knew your grandfather; Regis. He was a mage of the court and one of the few remaining nobles of the notorious Greater Koopa species."

Few remaining? Kamek had told them Greater Koopas roamed the Darklands for centuries as scattered tribes fighting for dominance of the lands before forming into one giant monarchy.

With furrowed brows, Ludwig ponders where all the Greater Koopa's disappeared to. Perhaps it explains his parents' motives? Set on solving this mystery, Ludwig knows he must start asking questions. He can't be a meek listener.

He directs a determined glare at Kamek, prepared to accept any answers, whether grisley or not.

"What happened to the other nobles like us?"

"The king slaughtered them because of a rumor he had heard involving an uprising amongst the Greater Koopas." Along with Kamek's frown, his tone plummets to the floor, unable to mask his feelings behind his crafted indifference any longer. It morphs into something dark and scornful.

For once, Kamek's proper posture stiffens tightly, his head turns slightly away from Ludwig like he's experiencing guilt by looking at this living reminder. Why would he feel guilty? They weren't his orders; they were the king's.

"Many families tried to flee from the king, but most were caught at the border." Kamek's jaw tightens briefly, claws curling. "I was sent out to kill the stragglers, following leads, and tying the loose ends. It was nothing more than a test of my loyalty to him."

The sudden display of remorse is explained so easily then. Ludwig swallows his rush of fear.

"D-did you?"

Kamek smiles wistfully, giving his head a shake, pain fills his unusually somber voice. "I am not proud of what I became to appease the king and stay alive, but even I could not bring myself to murder innocent civilians because of some baseless rumor he heard. I'm sure there are others scattered out there somewhere. The ones I let get away."

Maybe Ludwig's parents were one of those families? Why would they remain in Darklands territory then? It would practically be suicide if someone happen to recognize them.

Ludwig shakes away the questions; this conversation is far from over and he's acting quite rude by being such an awful listener. Although, Kamek is a patient creature by nature and he waits for Ludwig to gain his bearings without any agitation in his expression.

He can feel Kamek regarding his reactions thoughtfully while Ludwig chews the inside of his cheek. He doesn't know what to say. What should he ask next?

Kamek leans in, the chair squeaks. Ludwig watches Kamek fold his hands neatly over the book he brought with him. "At first, I found it odd that Regis Von Koopa never mentioned having a son or a wife, but I've come to realize that although his loyalty lied with the king; he chose his family's safety first. I believe he did it to protect his son."

A valid question pops into Ludwig's mind. If Regis had the loyalty of the king then why would he need to protect the identity of his family? It didn't add up. It was a contradiction.

If Kamek is willing to feed him answers without sugarcoating his responses; shouldn't Ludwig take advantage of this fact? This is what he wanted, after all. Insight.

Why is he so nervous? Why is he stumbling for his lines like a mediocre actor in a play he knows nothing about and never rehearsed? His hands are so clammy and damp with perspiration an outsider would think he was guilty of something.

Forcing his mouth to cooperate, Ludwig manages to form actual words instead of gulping for air like a fish out of water.

"Protect him from what?" he asks.

As soon as the question leaves his mouth, he dreads the answer. Kamek's head cranes down at his folded hands as he seems to consider the question before he redirects his attention back to Ludwig. It pierces through him and Ludwig bites his cheek.

"If King Samael had found out about his son; your father's life would have been very different," Kamek speculates, but the certainty in his tone makes his statement sound factual. "He probably would have been raised as a soldier before a child and died long before his fifteenth birthday like the many other gifted children before him."

Brainwashed child soldiers. These were the 'morally compromised tactics' spoken of in the books. The books kept it vague, tying up all the horrible deeds committed by Samael into a pretty little bow and chose to speak of his amazing results to soften the repeated hits.

Results: that's all anyone cared for when they were desperate.

Regis could not sit idly by and watch his son become a monster or worse; attend his funeral. It starts to make sense to him.

His parents weren't nobles Kamek let slip away; Father's existence didn't exist on any records in the king's possession and Mother—if he remembers correctly—had been adopted by her fathers during her youth; she had no blood relatives to speak of.

They were like wandering apparitions; unknown to most of the populace, spoken of in whispers, and only seen by those who cared enough to take notice and examine the details.

"How did my grandfather—" Ludwig swallows audibly. Unable to press onward, the word dies on his lips, his sentence remains forever unfinished, floating in the still air.

He's afraid of the answer because he knows the cruelty of the world they live in. He's personally experienced the unfairness himself. He vividly recalls when Mother once spoke fondly of her fathers only to look like a mourning widow as she glanced longingly at the horizon when she told him they were whisked off to partake in war never to return.

What took Regis away from them? War? A brutal execution? Poisoning?

Kamek, forever vigilant, nods his head grimly. "Regis died in an unnecessary skirmish with a neighboring country. It was a great loss for the Darklands to lose such a brilliant Koopa, but I believe he died without regrets."

Kamek smiles softly at Ludwig and he imagines the gentle look carried in his eyes. If only he could see them behind his thick frames.

"Look at what his efforts reaped." Kamek sweeps a hand towards him as if to say Ludwig is a result of his grandfather's secrecy. Technically, he is. "In the end, King Samael couldn't stomp out the cinders of rebellion or wipe his own species from extinction."

Flustered by the unspoken compliment, Ludwig stares down at the cover of the book in front of him with warm cheeks. Grandfather Regis, Ludwig decides with the little information he has, was as strong-willed as Father and a good Koopa in the end.

Kamek continues after a brief pause and a tweek of his glasses causing Ludwig to pause his thoughts before they run rampant. He opens his ears.

"Eventually, King Samael succumbed to his illness before you were born. Although he was gone; many did not trust the new ruler who took his place. After all, how could they trust the son of their brutal King? The scars and fear were still as predominant as the day he died."

His parents, Ludwig realizes with a start, were hiding them, like Regis had done before them with his own family. They were hiding them from Bowser. All those questions Ludwig had made sense.

Why did Father hide them from soldiers whenever they visited their little town? Why weren't they allowed to wander outside of school or visit friends? Why did they live such a secluded lifestyle when Father once claimed they were of noble blood?

Ludwig's eyes begin to sting. He had been upset, blaming his parents for his lack of friends because he looked different or could never branch out past these obstacles.

He hurled defiant words towards his parents in the hopes they'd meet his demands, feeling some sort of sick satisfaction when his parents recoiled at his tantrums, humoring with bits and pieces to keep him sedated.

He despised watching Lemmy ill in bed, wondering why his parents couldn't do more for their sick child. His resentment leaked its deadly poison into arguments, his retaliation brutal and unforgiving as his parents grimaced out of remorse at his ruthless proclamations.

He wanted answers or, at the very least, he wanted them to explain their decisions. He should have just let it go. He should have remained an ignorant child who thought they knew everything about the world, took answers at face value, and never bothered to crave more.

All his parents wanted was to protect them and he had made it difficult. He even managed to tempt Iggy to join his side of his tiny rebellion, and caused more problems when Iggy began to prod viciously for answers too. Ludwig chokes on the guilt, unable to speak properly.

"I'm such an idiot," he manages to say, burying his face in his hands like he hopes it'll make him invisible to the crushing reality he's finally pieced together. He bites down on his bottom lip to prevent the sobs clawing up his throat from escaping.

A chair scrapes across the floor and Ludwig can feel Kamek's presence looming over him.

"I disagree, you're quite the little genius." Ludwig can hear the smile in Kamek's light inflection and warmth oozing into his words. It catches his attention, stops his plummeting mind from reaching the bottom.

He focuses on Kamek's teasing compliment to keep himself afloat because the boat he's currently standing on is rocking violently side to side and he's afraid of plunging into the waters again. Especially since it took him months to pull himself out of it.

A hand settles on his head, but—unlike Bowser's incessant need to ruffle his hair and undo his strict hair routine—Kamek chooses to just let his hand rest there in a comforting gesture.

"You must realize this is not your fault and that you were too young to understand the severity of the situation. Every child shows defiance—it's one of the many challenges a parent must face when raising children. They would have never blamed you for simply acting like a child."

"I—" Ludwig inhales shakily, voice muffled behind his hands. He digs his palms into his eyes to keep the tears where they belong.

"I know, but it doesn't make this easier. I was,"—Ludwig swallows past the lump in his throat—"a nosy brat sometimes."

"All children are," Kamek hums, followed by a brief chuckle. "Then they grow up. Your maturity astounds me. Although, the only other child I can draw comparison to is Bowser and he is still as childish as the day he first learned to say my name."

Kamek sighs dramatically, uttering loving, but irritating things about Bowser under his breath. Ludwig decides, as Kamek rants about Bowser's inability to do paperwork and stay awake, he will keep these thoughts between them because Bowser wouldn't think of them as amusing, but downright mortifying.

Ludwig finds himself choking out a meek laugh, his hands slowly fall to the table. "Thank you, Kamek."

Kamek smiles back, mirroring the sentiment, "Of course, Ludwig."

With this matter properly settled, Ludwig immediately turns his attention back to the issue he's been avoiding for the past five days. When he replays the situation and Roy's harsh claims, he sighs. It isn't going to be easy.

"I guess I should probably help Roy and Lemmy make amends," he mumbles this like a passing comment one makes before they're dragged unwillingly headfirst into danger.

The weight of it keeps him stuck in place. He doesn't try to get up from his chair and take action. Of course, Kamek hears him and takes notice of his lack of motivation. He wasn't exactly subtle either.

"Did something happen between them?" Kamek inquires, a brow quirked behind his frames.

"Lemmy," Ludwig clears his throat, averting his gaze to stare at the hardcover of a random book in the pile on the table. "He slapped Roy across the face."

Kamek's drawn out pause and raised brows say it all. "Lemmy did?" Kamek places a finger to his chin. "That explains all the tension at the dinner table."

Kamek chuckles in relief and shakes his head like he's remembering something humorous. "King Bowser feared he had done something unknowingly asinine again. I had to assure him he hadn't, but even I hadn't been sure myself. He does tend to find trouble in any situation."

Ludwig snickers.

"Do you require my assistance or perhaps I can have King Bowser—" Kamek begins.

Ludwig shakes his head, silencing his well-meaning offer. "No, this is something we have to fix ourselves. Thank you again, Kamek."

After neatly placing the books back where they belong, Ludwig leaves the library feeling… Well, he's not exactly sure how to describe it. Once again, he knows he's probably relieved to learn the truth, but with the current circumstances he's found himself wedged between he can't exactly say he feels it.

His relief is outweighed by his anxiety and concerns. Ludwig needs to help his brothers mend their argument.

Ludwig sighs, already exhausted. Where to begin?

…

Ludwig has a plan. Well, the skeletal outlines of a plan. There's a few… bumps he can't get over and some hurdles too high for him to jump, but at least it's something.

There's too many issues in my plan… too many variables, but I have to try.

How would he get Lemmy and Roy in the same room without the younger children present? He wouldn't want them around if things got… physical again. It'd have to be somewhere secluded, but spacious enough for Roy to keep his distance.

Ludwig thinks back to his and Bowser's plan months ago; they had trapped Roy in a room until he began to open up to Bowser. With how impatient Roy is; it didn't take very long for him to crack.

Ludwig surmises the same approach here with two bodies on standby if things got ugly would work rather well again.

This leads to Ludwig's biggest problem: Roy has practically raged war on all of them.

Roy wouldn't follow anyone willingly to his doom or trust their motives as they lead him around the castle; especially Ludwig. Roy would know it's a trap the moment Ludwig asked for his assistance. Ludwig wont even attempt to drag him anywhere since Roy is physically stronger than him,

One thing is definitely certain; Ludwig can't do this alone.

Ludwig's first part of his plan has him wandering aimlessly around the castle in search of the middle child. He stops and politely asks the workers if they have recently spotted the spectacle troublemaker, but his answers are all the same; no one has seen him since lunchtime.

It isn't until Ludwig passes by a gardener heading to his lunch break, wiping sweat from his forehead and smelling like soil, that Ludwig receives information on Iggy's whereabouts.

The gardener states, rather impatiently and rudely, that he last saw Iggy in the greenhouse in the courtyard before rushing off.

Ludwig resists the urge to slap his forehead for being so clueless; he blames his hectic thoughts scrambling his brain for not deducing it sooner.

Following his only lead, Ludwig finds Iggy in the greenhouse playing with his Nipper Plant. Surrounded by luscious and flowering greenery, the greenhouse is a private haven for recovering plants or sprouting seedlings, smelling faintly of soil with a tint of fertilizer.

It's clear that the Nipper Plant doesn't belong here amongst all the beauty. McIntosh's presence overwhelms the entire greenhouse with his menacing aura. The sounds of his sharp teeth as he snaps his jaw shut echo throughout the room.

Ludwig stills his nerves, swallowing down every instinct telling him to run as far away as he can get from those teeth.

He hovers by the door at first (not because he's scared of the plant, but because he's scoping out the scene), watching Iggy animatedly converse with the plant. He tosses his leafy pet treats when McIntosh responds to his words with violent nods and throaty grunts.

Seeing the plant act well-mannered and being able to witness his calm temperament in action relieves Ludwig's anxiety somewhat. Those sharp teeth, though. Ludwig shudders at the thought.

Ludwig wonders what Father would say if he found out the creature he'd warned them about countless times has become one of Iggy's closest friends. Perhaps he wouldn't be surprised to learn Iggy had tamed the untamable.

Ludwig surely isn't. Iggy has a way of surprising everyone.

With a burst of courage, Ludwig steps inside, approaching his brother with meek steps. The plant notices him first, titling his head at the newcomer and shuffling his leaves in what Ludwig supposes is some form of a greeting.

Iggy notes McIntosh's sudden lack of attention on the slab of bacon he's dangling in his face, throwing a curious glance over his shoulder. His eyes grow slightly wider when he meets Ludwig's stare. The middle child whirls his body around, brow raised and mouth in a scowl.

He's asking a question without saying anything, stare prompting Ludwig to speak his mind. This is Ludwig's cue. He steps forward slowly, not wanting to startle the looming creature behind his brother.

"Hello, Iggy." Ludwig catches his eye and sends a nod in his direction, then gestures to the Nipper Plant with a sweeping motion. "Greetings, McIntosh."

Iggy's expression grows more confused. He tosses the bacon strip behind him, not bothering to see if McIntosh catches it or not. The plant does, snapping his jaw closed with a resounding clack and gurgling it down without using his teeth.

Ludwig stomach churns violently, but he remains stationary. For once, Iggy's nonchalance is calming and reassuring enough for him to not lose his composure. After all, if Iggy is undisturbed then Ludwig shouldn't sound the alarms just yet.

"How are you?" Ludwig asks casually.

Iggy—as smart and astute as his eldest brother—immediately senses something amiss since rarely does Ludwig seek him out unless he requires his assistance.

Iggy narrows his eyes, suddenly hostile. "What do you want?"

Better not dance around his point here; Iggy despises those sort of word games when he isn't the one controlling them. Ludwig chooses to be as blunt with his words as Roy without the attitude attached to every syllable.

"I came to talk to you about what happened between Roy and Lemmy a few days ago."

"Why?" Iggy stares incredulously at Ludwig, tilting his head. "What do you want me to say? That Lemmy's right and Roy's wrong? I think that's kinda obvious."

His tone is strikingly venomous and it has an immediate effect on Ludwig. He swallows nervously. It's a silent threat for Ludwig to back off now. No, this won't do. Iggy is too tightly wound up. He needs to change the subject quickly. Divert his fury, and allow time to trickle it away.

"How's Lemmy?" Ludwig asks instead.

It works. Iggy eyes expand exponentially before becoming hooded as he stares at the ground, his shoulders slump, and the tension in the air lessens.

"Still pretty upset." Iggy sighs then rubs his arm. "I mean, I am too. I don't blame him."

Sensing his owner's woes, the perceptive Nipper Plant rests his head on his shoulder and Iggy giggles, patting him comfortingly. In return. McIntosh rubs his head against Iggy's cheek, giving him a few affectionate licks.

The sight is endearing, but somewhat gross as saliva drips from Iggy's face. Luckily, the lurch in Ludwig's stomach is short-lived when he hears Iggy chuckle, mumbling jokingly to his plant about being a needy little weed.

He shoves the plant's head away from his face to get him to stop coating him in a sticky layer of saliva. McIntosh whines, but Iggy isn't persuaded or moved and sternly holds his ground.

Ludwig can't fight down a smile from pulling at his face, but this whole scene is very distracting and irritatingly postponing the reason he came here. Although it is comforting to see Iggy so giddy and free of his crushing grief.

The plant's arrival has done wonders to Iggy's mental health. He hasn't had any close calls or eruptions since the incident with Kamek a month ago. Iggy is happier too. Everyone can see how much McIntosh is helping Iggy's control improve.

Ludwig furrows his brows, placing a finger under his chin in thought. "Lemmy's not usually the one to hold grudges this long."

The shift is immediate. Iggy's smile disappears right off his face. He nervously adjusts his glasses, flickering his gaze around the room before he reluctantly directs it back to Ludwig.

"This is different." Iggy bites his lip, looking at the empty space beside Ludwig's head. He's not telling Ludwig everything. "The circumstances aren't the same here."

"We both know Roy didn't mean it," Ludwig coaxes gently in hopes Iggy will spill more. Iggy isn't buying it, sighing loudly. He fixates on the stones beneath his feet, scuffling them with his claws.

"And yet, it doesn't hurt any less now does it?" Iggy retorts.

Ludwig experiences a brief sting. It's true. Roy's words still hurt. They haven't stopped hurting, but… they can't remain bitter forever. Roy needs them even if Roy acts like he doesn't need anyone but himself.

"We have to fix this," Ludwig states with determination.

Iggy pauses, processing this information with a deepening frown. He steps forward, out of McIntosh's reach, which the plant whines at, and places his hands on his hips.

"We?" He asks then rolls his eyes. "Oh no, don't drag me into one of your counseling sessions. I get enough of those from Kamek, Lemmy, and Bowser. I don't need you added onto the list too."

"Iggy," Ludwig stresses, "I can't do this alone. We can't let this continue any longer. It's—it's all I can think about. Please. The longer we let this go on; the worse this will get."

Just like you.

Ludwig had ignored all the signs when Iggy first started acting out until it was too late. Until the only way Iggy could express his sorrow was through anger and fury.

Roy cannot tread down the same destructive path. He carries all this resentment inside of him, all this contempt for their parents. It will only end up tearing him apart inside.

"Fine," Iggy groans, placing a hand to his forehead. "Fine. You win. I'm just warning you now that you're not going to like what you're gonna hear."

"What do you mean?"

Iggy shakes his head. "It's hard to talk about. It'd be easier to hear it from Lemmy." He points a finger to his head, tapping his claw against the side of it. "Don't want to accidentally unleash the insane sector of my brain."

"You're not—"

"Save the counseling session for them," Iggy abruptly interrupts. He crosses his arms, leaning back onto the table McIntosh's pot is set on top of.

McIntosh coos excitedly now that his owner is back within his reach. The plant's leaves brush against Iggy's torso. His bulbous head bumps against his arm. Iggy smiles briefly at the plant, but ignores the plant's cries for attention and fixes Ludwig with an irritated glare.

"So, how are we gonna get them in the same room? They're not as gullible as you think."

"Lemmy would come if we asked—" Ludwig starts.

"I was talking more about Roy," Iggy elaborates impatiently. "I know Lemmy can act like the better person and apologize, but you're gonna have to tie Roy to a chair before he admits he's wrong."

Ludwig taps a finger to his chin. "I'm not sure. Roy hasn't talked to any of us in days. He's mostly been hiding in his room. Whenever I attempt to go inside; it's locked and he tells me to go away. I don't want to get the younger children involved if I can help it."

Iggy scoffs like the solution is simple. "Then we bring the pity party to him. His room is the perfect place to corner him. Bowser probably has an extra key somewhere. If we—and by 'we', I mean you—explain the situation then I'm sure the big softie will cave. Pretty sure the guy cries at the sight of Chain Chomp puppies."

Ludwig's expression brightens exponentially. "That could work."

"I know," Iggy scowls. "We're on an even playing field when it comes to brains, y'know."

Ludwig's elation extinguishes and he sighs, throwing Iggy an unamused glance. "Is this always a competition with you?"

"No, I just like to watch you squirm." Iggy takes a step forward and flicks Ludwig's snout, causing him to hiss in pain as his hands instinctively fly to his wounded nostrils. Ludwig intensely glares at him, daring him to do it again.

Of course, Iggy doesn't shrivel away from the intensity of his glowering or feel an ounce of intimidation. He laughs dryly instead, a hand on his hip and a smile across his face.

"Since that's all settled. I think it's time that you make yourself scarce before I feed you to Mac." Iggy gestures towards the door with a waving hand before he jabs a thumb behind him, grinning wickedly. "He hasn't eaten yet since you felt so inclined to interrupt us."

The plant in question cocks his head at the mention of his name, mouth slightly agape and exposing the newly growing teeth protruding from his slimy gums. Ludwig shivers, unable to fight off the wave of solicitude or nausea.

In a few more weeks, the pinkish hue of McIntosh's bulb will shift to a vibrant red and sprout polka dots. Despite Iggy insisting the plant is harmless; Ludwig isn't going to test that theory today or any day. He enjoys having all eight fingers intact.

Thrusting his snout into the air, he tries to hide how much Iggy's teasing threat actually affected him. Iggy's muted snort tells him that his brother isn't buying it in the slightest. It irks Ludwig, sending a ping to his ego, but he carries his wounded pride with dignity.

"Fine," Ludwig huffs sharply. "I'll meet you tomorrow after lunch, bring Lemmy, and we will conduct our diabolical plan then."

He can hear Iggy rolling his eyes at his poor and laughable attempt. "Yeah, sure. So long, Maestro Ludwig."

It's Ludwig's turn to snort, folding his claws behind his back, he leaves with all eight fingers and bitemark free.

Now to find Bowser.

…

As it turns out, persuading Bowser to give Ludwig a key to Roy's room is easier than he thought it would be. Cordially explaining the situation, laying on the cute and youthfulness he so rarely wields to get his way, and nailing Bowser straight into the soft spot he holds for Lemmy, guaranteed Ludwig's success.

Bowser bid him a hearty and loud good luck with a wink and a knowing smile as Ludwig clambered out the door, twirling the key ring between his pointer finger victoriously.

Like Iggy promised, Lemmy is by his side waiting outside Roy's room. Lemmy twiddles his fingers like a recently scolded child, offering Ludwig a pathetic smile in greeting before he anxiously shifts his weight between his legs. While Iggy appears bored and uninterested in his surroundings.

They exchange quick glances with each other before Ludwig slides the key in as quietly as he possibly can. He turns it slowly until he hears a faint click. Then, he turns the knob, wincing when it makes the faintest squeak.

He holds his breath as he pushes open the door. Ludwig rushes inside and watches impatiently as Lemmy dawdles behind him. Iggy rolls his eyes before he gives Lemmy an encouraging push then he closes the door and seals them inside. Without a word, Iggy smoothly slides to block the only exit with his entire body, daring anyone to escape.

Ludwig turns towards the bed to find Roy sitting up on it. His expression is a strange combination of bewilderment and disorientation, blinking rapidly at his new visitors with squinting eyes. Maybe he was sleeping before they rudely barged in?

Twenty seconds is all it takes for Roy's misty daze to disperse and rub the sleep from his eyes. His sleepy slouch snaps into a rigid stance. His eyes burn intensely when he spots Lemmy peek out from behind Ludwig.

Ludwig can already tell Roy is ready to start shouting and swinging. He prepares for the inevitable temper to ignite the room in flames. He curls his fists at his sides; he won't allow Roy to lay a finger on Lemmy.

Roy slides off his bed dragging the comforter with him as it falls to the floor. He ignores the mess and angrily stomps over to them. "What the Hell are you guys doing in here?"

"Roy," Lemmy starts, stepping forward only to shrivel back when Roy growls in response. Lemmy's swallows audibly. He closes his eyes and tightens his jaw. When he opens them again there's a fire igniting in his gaze.

"We have to talk," Lemmy states more firmly.

"You wanna go, shrimp?" Roy snarls, raising his fists. "I'm not gonna walk away this time. I will hit you back if I have to."

Lemmy's confidence wavers at Roy's declaration. Ludwig watches helplessly as it extinguishes completely, falling away to remorse and fear. Lemmy's small posture sags, his eyes start to glisten from tears, and he can't properly look at Roy.

"Roy…" Lemmy whispers, pain in his tiny voice. Roy grunts, turning away to glare angrily at the wall. Lemmy reaches out a claw, his face twists, and he drops it like he's afraid Roy will take physical contact as a challenge.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," he murmurs, guilt chills his tone. Roy lets out a harsh laugh and Ludwig winces along with Lemmy as the rough sound hits his eardrums.

Roy jabs an accusatory claw at him. "You slapped me across the face. I never once hit you. I've never laid a hand on you! I defended you for years! And then you just smack me!"

"I know… but it was because—because..." Lemmy chokes out, thoughts sputtering out of control and crashing. He's quivering, face paling. He's frightened, but why?

"Spit it out!" Roy shouts, fists at his sides trembling. "I'm not gonna stand here all day!"

"Maybe if you'd shut up," Iggy retorts, stepping forward to guard Lemmy and revving to fight Roy if he has to. Ludwig clenches his jaw, glancing at Lemmy barely standing upright before glowering at his two brothers.

Now isn't the time for this pointless fight. Can't they see how terrified Lemmy is? Apparently not, too engrossed in their argument to stop or use logic.

"Make me," Roy hisses, claws drawn. Ludwig rushes to stand between them, placing a hand on Iggy's chest to keep him from striking out.

"Iggy, Roy, now isn't the time for this," Ludwig intervenes calmly, trying to shove Iggy back. His words are sadly ignored and Iggy fights back.

"You're brainless!" Iggy seethes, nearly blowing out Ludwig's eardrums. "Learn to read the room."

"Shut up, I didn't ask you guys to come in here and bother me!"

"What was your plan then? To rot in your room forever?"

"Shut your stupid trap!"

"We watched Dad die!" Lemmy screeches desperately over the argument. Time stops. Silence roars to life in his ears. Ludwig whips his head to the right so fast to face Lemmy he's surprised it doesn't snap right off his neck.

What did he say?

"If Dad could have saved himself in that moment I wish he did!" Lemmy cries, posture crumbling, knees buckling; he sinks to the floor unable to hold himself up anymore. "T-to hear you assume he could have and didn't hurt a lot. I…"

Lemmy shakily exhales the remnants of a sob, tears stream down his cheeks. "I was so mad at you. For one split second, I hated you and I hated it. I hate being angry, but you—you didn't even care."

We? Did that mean… Iggy witnessed their father's final moments too?

Ludwig's widened eyes turn to Iggy. Any signs of aggression are completely gone. Iggy is barely holding himself together, hugging himself tightly. This is what he had warned him about. How? How had Lemmy remained so positive after living through something so morbidly dark?

Lemmy's grief-stricken eyes find Ludwig. Ludwig swallows roughly, suddenly feeling suffocated by his stare. "The roof collapsed on top of him—he was trying to save you," Lemmy admits, he squeezes his eyes shut and turns away. "He didn't know you were outside. I'm sorry for keeping it from you. I—I didn't want you to feel guilty, but it only made things worse."

Iggy briskly steps in, falling to the floor besides Lemmy and sweeping his brother into a hug as he breaks down into sobs in his arms. All the pain and torture Lemmy had endured, all the months of being their sturdy rock in the rushing rapids had taken its toll on him. And they, constantly at each other's throat, never made it easier for him.

Lemmy smiled, he laughed, he did everything he could for them. He never stopped trying to find a bright side. Ludwig's throat constricts, his vision blurs the world into a water painting, and he blinks. Moistures transverses down his face, warming his cheeks, and he audibly sighs.

He joins Lemmy and Iggy on the floor, wedging himself between them. He reaches out his arms and pulls his brothers closer to him. The second oldest child drowns in his woes, face buried in his knees while Iggy rests his head on Ludwig's shoulder and sighs out another sob.

"I know how you feel…I was with Mother before she—" Ludwig grits his teeth. He can't say it. "She was trapped under part of the ceiling and couldn't get out. She told me to take Larry and run."

At least he hadn't witnessed her die. His mind chose to poison his dreams with the aftermath instead.

Did she plead for help that would never come while she desperately wondered the unknown fate of her children?

Did she scream in pain as the fire consumed everything around her, including herself?

Stop.

The gruesome images leave his head as quickly as he manifested them. He hears Lemmy's sniffs cease almost immediately after he admits this out loud. Lifting his head, Lemmy's wide-eyed expression looks up at Ludwig, searching and digging past all those pointless barriers he set up for months trying to hide this painful truth from everyone.

What they find together is mutual empathy, features softening. Lemmy understands Ludwig's pain as much as Ludwig understands his. And here Ludwig ignorantly thought no one understood what he had been through when Lemmy was right there, smiling beside him.

They both witnessed their parents' final attempts to save them. They both experienced the rush of desperation and melancholic uselessness as they turned away, feeling like cowards, and ran to safety.

Ludwig breaks eye contact first, releasing his brothers and wipes away his tears with curled fists. He hears Roy settle down with them on the floor, somewhere next to Iggy. Roy lets out a shuddering breath, loud enough to rattle the silence.

"Guys, I'm sorry," Roy murmurs sincerely. "I wasn't thinking straight. I dunno why I'd think that about Mom and Dad, but it just made it easier, y'know? To blame someone for something that's blameless. It ain't easy to just accept it was all a chance accident."

"It's okay." Lemmy leans forward to gaze over at Roy and offers him a watery, but reassuring smile. "And I'm sorry for hitting you."

Roy rubs his spotless cheek, long healed by the doctor in the infirmary, as his gaze turns almost wistful. "Nah, I deserved it and you got quite a hand there."

Lemmy giggles.

"Yes, you did deserve it," Iggy interrupts harshly, sneering at his brother next to him. "Next time you plan to spit utter nonsense about our parents: don't."

Iggy isn't one to easily forgive and his words cut deeper than a knife slicing at Roy's scales. Obviously feeling an extreme case of guilt, Roy cringes like he's been struck by every syllable, biting down on his lip, rueful gaze casted downward to stare at the floor.

"I know," he mumbles, rubbing at his arm. Then he sighs, courageously meeting Iggy's icy glare yet to turn tepid from his apology. "If there is a next time; Iggy, I'm giving you permission to punch me as hard as you can."

Iggy snorts, crossing his arms over his chest. "No problem."

Finally, Iggy's scowl slowly disappears. A small smile takes its place and he offers it to Roy like he's waving a white flag. Roy smiles awkwardly back. With the tension finally settling down, the four of them sit in a calming silence.

Ludwig isn't certain on the next step here; they've all spoken enough of their peace today, exchanged apologies, and he'd rather not cry again. He mulls over a few topics; perhaps he can tell them what he's learned during his research? He could even give them the name of their grandfather, rarely do they speak of their relatives.

Just when Ludwig decides on telling them about Grandfather Regis; Roy breaks the silence first. Roy clears his throat, throwing Ludwig and Lemmy a casual glance in their general direction. He doesn't look exactly at them but what little space is between them.

"So…" Roy pauses, then shrugs. "We can breathe fire. That's cool, I guess."

Iggy snorts a laugh at this. "Speaking from experience: the aftertaste is kinda gross. It's like licking burnt popcorn."

Lemmy laughs at this while Ludwig pulls a face at the comparison. He thinks burnt popcorn is disgusting if not insulting to such a tasty and versatile snack.

"And we can use magic," Lemmy adds thoughtfully when his laughter stills. He lets out a whimsical little note like this fact excites him as much as it excited Ludwig when they first learned of this.

"It explains a lot, doesn't it?" Ludwig sighs, staring down at his claws as he wiggles them, expecting the magic in their veins to sparkle from his fingertips. Sadly, nothing happens.

Feeling disappointed, he looks up at Lemmy and smiles. "Those strange feelings we've been experiencing are because we are sensitive to the magic around us."

"Y'think Kamek is gonna teach us magic?" Roy asks, tone neutral like he couldn't care either way.

Truthfully, he probably doesn't, and Ludwig would believe it. That is until Roy's voice rises in volume and spoken in urgency due to his next set of words.

"Y'know, since Bowser wants to teach us how to breathe fire?" Roy sounds like an eager child on his way to the fair. He punches the air like he's boxing an invisible enemy in front of him. "Maybe he'll even teach us how to use this strength of ours to our advantage."

Ah, of course. Magic bores him, but the prospect of learning to breathe fire and fighting excites him. It's relieving to know his brothers don't share Morton's pyrophobia.

Ludwig is uncertain if Wendy or Larry share that fear as well. He's not exactly forcing them towards any open flames, but he silently wishes Bowser 'good luck' if he expects it to not have any deeply rooted pushbacks.

Morton sometimes watches the dancing flames in the tame fireplace with the fear and cautiousness of a prey animal. After Iggy's fire breathing stunt, Morton regarded Iggy with hesitation before Iggy promised to never breathe fire around him again.

Coincidentally, Iggy hums thoughtfully and Ludwig snaps his attention towards him. He watches Iggy tap a claw against his chin. Iggy's deep rumination comes to a halt when his concentration snaps and his face morphs into something more sinister. Ludwig can't imagine why until—

"Imagine all the pranks I could pull off using magic."

Ludwig can hear Iggy's brain already planning a long list of possible pranks.

Oh no.

Roy groans loudly, voicing Ludwig's fears for him. Roy brings a hand to his creased forehead and lets out another dramatic groan.

"No freaking way, Four-Eyes." He narrows his eyes at Iggy. "That's the last thing we need. You're hard enough to deal with now."

Iggy snickers in wicked glee.

"But you love me." Iggy playfully nudges Roy with an elbow. "Right, Roy? Say it!"

Iggy clasps his hand together, leaning his weight onto Roy, staring up at his brother with round and pleading eyes, his tone sugary and too sweet for Ludwig's tastes as he says, '''I love you Iggy, you're my favorite brother!'"

Thankfully, his grating girl voice returns to his normal, far less grating voice, after he says this. He then attempts to pinch Roy's cheek. He laughs in delight when Roy swats his hand away, threatening to deck him in the face so hard he won't wake up until he's thirty.

Iggy isn't insulted or scared at all. He continues to giggle, prodding at their brother and using him as a headrest.

"C'mon, tough guy," Iggy teases, poking Roy's side. Roy grumbles at this. "We all know you're a softie."

Roy squirms uncomfortably at the contact and unwanted display of affection. "Can it, Iggy or I'll punch you straight in your dumb face and break your stupid glasses."

Iggy sits up straight, appearing hurt. "Aw, so no group hug then? No exchanging of 'I love you's'?" Iggy blows out a raspberry, shoulders deflating with his theatrical exhale of air as he feigns an exaggerated pout.

"Boo! You're no fun." Iggy looks around the room like he's searching desperately for something before returning his gaze to Roy. "Why am I even here?"

For once, Roy refuses to take the bait and Iggy is left to sit in the stillness. Uninterrupted minutes of nothing but silence tick by without either of them poking fun at the other. (It's a new personal record for the both of them.)

Just when Ludwig believes the moment has passed and Iggy's teasing has stopped because he's bored, Iggy twists his torso in Roy's direction and extends out his arms expectantly towards a befuddled Roy.

Iggy pouts, jutting out his bottom lip. His fake pout puts Wendy's to shame. "Just one hug."

"Knock it off," Roy growls, attempting to shove Iggy away, unexpectedly knocking him into Ludwig which causes the eldest to jostle into Lemmy. "You're being a moron."

Ludwig grins as the two continue to lightly bicker back and forth. He definitely prefers this over the silence they've been brewing in for days and the argument minutes before. Lemmy giggles at their antics too.

"It's a bro hug," Iggy whines, "Bros hug all the time. You're my bro, bro!"

Roy isn't buying it. "Shut it. Don't touch me."

"Are you embarrassed?"

"No, I'm not. You're just annoying."

"You definitely are embarrassed."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"You're blushing."

"That's it!" Roy hooks an arm around Iggy's neck and reels him in like a fish on a hook. It causes the middle child to yelp in surprise. "You want some affection? Fine; I'll show you affection!"

Curling a fist, he begins roughly rubbing his knuckles on top of Iggy's head, frizzing out his rainbow Mohawk and causing his glasses to become crooked. Iggy whines, crying out momentarily which falls away to laughter.

He reaches out desperately towards Lemmy and Ludwig, seeking help with pleading eyes like his very survival depends on their intervention.

Dismissively and without an ounce of sympathy, Ludwig rolls his eyes and smirks. His brother got himself stuck in this situation, he can get himself unstuck.

Lemmy, on the other hand, giggles gleefully. He climbs over Ludwig's lap, stalking Roy like his prey on all fours then springs forward and tackles Roy to the ground, claws drawn.

He begins to relentlessly tickle his brother's side and Roy releases Iggy, roaring with laughter and twisting to get away from Lemmy's nimble fingers.

Ludwig scoots away from the tickle fight, not wanting to get involved, but happy to bask in the chaos after six days of nothing but radio noise between the two. Unfortunately, Iggy sees this as the perfect opportunity to—well, get him involved.

The spectacle troublemaker's glinting gaze stares Ludwig down as he adjusts his glasses before he pounces. Seeing no way out, Ludwig braces for impact, tumbling to the ground and quickly falling victim to Iggy's quick fingers squirming up his sides.

The mischievous set of brothers continue the onslaught on their siblings until Roy begs Lemmy to stop and Ludwig, red in the face, complains about the lack of air in his burning lungs.

Their expressions are devious when they relent, asquicencing to their red-faced brothers' demands with cackles of delight.

As Ludwig catches his breath and Roy pants for air, remnants of giggles bubble up Lemmy's and Iggy's throats. When Ludwig can properly breath again and Roy's soft pants recede, Iggy regards them with a teasing raise of his brow.

"It's nice to see that your matching frowns aren't permanent," Iggy comments dryly, elbowing Roy's side. "But I'm still waiting for that 'I love you' from Roy."

Ludwig chuckles when Roy predictably fumes, muttering under his breath. Lemmy smiles along, happily swinging his feet from side to side like he's moving to the rhythm of an upbeat song in his head.

"I love you, guys." His lithe body falls limply onto Roy's arm as he says this and he closes his eyes in relief. "I'm glad we're in this together."

Every day when Ludwig treads half-asleep to breakfast and he sees his siblings gathered around the table, tossing back stories as much as they're tossing food at another, the same thought crosses his mind: he's glad they're all still here, creating a sturdy support system for each other.

He wouldn't have made it through this hellish mess without Lemmy's optimism brightening up their dark and unknown path, or Roy's stubborn strength fighting through their hardships with eager fists, or Iggy cracking jokes or muttering smarmy remarks to lighten the tension constantly threatening to snap them in half.

"Me too," Ludwig whispers before he's pulled into a giant group hug initiated by Roy who mumbles something about 'mushy feelings' and 'emotional brothers' making him soft.

Together, they share a laugh in their tight embrace. Ludwig smiles, not caring when his snout accidentally bumps into Iggy's hard head and causes his eyes to water or when Lemmy's hair tickles his arm.

No one can ever pull them apart.

---

Um… I've been absent for a few months. I'm sorry about that, but a lot happened. This chapter had been planned out for a while. It's been almost done for a few weeks now, but my grandpa passed away less than a week ago and I struggled. It got personal… it hurt to write.

It's strange how fast people turn to find the blame for things out of their control. Even for me, I witnessed someone become so furious and angry and blame the doctors, then my grandpa, then themselves. I suppose that's how some choose to deal with grief. I'm still trying to cope, but I wanted to get this finished so I apologize for the quality.

Anyways, I thank you for reading. Sorry about the rant. It's easier to talk to random strangers sometimes…