"I assume you dealt with our little plumber problem?" Contemno asked casually.
"Yes, soir!" Topper boasted proudly with the other Broodals at his side. "Dat Mario chump won't be boderin' us anytime soon!"
"Well done. You have all proven yourselves very useful to me thus far," Contemno praised. The mage stood up from his throne and casually approached them. Just as he was about to pass his henchmen, Contemno stopped. "However, I trust you understand that the real challenge still lies ahead, yes?"
"…'Real challenge?'" Harriet repeated.
"Certainly. The treasure I seek now lies in waiting, unguarded. The time to claim my prize is upon us."
"Ya mean…?" Spewart started.
"Yes. It is time I take back what is rightfully mine. Those still foolish enough to stand in my way shall perish at last. I will make certain of that myself. Now, I must be on my way." The mage began walking again as he made his way for the exit.
"Does dat mean ya need us to come wid ya? Y'know, for back-up?" Topper asked.
"Hardly. You would only get caught in the crossfire. I can't allow that," Contemno replied. "You're still valuable assets to me, and I only intend to rely on you more in the future." Contemno stopped in his tracks again. The Broodals watched his body twitch suddenly.
"Boss?" asked Rango.
"Well now….this is interesting," Contemno began. The Broodals waited for their superior to elaborate. "It seems our dear King Bowser appears to be on the move. I do wonder what he might be up to."
"Bowsa? Hey…isn't dat da guy who hired us for his weddin wid dat broad?" Spewart recalled. The other Broodals nodded.
"Do we need ta be concoined about him, boss?" Topper asked.
"'Concerned' is an unsuitable term," Contemno answered. "In his old age, that cranky, loud-mouthed buffoon is less of a threat to us than Mario. However, should his arm be bent in the 'correct' way, Bowser will easily submit to my demands. There's no doubt about that. Seeing as how his castle is currently being left unguarded, my interest is piqued. I grow tired of living in a cave. The castle of the once 'Great and Terrible Bowser' would make for a much more suitable base of operations anyway. I think I will pay the Koopa Kingdom a visit very soon as well. I gather you are all eager for your next assignment?"
"Sure are, boss!" Rango affirmed.
"In that case, seek out Bowser. Detain him and bring him to me at once. I will gladly put that old fossil out of his misery myself once he submits to my demands."
"You got it, soir!" Topper agreed. Without another word, the Broodals hastily departed as a group to carry out their orders. Contemno clutched his gloved fist as a sinister purple aura engulfed it.
The time he'd been waiting years for had come at last.
Bowser and Rosalina exchanged very few words as they made their way towards Shooting Star Summit. Neither one of them seemed to be willing to address the silence either. This was most likely due to their still somewhat awkward history and lack of any real established one-on-one relationship with one another. Even though Bowser hadn't committed any bad deeds in quite some time, Rosalina still couldn't help viewing him as a tyrant waiting to turn on her at the drop of the hat. To that extent, she kept her trust in him at an absolute minimum.
In spite of this, part of her was beginning to feel that denying Bowser any ounce of trust was unfair. Bowser had made it very clear today that he was willing to sacrifice just about anything for this mission. She needed him as an escort. Companionship was essential now more than ever. Mario's hat arriving before the council the way it did was an indication that it was dangerous and unwise to travel anywhere alone. The least she could do was make more of an effort to become better acquainted with Bowser. A conversation might also help pass the time. To her surprise however, it was Bowser who initiated one first.
"So Rosie, what's your angle?" Bowser asked suddenly.
"Pardon?" Rosalina replied, confused.
"Why'd you stand up for me back there after the whole package thing?" Rosalina quietly resolved to choose her words carefully, as she often did.
"I was only examining the facts," the space princess explained. "The evidence presented to us back there did not suggest that you were the culprit responsible for delivering the package."
"Well, duhh," Bowser replied. "But why didn't you just write me off like everyone else did? It would've been easy. It's not like you owed me any favors or anything."
"Please try not to misunderstand my intentions, Bowser. I only defended you in order to correct an error of judgement among our colleagues. Right now we're on the brink of a great disaster. We cannot afford to make careless mistakes and unfounded accusations." Bowser raised an eyebrow at her.
"You mind putting that in English, sweetheart?" Bowser requested sarcastically. Rosalina sighed.
"All I really care about right now is getting to the source of this danger before it brings anyone else harm. Your proposal for direct and immediate action and getting to the bottom of this mystery just so happened to align with my own desires. So, I took the action I felt was necessary in order to see your request get approved. It wasn't because I felt personally compelled to do so, if that's what you're implying." She blushed slightly when she saw Bowser staring at her smugly.
"Sure, you keep telling yourself that, Rosie," the Koopa King flirted.
"I must insist that you refrain from calling me that," said Rosalina.
"What, I haven't earned the right to call you 'Rosie?'"
"I-it's not about privilege. It's just-"
"Just that you still don't trust me. You don't see me as anything more than just a monster like everybody else," Bowser finished for her. Rosalina wasn't sure how to reply to that.
"Bowser…that's not-,"
"It's fine. I never expected us to be all buddy-buddy right away. I caused you headaches too just like I always did for Mario and Peach," Bowser elaborated. His tone didn't seem to imply that he was hurt or upset by such a belief. Rather, he seemed almost content with it.
"That may be true," Rosalina started. "But I do not stand for injustice towards anyone. If the council had punished you, much less denied your proposal, I would certainly have still come to your defense. It would not have been right for you to be charged with a crime you honestly did not commit." Bowser stopped and observed her once again. The space princess was confused by the expression on his face and the mixed signals it was broadcasting.
"Man…you suck at flirting. You could learn a thing or two from Peach," Bowser taunted. "Drop the bookworm lingo. If you care about me even just a little bit, just come out and say it." Rosalina's entire face went red. She could not deny that she felt completely caught off-guard by the mixed signals Bowser was sending her. One moment he seemed to be craving slightly more intimacy with her, then the next he was outright rejecting any shred of advances. But now he was jumping right back into wanting intimacy again. Just what was Bowser trying to accomplish here?
Suddenly, Rosalina felt Bowser place his hand across her chest. But before she could cry out at him in anger for invading her personal space, she noticed the determined, suspicious glare in his eyes as he stared straight up into the sky.
"Hold on…," said Bowser.
"What's the matter?" Rosalina asked.
"Something's coming this way. Up there!" Rosalina followed his directions. The two saw an aircraft of some kind flying down towards them. It was a flying ship powered by propellers. The architecture of it closely resembled something Bowser would've flown in the old days. Bowser gritted his teeth when he picked up on the awful sound of a familiar, mischievous muffled carny-like tune being broadcasted from speakers aboard the ship.
"Well, well, well…," a nasally voice chirped from the ship's deck. "If it ain't da 'great 'n terrible King Bowsa!'" Riding atop the ship were the Broodals. Malevolent looks were plastered across each of their faces. "Fancy meetin' you here!"
"Topper?" Bowser responded.
"You know them? Are they friends of your's?" Rosalina inserted as she folded her arms.
"Yeah, but I wouldn't exactly call us friends. Not anymore," Bowser answered. "What are you doing here?"
"Just bidness as usual," the lead Broodal responded.
"What are you talking about?"
"Our new boss is about ta make history. But foist, he wants us ta put yous outta commission!" Rosalina stood close to Bowser and gripped her wand in preparation for an attack.
"And who exactly is employing you?" Rosalina inserted.
"Wouldn't yous like ta know! He's a betta employa den you coulda eva hoped ta be, ya big palooka!"
"If he's so great, why doesn't he come face me himself then!?" Bowser roared.
"Oh puh-lease!" Harriet replied. "Da boss is waaay too busy ta soil his hands wid garbage like yous and Mario! Dat's what we're here for!" Bowser and Rosalina each froze at that statement.
"Wait...you're the ones who attacked Mario!?" Rosalina asked. "What did you do with him!?"
"Why don't ya ask him yaselves when ya join him!?" Spewart suggested smugly. Suddenly, the large Broodal belched and upchucked a large glob of his signature purple substance down below. Bowser shoved Rosalina out of the way and embraced the onslaught head-on. He pulled and struggled, but couldn't break free from the goo. Bowser was completely stuck in place. Rosalina raced back towards him but stopped.
"Go! Get outta here!" Bowser ordered.
"What?" Rosalina replied.
"You heard me! Go! Get back to your space castle or whatever it is! I'll take care of these goons!"
"Are you insane!? You can't possibly defeat all of them by yourself in this condition!" Spewart shot another glob of purple goo at Rosalina. Once again, Bowser shoved her out of the way in time. But he was immediately pulled back into the original puddle he was trapped in.
"Well you won't be much help to me if you get caught in this stuff too!" the Koopa King argued. Topper removed his green top hat and clutched it in his hand. In a flash, a stack of identical hats materialized on top of it. Topper tossed the barrage of hats toward Bowser. Forced to stand his ground, the latter waited for them to draw closer. Once the hats were practically on top of him, Bowser consecutively punched and swatted each one away. It was all he could do.
"I won't leave you behind, Bowser!" Rosalina insisted. Waving her magic wand, the space princess summoned a handful of Lumas out of thin air. Not letting up on the assault for an instance, Harriet twirled her ponytails and launched a pair of bombs down at the earth below. Rosalina instructed the Lumas to pull Bowser out of the goo.
She then stepped in front of them and prepared herself for the bombs rocketing towards them. Waving her wand wildly, Rosalina summoned a blue, ring-like projection of light around herself. When the bombs reached the ring, they instantly raced around its path. After one lap, the bombs launched back up in the air towards the Broodals' ship. Bowser recognized this reversal technique as a variation of her Gravitational Pull move from her offensive repertoire in the Smash Bros tournaments. Panicking, Rango tossed his own razor blade hat and caused the bombs to explode in mid-air before they could reach the ship.
Even with their combined efforts, the Lumas couldn't pull Bowser out of the sludge. Bowser tugged with all of his strength but simply couldn't get loose. Topper repeated his earlier trick and pitched another series of green hats at the pair. Rosalina resolved to swap roles. Pointing her wand up at the hats, she instructed the Lumas to challenge them head-on. This would buy her a few extra seconds of time to try and help Bowser escape. The Lumas collided with each of the hats. The clashes all ended in a stalemate as the Lumas and hats both dissipated. However, just before the hats disappeared, a series of bombs that had been nestled inside each one emerged and rained down above Bowser and Rosalina. They exploded in a circle around the outer edges of the puddle and ignited a ring of fire all around. Now it was impossible for Rosalina to escape as well.
"Harriet, light 'em up!" Topper exclaimed. The female Broodal repeated her technique and catapulted another pair of bombs down below. The sludge that had been gripping onto Bowser's arms and shell finally broke. At last, the Koopa King had control over his upper body.
Too little, too late.
Bowser twisted his body and smothered Rosalina under his chest. The two of them shut their eyes frightfully as hell rained down and the flames engulfed them from all around.
Larry was at it again. He strolled slowly and aimlessly around Junior's empty bedroom. The Koopaling stared out the window at the setting sun one last time, then took a seat on the side of the bed behind him. He sighed. Larry was terribly worried about Junior. But he had arguably less reason to be than the others.
Larry knew from past incidents that Junior had a habit of using his magic paintbrush to summon portals and run away from his problems when the prince desperately wanted to be alone. But no matter where Junior went or how long he was gone when he sunk into one of these moods, he always came back eventually. Even though it had been just over a day since Junior had departed after failing his exam, he was still in terrible condition when he left; physically and mentally. Larry understood how ashamed Junior was likely feeling and why he would refuse to face anyone right now after the fact. But still, Junior needed support from his loved ones right now whether he liked it or not.
Larry was more than willing to offer Junior that support, just as he always did in the past. Any time Junior needed a shoulder to cry on, a playmate to pretend with, a trustworthy confidant to entrust with secrets, an entertainer to liven up a dull moment, or a warm, nurturing body to curl up next to during a thunderstorm, Larry had always been there for him. Junior turned to Larry when he couldn't do so with anyone else; even his own father. Larry had essentially helped the little Koopa shoulder the burden of not having a mother, and he helped him grow emotionally. The blue-haired Koopaling took immense satisfaction in this role as a best friend and caretaker. The two of them were close enough that deep down, Larry desperately wished they were blood brothers. It would've given him the sense of purpose and belonging that he'd longed for his entire life; the kind of family love and belonging he simply never got from his sibling Koopalings. Larry had never found a reason to tell anyone any of this, however.
The history of Larry's relationship with Junior hardly mattered now though. Larry couldn't do a thing to help until Junior came back to the castle on his own first. But there was no telling how long that would take this time around. Junior was hurting physically and his pride had been fatally wounded. Would the Koopa Prince be able to muster the strength and the nerve to come back through one of his magical portals once again?
Larry hated feeling so useless. But being here in Junior's room helped calm his nerves to an extent. The Koopaling was as worried as a mother would be for her missing child. But surrounding himself in the clutter of Junior's belongings and his distinct scent somehow helped Larry feel physically closer to Junior, even if he actually wasn't.
The other Koopalings always made judgmental comments to Larry in the past about how much time he spent in Junior's room when Junior wasn't around. They found it to be creepy and extremely overprotective. They weren't related, so Larry was not obligated to look after Junior by any means unless Bowser explicitly ordered him to babysit, which had happened on more than a handful of occasions. But still. Being Junior's primary caretaker was ultimately Bowser's job, not his. The Koopalings only needed to concern themselves with carrying out the orders of their superior. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, Junior was notorious in the castle for being little more than a bratty troublemaker. Ludwig led the opinion that Junior was incapable of expressing sympathy, manners, or any other necessary social traits for proper adolescent development. He never learned them. So, he didn't deserve to receive respect from anyone in return.
But none of this mattered to Larry in the slightest. He enjoyed the fact that Junior was so different. The prince's brattiness – as obnoxious as it was at times, admittedly – still meant that there was never a dull moment. In Larry's eyes, his actual siblings barely made much of an effort at all to get to know Junior. So what right did they have to judge or dismiss him so carelessly? Junior wasn't all bad. He may have been the son of the Great and Terrible Bowser Koopa, but he also had traits inherited from his mother as well; traits of affection and tenderness. Maybe it was just hard for him to open up and express these feelings because Bowser never taught him how. Or maybe Junior just hadn't found people worthy of seeing the different sides of him; other than Larry, of course. Regardless of the reason, Larry was willing to aid and defend Junior until the very end. They were more than friends, they were spiritual brothers; separated from blood relation by the cruel hands of fate. And right now, Larry desperately wanted his little brother to come home.
As if on cue to answer his prayer, a portal of swirling rainbow-colored light materialized in thin air in front of Larry. Out of its depths tumbled Junior, who spilled out onto the floor below. Larry leaped up from the bed and rushed over to his side. Junior sat up and the pairs' eyes met. The Koopa Prince frowned.
"Welcome home," Larry greeted warmly. The Koopaling helped Junior up to his feet and walked him over to his bed where Junior instantly sprawled out on his back.
"I don't wanna talk, Larry…," Junior replied bitterly.
"I didn't ask you to," Larry shot back. He was used to engaging in witty verbal sparring matches with Junior and was relishing in the moment of being able to do so once again. "How are you feeling?"
"What do you think?"
"We don't have to talk right now. Not until you feel ready to. But you're looking pretty banged up there. You want me to get the castle doctor?"
"No, it's just a couple of scrapes and bruises," Junior answered. "Just get me the first-aid kit." Larry nodded at the request and made his way for the door before stopping and looking back.
"Hungry?" Larry inquired casually. Junior placed his hand to his belly and sighed.
"Starving…," he replied. Larry smiled.
"I'll see what I can fix up for ya. Just stay put, okay?" Junior laid out flat on his bed and raised his arm straight up in the air with a thumbs-up signal. Shaking his head, Larry chuckled and exited the bedroom.
About ten minutes later, he returned with a tray holding a small first-aid kit and two bowels of jerky and dried shroom soup – one of Junior's favorite dishes. Larry handed one to Junior, but the latter rejected it; insisting he tend to his wounds before eating. Larry watched him in subtle, silent awe. It took him a moment to remember when Junior had gotten so responsible; when he learned such a skill; or when he had decided that this soup would be his dish of choice on the worst of days. It was that journey; the one Bowser had taken with his son all those years ago. That experience must've changed Junior for the better. Larry secretly longed to have been there to witness that journey.
"Can I ask you something?" Larry inquired when Junior finished treating his injuries and picked up the single remaining soup bowl off the tray.
"Depends what it is," Junior answered as he blew on a spoonful of the soup before sipping it.
"That paintbrush. It lets you physically travel to other places, right?" Junior nodded silently.
"When you vanish like that…," Larry paused as if to backtrack and contemplate whether or not he should finish his question. "…where do you go?" Junior paused as well before answering.
"Wherever I want. Just as long as it's…not here," the Koopa Prince answered. Larry continued to select his words carefully in his mind.
"Well… no matter where you go, you always come back sooner or later. No matter how alone you might feel here, you've always got me. You know that, right? Is that why you come back?"
"I guess…but that wasn't the reason this time." Larry's eyebrows rose.
"Then…what was?"
"My dad. There's something I need to ask him," Junior elaborated. "Where is he?"
"Gone," Larry answered. "He needed to meet with the council again."
"I thought he wasn't leaving until tomorrow."
"He wasn't. But I guess something came up and he wanted to see them sooner. The guy was in a pretty big hurry to get out of here."
"You think it had something to do with me?"
"I don't know," Larry confessed.
"Well…when do you think he'll be back?" Junior inquired. Larry shrugged.
"Who knows? He packed a suitcase so I guess it'll be a little while." Junior's spirits fell slightly. He wasn't sure why his father would even pack a suitcase. He rarely wore clothes. The only times he did was for council meetings. Regardless, Junior knew his interrogation would have to wait until Bowser returned. Despite it reminding him of his embarrassing exam failure, the castle was the best place for him to remain for the time being since here he could eat, sleep in his warm bed and surround himself with company; when he felt ready for that anyway.
The Koopa Prince polished off the last of his soup in silence. Larry was dying to talk to Junior more about what happened during the exam but resolved not to out of simultaneously wishing to honor Junior's wishes for space at the moment. The Koopa Prince yawned.
"You sound tired," Larry commented. "Better get some rest."
"I should take a bath first," said Junior. Larry shrugged.
"Eh, who cares what you smell like right now? Your dad's not here to lecture you about it. I say just skip it and go right to bed." Junior pondered the suggestion for a moment and decided to take it as he climbed underneath the covers. Larry picked up the lone empty soup bowl, made his way towards the door, and turned off the light.
"Night, Larry," Junior called out. The Koopaling smiled.
"Good night, squirt. I'm glad you're back."