Mario and Bowser: Frenemies Forever (Redux)

Love and War, part 2 (Chapter 10)

Disclaimer: Mario and co belong to Nintendo

Author note: Continuing where we left abruptly off. Do you like Bowser and koopaling centric chapters? That what this mostly is, alongside some pivotal events for the rest of the story. Yes, there is a bit of blabbing here, but we get some extra time and POVs we couldn't until now due to the semi-mysterious nature of their excursion. Please enjoy!


"No, I wasn't tryina.. once ya hit the TO/GA button, you can't stop… yeah yeah It's super old tech whatcha gonna do about..What? We're hitting some clouds. Gotta go, can't hear ya." The Koopa King shut his dumbphone. A bead of sweat rolled off his forehead onto the barrage of controls in front of him, a high voltage wire left exposed from their patch-up job sparking a few times before another fuse popped.

Kamek, co navigator, reset the circuit, glaring warily at his step-son. "Why waste time with that pest, Lord Bowser?"

"Lay off, gramps. I got this… Get!"

Following the northerly pointed needle on the compass, Bowser cruised along. There were no markers anywhere, only the glint of water bodies as they sailed over sparsely populated kingdoms, tantamount to flying in a void at moments. He'd coaxed the airship to be steady, but the Koopa King felt his stomach churn despite that. Fresher air away from the cities really let him reflect. It smacked him bluntly that an impulsive primitive side got him to this point, running off with captives after breaking a sworn oath.

Or.. like his eldest son, he could play the plausible deniability game! He stopped slumping for the first time. Peach was tucked away somewhere in the maze-like layout, so they just didn't see her onboard until they'd crossed the six kingdoms between the Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Land. What if he did go through with it? His union with Peach wouldn't 'mean' anything, it was just part of tyranny. Bowser could cure her citizens too since that part of the scheme was already fulfilled. See? He wasn't heartless. Once he made her kingdom and her allies fold under his will, he and that plumber would be free to do whatever they wanted.

There, everything WAS under control!

That high wore off with the sheer uneventfulness of the rest of the journey. Bowser was half asleep crossing his kingdom's border. Was his castle not the sole structure on the property for acres, he might have missed it honestly. He only fully awoke after the rough touch down and forty degree roll, followed by the stampede of occupants hopping overboard.

"Stop stop stop!" From the railings he watched one by one their spiked shells tremble, yards away from the castle's back door. "Forgetting something?"

After an arduous search they weren't, repossessing Peach from her pantry hiding spot. How she'd discovered a section of the doomship even they'd forgotten about, they didn't know. Wendy and Lemmy together took her in, typically reserved for Roy or Morton, but they were 'feeling better, but still not well' along with Iggy. Upon asking why, lips sealed. The princess wailed the entire time, putting on a show that would have attracted a crowd at any other hour in their stone castle corridors, gratingly wishing for the stars to save her.

Walking alongside as she was escorted to her deluxe holding room, Bowser stuffed his ears. That was the problem with them, sitting around waiting for providence to do it all! Everything handed over on silver platters! At least Toadsworth was tolerable, his barely conscious body carried down to the dungeon without incident..


"Please hire a professional planner for once, Vater. I shall elaborate in due time, but I fear I may be unable to conduct the orchestra."

"I didn't want cha to."

"Excuse me?"

"I love your tunes but who wants a migraine on their wedding day? If I really do this thing..."

Bowser marched up and down the red carpeted stone corridors. Prisoners were secured, their family were scattered about, likely rummaging in a kitchen, and his Troop, aside from dedicated watchers, were settled in bed if they knew what was good for them. Father and son had no destination at the moment, simply a shared or inherited habit of pacing aimlessly.

"You cannot hold the princess for very long without a formal decision," Ludwig replied vaguely. "Why do you dither?"

"Because!" Bowser paused and huffed coincidentally at the dusty lapis lazuli bust of his brother, the fleshly version of him unseen since the assasination of father King Morton. His departure was so ill-timed and repugnant, no one dared to utter his name anymore. "Just lemme figure it out. I'll have an answer by tomorrow, okay? Why Mushroom Flu anyway? Was it just to scare them or.." he trailed.

Ludwig benignly planted himself at the other side of the seven foot tall structure. "A tool to force submission firstly, and to establish a ransome arrangement, that is if the princess did not voluntarily place herself in our clutches. I discovered detailed notes on it while cleaning out old chests and filed it away until a time when I needed to transcend our basic kidnapping plots."

"And why did ya?"

"To impress the… never mind, I beg. It is purposeless to enmesh you or anyone else when nothing is solidified," he explained stiffly. "By the way, the author of the notebook was Dr. Mario."

His father stared blankly. Ludwig followed his gaze to the opposite wall of the hall, where dozens of hand painted portraits of notable Darklandian figures were hung.

"...Vater? There is no relevance to your rival. 'Mario' is a surname."

Still nothing.

Ludwig estimated he could be staring intensely at Princess Keuxis reigning 50 B.C.E to only 35, primadona who conscripted soldiers for stage plays, dying from laughter at their abominable acting skills. Or Keschylus 1604 to 1612, his reign terminating when a paratroopa made an emergency landing- on his head. That didn't bode well… Or glutinous Koopa A. Frederick, king from 1300 to 1336, whose digestive system failed after too many.. mushrooms.

"...Vater!" His echo bounced around the room.

Bowser snapped his way. "G-good night. Alright?...Get!"

Ludwig saluted and left him to trek to his bedroom alone.

A sentry hovered outside the giant iron throne room door, a lakitu with balaclava atop a darkened cloud. "Sentry #11 reporting. Your time cards are in order now. We've accounted for all minions that deserted this morning, deceased or not. We can send undercover goons to recover the bodies by 00:40 in the morning. We haven't yet nailed the freak responsible, but we made sure he ain't returning home, boss.."

Bowser groggily nodded along. "For security, lift both bridges tonight. That's an order." He brushed past him, eager to jump in bed.


Larry spoofed an instant message from one of Kammy's girlfriends to draw the crone away from the special room. Designated for holding princesses, it differed from the dungeons in that it had a real bed with a canopy, a vanity set, and a barred window with a great view of all of the lava outdoors. He tip-toeed around in the warm candle light, evading the usual tattletales stationed around his royal home. After peeking around the last corner before the staircase that lead up the spire, he ducked back-

The girl cusped her hand over her mouth. "Tanner, right? Dude, you won't report that?"

"Pro tip: We don't tell King Bowser every little thing. When somebody's wanted for 'questioning' it really means-" The gangly koopatrol did a chopping gesture across his exposed tanned neck. "This guy is outta this world. He's like the best illusionist, only better because it's real. He's just hiding for tonight at so and so.."

"Yeah well I was smack in Toad Town all day. He tenderized a bunch of people's brains!"

"-Wait how many? ..O-oh, jeez. I didn't know he got into that much trouble.."

Larry kneeled over, nauseated overhearing them talk about the guy the Troop were hunting for tonight, burning down his cabin in the village next door over in the process. Larry could spill this new intel and rebuild his sullied reputation, but heck-to-the-no! The janitor had done some bad things to their soldiers unabashedly, but by destroying the castle and displacing the princess he was blatantly the only reason his brother could salvage the kidnap. To him it was no different than when the koopalings were tasked to throw hoards of baddies at the Mario Bros on any given day, knowing full well some might not make it back. No one was really mourning losses. The acceptance of collateral was so ingrained in their culture, the real problem the Troop, specifically Ludwig, had with that guy was revolting.

Tanner continued, "Oh I forgot ha ha.. here."

Emery accepted the travel vouture, blushing. "Thanks. Yeah, enough of that stuff. I can stay anywhere in Neo Bowser City with this?"

"If not owned by the warlords, totally. My friend and I did it a lot before I was promoted full time. Ha ha.."

"-Attention please, this is a secured area UNFIT for tours on behalf of uninitiated operatives such as Miss Toady!" Ludwig ran up on both with an electronic torch illuminating their stunned faces.

Larry cursed silently. Ludwig had already pardoned his earlier rebellion in exchange for his computer. Another infraction might take away something else dear, like his headphones. He backed off, for then..

Meanwhile Tanner saluted, letting his spear clash to the ground in a klutzy manner.. "Sir! Sorry for breaching a sector.. I umm, got carried away welcoming our guest into the troop and providing accommodation in the city."

Ludwig mellowed somewhat. That saved him from the tears that would likely erupt from her if he disclosed that the castle had no vacancy outside the dungeons and Junior's empty pet pens. "Very well. Good night."


The commander entered his sanctuary, plopped down at his writing desk, twiddled his gold pen, and crossed one leg over the other. The journal destined to contain his manifesto remained empty, the same one that had to be completed to impress the Elders of the National Villain Counsel. What defined 'Ludwig Von Koopa'? What was his purpose?

He decided on Love and War.

Love: Not a fabrication, genuinely! -Also not of a romantic sort as he supposed he wasn't 'attracted' to anyone at the moment, not lasciviously. Intellectually he may have crushed on a few professors at college, but.. So anyway familial love was real too, but he digressed. It was more aptly described as passion for music, science, technology- also the grittier ones, history, politics, and social studies, leading to-

War: An ugly necessity, for there was much to fight for. As long as the Mushroom Kingdom held dominance, people like him had a duty to dismantle it. Facing his bed, so that it was the first thing he saw every morning, was a wall filled with his stockpile of battle metals, a spot in the middle cleared for what could soon hold the most prestigious yet if he reported his success to the Counsel.

Five pages in, it was time for a stretch and diversion to other projects. Better late than never combing over all the yellowed pages of the "Ex Spatio Obiecti Specialem Lexicon" from his library. The Mushoomy star centered faith was a 'speciest and nationalistic concept' for a certainty, but there was validity he could not deny in recognizing and respecting their power, as their unwitting utilization ranged from bizarre effects, to portals to other realms, reality warping.. There was another 'R' thing it did, but he'd need to locate his bookmark on it again. After straining a while over small text, he remembered he had something else less bookish but far more conclusive to study. Iggy's video capture saved on Larry's laptop!

The battery was drained. He found himself awkwardly tethered to the outlet behind his piano when the wide screen snapped down on his fingers.

"Ouch! Blöder Dell X-'POS'…" He readjusted the broken hinge.

The footage was fuzzy, unrecognizable. He leaned in until the computer buzzed and powered off. He sneezed. An influx of particles he dismissed as dust agitated from under the keys. A coughing fit overtook him as the air grew dense. No telling what crud Larry...This wasn't normal.. Something very dark and acidicaly steadily spilled from the battery compartment , pooling on top of his ornate rug, solidifying and clumping in spots that writhed. He scrambled to his feet, tripping over his bench. It covered his entire room now, molding over each and every shape He was surrounded and seared as some of it inched onto his toes.

"Yippee..We found out why he didn't answer… Oh God, I forget he weighs as much as a thwomp.. Help!"

Two people close by grunted for a while. Ludwig felt something plush-like give under him. His crusted over eyelids cracked open and he lay on his made up king sized bed. Leaning up, the first inclination was to be quite hot witnessing his trusted adjutants sneaking out at 11:55 PM, but a partition of his memory was blotted out completely and that was far more unsettling.

The two koopalings continued obliviously, "We should have used my Movematic2000 v.4 Alpha. Up to four tons of lift with her built in gravitational distortion."

"The last toy of yours we used killed somebody today, even though you swore it was just a prop! And how is that a 'she'?"

"Lemmy-sama, do I really need to explain?" Iggy giggled. "Besides prop and nonlethal are not mutual. Mrs. Mover however is never dangerous- if set at less than medium power."

Lemmy pivoted around on his ball. "-Oh, whoops. Hey your door was open and you were all strung out next to this exploded thingy." He dropped the corroded aluminum shell of the notebook next to Ludwig.

Iggy hastily strapped on a flat backpack. It was apparent then he was paler and rolling around atypically on a two wheel balance scooter. "Annnd we gotta bounce. When I blacked out today I missed the reminder on my phone for the limited midnight release of Princess Parlor 8 from Play-N-Tirade downtown. Wendy-chan wants it as a graduation gift.."

"Halt."

They shuddered in his doorway.

"I will accompany you all," Ludwig slid out of bed, light headed. Maybe a Turtle Tea from the 24-hour bistro not far from there would help him through the rest of the night. He struggled back and forth on whether to turn back when, as his feet left the bridge of Bowser Castle, there was a loud grinding noise. The drawbridge raised behind him, leaving the crevice that contained lava.

It was 12 AM and the decision was made for him.


Deep in the forest, under the canopy of the hardwood trees, items plunked on the soft dirt. The floating figure scanned the various shapes partially hidden under the brush the best he could, adjusting his glasses repeatedly as they slid downwards. If he wasn't so prone to dissipation and wasting his talents, culminating into being run off every time he settled somewhere, he may have seen an optometrist by now.

There was a letter to his brother living his boring life somewhere in Special World, goaded on by what his father said on the back of that old photo. There was a map of Neo Bowser City, not living here long enough to know the layout. His prized antique bell, glowing in a mildly worrisome way. There was one other time when it had done this, when he was much younger. Like today he'd rang it a few times for some sick fun, then some 'Evil Artifact Busters' or something raided his family's home and said they'd dispose of it off in another kingdom…

Last on the checklist was an envelope postmarked Bowser Castle, ATTN: 'Guard Tanner', containing a short message and a morbid souvenir from his adventures like the only friend liked so much, a Lexus emblem from a certain crash today. He sniffed a bit, wishing he could squeeze that koopa one for time and accidentally on purpose choke him, or punch him in the gut and be the one instead to recoil due to his armor. Great guy..

Securing the items in a knapsack, the only thing he was able to grab before those losers surrounded his cabin, he was ready to go, not entirely done with his 'old' ways.


Three young adult koopalings traverse on foot through the thick brambles of the woodlands between them and Neo Bowser City. Ludwig inadvertently made it so when he siphoned all the fuel from the Troop's vehicles this morning when the minions first snuck off. He would suppose their plebeian method could be for stealth, but this brothers did not appear to be worried so-

"-We should get King Dad into that series! He'll love the locations they use for the epic battles. What if he's motivated to switch the castle layout sometimes? He won't be defeated so much due to players memorizing their button presses and speeding through his levels in record times!"

"Quit that 'life is a videogame' fan-theory stuff," Lemmy laughed. "So, you brought the credit card, right?" He cautiously glanced over his shoulder, where Ludwig trailed grumpily and got whacked repeatedly by branches and twigs.

They didn't think he would pay for such drivel, did they?

Iggy dug in the backpack. "I'll write a check!.. Or not because. Darn it. Sam and Slam made an overdraft and I knew that.. Gosh, I'm just so thrown off since that blackout thing.."

Ludwig quickly inserted himself in between them. "Their work today was worth 500 coins. You did not deplete your account, did you Ignitus? Are you in competition with Wendy?!"

Iggy shrugged it off with equanimity. "More like, I have a friends that snaffle, hahaha..'"

"We cannot permit that! I knew they were mendacious when they overcharged for services the last time. Larry's harddrive upgrade last month was not a terabyte NVMe module as billed, but a antediluvian SATA based chip, a ruse that would mislead and placate anyone but I, who reexamined the specifications tonight, before it malfunctioned that is, sometime before your intrusion-"

"Why were you on Larry's, erm, kinda gross laptop anyway?" Lemmy cut in over the gobbledygook.

"For the footage from Peach's castle in search of a mythical object, hypothetically the origin of what we encountered there."

"Luddy…"

"Indeed I am a proponent of secular Kingly Law Lemmy, but this matter should be distinguished as what I seek may NOT concern the particular stars those smug Mushroom freaks are indoctrinated to believe they have unequal value regarding-"

Lemmy rolled his eyes.

He sighed. "-Fine! You know I am no Philistine as well. Oh look-" He gestured ahead in an overly dramatic way. "There is your destination, ravaged by soporific nerds!"

Deeper into the Badlands, territories not under KT control flourished into smaller villages and in this case 'respectable' modern cities. Play-N-Tirade was a small dome shaped shop on the street corner of road #673, koopas crowding into it and leaving with shopping bags, even with the chronic city beyond it was dazzlingly lit, sky rises sprouting from otherwise barren red soil and armored vehicles whipping and gliding around tight paved curves.

His brothers slipped on oversized space helmets, Cowboy Boom Boom merch, to shroud their identity. Ludwig had no such preparation, and upon seeing the crowd he knew squeezing inside among the grease and various body odors and trying to confront the Sumo Bros over money was unideal anyway.. Since he knew where to find them another day, the commander bypassed the store front, windows stuffed with lively colorful merch from popular video-games and shows. He covered his blue hair with a promotional flier, walking a block to the 'Eat. Drink. WiiConnect24' shop. The pedestrians and migrants were rougher than he remembered, but he was armed.. He made it in and out with some tea. Traveling back to the game store someone stopped him on the slippery sidewalk.

"The owner's in?"

Ludwig blinked a few times. "Unaware."

The stranger wiped the rain off his glasses. During that split second Ludwig found them familiar. That person and entered the Play-N-Tirade, leaving near instantaneously and vanishing into the fog. Enlivened by caffeine, the commander became more aware of what had subtly been an irritant since waking up on his bed. It started with dizziness, then he saw something inside the moodily lit bistro. A persistent afterimage was burnt in his vision, a faint geometric shape, very erratic, an uncountable amount of angles to it, sharp in every direction. He stopped sipping the beverage as his vision blacked out, as if suffering from orthostatic hypotension, which he was not susceptible to normally. He feared he would collapse in the street when-

F O LL OW H I M

"So whenever they show up in town, you're gonna.."

"..Unfriend …them on.. Playstation Network?"

"And?" Lemmy's smile flattened, adjusting the cheap umbrella that kept turning inside out. "Okay we'll save it for later." He knew it shouldn't have taken Ludwig popping off over this to get him to notice Iggy's problem, guilty he'd absently juggled, sometimes literally, his Troop secretary duties, his performances at the Emerald Circus, and what little personal time he had left until now. His little brother had also exuded all of his alacrity during their brawl for a copy of Princess Parlor, so now, despite not using his legs, he was plainly exhausted. "Iggy. We gotta get him up somehow. He's sleepwalked a million miles away and we're gonna get in like so much more trouble than we already are!"

"...Don't worry about that... This Springo Candy will.. get us over the castle's moat."

"That's not what I mean. Oh wait, maybe he's done?"

Ludwig's body ceased its stilted gait before what appeared to be an abandoned mini-fortress, imperturbably soaking wet from the storm that raged since Lemmy and Iggy left the shop in time to spot him wandering off. He would walk and not speak crossing over all terrain, and even a shallow stream. He went on the move again, approaching the entrance.


The teenager stalking the tallest spire of Bowser Castle wanted to send his fist through a wall. Kammy was stationed once again outside the deluxe holding room. When he snuck back downstairs a white light bled from underneath the kitchen door. Digging in the refrigerator secretly was impossible even for him, for this room the center of the castle was miniscule, perhaps even by commoner's standards, to discourage goofing off. He poked his head in.

"I see ya, son.." Bowser kicked it shut, sipping from a glass of milk. His jagged shadow flickered on the wall of spices and other materials from the candle light.

Larry dragged himself in.

"Hand this to old hag for me, then GET TO BED!"

Cleaning out his ears, Larry examined the document addressed to Peach. He diverted swiftly to his room to grab from under his bed a pad of stationary that matched his father's. He wondered when the trade he'd made with Morton for it, in exchange for a record player, would pay off. He was missing the correct writing utensil and knew where to acquire one, walking down the corridor of koopaling bedrooms:

Morton's door appeared solid steel, only he knew it was actually wooden with mismatched plates glued on the outside. Being such, sound went right through it, only tonight there was none. Wendy's door was gold trimmed smoky glass, the latest trend. One could not spy however, due to her layout and the various weaved dividers she shifted around during redecorations. Iggy's was skewed, something he meant to fix at some point, with a 'Koopa Ball Z' banner taped to it. No chemical smell, so they were safe- for now. Roy's was legitimately made of dull iron too heavy for most of them to push, sound proof with five chains and locks shut up for the night. Lemmy's was bare and plain, almost too much, though the zany interior made up for it. At last he reached Ludwig's room, with an old expertly restored bronze palace door plucked from the first fortress he ever conquered.

Picking the lock and stepping in, he blew a gasket at what was left of his laptop. He angrily snatched a fountain pen from the writing drawer and stomped out. Since the drawbridge was raised, Ludwig must be hanging around somewhere, ready to make his life miserable. -Okay, make an adjustment.

"Psst," he called to Tanner, guarding the hall that lead to the stairs. When the koopatrol came over he whispered. "Yo, dad made me a fetch boy but I'm tired. You do it. Pass whatever I give ya on to granny-janny, and give me whatever she hands back. I know you know about a certain dark boo. I ain't gonna rat if you help me out."

He flushed. "Sir!"

"Shhh! Just do it." He shoved the rolled note into his gauntlet and watched the koopatrol hustle up the long spiral staircase up.

Larry waited at the bottom. Beneath that bravado just then, he was about to suffocate, wondering if the princess would be receptive. He'd copied his father's signature headers for formal documents, just in case they peeped, but in the rest of the note, written meticulously in cursive (as Bowser wrote contrary to popular belief. Proper cursive was in fact how he picked up the English language way back when) he told her everything he couldn't when he saved her from the barrels in the airship. Basically he vented about everything so far, especially how if Mario was living his 'truth' with a billion people watching him, he could too.

"Sir!" Tanner handed over another note. It was in the thin rule paper kept in the holding room.

"Thanks. Whatever." Larry cooly strolled far enough before checking it. She thanked him. Called him a kind soul, knowing he had something like that to say when he'd choked up earlier and cried with her. The stars were with her- and him. She was calm now, more worried for Toadsworth. She'd dread this, suspecting Bowser couldn't change his tune even for Mario. She also told him to not be so rigid and think more about his principles, mystifying him.

He wrote back, compelled to even if it cast suspicion, and passed it to Tanner, hiding his sweating. The koopatrol had a flash of weariness before obeying the order and sending another note up the spire again.

Even quicker than last time, Tanner returned with a reply. This went on a few times, Larry imploring her to clarify which she refused. On the sixth round Tanner was worn but amiable, and Kammy's faint giggles seemed to curl down the staircase and reach them both.

Well that was confirmation their imagination was dancing wildly at what Peach and 'Bowser' might be saying. Larry flushed, more so when he discovered he'd worn her down.

She said verbatim, "You, dear, remind me of a point in my life where I was determined to evolve from the sort of 'thinking' my predecessor had, only I had no precedent. I settled for 'completely opposite of everything I knew'. I cannot speak for you, but for me that was not the wisest choice, for I learned that that person' in my life who was wrong about many things was not about everything. Sorting through that will take longer than one night."

It was far past early morning now, so if he slept on it maybe he'd get her point.. The koopaling swiped the junk off his bed and slid under the covers, hearing some paper crinkle. For fun, he brought out the original note from Bowser and unfolded it.

"This is an official declaration from King Bowser Koopa to Princess Peach Toadstool. I was going to wait until Junior was home from camp for this announcement, but it's no use. He can't read this anyway. They don't teach this style in school anymore. We both know that Mario forfeit his obligation to save you and Luigi is on the mends so, I have decided that, since you're stuck here anyway, we might as well get hitched!"


"Luddy, stop! What are you-"

Their brother barged into the dilapidated stone structure. A scratchy low voice from inside yelled incoherently, a person awakening inside. The brothers rushed into the arch of the doorway and into the square concrete room, roof leaking in one corner and the person Ludwig was confronting in the other. Lemmy's jaw dropped a little, knowing Zoo Diddley- at least professionally. If this is what his brother was after, he deserved to be caught. He used their shared profession to get hired quickly this summer, only to turn out to be a mook murderer. The only source of light was a curious thing on the floor next to a glasses case, a bell that glowed a yellow color.

"Bro, I was leaving- I wasn't uh- those guys weren't that loyal to you anyway-" the dark boo sputtered. "Really, almost every one of them hated your guts. Why you think they skipped-"

"I command you to hand over the bell," Ludwig droned.

"That's what this about? No way!" The boo took a deep breath, bridling himself. "Listen bro. I know you're a rich prick- okay sorry, but.. It's the only thing left from my childhood home and it was stolen from me before. Last week, I dunno how, it just showed up in a thrift store while I was traveling. So-"

Ludwig repeated the command, same cadence and all. Lemmy stared a hole in the back of his head, finding that material thing odious to focus on. A lump however formed in his throat as Ludwig reached for a holster on his side. He revealed a borrowed replica firearm from the anime show 'Cowboy BoomBoom'.

Iggy lurched forward, taking wobbly steps off his scooter. "Careful! That's another one with real laser action!"

Before the lanky nerd reached for his right arm, the 'toy' triggered, blasting the wall spectacularly. Bricks crumbled, revealing a hole outside. Zoo fled, phasing through the walls. His ears rang. His left side stung severely as the rain pelted him. He knew he was nicked by the laser or shrapnel, stumbling around in the forest. He'd mailed his letters so there should be two things on him now, but there was only one. He'd left his glasses.

Zoo paused at a fork in the road. Squinting, both were labeled…screw it, he couldn't tell.. Lemmy and Iggy kept wailing after Ludwig behind him. He made a choice down the right path, bumping into trees and getting snipped by nipper plants along the way. The rain let up as it led into a clearing overlooking the neighboring kingdom. The dark boo collapsed at the lip of the cliff. There was a long drop down onto the islands of Pipe Land. He was lighter again. Dreadfully, he knew what that meant..

"-Luddy, son of a biscuit! First you sleepwalk for like an hour, then whatever you call this?! Put that down and look at me!" Lemmy rolled up to Ludwig and forcibly spun him his way, right after Ludwig bent to pick up the bell. Its glow abruptly died, like a busted light bulb. Was that the mythical object'?

So what?

Lemmy peered closely at Ludwig's countenance for the first time since their voyage into town. Some lightning flashed and Lemmy gasped, rolling back. "W-what's wrong with your eyes?"

His pupils were blacker than the sky and irregularly shaped, starry.

Ludwig did an odd uncanny smile, like a non-humanoid entity attempting it for the first time. He then rang the bell in wild motions. Zoo was about to pick himself up, wring a koopaling neck and snatch it out of his paws when he froze at the taste of blood in his mouth, streaming from his nose. He didn't make it off the summit, his strength eroding in an instant. Using that bell for a rare neat effect always gave him a pang of weakness, but the way Ludwig abused it-

Iggy began to grimace, debilitated on his knees. The circus performer was beyond freaked out. He didn't get it. The bell must be broken, its ring undetectable under the thunder. Shortly the antique gave up the ghost and disintegrated in his brother's palms, some sort of particle or smoke releasing upwards into the air. Ludwig, his pupils blue once more, speechlessly staggered into Lemmy's arms, and they both collapsed into the high grass. The younger brother slid away from under him and craned his head upwards. The stormy clouds were shifting over to them. He could track it as the stars blanked out one by one and heavy gusty winds knocked him off his ball, and onto his knees, scabbing them up. The thunder seemed directly above them. He listened again. It was a voice all along!

"TH ANK YO U F OR FR E EING ME A T LAST. AS Y OUR R EW ARD, THE W IN DS THAT CRE AT ED YOU R W ORLD WILL NOW DE STR OY IT!"

A hurricane like gales flicked the four bodies on the hill away like fleas. Those with spiked shells back into the woods, the one without the opposite direction. It was a very long drop down into the choppy seas of Pipe Land.


Author note: Not a plot hijacking left fielder at all, look back at the clues. Some go way back. If you're familiar with the 2019 cut, this twist is not a twist at all, however this was hopefully a better version of those events where I don't completely show my hand yet. There are still more layers to this, all of which has been restructured and reimagined from the old tale. Stay tuned.

Created: (As 'A speciest and nationalistic concept') 6/10/19, 6/11, 6/12, 6/14, 6/16, 6/17, 6/19, 6/23, 6/25, 6/26, 6/27, 6/30

Edit: 7/12, 7/27, 7/28, 8/3, 8/4, 8/25, 8/26, 9/1, 9/11, 12/1/20

Revise (rename and total rewrite): 4/23 (split from previous part), 4/24, 4/27, 4/28, 4/29