Welcome, one and all, to PLMB! The sort-of sequel to I Promised. This won't focus on the Koopalings, but don't think I'll ignore them. They're the best sibling team, after all.
You're probably wondering about the peculiar title. Well, that will be explained in the story! In a few chapters, that is. Speaking of, these chapters won't all be in immediate sequence like in I Promised. Most of them will be separate events. Still in chronological order, though, barring flashbacks if I come up with any.
Disclaimer: SPOILERS FOR I PROMISED AHEAD!
Chapter 1: Gift from the Heart
Mario, Luigi, and Peach exited Castle Toadstool, the latter two carrying gift-wrapped boxes.
Mario asked the Princess, "So what did you get him?"
Peach looked down at her present. "I baked him a big cupcake! I know Bowser will probably have a big cake for him, but I'm sure he'll love having a personalized one from me."
Luigi looked at the small box she was holding. "Doesn't look that big to me." He blinked as realization struck him. "Oh wait, I bet you got one of those boxes that shrinks whatever you put inside them, didn't you?"
Peach nodded, smiling. "It's much easier to carry this way!" She gestured to the box Luigi was holding. "Is that present going to be from both of you?" she asked.
Luigi nodded. "We really had to hunt for it, and it cost a lot of coins."
"It's a Lucky Day badge," Mario explained. "We figured we'd do seven years old, lucky seven kind of theme with it."
A familiar cackle sounded above the trio as a shadow passed over them. They looked up and saw a very small airship approach, all eight Koopalings on the deck.
Bowser Jr. peaked over the bow of the ship. "Well those birthday presents sound just great! But I think I already got the best gift!"
Larry jumped down and snatched both gifts. "I'll be taking those!" And he leapt back up to the airship.
"Oh?" Peach asked. "And what might that gift be?"
A large mechanical hand sprouted from one side of the airship. Peach yelped as it grabbed her.
"A kidnapping!" Junior laughed.
Mario scowled. "You've gotta be kidding me!"
Roy called down to the Mario Brothers, "Don't worry, we're keepin' this one short!" He lifted his shades and winked. "Just follow us and roll with it!"
The Koopalings then flew off to a nearby tower. Mario and Luigi looked at each other. They both rolled their eyes and smirked, and they ran after their godchildren, ready for this short adventure.
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Bowser ran back and forth on a wide, metal grate high above the Castle Koopa courtyard, wearing a face-splitting grin. "Oh man, this is gonna be perfect!"
Kamek flew up on his broom. "The preparations are all complete, Your Giddiness," he reported, also smiling warmly.
Bowser pumped his fist. "Yes! Okay, once Mario and Luigi show up, I'll stand in the middle here. Mario will stand on that big red button over there, Luigi will stand on the big green button over there, and the grate will drop out beneath me, giving Junior a front-row seat to see me fall into that giant cake down there." He lay down and peaked through the grate at the cake in question down below. "It'll be hilarious and delicious! Gwahahaha!"
Kamek chuckled, "You're so excited, I would think this was your birthday."
Bowser laughed back, "Hey, my baby boy is turning seven! I think I'm allowed to be excited!"
Kamek sighed, rubbing some moisture building up behind his goggles. "I can't argue with that, Your Highness."
Bowser couldn't help but jump with both his fists in the air. "I haven't felt this good in years!" He turned and hugged Kamek, suddenly gentle. "It's Junior's second birthday since he helped defeat Orphan. Over a year without me having to worry about him, without Ludwig thinking he has to hide from him, without me needing to keep the paintings of Clawdia hidden away instead of in the halls for him and everyone else to see!" Bowser took a deep, shuddering breath. "By the Stars, it still doesn't feel real." He pulled away. "But it is! And I'm taking full advantage of it!" He laughed and ran off again.
Kamek sighed and shook his head, smiling at his king's energy as the latter stopped and knelt down to examine another part of the contraption. "Just like when he was a kid."
"Kamek?" Bowser asked.
"Yes, Your Childlikeness?"
Bowser shifted into a sitting position, breathing shakily. "Get me to the castle infirmary," he answered before collapsing.
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Mario lobbed a fireball at Larry while ducking one from Bowser Jr.
"And when you beat us here," Jr. explained as he jumped over Luigi's hammer, "we'll lead you to another tower where I'll fight you with Morton!"
"So we'll be fighting you each time, but with the next oldest sibling?" Mario asked.
"Yeah!"
Mario smiled warmly. "Fun!"
Larry nodded, smiling despite his ash-covered face from Mario's fireball hitting its mark. "It's his birthday present from all seven of us. Just wait til you see what King Dad is doing at the castle!"
Peach stood by the main doors, cheering both pairs of brothers on.
Suddenly said doors flew open and Ludwig ran in. "Stop the battle!" he yelled.
Everyone stopped and turned.
"But we're not done yet!" Jr. whined and pouted.
Ludwig shook his head. "I'm sorry, Bowser, but we're going to have to cut your present far shorter than we wanted. We need to get back to the castle now!"
Peach approached. "What's wrong?"
Ludwig looked into her eyes. "Father's suffered a heart attack!"
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While unconscious, Bowser watched through his children's own eyes as they flew their airship at high speed to the castle, their godparents on board.
"They love me enough to drop everything for me! Isn't that nice?" He turned to his guest and asked cheekily, "Don't you think it's nice?"
Orphan sat off to the side with arms crossed and his back turned from Bowser and his children's points of view via the Penumbra. He turned his head to glare shortly at the views, then at Bowser, then back to the nothingness he was occupying himself with. "Don't talk to me," he growled.
"As long as it keeps pissing you off, I'm gonna talk all I want!" Bowser boasted. "Turnabout's fair play, after all."
Orphan could only growl wordlessly, continuing to sulk in the corner.
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Wendy hugged Bowser. "I'm so glad you're going to be okay, Daddy!"
"Sorry for giving you that scare, sweetheart." Bowser squeezed a little extra for her and kissed her forehead.
"I still can't believe you had a heart attack." Wendy turned away and scratched her head. "I always figured just old people got them." Wendy froze, then turned back to Bowser. "I'm too young for you to be old!" she screamed, shaking him.
Bowser chuckled sheepishly, "You know, Kammy Koopa said the same thing. It's not as funny coming from you, though." He looked up at Mario, Luigi, and Peach. "You three didn't have to come, you know."
Mario shook his head. "Of course we had to come! For you, for the kids, for your minions, and even for ourselves."
Peach hugged Bowser Jr. "A heart attack doesn't attack just one heart."
Bowser sighed, "Sorry I ruined your birthday, Junior."
Bowser Jr. shook his head. "No, Papa, I'm just happy you're okay. There's still lots of birthday left."
Ludwig nodded. "The examiners gave you a clear bill of health and say you don't have potential for another one."
Iggy flipped through the papers the staff had given him. "They also said the heart attack shouldn't have happened in the first place. Nothing was wrong…" he looked back and forth between pages, brow furrowed.
Lemmy snatched them away. "Then don't worry about it for now! Let's get to the courtyard and party!" He stashed the papers in his shell so Iggy couldn't get to them.
Everyone filed out of the exam room, thankful that nightmare was short-lived and ready to resume the festivities, and Bowser looking forward to being dropped into the oversized birthday cake.
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While the rest of Castle Koopa celebrated the heir's birthday, three figures met in a small, quiet room far away from anyone else. One of them reached into a bag and pulled out a crystal ball. He set it down and rubbed it. It glowed. All three bowed slightly to it.
"We've failed you, sir," one apologized. "We followed your instructions and formula exactly, but the concoction didn't work. The king did have a heart attack, but he still lives."
A high-pitched laugh resounded from the orb. "Oh, the nonsense you speak gives me chortles! Failure is not being had here. Fawful's concoction was a success!"
The three looked at each other.
"Lord Fawful, you mean to tell us he was supposed to survive that all along?"
"So what is the next part of the plan? When can we see you again?"
That laugh again. "There is much readiness that we do not have for that, loyal minions! Not to be having for a long time! Go party and act like not-traitors. A summoning will come to you when it does."
The three shuffled in place and looked at each other again, but nodded and bowed fully.
"The Elite Trio humbly awaits your next orders, Lord Fawful."
Okay wow I didn't even beat around the bush there, just went straight to the reveal. And unlike in Bowser's Minions, the Elite Trio were never brainwashed in this continuity. Just full, willful treachery the whole time. Painfully right beneath everyone's noses, and will be for a good long while. Also I don't know how to write Fawful dialogue. Aaaaand Orphan still exists, but he's in his own personal hell. It's great. But Bowser can still interact with him face-to-face in his mind when unconscious, just like when he passed out here. And they can still watch Koopaling TV™ through Orphan's Penumbra!
Ludwig: You were very smart to keep Father's recovery short and in the same chapter.
*screams* Where did you come from?!
Ludwig: We caught wind that your special little project was getting a sequel, and I wanted to make sure you stayed within our contract.
I'm not an idiot.
Ludwig: *scoffs* Highly debatable.
Ugh whatever. What do you all think of this so far? Read and review!