Son of Bowser

by FutureKing24

Bowser Jr. is preparing to take up the throne on his 18th birthday. However, strange things are happening around the Mushroom Kingdom. A new threat lingers, dreams distort reality, and Mario and Bowser have vanished! Now, Junior will have to pass the ultimate test to prove he's worthy of becoming the new king of the Koopas in this suspenseful, action-packed sequel to The Promise!

50. Kamek

RECAP:

Roy, Larry, Daisy and Diddy arrived at New Donk City at last. Although the city was eerily empty, it wasn't hard to see why. They set their sights on Pleasure City – in all its glitz and glamour. The group was soon escorted to a backroom by Grubba – the sketchy head of Security - where they quickly came face-to-face with rivals and missing friends alike.

Alpha and Omega were there to welcome them to Pleasure City, and were quick to assure the invitees of the tournament's legitimacy. Diddy and Daisy became confident that Crusher and L were the missing Donkey Kong and Luigi, though the latter's behavior suggested otherwise. Don Frankie didn't hesitate to make his presence as grand overseer of the festivities known, and a no-nonsense Toad by the name of Jolene explained in great detail that entering the tournament was completely optional – although at the cost of one's free-will. Undeterred, Roy and the others all agreed to sign the contract. To their horror however, they quickly discovered that this "contract" was actually the administration of needles containing Essence.

Little did anyone know that Leanna – too drawn by the allure of seeing Roy again - was following the group and witnessed everything that transpired.

Meanwhile, Bowser and Damian debated with one another over whether or not the dangerous man whom the former assaulted should be banished from Dammerel for his previous crimes. In the midst of this discussion, Bowser unintentionally revealed more about his true nature than he meant to. The Koopa King motioned that he too should be banished; secretly hoping this would yield him the answer he needed about how to escape the island. However, Morris and Honey – the yellow female Yoshi - argued that Bowser could help end the suffering of the villagers by motivating them to take action and confront their past.

---

Junior arrived in the retirement village by the tail end of the afternoon just before the sun would begin to set. Although, he found it difficult to really classify this place as a "village." There was only a small handful of cottages lined up in a cul-de-sac formation at the base of a long-dormant volcano. There was just enough of a population here to call this place a small community if nothing else, but it lacked the bustle of a dense population. In fact, the place was relatively quiet.

Eternal Ember seemed to be sorely lacking all the splendor one might expect from the retirement community of the most revered and decorated soldiers of any kingdom's royal army. Junior's mind had had plenty of time to fantasize about what this place was going to look like while on his journey to get here. He imagined each and every soldier to be practically living in their own miniature castle; acres of land making up each of their properties; pristine and impressive concrete and marble walls and architecture stretching high into the sky; fine dining, top-of-the-line spas, and five star entertainment and recreational activities on every corner of town.

Perhaps Junior simply had clouded beliefs as to what retirement was like – coming from a line of royalty himself. But even if he had the lowest of expectations, the Koopa Prince immediately found that he would still have been expecting so much more than….this.

There were no grand walls or castles; no shops or restaurants; no neatly paved or well-lit streets; no tasteful statues or creative landscaping or inspired architecture. Just a small set of houses lined up side-by-side across a large patch of dirt, rock and soot.

Junior expected retirement to look like living comfortably in the lap of sheer luxury after a lifetime of dedicated service to the royal Koopa throne. Instead, it looked more like wallowing in borderline poverty.

As Junior strolled into town, he could have very well counted the number of denizens living here on one hand. One elderly Koopa was gardening, another was fast asleep in a rocking chair next door and snoring loudly, and two more were locked in an intense game of chess in front of a third house. It dawned on Junior at that moment that he had no idea which house Kamek lived in. They all looked identical on the outside. Although, the Koopa Prince gathered he could simply go door-to-door looking for Kamek and likely still find him in less than an hour total.

Without explanation, Junior found himself drawn to the rhythmic and oddly cathartic hiss of a broom sweeping across wooden floorboards. He turned to find an old human woman in a long, vintage maroon dress standing out in front of the house he happened to be passing by at that moment. She kept a large portion of her ash gray hair wrapped in a tight bun towards the back of her head. Her wrinkly face drooped low; stretching her mouth into a frown. Her downcast eyes seemed to be utterly engrossed in the repetitive task of dusting her property.

The Koopa Prince found it a tad odd that a human was living here in a neighborhood that he just assumed would be entirely populated by old Koopas. Were there other creatures living here too? Was she just some sort of special exception to the norm?

Having somehow sensed Junior's presence, the woman stopped and glanced up at him. Her gaze softened slightly and the corners of her mouth curved into a small, gentle smile.

"Hello, dearie," the woman greeted.

"Uhh…hi…?" Junior replied woodenly.

"It was a fine day today, wasn't it?"

"I…guess?" Junior answered with a shrug.

"A tad too much heat for my liking though. That's why I prepared a pitcher of fresh lemonade this afternoon. Would you like to come inside for a glass?"

The woman seemed harmless enough. Almost as though she could be someone's grandmother.

"No…thanks. I actually have somewhere to be," Junior answered. The woman squinted as her eyebrows knitted together.

"I don't believe I've seen you around here before. Are you a grandson of one of the residents?"

"Not exactly. But I'm looking for someone who lives here. Do you know where I can find Kamek?"

This seemed to squelch whatever suspicion the woman might've formed just now, as her neighborly smile returned almost immediately.

"Oh, certainly. Kamek lives just two doors down from here at the end of the street," the woman answered. Junior's eyes followed her thin, boney finger as it pointed in the corresponding direction.

"Thanks," said Junior as he turned and prepared to leave.

"Will you be staying with us long?" The Koopa Prince stopped and glanced back at her.

"I'm…not sure yet," he confessed.

"Oh well. Please give Kamek my regards."

Junior couldn't venture a guess as to why such a hesitant response seemed to satisfy this woman enough for her to mentally check out of the conversation without another word and return to her sweeping. But Junior had too much on his mind at the moment to really question it.

Arriving at the home in question and ascending a small staircase, Junior knocked at the wooden door with slight hesitation and waited. A moment later, he heard the click of a latch on the other side and the door slowly opened. Junior instinctively took a step back.

From the other side of the slightly ajar door, staring at Junior was not Kamek. In fact, Junior didn't recognize this person at all.

Instead, towering over him was an extremely tall and muscular Paratroopa. Its muscles and overall physique were extraordinarily defined to the point where Junior almost mistook this person for Bowser or Roy at the most blind initial glance. Yet this thing probably dwarfed both of them!

The Paratroopa wore spiked bracelets on its wrists and a gold rope tied into a belt around its toned and slender waist. An elegant red scarf covered the top half of its chest – which was decorated in half a dozen impressive-looking medals and honorary ribbons. Large, metallic shoulder pads held the scarf firmly in place on the creature's shoulders and dawned Bowser's trademark facial symbol on them.

This Paratroopa looked to still be in peak physical condition. What it was doing here in a retirement village was completely beyond Junior's comprehension.

But what left Junior visibly unsettled by this stranger the most – aside from the lone, sharp fang protruding out and upward from the creature's lower jaw - was the spiked blue shell-shaped helmet situated squarely upon the Paratroopa's head. It resembled a typical blue shell Junior would normally expect to find in the Mario Kart tournaments. This accessory completely obscured the Paratroopa's eyes from view.

Suffice to say, Junior found himself immediately intimidated by this creature, even though it seemed on the surface to have hailed from the same kingdom as him. Not to mention the fact that he was already caught off-guard in the first place by expecting a familiar face to answer the door instead.

"May I help you?" the Paratroopa asked in a deep and powerful, yet unmistakably dignified tone.

"Uhh…is Kamek here?" Junior replied nervously. The Paratroopa's cold, dismissive frown did not change.

"What business do you have with my master?"

This must be that personal aide Iggy mentioned, Junior thought to himself. He cleared his throat and straightened out his back.

"I need his help with something."

"I should disclose upfront that Master Kamek is retired," the Paratroopa replied simply in a rehearsed, monotone pitch; as though he'd given this disclaimer a hundred times. "Should the task be deemed too arduous, you will need to seek assistance elsewhere."

"W-well I…," Junior stammered. The Paratroopa was not amused. Clearly, he was in no mood to listen to a lengthy explanation as to what Junior's request was.

The Koopa Prince panicked a bit when he saw the aide's hand move slowly towards shutting the door. He had to say something quickly. If they were in fact from the same kingdom, then surely he might respond to a little flaunting of the royal authority.

"Yeah, yeah! I get that!" Junior exclaimed quickly. The Paratroopa stopped upon hearing such an obtuse response. "But don't you know who I am? I'm Bowser Jr. Y'know, King Bowser's son? Royal prince of the Darklands? Heir to the royal Koopa throne? Any of that ring a bell? You look like you're from the Koopa Kingdom so you should already know who I am just by looking at me," he insisted.

"I'm well aware of who you are," the Paratroopa replied without missing a beat. "Forgive me, your highness, but I don't believe my master was expecting you at this time."

"He's not. But the thing is, I really need to talk to him. It's an emergency."

"Who's at the door, Sarge?" a muffled voice interrupted from inside the house. The Paratroopa immediately stepped aside as another figure peered through the doorway.

It was an elderly Magikoopa, wearing the traditional aero blue robe. What set this one apart however, was an additional rope belt around the waist and a mauve cloak drooping down along the creature's backside from the shoulders; fastened in place by a red jewel on its chest.

The Magikoopa's old age was immediately apparent by the wrinkles on its sagging cheekbones, the snow white eyebrows peeking out from above its glasses, and the tall golden magic wand with a ruby on top that had been repurposed into a walking cane.

Despite all that had changed, Junior still immediately recognized this particular Magikoopa as Kamek.

"Kamek!" he blurted out with excitement. The Magikoopa inspected Junior from head to toe and smiled as the latter rushed in for a hug.

"Prince Junior, is that you? My, my, it's been ages. Just look how big you've gotten! Why, you were only up to my hip the last time I saw you."

"It's really good to see you again, Kamek," said Junior with a warm smile.

"And I you, young one. You're practically the spitting image of your father now." Junior admittedly had slight reservations about that comment, but decided not to object to it out loud. "What brings you all the way out here?"

"Well, I need your help. It's kind of a long story. You see-" Kamek raised an objecting hand.

"Before you start, please, come in. No sense in keeping you waiting out here any longer."

As if on silent command, the Paratroopa quickly stepped out of the way as Kamek motioned for Junior to follow him inside, then closed the door behind them.

Walking in, Junior's nostrils were immediately struck with a potent bitter odor that wasn't exactly disgusting, but still pretty far from pleasant. The Koopa Prince felt slightly nauseous by the smell as Kamek directed him to take a seat on the horribly bland beige furniture that made up the foyer.

There were decorative rugs lining the floor and walls all around with hypnotic swirl patterns and expensive-looking vases in the corners.

While Junior wasn't a fan of this old world aesthetic or the unmistakable "old person smell" this place gave off, the air inside was admittedly pretty warm and somewhat comforting. The Koopa Prince guessed that this was what it felt like to visit grandparents. Junior and Kamek sat on adjacent sofa chairs with a glass coffee table between them.

"Oh, where are my manners? Prince Junior, this is my personal aide: Sergeant Blue Shell," Kamek introduced as he gestured towards the monstrously large Paratroopa from earlier. "You can call him Sarge, for short."

"It is an honor and a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, Prince Bowser Junior," Sarge greeted cordially as he knelt down on one knee, firmly gripped Junior's hand, and shook it methodically.

Now that Junior had a better look at him, he suddenly noticed the absolutely gigantic angel wings protruding out from the Paratroopa's spiked blue shell. Fully sprawled out, the span of these feathered beasts likely extended far beyond the Paratroopa's own arms!

It wasn't hard to figure out how this guy got his title. A shell pattern like that was certainly a rarity in his species. And given his impressive physique, Junior could only imagine the kind of intense training this guy had undergone and all of the dangerous missions he completed.

In that moment, Junior suddenly realized he wasn't as well-versed in his kingdom's military rankings as he probably should have been for the soon-to-be king. But even considering what he did know about how the troops were organized from what his dad, Kammy, and Ludwig had taught him over the years, Junior still had never seen anyone like this before. All of those medals and awards on him meant he had to be some kind of war hero. The Koopa Prince assumed this guy probably accomplished quite a lot in his time serving Bowser directly; things Junior couldn't begin to truly fathom.

"You guys can drop the prince stuff with me, you know. Everybody just calls me Junior these days."

Sarge's jaw dropped open slightly; deeply insulted by what Junior had just said.

"Your title is a great honor, Prince Junior. You should be wearing it with pride at all times," Kamek argued with a frown. "There are countless individuals in our kingdom who would do anything to have the very birthright that you were blessed with, you know."

"Well…sure, but-"

"Nonsense. Never sell yourself short; and certainly not in our presence. I won't hear of it. Now then, I believe Sarge was just about to prepare a pot of tea. Would you care for some?"

"Sure…," Junior reluctantly agreed.

Sarge nodded, then shuffled out of sight around the corner. Kamek settled into his chair with an exasperated sigh, cleared his throat, and set aside his wand; intertwining his boney fingers together.

"So, how may I be of service to you?"

Junior proceeded to tell his story in its entirety to Kamek. From the day of his exam, his encounters with Contemno and his forces, right up until the moment Kammy's spirit possessed Merlon's body and told Junior about the royal crown she had enchanted with magic at Bowser's request.

Near the end of his narration, Sarge returned with a tray housing three steaming ceramic cups and a matching teapot. The servant placed the tray down on the glass table and handed Kamek and Junior each a tea cup and saucer before grabbing his own and taking a seat quietly on the couch next to Kamek.

Junior cautiously eyeballed the murky golden brown liquid inside his cup and felt his stomach turn.

Suddenly, all he could think of was Ludwig handing him the cup of Double Cherry tea the night before his exam. Then he recalled Merlon's lecture on Essence. The puzzle pieces Junior was desperately trying to keep from connecting joined once again inside his mind. The Koopa Prince then lost whatever small semblance of an appetite he might've had.

The slightly displeasing odor of his surroundings, now coupled with that memory. It wouldn't take much more to make Junior vomit at this rate.

He was silently hoping Kamek and Sarge wouldn't notice that he wasn't sampling his drink right away. Or if they did notice, that they would simply write it off as him waiting for it to cool off first.

"I see. That's quite a tale," said Kamek.

"So…do you think you can help me? With the crown, I mean?" Junior asked.

Kamek paused. Junior wasn't sure if this was because he was legitimately contemplating the possibility of it, or if he was simply choosing his next words carefully.

"I probably could," Kamek answered at last. Junior's face lit up slightly.

"Really?"

"I'm just not sure why I should." The Koopa Prince's face then immediately fell at that statement.

"What do you mean?"

"You just asked if I would be capable of helping you master the crown's power. Given my magic expertise and with enough time, I'm sure I could accomplish that. But I'm afraid I fail to see the reason why I should exert all of that time and energy into doing this for you." Disbelief bled across Junior's face.

"…Because I'm the prince, and you have to do what I say?" Kamek laughed at this.

"If you honestly believed that, then you wouldn't have encouraged us to dispel with addressing you by your title a moment ago. Yet now you wish to play the royalty card?" the Magikoopa scoffed. "Either say that again with actual conviction, or tell me the real reason."

"Okay, fine. How about because Kammy said you could do it?"

"Kammy's dead," Kamek replied bluntly. "If I were to go against her wishes, she would have no way of reprimanding me for it."

Junior raised an eyebrow and worked a muscle in his jaw at that. He couldn't tell if Kamek was joking around or he was actually being sincere with that remark. Either way, it didn't sit well with him.

"Wow, rude much? How about you show a little respect for one of your superiors, huh?" Kamek scoffed again and shook his head at this.

"Oh please, Kammy hasn't been my superior in ages. There may have been a time when I called her my mentor, but my respect for her ended long before you even started growing in your mother's belly."

Kamek smiled and smugly sipped at his tea. Junior shook his head incredulously. He shoved his teacup down on the table. The saucer clattered loudly on the ceramic surface and a few drops of the beverage spilled out onto the table.

"How can you be such a jerk towards someone who's dead?!" Junior exclaimed.

"Settle down, Prince Junior," Kamek said calmly. "You're losing perspective here."

"What?"

"There are things about my relationship with Kammy that you have no business understanding. What happened between her and myself is in the past. Instead of fixating on something that doesn't concern you, I suggest you focus on your own task instead."

"That's the whole reason I'm here," said Junior. "I came so you could help me master the crown's power. Not so I could sit here and listen to you bad-mouth someone precious to me!" Kamek shook his head.

"Hmph, I was right all along, it seems."

"Right about what?"

"You lack emotional intelligence, Prince Junior. I knew it from the first time I held you when I came to visit a few weeks after your birth. It was at your father's request, if I recall correctly." Kamek chuckled and shook his head again as he reminisced. "He was so excited to show you off to me. Like you were the very fruit of all his labor."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Junior asked as he felt his patience slipping.

"I bring it up now because I can still recall his disappointment – your mother's too for that matter – when I looked directly into your beady little eyes and then proceeded to tell your parents straight to their faces that you would be doomed to grow up too driven by emotion. Lord Bowser argued you were just a baby at the time and that you would grow out of it. But I always believed otherwise. I told him you would need quite a different upbringing than what they had planned for you. You required rigid discipline, tough love, unbreakable structure and routine, and a separate outlet for channeling any excess emotion. That was how all of the previous Koopa Kings were raised, after all. But that wasn't good enough for your father. Ohhh no. He wanted to do things differently with you. Granted, I can understand his point of view to an extent, given that he was-"

"Again, what does any of this have to do with what I'm asking of you right now?" Junior asked as he folded his arms and glared at Kamek.

"If you'd let me finish, you'll know soon enough," Kamek retorted. "Now then, what I was getting at before you interrupted was that I can see your parents ignored all of my warnings. They didn't give you any of the proper training you needed back then. Instead, they simply left you to your own accord where you became a slave to your emotions. That's exceedingly evident in the version of you sitting across from me right now."

"What the hell are you talking about, Kamek?"

"It's quite simple. When you get emotionally charged, you're unable to think rationally, Prince Junior. Any semblance of logic or objectivity goes right out the window the second someone pushes your buttons." Junior grinded his teeth.

"Y'know, I think I'm starting to see now why Dad didn't want you around me when I was growing up," he countered as he stood up and turned to walk towards the door. "I also see why he chose Kammy to be in my life instead! I didn't come all this way to be insulted!"

"That's precisely my point. Right there!" said Kamek as he snatched up his wand and pointed it at Junior. The Koopa Prince froze. "The second you hear something that makes you even remotely sad, angry, or afraid, you fly off the handle and run away. It's not healthy, not to mention how unbecoming it is for a future king. Tell me, how can you ever expect to triumph over this 'Contemno' fellow you were just telling me about minutes ago if you can't even stomach my criticizing your temperament right now?"

Junior's head and shoulders drooped. He clenched his fists. Sarge continued to sit still in his own seat; utterly unfazed by the escalation of this exchange.

"I'm trying…," Junior muttered softly.

"If you want to leave now, you can. The door's right over there. I'm not your father, grandfather, uncle, or even your godfather. I may have been your father's babysitter for a time when he was a baby himself, but the same was never true for you. So if you're waiting for me to chase after you or hold you in my lap and tell you everything's going to be alright, then you're mistaken," said Kamek.

"You think you're the first person to give me this speech about how I need to toughen up? Get in line, old man," Junior retorted pessimistically.

"You're an adult now, Prince Junior. That much would still be true even if you had come from just about any other average family outside of the Koopa monarchy. It's never too late to change your temperament, but it's something that takes a lot of practice. I say all of this because you have two choices. You can walk out that door right now and waste time blindly stumbling around until you find some other way to get stronger and accomplish your goals. Or you can swallow your pride, sit back down, and we can continue this conversation like adults. So, what will it be?"

Junior considered this, wiped the tears forming from the corners of his eyes, and took a deep breath. Once composed, he turned slowly and sat back down in his seat.

"You should drink your tea. It should be cool enough by now and it can help you relax," Kamek suggested as he gestured to Junior's lukewarm cup on the table. Any semblance of steam had long since abandoned it.

"I'm…not a big tea drinker…," said Junior.

"Have you ever tried it before?" Kamek asked skeptically.

The flashback of Junior drinking Ludwig's Double Cherry tea haunted his mind once more, causing him to visibly wince. He was sure Kamek and Sarge had noticed his reaction by now.

"Once…"

"Well, I'll think you'll like this flavor. It's Maple Shroom Syrup. Sarge, go re-heat it for him, won't you?"

"It will be done, Sir," Sarge immediately agreed as he stood up, took Junior's tea away, and disappeared around the corner again.

Kamek's wand glowed for a brief second and a handkerchief materialized in his other hand. The Magikoopa held it out to Junior, and the latter used it to blow his nose.

"Given your upbringing and since I wasn't around much while you were growing up, you shouldn't blame yourself for getting so heated just now. It isn't your fault. No matter what you might think of me right now, you should know that I don't think badly of you, Prince Junior. I didn't say what I did just now to bully or belittle you. Even so, do you hate me?" Junior pondered this for a second.

"Well…I don't exactly love what you said, but..." Kamek laughed at that, which caused Junior to smile a little himself.

"Fair enough! But if we want this conversation to be productive, there is something you must understand about me first. I am not Kammy or your father. I will show you respect as anyone from the royal bloodline should receive. But I will not show you blind affection or give you any special treatment if you truly wish to be my student for any length of time. You came to my doorstep today of your own volition, so you must not expect me to coddle you the way many others in your life obviously have."

"I understand…"

"I believe in honesty above all else. Even at the expense of other people's feelings. I believe it's a waste of time to tip-toe around peoples' emotions out of fear of offending them. I don't say the things I do simply to be malicious. I say what I believe people need to hear, and you are no exception. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I get it," Junior affirmed as he nodded slowly.

Sarge returned and handed Junior his cup back. The Koopa Prince looked at it, then took a small, hesitant sip. It wasn't quite as hot as before, but the sweet, cozy beverage was surprisingly soothing as it rolled down his throat. But more importantly, Junior didn't nearly throw it back up like he did with Ludwig's drink.

"Better?" Kamek asked with a smile.

"Yeah," said Junior with a relieved sigh. Sarge quietly reclaimed his seat on the couch. Junior finished his drink rather enthusiastically, then set his empty cup on the table.

"Now then, about your request," said Kamek.

"Yeah, I don't get it. What am I supposed to do now? You said that you weren't gonna help me," Junior reminded.

"Wrong. I technically never rejected your request," Kamek denied. Junior's eyes widened a bit.

"Huh? But I thought-"

"If you recall, I said I could probably do it. However, I don't know the reason why I should do it."

"Oh come on! Not this again! Are you serious? Kamek, we're just going around in circles here!"

"Calm down, Prince Junior. Don't get so worked up again. Just think carefully about what I'm saying."

"I get what you're saying! But-"

"Do you really?" Junior paused at this. He was trying, but he hated these mind games Kamek seemed to be playing with him.

This was even harder than any of the battles he'd been in up until now. Just what the heck was this guy getting at? He wasn't jumping at the chance to help Junior, yet Kamek wouldn't let him leave either. So what was the right answer? This all felt like a colossal waste of time.

But Junior knew he couldn't let himself get upset again. If he allowed himself to fly off the handle and storm out, then he'd just be proving Kamek right about him and his supposedly flawed upbringing. That couldn't happen. Junior needed this training. He just had to think carefully.

"W-well…I…" Junior stammered.

"It's okay if you don't understand. Allow me to clarify for you. Think back to the exchange we had before. When I said I didn't know why I should do it, what was the second reason you gave me?"

"I said…it was because Kammy told me you could do it," Junior answered.

"Precisely. And that's when I proceeded to 'bad-mouth' Kammy, as you put it. But I only did that because you gave me the wrong answer." Junior's eyes widened at that.

"Wrong answer? How could it be wrong? That's literally what happened. That's what she told me to do. You said yourself that you care about honesty. So how can you say that's wrong?"

"It's quite simple. If you're only here asking me to train you to use the crown because of Kammy, then you're not here of your own accord. You're simply taking the action that she thinks you should do, instead of what you want to do."

"So what, am I supposed to just not do what Kammy said? I don't have any other choice. I have to do this if I want to stand any chance at beating Contemno and saving the world. So am I supposed to find someone else to train me then? I don't understand what you're getting at here, Kamek."

"You're getting warmer. Don't give up. Just think about it. Why do you need to master the crown's power?"

"Is that a trick question? It's so I can get stronger and beat Contemno, duh!"

"And why is that so important?" Junior shook his head in disbelief.

"So I can stop him from hurting people and doing bad things in the world!"

"So this world that Contemno is creating through his own beliefs and actions, you're saying you don't want to live in it?"

"Of course not! Would you? Sheesh, what a stupid question!"

"Mind your temper, Prince Junior," Kamek reminded him calmly. "Now, if I'm hearing you right, you have your own belief for what the world should be like, and what Contemno wants is going against your belief. So, you seek to use the crown's power in order to challenge Contemno's ideals with your own, right?"

"…Basically, yeah. Where are you going with this?"

"Then it sounds to me like you have your own reason for being here today after all. You have something you want to accomplish for yourself, and not because someone else told you to do it."

"I…guess so. What was wrong with my answer before then?"

"Prince Junior, you're not doing all of this just because Kammy told you to. You're doing this for yourself; to enact the change that you wish to see in the world."

"You mean…"

"Kammy may have been correct in telling you that I have what it takes to train you. But I will not do it simply for her sake. You shouldn't either. I want to hear it from you."

By now, the gears were rapidly turning in Junior's brain as it finally clicked. He growled and shook his head again.

"…Are you serious? That's it? That was all I had to say? So this whole time, we could've avoided this whole misunderstanding if I had just-"

"I want to hear you say it," Kamek instructed firmly as he tapped the ground with his wand. "Ask me for my help again, Prince Junior. But this time, give me a better reason why I should do it than just because 'Kammy told you to.'" Junior rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Kamek, I need you to help me master the crown's power."

"Why should I do that, Prince Junior?"

"Because I need to get stronger so I can beat Contemno and save the world." Kamek smiled. "There, happy?"

"Much better. Straight to the point. I would have also accepted 'because I am the royal prince and I said so' but with actual conviction behind it. But that's good enough for me. Very well, I'll do it," the Magikoopa agreed with a nod.

"You're ridiculous, you know that? You put me through all of this confusion for no reason when deep down, you wanted to help me the whole time. We could have avoided all of this if you had just said 'yes' when I asked the first time."

"Ah, but that's where you're mistaken. You see, it wasn't for no reason. It was to teach you a lesson about ownership. This is your quest, Prince Junior. These are your actions and decisions. So own it. All of it. If you don't, then there's no point in doing any of this at all."

"Yeah, but I already knew all of that."

"I don't doubt that. But sometimes we can get so caught up in the details that we forget the reason why we do the things that must be done in the first place. Therefore, it helps to reinforce that reason if you say it aloud."

"Sure, but you didn't have to put on this whole act just to get me to say it out loud."

"I did, actually. But this was no act. I said exactly what I meant. When I asked why I should help, I wasn't doing that to be stubborn or facetious. I simply expected an honest answer out of you," Kamek explained. "Unfortunately, your emotions then took the wheel at that very moment, and all you chose to focus on from that point forward was the fact that I was saying things about Kammy that you didn't like and didn't agree with. I even warned you that you were losing perspective. It has taken us as long as it has to reach this understanding simply because you were too emotionally charged to realize that the conversation was getting derailed from the main point." Junior folded his arms.

"Fine, fair enough. But you could've just not said those things about Kammy, you know. Then I wouldn't have gotten all worked up in the first place…" Kamek laughed at this.

"And what, needlessly spare your feelings? I told you, I'm all about honesty, remember? If you possessed the proper degree of emotional intelligence to begin with, then you would have been able to look past what I was saying about Kammy and stayed focused on the task at-hand."

"But you said before that you thought I was too driven by emotions even back when I was a baby. So how was I not supposed to fall into this trap then?"

"I just wanted to gauge how much you've grown over the years, Prince Junior. I believed there was a chance I could be wrong about you and you would have actually passed my test with flying colors. That didn't turn out to be the case, unfortunately. While I do sense you have made some significant strides in your maturity recently, you still have quite a ways to go in order to reach the level I feel you should already be at by your age."

Utterly fed up with where this conversation had gone, Junior sighed and threw his hands up into the air.

"Fine. Whatever. You got me. I'm an idiot and I still get mad and cry sometimes," Junior conceded. "Sorry I'm not an emotionless robot. Now can we just move on to something that actually matters? Like my training?"

"Come now, you're not an idiot. My intention was never to trick you or insult you, Prince Junior. I was simply hoping you'd realized by now that you have much more training to do than just mastering the crown if you want to succeed in your grand mission."

"Like what? Am I supposed to go out there and beat Contemno with the power of 'emotional intelligence'?" Junior asked sarcastically with claw quotations.

"Firstly, there's the importance of patience. You complain about me wasting your time. Yet you rushed in without thinking and stumbled right into my 'trap.' That would not have happened if you had kept a level head and simply thought about what I was asking you without getting so defensive of Kammy. That kind of reckless impulsiveness will easily get you and your comrades killed in battle."

"Fine. Fair enough. But-"

"Next, your mission is not just about fighting Contemno, though that is a significant part of it," Kamek explained. "If this man is really as dangerous as you say, then it's going to take a true king to defeat him. And if you wish to become a true king, you'll need more than just powerful magic, weapons, or skills. You need to become wiser too."

"I know, I know. Everybody's always telling me I need to be wiser. But I don't have time to-"

"What did I just say about patience? Instead of insisting that everyone around you rush to keep up with your break-neck pace, you need to make time for developing wisdom. Starting right now, in fact. To become an effective leader and king, not to mention a mature and respectable adult Koopa, you must have complete control over your emotions. You cannot allow your feelings to betray you so easily."

"I know…"

"If what Kammy told you is true, and you will in fact need to amass an army against Contemno, then that army will be counting on you to effectively lead it. You will need to make important decisions. You will need to be able to remain calm under intense pressure. You cannot break down or throw a fit if things aren't going your way."

"Well, yeah. But-"

"Your comrades will be looking to you to guide them. So you need to have wise enough judgement to make smart decisions, and give your troops logical and realistic orders so they don't die due to a careless miscalculation."

"Of course," Junior agreed simply.

"But you also need to help them navigate their own doubts and fears. How can you help them manage their emotions if you still struggle with your own? If an order you give is fueled by emotion instead of logic, then their blood will be on your hands if you ultimately make the wrong call. Or, your troops might be too afraid to even carry out your orders in the first place if you don't give them the time of day they need in order to overcome their doubts and fears."

"I…guess I hadn't thought about that before…"

"I'm assuming I don't need to go into much detail about how Contemno and his followers will try to manipulate you if you give them the chance to do it."

"No, I already knew that part. I need to be firm and unshakable; like a rock over the ocean."

"Well said. Did you just come up with that yourself?" Kamek asked with a small laugh.

At that moment, Junior recalled that morning with Wendy. It now seemed so long ago.

"What does that mean?" Junior inquired as he raised an eyebrow at the comment.

"It means that you're bound to have enemies who will want nothing more than to tear you down and get to your kingdom," Wendy elaborated. "They could use your weight and your appearance as a weakness to get inside your head if you're not careful." Junior aggressively scarfed down another spoonful of his cereal. "But if you start taking better care of yourself, you'll feel more confident. You'll feel ready to be our leader."

"No, it was just something someone told me once," Junior clarified to Kamek.

"Well, they're certainly right. For example, I understand Kammy's death is still fresh in your mind and it's incredibly painful to think about. It is not wrong of you to mourn the loss of someone whom was precious to you. But, if I could distract and frustrate you simply by bringing up a tender subject, then your enemies will certainly not hesitate to exploit this aspect of you as well. Never give them that kind of power over you. Otherwise, it will not just be your own safety you risk, but that of your comrades as well. Understand?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Alright, enough lecturing. Now then, this crown you mentioned earlier. May I see it?"

"Sure, one sec." Junior reached into his bag, retrieved the crown and handed it over. Kamek quietly observed the mystical headpiece intently for several minutes; murmuring things like "Mmm yes" and "I see, how interesting" out loud.

"So…what do you think?" Junior asked.

"Remarkable. In all my years, I've never seen so much raw magical energy concentrated into a single source," said Kamek. "I'm genuinely surprised Kammy was able to pull this off at her age without it killing her right then and there. I can feel every ounce of her very being emanating from within."

"So once I master this power, do you think it'll really make me strong enough to beat Contemno?" Kamek's jaw dropped and he scoffed at such a question.

"Prince Junior, you gravely misunderstand!"

"What do you mean?"

"There is more energy amassed within this crown than most mages accumulate in their entire lifetimes! If you can simply become proficient at tapping into even a fraction of this crown's current wealth of power, you will kill Contemno quite easily; assuming he is truly foolish enough to oppose you while you're in such a state! Absolutely no question about it!"

"Really?" Junior asked in awe.

"Mastering its power on the other hand…that is a completely different story. But…if you did somehow manage to achieve such a miraculous feat, then…"

"Then…what?" Junior asked, unsettled by Kamek's suddenly weary expression. For a second, it looked as though the old Magikoopa was going to have a stroke before he could finish his thought.

"There wouldn't be a soul walking this earth who could challenge you. Why, you would practically become a god." The Koopa Prince gulped.

"A…god? I…I don't know if I want that much power…"

"Well, you're very wise to show such restraint, Prince Junior. Now, I must ask, are you absolutely certain that you must use this crown to attain the kind of power you need in order to accomplish your goal?" Junior nodded.

"Contemno's out there right now doing way too much damage to the world. I don't have time to do it any other way. And for the record, that's not just me being impatient again. The world probably can't wait much longer. Otherwise there might not be a world left to save pretty soon. So yeah, I'm sure. It has to be done this way or not at all." Kamek sternly nodded his head as well.

"Very well then. If you are truly confident that this is what needs to be done, then I will train you. However, I must strongly caution you that it will not be easy."

"I didn't come here thinking it would be," Junior retorted.

"I'm quite serious, Prince Junior."

"So am I, Kamek."

"This may very well be the hardest thing you will ever do in your life. I see now that assigning this task to you was undoubtedly a desperation move on Kammy's part."

"Desperation move?" Junior asked. Genuinely, he was curious how much worse it could get than opening the gateways to clarity, as Merlon had already given him the same disclaimer before.

"You said it was Contemno who struck Kammy down, correct?" Kamek asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Mages tend to possess a certain level of foresight in their intuition. You will no doubt develop your own in time as you get older. Based on everything you've told me, I think Kammy already knew long before she met this tyrant in battle, that she wouldn't be alive for much longer," Kamek explained. "Whether she knew it would be Contemno whom would ultimately put an end to her or not, I can't be certain. Regardless, this is an almost insurmountable task to realistically ask of anyone."

"It's…really that bad, huh?"

"Tapping into the sheer volume of natural energy held within this crown would be incredibly dangerous for even myself, Kammy, or Merlon; even if any of us were back in our prime. But to ask someone far less experienced in the enchanted arts - such as yourself – to do this, is insanity and practically suicidal."

"Well, Kammy already told me I shouldn't mess around with this. Or it could do harm to my mind or body."

"Then Kammy was sugarcoating it," Kamek stated bluntly. "I will not mince words with you. If you do not take this seriously enough, using this crown will kill you, Prince Junior." The Koopa Prince gulped.

"But…you said you'll train me. So that must mean it is possible for me to do it, right? You know…without dying?"

"To some extent, yes. But I want to set the right expectation for you now. I'm dead serious when I say that I urge you to abandon the notion of you ever gaining complete control over all of this crown's power. There's simply far too much of it, and that's far beyond the scope of your mission to simply stop one man. Even conditioning your body to accept just a fraction of the natural energy contained inside this object will be an arduous task in and of itself. But if you are truly delusional enough to think that you can attain complete control over all of this power, you will quickly find yourself face-to-face with your own mortality."

"Oh come on, now you're just being dramatic, Kamek," Junior scoffed.

"I wish I were, Prince Junior. With mastery of even just a fraction of this power, you could easily kill Contemno and anyone else who stands in your way for that matter. But if you are foolish enough to chase after mastering all of it, you will drop dead among your slain enemies. The only reason I think it's even remotely possible to pull this ridiculous plan off to any degree is because of your youth. With enough time, patience, perseverance and regulation, this task might very well be do-able. Though I cannot promise you that it won't still shave years off your life in the process."

Junior's heart sank after hearing all of this. But it couldn't be helped. It was what needed to be done.

He couldn't let fear stop him now. Not after coming this far. If what Kamek said was true and using this crown could make him strong enough to kill – or at the very least stop - Contemno, then he needed to it. Simple as that.

"I'm not backing down, Kamek. If I had any other options, I wouldn't be here right now. I don't care how dangerous it is. I'm doing this." Kamek smiled.

"Now that's the conviction I've been waiting to see. Very well then, Prince Junior. I will train you. But I'm sure you're exhausted from your travels. So tonight, you will join Sarge and myself for dinner. In the meantime, I'll go make up the guest room. You are to get a good night's sleep tonight, and we'll begin your training first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yessir!" Junior exclaimed.

Sarge excused himself back to the kitchen yet again to begin prepping the meal while Junior followed Kamek to the guest room so he could unpack his belongings and settle in for the night.

Deep down, Kamek was unsettled at the idea of him giving orders to the royal prince for a change. Usually, it was the other way around, of course. So this new dynamic was certainly going to take some getting used to.

Despite Junior's conviction, Kamek admittedly still held a persistent tinge of skepticism that he resolved to keep to himself. Deep down, he wasn't entirely sure if Junior could truly pull this off. But if he expressed this concern aloud, it would instantly kill any potential Junior might've had.

Where was Lord Bowser, and why was he approving of his son partaking in such a dangerous regimen?

Regardless, the high stakes of it all were evident. Kamek had not been exaggerating.

If Junior misused the power or pushed himself too hard, he would most certainly die. Sadly, the Koopa Prince probably would not truly grasp the weight of this fact until he was already on the brink of death.

On the other hand, if Junior actually succeeded in mastering the crown's power someday, he would become utterly unstoppable. He would become far more than just the king his people - and the rest of the world for that matter - needed in these dark and desperate times.

Junior would become one of the greatest mages in history.

---

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The wooden clock on the back wall rhythmically counted each agonizing second of silent that passed as Bowser and Peach eyed one another in the cozy and brightly-lit pink sitting room of the princess's castle.

The thumping of Bowser's foot was drowned out by the plush white carpet underneath. The Koopa King stood with his arms crossed tightly across his chest; his tail swaying back and forth with just enough tempo to convey that he was nervous, but not fast enough to make him look like a scaly puppy. He scowled and his intense stare was fixated on Peach, who was sitting in a chair a few feet away from him.

"You know, you don't have to stand there the whole time, Bowser," Peach said as she sipped at her tea. "You can have a seat. It might help you relax a bit."

"I'm perfectly relaxed standing up," Bowser replied.

"You don't seem relaxed to me."

"Did I ask for your opinion?" Peach's dainty eyelids narrowed and she let out a small sigh.

"Bowser, picking fights with me isn't going to make this process any easier," the princess reasoned. "Therapy can help you. Granted, I'm no psychologist. But you might be surprised just how much better you feel from talking about what bothers you. If you would just have an open mind, the rest of this might not seem so bad."

"Well I never asked for any of this to happen," the Koopa King retorted. Peach kept her composure, but could still feel her patience slipping.

"I know you didn't. But you did agree to give rehabilitation a chance, remember? I'm not asking you to do anything extreme right now. I only want to talk to you." Bowser rolled his eyes.

"What's there even to talk about?"

"I want to get to know you better."

"I've been kidnapping you for how long now? I'd say we know each other pretty well already."

"Holding someone captive against their will isn't the way you build a relationship with them."

"Then what do you call all this?" Bowser countered as he lifted his arms and gestured around the room. "You're making me stay here when I don't want to, and I'm only allowed to see my family and minions when you see fit." The princess set her tea cup and coaster down on the side table next to her and leaned forward in her seat.

"I admit these are not…ideal circumstances," Peach conceded. "I'm well aware that this whole thing makes me hypocritical. But Bowser, I don't have any other choice. What if that lunatic Contemno is watching us to try and call my bluff? If I don't do something, he might come back and try to hurt you again."

"Oh please! There's no way I'd ever let that little goblin get the jump on me again!" Bowser scoffed.

"Bowser, I'm not willing to take risks; not if it means gambling with your life." Bowser's scowl began to melt away ever so slightly.

"Since when has my life ever mattered to you?"

"It always has, Bowser. Even in spite of everything you've done." Bowser froze at this. He watched Peach's eyes drift downward. "I certainly haven't enjoyed getting kidnapped by you. But that doesn't mean I want to see harm done to you either." Bowser clenched his fists and turned away; refusing to look at Peach any longer.

"Why not?"

"Because I believe there's good in you deep down. You just don't like showing it."

"You can't mean that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's insane."

"What's so insane about it?"

"I'm not somebody who's worth that kind of mercy."

"Why don't you think you're worthy of mercy? What's so wrong with you that you would willingly punish yourself so severely?"

"You wouldn't get it."

"Try me."

"What?"

"You heard me, Bowser. Try me." Peach pointed to the white chair sitting across from her. "Sit down and tell me what exactly is so wrong about you that I shouldn't believe you have good inside; or at the very least, potential to change for the better."

"I don't need to sit to tell you; not when I know it so well already."

"Know what?"

"People don't change, Peach. They just want other people to believe that they can. So they act like they're someone completely different. But it's all a lie. The truth is, you are who you are forever."

"Sorry, but I don't believe that," Peach objected.

"Why not?"

"I don't have enough information about you for me to make any sort of harsh final judgement like that."

"What more could you possibly need to know?"

"Everything. Tell me everything about you, Bowser," Peach demanded with a confident smile.

Shaking his head incredulously, Bowser stared at Peach in disbelief. Yet, the Koopa King slowly found himself inching towards the chair, sitting upon it, and sighing heavily. Meanwhile Peach snatched up a notebook and pen; turning to a blank page as a small, warm smile curved her lips.

---

The morning sun brought forth a day Bowser found himself dreading with every fiber of his being; so much so that he actively refused to get up on his own. In fact, it took every single ounce of strength an impatient Mario had to pry the Koopa King out of bed by his tail. But the plumber eventually succeeded. With his wild, unkempt orange bedhead, narrow blood-shot eyes, and drooping scowl, Bowser had achieved a new level of grumpy that Mario didn't even think was possible for his former rival.

"GOOD MOOOOORNING!" a voice exclaimed from outside the hut. "Who's hungry?!"

To their surprise, it wasn't Damian who had arrived coax the pair into attending another forced social breakfast this time.

It was Morris.

As soon as they were seated at the café, the ecstatic pig wasted no time and jumped right into his grand plan of persuading the denizens of Dammerel to open up about their problems.

"So what am I supposed to do? Become a door-to-door therapy salesman?" Bowser joked as he sipped his coffee.

"I applaud your boldness! But actually, I think a more subtle approach might be best," Morris replied, taking the former's joke far too seriously. "I was thinking we could simply take you around town so you could get to know the people better."

"The whole town saw me punch that guy's face into the dirt. There's no way any of them would want to talk to me. They're probably too afraid they'll be next."

"Nonsense!" Morris denied. "People appreciate initiative. If they are afraid of you now, hiding from them will only reinforce that false narrative that you are unapproachable. But, if you can be direct and show them you're harmless, they'll have to start seeing you differently."

"Somehow I doubt that'll happen as quickly as you think," said Bowser, propping his head on his hand with disinterest.

"All the more reason to start now!" Morris contested. He squinted and did a slow, sweeping scan of the dining area with his eyes. They widened when he appeared to have settled on a target. "Now then, why don't we start with…him!"

Before either Mario or Bowser could turn to see where Morris was looking, the pig yanked Bowser out of his seat by one arm and dragged him in a clumsy sprint over to the booth at the end of the café where they'd retrieved their food minutes ago.

It was late enough in the morning now that the line had dissipated. This freed the train of Morris, Bowser and Mario to stroll right up to the counter.

"Good day to you, Devon!" Morris exclaimed as he waved his free hand wildly. On the other side of the booth, the alligator set down a bowl on the table behind him, then turned at the call of his name and smiled.

This was the first time either Bowser or Mario had stopped to really look at the designated town chef.

Devon was unmistakably an alligator, but he was an obese one at that. He was about Bowser's height, but in much worse physical shape. Devon had an extremely large gut and multiple chins underneath his chubby cheeks and bloated lower jaw. All of his extra weight seemed to collectively sway and jiggle as the alligator waddled upright on two legs around the inside of the food stand.

Bowser and Mario each silently pondered how someone could be so overweight when they lived in such an impoverished town like Dammerel; a place were only the most basic natural ingredients could be found with likely zero access to any junk food whatsoever.

"Oh, hey there. Good morning, Morris," Devon greeted in a deep, admittedly soothing voice. "Back for seconds?"

"Not this time," the pig replied playfully. "Did you get a chance to meet Bowser yet? He's one of the newer arrivals to town." Devon cranked his neck and his face drooped into a frown when his eyes landed on Bowser.

"Him? Ain't he the one who beat that other guy senseless in the plaza yesterday?" Devon asked skeptically.

"Well…yes. But he was only looking to defend the poor woman whom the man was terrorizing a moment before!" Morris defended quickly. Devon's face scrunched together as the alligator processed this. To the trio's surprise, his expression quickly softened and he chuckled.

"Yeah…I guess he did help her out," the alligator conceded. "Even if he might've over done it a tad."

Suddenly, Morris elbowed Bowser's side; plopping him right in the middle of the conversation the Koopa King had tuned out of until now.

"What?" Bowser hissed between clenched teeth.

"Now's your chance." Morris whispered. "Say something."

"Like what?"

"Ask him something about himself." Bowser turned to Mario, who smiled and gave a small encouraging nod.

"So…have you…lived here long?" the Koopa King asked woodenly; his eyes darting around to avoid making eye contact at all costs.

"Sure have. Almost as long as Damian," Devon answered casually. He didn't seemed to be bothered in the slightest by Bowser's dry tone or utterly disinterested body language. In fact, the alligator appeared to be so busy cleaning his workspace while he talked that his fat face hardly turned to acknowledge Bowser at all.

Morris nodded his head and gestured with his hands for Bowser to keep going.

"Have you…been a chef long?" the Koopa King pried.

"Only since I first hatched from my egg!" Devon exclaimed with a laugh. "Cooking's always been big in my family. My great granddaddy taught my grandad. Grandaddy taught my daddy. And good ol' Dad taught me."

"That's…great," said Bowser; utterly struggling at this point to feign any genuine interest in Devon's little family history lesson. Either Devon was picking up on Bowser's fake interest and choosing not to call him out on it, or he was really so enthralled in cleaning and talking about himself that he truly hadn't noticed.

Morris twirled his hand in circles while nodding slowly; encouraging the Koopa King to keep it up.

"What's…your favorite thing to cook?" Surprisingly, Bowser found himself slowly getting the hang of this; whatever it was that Morris was trying to make him do.

"Well, it used to be cakes," Devon answered. "Pastries and desserts were a big passion of mine for a long time. In fact, they were the first thing I ever learned how to make. But I guess it ain't all that hard to guess that my family's got a thing for sweets. I mean, just look at me!" The alligator made a sweeping motion with one arm to show off his heavy physique. He gave a small chuckle that was only slightly playful.

Bowser heard more sadness and self-depreciation layered underneath that last statement than Devon likely meant to let slip. Bowser was definitely getting closer to learning what Devon's problem was. But the Koopa King needed to pry just a little bit more first.

"Used to be?" Bowser probed. "You don't make that stuff anymore?" Devon placed several utensils in a box and sighed.

"No, not anymore..."

"Why not?"

Devon turned his head and his sad eyes met Bowser's.

Was this it? Was he really going to open up just like that? Bowser was surely breaking the rule Damian told him about now, but wasn't that Morris's plan?

But could it really be this simple? Maybe Bowser could really pull this off after all….

"Well…it's just…"

"Just what?"

Devon's pupils darted around as the alligator searched for something to say.

"I…I just don't have the ingredients," Devon answered as his wide lips curled into an uncomfortable smile and his pitch leaped to an unnatural height. A nervous laugh followed. "Yeah, that's it. We don't exactly have sugar and cake mix and eggs and all that here on the island. So I just don't make that stuff anymore." Bowser's eyelids narrowed.

Now this guy was lying. Badly. Bowser was sure of it right away.

On the surface, his logic was sound. But from the way Devon had paused before answering, coupled with his forced inflections, even someone like Bowser could immediately discern that this was most certainly not the real reason. Devon had simply settled on it over saying something else.

Question was, what was that other reason and why didn't Devon just say it?

Now came the hard part. Bowser knew he had to start applying a little squeeze to get Devon to say more. But how would he react? Would he catch on right away to what Bowser was doing?

"You sure that's the reason?" Devon turned and stared at Bowser, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"What do you mean?" Bowser shrugged.

"I dunno. I just don't see why someone who loves to make sweets so much would ever choose to settle down in a place like this if they knew they'd never be able to do that again."

Bowser braced himself for the outburst; the retaliation. He could see it coming in Devon's pupils. But Bowser wasn't afraid.

To his surprise, the anger dissipated as quickly as it had been starting to take form. The alligator's entire demeanor deflated like a balloon almost instantly.

"Well, it wasn't exactly by choice…," said Devon.

"What does that mean?" Bowser probed further; his confidence growing. It took Devon several minutes to answer this time. The alligator bit his lower lip and tapped his claws together timidly. The Koopa King could tell Devon was weighing his options and struggling to settle on a response.

Should he call him out on it? Or would that just make him shut down even more?

"…I'd rather not say."

"Why not?"

"How much do you like my cooking, Bowser?" The Koopa King's eyebrows rose at this random counter-question.

"It's…alright, I guess. Why?"

"Let's just say that if I told you, then you might never want to eat anything made by me ever again."

Now that seemed like an exaggeration. Or…was it?

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Devon turned his head slightly; bewildered by Bowser's bravery.

"No…just tryin' to be honest..."

"If you really want to be honest, tell me the real reason you don't bake what you want anymore." It took several minutes for Devon to say anything more. "Whatever it is, I can handle it. Trust me."

"It's a long story…," Devon finally replied with a large sigh.

"I've got time," Bowser countered, folding his arms. "So let's hear it."

Now Devon was eye-balling Bowser from head to toe; trying to get some sort of read on him. Bowser wondered how much of his motive Devon would manage to piece together just from looking at him.

"You know what? You should come by my place sometime and I'll tell you the whole story," Devon proposed. Bowser worked a muscle in his jaw, but didn't take his eyes off Devon's. What was this guy playing at now?

"What if I don't feel like waiting?" Bowser challenged. Devon laughed at this.

It wasn't quite the reaction Bowser was hoping for. He was hoping he could strong arm the guy into spilling his guts right here and now. Although, perhaps it was a blessing that Devon responded with humor instead of fearing for his life and shutting down completely.

"Don't have to wait too long. Maybe you could swing by my place tomorrow. There's somebody I think you should meet."

"Who?"

"You'll see. I can't quite put my claw on it, but there's just something…familiar about you, Bowser. I think my friend could tell me why that is if they meet you in-person."

"You're dodging me."

"No, sir. Come on down to my place, meet my friend, and if you're still interested, I'll tell you my story."

"Why do I need to meet your friend first? What's so special about them? I don't see what this has to do with anything."

"You seem like a bright guy, Bowser. I think you'll figure it all out before long. So, should I expect you at my house tomorrow?"

"Now h-hang on just a minute! I never agreed to-!" Bowser stammered.

"He'll be glad to stop by!" Morris interjected. The Koopa King immediately glared at him, but it went completely unnoticed.

"Great! I gotta close down the stand for now to go gather ingredients for dinner and tomorrow's breakfast. But you can meet me right here tomorrow morning and I'll take you straight to my place after breakfast. Sound good?"

"Sounds great!" Morris answered for him once again with a thumbs-up. The trio waved as Devon departed from the stand.

"What did you do that for?!" Bowser exclaimed once the alligator was out of earshot.

"That was great, Bowser! Devon's starting to trust you already," Morris praised.

"But I didn't do anything!"

"Sure you did! You asked questions and got him to talk about himself."

"But he shut down before I could figure out why he lives here."

"Patience. This will take time. But you've already taken the first step. You showed an interest in someone else. You made Devon feel interesting. People appreciate that. It makes them feel welcome to share more about themselves."

"If it was that easy, why didn't you ask him about this stuff from the start?"

"Because you possess a certain assertiveness, Bowser. You're not afraid of being direct or over-stepping any bounds. That's something that I - and even Damian to a certain extent – lack."

"You're saying it's because I have a back-bone?" Bowser asked skeptically as he folded his arms.

"Yes," Morris affirmed with a nod. "When you are too afraid to ask someone the real questions, you give them the power to shut you out. That's what Damian and I have been experiencing all this time."

"It's starting to sound to me like Damian jumped in and started organizing this whole circus without the slightest clue how to do it or how much work it would take," said Bowser. Morris chuckled.

"There is a distinct possibility that is at least somewhat true."

"So where do you fit into all this, porky? How did Damian get you wrapped up in his mess?"

"I had…my own reason for coming here. Damian helped me climb out of my own pit of despair. But I'm just about the only soul around here whom he's really been able to help. And try as I might, I still fear over-stepping my bounds and offending people by prying too much. But Bowser, you've shown me that perhaps that needs to happen if anything is ever going to change about Dammerel. I believe we need to push people out of their comfort zones. You're the perfect person to do that."

"Well don't I get a say in any of this?! I never agreed to be your lackey!" Bowser argued.

"True, but I must admit I'm curious what you would want to do with your time on the island otherwise." Bowser blew out a heavy breath at that.

The Koopa King found Morris to be utterly annoying.

Not just because he was goofy-looking or loud or had a weird way of talking sometimes. But because he wasn't nearly as stupid as Bowser initially thought. The guy may have a one-track mind at times, but that wasn't the same thing as being an idiot. He was stubborn; committed to forcing Bowser to fulfill this new role without making it sound like it was happening entirely against his will. There was no easy way out of this. Mario being mute made him of no help either.

What Bowser would have given to be back with Leanna right now. He may have had his qualms with her, but at least she was more reserved; laid back, methodical. She wasn't as driven by emotion or her heart as the people around here seemed to be on the surface.

But she wasn't here. Bowser had made sure of this, much to his regret. Maybe this was what he deserved. Maybe Bowser was being forced to grow in his own way, just as Morris was getting him to do for everyone else on the island.

This was going completely against everything Bowser liked about himself, but he didn't have much other choice unless he were to spill his guts about the real reason he and Mario were here. The latter still seemed way too risky. They still didn't know these people well enough to be sure how they would react. Like it or not, following Morris's lead was as good a way as any to learn more about the people of Dammerel.

Even if Bowser would ultimately be unable to erect any real change around here the way Morris wanted, perhaps the Koopa King could position himself in a better spot to gauge what the blow-back would be from revealing the truth about himself and Mario.

"I'll do it…," Bowser mumbled begrudgingly.

"Come again?" Morris asked.

"I said I'll do it."

"Great! Let us be off then! There are still so many people left for you to meet!" Without warning, Morris latched onto Bowser's wrist and yanked him back into a sprint while Mario jogged to keep up.

Most of the other conversations throughout the day failed to spark the same intrigue as the first one with Devon. Bowser was consistently struggling to get more than one or two-word responses from most of the townsfolk. They were so closed off that even determining the reason why Bowser's probing wasn't working was unclear.

Were they afraid of him? Was he pushing them too hard? Were they all really just that dead inside?

Whatever the reason, Bowser stormed off in frustration after the umpteenth failed conversation in the late afternoon. The Koopa King took a seat under a tall tree and leaned back against the wide oak trunk.

"Bowser, are you alright?" Morris asked once he and Mario caught up.

"This isn't working," Bowser replied dejectedly.

"Oh come now, don't say that."

"Why not? You've seen it for yourself, porky. I haven't had a single decent conversation today with anyone since Devon."

"But…you mustn't give up!" Morris persisted.

"It's pointless."

"No one ever said this would be easy. These people are here for a reason after all," the pig reasoned. "They're in pain and don't know how to feel anything different. But you can prove them wrong."

"Why me? I'm not built for this healing, touchy-feeling crap!" Bowser objected.

"Sure you are!"

"If you really knew me and what I'm like, you wouldn't be forcing me to do this!"

"I..." Morris paused to consider this. "Well, perhaps that is…true."

Bowser nodded and threw his hand up in the air; silently saying "finally." Yet, Morris was determined not to let him off the hook so easily.

"But…if our goal is to break the rules and get people to talk about their pasts, then perhaps the best place to start would be with you, Bowser."

"Say what?" the Koopa King replied as his eyes widened.

"Why don't you tell me about your past, hmm? For what reason did you and Mario come to Dammerel anyway?"

"Hey, no fair!" Bowser objected. "Why don't you tell us about your past then, fatso?!"

"Because hearing you model the behavior for me might give me ideas as to how I can better assist you in your approach," Morris argued, completely ignoring the petty insult tacked on at the end of Bowser's response. Mario folded his arms, frowning. Bowser rolled his eyes.

"EY! PUT YER BACKS INTO IT, WILL YEH?!" a voice called out.

Suddenly, the trio was tuned into a faint pounding sound echoing in the distance. Bowser immediately took this outburst as an escape route out of the conversation with Morton as he climbed to his feet and strolled down the grass hill back towards town.

Before long, the trio managed to track down the source of the outburst. Standing near one of the huts was a vaguely humanoid creature whose body was comprised entirely of many different squares, rectangles, and other block-like shapes.

It looked like a man – given the bristly beard under his chin - with the proportions of a gorilla; long, muscular arms and a broad chest with short legs. The man was dressed in black armor with red accents and spiked red cuffs on his wrists – similar to the ones that were usually on Bowser's own arms.

Yet despite how obtuse this man's appearance was, the most shocking realization to be reached was that Bowser actually recognized him.

"There's just no way…," the Koopa King started.

"Eh?" The man turned at the sound of Bowser's voice.

"O'Chunks…?" The man's eyes widened.

"Bowser?! Is that you? Well, ain't ye a sight fer sore eyes! And I'll be! Ye brought Mario with yeh!" Without warning, Mario was scooped up in a painful bear hug by the square Scottish giant.

"Bowser, you know him?" Morris interjected curiously.

"Oh sure! This laddie 'n I go waaaay back!" O'Chunks affirmed on the Koopa King's behalf. "We got history!"

"What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be in another dimension or something?" Bowser asked as he folded his arms and cocked an eyebrow. O'Chunks mirrored his body language; cocked eyebrow and all.

"Nah. Yer thinkin' of 'ol Blumiere 'n his mistress Lady Timpani. They be livin' the rest o' their days in peace 'n quiet in a whole 'nuther world."

"Then how did you wind up here?"

"After Bleck turned back into Blumiere, we disbanded and went our separate ways. I went on a journey all me own ta find mehself," O'Chunks explained. "Went ta all sorts of places all over the world. I ended up in a stinky, wretched dump of a city called Rogueport."

"Rogueport?" Bowser echoed as he and Mario exchanged eyes gleaming faintly with recognition over the town they'd both been to once before. But it wasn't just that. Even Bowser had realized by now just how willingly O'Chunks seemed to be volunteering information about how he got to Dammerel. If he kept talking long enough, maybe he might just let a clue slip as to how to escape from this place.

"Oh yeh. A real dumpsta fire of a town if ye ask meh," O'Chunks continued. "Stunk worse den me armpits after a good brawlin.'"

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, stinky pits. We get it," Bowser rushed him. "So how did you find out about Dammerel?"

"I met a lad in a cowboy hat; had a real way of lookin' at people, he did. He could tell right away that I was a troubled soul with a heavy burden on meh shoulders. Gave me the run-down on a pretty little island people like me could come to when dey had nowhere else ta go."

"What was this guy's name?" Bowser probed. O'Chunks's face puzzled and he scratched the side of his head with one of his massive fingers.

"Ehhhh, I don't rememba. Started with a 'D' I think. David…or somethin?'"

"Damian?" O'Chunks snapped his fingers; grinning widely.

"That be it!" he confirmed.

"Hey, O'Boss! How're we lookin?'" a voice interrupted. Everyone turned to find a man dressed vaguely in pirate-esque attire situated on the roof. He wore a black shirt with yellow overalls, black boots, and white gloves. His face was completely obscured by a thick red scarf around his neck, and a striped blue and white bandanna completely encapsulating the rest of his head. The most striking features about this mysterious man were the purple horns protruding out of the sides of his head and the large goggles where his eyes should've been.

Even an obtuse disguise such as this couldn't fool Mario. The plumber shifted his body into a slightly defensive stance, which Bowser and Morris took notice of.

"What's wrong, Mario?" the latter asked.

"Buh huh huh…huh? Did someone say Mario?" the disguised pirate man asked. He suddenly hopped down off the roof. Mario scrunched his hands into fists when he eye-balled the weapon clutched in the man's hand: a small wooden mallet.

"Wait a sec…I recognize that stupid laugh," said Bowser. He pointed a claw incredulously. "You're that four-eyed loser I got in a stand-off with back in Twilight Town!"

"Buh huh…huh? 'Four-eyes?! Who do you think you're pointing claws at, turtle dork?!" the man retorted.

"Easy now, laddies!" O'Chunks inserted as he stepped between Bowser and the pirate man. "There be no need ta go around pickin' fights. Bowser, Mario, this be one o' me partners, Crump."

"Sup," Crump added. Mario and Bowser each relaxed slightly, but suspicion still flickered in their eyes. Mario was silently dumbfounded as it seemed he had guessed correctly. This was Lord Crump – the second-in-command of the X-Nauts who had fought him over the Crystal Stars.

"So…you're not still working for those X-Snot guys?" Bowser probed.

"You mean 'X-Nauts?'" Crump corrected. "Nope. Grodus stepped down after the whole 'Shadow Queen' thing and dissolved our whole organization. After all, he can't exactly rule the world as a severed head."

"Yep! Crump 'n I met on the road together. We had both lost our purpose in life without havin' an evil man ta serve," O'Chunks explained.

Bowser was speechless.

Mario was still suspicious of it all, but Crump didn't seem to be an immediate threat to anyone here at least. Even if he were to try something just now, the plumber was sure he could easily take Crump and his tiny wooden mallet down.

"What a wonderful tale!" Morris exclaimed as he applauded. "It would seem fate was kind to you both as it brought you together and gave you each a second chance at life!"

"Yeah, I'd say so," Crump agreed with a casual shrug. "Now we work as handymen here and try to build something nice outta this dump."

So these were the handymen Damian had mentioned earlier…

"Yep! Just you, me and ol'…hey! Where's that other big lummox of our's anyway?" O'Chunks wondered aloud.

"MORE FIREWOOD, BOSS!" a thunderous voice boomed.

Out of nowhere, a large, blue-skinned Spike with a small, spiked purple shell and orange hair and lips came stomping onto the scene; carrying a large pile of branches and sticks.

"No, no, ya big ninny!" O'Chunks scolded. "I said buildin' wood, not firewood!" The giant Spike's face fell and he immediately dropped all of the branches he had been lugging to his feet.

"Oh…sorry," the Spike apologized.

"Meh, don't sweat it, Tubba," said Crump. "I already have enough here to finish the roof job anyway."

Mario and Bowser's eyes met, and they knew instantly that they were on the same page in recognizing the newest arrival: Tubba Blubba.

This once "invincible" oaf had been tasked by Bowser to guard one of the Star Spirits imprisoned at his mansion in Gusty Gulch. But the Star Spirit managed to escape, and once Tubba reunited with his sentient heart, Mario and Lady Bow had made quick work of him.

It wasn't especially hard for the pair to imagine Tubba turning over a new leaf. He wasn't very good at being evil to start with; seeing as how a village of Boos managed to bully him out of his own home. Still, it was at least mildly pleasant to see that he seemed to have found kinship with O'Chunks and Crump.

"Mario, Bowser, would I perhaps be correct in assuming you already know him as well?" Morris asked pointedly.

"Sure do," Bowser affirmed. "But if you're about to ask me to tell you the story, you can stuff it, pig boy."

"Ha! I never grow tired of your sharp wit, Bowser!" Morris replied playfully.

Tubba frowned again when he turned and saw Mario and Bowser.

"Why the long face, big fella?" Crump asked.

"I…I sorry for trying to pound Mario into a pancake once. And for…not bein' invincible like Bowser wanted."

Everyone except the two mentioned by name were dumbfounded by this last statement; completely clueless without context.

"Uhhh...it's fine I guess…?" Bowser offered woodenly.

"Well, any-hoodle! I'd say this job is just about finished," O'Chunks declared. "Good work laddies!"

"Sweet, I'm gonna go catch up on some Z's before our next job then," said Crump as he finished packing up the scattered tools into his metal tool box. "And with that, pow, I'm gone."

"And I get somethin' to eat now!" Tubba announced excitedly as he too took his leave.

"Those ninnies. They got the attention span of a Monty Mole," said O'Chunks with a sigh. "Oh well, t'was nice catchin' up with ya, chums. Will we see yeh at the town hall tomorrow night?"

"Town hall?" Bowser repeated, puzzled.

"Oh yes, that is tomorrow night, isn't it?" Morris confirmed. He turned to Bowser. "It'll be your first one too since arriving, if I'm not mistaken."

Searching his mind, Bowser did recall Damian mention town halls being held in the plaza during the tour he gave to them on their first day in Dammerel.

"Oh…right. But I don't know if we're gonna go…" Both O'Chunks and Morris frowned at this.

"Really? Why not?" The latter pressed.

The Koopa King was tempted to quickly make up some excuse about him and Mario being busy, but he surmised just as fast that he would very likely then have to create an endless chain of lies about what they'd be doing instead of attending the meeting.

Bowser's track record so far at creating a believable cover story for himself and Mario while also keeping a low profile was far from spectacular. But as much as Bowser would rather get a root canal than go to this meeting, not attending would likely create far more suspicion for the duo.

"On second thought, I think we'll be there," Bowser replied while putting on a lackluster, fake, half-hearted smile that was still the best he could possibly muster.

Strangely, this seemed to do the trick as his audience of two immediately beamed without even bothering to question the Koopa King's immediate and completely random change of heart.

"Oh, great! Guess we'll see ya then!" O'Chunks declared as he waved and turned to depart.

"Farewell, friend!" said Morris as he waved his arm excitedly.

It was downright suspicious how the moods and logic of these people would swing in wild, random extremes. One second they'd be suspicious of Mario and Bowser having ulterior motives or being untruthful about why they were here in Dammerel, then the next they would simply be grateful to have someone else around with a pulse to converse with. One second they all thought Bowser was a dangerous psychopath who liked getting into street brawls, then the next he was expected to converse with the community as though he'd lived here for decades.

What was wrong with these people? Besides all of the obvious depression, cowardice, and self-loathing. What was really wrong with these people? They weren't normal, rational beings. At least, not anymore. Was everyone here really so two-faced, or were they all just simply too stupid not to question anything beyond surface level?

It was creepy, and it only made Bowser want to get off this island of freak shows even more than he already did.

"You don't really buy that, do you?" Bowser asked.

"What do you mean?" Morris replied.

"That. Their whole 'lame villains turned handymen' act. You don't honestly believe they have changed, do you?"

"Sure! Don't you?"

"No, of course not!" Bowser exclaimed.

"Why not?" Morris probed as his brows knit together with concern.

"Because! People don't actually change. They just want others to think they did."

"What makes you so certain that that's true?" Bowser immediately fell silent; deathly afraid he might accidentally blurt out something revealing about himself and Mario again.

"I've just….seen it before. People do this to take advantage of others." This time, Morris paused before answering. The pig folded his arms.

"Interesting."

"What's interesting?"

"I've noticed that you adamantly refuse to talk about your own past, Bowser. Yet you are perfectly fine with helping others to open up themselves."

"You've been forcing me to help others! None of this was my idea!"

"Well, you did provide the inspiration, and you agreed to go along with this."

"I had no choice!"

"Not true. I simply urged you to stay and explained that you were the best possible person to help. But I never forced you to agree to this."

"Well…you tricked me then!" Morris chuckled.

"Trick or no trick, if this is all for the benefit of others, is it really so bad?"

Bowser was torn. He wanted to immediately tell Morris why he was the worst possible choice to be this "advocate for the people." But in order to get the guy to understand, Bowser would have to tell him who he really is.

It would just be easier – and probably more satisfying – to choke Morris out than keep playing this game of mind chess with a guy wearing a tribal get-up.

"I will take your silence as agreement," Morris declared with a satisfied smirk. "Well, I think that is all the good we can accomplish for today. So I'll leave you two alone now. But I look forward to seeing you at the town hall tomorrow night." The pig turned and began to walk away. Then he stopped when something had clearly occurred to him. "Oh, and do say hello to Devon and his special guest tomorrow for me, will you?"

Bowser waited until Morris had started walking away again before he reached out and choked the space where the pig once stood. He hated how much this guy could get under his skin and frustrate him while keeping up such a friendly demeanor.

Fine. If they wanted Bowser to be at this meeting so badly and get people talking, he would be there.

The Koopa King had no intention of coming clean about who he really was.

But he'd show them.