Chapter 9 Two Brothers One Search
Yawn. Larry had literally just started the search for Junior and already it was exhausting. Sure, he and Iggy hadn't gone to any major locations… and sure, they hadn't asked any important people for information… and sure, the two of them literally just arrived in Stonebrim less than two minutes ago… but it was still exhausting, okay? Larry felt completely and utterly beat, and the desire to go to bed and stay asleep until next year was so overpowering it was tantalizing.
He covered his mouth when he yawned, hoping that his older brother hadn't noticed him. If Iggy saw that Larry was starting to feel worn out, a lecture was sure to follow. Considering that Larry hated Iggy's lectures with every last fiber of his being, such a thing occurring was so far from desirable that it wasn't even funny. He hoped that Iggy hadn't noticed him, that he was too busy focusing on the logistics and facts to give his younger brother a second thought.
Unfortunately, his hopes were for naught. "Lawrence, may I ask why you are displaying the signs of lethargy?"
Larry sighed (the sound would've been a grumble, but Larry had enough self-control to contain it). "I just… I don't know, man. I kinda feel like…" he hesitated and looked away. "Never mind."
"No, tell me what it is?" Iggy stepped toward him. "I am profoundly interested."
Larry snorted. Well, I'm profoundly interested in you leaving me alone. He didn't say that though, as there was no point in starting up a Lawrence vs Ignatius fight right now. Instead, he sighed. It'd probably be in his best interest to explain; rip the band-aid off, so to speak.
"I just don't think this is going to be a quick and easy fix." Larry looked Iggy right in the eye. "The Koopa Kingdom is big. REALLY big. Junior could be anywhere, and it would take forever to find him." He bit his lip. "I just don't think finding him, especially as soon as we want, is possible."
A brief flash of fear appeared on Iggy's face, but just as quickly went away. "I perceive what you are communicating." Iggy sighed. "And I will admit that I do agree with you. It is a daunting task." He forced on a smile. "But if we work as efficiently as possible, perhaps we could make some progress."
Larry thought about this before sniffing. "Maybe. But at the same time, I'm not feeling very good about our chances."
"And to that I say, stop being a Debbie Downer." Iggy turned around and started walking away. "We will uncover his whereabouts, and the process of uncovering them will be much easier if we hold onto optimism."
Larry hesitated. He wanted to yell at Iggy and was so close to doing so. But he just as quickly realized that there wouldn't be a point. Would he say that Iggy was right? No. Or… yes. Or… he didn't know. The rebellious, brazen part of his personality wanted to deny it tooth and nail. But if he were to ignore his consuming desire to disagree with Iggy on anything the two talked about, he would say that Iggy did have some good points.
So, biting his lip, Larry followed after Iggy. They walked down the streets of Stonebrim, a practice that kind of depressed the youngest Koopaling. No, not because he was so focused on the fruitless search they no doubt started, but mostly because Stonebrim was the kind of town that would make anyone focus on what's bleak. It was just so gray! Any color that was on the buildings was washed out and faded. That wouldn't be so bad if the buildings looked at least somewhat impressive, but they really didn't. They weren't as samey as the sights to see in Generica, but even then, very little about them stood out. Well, unless someone decided to ignore that the buildings filled the heart with sadness and agitation.
And it was this sadness and agitation that made Larry realize something. Junior wasn't here! Why would the prince want to say somewhere like Stonebrim, where doom and gloom reigned supreme? The whole town might as well have a dark cloud hanging over it; anyone could pick up on that. So really, this kind of town would be the exact place that a child would want to avoid.
Realizing this, Larry rushed over to Iggy. "Iggster!" He reached for Iggy's hand, prompting his older brother to stop and turn. "Look, I don't think Junior is here, and I'm not just saying that to be a "Debbie Downer.' This place sucks! The buildings suck, the colors suck, even the people suck!" He gestured toward some koopa troopas walking down the street. They somehow looked more drab and washed out than the buildings. "This town is Depression Central! It would be stupid to think a kid would want to stay here! If a seven-year-old were to be anywhere in the Koopa Kingdom, it would be someplace like Sparksville or Lava Falls! Places that actually have some sort of color!"
Iggy stopped. "Hmm." He put his hand to his chin. "I will say, I do see the point you are trying to articulate." Larry's spirits rose, but just as quickly fell when Iggy spoke up again. "However, we cannot let assumptions, even good assumptions, stop us from putting the appropriate amount of effort into our search." He gave Larry a stern look. "We need to search all of Stonebrim, whether we like it or not."
Larry sighed. Like before, the sound would've been a grumble or even a growl. But also like last time, he had to admit that Iggy made a good point. It really would be in everyone's best interest to not leave any stone unturned. That was what Bowser instructed them to do right before they left.
"Fine, fine. We'll search Stonebrim."
"Indeed we will." Iggy paused before smiling at Larry. "If it makes you feel any better, we can do this quickly. And to bring your spirits up, before we leave the town, we can stop at the local Goomburger and ger some sandwiches."
That made Larry perk up. Ooh, Goomburger! That was the best fast-food restaurant in the kingdom (or at the very least the most popular)!
"You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Koopa!"
Iggy smiled, and they commenced with the search through Stonebrim. For the first part of the search, they mostly looked through public places, like restaurants, movie theaters, and parks. When they didn't find Junior anywhere there, they transitioned into phase 2 of the search: going up to people's doors and asking if they saw Junior at any point in the day. They did that with about sixty different doors, and every time they asked the homeowner about the prince's whereabouts, they would always shrug their shoulders and say that didn't know where he was, sorry. It was frustrating. Especially near the end of Phase 2; Larry wanted to pull his hair out and scream at the clouds. Even though he had reasoned in his head that Junior wouldn't be in Stonebrim, he still hated that the search for his younger brother wasn't going smoothly.
"Gah! This is bullshit!"
"It certainly is," Iggy said as they stood on the front stoop of the sixtieth door. He wore a contemplative expression before looking up into the sky. Shielding his eyes, he got a quick glance at the sun. "It looks as though noon is fast approaching." He pulled out his phone. "Yep, it's 11:54. Noon will be here in six minutes." He stood in place before sighing. "What do you say we take a break and go to Goomburger like I promised."
Larry chuckled. "Now you're speaking my language!"
…
"Number seventeen!"
Ooh, sweet; Iggy and Larry's food was done! The two brothers walked up to the counter, thanked the worker, and brought their food to a table. Larry licked his lips as he looked at his quarter pounder with cheese; sometimes, fast food was exactly what a koopa needed. Not all the time, or even most of the time, but there were some instances where Koopas had very specific cravings, you know?
The two Koopalings jumped right into eating. Larry finished his burger in no time. As he started on the fries and the drink, he looked over at Iggy. The middle child took meticulous bites, staring off into space as he did. He was clearly in his own little world, probably thinking about the search. Larry didn't blame him, but in his case, he wanted to keep his mind as far away from the search as possible. All that mattered was the here and now, where he was eating delicious food and getting a chance to relax in a time of absolute chaos.
Eventually, Iggy started muttering to himself, surprising Larry. "It is so strange." Iggy sighed and shook his head. "It boggles the mind how much damage something as simple as Junior's birth story could cause."
THAT caught Larry's attention. "Oh yeah!" He dug at the bottom of the fry box with his finger, looking for crumbs. "Junior did run away because of his birth story, didn't he?"
Iggy sighed. "He did." Iggy grabbed hold of his soda. He didn't drink it though, instead opting to move the straw around in a circular motion. "And honestly, I do not place much blame on him for that." Larry raised an eyebrow as he started slurping up his own soda. "That birth story is upsetting. Especially to someone like him; you know how strong his desire for a mother figure is!"
Larry snorted. "Yeah, he does not shut UP about it!" He laughed, almost making his soda go down the wrong pipe in the process. "He would put himself through Hell if it meant he got to spend just a minute with someone he could call his Mom." Realization hit the youngest Koopaling, causing his face to fall. "Which is why the fact he doesn't have one is so horrible."
"Exactly." Iggy got a fry out of his own fry box. "And honestly, it makes me wonder. How many Koopa Kings have gone through the exact trial Bowser Koopa Jr is facing right now? How many of them felt the same emotions? How much sleep had they lost resenting the choices of King Cosmo III, a Koopa who has been dead for a thousand years?"
Larry thought about this before shrugging. "I really couldn't tell you Iggster." All of a sudden realizing that he wasn't satisfied digging through an empty fry box, he cast his to the side and pointed at Iggy's. "You wouldn't mind if I finish your fries, would you?"
Not one word of judgement or disapproval came out of Iggy's mouth as he handed over the box. "I know you can't, and it just makes me sad. Not knowing the answer to that question leaves me with no other option than to jump to conclusions." He looked down at the table. "And all the conclusions my mind comes up with are just… awful."
Larry nodded, for once being able to fully empathize with Iggy's feelings. He chewed on his borrowed fries, thinking about everything happening in the present moment before a question popped up in his head. It was kind of random while also kind of related to the subject being discussed at the table. He didn't even know if he should ask it, but… eh, fuck it, he would ask anyway.
"You know, Iggy, we've spent this whole lunch out worrying about Junior's birth story." Larry leaned forward, for a minute completely forgetting about his food. "But what about ours?"
Iggy blinked. "Ours?"
"Yeah, ours. Clearly, the birth story of the Koopalings isn't ordinary either. How did we end up with Bowser? Who were our parents? Are we even really siblings." Larry leaned forward even more intensely. "Do you know where we came from, Ignatius Magnolia Koopa?"
Iggy stayed stock still, looking super uncomfortable as Larry refused to avert his unblinking gaze. Eventually, he cleared his throat and adjusted his position in the chair. "I do know some details about it." He gave Larry a glare. "But I'm not gonna tell you."
"What? Why not?"
"Because such a conversation could really only be had between you and Bowser. Besides, we have other things we need to focus on."
Larry frowned. "Oh, come on Iggy! Tell me! Tell me, tell me, TELL ME!" He reached across the table and grabbed Iggy's hands, causing him to gasp. "You need to tell me right now! I'm not gonna leave you alone until you do!"
"Larry…!" Iggy said as he sharply exhaled. He pulled his hands out of Larry's grip and got out of his chair. "Look, now is not the time. We both finished eating, so I suggest we continue on with the search. We need to start making our way over to Thwompville."
With that, Iggy turned and left. However, Larry refused to feel disheartened. Why? Because he was not going to let this go! There was no way in hell he was gonna let this go…