Chapter 4 The Bunch Have Brunch

Training went on for the next four hours, and Pom Pom was pleased to say that she continued making a good impression with Wendy. Every time she unleashed a special attack, Wendy would have this look in her eyes. It was a certain sparkle, and it elevated Pom Pom's spirit significantly. After the agonizing wait to join the Koopa Troop, affirmation from a literal princess was the exact thing that she needed.

And now, it was ten o'clock in the morning. Bowser had called both the recruits and the Koopalings inside to partake in the most amazing brunch that Pom Pom had ever eaten. And when she said "amazing," she meant AMAZING! The food, from the fried eggs, the bacon, the french toast, the waffles, the fruit… there was no way to describe it with words. At least, no way to describe it with words that would do such an amazing meal justice. It had to be experienced. You had to TASTE the fluffy, light-as-cloud pancakes. You had to taste with your own tongue and your own tastebuds just how incredible the waffles were, as well as the various syrups that could potentially be put on top of them. It was… honestly, right now, in this very moment, Pom Pom felt like crying. The food was too special. She could say with full honesty that she was jealous of the royal family, as they got to experience food this incredible and filling every day of their lives.

The conversation at the table only served to elevate the brunch. The Koopalings… honestly, when they talked, they didn't do so with an uppity cadence or a pompous tone. Well… okay, maybe Iggy did, but for the most part, the Koopalings chatted with each other like… any normal family. They laughed and joked, complimenting the new recruits and just overall having fun with the time that this brunch afforded. Even Bowser, the literal king of the entire Koopa Kingdom, just came across as a normal guy. This was easily the most shocking thing about this whole experience to Pom Pom. It was like she was with her own family, and they were just having lunch on a special but still pretty ordinary occasion.

"I must say, I am thoroughly and honestly impressed," Iggy chimed in from his spot at the table. He took a bite of his eggs and pointed his fork at the recruit he trained with. "Armando did really well against my attacks. I threw literally everything I had at him; bob-ombs, bullet bills, radioactive substances…" Iggy chuckled. "But even still, he was able to not only evade my attacks but also offer some substantial counterattacks!" He grinned. "You sir, are going to make an awe-inspiring solider!"

Armando blushed. "Thank you, Your Highness. I am honored that you found my skills satisfactory."

"Speaking of people with skills that are satisfactory…" Wendy spoke up, thoroughly surprising Pom Pom and throwing her for a totally unexpected loop. "You guys should've seen Pom Pom!" Wendy's eyes glittered like the stars and her smile… just like with the food, no words could adequately describe it; it was something that one had to experience. And as Pom Pom experienced it, she felt a warmth bubbling inside her. This warmth that only got stronger as the princess continued talking. "No joke; the way she was able to fight against me was just…" Wendy let out a breath, and Pom Pom felt a smile of her own coming on. "You guys are NEVER in a million years going to believe this, but when she goes into her shell, she can FLOAT!"

Lemmy did a spit-take. "What? You're joking!"

"Nope!" Larry said, surprising Pom Pom even more. "I got a glance of Wendy and Pom Pom's fight while I was training with Percy." He chuckled. "When Pom Pom rose into the air, I legit gasped out loud. Like, legit!" He laughed before putting his hand to his face and rubbing a noticeably red spot. "Probably should've been paying more attention to my own battle though…"

Bowser chuckled from his spot at the head of the table. "Well, either way, I can say that I am pleased." He took a big gulp of his coffee. "New soldiers having great skills in battle is like music to my ears. Even more so than some of Ludwig's pieces, honestly."

"Hey!" Ludwig exclaimed.

"What? I'm a simple king!" Bowser chuckled again and took yet another sip of his coffee. "I see soldiers who can potentially turn the tides of war, and I get excited." He locked his gaze on Pom Pom, making direct eye contact with her. "And the fact that a young woman such as you has skills that not even the most seasoned warriors have is just…" His body shook, causing him to smile. "Oh man, I just got goosebumps." He held out his arm and gestured for everyone to look. "See? Chills. Straight up chills."

By this point, Pom Pom was blushing HARD. Sure, it would be hard for most normal people to notice it since she already had a pretty red skin tone, but that wouldn't change anything. She had already gotten into the good graces of the royal family. Despite all odds, despite everything working against her, she had established a name for herself. Nay, established a name for herself on her first day! How many other soldiers could say they've done that? The list had to be pretty short; even Pom Pom's dad probably took quite a bit of time before he was able to climb up the army's ranks.

"Thank you, Your Majesties," Pom Pom said. She giggled, her heart fluttering. "My main motivation is to use my skills to serve and protect my kingdom." She raised her glass of orange juice to her lips, the satisfying flavor paling next to the satisfaction she was inspiring in everyone else. "And… well, I am pleased to know that my skills will be useful. That…" she paused, trying to find the best way to phrase her next statement. "It makes me feel good."

"As it should!" Wendy said. "Like, seriously Pom Pom, if you work hard enough, you could potentially fight Mario all by yourself one day!"

Ludwig snorted. "And if you're extra lucky, he won't beat you TOO hard," he muttered.

Pom Pom chuckled. "Once again, thank you. I really appreciate this."

"Good," Bowser said with a nod. He delved right back into eating his food, an example that everyone else at the table followed. And somehow, against all odds, the food Pom Pom was eating was even more appetizing to her now than it had been when she first sat down. The maple syrup was divine, the bacon was the right level of crispiness. It felt like her heart was overflowing, it really did. She felt like she was on top of the world. She could already imagine the conversation she was going to have with her family over the phone tonight. She could imagine their eyes growing wide in delight when they found out that she impressed the royal family. She could imagine the awe and pride in their voices when she relayed to them the conversation that happened right at this very table. Just thinking about that… oh, this day was off to an AMAZING start!

BZZT! BZZT!

Pom Pom blinked. Going completely unnoticed by the still-chatting royal family, she pulled her phone out of her hammerspace. She was getting a call, a call from a number that she knew all too well.

"Um, excuse me?" She said to everyone. "I really need to take this; make I be excused?"

"Of course!" Bowser said with a grin. "Anything for our most promising recruit!"

Pom Pom's face grew warm again. "Err… thanks." She got up from the table and went into the hallway. Letting out a breath and counting to ten in her head, she hit the accept call button on her phone and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Pom Pom." Pom Pom had many years to get used to the sound of this particular voice, and yet it still made her feel weak on the inside. "It's Dr. Shellby."

"Hi, Dr. Shellby" Like she so often did when she talked to her psychiatrist, she had to force herself to speak. "You got my message from a few days ago?"

"I did," Shellby said. His tone of voice sounded… well, it sounded odd. Obviously, he was trying to maintain some level of professionalism, and was also trying to sound crystal clear and calm. But Pom Pom had known him long enough to pick up on subtle cues in his voice. For one, she noticed the slightest twinges of concern in his tone, concern that showed he was probably TOO emotionally invested in Pom Pom's problems. Did it make Pom Pom uncomfortable? No; she was used to this. Unfortunately, the fact that she was used to this only made her feel even worse than she otherwise would be.

"Okay." Pom Pom barely had the strength to speak, and considering that her calls to her med doc ALREADY made her debate giving mutism a try…

"It's okay, Pom Pom," Shellby said. "I promise you that everything is going to be okay. The important thing is that you recognized that you are having trouble and decided to call me. Because of that, I can set up an earlier appointment for you so we can figure things out." There was a bit of silence on his end of the line before he sighed. "Now, what date do you think would be the best for you to come in?"

Considering this next appointment would definitely involve the dosage of Pom Pom's meds being raised… yeah, she wasn't exactly jumping up and down when it came to deciding on the date. Might as well decide on the date she was going to die, honestly. "Uh.. I dunno…" she paused. "What days are available?"

"Well, there's Monday of next week. I can fit you in for my… ten o'clock appointment?"

Pom Pom frowned. Too soon. WAY too soon. A week was nowhere near enough time for her to… well, for her to mentally prepare. Visits to the med doc, on top of being uncomfortable, were also emotionally draining. Considering all that was currently happening in Pom Pom's life, she was NOT ready to be emotionally drained.

"No."

"Okay. How about… Wednesday the twenty-first at twelve-thirty?"

Pom Pom felt like crying. "That works."

"Okay, good. Well, I'll see you then. Have a good rest of the day, Pom Pom."

With that, he hung up. Pom Pom lowered the phone away from her ear and sighed. "Have a good rest of the day, he said." That was funny. Not funny in a way that inspired laughter, more so funny in the fact that the statement was ironic and stinging in the worst possible ways.

There was never going to be an escape from this. Pom Pom was crazy; she knew that. She had been crazy since she was six years old. She had been crazy, broken, weak… nothing about her mind was desirable. To anyone. If people knew what happened to her when she was a kid… if they knew what she had believed all those years ago, when she was naive and stupid… if they could see inside her and figure out what the terrible concepts of insanity and sin had done to her psyche…

Pom Pom sighed. She knew she shouldn't think of herself this way. Multiple people over the years had told her that she wasn't crazy. Nay, multiple people she had TRUSTED over the years had told her she wasn't crazy. They just said that she had challenges, that she was of a sound mind and that she could live a happy, normal life even with everything that had happened to her. And she wanted to believe that, but…

Pom Pom shook her head. Maybe she shouldn't dwell on this right now. Today had been a good day so far. She had impressed people. She had shown what she was capable of. She had kicked butt in training, which indicated that she would probably do amazing when it came to the kidnapping missions. She had gone past her own limits today. Why should she let one little call from Dr. Shellby send her into a downward spiral?

The answer was she shouldn't. So, taking a deep breath, Pom Pom forced on a smile and walked back into the dining hall.