Chapter 25 You Are Funny

The Koopalings burst through the door to the Shellturner Theater. Ludwig sweated so much, the stress of the situation getting to him and making him feel sick. With the cake in hand, he looked from left to right. He didn't see any sign of his brother. Such a fact made his worried imagination run wild.

"Lemmy!" Ludwig rose into the air and flew down the hallway. His guilt levels rose, threatening to rise halfway across the Galaxy. He should've done something. He should've protected Lemmy. He should've convinced him that he didn't need to compete in this Laugh-Off, that he had always been funny, and Ludwig appreciated him with all his heart. There was so much he should've done to help with his brother's misery, and he did absolutely none of it. Oh God…

"Lemmy!" Ludwig checked through the doors he passed, but Lemmy was still nowhere to be seen. Oh no, something happened to him! He knew it did! Ludwig had already suspected that something happened when Chester admitted Rouge was responsible for any and all crimes committed in this theater, but now that he was actually searching for his little brother, the probability of him being hurt couldn't be ignored. Ludwig's heartbeat sped up. He didn't know whether to increase his speed to find Lemmy faster or if he should go slower to ensure that he didn't gloss over anything.

"Oh goodness, Lemmy." Ludwig started praying. He didn't care which God ultimately heard and answered him, he just hoped that they would be able to help him. He whimpered, feeling as though everything was going ballistically terrible. He was just about to start screaming out his prayers when…

"Prince Ludwig?"

Ludwig blinked and came to a stop. He looked behind, seeing the goomba girl and the Koopa troopa guy who he recognized as Luanne and Benny from the first dinner. Ludwig's heartbeat got even faster. Was this it? Were his prayers answered? Did the great Mushroom Gods decide to show him mercy?

"Benny! Luanne!" He practically ran over to them, almost bumping into Luanne and knocking her over. "Do you guys know where Lemmy is? He called me earlier, and I found out about the Grim Laughter and and…" he stopped and shook his head. "Wait, let me start over. Have you guys seen Lemmy?"

Luanne and Benny exchanged a worried look, a look that increased Ludwig's worry. "Uh…" Luanne turned back to Ludwig. "We… we have."

Ludwig's sweating got even worse. "Take me to him. Please." Luanne hesitated, looking like she wanted to elaborate on the state that she, Benny, and Ludwig alike knew Lemmy was in. However, after getting a serious look from the Koopaling, she nodded.

…

This was it. This was Lemmy's lowest point. This went beyond rock bottom, it went beyond any form of emotional or even physical pain. Lemmy was falling down into a bottomless pit with no light and no way out. His soul was now chained in a prison og its own making. Nothing was going to reach him. How could anything reach him? This was a state worse than death. He might technically still be alive, but only technically.

He didn't even want to move. His sadness and shame filled up every last corner of his mind. He had never experienced hurt this deep, pain this raw and festering. He knew he should keep going but at this point… no. He didn't want to keep going. He wanted to stay in this spot for the rest of time. He only felt pain and little shimmers of regret showing through the cracks of said pain.

Right as he let out a long sigh, the door opened. He barely noticed it and couldn't muster the motivation to care about who was in the room. Even when said person rushed over to him and called out his name.

"Lemmy!" His voice was foggy and distorted, and… familiar. Lifting his head ever so slightly, Lemmy saw Ludwig. He should probably be feeling happy to see him but… how could he? Really, how could he?

"Oh, Lemmy!" Ludwig wrapped his brother in a hug. Lemmy didn't have any of the strength required in order to hug him back. "Oh, Lemmy!" Ludwig looked upon him with a furrowed brow. Tears fell from his eyes. "Lemmy, I'm so sorry! You shouldn't… I… I should've…" Ludwig sniffled and dried his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Lemmy! I could've prevented this."

Similar to how Lemmy didn't have the strength required to hug Ludwig back, he also didn't have the strength required to respond. He just drew back in his own head. This might seem paradoxical considering how painful of a place it was right now, but… hey, at least it was less painful than seeing Ludwig hurting as well.

"Here." Ludwig displayed some sort of cake, breaking off a piece and handing it to Lemmy. "Eat this. You'll feel better."

It took all the willpower in Lemmy's body for him to reach out and take the piece. He slowly opened his mouth and took a bite, which…. Huh. This was pretty good. It was sweet, but it wasn't an overwhelming sweet like some sort of candy. It had a very natural flavor, like some sort of exotic and sought-after honey.

And the strangest thing happened when Lemmy swallowed. The depression and sorrow cleared away like rain clouds disappearing after a storm. He could now think clearly and coherently, and nothing felt dissonant or distressing anymore. Lemmy felt like he had gone back to normal. At least, somewhat.

"Pretty good," Lemmy said with a mellow tone. "Thanks, Ludwig." Ludwig did a double take, an action that confused Lemmy. "What? Is everything alright?"

"You… you aren't smiling."

"Am I supposed to?"

"Well, that cake I fed you is pretty much guaranteed to do that…" Ludwig scooter closer. "Lemmy, what's wrong?"

Lemmy frowned. "Ludwig, there isn't anything wrong. That cake was good, and I feel better…"

"Yeah, but not COMPLETELY better." Ludwig placed his hand on Lemmy's shoulder. "Something is clearly on your mind, Bud. You're worried about something."

"Ludwig…"

"Lemmy, please." Ludwig's lower lip quivered. "I want to help."

A simple sentence in the grand scheme of things, but a poignant one regardless. Lemmy looked away from his brother, debating what exactly he should share.

"Okay," he eventually said. He rubbed his left arm. "R… Rouge is the one who did this…"

"I know," Ludwig said. "Chester told me and the others what happened." He scooted even closer. "I'm really sorry, Lemmy. What she did was cruel. She had no right to take advantage of people like that."

Lemmy sighed. "Yeah. That was the whole purpose behind the Laugh-Off. She wanted to trap people and feed off of them." He sniffled. "You are right that what she did was cruel, but…"

"But what? There is no but; there shouldn't be a but. She is the one at fault!"

"She is, but…" Lemmy shook his head. "I'm so stupid."

"No! No, you're not! Lemmy, you shouldn't blame yourself for this!"

Tears fell from Lemmy's eyes. "Except my dumbass feelings are what led me to falling for this in the first place! I wanted to leave an impact on people and show that I could make people laugh! That's why I signed up for this contest! That was how I was able to become Rouge's victim in the first place! I wanted to help people when I'm clearly not equipped to do so!"

Ludwig backed up as he stared at Lemmy in wide-eyed shock. "Lemmy…" He tried to find the words but as having trouble. "No… Rouge took advantage of you! That has nothing to do with…!"

"I can't leave an impact on people. I mean… I only advanced forward to Round Two because of a fluke. People didn't like me the first time, so…" Lemmy dried even more tears from his eyes. "I was stupid in the sense that I thought I could be more. I have no place in the world of comedy, and I just…" he let out a little sob. "I never did anyone any good. I wanted to prove to myself that I could, but I can't. I know that now. I…" Lemmy whimpered and turned away. "I'm sorry."

"Lemmy, you have no reason to be sorry." This time, when Ludwig spoke, he used a firm and comforting tone. "You're not stupid. You think that you can't leave an impact on people, but you're wrong. Dead wrong. I told you before that if you can make the life of just one person better, then that's a life well-lived. And I'm gonna tell you right here and now that you succeeded in that regard."

Lemmy gave Ludwig the skeptical look to end all skeptical looks. "How? Who have I possibly left a positive impact on?"

Ludwig gave him a serious look. "You're looking at him right now." Lemmy blinked, trying to wrap his mind around what Ludwig just said as he placed his hands on his shoulders. "Lemmy, my life wouldn't be the same if you weren't a part of it. If you were never there with your jokes and with your kindness, I would be a very different person. I'd have a horrible outlook on life. I'd be a horrible person. I'd be miserable…"

Lemmy gawked. "Ludwig…"

"You don't know exactly how you've made my life better. Everything that we went through together, from the body swap to Doopliss to Shellock Holmes… how can you say you haven't left a positive impact on anyone after you and I went through all that together? You absolutely left a positive impact on somebody! You pulled me up from the brink of despair! You went the extra mile to save me, to comfort me, to help me smile… everything that you have done and continue you to do makes me better! It makes my entire life better!"

Lemmy's eyes welled with more tears. "Ludwig…"

Now Ludwig started looking misty-eyed as well. "I don't ever want you to say that you haven't done anyone any good. You have helped me so much just by being yourself! You're kind, you're supportive. You're funny! I know I've scoffed at your jokes in the past, but I really do like them! I like all of them! I think about them every day! I laugh at jokes that you told YEARS ago, and you just seem to get better with every one that you tell." The tears streamed down Ludwig's cheeks. "That's why it breaks my heart when you say you think you haven't done anything good. Every time I wake up in the morning and you're there to get me out of bed, I always smile because I get to spend another beautiful day with my baby brother! The same brother who loves me, the same brother who has moved Heaven and Earth for me. You walked a mile in my shoes. You saw my darkest secret and still wanted to hug and comfort me afterward. You are amazing, Lemmy. I don't want you to ever think otherwise! PLEASE don't think otherwise." Ludwig's breathing grew a little shallow. "You are one of the most important people in my life. I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for you."

Lemmy stared at Ludwig in stunned silence. He left an impact on Ludwig. He had reached his goal this whole time, and yet didn't even notice. He had made someone's life better. All while just being himself…

Without any warning, Lemmy wrapped Ludwig in a hug. "Thank you." Tears fell from his face as he squeezed tighter and tighter. "I… thank you for everything!" He sobbed as Ludwig hugged him back. "I was so focused on… I didn't even…" he whimpered. "I love you!"

"I love you too," Ludwig whispered. "Please don't ever forget that." He sniffled again. "You are funny, Lemmy, and you are the exact kind of brother someone like me needs. You make the world a better place by being in it. You make me a better person by being in my life. Please. Please don't ever forget that."

Lemmy finally smiled. "I won't. I promise I won't."

Ludwig and Lemmy held onto each other. To think that Lemmy had been running after a goal that he had achieved already. He had been dissatisfied with his life when it had literally been all that he wanted it to be. One person. That was all he needed to do, was reach one person, and he had done it. His life was worth something. He was worth something. He didn't want to ever forget that fact. He WOULDN'T. Never again would he forget. This conversation with Ludwig would be recalled in the future whenever Lemmy felt down. He would remember this for the rest of his life. He really would.

With a satisfied breath, Lemmy let Ludwig go. Looking into his brother's tear-stained face really put things into perspective. There was someone who cared about him. There was someone who wanted him to succeed. And it wasn't just Ludwig either; all of Lemmy's family wanted him to succeed! His siblings, Bowser, Kamek… even the people who he had met here during the contest! Benny, Luanne, and Chester… they had been there for him and supported him. It was so strange; he had been so mono focused on the impacts that he hadn't left that he hadn't noticed the ones he did. It was… it was amazing. It really was.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?"

Lemmy looked past Ludwig to see Rouge standing in the doorway. As he did, determination filled him. She tried to rob him and others of their joy. He was not going to let that slide.